Mike Lupica ESPN Sports Reporters: "Syracuse sinking like a rock"

[EnnisEnvy]

The NBA is entertainment with a basketball. Period. When I want to watch basketball games I watch NCAA.

Sweet avatar--Go Hawks!

 

[EnnisEnvy]

Biggest detriment of CBB, IMO, is one and done. 99% of these kids, even lottery kids, take a year or two to develop and many never do. Make kids stay for two years and you won't see Calipari getting the four best recruits every year, the overall quality of the product increases, parity increases.

Make a dunk worth three points.

 

[NKR1978]

He must read this board.

 

[Czar]

I disagree with six fouls. The way it works out, in college and in the NBA, you get one foul every 8 minutes. It works, keep it that way.

 

[asj410]

Make a dunk worth three points.

Warrick would have averaged 65 ppg with that rule

 

[Briancuse]

I disagree with six fouls. The way it works out, in college and in the NBA, you get one foul every 8 minutes. It works, keep it that way.

I like it, foul trouble is ruining the quality of play at times. I usually don't agree with Vitale, but he is right. Guys are more athletic now, and fans don't pay to watch star players sit on the bench.

 

[Cowtown]

I like it, foul trouble is ruining the quality of play at times. I usually don't agree with Vitale, but he is right. Guys are more athletic now, and fans don't pay to watch star players sit on the bench.

Then teach 'em how to play defense by moving their feet, instead of always chopping at the ball like it's a hockey puck - because it's not - and then bitching that the refs don't call fouls like they do in the National Bogusball Association.

 

[Briancuse]

Then teach 'em how to play defense by moving their feet, instead of always chopping at the ball like it's a hockey puck - because it's not - and then bitching that the refs don't call fouls like they do in the National Bogusball Association.

You can teach them how to play defense all you want, but if the refs are going to continue to call these ticky tack fouls, what good is it?

 

[PoppyHart]

I love the 1 and 1. I'd rather go to all 1 and 1's (including shooting fouls) then get rid of it. At the very least, it would provide a much stronger incentive for kids to learn the fundamentals of the game, something that deteriorates each year.

 

[HoustonCuse]

*my opinion below*

This is why I have to smirk at the people who not only claim college is better than the NBA, but go full-blown "the NBA sucks".

Don't get me wrong, I love college more than professional, mostly because I love SU and don't have my own team in the NBA I care for nearly as much.

But in terms of actual good basketball? It's not even close. The NBA product is insanely better. The issue professionally is simply the lack of parity.

I smirk at the people who think unabated offense is good basketball. I suppose some think that the NBA All Star game is the best game of the year. The NBA has too many games and is the ultimate individual star system. The offense and the defense are members of the same labor union, it's comical. LeBron is going to lose his job over poor defense right? He's going to expend all his energy playing defense in the 2nd and 3rd quarter, right? Come on people. In the NBA, if a designated star gets the ball within 15 feet of the hoop, defenders pull hamstrings trying to dive out of the way. If you think that's great basketball more power to you. The college game certainly can be improved but the NBA is a horrible example to mimic.

 

[Col. Bleep]

*my opinion below*

This is why I have to smirk at the people who not only claim college is better than the NBA, but go full-blown "the NBA sucks".

Don't get me wrong, I love college more than professional, mostly because I love SU and don't have my own team in the NBA I care for nearly as much.

But in terms of actual good basketball? It's not even close. The NBA product is insanely better. The issue professionally is simply the lack of parity.

Perhaps you haven't seen the Knicks lately.

 

[NineOneSeven]

I smirk at the people who think unabated offense is good basketball. I suppose some think that the NBA All Star game is the best game of the year. The NBA has too many games and is the ultimate individual star system. The offense and the defense are members of the same labor union, it's comical. LeBron is going to lose his job over poor defense right? He's going to expend all his energy playing defense in the 2nd and 3rd quarter, right? Come on people. In the NBA, if a designated star gets the ball within 15 feet of the hoop, defenders pull hamstrings trying to dive out of the way. If you think that's great basketball more power to you. The college game certainly can be improved but the NBA is a horrible example to mimic.

Looks like someone is a little upset. Did you just insinuate that Lebron is a poor defender?

Credibility, gone.

I agree the season is too long, but I think the "NBA plays no defense" shtick is so blown out of proportion. Offense of these players is that good. This is a topic we'll never agree on, so I'll just leave it there.

 

[SWC75]

1) Why not have 48 minute games like the NBA and divide it into quarters? That would increase scoring by itself. And coaches would have to use more players, which might get you more mismatches. But guys like "My Three Sons" would get some real playing time, the way NBA reserves do.

2) use the NBA's 6 foul rule and 24 second clock.

3) Eliminate the need to take the ball in from out of bounds after a made basket or free throw, like the do in international play. That would allow for more fast breaks.

4) Actually enforce the three second rule- and apply it to both teams. Maybe something could be done electronically there.

5) This is counter- intuitive but eliminate the three point line. Without it, players will just look for open shots from any distance and not camp out at the arc. The medium range jump shot, which can be made more frequently than the three pointer, will come back into use. P)layers will move more to get open and defenders will move to follow them, thus opening up lanes. The game won't be so static.

 

[SWC75]

Regarding the NBA: There are some bad games in college and the talent level certainly sin't the same, but you won't see an NBA game with the atmosphere of the SU-Duke 1, even in the playoffs. And college ball is all about team ball. None of this business of 8 guys standing there while two guys go one-on-one.

 

[HoustonCuse]

Looks like someone is a little upset. Did you just insinuate that Lebron is a poor defender?

Credibility, gone.

I agree the season is too long, but I think the "NBA plays no defense" shtick is so blown out of proportion. Offense of these players is that good. This is a topic we'll never agree on, so I'll just leave it there.

I agree we won't agree, but... LeBron may be the best defender in history - its that he doesn't play defense unless it's the 4th quarter or some other critical situation like he feels "challenged" by another designated star. And to claim the offense is just that good is, of course, preposterous. Why is the offense so much better than the defense? And if the offense really is so much better that the best in the world are giving 100% effort on defense all game and still getting smoked for highlight reel dunks with alarming frequency, how can you say they are good defenders? You can't have it both ways. Are they capable of being world class defenders, of course. Do they play defense for most of the game in the regular season, sure token D to make the fans feel like there is a competition happening.

 

[Pat Kelly]

30 second shot clock. 6 fouls before fouling out. No more 1 and 1


Let's make it happen.

I honestly prefer college basketball to NBA, so I would hate all those changes

 

[HoustonCuse]

Regarding the NBA: There are some bad games in college and the talent level certainly sin't the same, but you won't see an NBA game with the atmosphere of the SU-Duke 1, even in the playoffs. And college ball is all about team ball. None of this business of 8 guys standing there while two guys go one-on-one.

The only NBA game I ever attended was to see Carmelo play against the Rockets some years ago. It was jaw dropping. The stadium "entertainment" never stops so they just keep on playing whatever music or whatever was happening during a timeout right through the game action. There are fake flashbulbs going off all over the place. The crowd was at about the same enthusiasm level as a baseball game crowd during middle innings (although I think baseball fans usually pay more attention to the game). It was the worst live event I had ever been to. Never been back.

 

[OrangeDW]

I smirk at the people who think unabated offense is good basketball. I suppose some think that the NBA All Star game is the best game of the year. The NBA has too many games and is the ultimate individual star system. The offense and the defense are members of the same labor union, it's comical. LeBron is going to lose his job over poor defense right? He's going to expend all his energy playing defense in the 2nd and 3rd quarter, right? Come on people. In the NBA, if a designated star gets the ball within 15 feet of the hoop, defenders pull hamstrings trying to dive out of the way. If you think that's great basketball more power to you. The college game certainly can be improved but the NBA is a horrible example to mimic.

Defense at the NBA level is 10 times more sophisticated and better.

Maybe not in meaningless, play out the string games with teams who are out of it. But in the games that matter?

About the only thing I agree with is that there are too many games.

The NBA is not unabated offense. It's just that you're actually allowed to play offense...defenders can't feel you up as soon as you get within 40 feet from the basket, and you are allowed to drive to the basket and shoot layups and everything! In college you get usually called for a foul for doing that, because some untalented post player stands in the spot where you're going to land and falls backwards when you bump him.

 

[OrangeDW]

The only NBA game I ever attended was to see Carmelo play against the Rockets some years ago. It was jaw dropping. The stadium "entertainment" never stops so they just keep on playing whatever music or whatever was happening during a timeout right through the game action. There are fake flashbulbs going off all over the place. The crowd was at about the same enthusiasm level as a baseball game crowd during middle innings (although I think baseball fans usually pay more attention to the game). It was the worst live event I had ever been to. Never been back.

That explains it. If you go to see Syracuse play High Point, when the students are home on break, the band is not there, and there are 15,000 quiet fans sitting on their hands, and stupid AAA baseball level things being done at every timeout...you'd probably never go back either.

You can't judge the experiences by crappy, meaningless games. Big games with electric atmospheres exist at both levels.

 

[OrangeDW]

Make a dunk worth three points.

You'd see some awfully dangerous fouls to prevent dunks, in that case.

 

[Chris02M]

30 second shot clock
enforcing 3 second calls on defense
6 fouls to disqualify
enforce coaches leaving the coaching box( 1st time 2 shots and ball , second ejection of coach)
make every play reviewable since the technology is there use it instead of blowing calls.

I would be for all of these but no on getting rid and 1 and 1 's

 

[NYCSUGrad]

30 second shot clock enforcing 3 second calls on defense 6 fouls to disqualify enforce coaches leaving the coaching box( 1st time 2 shots and ball , second ejection of coach) make every play reviewable since the technology is there use it instead of blowing calls. I would be for all of these but no on getting rid and 1 and 1 's

The games would be three hours or more if every questionable play was looked at. JMO

 

[Chris02M]

The games would be three hours or more if every questionable play was looked at. JMO

I disagree

 

[Cowtown]

Eliminate the need to take the ball in from out of bounds after a made basket or free throw, like the do in international play.

Not sure where that idea comes from, SWC. I ref in FIBA and there's no such practice as what you've described. You might be thinking of the "no backcourt handle" that was part of FIBA years ago. If there was a turnover, the team who was awarded possession of the ball could take it directly to the closest sideline and throw it in without the ref having to handle the ball. That changed about 8 years back, and the refs now handle every change of possession except after a basket, when the ball is taken out the regular way. The two systems are actually growing more toward each other.

 

[SBU72]

*my opinion below*

This is why I have to smirk at the people who not only claim college is better than the NBA, but go full-blown "the NBA sucks".

Don't get me wrong, I love college more than professional, mostly because I love SU and don't have my own team in the NBA I care for nearly as much.

But in terms of actual good basketball? It's not even close. The NBA product is insanely better. The issue professionally is simply the lack of parity.

If the NBA ever considered actually enforcing the rules, and evenly, then I might consider watching. When "stars" get to do what ever they want on offense regardless of rules while others do not, how can you say it is better? 3 steps before a travel call (if then!)? Continuation plays? How is that better basketball?