NBA: 3 deadly three-point shooters you're probably hearing about for the first time

The NBA wasn't always as guard-friendly as it is today. If we go back to Wilt Chamberlain's days, height was a must -- as was upper body strength. Even during the Michael Jordan era, referees were often lax in calling contact fouls.

However, the years since have seen a rapid change in regulations. Ever since the 1979-80 season, when the three-point line was introduced, the demand for guards has been on the rise. When there's an extra point involved, it can have an impact on results.

Three-point shooting is more important than ever. With this in mind, here are three players who have emerged this season:

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#3 Bryn Forbes (San Antonio Spurs)

Forbes continues to develop his game under Gregg Popovich's close watch

Bryn Forbes has been with the San Antonio Spurs since the very start of his NBA career in 2016, who have kept his progression under wraps to help him slowly develop his true potential. 2019-20 is his fourth year in the league, though he remains unknown to many barring Spurs fans.

The past two years have seen his stats from beyond the arc shoot through the roof. He averaged 32% during his rookie season, 42% in last year's regular season before an impressive 48% clip in last year's playoffs.

Following Davis Bertans' departure, he's undoubtedly their main three-point wizard and sits ninth on the three-pointers made list already this term, so it'll be interesting to see how Gregg Popovich utilises his threats from distance going forward.

#2 Luke Kennard (Detroit Pistons)

Luke Kennard celebrates one of his three-pointers to start an encouraging 19-20 season

Luke Kennard undoubtedly is and will continue to play a vital role for the Detroit Pistons. The 12th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, the Pistons are banking on him to strengthen the team -- averaging 33 minutes this season, while making his presence felt on court as their starting shooting guard.

Currently, he's shooting 40% from behind the arc and 45% from mid-range, which speaks for itself. However the main worry remains his teammates, that they are not yet stepping up to the plate in an unpredictable Eastern Conference this season.

As he's only 23, a promising future lies ahead and hopefully he will continue to progress while refining his game under the tutelage of Derrick Rose, Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin among others who will mentor him along the way.

#1 Devonte' Graham (Charlotte Hornets)

Devonte Graham scored the game-winning three-pointer against New York on Sunday

If you are ever asked to choose between James Harden and Devonte' Graham when it comes to shooting beyond the arc, you might want to give it a second thought. The second-round pick from last summer's draft currently sits second on the three-point list across the league right now, yet people don't know about him. Undoubtedly, that's one of his greatest benefits and he wastes no time in taking full advantage of it.

Devonte' is practically running the show in Charlotte. As coaches focus their attention towards Miles Bridges and Terry Rozier, the team finds Graham for the three-ball. Charlotte are more or less running a formula where every pick-and-roll to Devonte' adds three points to their scoring total -- not very hard to defend, but only if you've done your homework and know who to nullify.

Up to this point after 13 games, Graham has been shooting a phenomenal 41.5% from beyond the arc. Although he sits behind Harden on the three-pointers made list, James has only shot 34% of his threes at a higher volume -- why many could prefer Graham right now to take those long-distance attempts.

Kemba Walker's summer departure for the Celtics undoubtedly helped the youngster as he's recreating the 2-time All-Star's presence in almost every aspect of the game. To top it all off, he's still only 24-years-old so has plenty of years left to flourish in his prime.