This era of rim protection sucks

[Baller789]

2020 rookie accts know nothing

So what your counter argument with that gigantic brain of yours?
1-9?

[Micku]

More players shoot 3's, at a higher rate and %, specifically for this reason. Spacing creates shots in the paint.

It's not the only reason why, but it's definitely one of the biggest reasons.

The rules made it harder for big men to protect the paint in general. Due to the nature of the league wanting the NBA to be less physical. Even now, the league made rules in 2017 and 2018 to protect shooters, one of them which was kind'a caused by Kawhi and Zaza. It gives them more space to really shoot the 3. And the rules also influence it.

I think the rules help steer the league into this direction, the coaching philosophy is the biggest reason too. More 3s, more spacing. There's no more Shaq, Kareem, or Hakeem in the league to punish the small ball lineup. Even if they was, I think most coaches would tell them to shoot the 3ball anyway. Some teams like the Clips I think suffered tho. Against the Mavs, they had trouble with their size. Especially when they were playing small ball. Boban was destroying them as well Porziņgis. Denver also did the same. Small ball didn't work with them.

I think it just depends on how good your bigs are. As I said before, the league gutted bigs because of the dominance of Shaq and the pacing of the 90s and early 00s, so it made them less effective. I think it'll continue like this until we get the next great big who can punish this and/or if they made some rule changes. It won't happen over night, but it'll happen gradually just like this era happened gradually. If one team does it and becomes successful with it, then everyone would try to do it.

Pistons played a slow pace, half court, defensive game that was physical. Different from what they used to play before. Other teams copied.

Big men use the rules to slow down the pace even more. Abuse one on one and camping in the paint.

MJ played iso a bit. Other teams copied. Give the ball to your best player and let them go to work.

Shaq dominated.

League didn't like it, so they changed the rules.

Suns happened. Analytics too. Teams copied it.

Shaq got old.

GSW happened. Small ball was more apparent. Teams copied it. A good big man is rare these days.

So, here we are.

[Baller789]

So what your counter argument with that gigantic brain of yours?
1-9?

And1AllDay all I hear are crickets.
Whats your counter?

1-9?

Yikes!

[Baller789]

It's not the only reason why, but it's definitely one of the biggest reasons.

The rules made it harder for big men to protect the paint in general. Due to the nature of the league wanting the NBA to be less physical. Even now, the league made rules in 2017 and 2018 to protect shooters, one of them which was kind'a caused by Kawhi and Zaza. It gives them more space to really shoot the 3. And the rules also influence it.

I think the rules help steer the league into this direction, the coaching philosophy is the biggest reason too. More 3s, more spacing. There's no more Shaq, Kareem, or Hakeem in the league to punish the small ball lineup. Even if they was, I think most coaches would tell them to shoot the 3ball anyway. Some teams like the Clips I think suffered tho. Against the Mavs, they had trouble with their size. Especially when they were playing small ball. Boban was destroying them as well Porziņgis. Denver also did the same. Small ball didn't work with them.

I think it just depends on how good your bigs are. As I said before, the league gutted bigs because of the dominance of Shaq and the pacing of the 90s and early 00s, so it made them less effective. I think it'll continue like this until we get the next great big who can punish this and/or if they made some rule changes. It won't happen over night, but it'll happen gradually just like this era happened gradually. If one team does it and becomes successful with it, then everyone would try to do it.

Pistons played a slow pace, half court, defensive game that was physical. Different from what they used to play before. Other teams copied.

Big men use the rules to slow down the pace even more. Abuse one on one and camping in the paint.

MJ played iso a bit. Other teams copied. Give the ball to your best player and let them go to work.

Shaq dominated.

League didn't like it, so they changed the rules.

Suns happened. Analytics too. Teams copied it.

Shaq got old.

GSW happened. Small ball was more apparent. Teams copied it. A good big man is rare these days.

So, here we are.

This is pretty accurate.
Though this no rim protection era sucks because even mediocre guards can get to the basket with relative ease.
Before, it would take something special to go all the way and finish consistently.

I don't think there will be another dominant big with these rules. The best we could do are Davis, Embid and Joker. Which as good as they are, arent dominant in my eyes.

[Micku]

Now you got dumb plays like this:
https://twitter.com/GPHatesThisApp/s...57759705088000


But even this video explains it, but it doesn't go through the trickle down effect of what happened. It's been a long time coming.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32l4gIoxfY8


As a recap:
80s was the golden era.

Pistons played great defense and slow down pace. Teams copied it, going to the 90s. (Bulls played it too, but the Pistons were more known for it.)

League got super slow and tried to increase scoring cuz they thought it would boost ratings. But MJ was a global icon, so all is well till he retired.

Prime Shaq happened. Teams complained cuz he was too dominant. Some guys who would play center, went to the PF spot cuz they don't wanna deal with him. League changed the rules. Zone. 3 defensive second. All to slow him and other big men down who abuse the rules.

League got super slow. Lots of iso ball. League changed the rules to speed things up and let perimeter players have more freedom. They wanted teamplay of the 80s, and stars like MJ, Bird, and Magic.

Mike D'antoni Phoenix Suns happen. Influence the league with pacing. And the stretch 4. Increase 3pointers, but more with running up and down the floor.

Prime Steph and Warriors happened. 3pt craze. Teams trying to copy their playstyle for success.

So, here we are. Shaq destroyed the big men for nearly two decades. Both offense and defense. Physical defense is gone. Steph accelerated the value of the 3pt shot.

[dankok8]

A real big dominant big like Shaq would absolutely obliterate teams in today's league. He could singlehandedly change the NBA, probably even force major rule changes. Spacing makes traditional bigs like Shaq more vulnerable on D although he would just defend a non-shooter (there is still one on almost every team)and just sag off of him and stay in the paint. And on offense he'd have so much space. Defending him 1-on-1 just isn't feasible but you can't leave 3pt shooters open... so yea. BBQ chicken. Even big dudes like Embiid, Boban etc. couldn't grapple with him.

A 6'7'' 280 lbs Zion is manhandling the league. Imagine a 7'1'' 330 lbs behemoth who is even more athletic than Zion. It would be a bloodbath.

[light]

Centers defend on the perimeter now.

They’re still good rim protectors when they’re there, but unlike the 90s they’re not always around the rim on defense. These days the rim is “protected” more often by guards and forwards.

[DoctorP]

your rim is not protected from the anus of an african sausage.

[clipps]

When you have 5 perimeter players on the court, rim protection is gonna suck. Pretty basic concept if you as me.

[dankok8]

Let's say Shaq plays on the modern Sixers surrounded by Danny Green. Seth Curry, Tobias Harris and Furkhan Korkmaz. What would you do as the defense?

[Airupthere]

Let's say Shaq plays on the modern Sixers surrounded by Danny Green. Seth Curry, Tobias Harris and Furkhan Korkmaz. What would you do as the defense?

Flop? Pray?

[2much_knowledge]

Because?

Nice posts Micku. Well explained and in detail.

[999Guy]

Bad Boys Pistons started this:
Back then, teams were running the fastbreaks all the time. They would outrun you. The Pistons tried this too, but it didn't work out for them. Then they started to slow down the pace in the late 80s and play more half court and limit the fastbreaks. They weren't the first team to do this, but they were the first team that other ppl thought they could emulate since they didn't have the talent like the Lakers, Celts, 76ers and other top teams of the 80s.

The problem with the Pistons were the fouls. Back then, this hard fouls was a common foul. Like even when Mchale clothesline Rambis, you can hear the commentators say at the end "It's just part of the game.":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7r6vXeOfyQ

Mchale wasn't ejected. He came back in and watched Rambis shoot the FT. It was either the refs start to call more fouls, the game would get more intense and physical or the players would fight. But this foul along with the Celtics started to play more physical, it screw up with the Lakers mindset. They wanted probably wanted to fight sometimes instead of winning.

Keep in mind, not every team did this. There was no hard fouls constantly like this. But the Pistons would abuse the rule. Foul you hard and Bill Laimbeer would try to hurt you and then cry to the refs in every play. This could potentially discourage teams from going to the paint. It's wasn't always the contest, it was the beating you could get. They would lay you on your ass. It was the mindset. Even the Celts did this, but not like the Pistons. Again, it's usually part of the game to foul hard. But the Pistons took it an extra step. Even if you would shoot a jump shot, Bill Laimbeer would get into your space, sometimes slip a foot where you would land to roll your ankles. But despite him, they would still foul you hard. Players knew that, and were okay with it. But there's always a line that you shouldn't cross.

You could hear Larry Bird talk about it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USd3YagNFXY#t=18m23s


Because the complaints, they soften the rules up a little bit. Larry Bird even admits that they had to change the rules because eventually someone was going to get hurt.

The rest of the league took notice of how successful they Pistons were, so they emulated them. The Knicks was probably the most successful team to do it similar. They didn't do the cheap shots like the Pistons, but they had guys who could lock down the paint and foul you hard when come to the paint. And the rest of the 90s, the pace started to slow down compared to what they were in the 80s. Part of the reason is because they didn't have the talent to run, there was more emphasis on defense, and passing it to the big guy to score.



~
March 4, 1990
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-...723-story.html


The Pistons impact and their play style set the tone from the 90s-mid 00s. And the league tried to get away from. Of course there are other reasons why, but we'll get into that too.

I can’t believe this guy built a supposed goat level career on a trash conference, and really relatively trash league that didn’t play defense.

The pistons didn’t invent defense-minded basketball. The 80s were soft.