I've been demoning the decline of the league ever since I started posting. The rules are changed to accomodate the lack of talent. Things that were completly unnaceptable years ago are now commonplace.
I don't fully understand this. Are you talking about years ago when Kermit Washington broke Rudy Tomjanovich's face? How about when Ralph Sampson and Hakeem Olaguwon got ejected in the
same game for punching Bill Hanzlik? Maybe you mean the Boston clothesline of Kurt Rambis in the Finals. Or how about Bobby Jones famous rebound to send Bird into the 5th row?
Kevin McHale and Charles Barkley had huge battles, but never once was either one of them going outisde the rules of the game. And nothing they did could be characterized as dirty, just solid basketball.
Are we talking about the Charles Barkley who elbowed Angola's forward in the head in the 92 Olympics, or the Barkley who pulled Shaq to the ground in a fight? Maybe it was the Charles Barkley who admitted in a post-game press conference he was trying to separate Stockton's shoulder.
I'm simply pointing out that the league could put out any rules and the teams and players would adapt. I gurantee you that Iveerson would stop all the childish whining and moaning the first time he was thrown out. Some teams would loose out if the game was called the way it used to be, whereas others flourish under a less tolerant system.
And the League has been providing rules for less physical play. The hand check rule of 94 or 95. Heck, Derek Harper wouldn't have had a career with that rule in place. I think the rules have allowed the most gifted players to shine. Manu Ginobili, by no means a behemoth of strengh; Allen Iverson, 6 even 165; Corey Magette, Chauncey Billups, Tony Parker, Steve Nash, Mike Bibby, Muggsy Bogues, Earl Boykins. None of these players have brute strength or dirty defensive tricks. The rules in place allow these players to thrive and succeed. Iverson and Bogues have lead the NBA in steals, while Magette and Billups are generally in the top 3 in FTM.
Detoit's preferred style is ugly and relatively unentertaining. Compare it with the Showtime Lakers or even Jordan's Bulls and the quality of the games is clearly declining.
I vehemently disagree with Jordan's Bulls being described as a team of finesse and style. That was a team of Bill Cartwright, Scott Williams, and Stacey King (James Edwards, Bill Wennington, Luc Longley, and John Salley later on) with a compliment of 18 fouls to bring down talented centers like Shaq, Ewing, etc. That was a team of Scottie Pippen, Randy Brown, Ron Harper, and Pete Meyers getting away with virtually every dirty trick in the book. That was a team where Scottie Pippen, Jason Caffey, and Scott Williams could swing momentums with a well-timed flop. And more importantly it was a team that had Michael Jordan, a man who has never driven the lane without being fouled.
I want the league to clean itelf up, not drop it's standard to the lowest common denominator. Is it really too much to ask of players making millions of dollars to actually learn how to play the game in a way that rewards fans with great play? Apparently it is, or Stern would make an effort to return the quality to the game.
Stern has just increased the age limit forcing the Kwame Brown's to get at least a year of refinement before jumping into the pros. As far as rewarding fans with great play, place me in the group that's having a great time watching great basketball. I've never been this excited watching basketball, since my favorite team of all time (the '96 Sonics were playing the Bulls). A well-timed pick and roll on the baseline and a precision pass by Rip leads to an alley-oop reverse slam dunk by Wallace. Ginobili penetrates through three pistons jumps, places the ball in one hand and dunks with authority. Duncan gets the ball on a pick and pop, off the backboard from 18 feet. Robert Horry with a soul-crushing three to win by 1 in overtime. Consider me a fan who feels rewarded for the best Finals series I've seen in over a decade.
I suppose you can't blame Detroit for developing a formula that works, but I'd rather watch Genobli penetrate and dish like the good old days than see Tim Duncan pushed all over the lane when trying to post up. Moses Malone was a very physical player in his day, but he was never dirty, would never grab another player with his hands and move him out of the lane.
You can't blame Detroit for being a hard-nosed physical team with great team defense, just like you can't blame San Antonio for being the same kind of team.
I've been watching b-ball since the Chamberlain days when I was a kid.
Does anybody remember the interview Chamberlain had back in the mid 90's with Bob Costas on NBC. He said something like if he were active right now, he'd be averaging 60 or 70 points based on how physical the league used to be.
I admit I'm not a very old guy, I wasn't around physically watching the games from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. But basketball's been my favorite sport since the 3rd grade, I've studied it, played it, and read about it. Nothing of what I know leads me to believe that the league is dirtier or more physical than it was then. I do believe it is more offensively inept, but that's a discussion for a different thread.
