Thursday, March 25, 2004
The NBA Has Issues (Guest Rant by Ugh)
The 3 point shot:
Probably the most heinous crime inflicted upon the fans of basketball since the short shorts of the '80's. This was first introduced in the college game to help the less talented teams stay competitive. It made for some exciting games during March Madness watching some low seed shoot their way to an upset. Seeing this, the NBA, using all 2 ounces of their original thought process, decided to introduce it into the NBA. As Chris Ford swished the first 3 point shot in NBA history for the Boston Celtics, it has become an increasingly bad crutch used by teams. At first the three point line was around 25 feet away from the basket, making the shot difficult. This usually meant only guards or some good shooting forwards attempted this shot...and usually only a couple times a game.
Well, seeing their new "innovative" toy being underutilized, they reduced the distance to a maximum distance of 23 ft 9 in (7.2 m). Smiling at their cleverness and ingenuity, the power's to be in the NBA sat back and watched how this would affect the use of the 3 pointer. They watched as guards stopped driving to the hoop on fast breaks opting for the 3 pointer instead (heck, less contract and more points). They watched as forwards stopped developing an inside game for the easier outside shot. They watched as centers.....CENTERS.....such at Manute Bol and Sam Perkins extended their careers by shooting a few 3 bombs. And if this wasn't enough, we have the Jim O'Brien Celtics of 2002-2003. At team whose ENTIRE offense was formed around the 3 point shot.
The coach admitted to having his players shoot 3 points shots quickly and in bunches so they could save their energy for defense????????????????????? This lead to the unfathomable two year stint where Antoine Walker attempted 650 and 575 3 pointers for a two year total of....1250!!!!!!!!!!! Larry Bird highest total for a year was 237, and he could shoot. This "offense" led to miserable offensive rebounding numbers, inordinate amount of opponent fast breaks, and absolutely no development of a players inside game. Kevin McHale would have been a bench player while a Walter McCarty-type played 40 minutes. Fast breaks, when even attempted, breakdown when the two wing players do not go to the hoop for lay-ups and instead veer out to the 3 point line. Heaven forbid a guard in the NBA drive to the hoop...he may get hurt by all those big guys wandering around down there.
And what is even more laughable is many of the 'specialist' can't even shoot that shot well. Show me 3pt field goal % over 35% and I will show you an all-star. Forwards and center that try to play basketball as it should are stuck watching shots fly over their head, clanging against the rim, and flying out to their opponents while they do wind sprints up and down the floor. Mark Blount was a 6 point, 6 rebound player in this system. Now he is recording double doubles as the system he plays in becomes more conventional. The 3 point shot has become the new drug of the NBA and needs to be eliminated.
Zone Defense:
Another wonderful college innovation the NBA just couldn't resist implementing. Stern in his infinite wisdom saw the offense getting stifled in recent year (couldn't be that 3 point shot) and decided that allowing zone defenses would open it up. Hunh????????????????????????????? How on God's green Earth would letting Shaq stay within 5 feet of the basket on defense open things up??? How are eliminating picks, pick & rolls, screens, and movement helping to free up the offense? What did this do? It forced even MORE 3 point shots as teams can now just clog the middle and prevent anyone from driving/cutting to the basket. Wow, why didn't I think of this?
How about we ditch the pathetic zone (sorry Shaq), and force players to actually play man to man defense. Make players stay within the 3 feet of their player and not allow them to sag off. This would allow much more movement on offense and allow gameplans to help if one team has a dominant center by having his guy stay outside. Or allow mismatches.....heck, we might even see a post move once in a while. All the zone has done is allow slow, uncoordinated big men to look like they can play D. It has become the NBA's version of baseball's DH.
Traveling:
Last I checked it was still in the books. I still haven't found out when Dominique Wilkens was allowed to change the rule to now allow that ridiculous jump, step, and jump again move. Five steps later a player can go from half court to a dunk.
Palming:
Everyone palms the ball a little when they are young due to their hands being small. But 6' 5" NBA guards should not have to do it. Again, I still haven't found out when Michael Jordan was allowed to change the rule to allow a player to take 4 steps between dribbles. It was a joke watching Jordan go from the 3 point line to a dunk and only dribble it once. And we won't even go into Iverson....haha.
Defense:
Since when did it become illegal on defense to stand perfectly still, have a player run full speed into you, and still get the foul call? Nothing is more infuriating watching a player with a couple seconds on the shot clock drive desperately into the paint, throw himself into a player standing still, and grunts in pain as the ref blows the whistle. And forget about blocking shots. There is no such thing as a clean block anymore. Bill Russell would have fouled out of every game because there is no way he could have blocked all those shots in today's NBA....No Blocks Allowed.
Free throws:
They used to be automatic. If you shot less then 70%, you had better be a center that could rebound. But, now that is considered good. Many people wonder why basketball fans get so upset when a player can't hit their free throws....and it comes down to one thing: Free throws are one of the few things anyone can do. I can't hit a 90mph fastball, skate and shoot like an NHL'er, or throw a 60 pass....but I sure as heck can hit a free throw. And to watch million dollar players shoot 50% from the line and refuse to practice them is unacceptable.
Probably the most heinous crime inflicted upon the fans of basketball since the short shorts of the '80's. This was first introduced in the college game to help the less talented teams stay competitive. It made for some exciting games during March Madness watching some low seed shoot their way to an upset. Seeing this, the NBA, using all 2 ounces of their original thought process, decided to introduce it into the NBA. As Chris Ford swished the first 3 point shot in NBA history for the Boston Celtics, it has become an increasingly bad crutch used by teams. At first the three point line was around 25 feet away from the basket, making the shot difficult. This usually meant only guards or some good shooting forwards attempted this shot...and usually only a couple times a game.
Well, seeing their new "innovative" toy being underutilized, they reduced the distance to a maximum distance of 23 ft 9 in (7.2 m). Smiling at their cleverness and ingenuity, the power's to be in the NBA sat back and watched how this would affect the use of the 3 pointer. They watched as guards stopped driving to the hoop on fast breaks opting for the 3 pointer instead (heck, less contract and more points). They watched as forwards stopped developing an inside game for the easier outside shot. They watched as centers.....CENTERS.....such at Manute Bol and Sam Perkins extended their careers by shooting a few 3 bombs. And if this wasn't enough, we have the Jim O'Brien Celtics of 2002-2003. At team whose ENTIRE offense was formed around the 3 point shot.
The coach admitted to having his players shoot 3 points shots quickly and in bunches so they could save their energy for defense????????????????????? This lead to the unfathomable two year stint where Antoine Walker attempted 650 and 575 3 pointers for a two year total of....1250!!!!!!!!!!! Larry Bird highest total for a year was 237, and he could shoot. This "offense" led to miserable offensive rebounding numbers, inordinate amount of opponent fast breaks, and absolutely no development of a players inside game. Kevin McHale would have been a bench player while a Walter McCarty-type played 40 minutes. Fast breaks, when even attempted, breakdown when the two wing players do not go to the hoop for lay-ups and instead veer out to the 3 point line. Heaven forbid a guard in the NBA drive to the hoop...he may get hurt by all those big guys wandering around down there.
And what is even more laughable is many of the 'specialist' can't even shoot that shot well. Show me 3pt field goal % over 35% and I will show you an all-star. Forwards and center that try to play basketball as it should are stuck watching shots fly over their head, clanging against the rim, and flying out to their opponents while they do wind sprints up and down the floor. Mark Blount was a 6 point, 6 rebound player in this system. Now he is recording double doubles as the system he plays in becomes more conventional. The 3 point shot has become the new drug of the NBA and needs to be eliminated.
Zone Defense:
Another wonderful college innovation the NBA just couldn't resist implementing. Stern in his infinite wisdom saw the offense getting stifled in recent year (couldn't be that 3 point shot) and decided that allowing zone defenses would open it up. Hunh????????????????????????????? How on God's green Earth would letting Shaq stay within 5 feet of the basket on defense open things up??? How are eliminating picks, pick & rolls, screens, and movement helping to free up the offense? What did this do? It forced even MORE 3 point shots as teams can now just clog the middle and prevent anyone from driving/cutting to the basket. Wow, why didn't I think of this?
How about we ditch the pathetic zone (sorry Shaq), and force players to actually play man to man defense. Make players stay within the 3 feet of their player and not allow them to sag off. This would allow much more movement on offense and allow gameplans to help if one team has a dominant center by having his guy stay outside. Or allow mismatches.....heck, we might even see a post move once in a while. All the zone has done is allow slow, uncoordinated big men to look like they can play D. It has become the NBA's version of baseball's DH.
Traveling:
Last I checked it was still in the books. I still haven't found out when Dominique Wilkens was allowed to change the rule to now allow that ridiculous jump, step, and jump again move. Five steps later a player can go from half court to a dunk.
Palming:
Everyone palms the ball a little when they are young due to their hands being small. But 6' 5" NBA guards should not have to do it. Again, I still haven't found out when Michael Jordan was allowed to change the rule to allow a player to take 4 steps between dribbles. It was a joke watching Jordan go from the 3 point line to a dunk and only dribble it once. And we won't even go into Iverson....haha.
Defense:
Since when did it become illegal on defense to stand perfectly still, have a player run full speed into you, and still get the foul call? Nothing is more infuriating watching a player with a couple seconds on the shot clock drive desperately into the paint, throw himself into a player standing still, and grunts in pain as the ref blows the whistle. And forget about blocking shots. There is no such thing as a clean block anymore. Bill Russell would have fouled out of every game because there is no way he could have blocked all those shots in today's NBA....No Blocks Allowed.
Free throws:
They used to be automatic. If you shot less then 70%, you had better be a center that could rebound. But, now that is considered good. Many people wonder why basketball fans get so upset when a player can't hit their free throws....and it comes down to one thing: Free throws are one of the few things anyone can do. I can't hit a 90mph fastball, skate and shoot like an NHL'er, or throw a 60 pass....but I sure as heck can hit a free throw. And to watch million dollar players shoot 50% from the line and refuse to practice them is unacceptable.
