I Love Basketball, but Not the NBA

by user Ron Sen, MD

For me, most of the NBA has become unwatchable. I don't mean the chest-thumping, hip wiggling, piped in noise. The basketball has become the problem.

Yes, team basketball still exists. The Spurs, Pistons, Heat, and sometimes Suns and a few more play 'old school'.

No question, today's players have the size, quickness, and skills to play at the highest level. Why do they choose not to?

Sure, individual talents display elements of great fundamental basketball in varying degree. Richard Hamilton has no peer in moving without the ball and coming off screens. Dwayne Wade has a wonderful total offensive game. Amare Stoudemire has post moves from hell. Michael Redd's pure shooting challenges those who remember 'Sudden' Sam Jones. Steve Nash can make every pass. LeBron is well, LeBron.

But how often during the NBA season do you stop and say, "wow, I love the way that guy plays?' Gotta admit I love Ginobili, I admire Paul Pierce's 'wing' game, but too many times do you see the 'pick and roll' and its variations, 'give and go', and back door cuts leading to easy hoops?

Reasons exist in abundance why the Internationals have caught up to USA Basketball. The best outside the water's edge have improved their skills and athleticism. Foreign coaching has achieved a par with the US. College coaches eagerly recruit younger European and LatAm players for development. But the foreigners play a purer game dependent on creating better shot opportunities and shot selection, rebound adequately, and overall display more commitment to defense than the locals.

Too often US players care more about ESPN highlights and shoe contracts than basketball. Too much practice time gets devoted to Xs and Os instead of fundamentals. Too many players think 'And 1' is basketball. High school players work on the Iverson cross and all sorts of tricky dribbling and don't have a clue how to create space, set up a teammate, or God forbid, make a free throw.

Yes, I was spoiled growing up in the era of Russell, Baylor, West, Robertson, Havlicek, Frazier, and more. Most have never heard of Pete Newell. Many have starred in AAU (All About U). A lot have good parts but not the whole package. Despite their physical attributes, too many lack what so many 'old time' players had - spine, guts, and heart.

Date

Sun 08/27/06, 3:44 am EST

Alex HolowczakHall of Famer

1196 days ago

Score 1

In one sense, individual skill puts bums on seats, and basketball is the least team-like team game I can think of. It's almost like it's 5 individuals, ranked in order. Number 1 player has it, if he can't get anywhere, throw it to the Number 2 etc. One decent team beat 5 great individuals. E.g. a well organised dedicated soccer team can more often than not beat 11 World Class players that have never met before. Team play is always more important.

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Manny StilesMajor Leaguer

1196 days ago

Score 0

absolutely correct, Alex!

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Manny StilesMajor Leaguer

1196 days ago

Score 0

That's too bad, Ron. Glass half full or glass half empty. Things always change, yet they always stay the same. I think the game is as good now as it has been in 20 years. THANK GOD thug-'em up basketball is dead. I don't miss the 90's knicks or the 80's Pistons, it isn't fun to watch. Entertaining to watch the scraps, but not the 72-69 games.

The NBA is STACKED with more varieties of talent than ever before. To take certain nuances, individual arrogances, celebrations or off the court buffoonery and paint the whole picture with that brush, that's not right.

It would be like saying all ArmchairGM users are poorly researched, annoying and ridiculous based off of contributors like LastRow (under the bus you go Norm!) and myself.

Look at the reigning 2 time MVP, the 2005-06 Rookie of the Year or guys like D Wade (100% class) as is most of the US national team. Team basketball wins games, but the nature of the business keeps teams from building experience over the long haul. The international teams have guys that have played together all of their lives. THAT's why they 'caught up to us'. (although we seem to be re-widening the gap) National allegiances are for life, not life of the contract.

Of course, I am a Suns fan and don't see the same NBA as everyone else, because when you play the Suns, you get lulled into running with them (The way the game was MEANT to be played) LONG LIVE DOUG MOE!

BUT, The whole team meeting fist bumps after EVERY free throw hit or miss needs to GO AWAY!

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Manny StilesMajor Leaguer

1196 days ago

Score 0

I STILL love this game!!!

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The BeastAAA-er

1195 days ago

Score 1

You are 100 percent wrong. Like all things in life, basketball is changing. The reason teams don't run multiple offense with moving without the ball is because teams can defend them. You're spoiled by the Russell era. Well, thats because all they had was slow white guys. it was easy to create space and run an offense.

Thats why Kobe's 81 is more impressive than Wilt's 100. Wilt was guarded by a 6-8 white dude with knee pads, short shorts, and a pair of converses.

You say they only run the pick 'n roll. Well, thats because everyone in the NBA is fast and can stop the backdoor, but they do not communicate on D, so the pick 'n roll works. You see highlight reals of alley oops. Well most of them are back door oops. They can only go over the top because teams recover quickly. The game is changing because the players are changing.

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Manny StilesMajor Leaguer

1195 days ago

Score 0

and changing for the better!

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