The most radical coach was Gene Shue of the San Diego Clippers. Shue’s team shot a league-high 543 3-pointers in 1979. And while many coaches only attempted 3s at the end of quarters or in blowouts — “That philosophy is in the dark ages,” Shue argued — Shue incorporated them in his offense. He understood then what would become an accepted truth: That even if a team hits a lower percentage of 3-pointers, the true field goal percentage is much better. San Diego, however, won only 35 games, and Shue was fired. In the next three years, no NBA team shot more than 407 3s. The league was so dismissive of 3-pointers that in March 1980, the Los Angeles Times wrote that the Lakers “missed a chance to tie Phoenix because they didn’t even try for a three-pointer while trailing by three in the closing seconds.”