Video: Philly Gives Up Wide-Open Millsap Dunk With Kyle Korver Looming Beyond Arc

We’re still only a quarter of the way through the 2014-15 NBA season and haven’t even reached Christmas, but Kyle Korver is having perhaps the greatest season shooting the ball from beyond the arc in NBA history. Through 20 games, Korver is tied for the most made 3-pointers in the NBA, AND he’s leading the league in 3-point shooting percentage, connecting on over 55 percent of his 5.4 attempts from distance this season. In tonight’s 95-79 Hawks win over the 76ers, one play showed just how dangerous Korver’s long-range accuracy has become.

NBA teams have increasingly leaned on the three-pointer to space the floor and offer up a greater efficiency if they are going to take a long-range shot. Nobody personifies this no-longer new offensive philosophy better than Korver.

Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer has devised all sorts of slant screens in secondary transition to open Korver up, and he’s a threat from 30 feet in on the offensive side of the ball. Guarding Korver is no day in the park with a gauntlet of screens to go around as Evan Turner learned during a recent Hawks-Celtics game.

Still, a dunk will always be the easiest and most efficient way for a team to score. There’s no accounting for the nearly 100 percent ROI a slam dunk provides.

By way of the estimable Mike Prada at SB Nation, comes the below action mid-way through the first quarter of tonight’s Hawks-76ers. Korver’s presence beyond the arc bamboozles three Sixers players to jump out on him rather than stay with a rolling Paul Millsap.

Korver is so deadly efficient this season, when he curls around a DeMarre Carroll, Millsap double screen on the far wing, not only does Millsap’s man jump out on him, but so does Carroll and Korver’s own man. So, in essence, the Sixers elected to triple-team a barely open Korver, which in turns leads to a Millsap jam:

//platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js

For the game, Korver was 5-of-7 from three, and 6-of-11 overall for 17 points. So even with Philly so aware of his dangerous presence beyond the arc, they were unable to stop him.

It’s crazy how Korver has been ripping nylon so far this year, but Philly needs to get their rotations in line because as good as Korver has been, they’d still probably see him take a contested three-pointer than give up a wide-open dunk to Millsap; although, who knows with this year’s Sam Hinkie concoction.

(SB Nation)

What do you think?

Follow Spencer on Twitter at @SpencerTyrel.

Follow Dime on Twitter at @DimeMag.

Become a fan of Dime Magazine on Facebook HERE.

×