SACRAMENTO -- The NBA game is changing. League records are in jeopardy all over the place, but it's hard to imagine a bigger statistical shift than that of the 3-point shot. Instituted to start the 1979-80 season, the 3-pointer isn't just a gimmick, as first thought. It's the lifeblood of a league that is growing at an incredible pace.
The ability to make the long distance shot used to be a rarity, now it is a prerequisite to enter the league. Even centers like DeMarcus Cousins and Marc Gasol are letting it fly as the game shifts to the perimeter.
The leaderboard is being rewritten and it's will likely continue to change as more and more players are lining up from behind the arc.
Sacramento Kings executive Peja Stojakovic knows this fact all too well. Out of the league just six years, the Serbian-born sharpshooter has seen his place in the standings diminished almost every season.
"Every decade, every 10-15 years, there is some new, great player that comes in that take the game to a different place we haven't seen before," Stojakovic told CSN California earlier this week. "That's what's so special about this game."
When he retired following the 2010-11 season, Stojakovic ranked fourth all-time in made 3-point shots with 1760, trailing only Ray Allen, Reggie Miller and Jason Kidd.
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Since leaving the game, Jason Terry, Paul Pierce, Vince Carter, Jamal Crawford, Kyle Korver, Joe Johnson, Chauncey Billups, Kobe Bryant and Rashard Lewis have all passed him, leaving Stojakovic in 13th place on the list, but only for another game or two.
Golden State Warriors star point guard Stephen Curry is hot on Stojakovic' tail, trailing the 3-time All-Star by just 11 makes coming into Wednesday night's matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Be it Wednesday or sometime late in the week, Curry will almost assuredly surpass the former Kings star.
"Records are meant to be broken," Stojakovic said. "Steph is definitely a guy, that if he continues to shoot - him and Klay (Thompson), if they continue to stay on the same pace, they can climb all the way to one and two."
Curry, 28, has led the league four straight seasons in makes, setting new standards multiple times. His 402 triples last season is an NBA record and he holds three of the top four spots all-time for 3-balls in a single season.
Thompson is right behind Curry in most seasons. His 276 makes during 2015-16 is the third most in a single season and he is on pace to hit over 250 shots from deep this year. Through five-plus seasons in the league, Thompson has hit 1182 3-pointers and at age 26, he has plenty more left in him.
"Our league in general has shifted," Stojakovic said. "It's more of a guard's league and the pace is different. A lot of teams are shooting a lot of threes and Golden State - it suits them pretty well with the personnel they have."
Both Curry and Thompson are a long way from tracking down Allen's top spot of 2973, although Curry can get there quickly if he continues to drop in 400-plus bombs a season.
Injuries could play a role in where each of these players end up career-wise, but they are well on their way to shattering the record books.
"They are young enough and the way the league is going, I think if they stay healthy, they can really climb up there all the way to the top," Stojakovic said.
