Quote:
Originally Posted by DJ's left nut
Oh no question.
But part of it is that these guys are just better than they used to be at shooting the ball.
Michael Jordan was the GOAT and for most of his career was a barely adequate outside shooter.
Go back even to 2000 and there had been 4 guys in league history who'd hit 10 3s in a game. It's happened 3 times in this season alone. And I'm betting you can't name ANY of the 3 guys who did it this year.
Steph Curry missed the first half of last season and did it 7 times on his own last year (6 other guys also managed it, including a few forwards).
Everyone can shoot now. And when everyone can shoot, you can't clog up the middle and slow things down. Defense isn't easier because defenders are worse - they're better than ever. It's just an offensively oriented game and defenders can't keep pace with the strides being made on offense.
You can't even really 'zag' anymore and try to run a twin towers setup worth a damn because their shots are worth 3 to your 2. You can send a couple big guys out there to dominate their defense if you want to, but they're just going to run circles around you when they have the ball and go hit a 3 of their own.
It's become more and more a 'one way to win' sport. I'd like to see them do something about that. Hell, I wouldn't mind getting rid of the 3-ball outright. There'd still be plenty of utility in outside shooters that can space the floor and make room for cutting and passes underneath.
It's just that right now all you really need are outside shooters. Especially when the playoffs are 7 game series so a game or two of your shots being off isn't likely to sink you outright.
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Guys are not better defenders nowadays. In fact, you're not even allowed to play defense now. Every attempt at defense is a foul. They should allow more physicality and hand-checking. Since guys are better shooters now, you should play closer to them without being whistled for breathing on them. The game doesn't need to return to the Pistons/Spurs scores of 20 years ago. At the same time, defenders should be given more leeway than today's game. A better balance is needed.
Also, I miss rivalries in the NBA. Three point shootouts don't make rivalries. Rivalries are created with defense, battles for rebounds, and hard fouls. I also understand today's mercenary mindset of players makes it difficult for this, since few players feel any loyalty toward their teammates or organization.
One last thing. Do away with 90% of current uniforms. Each team has a dozen uniforms and maybe 20% of them are not hideous. Someone gets paid money to design current NBA jerseys. That's hard to believe.