NBA scorelines have taken a meteoric spike, and Philadelphia 76er JJ Redick has a simple explanation for the pandemic: "I think offenses are smarter and defenses are dumber," Redick said in layman's terms.
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The optics of the situation are quite apparent. Teams like the Los Angeles Lakers play at a blistering pace where turnovers are rampant and defensive schematics and structure are not prioritized. The league average of 113.4 points per contest is the highest mark in over a half-century. To put those numbers in perspective, the league average is but a decimal point lower than then mark achieved by the league leaders in 2017-2018, the Golden State Warriors. The NBA (leaguewide) is also on pace to set new season highs for "three-pointers made." Go figure.
In fact, the only team to score fewer than 100 points a night this season is the Memphis Grizzlies, and they are by all accounts a "grit and bear it" type of team. The New Orleans Pelicans are currently scoring at a whopping rate of 132 points per contest, putting them in the apex position through three games.
The other alternative to lackadaisical defense would be for the players to adopt a scripted "halfcourt offensive schemes" made popular in the 1980s and 1990s, but nobody got time for that.
