I was really bored the other day so I decided to write an article about the NBA. For my future, I plan on pursuing a career in sports casting (broadcasting basketball games) so I wrote one just for fun to see how it'd turn out. Lemme know what you guys think of it :mischief2

 

HAS THE NBA FALLEN APART?

 

This NBA season has been anything but ordinary.

 

To start out, more than half the league has changed coaches. Instead of seeing such things as Pat Riley demanding plays on the sidelines or Admin Brown and AI having talks, you'll see the Van Gundy brothers head-to-head and Tim Floyd coaching again in New Orleans.

 

As if there wasn't enough coaching changes to stirr up the league this season, injuries have been just as bad. Almost every team has one key player out, or it seems like at least. Jamal Mashburn, Jay Williams, Glenn Robinson, Kenyon Martin, Rick Fox, Elton Brand, Ray Allen, Chris Webber, Allan Houston, Gilbert Arenas, Grant Hill (surprise), and Wally Szczerbiak are all warming the end of the bench in their Armani for their respective teams. Shaq, AI, Dwyane Wade, Caron Butler, Tim Duncan, and Tony Parker have also missed some time due to injuries.

 

To top all that off, this season has already had more headlines than last season and it's barely been 2 months. First, Pat Riley calls it quits. Next thing we know, Antoine Walker's shooting his 3's in a Mavs uni. After we overbear all that, we find out TMac scored 4 points in a game (yes 4, no zero behind it) and the Magic are still struggling to get a second W in that win column while the numbers keep adding in the L box. Houston's enjoying their spot at 1st in the Midwest while the World Champs sit at 4th. And the worst part about that is that Houston still can barely fill half the arena. And then for the cherry on the top, Zo retires while KMart should be busy writing an apology letter.

 

If it wasn't for Lebron James and the hype he has lived up to, where would the NBA be right now? Of course the NBA is still a strong standing association and always will be but it seems like this season has many fans uninterested. A competitive rivalry would help. Of course everyone is thinking 'Bron and 'Melo but their first match-up left more people yawning than a Hawks game, so that maybe isn't the solution. MJ not suiting up anymore doesn't exactly spark the interest either.

 

As of now, the NBA is still in awesome shape and as long as the Lebron jerseys keep selling, there shouldn't be any major problems, as far as money concerns anyway. I do believe the NBA needed a change, but this has gone overboard. I'm sure things will turn back to normal one day, maybe when the Magic win.

The NBA is an overhyped, overpaid P.O.S. LeBron this, Carmelo that, but neither has done their team much to win. The values are different and that is the NBA's problem.

 

MLB may not "reach out" as well to black youths in the inner city, but it gives them a good example of ethics, which is missing in the NBA and NFL.

MLB may not "reach out" as well to black youths in the inner city, but it gives them a good example of ethics, which is missing in the NBA and NFL.

Exactly, MLB is the only sport that still seems to have ethics. NBA's problems are that they have all these young players that aren't ready to play in the pros, and the play as a result is very flawed (ie more one on one plays that set plays, terrible jump shooting, attitude problems). The NBA in my mind is a buncha thugs for the most part, and I have a hard time being a big fan of it. I hope guys like Dontrelle Willis and Juan Pierre can help MLB reach to blacks in the inner city, and I think MLB has finally shown signs that they really want to reach this group, for example they opened a baseball facility out in Compton recently.

The NBA is an overhyped, overpaid P.O.S. LeBron this, Carmelo that, but neither has done their team much to win. The values are different and that is the NBA's problem.

 

MLB may not "reach out" as well to black youths in the inner city, but it gives them a good example of ethics, which is missing in the NBA and NFL.

You know, thats true...the NBA is very overhyped. I never thought about it like that. The media makes the biggest deal about everything and it gets the fans so hyped up and it ends up not meeting the expectations.

The Marlins, as do every other MLB team, have something called R.B.I.

 

It is MLB's campaign to Revive Baseball in the Inner Cities. It is successful here in SoFla and in Tampa, don't know much more than that about it, but if you look, MLB is the most diverse sports in fan, management, player, and owner demographics.

I agree with maggilio and how there is terrible shooting in the nba. Personally I like seeing a sweet shooter hitting 3's than a guy dunking or constanly laying up.

The Marlins, as do every other MLB team, have something called R.B.I.

 

It is MLB's campaign to Revive Baseball in the Inner Cities. It is successful here in SoFla and in Tampa, don't know much more than that about it, but if you look, MLB is the most diverse sports in fan, management, player, and owner demographics.

Yeah, i've heard of R.B.I., the white sox play on the south side of chicago, which is a very diverse area, and do an excellent job of getting baseball going in inner city communites with programs like RBI. And yes, MLB is very diverse in it's teams and fans.

I know that in Pembroke Pines, when the city decided to build a new baseball complex, the Marlins helped design and pay for it.

 

Marlins Baseball Programs for Kids

http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/...programs_bb.jsp

I had a friend who once said the Heat don't know what is west of I-95.

Well this season, shooting has been especially bad because of the new zone defense allowed that players aren't accustomed to.

I agree with maggilio and how there is terrible shooting in the nba. Personally I like seeing a sweet shooter hitting 3's than a guy dunking or constanly laying up.

I think most people (myself included) agree that watching teams that can run plays and shoot is more fun than people dunking all the time, but the NBA seems to think otherwise. The NBA has been lost since Jordan retired from the bulls and they couldn't ride is coat tail anymore. David Stern=Moron

Well this season, shooting has been especially bad because of the new zone defense allowed that players aren't accustomed to.

The zone defense is a high school defense, all you need to beat it is good ball movement and good shooting, too bad nobody in the NBA can do either of those things.

look....

 

 

the nba with their marketing muscle have told people that its more important to be flashy than to know the fundamentals of the game.

 

 

hence teams that play basketball the way it should be played are deemed as boring and such.

 

 

if you dont have the flash you are not given the publicity. its as simple as that.

this is the 2nd year of zone defenses being legal.

 

 

shooting sucked before they were legalized.

 

 

the mid range jump shot has disappeared.

Well this season, shooting has been especially bad because of the new zone defense allowed that players aren't accustomed to.

The zone defense is a high school defense, all you need to beat it is good ball movement and good shooting, too bad nobody in the NBA can do either of those things. you make it sound easier than it really is

 

also if you read my article you can see all the key players injured which has teams playing guys you probably have never heard of.

Actually, coincidentally, the top story on the white sox website today talks about community work the white sox players (including mags ) have done this year.

 

http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb...t=.jsp&c_id=cha

I give up.

 

It seems like everytime I try to make a point, somebody goes against it.

Well this season, shooting has been especially bad because of the new zone defense allowed that players aren't accustomed to.

The zone defense is a high school defense, all you need to beat it is good ball movement and good shooting, too bad nobody in the NBA can do either of those things. you make it sound easier than it really is

 

also if you read my article you can see all the key players injured which has teams playing guys you probably have never heard of. No I don't. The Zone defense is not some complicated scheme, it doesn't take much to beat it, like Das said, the mid range jump shot has disappeared, which is a major factor as to why the zone defense is so effective. And I know people are injured, but really, every player in the NBA should be good enough to be able to defeat a zone defense.

I give up.

 

It seems like everytime I try to make a point, somebody goes against it.

pushover.

I agree with maggilio and how there is terrible shooting in the nba. Personally I like seeing a sweet shooter hitting 3's than a guy dunking or constanly laying up.

Same here, Someone like Reggie Miller

I give up.

 

It seems like everytime I try to make a point, somebody goes against it.

pushover. lol, I don't even know what that means but I can imagine.

 

I guess it's kind of a compliment to the others saying that I obviously can't even prove my point to theirs (or I'm just to lazy to try), maybe that's what happens when you argue with people who don't even like the NBA.

 

The NBA will always be my favorite no matter what but I don't have enough arguements to make it sound like I know what I'm talking about. :banghead :confused

Except for this year's Jazz, the NBA is an absolute sick joke these days, ever since as late as the mid '90s even.

 

I bought a video of the 1992 All-Star Game the other day. It was absolutely insane. It had anything and everything. Jordan was in his prime, Magic's bulls-eye passes and cuts, Olajuwon and Ewing's skills, Robinson's slam dunks, Drexler's glides, Stock to Malone at its best, Rodman's efforts, Mullin's knife shooting, Pippen's game, Hardaway's moves, etc., etc., etc. It was a beautiful thing, baby. All we have close to a star these days is AI or Kirilenko.

 

They all played hard. They were all having a ball; a mass amount of pure talent and hard work shown through. But the one key difference between 1992 and 2002, they didn't suck a**.

 

The players just don't have it today. Yeah, some got a little bit of talent, but they don't know how to play the damn game.

 

The hip-hop, hyped up, And 1 Mixtape Tour mono e mono big money bulls*** has ruined the damn game. I love the damn game and I can't even watch SportCenter anymore because it's all Cavs and Lakers and this slam dunk and that. Everyone is trying to be the MVP.

 

Now, the Jazz are a bunch of "talentless" guys who work their asses off and play like a team. Frank Hughes of some Tacoma newspaper predicted that we would beat the old 76ers record of 9 wins in a season. Well, it's only November, and we just racked up our number 9 conviniently against the Sonics. You shouldda seen Frank's face as he sat there in the stands, watching his team of self-proclaimed superstars get ripped apart, get frustrated, pointing and screaming at each other as we quietly handed it to them.

 

I think most people (myself included) agree that watching teams that can run plays and shoot is more fun than people dunking all the time"]

 

You're half-right. But there's a correction I gotta make. Plenty of teams have good ball movement and good shooting, who can rip apart the zone. I'm talking Jazz. I'm talking Golden State. I'm talking Milwaukee.

 

It's just that none of the teams that are nationally televised can move the ball or shoot it.

 

the nba with their marketing muscle have told people that its more important to be flashy than to know the fundamentals of the game.

 

 

hence teams that play basketball the way it should be played are deemed as boring and such.

 

 

if you dont have the flash you are not given the publicity. its as simple as that.

 

And that's just the thing. Anyone who has NBA TV, watch a Jazz game. It's the most exciting, action-packed 48 minutes you'll see (unless they're off, which I'll admit happens on occasion). The speed, energy, hard work they put into it. Everyone is running around without the ball. Everyone is screening, helping each other out. I guess it's not flashy enough though.

 

And every time I turn on the national TV games, it's the damn Knicks. They don't run the offense... I doubt they have a damn offense. It's the same damn thing everytime they get down the damn court. PG dribbles for ten seconds, passes it to the wing, he passes again and they take a bad, off-balance shot. There's no movement away from the ball. This is pretty boring to me, I don't know about you.

 

No I don"]

 

Well said. That's why my blood boils when I hear TMac blaming his woes on the zone defense. Oh, boo-f***ing-hoo you child. I'll be the first to admit, he's a talented guy. But he has no idea how to use his talent, and the hip-hop mono e mono style certainly ain't helping.

 

Same here"]

 

The last great superstar of the golden years.

 

 

 

Anyway, that's my rant. I should stop trying to remember the good old days... they'll never be back.

um....

 

 

so since when did the San Antonio Spurs stop playing basketball the right way?

 

 

PS...the Jazz suck and always have...they just dont suck as much without Stockton and Malone....I can actually tolerate them now.

 

 

The Spurs rely on defense and when they are actually clicking ballmovement all around and a motion offense where people are constantly moving.

 

 

Pay attention to the next Spur/Jazz game.....

 

 

Even though it will be a blowout probably....

 

 

 

You will see the 'good' things about basketball in this game. Just the level of talent will seperate them.

ChiSox:

 

Not a big fan of exciting basketball huh?

 

You are going way overboard with the Jazz here. You're making it seem they're like the best team. They are 9-6 you know. And you know what the funny thing is? They lost to Dallas, Sacramento, and the Spurs. If I'm correct, you mentioned those 3 teams in your ranting about the choice of teams on ESPN/TNT.

 

Well guess why they are on national television?? THEY'RE GOOD and if I may add..FUN TO WATCH. Everybody wants to see dunks, no look passes, and up-tempo games. It's what makes the game exciting these days. Yes the NBA has changed, we all realize that, and I do agree that they have gone overboard with the hyping but that's just the media these days. Plus, people want to see the all the rising superstars on TV like Duncan, Shaq, Bryant, Iverson, etc. And that's understandable. I'm sorry but I personally wouldn't be exstatic to watch Carlos Arroyo, Andrei Kirilenko, and Greg Ostertag.

 

I do agree about the Knicks though. I wonder myself what they're doing on national television but anyway, you are right that there's a lot more bricks than swishes these days but I guess that's the price you pay. And it's not like the Jazz never miss or something

 

If I wanted to see bounce/chest passes and lay ups, I'll take myself to a high school game.

ChiSox:

 

Not a big fan of exciting basketball huh?

 

You are going way overboard with the Jazz here. You're making it seem they're like the best team. They are 9-6 you know. And you know what the funny thing is? They lost to Dallas, Sacramento, and the Spurs. If I'm correct, you mentioned those 3 teams in your ranting about the choice of teams on ESPN/TNT.

 

Well guess why they are on national television?? THEY'RE GOOD and if I may add..FUN TO WATCH. Everybody wants to see dunks, no look passes, and up-tempo games. It's what makes the game exciting these days. Yes the NBA has changed, we all realize that, and I do agree that they have gone overboard with the hyping but that's just the media these days. Plus, people want to see the all the rising superstars on TV like Duncan, Shaq, Bryant, Iverson, etc. And that's understandable. I'm sorry but I personally wouldn't be exstatic to watch Carlos Arroyo, Andrei Kirilenko, and Greg Ostertag.

 

I do agree about the Knicks though. I wonder myself what they're doing on national television but anyway, you are right that there's a lot more bricks than swishes these days but I guess that's the price you pay. And it's not like the Jazz never miss or something

 

If I wanted to see bounce/chest passes and lay ups, I'll take myself to a high school game.

Fair enough, but you both have to admit that the league is nothing like it was 10+ years ago.

 

BTW, congrats on your husky win last night. I'm embarrassed to be a Ute fan.