3 pointers are actually the opposite problem; they turn out to be more efficient but they make the game a lot more boring to watch.
I disagree. Go watch some of the old games before 3 pointers. Teams would pack the defense into the key and the game would get really boring. It was also brutal--driving to the bucket on a packed defense like that would get you mugged.
3 pointers force defenses to move outward. Illegal defense penalties also helped.