New Album & The Beginning of Basketball Season

[jadis]

I am not a big fan of where the NBA has moved since the days of Magic/Larry and MJ. I understand why it appeals to so many (high scoring, no defense, 3 point shootouts, enabling players like LeBron, Westbrook, etc) today, but watching no defense, 3 to 4 guys setting up at the 3 point line and having some minimally capable big guy on "defense" underneath to watch some one penetrate and then IF he has no shot just whip it out to a guys standing still at 3 point line with 5 feet of space to take the equivalent of a "set shot" is not basketball to me. Not allowing these guys to play defense kind of reminds me of what the NFL did with their penalties allowing for absurd offensive shows particularly with a spread offense; this is where we are with the NBA.

Personally, I would just use the 3 point game for the last 6 minutes of each half, allow them to play defense, reduce the regular season to 62 games and bring two more teams into the playoffs, which is "THE SEASON".

I am not a fan of of the 3 point shoot outs either that is happening in the league now as I grew up watching the higher percentage inside and medium range shots taught and wanted by coaches then. There was a 3 point line in the Bird/Magic/MJ era but few players would be 'experts', with Bird himself, Cooper among the very few who would take it. Perhaps the entry of many Euro league players started the fad of 3s such that now, players with an open lane drives in, and instead to taking a layup, passes to an open guy in the 3-point area to shoot a 3. And centers like Embiid, Myles Turner, and Aron Baynes are taking 3s as well.

 

[jadis]

If you could play and keep up with Walt Frazier and World B Free, et al, I tip my hat to you.

I played in the Catholic Youth League with all the football players who couldn't make their high school basketball team. I thought that was rough play.

Loved to play basketball more than football....just wasn't tall enough or good enough for hoops.

By the way....your claim to fame is much better than mine.

I tip my hats off to Priaptor too.

And I have virtually no claim to fame here in these islands, but I loved to play since I was in grade school, at home, and in class intramural games in high school and college. And oh, some 5-on-5 park games in Taiwan when I stayed there for a month. That's it.

 

[JackD201]

Smack in the middle of the Bird/Magic an interesting thing happened in Asian Basketball. The Philippines actually beat the USAB selection at the Jones Cup. How? 3 point sniping. South Korea also a team full of snipers was able to beat the Chinese team which was a forest of 7 footers into the Jordan era. Dream Team 3 was a nightmare as they fell at the Olympics.

At first I found it hard to appreciate all this chucking. That is until, they started going in! If you think about it, in the past we'd see similar screens, curls and cuts but they were designed more for 15 to 20ft shots, mostly at the elbows. Today that's beenn extended all the way out there. My appreciation has grown not really from watching the games per se but by watching coaching breakdowns and learning about modern variations of plays such as elevator, zipper, pistol, horns, daggers and even new variations for the pick and roll. Even more interesting are the defensive schemes required to cover these new offenses.

While many point at the rule changes made over the years like no more hand checking which allowed for easier first steps, we have to remember that zone later was allowed too. As a non-American but a serial Team USA fan, I thought that was great for USA Basketball. So while I miss the era of bully basketball, it really still exists today. It just happens only after mismatches are created.

Now I don't miss it so much. I watched the NCAA and Olympic games, pre 3-point line and well, it was drudgery. 8 guys in the paint and 2 safeties, the offensive point and the defensive 2 guard, doing nothing really as bodies flew underneath the rim. While I am still enamored of the talented bigs, let's face it. Even then they were a rare breed. The majority were beanpole placeholders who couldn't cover ground. The differences between then and now is that the mediocre bigs are now riding pine and used only when there is an opposing mediocre big on the floor.

Borrowing from Gladwell, blame it on Magic, Larry, Mike and the Dream Team with their touch passes and supreme court vision. Really blame it on Mike. Everybody wanted to be Mike or Kobe or Vince. We ended up with kids that practiced their moves. Many grew up to be 3s,4s and even 5s and carried the ball handling, shooting and lateral speed to their post growth spurt positions. It would be foolish for coaches not to exploit this, well, they did and here we are. It is now more a coaches game than a players.

I don't think that is a bad thing. Like the Dream Team, team ball is darned fun to watch.

 

[jadis]

And with the arrival of the Euro-ballers, comes the Euro-STEP. Frankly, I don't know what is traveling anymore.

 

[Steve Williams]

I'm shocked that the Celtics made it look so easy today

 

[jadis]

I'm shocked that the Celtics made it look so easy today

So am I, Steve. Waking up to this good outcome. Hope to catch a replay of the game later. One game at a time, hope we can hold home court again.

 

[Priaptor]

I'm shocked that the Celtics made it look so easy today

Yup. This is why when it comes to professional sports I call myself “a contrarian indicator”. Bet against everything I State. LOL.

Few know the game as well as I “claim” to and so many more are correct in their predictions. I am an old timer where I understood the game and dynamics more than today.

Let’s see how it goes.

 

[WLVCA]

Didn't get to watch the game but was stunned when I saw the final score. Quite a win for the Celtics.

 

[jadis]

Didn't get to watch the game but was stunned when I saw the final score. Quite a win for the Celtics.

It's just one game but it sure is good to have a win. C's did what they had to do as challenger. To dethrone a reigning EC champion you gotta be aggressive all 4 quarters, then we focus on holding home court. Cavs certainly will adjust for Game 2 and the C's have to be ready.

 

[Ronm1]

I played in the Catholic Youth League with all the football players who couldn't make their high school basketball team. I thought that was rough play.

D

In our area we had 3 Jr Highs feeding one high school. 4 if you included the parochial one. So just from #'s alone there are pretty good players who would not make the high school team so parish CYO league teams were very competitive.

 

[WLVCA]

Our Catholic league was pretty good, too. Our coach played basketball for Notre Dame so he knew the game and taught us well.

If we didn't do it the right way sometimes he'd come out on the court and demonstrate it - we didn't like it when he did that because he'd let us know he was still the boss.

Great coach and a very good man.

 

[Steve Williams]

Tonight is the start of the real NBA Finals

 

[WLVCA]

Tonight is the start of the real NBA Finals

I agree with you, Steve.

Should be a great game this evening.

Both the Rockets and Warriors are outstanding teams and both will want to show who is boss from the start.

 

[Steve Williams]

I agree with you, Steve.

Should be a great game this evening.

Both the Rockets and Warriors are outstanding teams and both will want to show who is boss from the start.

I wonder how big home court advantage will be for the Rockets

 

[WLVCA]

The betting odd have the Rockets favored by 1 1/2 to 2 points at home tonight.

Rockets have to win both home games to take the advantage. If the Warriors get a split in Houston it is advantage Warriors.

 

[Priaptor]

Our Catholic league was pretty good, too. Our coach played basketball for Notre Dame so he knew the game and taught us well.

If we didn't do it the right way sometimes he'd come out on the court and demonstrate it - we didn't like it when he did that because he'd let us know he was still the boss.

Great coach and a very good man.

My first coach and who got me interested in Basketball was a great man by the name of Elmer Ripley. In the BBall hall of Fame. Amazing person. Coached Army, Yale, Georgetown among others and was a REAL Original Celtic before the “Original ones”

Great coaches and their lessons “stay” with you for life. He truly helped shape my life.

 

[Priaptor]

The betting odd have the Rockets favored by 1 1/2 to 2 points at home tonight.

Rockets have to win both home games to take the advantage. If the Warriors get a split in Houston it is advantage Warriors.

I am ALWAYD wrong with this crap so take my word as a contrarian indicator, but I don’t see the Rockets winning more than a game; and I love watching Harden but I don’t see it.

 

[Steve Williams]

I am ALWAYD wrong with this crap so take my word as a contrarian indicator, but I don’t see the Rockets winning more than a game; and I love watching Harden but I don’t see it.

I hope you’re right if for no other reason that I can’t stand the D’Antoni style of coaching which he’s done since Phoenix. Nothing more than run and gun. All speed with no defense. I couldn’t believe that young Jim Buss at the midnight hour hired D’Antoni over every ones favorite, Phil Jackson

 

[Priaptor]

I hope you’re right if for no other reason that I can’t stand the D’Antoni style of coaching which he’s done since Phoenix. Nothing more than run and gun. All speed with no defense. I couldn’t believe that young Jim Buss at the midnight hour hired D’Antoni over every ones favorite, Phil Jackson

Phil is my neighbor in Montana and yes I can’t stand the no D game. It becomes boring.

 

[Steve Williams]

Terrific first half

56-56