March madness is so much better then NBA playoffs

[superjohn]

I believe that the only fix to the three pointer situation is to make it worth 2.5 points. No distance is going to matter as these guys have the range dialed in. The other factor would be to allow more post shot contact, which would impact the close out ability. Until then, hoisting 3s is mostly smart.

As for physical play, some of it is good, some bad. There's a lot of shoving on the boards that should be called. Basketball has a problem like the NHL has a problem. Do we want to showcase skills or do we want to showcase toughness and physicality? The regular season shouldn't be a different game than the playoffs.

I'm not sure what the best fix to the three pointer thing is but there's certainly options like making it 2.5, changing dimensions of the line and not letting guys camp out in the corners and or completely getting rid of the corner three.

 

[Scoe]

There's guys in the G league who are not given a fair opportunity and this did go on in the CBA days. I'll go on a UConn homer take here, all Sanogo does is average double doubles and he was doing it in NBA games yet isn't given a fair opportunity. I do believe Khalid should've been a 10 year vet also got screwed by the NBA IMO.

 

[superjohn]

If only that were true. The anti-NBA crowd is the loudest faction on any of these threads.

Incidentally, with respect to Xs and Os, if you can't see that a lot of these teams are running versions of the offense that everyone was so in love with here 2 years ago but they're doing it faster, with bigger bodies, better athletes and better shotmaking I don't know what to tell you.

UConn 2023-24 took 23.8 threes per game for the season and shot only 30% from three in the tournament while blowing everyone out. That was the best college team I've seen because they could beat you every which way, they had great balance. They didn't depend on the three. Celtics have shot 48.2 threes per game this season.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

There's guys in the G league who are not given a fair opportunity and this did go on in the CBA days. I'll go on a UConn homer take here, all Sanogo does is average double doubles and he was doing it in NBA games yet isn't given a fair opportunity. I do believe Khalid should've been a 10 year vet also got screwed by the NBA IMO.

No other sport leans on its top players the way the NBA does, and that is why the league keeps having so many injuries to top players. The NBA is where baseball was 40 years ago. I think NBA teams should be going 10-12 deep through the regular season, at least.

 

[Waquoit]

Would you rather see the starters play 40 minutes of a late January game, or have a healthy, fresh team heading into the playoffs?

Enough of your strawman false choices. How about a schedule that doesn't require "load management"? I had pro season tickets for a year. I'm so glad the stars didn't consider it a perk to skip games back then because I'm sure Hartford would have been on the top of their list. Instead I saw players like Jagr and Gretzky put on a show.

 

[Deepster]

You described seeing the caricature that you think of modern basketball. Sure, there’s still a ton of 3s in the playoffs, I will cede that. Everything else in that post is categorically wrong though. Defense has been great, offense is even more intricate, it’s more physical and refs are letting them play.

It’s not me saying you’re stupid for your view, it’s just you have an idea of how the game is and nothing could really change your mind.

Well, I feel like nothing could really change your mind either so this isn't going anywhere.

You call it great defense? I think it's simple to defend shots 28 ft from the hoop when the people taking them aren't at all selective. Compare that to a Dennis Rodman, Ron Harper, Scottie Pippen and oh yeah, Michael Jordan defense?

 

[CardiacAndre7]

Well, I feel like nothing could really change your mind either so this isn't going anywhere.

You call it great defense? I think it's simple to defend shots 28 ft from the hoop when the people taking them aren't at all selective. Compare that to a Dennis Rodman, Ron Harper, Scottie Pippen and oh yeah, Michael Jordan defense?

You guys are so predictable lmao

 

[jake14mw]

It's all about how much does each game matter. People don't sit out games in the NFL because every game is critical. In NCAA basketball each game is really important, and in the Conference tournament and NCAA tournament each game is life or death. That's why game 7s are so cherished in pro sports, it's win or go home. That's what we want to watch.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

It's all about how much does each game matter. People don't sit out games in the NFL because every game is critical. In NCAA basketball each game is really important, and in the Conference tournament and NCAA tournament each game is life or death. That's why game 7s are so cherished in pro sports, it's win or go home. That's what we want to watch.

The NFL has cut way down on the number of plays even stars are on the field, and there are frequent substitutions. And "each game matters" doesn't apply once a team has locked in a playoff spot or been eliminated.

 

[Beowulf]

please watch an entire game from a previous generation and tell me it's worse today. everyone who has this opinion admits they don't watch much today, and also hasn't seen a game from their precious 80s and 90s since the 80s and 90s. middle age men are the biggest babies on the planet.

sometimes you shoot yourself out of a game. it happens. if you think today's game isn't physical, you're delusional. scroll thru your phone with the brightness and font turned all the way up until you find that same 2 minute clip of dudes from the 80s chop blocking guys in mid-air and go to bed

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Enough of your strawman false choices. How about a schedule that doesn't require "load management"? I had pro season tickets for a year. I'm so glad the stars didn't consider it a perk to skip games back then because I'm sure Hartford would have been on the top of their list. Instead I saw players like Jagr and Gretzky put on a show.

You are just wrong. By your logic, the staff ace should start and pitch 9 innings of every game in MLB or the team is ripping off the fans. No one thinks that is reasonable, so why is it reasonable for a single player to average 35+ mpg over an 82 game season?

I am talking about both playing every game, and managing minutes within games. Seasons are a marathon, and I do not have a problem rewarding teams for having depth and better game plans as opposed to 48 minutes of ISO ball, because team offenses and team defenses also put less wear and tear on the stars.

I recommend watching some old time games to see how stars handled this back in the day. Dominique Wilkins didn't play any defense at all for most of his career. That is how he stayed on the court. Even players like Bird would hide in the corner to take plays off. Michael Cooper protected Magic on defense so Magic wouldn't get burned out. The bottom 1/4 of the league was also terrible back then, so there were plenty of games where Bird or Magic could sleepwalk through the game against the 1980's Cavs or Bullets. Even with all that, Bird started having injury issues by his 8th season. Giannis is in his 12 year. He should be load managed.

Would the NBA have been better off if Bird skipped 5-10 games a year and played 5 mpg less early in his career, and lasted 5 more years at peak form? You say no, I say yes.

It is baffling that any UConn fan is against load management given Paige Bueckers career at the school. I don't know if she would have won more, but she would have been a lot healthier if Auriemma had figured out it might be a good idea to take the star out before the last minute when he was up 20.

 

[Deepster]

You guys are so predictable lmao

LOL. I was just thinking the same thing about you.

 

[twiceahusky]

There's guys in the G league who are not given a fair opportunity and this did go on in the CBA days. I'll go on a UConn homer take here, all Sanogo does is average double doubles and he was doing it in NBA games yet isn't given a fair opportunity. I do believe Khalid should've been a 10 year vet also got screwed by the NBA IMO.

Perhaps true … but how on earth is this comment related to this thread?

 

[Mr. French]

The season is way too long. Cut about 20 games and the playoffs should be wrapping up right now. The load management issues would go away, the regular season would be meaningful and the playoffs might actually feature teams with healthy players.

I agree, I think 68 is about in range.

 

[twiceahusky]

Well, I feel like nothing could really change your mind either so this isn't going anywhere.

You call it great defense? I think it's simple to defend shots 28 ft from the hoop when the people taking them aren't at all selective. Compare that to a Dennis Rodman, Ron Harper, Scottie Pippen and oh yeah, Michael Jordan defense?

To those who say the NBA plays no defense … I beg to differ.

Two years ago I had court side seats to Bucks vs 76ers, late regular season game. The physicality was UNBELIEVABLE. Embiid vs Lopez made King Kong vs Godzilla look soft. Before getting it on, Lopez got down in his stance, you could hear him hyperventilate, spit everywhere. He was giving EVERYTHING EVERY time down the court. Them banging bodies was the most physical thing that I have EVER heard and seen.

Saw some great d out of the Celts last night too.

 

[champs99and04]

The NBA will always be fighting an uphill battle to win over certain demographics in this country no matter what it does. 20 years ago people bemoaned the lack of scoring in the league and clamored for the up-tempo games of the 80s. Now the pendulum has swung the other way and people want to slow the sport down again.

Fact is, our preference on what we want the league to look like is highly dependent on which era we were born into. Every era has its pluses and minuses, but for my money the league was at its best, at least in the 21st century, from around '08 to '17. I think the ripple effects of Durant joining the Warriors plus the popularization of Harden/Morey ball drove the league to slightly rockier footing, and my hope is that we're in the beginning stages of rectifying that now.

 

[Lafayette]

To those who say the NBA plays no defense … I beg to differ.

Two years ago I had court side seats to Bucks vs 76ers, late regular season game. The physicality was UNBELIEVABLE. Embiid vs Lopez made King Kong vs Godzilla look soft. Before getting it on, Lopez got down in his stance, you could hear him hyperventilate, spit everywhere. He was giving EVERYTHING EVERY time down the court. Them banging bodies was the most physical thing that I have EVER heard and seen.

Saw some great d out of the Celts last night too.

You are correct. That there was some serious D.

We don't see it as often, and certainly you cannot do what say the Pistons of the 80s could do because of rule changes making defense a lot softer. I think we've heard takes on how many points Jordan would get if he was 27 now.

But it is great to see team defense get called out.

 

[Deepster]

To those who say the NBA plays no defense … I beg to differ.

Two years ago I had court side seats to Bucks vs 76ers, late regular season game. The physicality was UNBELIEVABLE. Embiid vs Lopez made King Kong vs Godzilla look soft. Before getting it on, Lopez got down in his stance, you could hear him hyperventilate, spit everywhere. He was giving EVERYTHING EVERY time down the court. Them banging bodies was the most physical thing that I have EVER heard and seen.

Saw some great d out of the Celts last night too.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

It would up the number of 3’s taken even higher though.

Even now, an NBA game is mostly just a bunch of guys running up and down the court shooting three’s.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Watching SGA vs. Murray is just another reminder of how little Calipari has done as a coach with an incredible amount of talent.

 

[Beowulf]

Game tonight stinks right

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Why is it that these players who make gazillions of dollars now while resting far more should play far less games than players in the 80's and 90's who were way more physical with each other?

Load management isn't just for players. I'm here to read sentences like that one, and it's only mid-May.

 

[Waquoit]

You are just wrong. By your logic, the staff ace should start and pitch 9 innings of every game in MLB or the team is ripping off the fans.

I stopped reading here. Nonsense.

 

[superjohn]

Load management isn't just for players. I'm here to read sentences like that one, and it's only mid-May.

Miggs, I would expect nothing less from you.

 

[aceboon]

7 games of OKC vs Denver>>>anything I saw in March/April of college ball