If an NBA lockout scrubbed the whole season, would you miss

[JoeMcKim]

I don't really watch the NBA until the playoffs so it wouldn't be that big of a loss to me.

[Popeye_Card]

The lockout that nearly killed the NHL though ended up saving it though. Kinda like forrest fires that need to happen to build a healthy ecosystem.

The NHL had become a bad version of hockey. Some rule changes implemented during the lockout helped, and certainly the revenue/salary cap issues have helped the league as a whole. I know they are still having issues with some franchises, but it is better than it would have been. The NBA is in a similar boat right now. To me (and many others), the NBA is a bad version of basketball. And the cap situation right now is a joke, when the most valuable trade chips in the league are crappy players with expiring contracts.

[cards2468]

BUCKS!

[thrill]

To me (and many others), the NBA is a bad version of basketball.

Non. Sense.
Come on, Popeye. That's ridiculous.

[Popeye_Card]

I can't stand the style of play in the modern NBA, with the emphasis on physical play, which ends up making the game way too reliant on the judgement of officials as to whether a foul was committed or not. I'm not alone in this opinion. I watched a total of about 10 minutes of NBA action this season. That was more than enough for me.

[thrill]

I can't stand the style of play in the modern NBA, with the emphasis on physical play, which ends up making the game way too reliant on the judgement of officials as to whether a foul was committed or not. I'm not alone in this opinion. I watched a total of about 10 minutes of NBA action this season. That was more than enough for me.

Then you don't like basketball.
Basketball has always been physical, and the NBA has more rules in place to prevent hand-checking, blocking fouls and post shenanigans than whatever brand of basketball you prefer (NCAA, HS, Europe-whichever). If your beef is actually cultural and you're disguising it as aesthetics, that's one thing, but to say it's a bad style of play is just denial. If you mistake the lack of athleticism and skill in the NCAA to create separation for a less physical style, then you're just missing the fact that the NBA looks more physical (and is more physical) because they game is being played at a much higher speed, much higher power, with much more sophisticated offensive and defensive schemes coached by better coaches.

[cards2468]

thrill really likes the NBA

[Popeye_Card]

It could be that. Or it could be that I don't like how the game has gradually morphed over the last 20 years or so.

Sure, the game has always had some level of physicality. But to say the only way it has changed since the 80's is because the players are more athletic? No way.

The NCAA has also become too physical for my tastes, which is why I don't really watch NCAA basketball anymore either.

Different strokes for different folks, but I don't personally think that basketball should be a game of brute force. I think it should be a game of athleticism and skill. There's plenty of the latter, but to me it is too oftn overshadowed by the former.

[thrill]

It could be that. Or it could be that I don't like how the game has gradually morphed over the last 20 years or so.

Sure, the game has always had some level of physicality. But to say the only way it has changed since the 80's is because the players are more athletic? No way.

The NCAA has also become too physical for my tastes, which is why I don't really watch NCAA basketball anymore either.

Different strokes for different folks, but I don't personally think that basketball should be a game of brute force. I think it should be a game of athleticism and skill. There's plenty of the latter, but to me it is too oftn overshadowed by the former.

Hmm...I think if you go back and watch some of those old games, you'll see it really is just slower and less sophisticated defensively.

[Popeye_Card]

Or maybe if you went back and watched them, you'd notice less of the banging around that I'm talking about.

If it really is just more sophisticated defenses, then I guess I don't like sophisticated defenses, because watching an NBA game for me is not fun.