| PRO I love the NBA but here's what I'd change

[TUSKtimes]

I love the NBA. The greatest show on earth. With that, I would say that the increase in salary cap in the league started the possibility of getting a 4th all-star on a juggernaut team. Golden State took it a step further by getting guys like West and Boogie Cousins to come and play for peanuts. Also getting their superstars to take a big financial hit to play together. That will end this season but it was a successful strategy.

When has the NBA not been top heavy? Growing up you could figure out who was getting to the finals most years. Chicago, LA, Boston, Detroit, Philadelphia, Houston, Lebron with pretty much any team.

 

[BamaFan334]

I love the NBA. The greatest show on earth. With that, I would say that the increase in salary cap in the league started the possibility of getting a 4th all-star on a juggernaut team. Golden State took it a step further by getting guys like West and Boogie Cousins to come and play for peanuts. Also getting their superstars to take a big financial hit to play together. That will end this season but it was a successful strategy.

When has the NBA not been top heavy? Growing up you could figure out who was getting to the finals most years. Chicago, LA, Boston, Detroit, Philadelphia, Houston, Lebron with pretty much any team.

Greatest show on Earth? You serious, Clark?

 

[TUSKtimes]

Greatest show on Earth? You serious, Clark?

Some might say baseball, college football, or the NBA. America, ain't it great?

 

[BamaFan334]

Some might say baseball, college football, or the NBA. America, ain't it great?

Yeah, sure.

 

['65 Cobra]

I always get interested every year once the playoffs start. Here's the thing for me...

I am old enough to remember guys like Michael, Magic, Larry, Dr. J, Kareem, Isaiah, etc. when they were playing. Today's game has become more like the WWE than the NBA. The lack of enforcement of the basic rules like traveling (nowadays guys get away with taking 3,4 even 5 steps on the way to the basket), double dribble, carrying (most younger people don't even know that's a rule), the three-second rule etc., have turned the game into a carnival. Let's not even talk about flopping nowadays.

To wit... two steps on this one:



<iframe width="525" height="394" src="Julius Erving Behind the Backboard Lay-up - YouTube" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

It's still entertaining and the talent is phenomenal, but if you want to talk about changes, let's get the game back to the basics and make it at least a wee bit more challenging.

 

[OldPlayer]

I always get interested every year once the playoffs start. Here's the thing for me...

I am old enough to remember guys like Michael, Magic, Larry, Dr. J, Kareem, Isaiah, etc. when they were playing. Today's game has become more like the WWE than the NBA. The lack of enforcement of the basic rules like traveling (nowadays guys get away with taking 3,4 even 5 steps on the way to the basket), double dribble, carrying (most younger people don't even know that's a rule), the three-second rule etc., have turned the game into a carnival. Let's not even talk about flopping nowadays.

To wit... two steps on this one:



<iframe width="525" height="394" src="Julius Erving Behind the Backboard Lay-up - YouTube" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

It's still entertaining and the talent is phenomenal, but if you want to talk about changes, let's get the game back to the basics and make it at least a wee bit more challenging.

Old enough to remember? That ain't old.

 

[planomateo]

I quit watching due to the flops and fake fouls. LeBron's ESPN stunt to Miami was another hit for me. The past 10 years I've only watched the a handful of the playoffs. This year, I didn't watch a single game.

 

[BAMAneck]

I watch the NBA when the playoff start but quit watching religiously when they took defence out of the game . I long for the day when the mailman , Kareem the bird and Rodman would just go at one another . That is basketball, at least the basketball that I played as a young man in pick up games at the park where you call your own fouls . And you probably aught not call a foul or you will get the business .

 

[50+yeartidefan]

Basketball is the greatest playing of all sports.
And absolutely the worse watching of all sports. The teams in the nba have no identity
Haven't and won't see nba bball again. Ever
College fair. High school very good .
Give this. The nba has some awesome athletes. Cant really understand how great they are until you see a game in person

 

[TUSKtimes]

What happened to the NBA. The spread offense happened. Same as football, maybe someone should do an educated article on the subject. Pictures and everything.

So Bama has lived through the most dramatic fundamental offensive change in college football, since the forward pass, during the Nick Saban era. We kicked, screamed, threatened and finally adopted the obvious advantages associated with new rules and a more wide open spread format. So what has happened to all our rockem-sockem defense as a consequence? Not sure, but holding teams to 350 total yards a game and keeping the opponent to somewhere around 70 offensive snaps seems like a monumental accomplishment these days. It's been tough to watch and after last season we went about as rogue toward the RPO/hurry up, spread as a self-respecting college football team could go. Our defensive principles are showing the wear and tear from the investment. Does Bama ever get our DNA trademark back? The kind of defense that built and filled the Bear Bryant Museum? Personally, I think not.

During this time the football experts swore the spread concepts wouldn't translate into the NFL. Players are too fast and for a while, teams have struggled with the college concept. , even though Nerw England has been spreading it out and Tom Terrific has made a HOF career out of the 5-yard pass. Now, here come Philadephia, Jacksonville, and Kansas City is running their Andy Reid funky spread stuff as well. And not to forget LA Rams and I'm watching the Arizona Cardinals selling their soul for a mediocre spread college HC and a midget RPO QB to run it. Scores are going up and defenses seem to be breaking under the stress. Where have we seen this before?

The NBA and college basketball are going through the same trial and errors. Golden State has pretty much perfected the spread offensive concepts. They start their offense on the other side of the 3 point line and work everything outside in. Players hardly have a position and they need to be athletic and good enough shooters to make it work. The old days where defensive principles that have long since been developed from bruising, arm twisting, close-quartered, defensive fundamentals are slowing going out of style. The days of the big man playing offense inside out, all bunched up, where guards would only dare at the risk of their lives to drive the lane is getting to be a distant memory. The greatest challenge to Golden State's new found fame from way outside the 3 point line is all the new NBA teams who couldn't beat it so has adopted most of the same offensive principles. Including the new King, Toronto Raptors.

Hang in their folks.

Now we get to college basketball. Small ball has arrived, big time. Villanova showed us how to execute like your favorite NBA team. Getting to be a lot of hurry up, outside in, no position, spread em out teams out there. Trying to play these guys with past barbaric defensive principles is a waste of time. Alabama knew when they were beaten in football, so we joined them. Defense be damned. Nat Oats is about to introduce all us old school purist to the art of small ball. The kind of pace and spread principles that will make you think Mike Locksley is still alive and well at the Capstone. Welcome to the new age of sports. And as I said, defense be damned.