The Rise of the Well-Rounded Roster: Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers Showcase NBA Success
As the NBA season continues to thrive, a clear trend emerges: in today's basketball, a team's success is no longer solely dependent on having a superstar player who can dominate on the court. Instead, it's about having a well-rounded roster that can execute plays, make quick decisions, and shoot from anywhere on the floor. Last year's NBA champion, the Milwaukee Bucks, exemplified this trend. They had stars in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, but they also surrounded them with players who could do it all. When Antetokounmpo and Middleton shared the floor with Jrue Holiday, George Hill, and Brook Lopez, everyone could shoot and make a read, and nobody was a defensive liability. Even with their bench units, there was no obvious weak link. This season, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets are following a similar blueprint as they face off in the NBA playoffs. Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Seth Curry have shared the floor for 85% of Philadelphia's playoff minutes. During that time, the 76ers have outscored opponents by 17.5 points per 100 possessions. Every single one of those guys can defend, process the game quickly, and create offense either for themselves or someone else. Similarly, the Nets have a well-rounded roster with Kevin Durant as their star. Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and Joe Harris are all skilled enough to play with tempo, precision, and relentless energy. And they all shoot the ball well: Irving, Harden, and Harris are all shooting over 40% from 3 on over three attempts per game in the playoffs. Both teams' historic comebacks break the mold too. The 76ers don't turn to clear-out hero-ball isolations; they stick with their flow: pace, movement, and speed. In moments when most teams tighten up, Philadelphia just keeps running its offense. The Nets also rely on their teamwork and chemistry to pull off impressive comebacks. The throughline with both teams is clear: there are no dead zones, everyone is a threat. It's a roster with continuity and a system built on interchangeable skill sets, rapid processing, and nonstop effort. And two excellent coaching staffs led by Doc Rivers and Steve Nash constructed these systems and devised game plans to unleash their players' strengths. The modern NBA has evolved to a pace at an all-time high and spacing is at an all-time high too. A record-high 42.5% of shots were taken from 3 this season, and they were launched from farther than ever before: 26.5 feet on average above the break. Screens are also being set farther from the hoop: the average on-ball screen came 26 feet from the rim, another all-time high. Defenses are switching more than ever: 25% of the time this year, up from just 8% a decade ago and 16% a half-decade ago. All of that means defenders have to cover more ground and do it faster than ever. Every offensive possession stretches the floor horizontally and vertically. On top of that, playoff officiating has made the game more physical than it's been in decades. Players have to be tough enough to absorb contact and relentless enough to fight through every screen
