Young cats have to realize the game is about more than breakin' ankles or cunchin on somebody............the object is to win somebody holl
its true, but dont tell me that style doesnt make the game seem a lot cooler. its just more fun to watch stuff like that.
It doesnt matter how many ankles you break, as long as your team wins the game. Look at the most fundamental players in the game (Kidd and Duncan), when was the last time you saw them break someone's ankles. I cant honestly recall the last time they have done that, if they ever have. Theyplay smart and playing smart isnt pulling all this And 1 crap. That stuff doesnt work in the NBA. That is why And 1 players arent playing in the NBA(minus Skip). Fundamentals win you games, and winning games wins you championships. Trying to break someone's ankles gets you and "oooooooooooooooo" from the croud and that is it. There are some young players that are very fundamental and if you notice they are the best players, of their classes. Carmelo Anthony, Drew Gooden, and TJ Ford are just some prime examples. Then you can look at some other players like Miles and Moochie Norris who play fancy and look where they are. They are nowhere near where the fundamental players, when it comes to talent.
You need to understand, people with style naturally play the game that way, Marbury goes between the legs because thats the way hes played the game. But yea for the most part, I will take a winner over flash...
Playing flashy is okay, but when dribbling fancy overrides your obligation to your team then it needs to stop. There are many players out there who had brilliant flashy games but as a result their teams lost games. You have to realize that the more crazy moves a player does the less likely he is to score, keep the ball under control, and settup his teammates for baskets. When the Memphis Grizzlies traded Mike Bibby to Sacramento people called the General Manager at the time, Billy Knight, a lunatic. People thought that Williams was the fan favorite of the decade and a guy who would sell tickets but at the same time a guy who would ultimately lose games while Mike Bibby had a more controlled game and was known for playing it safe. All of this was true at first, but once Billy Knight was fired and Jason Williams fell into the right hands (Jerry West) the Grizzlies immediately began winning games. Why was this? It was because West and newly hired coach Hubbie Brown tought Williams to always opt for substance over style. Williams took their words to heart and as a result he helped the Grizzlies win more games than they have ever won before while placing in the top three in assists per game and assist/turnover ratio.
I will agree that the game should still be about fundamentals. But, it's getting further and further away from fundamentals now. There are now a lot of young guns just doing out of the world things constantly. They're turning the game into more of a finesse game now. It's no longer about simply putting a nice little lay up in or a simple two handed dunk down on a fast break. Now we have players throwing down 360s and all sorts of other insane yet awesome dunks and other things. Hell, Kobe double clutched on Duncan and Garnett in the playoffs this year not too mention throwing down a sick behind the back 360 against the Warriors. So, yea. But, the thing it gets down to is not just putting on a show, but helping your team win. If you can help your team win while putting on a fantastic show, great. But, if the only way you know how to do it is by going down to the fundamentals of the game, do it. I mean, players, fundamentalists per se, like Tim Duncan, know how to play the game of basketball the way it was played way back when. They go and use the glass. They pull up and hit that angle bank shot and do it with ease. That's how they learned how to play and that's the way they help their teams win. It may not be the most exciting type of play in the world, but, if it increases your number in that good ol' win column, it works and you continue to do that. But, I must say, I do not enjoy watching fundamentalists like Tim Duncan. I find it slightly boring. But, I must give him his props as he is one hell of a player because of how he plays. So, it's like I said, if you can succeed by being flashy, i.e. Kobe and TMac, do it, put on a show and give people more than their moneys worth. But, if you must bear down to the basics in order to be successful, like Tim Duncan, than just do it. As long as you're putting another W in the win column, it doesn't matter how you play the game.
If you watch a truly good basketball player who is fundamentally sound then you will think it is boring. Look at Tim Duncan for example.He doesnt make any flashy moves and I have heard several people call him boring to watch. Boring is good when it comes to basketball. Boring wins you championships.
I?d take substance over style any day. Just like Dex said look at the players from Streetball. Only one player from that show has been a success in the NBA. All the others just have the flash in their game. It would be like comparing Tim Duncan?s fundamentals to Hot Sauce?s style. Hot Sauce may be more entertaining to watch but in the end Duncan would get the job done.
