What an EPIC choke by the Knicks

[ryanbruner]

Yeah, they are the best players on the planet, and playing a fast paced game with spacing, lightning fast ball movement and incredible skill and athleticism. I enjoy watching the Cats and ETSU play, and I'll watch bits and pieces of other games, but college basketball pales in comparison if you're only looking at the quality of play. There are people who have trouble admitting that, for whatever reason(s).

I think its just a consensus around people of a certain age to not watch the product and instead just say that there isn't any defense. When in reality NBA defenses today are so wild and complex with the different zones and rules each team has for switching and helping. The real difference now is the the off ball movement. Watch any game pre-2015ish and you will notice guys just standing around with no real objective. Now tune into a random Charlotte Hornets game and watch how the 4 guys off ball are all running some sort of action and constantly moving. It's impossible to defend and stop. These dudes are legit aliens!

 

[SemperFiCat]

Yeah, they are the best players on the planet, and playing a fast paced game with spacing, lightning fast ball movement and incredible skill and athleticism. I enjoy watching the Cats and ETSU play, and I'll watch bits and pieces of other games, but college basketball pales in comparison if you're only looking at the quality of play. There are people who have trouble admitting that, for whatever reason(s).

There's one obvious problem; the regular season. It's becoming increasingly irrelevant (to an extent, just remain in a playoff spot), load management etc.

Personally, for me, it's hard to enjoy because offensive players steam rolling, jumping into guys, and actively causing contact. IMO, it slows the game way down. I think it should be addressed. Yes, I know that would be sloppy to enforce. Similar to flopping. But if the league addressed excessive offensive player initiation and said it will be enforced by a foul, I think it would clean up the game and flow a bit.

 

[ryanbruner]

There's one obvious problem; the regular season. It's becoming increasingly irrelevant (to an extent, just remain in a playoff spot), load management etc.

Personally, for me, it's hard to enjoy because offensive players steam rolling, jumping into guys, and actively causing contact. IMO, it slows the game way down. I think it should be addressed. Yes, I know that would be sloppy to enforce. Similar to flopping. But if the league addressed excessive offensive player initiation and said it will be enforced by a foul, I think it would clean up the game and flow a bit.

I understand the game feels this way to you but let me put you on some game here.

2024-2025 Season Averages by team (79 Seasons)

• 21.7 Free Throws / game per team - (79/79)
• .187 Free throws attempted per field goal attempt - (78/79)
• 18.6 foul calls per team per game - (79/79)

These are the lowest numbers in NBA history. Fouls are being called at the lowest rate and free throws are being shot at the lowest rate in NBA history. Just food for thought but foul calls and free throws slowed the game down far more between 1960-2010 than they do today.

 

[SemperFiCat]

I understand the game feels this way to you but let me put you on some game here.

2024-2025 Season Averages by team (79 Seasons)

• 21.7 Free Throws / game per team - (79/79)
• .187 Free throws attempted per field goal attempt - (78/79)
• 18.6 foul calls per team per game - (79/79)

These are the lowest numbers in NBA history. Fouls are being called at the lowest rate and free throws are being shot at the lowest rate in NBA history. Just food for thought but foul calls and free throws slowed the game down far more between 1960-2010 than they do today.

Interesting. All I know is that steam rolling and jumping into guys without an honest attempt at a true shot seems to be turning into a more common tactic. Yes, only my opinion, and I'm open to being wrong. But, that's what I see, and it feels like it hurts the natural design and flow of the game. The point of the game it literally to be no contact. Not actively create it.

 

[Soupbean]

Knicks gonna Knick.

Brunson is usually great, but he cost them this game down the stretch. Just sloppy play, over dribbling, trying to play hero ball.

Yep he's a great player but lacks quickness and when the other guys are pressing and trapping you just cant try and dribble through them when you last that quickness. He held held the ball way to much and I was yelling at the TV for him to give it up. But truth is the Knicks lacked quickenss across the board and the Pacers were successful trapping everyone of them. They can overcome the quickness in regulation play with standard defense but when pressing the difference shows out.

 

[Soupbean]

Interesting. All I know is that steam rolling and jumping into guys without an honest attempt at a true shot seems to be turning into a more common tactic. Yes, only my opinion, and I'm open to being wrong. But, that's what I see, and it feels like it hurts the natural design and flow of the game. The point of the game it literally to be no contact. Not actively create it.

No question and its happening in college too. Both turning into a 40 minute scrum. LIke watching a game at the outdoor courts at Shilitoh Park. Most of that created by the offensive side. With the way they are allowed to bull rush along with the freedom they have to cup and carry the ball, its all about how aggressive you want to be and you're unguardable. So the only defense the defense has is to grab and hold and it just escalates to what we're seeing now.

They have to find a way to clean up the contract grabbing and pushing. Just hard to watch for me. Same thing in football with the WR and DB's. Cant tell whats legal and not anymore so just be more physical all the time.

 

[UKBB4Ever]

Yep he's a great player but lacks quickness and when the other guys are pressing and trapping you just cant try and dribble through them when you last that quickness. He held held the ball way to much and I was yelling at the TV for him to give it up. But truth is the Knicks lacked quickenss across the board and the Pacers were successful trapping everyone of them. They can overcome the quickness in regulation play with standard defense but when pressing the difference shows out.

And they had a couple other near turnovers in that 2 minutes.

Just got lucky they weren’t.

 

[St.PatterSoN-54-]

Speaking of the Knicks, I REALLY hate feeling this way, but I don't like watching KAT play in the NBA. I loved him at UK but he whines and argues with the refs on EVERY SINGLE PLAY. If he was at UT or UF we'd be trashing him for being a whiny b*tch. But as it stands, he is our whiny b*tch. Helluva player though.

 

[Jamal Mercer]

Knicks gonna Knick.

Brunson is usually great, but he cost them this game down the stretch. Just sloppy play, over dribbling, trying to play hero ball.

What a shame....with his floppin a**.

 

[ukcatz12]

Speaking of the Knicks, I REALLY hate feeling this way, but I don't like watching KAT play in the NBA. I loved him at UK but he whines and argues with the refs on EVERY SINGLE PLAY. If he was at UT or UF we'd be trashing him for being a whiny b*tch. But as it stands, he is our whiny b*tch. Helluva player though.

I don't really have a problem with KAT but feel similarly with SGA and his foul baiting. I just hate the way he plays now. In the thread about him there were a lot of people saying it's fine because he's just taking advantage of the way the refs call the game. But teams like A&M and Tennessee do that at the college level too, and everyone here hates it.

Cheap play is cheap play no matter who does it.