BASKETBALL at a all Time Low!!

[Raymond]

I am surprised there is no sticky about how garbage basketball is now. Basketball has been garbage for about the last 5 yrs or so and it is not looking better.Lets start with these new defensive rules that are truly inflating the scores. This is why there is no such thing as a shut down defensive player anymore. Stern is limiting the defensive moves that a defensive player needs to truly play good defense. Its result the suns, sonics, mavericks,. All pretty good teams but when they play a real basketball team a la San Antonio Spurs they get destroyed. Myself i watch about 20 entire games thorughout the season. And really wait for playoff basketball when the players actually go all out. Playoff basketball is offically horrible now. It is supposed to be playoff basketball not a preseason game with all these blowouts. That is never playoff basketball. Did anyone notice that every game in the semifinals were all blowouts! That is crazy. David Stern should be fined $100,000 a game not Van Gundy who is one of the best coaches in the game and should be in the second round but that horrible officiating they got during that series.

i could go on and on and on about how whack basketball has gotten i just wanted to see if i was alone out there because me and a lot of my friends are becoming very upset. I mean basketball is my heart i love that sport more than any other sport or activity and not being able to watch a good regular season game in 5 yrs or a truly close playoff game this year is just ridicoulous

[HardwoodHeisman]

Re: BASKETBALL at a all Time Low!!

Obviously its not because if its forcin you to write essays about it, it's doin ok. Seriously, I guess officiatin caused the 40pt blowout the Mavs gave HTown. Every sport has it's naysayers so why people make NBA Basketball seem like a "Devil's Sport" I have no idea. The blowouts have definitley been disappointin but I expect every series to get a little tighter. Calm down, inhale, and if its at such an all-time low, go suit up at your local YMCA and bring us back to our glory years! YES! I'll be waitin! WOO-HOO!

[Jebby]

Re: BASKETBALL at a all Time Low!!

Another BRILLIANT post in the NBA section!

[Vince]

Re: BASKETBALL at a all Time Low!!

Its result the suns, sonics, mavericks,. All pretty good teams but when they play a real basketball team a la San Antonio Spurs they get destroyed

What playoffs have you been watching?

[SPTO]

Re: BASKETBALL at a all Time Low!!

I guess this guy didn't watch much NBA in the late 70s and throughout most of the 80s.

There were a lot of teams that play the way the Suns et al. play right now. Heck the Denver Nuggets regularly got into shootouts where it'd be 150-140.

[fsulw]

Re: BASKETBALL at a all Time Low!!

Everybody has there opinion about the NBA but it being garbage right now is not a good one. I mean there will be people who love baseball more than any sport out there and trash the other ones or vice versa but I am wondering if the people who might think the league is trash right now or the playoffs or boring and not exciting or Laker Lovers and fans who thought last years playoffs were the best ever or for the last 4yrs the NBA was the best thing since the invention of fire. Just because they are not in the playoffs doesn't mean that basketball is garbage.

[Graphik]

Re: BASKETBALL at a all Time Low!!

I think basketball is at an all time high...IMO anyways. I love the high scoring teams of the Sonics and Suns and the team chemistry and unity of teams like Detroit and San Antonio. Its been a long time coming for basketball in terms of new alignments and new rivalries and I think this season and this playoffs is a start to a new era.

Looking back on the Jordan era, as a bball fan I would be pretty POed if you absolutely knew who would win the chip each year. The Lakers dynasty showed me how boring a sport could be if 90% of the teams had no chance of winning a chip. You can also go back to the 80s were 4 teams pretty much dominated the entire decade.

After the Jordan era, every team was in search of solutions to dismal franchises and all of the wheeling and dealing that went on in the past 6 years kinda brought the NBA down a notch while teams like LA and SA had their championship lineups set before the other teams.

Today however, its a completely revamped league and I can see the majority of the superstars staying put in there respective unis till they get that ring. The sole reason for this in my opinion is the dismantling of the Lakers. Its diffrent from when the Bulls dynasty was dismantled. When the Bulls broke up, there was already 5-7 teams that could easily take the throne. After the Lakers breakup, the chip was up for grabs and it still is.

Sure, we have Phoenix, Miami and SA as well as Detroit but these teams are'nt exactly shoe-ins for the title each year. Next year, be on the lookout for Houston, Golden State(never thought I'd mention them in anything), Seattle, Dallas, Denver, Chicago, NY, Philly,Indiana, Memphis, NJ, Orlando and I'm sure there is more. If these teams can remain intact for the most part, any of these teams have a shot at the gold trophy next year. Now tell me, when is the last time you could ever run a list of teams that may have a big impact in the future in the NBA? I certainly cant. As long as I remember watching basketball, it was always 1 or 2 teams per confrence that you know had a shot at winning it all each year. This past season as well as next season, you had numerous teams. Makes the NBA less predictable and more enjoyable if you ask me.

Now, the only thing ruining basketball as of right now, is the horrid officiating. But thats a completely diffrent story. As for basketball being "garbage", I think not. I have'nt enjoyed an NBA playoffs like this one in eons....despite blowouts here and there. Its all about the matchups if you ask me. Houston vs Dallas was a great series, as was Indiana-Boston. You can also throw in Chicago-Washington and Seattle-Sac-town. Hell, I even enjoyed watching Phx whip the crap out of Memphis each game. Watching that team work is like art. What I'm digging so far in this years playoffs is the freshness of it all. No more Lakers-SA WCF series or Lakers-Sac WCF series matchups and Detrioit and Indiana dominating the Eastren confrence...it feels good to see new faces heading towards the finals. My basketball faith has been restored.

[Chewingthehardfacts]

Re: BASKETBALL at a all Time Low!!

Another Brilliant post, I won't be surprised if someone gets

[tenth]

Re: BASKETBALL at a all Time Low!!

I think basketball is at an all time high...IMO anyways.

I agree with a lot of what you have to say. I wouldn't say all-time high, but I haven't been this excited about the NBA since the Bulls were dismantled. I think average NBA attendence setting a new record this year is really a testament that the league is doing really well right now.

If anything is going to set it back again, it's the CBA expiring.

[Graphik]

Re: BASKETBALL at a all Time Low!!

I agree with a lot of what you have to say. I wouldn't say all-time high, but I haven't been this excited about the NBA since the Bulls were dismantled. I think average NBA attendence setting a new record this year is really a testament that the league is doing really well right now.

If anything is going to set it back again, it's the CBA expiring.

I'm from Chicago and when the Bulls were dismantled, my interest dropped because I knew that chicago was'nt a playoff team but I can certainly see why your interest peaked after Jordan left. I did'nt realize how boring it can be when one team remains at the top for so long.

[Muzyk23]

Re: BASKETBALL at a all Time Low!!

I am surprised there is no sticky about how garbage basketball is now. Basketball has been garbage for about the last 5 yrs or so and it is not looking better.Lets start with these new defensive rules that are truly inflating the scores. This is why there is no such thing as a shut down defensive player anymore. Stern is limiting the defensive moves that a defensive player needs to truly play good defense. Its result the suns, sonics, mavericks,. All pretty good teams but when they play a real basketball team a la San Antonio Spurs they get destroyed. Myself i watch about 20 entire games thorughout the season. And really wait for playoff basketball when the players actually go all out. Playoff basketball is offically horrible now. It is supposed to be playoff basketball not a preseason game with all these blowouts. That is never playoff basketball. Did anyone notice that every game in the semifinals were all blowouts! That is crazy. David Stern should be fined $100,000 a game not Van Gundy who is one of the best coaches in the game and should be in the second round but that horrible officiating they got during that series.

i could go on and on and on about how whack basketball has gotten i just wanted to see if i was alone out there because me and a lot of my friends are becoming very upset. I mean basketball is my heart i love that sport more than any other sport or activity and not being able to watch a good regular season game in 5 yrs or a truly close playoff game this year is just ridicoulous

I think he's partly right.. I've recently watched game 6 between Wizards and Bulls. It was a joke. Almost no defense, no organization on offense, showboating, one on one, no set plays run.. PRESEASON or SUMMER LEAGUE?? maybe it was just game 6? I don't know. I haven't seen any other games of this series, but it was definitely not a playoff basketball.

[Muzyk23]

Re: BASKETBALL at a all Time Low!!

I'm from Chicago and when the Bulls were dismantled, my interest dropped because I knew that chicago was'nt a playoff team but I can certainly see why your interest peaked after Jordan left. I did'nt realize how boring it can be when one team remains at the top for so long.

For me personally watching Jordan and Bulls beating almost everybody and winning it all year after year was a pure pleasure, because that was how basketball is supposed to be played: you leave your heart and soul on the court, you have the will, the drive, the determination, you actually PLAY hard defense.
Those are the most important features of a player. That is why I love guys like Iverson or Garnett - being emotional, giving it all, playing injured.

[OG_McNabb]

Re: BASKETBALL at a all Time Low!!

I am surprised there is no sticky about how garbage basketball is now. Basketball has been garbage for about the last 5 yrs or so and it is not looking better.Lets start with these new defensive rules that are truly inflating the scores. This is why there is no such thing as a shut down defensive player anymore. Stern is limiting the defensive moves that a defensive player needs to truly play good defense. Its result the suns, sonics, mavericks,. All pretty good teams but when they play a real basketball team a la San Antonio Spurs they get destroyed. Myself i watch about 20 entire games thorughout the season. And really wait for playoff basketball when the players actually go all out. Playoff basketball is offically horrible now. It is supposed to be playoff basketball not a preseason game with all these blowouts. That is never playoff basketball. Did anyone notice that every game in the semifinals were all blowouts! That is crazy. David Stern should be fined $100,000 a game not Van Gundy who is one of the best coaches in the game and should be in the second round but that horrible officiating they got during that series.

i could go on and on and on about how whack basketball has gotten i just wanted to see if i was alone out there because me and a lot of my friends are becoming very upset. I mean basketball is my heart i love that sport more than any other sport or activity and not being able to watch a good regular season game in 5 yrs or a truly close playoff game this year is just ridicoulous

Yep

[Graphik]

Re: BASKETBALL at a all Time Low!!

For me personally watching Jordan and Bulls beating almost everybody and winning it all year after year was a pure pleasure, because that was how basketball is supposed to be played: you leave your heart and soul on the court, you have the will, the drive, the determination, you actually PLAY hard defense.
Those are the most important features of a player. That is why I love guys like Iverson or Garnett - being emotional, giving it all, playing injured.

Thats why i cant stand Tim Duncan. Dont get me wrong, the guy is a stud but he really needs to show some emotion. You cant really tell if he is giving it his all or if he's winging it.

And on the topic of emotion, that is what is making this years playoffs so enjoyable. Every team feels they have a change and you can clearly tell that these teams put 100% into each game.

[tenth]

Re: BASKETBALL at a all Time Low!!

I'm from Chicago and when the Bulls were dismantled, my interest dropped because I knew that chicago was'nt a playoff team but I can certainly see why your interest peaked after Jordan left. I did'nt realize how boring it can be when one team remains at the top for so long.

heh, I worded that poorly. I meant my interest dropped after Jordan retired.