Big is the new small?

Interesting note from John Hollinger on Monday.

Hollinger in his PER Diem section notes how lineups seem to be getting bigger rather than the perceive notion that they are getting smaller (think Phoenix Suns in their heyday). But Hollinger does not note that while lineups are getting bigger, players are not.

He uses the Magic's big three of Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu and Dwight Howard as poster children of this new movement. The taller players have been getting more versatile and now we are seeing this talent promise played out to its fruition in teams like Orlando, Toronto, Atlanta.

This is an odd development in the history of basketball. Teams are no longer building around the traditional big men and point guard or dominant shooting guard mode. They are now building with versatile players who can use their extreme size to their advantage.

It is catching on in the league and Orlando is at the head of this movement. The Magic are once again nearing the top of the Eastern Conference with an 8-3 record and a five-game winning streak after tonight's win in Indiana.

Big is the new small... literally. Expect this trend to continue until the next NBA revolution.