Livinthedream
All-Star
I think it's some combination of (A) Old habits die hard and (B) All of them look like they're at least on the way to developing a 3pt shot.
It's a good question though, especially in the context of a season in which Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins on the same team looked good but hardly dominant and the other splashy new pairing in the West of Chris Paul and James Harden had the best record in the league. And both of those big guys are already knockdown shooters at that. What's more, none of the top 4 teams (Golden State, Houston, Boston, Cleveland) featured a dominant big man but all of them had very good guards and wings -- or at least one ultra elite wing in the case of Cleveland and adequate guards. This is probably where all the Michael Porter at #2 speculation comes from and I could understand it if I bought into the idea that he's an elite wing in the making.
I don't think having an elite big guy is a detriment though so much as not having elite guards and wings has become untenable. I like our guards already. We need to upgrade our wings but I still take Ayton after Doncic if that's the way Phoenix chooses to go. I know it's against the grain but the talent is too good for me to pass on and I would hope that we can trade some of our excess bigs for a wing or develop a young player or two or try to get one in free agency by selling them on the idea that Fox/Hield/Bogdanovic/Giles/Ayton looks like a team that's one player away from being very good.
Yes, the majority of the best players in the league are guards at this time. So it requires having players who can defend those guards. I think the idea that there are a lot of good players in the backcourt at this point in time is being confused with the thought that the game is all about 3 pointers. Playing the 3pt analytics games is a way of leveling the playing field when you don't have the actual superstars to handle the heavy lifting. Even then, it's hard to find enough shooters to pull it off at a high level. When the playoffs come, the game is about having the best players, regardless of position.
Lillard and McCollum were no match with New Orleans, whose best player is Anthony Davis, who is a better player than Portland's best players. Toronto's best players are guards. Doesn't matter when facing a better player in Lebron. I would argue the Cleveland is in the finals with such a weak team because they have the best player in the NBA and they are also using the 3 point game to make up for the blemishes. It doesn't work against a team like the Warriors, who not only have a couple of great players, but they play a complete game. No smoke and mirrors. If the Warriors struggle a little from the 3pt line, they are still in it. Teams like Houston and Cleveland are done without it when facing a good team. They have no backup plan.
I'm not arguing the validity of guard play, 3pt analytics or the importance of it. I'm just saying, it's a way to mask deficiencies. If there are a couple more drafts in the future like this years where there are a lot of good big men, the game will even out more. Teams have to use the talent they're given to work with. Lately the talent has been with the wings/guards.