The development of a big man is longer than a guard, and there are several explanations for this phenomenon. Guards often, if not always, have the ball in their hands.
Someone like Trae Young, for example, has relied on his skills to beat taller, longer, faster defenders all his life. Others have had their roles simplified between college and the NBA.
From heavy use in the NCAA to a role of simple 3andD in the NBA or a simple slasher, not to mention the lockdown defender.
But the big men? They are used to using their height and stature in their early years and college. Taller and stronger than most, their bodies do all the work before the professional world. If they make a mistake at this level, they can recover because of their power until they get to the NBA. Only here do they see their physical and much more experienced equivalent.
So, when they get to the NBA, they must relearn the game because what they did earlier doesn't work anymore. The game is more physical at the NBA level, and the fouls are much more present than in college. The possibility of being ejected from the field is, therefore, higher. Getting used to that everyday physicality, pounding beating, takes work.
Then there was the outbreak of the small ball that killed the so-called "traditional" big men. A faster, more explosive game replaced half-court attacks centered on the big men with their backs to the basket.
The advantages of athletics dominate those of presence at the opposing position. An amount of speed and explosiveness begins to outweigh the dominance of painting.
Since the creation of the NBA, position 5 has been dominant. There was a trough in the 2010s but a wholesale resurgence. It is no longer the same people who dominated as before because they had to adapt.
Among the best centers in the NBA, most are internationals, and that's no coincidence. They learned the basics of the game at a young age. This understanding of the game helps the great international men dominate the NBA.
According to some experts, U.S. players miss the lessons of "triple threat" shooting, passing, and dribbling to the basket skills that players have learned from other nations.
There are a limited number of 7 feet in the world, and the NBA has drawn on its resources to increase the number of big players coordinated or with fundamental skills with the ball. The teams focused on shooting rather than the importance of size, which gave the big many opportunities. But the game evolves, and so do the big men.
Great men have improved as the game has gone global. Embiid, Jokic, Vucevic, Sabonis, Gobert. At position 5, there are Giannis and Porzingis. Finding a competent center is easy to do these days. That was not the case 30 years ago.
The league overcorrected 100% when they thought the little ball was the future. It's lunar to believe that being tall was insignificant in basketball.
So, some coaches give importance to post-ups, especially if their big men have the skills. Philadelphia with Embiid, Orlando with Vucevic, and Denver with Jokic by causing mismatches. Post-ups become dynamic, meaning some guards defend the opposing center in their comfort zone.
Teams in the league maximize the effectiveness of Moneyball in the NBA; there must be a balance between the frequency and efficacy of individual types of play. Sacramento uses it when Hector is on the field from time to time, but the trend is that we have gone from a drop of more than 4% of play to the low post since 2014 but are becoming more efficient. Efficiency increases, but usage decreases. Do teams need to use post-ups?
3-point attempts have increased but are stabilizing, and the same goes for accuracy and 3-point pace.
Unless the rules change or the big men get bad at post-ups, it's easier to have the pieces in the post become less effective. There is a greater chance of seeing their frequency increase at some point.