Good, maybe it will just go-away?

 

ANNNNNNNND the projections come true. If I wasn't so lazy, I would dig up some posts I had about the NBA in dire straits from over a year ago.

Oh well. This absolutely HAS to happen in order for the league to survive. They also are going to need some fundamental changes to the game as well (i.e. the rules need to be changed).

Someone jokingly said that the season shouldn't start untl February since none of the teams really play until then anyways...not a bad idea, from a competitive standpoint. :P

 

True true and true.

Problem is, fundamentaly, the game is completely FUBAR.

Not the game of Basketball, just the NBA's version of it...and of course, Stern, the low-life has nobody to blame but himself.

The ONLY thing good about this, is it might convince some of the kids at the Collegiate level to stay in school another year or two. The integrity at NCAA aka NBA-Minor League has slipped considerably in the last decade, but at least there is still a resemblance of trying to teach some of these kids fundamental, sound basketball.


Good to see your back in the City of Love your Brother Sam :knucks:

 

You have guys like Rafe LeFrentz making $12 million a year, so it doesn't shock me at all ...I remember when Juwan Howard was making $20+ million a year. I hope the entire NBA goes down the toilet. It was my favorite sport in the early to mid 1980's, but now I would rather watch women's golf or Beverly Hills 90210 (kicking and screaming) then this crap the NBA puts out.

 

Salaries have needed to come down to earth in the NBA for years. They've always had some stupid mentality that anyone over 7 feet should make 10mill a year, anyone that becomes a free agent at the right time gets a max contract, etc. Max contracts are there for the Kobes, Lebrons, etc, not any stiff that can play a little bit. The owners made this mess though, no one forced them to sign players to these horrid contracts or to change the game for the better of a handful of star players.

 

Absolutely. Stern's such an ***-clown. All he did was take over a league that was on the verge of folding and turned it into an insanely profitable industry with a legitimate worldwide following, and a following in North America that's surpassed only by football.

The integrity of the NCAA has slipped? HA! That's a good one. The NCAA has always been a scummy, corrupt organization. Back in the day, players' families were openly paid so the kid would go to school there. It's the most absurd hypocrisy in all of sports. The only real rule is "don't get caught".

The level of play in the NBA is fine. That's the fallback argument for anyone who feels grumpy about the league. "It ain't like the old days, I tells ya!" Yeah, I miss the set shot too, just like I miss underhanded free throws and goofy white guys who couldn't jump over a Sunday newspaper.

It's a business downturn; nothing more, nothing less. The NBA has been hit hard by the recession, just like other sports leagues have. And Stern, cagey as he is, will use this to hammer down salaries in the next CBA. And he will get his way because many players simply cannot afford a lockout. This is one of the dirty little secrets of the NBA; a very large number of players keep a lifestyle that has them living paycheck to paycheck...despite the fact that they have really large paychecks.

 

IMO, you don't like basketball if you hated the Knicks - Heat Rivalry of the 90's.

THAT was basketball.

the Showtime Lakers and the Bird Celtics of the 80's played NO defense WHATSOEVER.

Watch one of those games and compare it to the NBA of today.

The Bad Boy pistons brought real basketball to the NBA.

The only problem I see with today's game is that the young players don't know how to play, even though the talent level is very high.

 

The "dumbing" down of the game as you say Padre, is ALSO taking place in our beloved NFL.

As for the NBA, yes I agree on what is happening to our young plaers...for the life of me, i cannot explain how Michael Beasley can shoot from anywhere, be a terrific passer, finish with either hand, handle the ball great for a big guy ...BUT...can't set a screen.

for that matter...Derrick Rose doesn;t know how to play point guard. he plays a psuedo brand of hybrid ballhog/point guard.

 

There has absolutely been too much of a trend toward athleticism and upside, at the expense of skill and basketball IQ. I think the NBA was wise to essentially mandate one year of college (or international play) before entering the draft, though I wish they had done 2.

I will say, however, that with many college programs, the emphasis on making players "pro ready" isn't as great as it should be. UNC and Duke do a great job of making players pro ready and well rounded, although Coach K hasn't recruited an athletic wing player since Grant Hill. And amazingly, I think Texas has been good about this, despite the fact that Rick Barnes is a notorious choker.

Other programs, not as much. John Calipari's teams, for instance, are terrible about this, I think. Derrick Rose should be absolutely OWNING the NBA. I wouldn't say that Calipari screwed him up, but he sure didn't accelerate his development. Tyreke Evans dominates the ball and thinks that a point guard is just a dude who brings the ball up and then goes 1 on 5. He's a magnificently skilled player who has no idea how to play with teammates. Rose has some of this problem too. It seems like John Wall has figured it out, fortunately.