I don't agree with much in the article at all.
I love the Glove, but his 'good old days' tone is in full effect here. I believe the elite defenses of today would simply crush most 80's and 90's teams full of isolation basketball with no zone allowed.
Modern basketball has evolved to a game of complete perfection and athleticism combined. To think that the grandpa San antonio Spurs could take a team of Lebron, Wade and Bosh to 7 games and almost win in game 6 is something that I don't believe could ever happen in the 80's and 90's. Or our Celtics in 2012 could take the Heat to 7 games in the ECF simply through our defense is something you'd rarely see in the 90's wave of athletes and iso-ball. (perhaps you'd see the 2012 defenses slightly more in the 80's)
Same with the Mavs vs the Heat in 2011.
I think the game is still based around superstars but it's based around defensive toughness and three point shooting that create space for those mega stars.... far more because the zone is allowed now. Skill is paramount, and the athletes are better, but coaching is probably the most important thing in the NBA.
I'm so excited to have Brad Stephens because he is one of these brilliant minds.
I do miss the 'thug life' factor of 90's basketball like the Pacers and Pistons, as well as the Bad Boys of the 80's but the game has become simply beautiful to watch from a technical stand point (at least if you're watching the top 6 or so teams).
Statistics and math are so evolved in basketball and they'll only continue to play a bigger part. There's a reason Ainge has such a good draft record- he's a numbers guy. The latest draft is perfect evidence of this and the win shares % our picks had. (All top 10 in their position in the NCAA).
To watch a team of such talent like the OKC Thunder lose again and again in crunch time, being exploited by superior coaching is just heartbreaking yet facsinating at the same time.
Greg Popovich's coaching in last years playoff run was one of the greatest achievements in modern basketball in my opinion.
From his strategy vs the Grizzlies and doubling Gasol and Randolph in the post, to running the Thunder off the court and abusing Scott Brooks inability to effectively adjust, topping it off with the spacing required to get Parker and Duncan high percentage looks and Danny Green those three point looks.
One of the biggest changes we are witnessing before our eyes is the evolving factor of size in basketball. We've got a generation of college kids coming through who saw Lebron and Durant dribble the ball around like point guards, and shoot the three like a 2 guard- but those kids are 6 feet 6 point guards and 7 foot small forwards- it's slowly becoming the norm and size isn't dictating what position you play. The 6 foot 9 kid on the high school or AAU team doesn't always have to play center now. He can be point-center. It's an incredible basketball revolution.
Sorry, I do miss the toughness, but the game is superior now- and so are the athletes. Just my opinion and It's cool if you don't agree.
Topic: Rondo impresses Gary Payton but dislike everything about the NBA (Read 8281 times)