Spaced Out: The Tactical Evolution of the Modern NBA

A hands-on, illuminating deconstruction of NBA basketball, tracing the tactical evolution of the modern game.

As the NBA celebrates and surpasses 75 years of existence, today’s game looks nothing like it did in generations past when Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar took turns ruling the league. But it’s also entirely different from a decade--even half decade--ago.

Today’s stars enter the league with more versatility and fluidity than ever before, and they need it to handle the strategies, philosophies, schemes, skill sets, movement patterns, and measures of basketball intelligence that simply didn’t exist in the past.

Spaced Out tells the story of what professional basketball looks like right now and how it got here. Taking a court-level view, Mike Prada breaks down high-level play to elucidate the athleticism, strategy, and skill demonstrated on a nighty basis, while shining a light on the historical forces that have dramatically altered the shape of the game and the role of its superstars.

Topics covered include the explosion of three point shooting, the rise and fall and rise again of zone defense, the impact of tighter enforcement of perimeter contact rules, and other pivotal factors impacting the pro game.

From Xs and Os to keen historic analysis, this definitive volume will reveal the intricacies of a beautiful game for savvy fans, players, and coaches alike.

Mike Prada is a writer and editor who has covered the NBA and WNBA for over a decade. This is his first book.