Those three states with 27 or so electoral votes didn’t make a difference in 2008 or 2012, and they almost certainly won’t in 2016. The familiar ground of Florida and Ohio are much more key.
Funny you should mention Florida and Ohio. The author explicitly states why NV, CO, and VA are relevant in relation to FL and OH:
"Bankable wins here meant Democrats could forgo traditional battlegrounds like Florida and Ohio and still win an Electoral College majority."
He implies that if NV, CO, and VA are in play in '16, which they most certainly are, then the dems must devote fewer resources to FL and OH in order to compete in these other three states.
North Carolina is far more important than Nevada, and the 2102 vote was closer there. The closer vote is true of Iowa too.