Denver was last year's destroyer of Clipper dreams then they met the Champs
In our defense the playoffs started in August so no one watched
In our defense the playoffs started in August so no one watched
What's with ESPN NBA and all the Seinfeld references?
- Thread starter BleachedAnusDawg
- Start date
Luka is better.
Whoever thinks he will have a short prime hasn’t watched him play. His game isn’t based on athleticism. The size, strength, and skill aren’t going anywhere. If anything, they will continue to improve.
We are watching a potentially all time great. Nobody that is currently in the league, including LeBron was as good at 22 as Doncic is now.
Captive of the moment. Luka is playing in the 1st round of the playoffs in a league where everyone is allergic to playing defense and the rules are geared towards offense. Bird could post up and was a million times better shooter from distance than Luka. He also won championships and mvps (and was even all-defense a few times). Hell, he still scored 20 a game as a 35 year old cripple.
Save the Luka is better stuff for 10 years from now when he has a body of work to compare.
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TheKobeStopper
New Fish
This is such a dumb take. Scoring isn’t up because guys don’t play defense, it’s up because teams realized how valuable 3 point shots are and that more 3 point shooters creates space. Guys play harder on defense than ever before with having to rotate around to shooters.
The glory teams of yesteryear played great defense because there were always two giant oafs standing in the paint. Not because they tried harder or cared more.
They don't play defense, and the league has changed the rules to inhibit a defender's ability to stop penetration. Guys walk down the lane unimpeded because you can't hand check anymore. Guys play harder on defense than ever before...LMAO. Okay, dude.
Pippen and Jordan are laughing their asses off at @TheKobeStopper assertion.
Dudes got out and flat locked opponents down.
See also Gary Payton.
Nobody defends like that today. The defensive player of the year this season was Rudy fucking Gobert, for Christ’s sake.
Okay Mr Front-Runner
They desperately need to change the foul calling. When stars are hunting for fouls instead of just trying to make shots, you have a rapidly degrading product.
Fouls should just be if you hit a shooter's hand/arm hard enough to actually change their dribble or shot. You should be able to set a precedent of consistency with that. You should be able to touch the goddamn ball handler.
Biggest example was the Blazers Suns game at the end of the season. Powell touches Booker's hand, doesn't change his shot whatsoever, he just flat misses, and gets game winning free throw attempts.
Fouls should just be if you hit a shooter's hand/arm hard enough to actually change their dribble or shot. You should be able to set a precedent of consistency with that. You should be able to touch the goddamn ball handler.
Biggest example was the Blazers Suns game at the end of the season. Powell touches Booker's hand, doesn't change his shot whatsoever, he just flat misses, and gets game winning free throw attempts.
TheKobeStopper
New Fish
Ok and I could name Kawhi, Lebron and Chris Paul who were lockdown guys in their prime. You’re just naming outlier defenders.
In 2011 Lebron would guard reigning MVP Derrick Rose at the end of games and Rose couldn’t do shit. Do you know why? Because the Bulls had Gibson and Noah clogging up the paint.
In 2015 Andre Igoudala won the Finals MVP for guarding Lebron and holding him to 39% shooting. The next year Lebron shot 50% against the same team. You want to know why?
Because in 2015 Kevin Love was hurt and the Cavs played Mozgov and Tristan Thompson a ton. In 2016 those minutes were replaced with Kevin Love and Richard Jefferson. Shooters.
And like I said, you just named outliers. Most defense back then was standing around and watching. I’m not taking anything away from the great defenders but the “nobody cares” narrative is bullshit. Good defense now bust their asses running around.
"Outliers'.
Fuck off with that bullshit. Kawhi is an outlier.
You weren't playing in the NBA if you couldn't defend in the 80's and 90's. GTFO out of here with that bullshit.
So much easier to play defense back then. Tons of standing around, double teams were illegal until a player had the ball, and there were always multiple non shooters to sag off of. There were also dinosaur coaches that wouldn’t slow a player to shoot three’s off the dribble. Now with a premium on shooting and ball handling, it’s harder to defend.
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Quality trolling.
The Denver Nuggets passing game was 'standing around'. Riiiiight.
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Wouldn't it be harder to play defense when double teams were illegal until a player had the ball? Think about that sentence again.
I've watched enough games the past couple months of the regular season to see that players don't care about defense. In the playoffs they try harder, and the teams are generally better.
Teams regularly scoring in the 130's and 140's is not reflective of good defense and "good offense" does not account for all of that increase. The lack of caring is also reflected by star players sitting out 10-15 games a year, load managing, etc. The league is soft.
TheKobeStopper
New Fish
I will say I agree that players and coaches care less about the regular season now than ever before. But that’s always been a thing to some degree. Jordan’s whole thing and why they won 72 games was because he brought it every night and that was unique.
It rarely works when teams try to turn it on for the playoffs.
Yeah, dumb point by me. The rest is valid. It was easier to play defense when 3-4 non shooters were on the floor. They didn’t have to worry about PG’s pulling 3’s off the dribble. The offense is way better now and I’m not sure how that can be argued.
The league is softer and friendlier but I don’t think defense has gotten markedly worse.
