During the NBA All-Star Weekend, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green made waves by stating that the current style of play in the league is “boring” compared to previous eras. His comments sparked a wave of reactions from various sides, including a pointed response from former NBA player Lou Williams. The former 76ers player, blamed the Warriors themselves for the current state of the game.
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In recent years, the NBA has seen a decline in ratings, with critics attributing the drop to multiple factors. One of the most discussed issues is the league’s growing reliance on three-point shooting, which some argue has made the game less dynamic and more repetitive. Williams believes that the Warriors played a central role in the rise of this trend.
“You all started it (the Warriors),” Williams admitted during an appearance on Run It Back. “The NBA is in this position because of the style of play that you guys brought to the league and were successful in doing so. And as a result of that, the NBA, as well as all of the other leagues, are copycat leagues”.
Williams continued, pointing to the widespread imitation of the Warriors’ game strategy. “Once you see a team be very successful in doing something, you want to try it yourselves. And sometimes, you might not have the personnel to do the things that made you successful in doing so,” Williams noted.
Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors shoots a three pointer over Ayo Dosunmu #11 of the Chicago Bulls. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
“And now, we have a league where every single team is shooting upwards of 50 to 60 three-pointers a game because they are emulating what the Golden State Warriors created,” he added. “So, pat yourselves on the back—y’all started this style of play”.
Williams’ critique is supported by the statistics—recent trends show the NBA is increasingly reliant on three-point attempts. On February 12, the league set a new record for three-point attempts with 1,119 shots taken across the 15 games that night, according to OptaStats.
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This isn’t the first time a former player has criticized the three-point heavy play style. In November 2024, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal voiced his displeasure with the dominance of the three-pointer in the modern NBA.
On The Big Podcast with Shaq, O’Neal pointed the finger squarely at Stephen Curry and the Warriors for the shift in play style that has led to a predictable and, according to some, boring game.
“Everybody is running the same plays… Steph Curry and those guys messed it up,” O’Neal said. “I don’t mind Golden State back in the day shooting threes, but every team isn’t a 3-point shooter. So why does everybody have the same strategy? I think it makes the game boring”.
