NBA Continuation

[HagginHall1999]

Watching NBA because Damion Lillard is going crazy...61 points. Nonetheless, just saw a foul where Doncic was at the 3 point line when he got fouled and got continuation on a layup. Absurd...is it me or has continuation gotten completely out of control in the league?

 

[buckethead1978]

Just you

 

[It'saDoneDeal]

The NBA has been insanely good lately. Taking out the bottom tier teams has helped increased the competitiveness and led to a ton of close games. This is going to be the most wide open, unpredictable NBA playoffs I can ever remember. No other year even comes close.

Dame Lillard dropping 61 tonight in a must-win game to keep their playoff hopes alive:

 

[AlbanyWildCat]

Just you

Yup...just him.

 

[It'saDoneDeal]

Luka Doncic is the most advanced 21-year-old offensive player I've ever seen. The guy plays like a 10 year veteran Allstar in the prime of his career, and he's only finishing up his second season. His anticipation as a passer, the way he uses his body and angles to create space when needed and initiate contact when he wants... what a prodigy. He is going to win multiple MVPs before it's all said and done.

 

[HagginHall1999]

Luka Doncic is the most advanced 21-year-old offensive player I've ever seen. The guy plays like a 10 year veteran Allstar in the prime of his career, and he's only finishing up his second season. His anticipation as a passer, the way he uses his body and angles to create space when needed and initiate contact when he wants... what a prodigy. He is going to win multiple MVPs before it's all said and done.

He is a great player. The And1 I saw was just silly he literally had both feet behind the three point line, took a dribble guy grabbed him with foot on 3 pt line, 2 steps, layup, And1. Just silly stuff these days.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

The NBA does need to start making adjustments to bring the offense back down. Continuation, as you mentioned, crab walks, add another foul, jumping into shooters, extend the 3pt line.

I would imagine most feel that we could use a bit more defense. Commentator for one of todays games literally said that defenders are rendered useless these days. They cant do anything.

 

[Bigblue2023]

What is this nba you speak of? Is it that woke SJW basketball league on TV these days?

 

[Anon1711055878]

The NBA does need to start making adjustments to bring the offense back down.

I don't know, dude. I mean... I get what you're saying, but I much prefer the NBA product to the NCAA whistle-fest, rock fights. Let's get some buckets and play ball.

And if you're really paying attention, most of the offensive production has less to do with "oh no, these darned nba guys are traveling!!!" and more to do with the fact that these dudes can just flat out shoot. Just highly skilled and getting better.

 

[It'saDoneDeal]

I don't know, dude. I mean... I get what you're saying, but I much prefer the NBA product to the NCAA whistle-fest, rock fights. Let's get some buckets and play ball.

And if you're really paying attention, most of the offensive production has less to do with "oh no, these darned nba guys are traveling!!!" and more to do with the fact that these dudes can just flat out shoot. Just highly skilled and getting better.

Imagine trying to design a defense to stop these teams now... it's damn near impossible. It's not like back in the 90s when the big oafs just stood around the paint and could just just lay the dude they were guarding who wasn't trying to move more than 5 feet while sagging off all the non-shooters. Now you have to guard basically everyone. And that's out to 30 feet, not just standing in the lane trying to not pass out after a coming down from a coke binge like they did in the 80s.

Guys have to play so much damn harder on defense now than they did even 10 years ago. The bigs have to constantly be running the floor and when you get down on the other end you've got to sprint out or fight through a screen to try and cover a 7'6" Porzingas from 30 feet or sprint out to try and stop a corner 3. Teams are spreading the floor with shooters everywhere. And even if you play it perfect most of the time it still doesn't matter since these guys are so much better and more skilled now more than ever in the history of the league. And when you're completely spread out and trying to cover everyone since all these guys are threats to make buckets, how do you stop secondary cuts down the lane, or stop a guy like a guy like Luca who is 6'7-6'8" and can just body you down to the basket? You leave or sag to help and it leads to a quick open 3.

The Lakers look in a funk, I still don't trust anyone on the Clippers outside of Kawhi, and Giannis hasn't had a big time playoff run yet. This is so wide open. Gonna be a lot of fun.

 

[jwheat]

There is a walk on every possession

still gonna watch though because I love basketball and especially peak basketball

 

[gamecockcat]

The NBA is officiated for entertainment purposes only. The 'rules' are guidelines to maximizing ESPN highlights.

 

[Anon1711055878]

NBA officiating is miles ahead of NCAA, so I guess you just don't like basketball?

 

[It'saDoneDeal]

NCAA officiating creates the most bastardized form of basketball on the planet. High school and the WNBA are better forms of basketball in terms of how they're allowed to play. The worst part is how inconsistent it is. We've all seen it: one half the refs will let guys play loose and be fine with contact, then like flipping a switch they'll come out and call 6 fouls in the first two minutes of the second half on ticky-tack contact and completely take over a game. Playing through contact and driving to score is encouraged in the NBA. In the NCAA driving down the lane to attempt a nasty dunk should just be outlawed at this point since 95% of the time they're gonna call a charge for defenders sliding over as the offensive player is already leaving his feet.

Our games against Auburn last year averaged 47 fouls called per game, both teams shot 23/86 from 3 (26.7%), and they averaged over a combined 61 free throws per 40 minutes of game time. These were the two premiere games in the SEC last season. Is there a more flawed version of basketball on the planet? NBA officiating is fine.

 

[Anon1711055878]

Just to play devil's advocate and not be a total fanboy, the NBA definitely has room for improvement.

82 games and 30 teams is too much. I generally watch until around mid December, then just pick it back up around playoff time. The players get complacent and some of those midseason games are just complete turds.

They need to figure out how to get a handle on the euro step and step back. When done precisely, neither move is a travel, but they miss A TON of travel calls trying to officiate it.

The game has completely bought into analytics. 3 points is 50% better than 2, so get shooters and put up a ton of shots. I wish Calipari would pay attention cause they're not wrong, but I do miss some of the more traditional aspects of the game. Not much of anything going on in the paint anymore... other than lob dunks.

 

[It'saDoneDeal]

That has been the best thing about the bubble: the trash teams (beyond the Nets and Wizards) are all at home. I think that's a big reason why the games have been so competitive and fun.

I can't remember where I read or heard it at, but I remember hearing talk about how a Premiere League like setup would be great for the NBA. It's all fantasy as they would never agree to it, but you take the bottom 6-8 teams in the NBA and demote them to a glorified type G league. Then each regular season in the NBA the teams that finish in the bottom 3-4 are demoted, and you have a championship in the lower league that would promote the top 3-4 teams to the NBA for the next season, and go year-to-year from there. Doing something like that and going down to 70 games would be amazing for raising the level of competition IMO. How you would tie that info the draft lottery would be tricky though.

I don't enjoy watching the Rockets for the same reason you just mentioned re: the number of 3s. I get that it makes sense from a numbers standpoint, but it does feel gimmicky watching them play. I have a love/hate relationship with Harden.

 

[Anon1711055878]

...and the Rockets will never win ****. Per usual the answer is somewhere in the middle. They've gone way over the bell curve with the 3's.

Also, while we're discussing things that will never happen, if they got rid of conferences and got rid of 6 teams, that'd be incredible to watch. 24 teams, everybody plays twice, 48 competitive games, and then we seed the playoffs. That would be dope af.

 

[gamecockcat]

Mossip,

I like some of your ideas to improve the NBA. I might actually watch it then. But, it's not just the multiple walking calls that don't get made, it's the stars getting EVERY call in their favor, palming/carrying the ball hasn't been called in a century even though they all do it consistently, the move-the-ball-to-the-free-throw-line rule so every game gives the losing team with a chance at a last-second shot to win even though they couldn't prevent a last-second bucket on their end of the floor (reward them for **** defense?), the number and lunacy of some of the 3s being jacked up (watch Walton-era Portland teams if you want to see what I would consider beautiful basketball), etc. You're right that 82 games is about 30 too many and there are too many rounds of playoffs. The playoffs go on for 2+ months after a regular season that's almost 7 months? Too much. Mix in the political posturing while ignoring the lining of their pockets by Communist China, perhaps the most oppressive country in the world currently, and I can't stomach the NBA anymore.

 

[It'saDoneDeal]

So you said you don't watch the NBA, but then have a laundry list of complaints about it? Stars get respect calls in every sport. Just like in the NFL when flags fly in for Tom Brady or Peyton Manning on very weak hits, and other QBs can get completely jacked up with no issue, or how a Greg Maddux or Pedro Martinez is going to get that strike call just off the corner of the plate whereas other pitchers wouldn't. You don't think there's severe home court officiating in college bball? Do you think Eastern Kentucky is going to get a fair whistle coming into Rupp Arena? Did you like how Zion was officiated while at Duke? Any complaints there?

I'm not touching the political part of it other than saying the NBA has a different demographic and a different age group they're marketing their product to than most of the people who post on this board. The NBA's lack of speaking out on the Hong Kong situation was highly hypocritical, no doubt.

 

[It'saDoneDeal]

Well, last night's clincher was a let down, but what a defensive tour de force from the Lakers. Butler looked exhausted and I don't think our young former Cats in Bam and Herro were ready for that kind of stage/moment. Plus, it's hard to complain about last night when the Friday night game where both Butler and LeBron were going off was one of the better NBA playoff games in recent memory.

Bubble was a big success. It really came off well despite the obvious lack of fans, and the quality of play were super high. How wet was Bron's jumper this playoffs? Shot 59% in the Finals overall, 42% from 3, and finished with 28/14/10 line last night. He's the ultimate straw that stirs the drink. 17 years in the league with 260 playoff games now (that is over three full regular seasons, and we're talking high level/high pressure playoff games) and has never missed a game in the playoffs. He's going on 36 and there's still not another guy with one game or series to win you'd want to have on your team over him. Pretty remarkable.

Anyone catch what kind of ***** magic Skip Bayless probably was trying to pull to minimize the championship?