Is it just me or are these scores getting ridiculous? The Jazz scored 80 IN ONE HALF. In the 90s you got many games where neither team got to 80. Not saying that was better, but have all the rule changes just made good defense impossible? If it was up to me they'd get rid of the three point line and make dunks worth 3 points.
I caught the end of the first half, and some of the second half, of the Utah/GS game. That was just insane shooting...super high degree of difficulty...nothing to do with defense. The same shots were being launched in the second half by Utah, and few of them were going in. Fun first half, ugly second half. That's the name of the modern game. It's also what college basketball has been for much of the past decade, just with worse shooters on average.
The way they let screeners move allows guys to get a window to shoot. Everyone though just jacks up 3’s theres very little good offense in terms of working for good shots. The 3 pointer or layup/dunk offenses have in a lot of ways ruined the beauty of basketball for me. Its not to say I dont appreciate the skill of the shooters these days, because I do.
I don't know if I would fully agree with that. I think many teams, especially the Warriors have amazing ball movement and movement without the ball. They pass up good shots for great open three point shots. Of course not always, and not every team, but I think there is still some very beautiful basketball being played.
I don't think you can go to the 90's and compare to today. Or the 80's, for that matter, when DEN routinely put up 150 in a game. I think good offenses take less time to get rolling in a new year than good defenses, but I think it's a definite factor that more teams are embracing the 3.
It's the way the NBA and NFL have been going for a while. The Warriors just set the tone for the next decade in high offense/positional-less basketball. The NFL does the same thing by making pro football not about sacks and shut down D, but space and situational defense (at the most.) High scoring is the order of the day! The NFL at least has an excuse for doing this. Because they invest so much stinking cap money in a QB they'll do whatever it takes to protect that position from getting even a hang nail. As someone who has watched criticism and passing trends end his interest in his favorite sport, I am greatly pleased by any bickering amongst NBA and NFL fan sets.
Wonder what team would win the championship if they got rid of three point shots. Lakers would suddenly be a lot more of a contender... Also Philly.
In general, sure, but that first half yesterday had guys taking and making contested shots that were just nuts. The perfect capper was a 3/4 court bank shot after the buzzer.
I'd add OKC to that list, maybe even move them to the top, but I'd miss Russ airballing 3-pointers with the game on the line: BNM
Yeah, I like that idea. Even though we have several really great shooters on our team, I don't particularly enjoy watching hoist-fests. Maybe you wouldn't need to eliminate the 3-point line, but just balancing it out with dunks being worth the same amount would give big men a purpose again. And the league should love it - LBJ's scoring average would topple Jordan's!
I remember the days when no team even averaged 100. I don't mind the high scores. The grind it out post game is basically dead.
My dad and I were talking about this in regards to football and basketball. It used to be a really good offense would get you like 20-25 ppg in football now its like in the 30’s. The same trend has gone on basketball the last 20 years or so, the scoring just keeps going up. Silver has really embraced the NBA as entertainment, which in some ways is good but it also means that scoring probably wont slow down anytime soon as the league perceives scoring as entertainment.
I think it would be really interesting to see a modern team take on a team from the 80s before 3pt shooting became so prevalent
You guys are crazy! I love high scoring games. Anything is better than those mid to late 90s slugfest 82-85 games. Those were BRUTAL to watch.
I agree, but there has to be a balance. It can't be high scoring because there is no defense being played or because of really tight foul calling. It needs to come from good ball movement and shot making.
