Basketball/NBA

[Windhook]

No
It was actually proven time and time again that this era has better defenses, but offensive scheme and the talent of of role players are far better atm, it opened things in unprecedented way.
It is boring and awful to watch, but it isn't a league intervention.
I would argue though that the league needs to find a way to stop it a bit.

Some change of defensive rules were introduced in the 00's. To boost TV ratings.

Kenny Smith expains it very clearly:

 

[Gnidrologist]

Imagine believing that current NBA has more attacking talent than the 'dream team' 90s, when defensive rules were much rougher for attackers. US national team buried everybody with 30+ point margins in int tournaments and was pretty much invincible, while today i would give fair chance even my Latvia could beat them in right circumstances.

 

[khaled_a_d]

Some change of defensive rules were introduced in the 00's. To boost TV ratings.

Kenny Smith expains it very clearly:

Jj Reddick spoke about it greatly, and there are plenty of videos of how atrocious defenses was in 80's and 90's.
Hand check and 3 second could improve defense a bit, but analytics and the waves of talents from Europe, the massive improvement in coaching (any role player now hire his own private shoiting coach, along others who train him individually, teams have massive staff to help each player) and how teams avoid having a single player who lacks offensive ability, targeting weak defenders in switch heavy offense etc. All made it impossible not to make stops like it was..

 

[khaled_a_d]

Imagine believing that current NBA has more attacking talent than the 'dream team' 90s, when defensive rules were much rougher for attackers. US national team buried everybody with 30+ point margins in int tournaments and was pretty much invincible, while today i would give fair chance even my Latvia could beat them in right circumstances.

And Latvia would compete well with the dream team now, at least better than any team back then.
The dream team spread the popularity of basketball and attracted plenty of kids to play the game and moving to NBA.
How many international player did the NBA had in 1992 in comparison to 2024?
How many Giannis, Wemby, who are freak of nature did scouts found in Europe back then?

 

[Windhook]

Jj Reddick spoke about it greatly, and there are plenty of videos of how atrocious defenses was in 80's and 90's.
Hand check and 3 second could improve defense a bit, but analytics and the waves of talents from Europe, the massive improvement in coaching (any role player now hire his own private shoiting coach, along others who train him individually, teams have massive staff to help each player) and how teams avoid having a single player who lacks offensive ability, targeting weak defenders in switch heavy offense etc. All made it impossible not to make stops like it was..

I completely agree. Much more focus on every detail.

The 3PT line was introduced in NBA around 1980. It's completely normal 45 years later to have dozens of dozens great shooters than just Larry Bird and few other guys in the 80's. 45 years from now, if mankind is still in existence, they'll be shooting from their own court, under the basket. Poppovich bitched about it many years ago, that the sport of basketball is becoming just a 3PT contest. You don't need the power forward position anymore.

 

[iniestaGOAT]

I completely agree. Much more focus on every detail.

The 3PT line was introduced in NBA around 1980. It's completely normal 45 years later to have dozens of dozens great shooters than just Larry Bird and few other guys in the 80's. 45 years from now, if mankind is still in existence, they'll be shooting from their own court, under the basket. Poppovich bitched about it many years ago, that the sport of basketball is becoming just a 3PT contest. You don't need the power forward position anymore.

While you spoke sense most of your post you took it too far saying you don't need PF position anymore.
Why do we even have NBA thread here?

Just a bunch of noobs taking a dump all over this place.

DELETE ThIS THREAD!

 

[Windhook]

While you spoke sense most of your post you took it too far saying you don't need PF position anymore.
Why do we even have NBA thread here?

Just a bunch of noobs taking a dump all over this place.

DELETE ThIS THREAD!

It meant the decline of quality in PF role, the classics of the 00s era, such as Duncan, Nowitzki, Garnett, etc. their type is almost extinct. Has to do also with the low preference in current NBA of mid-range shooting which was a trait of all great PF players. Nowadays most teams employ whatever supersized SFs to play PF and the results are usually one more wing 3PT shooter or a dunking machine like Giannis or the flying burger Zion (when he's not injured).

On other end guys like Anthony Davis prefer playing PF instead of C to match-up against smaller opponents.

 

[Gnidrologist]

What do you make of my countryman Porzingis? He also seems to be victim of this new trend, where initially would be PF with ability to penetrate or pass around the "box" or whatsitscalled in the b-ball, but instead most of the time i see him roaming around 3-p line. He's good shot from there for a really tall guy, no doubt, but i'm dissapoint that he didn't focus on becoming more of the menace from up close apart from random dunks and put-backs. With his height he could hook the opponents to death, but instead he chooses to be 2.20 Steff wannabe.

 

[Windhook]

Not Porzingis' fault he was drafted by one the worst franchises, the New York Knicks at the time. Poor coaching that didn't improve his game. Instead of dominating the paint with size, he played like a shooting guard unable to get inside. Mid-range and 3PT shots that bricked. Now at Celtics he looks way more balanced, the modern big-man that is both effective from close and long range.

 

[Windhook]

Speaking of contrymen, my man Sasha Vezenkov, current MVP of EuroLeague is struggling at Sacramento Kings not because of lack of effectiveness, but minutes given by the coach. The guy amazes all Kings fans with lack of dribble, but compensates for that with energy, good positioning, teamplay, defence and 3PT shooting. But his style is way too static Euro basket boring for the NBA standards. He's not gonna survive for long in the league.

 

[Gnidrologist]

Not Porzingis' fault he was drafted by one the worst franchises, the New York Knicks at the time. Poor coaching that didn't improve his game. Instead of dominating the paint with size, he played like a shooting guard unable to get inside. Mid-range and 3PT shots that bricked. Now at Celtics he looks way more balanced, the modern big-man that is both effective from close and long range.

I haven't watched a single match of Celtics as i don't watch NBA in general. Did follow him at Knicks a bit and then few Dallas games. Does he look better and more efficiently used at Celtics?

 

[Windhook]

I haven't watched a single match of Celtics as i don't watch NBA in general. Did follow him at Knicks a bit and then few Dallas games. Does he look better and more efficiently used at Celtics?

Looks like he found the right system to play. Last game from this morning:

 

[Gnidrologist]

Speaking of contrymen, my man Sasha Vezenkov, current MVP of EuroLeague is struggling at Sacramento Kings not because of lack of effectiveness, but minutes given by the coach. The guy amazes all Kings fans with lack of dribble, but compensates for that with energy, good positioning, teamplay, defence and 3PT shooting. But his style is way too static Euro basket boring for the NBA standards. He's not gonna survive for long in the league.

There's another guy, the "latvian laser" Davis Bertans, who also doesn't get any minutes in NBA so i don't get why he even stays there. He's really good and often clutch with his 3-pointers from various positions and is quite athletic and agile and does well in general, including defense. Always plays great for NT. But i guess money is too luring. He should've been a top player for some Euroleague team long time ago instead of warming bench in NBA hoping that some coach would finally want his style of player to be played regularly. He may not be good enough for NBA also. Not and expert. But i don't get guys with above average talent, who stay at NBA/NHL just to be constantly benched or sent to farm clubs. Probably money.

 

[khaled_a_d]

KP was one of those cases where he is good enough to be best player on a bad team, but not good enough to be best player in a contender.

In the Knicks they treated him as the future and gromed him as such, so when he had to be Luka's sidekick it was an issue.

He had the tools to be a great pick and roll player, but he wanted to be fed in the mid range, but this kills the offensive flow, and Rick Carlisle is the greatest offensive coach the NBA has ever seen (not an exaggeration) so he moved him as 3Pt line to be more catch and shoot.


His failure to learn that P&R has cost him, Luka and the Mavs the chance to be a legit dynasty. That and his health

 

[Windhook]

There's another guy, the "latvian laser" Davis Bertans, who also doesn't get any minutes in NBA so i don't get why he even stays there. He's really good and often clutch with his 3-pointers from various positions and is quite athletic and agile and does well in general, including defense. Always plays great for NT. But i guess money is too luring. He should've been a top player for some Euroleague team long time ago instead of warming bench in NBA hoping that some coach would finally want his style of player to be played regularly. He may not be good enough for NBA also. Not and expert. But i don't get guys with above average talent, who stay at NBA/NHL just to be constantly benched or sent to farm clubs. Probably money.

Yeah, I know Davis Bertans well as a fan of San Antonio Spurs and he's very similar to Vezenkov, specialty being the 3PT shots. Many great Euroleague players don't last long in NBA, not because they are not great, but they cannot adapt to the street ball of the league. That trend is in reverse now with more Euro coaches coming to NBA.