Is needing a superstar a fallacy?

[jbpats]

Given what you know about the NBA and how difficult it is to actually referee the game of basketball, why the arbitrary start date? Who's to say superstars weren't getting calls during the Russell/Wilt era?

My earliest basketball memories are from the 80's.
I can safely say (or assume) when in a game where Larry Bird is getting strangled by Moses Malone, held by barkley and punched in the face by Dr. J, and there isn't one foul called and play resumes a minute after it happens that superstars were not getting calls.
The moral of the story is before Jordan, i recall the NBA as being a "let them play" kind of league.. post Jordan it was a let the stars shine at any cost kind of league..

Just my opinion, could be wrong. 

[D.o.s.]

It seems a little bit like you're arguing for two different things, though. I don't think anyone really thinks that anyone should be able to go full Kermit Washington and not (at least) be called for a foul, do you? That doesn't seem like good basketball to me.

That's leagues away from the idea that superstars get the benefit of the doubt on calls that could have gone either way.

[jbpats]

It seems a little bit like you're arguing for two different things, though. I don't think anyone really thinks that anyone should be able to go full Kermit Washington and not (at least) be called for a foul, do you? That doesn't seem like good basketball to me.

That's leagues away from the idea that superstars get the benefit of the doubt on calls that could have gone either way.

If you can watch a guy like Lebron play and honestly tell me he doesn’t get calls in his favor more often than not we whole heartedly disagree on the topic.. and because of that I think needing a "superstar" is imperative to have success in today's NBA.

That's fine, like I said just my opinion.

[D.o.s.]

I don't know how you would get that from my posts, but ok.

[jbpats]

I don't know how you would get that from my posts, but ok.

my apologies in that case.

[D.o.s.]

no worries! I definitely think that guys like LeBron get the benefit of the doubt, but I also think that guys like KG and Perk got the same sort of treatment in some areas (particularly illegal screens), so I think there's a bit of a balancing act there.

The difference is that I don't think it's a malicious thing: I think it has more to do with the age of the referees and the difficulty of calling the game in general.

[chambers]

Some say there are only two true superstars in the NBA.
Lebron and Durant.
You could argue that Steph Curry is the closest thing to these two and he's currently in third place on the superstar scale.
Anthony Davis is looking at them with binoculars.

I would say you need multiple top 20 players and at least one top 10 player if you don't have a superstar or top 3 player. Case in point would be Houston, San Antonio and the Clippers this upcoming season.

[GreenWarrior]

Almost seems like you're looking for any sort of hope. Nope. You need All-star talents to win in the NBA.

http://sportsshow.denverpost.com/2015/05/11/more-with-les-nba-teams-can-t-win-titles-without-superstars/

and hoping to find it late in the 1st rnd. is even harder.

[Top Gun]

Between Bill Russell and Larry Bird the Celtics won Championships without superstars. I can see a deep well coached team beating the 3 superstar team with great matchups and superior teamwork.

[PhoSita]

no worries! I definitely think that guys like LeBron get the benefit of the doubt, but I also think that guys like KG and Perk got the same sort of treatment in some areas (particularly illegal screens), so I think there's a bit of a balancing act there.

The difference is that I don't think it's a malicious thing: I think it has more to do with the age of the referees and the difficulty of calling the game in general.

I think the rules are called differently for certain players, but I don't necessarily think it's a conspiracy by the league so much as it is a consequence of those players having such a major impact on the game that the refs simply can't call the rules the same way. 

It's not practical the call the game the same way for physical freaks like LeBron, Griffin, Howard, Shaq, etc.  They get hacked all of the time, and they also bully the heck out of opponents all of the time.  They use their strength and speed to get past or bowl over opponents and overmatched opponents respond, frequently, the only way they can.  Unless we want to see a foul called multiple times on each possession, you've got to adjust in those situations.

Then you have players like KG.  KG purposefully does relatively small dirty things 100% of the time and dares the refs to call him for any particular infraction.  Taken together, it all helps KG to make a big impact defensively and get in his opponents' heads even though he doesn't get called for it that often.


What I do think the league has a hand in with respect to refereeing is keeping games and series close.  I think the league tells refs to try and keep things as close as possible without too blatantly favoring one side. 

At times the refs do seem to blatantly favor one side, but I think that's probably a result of refs being human and being influence by the crowd or doing a poor job in the heat of the moment.

[dreamgreen]

Some say there are only two true superstars in the NBA.
Lebron and Durant.
You could argue that Steph Curry is the closest thing to these two and he's currently in third place on the superstar scale.
Anthony Davis is looking at them with binoculars.

I would say you need multiple top 20 players and at least one top 10 player if you don't have a superstar or top 3 player. Case in point would be Houston, San Antonio and the Clippers this upcoming season.

I agree with this. I'd say with so many teams 2 top 10 players with very good players around them could get it done.

[D.o.s.]

Between Bill Russell and Larry Bird the Celtics won Championships without superstars. I can see a deep well coached team beating the 3 superstar team with great matchups and superior teamwork.

You, uh, either don't think Bill Russell or Larry Bird were superstars or you don't think very highly of Dave Cowens and Hondo.

Hm.

[PhoSita]

Between Bill Russell and Larry Bird the Celtics won Championships without superstars. I can see a deep well coached team beating the 3 superstar team with great matchups and superior teamwork.

You, uh, either don't think Bill Russell or Larry Bird were superstars or you don't think very highly of Dave Cowens and Hondo.

Hm.

Also, titles during that interim period have to be taken with a bit of a grain of salt considering the ABA / NBA split and the rampant drug issues.

[chambers]

oops

[Top Gun]

Cowens and Hondo are excellent examples of the players we could see from our current team. Cowens and Hondo were stars. Russell and Bird were superstars. I think we can build a championship caliber team modeled after the Cowens/Hondo teams.