Less Games More energy?

[big-shot-ROB]

Okay, so I've been following the NBA quite a long time and I have some serious doubts about its structue. NBA players have to play 82 games in a 6-month time. This pushes their boides to the limits. But what do they won?

1/2 weeks ago I watched the 2nd game of the Warriors vs. Pelicans series. That game was totally boring. Neither team was playing with energy, everybody was walking, there was nearly no defense. The 2 teams only started to play serious bball when 2 minutes remained.

I have totally give up watching regular season games, I'm from Spain and I just don't find worth it having to stay awake for watching some players walk around the court and don't play defense.

And the same happens in the Playoffs! Should the NBA think about removing some games just the see players play seriously?

Maybe it's just me with my European basketball mind but I do find really boring seeing this kind of play style.

What do you guys think?

[Andrew]

Never going to happen. The NBA isn't going to give up the revenue the current number of games generates for them. Perhaps nostalgia is fogging my memory here, but it never really used to be an issue. Perhaps it's a generational thing, though it's awfully cliche to mutter about "the players these days", much like the whole "kids these days" stuff once our generation reaches adulthood.

Supposedly, the NBA is looking at reducing the number of back-to-backs and affording players more rest, which seems like a good idea and the best possible solution, if the season is to remain as long as it currently is.

[mp3]

When I started watching the nba in the late 80's players never had a problem with playing so many games nor did they have trouble finding the energy to bring it for playoff games.

[NovU]

Kinda off topic but might be relevant because today's players whine much about playing time(just hear Kobe whine).

Guys from past used play shit load of minutes per game. Look at Wilt, his career average for Minute Per Game is nearly a full 46. That means about 2 minutes of rest for each game in 82 games season, lol. Larry Bird in 80s played nearly 40 MPG. Even Michael Jordan played near 40 in his younger days. And that's the age when they didn't know Cigar and drinking soda was bad, they probably regularly did. But one thing they didn't do was whine.

[benji]

Why would they expend more energy in fewer games?

There's a strategic advantage in controlling the pace, especially for inferior teams who benefit from reducing the number of possessions in a game.

European teams across the board play at a significantly slower pace, even accounting for the game length. One of the fastest paced Euroleague teams (CSKA Moscow) would have been dead last in the league this year in pace, by about two possessions a game. College basketball and the WNBA which both play about a third of the number of games as the NBA both play at even slower paces, especially college with the extended shot clock and anal coaches.

The D-League has teams that both play at a Mike Fratello pace and a 1980s pace. The difference between the top and bottom teams was a whopping 23.6 possessions per game. The NBA this season was 7.9.

[mp3]

Since we are on the topic of resting players I am not a fan of coaches pulling lots of key players and sitting them the whole game.

This happened to me and my friends when we went to Orlando in 2006, we watched 4 games of the Magic one of them being the battle for Florida.
Heat vs Magic...

The Heat decided to rest Shaq and Wade which we found out about just hours before the game.

My view on resting players is if you as a coach feel the need to rest them then reduce there minutes for certain games so if you have a player who usually plays 35-40 mins then play him 15-20 for a few games if they really need rest and that way the paying fans still get to see the star players in action.

[JAWSFreelao]

I truly think that today's NBA players aren't strong enough to handle so many games. I even preferred early 2000s basketball, during the Carter-Iverson era. They were some tough motherfucks, and now players are complaining and whining. Why? It doesn't make any sense at all.

[Mandich]

Carter-Iverson era. They were some tough motherfucks,

Obviously you didn't watch that era, because calling Carter, a player who faked(can't find a better word due to my limited fluency in English) injuries and gave 0 effort to his team in his last years as a Raptor is considered tough.

Carter-Iverson era....

Shaq and Duncan get no recognition.

EDIT: This sounds bad, of course they do. But fanboys still prefer AI and Carter.

Even Kidd and Garnett.

Carter was a top perimeter player during a 2-3 year stretch. Iverson just shot a lot.

and now players are complaining and whining. Why? It doesn't make any sense at all.

Ask Lillard.

As for the topic: If they shorten the year, no career record could be broken as players would finish with less "everything" for their career.

[NovU]

Since we are on the topic of resting players I am not a fan of coaches pulling lots of key players and sitting them the whole game.

This happened to me and my friends when we went to Orlando in 2006, we watched 4 games of the Magic one of them being the battle for Florida.
Heat vs Magic...

The Heat decided to rest Shaq and Wade which we found out about just hours before the game.

My view on resting players is if you as a coach feel the need to rest them then reduce there minutes for certain games so if you have a player who usually plays 35-40 mins then play him 15-20 for a few games if they really need rest and that way the paying fans still get to see the star players in action.

I've seen this argument before and they have some good points. Resting non-injured players is a major blow off for those that attend live games.

If you are someone that attends 5-10 live games a year, you probably would hate to go to a game and see marquee players sitting down just to get a break.

[JAWSFreelao]

Obviously you didn't watch that era, because calling Carter, a player who faked(can't find a better word due to my limited fluency in English) injuries and gave 0 effort to his team in his last years as a Raptor is considered tough.

Carter-Iverson era....

Shaq and Duncan get no recognition.

EDIT: This sounds bad, of course they do. But fanboys still prefer AI and Carter.

Carter was a top perimeter player during a 2-3 year stretch.

I should rephrase; Iverson was tough. Vince was fiery. There's a difference.
Iverson and Carter get more recognition because they were flashy, athletic, ball hounding fiends. Shaq and Duncan get no love because they're "boring." Due to the NBA's own self-bias. I mean, when was the last time they saw a Tim Duncan top-10?

[Mandich]

Perhaps when he won one of his 5 rings en route to being the best power forward ever?

Carter had all the talent in the world for the position.

Iverson shot a lot. Shaq wasn't boring. SInce when is dunking and overpowering people boring.

[JAWSFreelao]

Hey man, I never said I thought it was boring.
Iverson may have shot a lot, but then again, so does Westbrook.

[deihatein]

Shaq wasn't boring. SInce when is dunking and overpowering people boring.

Blake Griffin does it and people say it's boring and he's been doing less of it now

[Mandich]

Shaq wasn't boring. SInce when is dunking and overpowering people boring.

Blake Griffin does it and people say it's boring and he's been doing less of it now

That's because he's too busy being a franchise player alongside Paul.

Jordan is also awesome.

Heck, the Clippers are awesome.

[JAWSFreelao]

Except for their bench. Austin Rivers and some awkward combo of Jamal Crawford and Glen Davis with a little bit of Hidayet Turkoglu isn't getting it done.
I'd consider DeAndre a huge threat to leave. He could go to the East (and immediately become the best Center in the East) or he could go to a different team- Dallas, perhaps. Or San Antonio. Anywhere in Texas because it's his home.

[big-shot-ROB]

Except for their bench. Austin Rivers and some awkward combo of Jamal Crawford and Glen Davis with a little bit of Hidayet Turkoglu isn't getting it done.
I'd consider DeAndre a huge threat to leave. He could go to the East (and immediately become the best Center in the East) or he could go to a different team- Dallas, perhaps. Or San Antonio. Anywhere in Texas because it's his home.

I think your opinions are starting to get out of your hands. Calling Carter tough, Shaq boring, Jamal Crawford bad, stop it. And now you say DeAndre could be the best center in the East? DeAndre is really good playing alongside Paul but wouldn't be the same without a PG that could distract the defense in order to throw him alley-oops. Btw, I'm more close to playing in the NBA than Jordan doing it on the Spurs.

[JAWSFreelao]

As I said, Carter is fiery, not tough. There's a difference. I just rephrased it. I never said that I personally found Shaq boring, or Jamal Crawford bad. Jamal's great when he's healthy. What other centers in the East could top DeAndre Jordan? Answer me that, please. And I said it was a possibility not a guarantee.

[Mandich]

Giving the thing anything could happen I'd say Drummond, Vucevic, Noel, Hibbert,Noah etc.

Anything can happen.

Statistics in general aren't a reliable factor in predicting future production. Injuries plus a lot of stuff could happen.

Jordan is playing alongside the best PG since Magic.

[Mandich]

Plus if you don't think the are bad or boring why bother mentioning it?

[mp3]

I also think nba playing cry for more rest due to trying to do so much more off the court during the season, trying to live the Hollywood lifestyle and burn the candle at each end.

I've read over the years story's of players flying from the west coast after a game to ny to watch a gig them fly straight to wherever there team was playing the next night and then other stories of players taking time out on a west coast road trip to fly to Vegas for the night.

I am not saying that theses guys should have no private life during the season but they get plenty of time off in the summer and are paid good money too.

[Sauru]

the schedule is not pushing the players bodies to the limits, the coaches are.

[JAWSFreelao]

Plus if you don't think the are bad or boring why bother mentioning it?

To point out that obviously the casual fan doesn't always find big men post-ups the most exciting with the exception of Shaq. And Jamal could be viewed as a crappy player to the average fan during his Portland years- when I was around 11 I hated watching Jamal play because he was "out of control." Obviously my opinion has changed about five years later but a casual fan would disagree I imagine.

[[Q]]

the schedule is not pushing the players bodies to the limits, the coaches are.

How come Atlanta, Washington, golden state, and Memphis are getting a break tomorrow?

[big-shot-ROB]

Plus if you don't think the are bad or boring why bother mentioning it?

To point out that obviously the casual fan doesn't always find big men post-ups the most exciting with the exception of Shaq. And Jamal could be viewed as a crappy player to the average fan during his Portland years- when I was around 11 I hated watching Jamal play because he was "out of control." Obviously my opinion has changed about five years later but a casual fan would disagree I imagine.

So if you are 16, you were born in the 99. No way you saw iverson play neither shaq. You could have watched them but you were to young to understand anything. LMAO

[JAWSFreelao]

I watch the older games big-shot. I don't formulate opinions based on ignorance. I've seen Iverson play, I went to one of the Sixers games against Portland in 2009. Obviously he was pretty washed up by then but still.
Never got to see Shaq though. Even though I did get to see the 2010 Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder when they had Harden.