2x NBA COY blames 4.5% 3-pt shooter Shaquille O’Neal, not Steph Curry, for jump shooting explosion – “Actually the cause” 

Two-time NBA Coach of the Year Mike D’Antoni believes Shaquille O’Neal was more responsible for the 3-point explosion before Steph Curry. O’Neal shot only 4.5% from the 3-point line in his NBA career, making only one of his 22 attempts outside the arc.

He did most of his damage inside the paint, where he was nearly unstoppable. Teams loaded up on signing average backup centers, only to foul O’Neal. His opponents had to come up with an unusual plan to limit his impact, as the traditional method of putting bodies on him didn’t work.

During an appearance on WBUR’s “On Point” podcast on Thursday, D’Antoni, who coached O’Neal for one season in Phoenix, revealed the pathway to stopping the dominant big.

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"We always said among ourselves, you can't out-Shaq Shaq," D'Antoni said. "You can't just trot somebody out there and think you're gonna get the best of Shaq. So we had to figure out a way to beat him. And that was to speed the game up, take more 3s and spread them out, and then they give us a chance to win."

D'Antoni was referring to making O'Neal's presence limited on the defensive end of the floor. Using a spread offense with lethal jumpshooters allowed teams to do that, where the 300-pounder, who wasn't the ideal pick-and-roll guarding big, stayed in drop coverage.

That kind of offense often makes a traditional big like Shaquille O'Neal unplayable because the opposing team's offense would have an advantage with him staying in a drop or defending on the perimeter. The most recent example of that would be Rudy Gobert, who was played off the floor in several playoff series over the past few years because of his weakness as a switch defender on the perimeter.

Steph Curry remains widely regarded as one of the pioneers of the 3-point shooting explosion

Shaquille O'Neal may have been key in changing the offensive approach around the NBA. However, Steph Curry elevated it to a point where he remains widely responsible for the league taking on the 3-point shooting approach. Despite the idea of playing fast-paced spread offense in O'Neal's era, not all teams had the same approach. D'Antoni's Suns were among the few teams that could pull that off.

Most other teams relied on mid-range shooting and attacking the middle of the floor. It changed after Curry entered the league and stunned everyone with his efficiency. Once Curry edged closer to his prime, his absurd 3-point shooting efficiency on high volume influenced players to change their playing styles, altering every team's approach and not just a handful.

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Arhaan Raje

Arhaan Raje is an Assistant Content Manager and Senior Writer with Sportskeeda's NBA/WNBA team with four years of experience.

Arhaan focuses on features, trends, listicles, and the latest rumors and reports circling the league's top teams and players. He emphasizes detailed research to create impactful content for readers. A fan of Xs and Os, Arhaan provides technical deep dives in his reporting.

Arhaan completed his bachelor's degree in BBA in Media and Entertainment Management from Mumbai, India.

Arhaan admires the killer mentality of Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. He respects LeBron James for being a role model on and off the court. The bold and decisive Gregg Popovich stands out as Arhaan's favorite basketball coach. LeBron's epic chase-down block in the 2016 NBA Finals has a special place in Arhaan's basketball memories.

He has interviewed Ronnie 2K, the face of NBA2k and Marketing Director.

Sports isn't the only passion he has pursued professionally. Arhaan is also into performing arts in the music industry as a percussionist.

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