"Back in the 90's, the game was more tough and physical"

[Replay32]

I take it the youngins have nothing to say about this. Not surprised no one has addressed it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28y59DjqVvs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic8qmcpjJyI

[Replay32]

I don't think these kids realize that with the rule changes. They put a lot of emphasis on freedom of movement. Especially off the ball. The ticky tack calls today really get on my nerves. Back in the 90's there was a lot more chunking as you tried to come through the paint. The refs also let players grab and hold more so it was a lot more difficult to get to your spots. There was hand checking. These things was way more physically taxing than what we see today.

Nowadays there's a lot more touch fouls. Every bang bang play is called (either a charge or block). In the 90's those type of plays would be no calls way more often. Not to mention all the dirty flagrant stuff that went on were players weren't even ejected.

Yes back in the 90's the game(especially the playoffs) was more physical than today.

[scuzzy]

youz kidz

[MaxPlayer]

[scuzzy]

24 inches of snow, 12 miles uphill both ways


youz kidz

[egokiller]

I take it the youngins have nothing to say about this. Not surprised no one has addressed it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28y59DjqVvs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic8qmcpjJyI

Don't do em like that.

Back when the rules allowed men to play a mans game instead of today where the rules make everyone play this soft as Charmin brand of basketball.

[Bronbron23]

24 inches of snow, 12 miles uphill both ways


youz kidz

Ill give you credit thats actually a good one. My pops used to come at me with that shit all the time when i was acting like a punk. Used to get on my damn nerves.

[Bronbron23]

Its true that every generation gets a little softer. Its just way society is heading with all the anti bullying and non violence stuff. Dont get me wrong its s good thing but anyone who argues this is just in denial.

[scuzzy]

Ill give you credit thats actually a good one. My pops used to come at me with that shit all the time when i was acting like a punk. Used to get on my damn nerves.

$1.00 would get us a damn milkshake, 2 cheesburgers and a large fry


youz kidz

[Micku]

Don't we have players who played in both eras, coaches, and ppl who changed rules already stated that the rules were tougher for perimeter players back then?

They changed the rules to make it more easier. There are more rules than just hand checking. The NBA wanted to faster pace, less physical d, and easier way for teams to score. Less time to bring the ball up to half court, 3 defensive seconds, more emphasis on hand checking, including forearms.

Other stuff came in too. Difference in coaching philosophy, more emphasis on spacing, and the value of the 3 point shot.

The NBA don't want another late 90s-early 00s play style. They believed that increase in scoring will equal higher ratings and money. So, that's where we are now.

There were articles back then that was complaining about the amount of iso plays and low scoring games back in the 00s. But we still have a bunch of also plays now.

But anyway, you can't really take a bunch of iso plays and be like "That's how they played all the time". You'll miss out on the double team, the triple team, sometimes you'll miss out when they hold a guy off the ball, or when they actually put in pressure. Sometimes the ball denial is great and the pressure is great and you would have to pass.

Even in today's game, especially in the playoffs, players could get away with some things. The refs would allow some more physical ball. It isn't as consistent as today. And the improve spacing is much more of a huge deal now than back then.

[Bankaii]

Scuzzy killing it ITT

[Duncan21formvp]

Defense was too fierce back then.

[FKAri]

1. People who saw it can reflect on it and appreciate it.
2. People who didn't see it can complain, feel insecure, and wonder what it might have been like to see it.

Been watching basketball since 1988 (and no that's not the year I was born). There goes your argument.

LOL at these isolated clips!!! Go look at ANY clips from the perimeter manufactured stars after the 2005 defensive highjack and you see a red carpet stroll down the lane when the NBA basically neutered defenses.

Here's a clip of Steve Nash, a guy who played from 1997 to 2014 and won two MVP's in 2006 and 07 thanks to the rule changes the NBA put in, breaking it down to a basic level and confirming how people like David Stern, Rob Thorn and Jerry Colangelo to name a few altered all the defensive rules starting from the mid 90's (after the panic of the MJ’s first retirement and the abysmal 1994 season) to the late 2000's to prop up the mid 90's and onward crop of flawed fundamentals, IQ deficient and AAU poisoned players who didn’t have the classic fundamental knowledge on how to properly attach defenses and started concentrating on their athleticism above everything else. Fast forward to minute 14:38:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHN3d9bpJ-g&t=915s

Here's the excerpt:

Steve Nash says about Grant Hill and the old school game "It was a different game then. They could put two hands on you, they could forearm you, they could knock you down, it was SUPER PHYSICAL and for him to be able to do it in an era where there were less possessions and it was LIKE WRESTLING out there!!!

Bill Simmons: "And then David Stern CHANGED THE RULES so you could succeed, you were the IMPETUS!!!"

Steve Nash: "Laughs! Changed my career. It think David Stern saw me and said this poor kid, if they can put their hands on him HE'S COOKED!!!"

Here's Vince Carter who's still playing in this crap soft league talking about how most of the guys today would not be as good with the physicality of yesteryear:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk4xFL011XE

LOL!!!! A little tidbit for the millennial dweebs, the NBA was already going soft by the time Nash and Carter joined in 97 and 99! Imagine what it was like in the late 80's early 90's when Michael started his reign.

For an extra here’s a final video of the Bad Boy Pistons playing defense against Michael Jordan and the Bulls with illegal defense rules which actually gave more freedom to the defense because nobody knew how to interpret them:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLv2F33snCE&t=303s

Look at the Piston defenders basically IGNORING anybody who's standing at the 3 point line with guys like Laimbeer and Salley playing free safety down low NOT GUARDING ANYBODY. There is also some double teaming without the ball action for the people who think you can only do that know.

Can you imagine LeBald, Harden, Dumbrook, SImmons, Curry, Durant or any of the modern day rule enhanced "stars" in place of Michael on the late 80's Pistons trying to generate offense in the paint with NO SPACING, hand checking and NO FLAGRANT FOULS!!! They would Fed Ex their soft as!es in a DeLorean to 2019 within one quarter of that atmosphere.

Go field a team with 0 3pt shooters. Put them against an NBA team and watch how all of a sudden that NBA's team defense starts looking suffocating. Today, iIt's easier to blow by someone 1 on 1 and a defensive breakdown is far more devastating than it used to be. But likewise, the defense has to be a lot smarter than what the bird brained 80's teams were running and it has to be able to stretch further out. No more 1-dimensional goofy big stiffs who do nothing but bang for boards.

[NBAGOAT]

reggie miller's success against the knicks is ok evidence someone like curry or harden would actually be pretty annoying for them to guard(yes they have worse stats but could be pretty respectable). I mean curry is another lvl at shooting contested 3's and harden is another lvl compared to miller at foul drawing.

The Knicks were a goat lvl defense but their one weakness is their opponents go to the ft line like 30 times a game. It doesnt matter what era it is, you play that physical and teams are going get ft's lol. It also is harder for 90s defenses to guard someone who's so good coming off screens and shooting 3's from 30 with only a couple feet of space. For reference the rockets in a higher pace league that older fans love referencing only get 29.6 fta/game and the next highest in the league is 26.7.

[Bronbron23]

Been watching basketball since 1988 (and no that's not the year I was born). There goes your argument.


Go field a team with 0 3pt shooters. Put them against an NBA team and watch how all of a sudden that NBA's team defense starts looking suffocating. Today, iIt's easier to blow by someone 1 on 1 and a defensive breakdown is far more devastating than it used to be. But likewise, the defense has to be a lot smarter than what the bird brained 80's teams were running and it has to be able to stretch further out. No more 1-dimensional goofy big stiffs who do nothing but bang for boards.

Your not allowed playing defence anymore so of course its harder. It has nothing to do with players being better from 3 or teams having better offence. The reason why players are getting so many open 3's and drives is because defenders arnt allowed fighting through screens anymore. So now instead of being able to fight through the screen and defend your man teams have to pick there poison. They can either switch and have a mismatch or they can double the the screener or the ball. Either way the defence is screwed because its either gonna create a mismatch or an open shot or drive. Thats pretty much every teams offence right now. Just pick any game and watch.