An interesting subplot is that since Kawhi’s 2020 Raptors run, none of the finals teams have had a dominant, heliocentric wing. Maybe Boston, but even that team didn’t quite rely on Tatum in the same way that other teams before had. Since the Heatles, the consensus has basically been that wings are the most important position in modern basketball, allowing teams to play ‘positionless’ and spread the floor.
But over the last three years the best teams have bucked that trend, instead being lead primarily by guards or bigs. Going into next season, most people would probably have a couple of centers at the top of their best players list. And in the last 6 NBA drafts, the only dominant wing player to be taken was Ant. Interesting to see the league pivot so quickly, considering it was only a few years ago that Ballmer went all out and built almost a whole team with 6’7" - 6’9" guys
An interesting subplot is that since Kawhi’s 2020 Raptors run, none of the finals teams have had a dominant, heliocentric wing. Maybe Boston, but even that team didn’t quite rely on Tatum in the same way that other teams before had. Since the Heatles, the consensus has basically been that wings are the most important position in modern basketball, allowing teams to play ‘positionless’ and spread the floor.
But over the last three years the best teams have bucked that trend, instead being lead primarily by guards or bigs. Going into next season, most people would probably have a couple of centers at the top of their best players list. And in the last 6 NBA drafts, the only dominant wing player to be taken was Ant. Interesting to see the league pivot so quickly, considering it was only a few years ago that Ballmer went all out and built almost a whole team with 6’7" - 6’9" guys