frustrated by modern game

[stuckinbig11]

I went to a UNC-Asheville game with my son tonight--a blow-out against a Division II team. Asheville has three big guys, 6'9" to 6'10", that are skilled players, but they almost never get easy hoops inside against decidedly smaller man-to-man opponents. They just don't move without the ball to get easy shots. I can no longer play, but in my head, I know the moves I would have made--over and over. Does no one ever teach kids this stuff anymore?

 

[Col. Bleep]

The game has changed...and not for the better from fan perspective.
It's all about the long ball.

 

[gmoney44]

College basketball is almost unwatchable for me now. I use to watch games from all the conference back in the day. I can barely stomach watch SU now. Forget about watching other teams anymore.

 

[Jeremy L.]

It's all about scoring and analytics now. I miss the days of a 62-54 win for the Cuse

 

[HoustonCuse]

I went to a UNC-Asheville game with my son tonight--a blow-out against a Division II team. Asheville has three big guys, 6'9" to 6'10", that are skilled players, but they almost never get easy hoops inside against decidedly smaller man-to-man opponents. They just don't move without the ball to get easy shots. I can no longer play, but in my head, I know the moves I would have made--over and over. Does no one ever teach kids this stuff anymore?

Based on what I see here, no. The kids and their enablers believe they already know everything and have world level skills. So any teaching is considered “holding them back” or I guess the generational version of man-splaining. In order to be taught you have to accept that you have room for improvement and that the person teaching you is worth listening to. Even our adult fans here at Syracuse don’t believe these things for even average-to-good players and a HOF coach. Imagine what UNC-Asheville must be like.

 

[Col. Bleep]

But most sports have wrecked themselves.
Baseball is all about the long ball and analytics telling managers to change pitchers every five minutes.
Football has guys posing for the camera and otherwise doing things to draw penalties ...forget about their teams.

Don't even pay much attention to those sports any more.

 

[dollarbill44]

Not too many big men know any back to the basket moves. I see very few drop-steps, power dribble, pivots, baby hooks, duck-unders, reverse layups, etc.
I also miss the power rebound, keep the ball high, pivot and outlet to the guard on the wing to start the break. It seems the pg always comes to get the ball from the rebounder in the lane, now.
The women's game is actually more fun from a fundamentals standpoint.

 

[Jeremy L.]

Not too many big men know any back to the basket moves. I see very few drop-steps, power dribble, pivots, baby hooks, duck-unders, reverse layups, etc.
I also miss the power rebound, keep the ball high, pivot and outlet to the guard on the wing to start the break. It seems the pg always comes to get the ball from the rebounder in the lane, now.
The women's game is actually more fun from a fundamentals standpoint.

I work for a team in the WNBA now and have found it very enjoyable. It gets a lot of hate for all of the wrong reasons (gender sadly, athleticism, no dunking, not very high scoring). I always tell people that hate women's basketball that if they go play pickup and they can't dunk and aren't athletic, they're actually playing women's basketball.

 

[SWC75]

The three point line has meant that the defense only has to guard the paint and the arc - and nothing in between. I loved the old Lawrence Moten type player who didn't care where the shot was from, as long as it was open. he could hit form outside - and outside could mean from 15 feet, not just 20, drive to the basket, work the baseline. He moved, moved, moved and dared his defender o keep up with him. If you get the defenders moving, things open up. Now it's like the Alamo - you guard the outer walls and everybody else is in the inner stockade. Nobody has to move.

 

[djcon57]

People didnt like the slam dunk either.

not suggesting you are right or wrong, but you guys sound like your fathers did. Just as long as you realize the context.

 

[dollarbill44]

People didnt like the slam dunk either.

not suggesting you are right or wrong, but you guys sound like your fathers did. Just as long as you realize the context.

I like the 3 pointer, I just don't like how it's taken over the game to the detriment of overall play. The dunk didn't change the game that much and i suspect there were other "cultural" reasons many didn't like it. If every other basket was a dunk, I probably wouldn't like that either.

 

[djcon57]

I like the 3 pointer, I just don't like how it's taken over the game to the detriment of overall play. The dunk didn't change the game that much and i suspect there were other "cultural" reasons many didn't like it. If every other basket was a dunk, I probably wouldn't like that either.

Yes it did, the NCAA banned it because Kareem was dunking on fools nonstop.

...and yes there were other reasons as well

 

[HRE Otto IV]

Sports in general have sold their souls to TV. The amount of dead ball time is insane. If you watch a EuroLeague game it flows so much better. The amount of timeouts in the NBA and CBBall kills the game IMO. On top of that you have a ton of FTs which is more dead time. I went to a Knicks game a few years ago with foreigners and they asked when do they actually play the game?

 

[CuseFaninVT]

People didnt like the slam dunk either.

not suggesting you are right or wrong, but you guys sound like your fathers did. Just as long as you realize the context.

I'm hoping to hear about whether or not these guys like people on their lawns.

 

[DoctahLexus]

I went to a UNC-Asheville game with my son tonight--a blow-out against a Division II team. Asheville has three big guys, 6'9" to 6'10", that are skilled players, but they almost never get easy hoops inside against decidedly smaller man-to-man opponents. They just don't move without the ball to get easy shots. I can no longer play, but in my head, I know the moves I would have made--over and over. Does no one ever teach kids this stuff anymore?

Those big guys should watch the tape of Jimmy B against Nova. I have my problems with the guy (rebounding, lack of passing, consistency etc.) but seeing him take advantage of his size against a smaller guy on defense with some YMCA moves feels like a breath of fresh air these days.

 

[HoustonCuse]

I'm hoping to hear about whether or not these guys like people on their lawns.

People should stay off that lawn but also the fertilizer I have is just not ready for prime time. I put it on the lawn but it’s just not productive at all. Especially don’t like the coverage I get in the corners of my yard. Killed one more weed than a dead guy and granted the conditions here are basically the worst a lawn could face but if I’m gonna put it out there, it’s gotta do something.

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

The game has changed...and not for the better from fan perspective.
It's all about the long ball.

I don't mind the 3 point shot. Guys are more athletic and longer and a 2 point jump shot is likely to get blocked. Guys still hit mid ranges if a rebound bounces right to them and they have an open one but to not have it blocked off the dribble you usually have to be off balance and falling away from the basket/defender. If you want to have your feet set its going to be from behind the arc.

Look how good Kalvin Sampson's Houston team is because they are committed to not being bad at rebounding. It can be done. Maybe if we entertained having assistant coaches who weren't former players we could have a rebounding guru. Or maybe if we got a good former player rebounder on the staff instead it wouldn't be a weakness.

Our program has fallen off drastically and to be is barely recognizable but having a very good coach has yielded very strong runs in 3 out of the last 5 NCAA tournaments.

 

[sufandu]

It's all about scoring and analytics now. I miss the days of a 62-54 win for the Cuse

I miss the days of an 88-80 win with shots from all over the floor, including post ups and drives to the basket.

 

[sufandu]

I work for a team in the WNBA now and have found it very enjoyable. It gets a lot of hate for all of the wrong reasons (gender sadly, athleticism, no dunking, not very high scoring). I always tell people that hate women's basketball that if they go play pickup and they can't dunk and aren't athletic, they're actually playing women's basketball.

I've watched some women's basketball and just can't get into it due to the athleticism point. You're right about pick up ball, but that's why people don't go to watch unathletic guys play pick up ball.

 

[sufandu]

Yes it did, the NCAA banned it because Kareem was dunking on fools nonstop.

...and yes there were other reasons as well

People were dunking before Kareem. It didn't change the game much because it never became the dominant shot the way the 3 has. Most players still shot non-dunks for most of their shots. Now everyone wants to be a 3 point shooter at the detriment of learning other useful and pleasureable to watch skills. Even when it was banned, which didn't last all that long, guys just shot layups.

It's not that people are against the 3. It's that people don't like the lack of balance. The game isn't as fun to watch.

 

[brian williams]

I miss the days of an 88-80 win with shots from all over the floor, including post ups and drives to the basket.

And fast breaks.

 

[Arangeman]

Make the 3 worth 2.5 pts. Problem solved.

 

[LoveShack]

People should stay off that lawn but also the fertilizer I have is just not ready for prime time. I put it on the lawn but it’s just not productive at all. Especially don’t like the coverage I get in the corners of my yard. Killed one more weed than a dead guy and granted the conditions here are basically the worst a lawn could face but if I’m gonna put it out there, it’s gotta do something.

What ya need to do is get out to some local (or not so local) high schools and find some kids willing to put in the work to help you out. You know the kind, tall, lanky, athletic, that can really get out to the corners of your...yard...yeah yard. Kids that are ready and willing and able to get your yard in shape this year not 3 or 4 years down the road. And get kids willing to stay loyal to you and not leave to go work on your neighbors yard because they promise their grass will be greener. Oh and when you get at least five of these kids the you need to get down to your local sub shop and get them some subs so that they will be refreshed and ready to work again after you give them an appropriate break during the 1st half of the work day and during the 2nd half of the work day. You do this and I bet you will have a yard that we all would pay good money to see.

 

[shantydaze]

It's all about scoring and analytics now. I miss the days of a 62-54 win for the Cuse

I would need SU to score at least 70 (or was it 75?) points in the victory at the Dome so I could get me free tacos. It has been a couple of years since I have been back for a basketball game. Are the free tacos still a promotion?

 

[Funk Doc]

The three point line has meant that the defense only has to guard the paint and the arc - and nothing in between. I loved the old Lawrence Moten type player who didn't care where the shot was from, as long as it was open. he could hit form outside - and outside could mean from 15 feet, not just 20, drive to the basket, work the baseline. He moved, moved, moved and dared his defender o keep up with him. If you get the defenders moving, things open up. Now it's like the Alamo - you guard the outer walls and everybody else is in the inner stockade. Nobody has to move.

I was actually talking about this the other day during a Steph vs. Ray Allen debate, with a friend of mine. I know he was from UConn(vomit), but Rip Hamilton and Moten were so much fun to watch play the game.