Fan of the NBA? Why or Why Not?

[SandraC]

I adore the NBA.

To me the only thing college basketball has on the NBA is the unpredictability of the 'one and done' format of March Madness. Otherwise there is no comparison. And what a shame it would have been if some of these epic series had only lasted one game instead of six or seven.

Regular season college basketball is full of mismatches so the coaches of the power teams can pad their win totals. The Clippers have a much better chance of beating the Lakers than Presbyterian has of beating Duke.

And the other 'one and done' format of college basketball, too many stars playing one year and leaving, takes away from the likeability of the sport as well. Difficult to get yourself invested in a player that is only playing for your school for one year because he has no other choice.

The NBA is full of incredible personalites and story lines. For more than one year. Can Kobe win without Shaq? Can Lebron win with his current cast, or does he need reinforcements? Can the Magic keep up their torrid shooting? Will Dwight Howard develop an offensive game to go along with everything else he does on the court? How good will the Jazz be if they can stay healthy next year? Can Chauncey Billups lead the Nuggets to the finals, after leading the Pistons there so many times? Can Allen Iverson please not wind up on the Knicks? How good is Brooke Lopez going to be? Will Atlanta keep improving every year? Will the Rockets ever be healthy in the playoffs? If so, how far can they go? Will Blake Griffin help the Clippers improve, or will he fall into the abyss like so many former Clippers? Can the Suns reinvent themselves?

Carmelo Anthony manning up against Kobe Bryant. Lebron James trying to will his team to victory. Dwyane Wade trying to do the same in Miami. Chauncey Billups transforming the Nuggets from a bunch of stars into a team. Mike Bibby doing some of the same in Atlanta. The Celtics and Rockets fighting so gamely without their stars. Rafer Alston going from And-1 tapes to the brink of the NBA finals. Guys like Mickael Pietrus coming out of nowhere to make himself a star. The nutty Bird Man in Denver, who is oddly very effective.

John Starks and his dunk over Michael Jordan. The Warriors shocking everyone two years ago with their run and gun style that shouldn't work in the playoffs...but did. The Suns being an Amare Stoudamire one game suspension away from finally beating the Spurs...then finding out later it was their last chance. Garnett finally wins a championship. Reggie Miller shooting daggers into the hearts of Knick fans time and time again. Tony Parker comes out of nowhere to be a superstar.

It goes on and on.


Sandra

 

[pro96]

I like BASEketball

 

[SandraC]

The quickness of NBA guards should be offset by the length of NBA players who can dart into a passing lane and create a turnover. Besides with only 8 seconds allowed to get the ball into the frontcourt teams wouldn't be able to hesitate too much.

If that tactic would be effective, teams would be doing it. Trust me, you haven't figured out a concept that has eluded all 30 NBA coaches.

It's like when some fan of college football tells you the option offense would work in the NFL with the right personnel. It's been thought about, in some cases tried. And it's failed. The defensive linemen and linebackers are just way too fast. For all the reasons someone tells you why it will work, that answer works every time.

And point guards in the NBA are too fast. Once they break a press, there would be way too many layups and threes once they have numbers in the frontcourt. When teams need stops at the end of a game, opening up the court for the playmakers is not the way to do it.

I love how in college when a team is down in the last couple of minutes they can press and turn the game around.

Yes, that can be effective in college, since it's a much slower game.


Sandra

 

[salsadancer7]

I adore the NBA.

To me the only thing college basketball has on the NBA is the unpredictability of the 'one and done' format of March Madness. Otherwise there is no comparison. And what a shame it would have been if some of these epic series had only lasted one game instead of six or seven.

Regular season college basketball is full of mismatches so the coaches of the power teams can pad their win totals. The Clippers have a much better chance of beating the Lakers than Presbyterian has of beating Duke.

And the other 'one and done' format of college basketball, too many stars playing one year and leaving, takes away from the likeability of the sport as well. Difficult to get yourself invested in a player that is only playing for your school for one year because he has no other choice.

The NBA is full of incredible personalites and story lines. For more than one year. Can Kobe win without Shaq? Can Lebron win with his current cast, or does he need reinforcements? Can the Magic keep up their torrid shooting? Will Dwight Howard develop an offensive game to go along with everything else he does on the court? How good will the Jazz be if they can stay healthy next year? Can Chauncey Billups lead the Nuggets to the finals, after leading the Pistons there so many times? Can Allen Iverson please not wind up on the Knicks? How good is Brooke Lopez going to be? Will Atlanta keep improving every year? Will the Rockets ever be healthy in the playoffs? If so, how far can they go? Will Blake Griffin help the Clippers improve, or will he fall into the abyss like so many former Clippers? Can the Suns reinvent themselves?

Carmelo Anthony manning up against Kobe Bryant. Lebron James trying to will his team to victory. Dwyane Wade trying to do the same in Miami. Chauncey Billups transforming the Nuggets from a bunch of stars into a team. Mike Bibby doing some of the same in Atlanta. The Celtics and Rockets fighting so gamely without their stars. Rafer Alston going from And-1 tapes to the brink of the NBA finals. Guys like Mickael Pietrus coming out of nowhere to make himself a star. The nutty Bird Man in Denver, who is oddly very effective.

John Starks and his dunk over Michael Jordan. The Warriors shocking everyone two years ago with their run and gun style that shouldn't work in the playoffs...but did. The Suns being an Amare Stoudamire one game suspension away from finally beating the Spurs...then finding out later it was their last chance. Garnett finally wins a championship. Reggie Miller shooting daggers into the hearts of Knick fans time and time again. Tony Parker comes out of nowhere to be a superstar.

It goes on and on.


Sandra

:up

 

[BillD1984]

Best athletes in the world.........period!

 

[pro96]

Best athletes in the world.........period!

wait a minute, I thought Curling had the best athletes hands down

 

[DodgerKing]

Best athletes in the world.........period!

I don't know about that. One of the best NBA players of all time couldn't even make it in another sport.

 

[BillD1984]

I don't know about that. One of the best NBA players of all time couldn't even make it in another sport.

That's true, but hitting a baseball doesn't make you a great athlete.

That's by no means a knock on baseball, which IMO, is the greatest game on Earth! :up

 

[BillD1984]

wait a minute, I thought Curling had the best athletes hands down

Okay, 1A.

 

[cosmo_kramer]

Didn't most of those "thugs" play in the NCAA also?

Only because they had to, for at least one year.

 

[SabresRule]

Fan of the NBA,

Love seeing guys get up-and-down the court, score a lot of points.

On any given night, at least one player is capable of scoring at least 30, maybe more.

 

[DodgerKing]

That's true, but hitting a baseball doesn't make you a great athlete.

That's by no means a knock on baseball, which IMO, is the greatest game on Earth! :up

True...But fielding and running do. In baseball, unlike the other sports, it is the defensive side that controls the ball and where most of the athleticism lies.

 

[DodgerKing]

Fan of the NBA,

Love seeing guys get up-and-down the court, score a lot of points.

On any given night, at least one player is capable of scoring at least 30, maybe more.

This is the part that I like least. There is too much scoring. So much so that it becomes too repetitive. Which is probably why I prefer college ball.

 

[anders5189]

And point guards in the NBA are too fast. Once they break a press, there would be way too many layups and threes once they have numbers in the frontcourt. When teams need stops at the end of a game, opening up the court for the playmakers is not the way to do it.

We'll just have to disagree on this point. Part of the beauty of a press is the element of surprise. Sometimes even if a team should be able to break the press they don't. NBA teams give up enough dunks and threes as it is. Doesn't seem like there's much to lose if the press is broken. My complaint is with the rule of advancing the ball into the frontcourt. It takes the sport out it.

 

[anders5189]

I adore the NBA.

To me the only thing college basketball has on the NBA is the unpredictability of the 'one and done' format of March Madness. Otherwise there is no comparison. And what a shame it would have been if some of these epic series had only lasted one game instead of six or seven.

Regular season college basketball is full of mismatches so the coaches of the power teams can pad their win totals. The Clippers have a much better chance of beating the Lakers than Presbyterian has of beating Duke.

And the other 'one and done' format of college basketball, too many stars playing one year and leaving, takes away from the likeability of the sport as well. Difficult to get yourself invested in a player that is only playing for your school for one year because he has no other choice.

The NBA is full of incredible personalites and story lines. For more than one year. Can Kobe win without Shaq? Can Lebron win with his current cast, or does he need reinforcements? Can the Magic keep up their torrid shooting? Will Dwight Howard develop an offensive game to go along with everything else he does on the court? How good will the Jazz be if they can stay healthy next year? Can Chauncey Billups lead the Nuggets to the finals, after leading the Pistons there so many times? Can Allen Iverson please not wind up on the Knicks? How good is Brooke Lopez going to be? Will Atlanta keep improving every year? Will the Rockets ever be healthy in the playoffs? If so, how far can they go? Will Blake Griffin help the Clippers improve, or will he fall into the abyss like so many former Clippers? Can the Suns reinvent themselves?

Carmelo Anthony manning up against Kobe Bryant. Lebron James trying to will his team to victory. Dwyane Wade trying to do the same in Miami. Chauncey Billups transforming the Nuggets from a bunch of stars into a team. Mike Bibby doing some of the same in Atlanta. The Celtics and Rockets fighting so gamely without their stars. Rafer Alston going from And-1 tapes to the brink of the NBA finals. Guys like Mickael Pietrus coming out of nowhere to make himself a star. The nutty Bird Man in Denver, who is oddly very effective.

John Starks and his dunk over Michael Jordan. The Warriors shocking everyone two years ago with their run and gun style that shouldn't work in the playoffs...but did. The Suns being an Amare Stoudamire one game suspension away from finally beating the Spurs...then finding out later it was their last chance. Garnett finally wins a championship. Reggie Miller shooting daggers into the hearts of Knick fans time and time again. Tony Parker comes out of nowhere to be a superstar.

It goes on and on.


Sandra

The storylines in the NBA are no better than in college and to your point about mismatches isn't right. Good college teams lose to medicore opponents all the time. At least in college the kids try hard even if they're overmatched. When was the last time Minnesota or Memphis gave an honest night's effort? Hell the Lakers don't even play hard in all their playoff games. It's the "we'll get em the next game" attitude that drives me crazy about the NBA. Granted there's less of that in the playoffs, for obvious reasons, but watch an NBA team on the 4th game of a 5 game road trip and see if they don't shut it down by halftime. Pathetic.

 

[SandraC]

My complaint is with the rule of advancing the ball into the frontcourt. It takes the sport out it.

I wouldn't care if they took that out of the game, but you're making it sound like it happens all game long...and it doesn't. It only happens at the end of a game. And it has nothing to do with whether teams press during the game or not.

My one quibble with the NBA, which kind of goes along with your point, is that coaches get way too many time outs. It seems like every possession in the last minute and a half needs a time out. It's not for advancing the ball, it's so the coach can impart his words of wisdom.

Unfortunately, the exact same thing happens in college basketball, and you can't advance the ball there. College coaches fall in love with themselves too, just like NBA coaches.

Credit must be given here to hockey, the only sport that is not prolonged by endless timeouts at the end of a game. The NFL is almost as bad as basketball with the time outs, and baseball has pitching changes on top of the normal tedious pace of the game.


Sandra

 

[cosmo_kramer]

I wouldn't care if they took that out of the game, but you're making it sound like it happens all game long...and it doesn't. It only happens at the end of a game. And it has nothing to do with whether teams press during the game or not.
Sandra

But, unfortunately that's the time it matters most....

 

[SandraC]

The storylines in the NBA are no better than in college and to your point about mismatches isn't right. Good college teams lose to medicore opponents all the time.

There are nowhere near the amount of storylines in college that there are in the NBA. With the 'one year and out' mentality you don't get to know a lot of these guys until late in the year, or until March, and then they're gone.

As an Ohio State fan just when I got to know Greg Oden, he was gone. I don't even remember the first name of the point guard Conley (Mike or Larry?), or who it was that hit that big shot in the game it looked like they were going to lose.

Presbyterian will be lucky to beat Duke 1 time out of 100. NBA coaches do not get to pick and choose how often they play the Clippers.

At least in college the kids try hard even if they're overmatched. When was the last time Minnesota or Memphis gave an honest night's effort? Hell the Lakers don't even play hard in all their playoff games. It's the "we'll get em the next game" attitude that drives me crazy about the NBA. Granted there's less of that in the playoffs, for obvious reasons, but watch an NBA team on the 4th game of a 5 game road trip and see if they don't shut it down by halftime. Pathetic.

This is a fallacy preached by people who don't watch the NBA very often. Players on Minnesota and Memphis give an honest effort, they're just not good enough to win very often.

Tyler Hansbrough will soon realize the work ethic that, on top of his talent, made him an elite college basketball player, will not be enough in the NBA. Let's see Hansbrough outwork Kevin Garnett or Carlos Boozer, even on the fourth night of a road trip.


Sandra

 

[rockymtnhigh]

Didn't most of those "thugs" play in the NCAA also?

They graduated from juveniles to career criminals. Many of them certainly do not tend to look like role models.

Seriously.... I don't mind watching the NBA, but there is a certain excitement missing watching it that is there with college hoops. Although if every game was like 6 of the 7 games in the Bulls-Celtics series, I'd probably change my mind on that.

 

[anders5189]

There are nowhere near the amount of storylines in college that there are in the NBA. With the 'one year and out' mentality you don't get to know a lot of these guys until late in the year, or until March, and then they're gone.

As an Ohio State fan just when I got to know Greg Oden, he was gone. I don't even remember the first name of the point guard Conley (Mike or Larry?), or who it was that hit that big shot in the game it looked like they were going to lose.

Talk about fallacies. There aren't that many one and done guys in college basketball. Not one of the teams in this year's FF had a one and done. Neither did most of the best teams in college. Ohio St is not a good measuring stick. They have an idiot coach who recruits nothing but one and dones, and they've lost scholarships for doing so.

Presbyterian will be lucky to beat Duke 1 time out of 100. NBA coaches do not get to pick and choose how often they play the Clippers.

Boy you've got it in for my alma mater. Games like that are not indicitive of college basketball. The competitiveness I'm talking about is how Northwestern can beat Michigan St or how Western Kentucky can beat Louisville, both of which happened this year.

This is a fallacy preached by people who don't watch the NBA very often. Players on Minnesota and Memphis give an honest effort, they're just not good enough to win very often.

That's the excuse bad college teams give. The difference is they have a point. Bad college teams can be badly overmatched so they may lose a lot in spite of giving a good effort. What's the Lakers exuse? What's any NBA team's excuse for losing by 30-40 points. For a league where there ought to be a certain amount of parity in talent, at least relative to college players, I sure do see lots of teams, not even terrible ones always, getting blown out. How does a team good enough to reach the playoffs, cough, New Orleans, cough, get beat by 58 points? Denver's good but they aint that good. I've seen postal workers hustle more than some NBA teams.