NBA basketball is undergoing a small ball revolution. Lineup sizes are shrinking, offensive output is growing, and the overall pace of the game is now more geared to slashing perimeter players than traditional big-men.

The typical NBA fan is no stranger to small ball – media personalities and NBA analysts can’t seem to avoid the subject when performing their sidelines duties. But with such a rapidly transforming league, new, lesser known offensive trends have also emerged that have shaken-up league defensive schemes over the past few seasons. In this post, I’ll break down the statistical context of these evolving game strategies, and evaluate how they’ve transformed professional basketball.

The Pull-Up Jumper

Steph Curry is no longer the lone ranger when it comes to deep-range pull-ups.

According to a report from FiveThirtyEight, 26 players are now taking at least two 3-point pull-up jumpers a game, 9 more than from two years ago. And, of those 26 individuals, nearly half of them are shooting them at a 36 percent clip.

Even at the team level, pull-up shots have become an integrated feature of the NBA offense; the average amount of pull-ups taken per game has increased by 30 percent since 2014.

It’s somewhat confusing that one of the most difficult shots in basketball has become so prevalent. Yet as Kyle Wagner, author of the FiveThirtyEight article, put it, “The argument in favor of the shot is somehow even simpler: If it goes in, it’s unstoppable. For a player with a certain set of skills, it’s a shot that’s both always available and always open.”

In short, the NBA’s pull-up is real strong (no pun intended).

The Stretch Big Man

I firmly believe that the classic, big-bodied post player still has a place in the NBA today. Though the league has experience a dearth of strong frontcourt talent over the past five years or so, there are players who can impose their will and dominate on the low block. Just check out this article posted by Hakeem Olajuwon in the Player’s Tribune about what Small Ball means for modern big men.

That being said, league franchises have started to embrace the Stretch Fours/Fives: big men that can stroke the ball from outside and create valuable court spacing and ball movement for their teams. Some of the NBA’s most feared forwards and centers – like Joel Embiid, Kristaps Porzingis, and DeMarcus Cousins – are all shooting at least 37 percent from beyond the arc. Furthermore, several bigs have also added passing to their arsenals; in 2017, there have been eight power forwards with an assist percentage of 18 or higher, compared to just 3 in 2013.

The era of versatile big men is here – and the rest of the league better watch out.

The Pick and Roll

Pick and rolls have been around the league since Bill Russell first graced a basketball court with his presence. Yet, with the rise of guard play, they’ve become a true, more nuanced staple of the NBA.

In today’s NBA, pick and rolls account for roughly 20 percent of plays run by an NBA offense. Screens create mismatches and defensive miscommunication, and with more layers of tactical depth added to the long-established “pass down low” – including the pick and pop jump shot and the incorporation of ball reversals – it has become increasingly challenging to consistently get stops.

The pick and roll has become a favorite strategy for the NBA’s elite, and its unlikely that its status as a premier offensive weapon will not change anytime soon.