Looking at criticisms that get put upon the modern game of the NBA

[warriorfan]

To be honest I think the whole romanticizing of the low post offense has gone way overboard at this point. Everyone acts like all of that low post play was people doing MJ and Hakeem moves. It wasn’t. There is some nuance and appreciation you can have for it, but it’s gotten overblown

Would you rather see someone cook someone with a face up game or watch some one operate in the low post?

I don’t know to me the question is fairly obvious and I’m going with the face up game.

[Dbrog]

Post is much more fun to watch for me personally. No not everyone had turnarounds or complex combo moves like MJ or Hakeem, but I found it enjoyable watching Timmy with his driving hooks across the lane, or Shaq with a dropstep, or even Dwight who would clean up anything around the rim with a physical dunk. Even people like Al Jefferson who had a crazy variety in his post-game were fun to watch, not just superstars. Now bigs just look like huge stiffs who can't do crap on offense or rim protection...fools lookin like Mark Madsen out there

[Xiao Yao You]

Post is much more fun to watch for me personally. No not everyone had turnarounds or complex combo moves like MJ or Hakeem, but I found it enjoyable watching Timmy with his driving hooks across the lane, or Shaq with a dropstep, or even Dwight who would clean up anything around the rim with a physical dunk. Even people like Al Jefferson who had a crazy variety in his post-game were fun to watch, not just superstars. Now bigs just look like huge stiffs who can't do crap on offense or rim protection...fools lookin like Mark Madsen out there

the inefficient black hole Jefferson was not fun to watch. I'd love to see the defense be given a chance instead of every advantage going to the offense.

[Dbrog]

the inefficient black hole Jefferson was not fun to watch. I'd love to see the defense be given a chance instead of every advantage going to the offense.

For sure would be nice to see defense come back but Silver is on record saying he doesn't want it to because he feels it's a "worse product for the fans." Damn though I know Big Al was a black whole but you gotta respect the moves. What about ZBO? That dudes was fat af but was tearing people up down low haha

[Xiao Yao You]

For sure would be nice to see defense come back but Silver is on record saying he doesn't want it to because he feels it's a "worse product for the fans." Damn though I know Big Al was a black whole but you gotta respect the moves. What about ZBO? That dudes was fat af but was tearing people up down low haha

Clarkson has moves. The ball going in the bucket is what I want not prayers and bricks

[Kblaze8855]

For me, it’s more the variety. To answer your question directly? Yes, I am more entertained by the best post up players than the standard dribble dribble, dribble, harden style. But at the time in question it wasn’t all posting up. Yea Hakeem posted up. Shaq. Whoever. But there was also Jordan. He did it all. Drexler posted up and drove. Nique did both. Bird posted up, shot from range, and was a beautiful passer. Magic had post game but was a monster in transition and crazy entertaining.

There were teams like Run TMC where you got shooting, crossovers, and a high pace. Barkley posted up but he was also crazy explosive under the basket and on the move. Reggie shot threes. So did Dale Ellis. Mark price could face up, shoot, or pick and roll. Kemp and Payton could both face up or drive. Highlights coming from both styles.

Watching the Bulls play Run tmc is an entirely different game than playing the Knicks which is different from playing the Magic. Some teams were inside out looking for shooters. Some went all through the big. Some literally stood a big in the corner to get him out of the way for drives.

It was a game of contrasting styles. Today even teams that play differently are just taking a different path to the same shots. I wouldn’t mind a few teams that took an unbelievable number of threes. Do whatever suits your team. But teams have decided shooting threes is the only way to play so some shoot more than the entire NBA combined did at first. The teams that don’t shoot threes shoot more than the record number taken by teams that were fairly recent.

Its just 3 after 3 after 3 and it just isn’t very entertaining to me.

If it entertains you that’s fine. That’s what the NBA counts on. Eventually everyone who remembers variety will be dead and gone so there will be nothing to complain about because no one will know a different way. There is no better or worse or right and wrong when we are talking about what entertains us. I would just like to see a little more variety.

[FKAri]

For me, it’s more the variety. To answer your question directly? Yes, I am more entertained by the best post up players than the standard dribble dribble, dribble, harden style. But at the time in question it wasn’t all posting up. Yea Hakeem posted up. Shaq. Whoever. But there was also Jordan. He did it all. Drexler posted up and drove. Nique did both. Bird posted up, shot from range, and was a beautiful passer. Magic had post game but was a monster in transition and crazy entertaining.

There were teams like Run TMC where you got shooting, crossovers, and a high pace. Barkley posted up but he was also crazy explosive under the basket and on the move. Reggie shot threes. So did Dale Ellis. Mark price could face up, shoot, or pick and roll. Kemp and Payton could both face up or drive. Highlights coming from both styles.

Watching the Bulls play Run tmc is an entirely different game than playing the Knicks which is different from playing the Magic. Some teams were inside out looking for shooters. Some went all through the big. Some literally stood a big in the corner to get him out of the way for drives.

It was a game of contrasting styles. Today even teams that play differently are just taking a different path to the same shots. I wouldn’t mind a few teams that took an unbelievable number of threes. Do whatever suits your team. But teams have decided shooting threes is the only way to play so some shoot more than the entire NBA combined did at first. The teams that don’t shoot threes shoot more than the record number taken by teams that were fairly recent.

Its just 3 after 3 after 3 and it just isn’t very entertaining to me.

If it entertains you that’s fine. That’s what the NBA counts on. Eventually everyone who remembers variety will be dead and gone so there will be nothing to complain about because no one will know a different way. There is no better or worse or right and wrong when we are talking about what entertains us. I would just like to see a little more variety.

The rules have definitely been shaped by the league to incentivize a certain style of play over the years. That being said, even if rules were never changed, basketball would have become less strategically diverse over time as people converge to what's most effective.

[Im Still Ballin]

The rules have definitely been shaped by the league to incentivize a certain style of play over the years. That being said, even if rules were never changed, basketball would have become less strategically diverse over time as people converge to what's most effective.

In my opinion, the league should be in a place where there's no clear meta-strategy. You should be just as likely to succeed playing one way as opposed to another. To use a video game analogy, the NBA is currently unbalanced and in need of some nerfs.

[warriorfan]

In my opinion, the league should be in a place where there's no clear meta-strategy. You should be just as likely to succeed playing one way as opposed to another. To use a video game analogy, the NBA is currently unbalanced and in need of some nerfs.

ideally they could change things up every few years to break up these metas and add more versatility and parity to the teams. the problem with that is a huge part about sports is history and tradition, and when you start altering that even more rapidly then it has been already then you will open the door for a lot of controversy. it would also be upsetting from the players view where they practice a certain particular skill set for a reason and then rule changes all of a sudden deem them obsolete.

[bison]

My ideal is a balance of all things. I agree people go overboard with romanticizing post up play. It was very often not exciting. But I also dislike the other extreme as well: guys jacking up 3s all the time, even on fast breaks. It won’t happen soon—if at all—but I’d love a return to position ball where players had more specialized roles: quarterbacking point guards, 3 pt assassins, versatile wings, athletic power forwards and big men who back guys up and use foot work in the post.

[Im Still Ballin]

ideally they could change things up every few years to break up these metas and add more versatility and parity to the teams. the problem with that is a huge part about sports is history and tradition, and when you start altering that even more rapidly then it has been already then you will open the door for a lot of controversy. it would also be upsetting from the players view where they practice a certain particular skill set for a reason and then rule changes all of a sudden deem them obsolete.

Valid points.

[Xiao Yao You]

My ideal is a balance of all things. I agree people go overboard with romanticizing post up play. It was very often not exciting. But I also dislike the other extreme as well: guys jacking up 3s all the time, even on fast breaks. It won’t happen soon—if at all—but I’d love a return to position ball where players had more specialized roles: quarterbacking point guards, 3 pt assassins, versatile wings, athletic power forwards and big men who back guys up and use foot work in the post.

you've started to see some teams playing bigger but can it work? Jazz had defensive problems last year. Besides the obvious reason is Lauri at the 3 is going to solve that?

[FKAri]

In my opinion, the league should be in a place where there's no clear meta-strategy. You should be just as likely to succeed playing one way as opposed to another. To use a video game analogy, the NBA is currently unbalanced and in need of some nerfs.

You're right and I also would like to see "nerfs". But a surprising number of basketball fans are of the opinion that if we rolled back to old rules we'd return to old school basketball. They're wrong. The style of play would slowly shift into something else but not quite like what we had before.