Like the mini hoops at the bar? That would be hilarious.
NBA will be fining people next season for flopping
HOORAY! I hate that shit.
And 'Sheed has always been awesome.
I thought this was going to be a post on rigging games you bet on.
Did the flopping start when the Europeans came into the league? All that early soccer training is my bet.
What's the advantage of four-on-four?
Did the flopping start when the Europeans Krzyzewski-coached players came into the league?
Did the flopping start when the Europeans came into the league?
No. Rodman was a flopper, as was Reggie Miller. It started to be *called* flopping when the Europeans came into the league.
Rashid got burned in Portland and I was delighted to see him become a champion elsewhere.
What's the advantage of four-on-four?
Brock needs to watch more porn.
I'm not going to answer my own questions, ben.
And 'Sheed has always been awesome.
His weird bald/scald patch scares me.
What's the advantage of four-on-four?
A big problem right now is that the players are so big and fast that the court is clogged in half-court sets. So you get a lot of standing around and stagnant offense. Getting two guys out of there would make a lot more room and give quicker players and advantage, and you'd get more motion, more drives to the basket, etc.
Did the flopping start when the Europeans Krzyzewski-coached players came into the league?
Please. George Karl was flopping before flopping was cool.
Eh, you'd also be less able to defend big men. Players farther apart on average --> not as many chances to double team.
instead of two shots and the ball for things you really want to discourage, change the penalty to free throws until the shooter misses
This won't effect Hack-a-Shaq. It might encourage it. In fact, other than flagrant fouls of good foul shooters, I'm not sure what it would accomplish. And it would put a strange (to me) premium on foul shooting, which might be the most boring part of the game.
A big problem right now is that the players are so big and fast that the court is clogged in half-court sets.
This doesn't have to be true. Look at your Los Angeles Lakers. I think the half-court sets have more to do with the sort of defense (Bowen) allowed.
This won't effect Hack-a-Shaq. It might encourage it.
No! I forgot the other part! You could make this the penalty not just for flagrants, but for x number of fouls per quarter.
This will have a good effect on the overton windowwwww.
Maybe a longer, wider court and higher baskets, instead of 4x4.
So you get a lot of standing around and stagnant offense
I don't see this much at all.
And I don't see race. Nevertheless, I'm assured it exists.
And following on 23, I think a 50x50 court would be a much better solution to ogged's imaginary problem. The boring part of basketball is the needless transitioning from one half of the court to the other. Make every change of possession an immediate scoring opportunity!
Eh, you'd also be less able to defend big men. Players farther apart on average --> not as many chances to double team.
You could still double close to the basket where big men hang out, because that also helps you defend against layups generally.
I think four on four is a no brainer. Five on five took was instituted back when nobody was near as big, quick, or athletic as they are now. If the sport were being designed today, you really think they'd have five on five? Really, on the playground nobody ever wants to play half-court more than four on four, and three on three is preferred.
In fact, I think almost all sports would benefit by removing a man to allow today's level of athleticism to shine. Think of how exciting baseball would be with two outfielders -- you'd have track stars chasing down fly balls. Or football with one or two less defenders to stop Reggie Bush. If there were fewer people on a soccer team, there might actually be scoring. etc.
I had this thought years and years ago, and congratulated myself on how clever I was. But the internet is a constantly humbling experience -- all of one's apercus are shared by numerous clever people out there.
Maybe a longer, wider court and higher baskets, instead of 4x4.
All higher baskets would do is clog the lane even more. I agree that a wider court would help a bit. Unfortunately, on half court sets, the relevant part of the court really is only a couple feet past the 3 point line.
I don't see this much at all.
How can you not see it? The new rules on perimeter handchecking help, but still.
Of course, I'm a Lebron fan, so all I see are defenses swarming the most (only) athletic player on the Cavs.
In my experience, nothing makes a basketball game more exciting to watch than flubber on soles of the team's shoes.
Unfortunately, on half court sets, the relevant part of the court really is only a couple feet past the 3 point line.
Right. The effective limit on the size of the court is the distance you can realistically score from. It doesn't really matter how large you make it beyond that.
Actually, we're all dinking around with reformist notions. Perhaps revolutionary changes are necessary: preventive detention, waterboarding, extraordinary rendition, and the replacement of basketball by something else.
Is there a general name for what we're talking about here, development so intense that it alters and ruins some activity or game? I'm thinking something in the same class as "tragedy of the commons," applicable to these recurring situations.
Auto racing is a case in point. Formulas get more-and-more rigid for the sake of competition, but the activity itself seems played-out. Rules changes don't seem to make the difference they once did.
31: Football, which white people like.
I have to say though, I don't see the huge problem with the NBA that needs to be solved.
Most teams don't settle for boring isolation plays anymore, and the few that do aren't very good. The playoffs have been pretty fun to watch actually.
34: Basketball is great, but it could be EVEN BETTER.
The playoffs have been pretty fun to watch actually.
We request that you remain within the premise of the thread. Thank you.
I was going to snidely suggest that basketball be improved by its replacement with football but now I know I'd be pwned and a racist thanks to 31 and 33. Great. Just fucking great.
I was thinking of nude, mixed gender, mixed-race gymnastics, contortionism, and fancy cheerleading.
Sorry, John, but you lost me at "mixed gender."
31:Do I have a convert?
All this hyper-complicated shit. I mean, basketball ain't baseball or hockey where players can carry weapons on the court.
The answer is not to call any fouls at all, either at or away from the ball. "Goons" can take care of each other, if we need to protect the little scorers.
There is not enough contact and violence in basketball, not too much. Football has become unwatchable, as the skill positions have become overprotected.
Football has become unwatchable, as the skill positions have become overprotected.
Drew Bledsoe's punctured lung, Chris Simms' ruptured spleen and some wide receiver's bruised aorta beg to differ.
Frankly, I don't see the fines for flopping doing much good. For starters, most of the time a guy who "flops" was in fact fouled (at least according to the rules book) so even with replays, it will be difficult to find clear cut cases. There are two problems here: Number one is that basically, there is at least one foul (usually more) in every single possesion in an NBA game (at least if you follow the rules strictly). Because you can't call that many fouls, a lot of us have come to accept as "normal" what is in fact a foul and as a consequence, the referees have a ton of discretion (they can call a foul basically everytime they want). The second is that the "no charge zone" has made getting charges much, much more easy, so easy in fact, that you would be a fool not to flop sometimes (watch some Euroleague basketball and you will very little flopping, in fact).
I tentatively endorse Bob's plan. Perhaps a merger of basketball and ultimate fighting.
Drew Bledsoe's punctured lung, Chris Simms' ruptured spleen and some wide receiver's bruised aorta beg to differ.
At the turn of the previous century it was believed by some that football was too violent a pass time for the youth of America. The Tournament of Roses stopped hosting football games and held chariot races instead. Football returned in 1916.
I did not know there was anything wrong with basketball.
If they'd gone to nude gymnastics the country would be in better shape today. That's what the Athenians did, after all.
Didn't help when the Macedonians showed up, though, did it?
We must replace all organized sports with Rollerball.
The Athenians held their best nudes in reserve, and by the time they showed up on the battlefield it was too late.
I'm sure that the reserve nudes were helpful in the looting and raping phase of the conquest, being already nude and all.
Friend of mine has always said that the best thing for basketball would be to give each team 100 points to start and put two minutes on the clock.
48: John's ideal sports future .
WARNING: Not safe for work, home, or anywhere else, really.
The losing team should be sacrificed to Quetzalcoatl.
48: John's ideal sports future .
You know, I'm pretty sure I've linked that before. I know I've seen it before.
It might not have been that specific one. I'm sure there are lots of nude gay aerobics videos on your hard drive.
And you think I can't tell them apart? It was that one.
Can you fix hockey next? I am getting migraines trying to watch these finals.
Easy, Sybil. Nude hockey.
Nudity is the panacea and quintessence.
I skipped to the end so apologies for repeating anything, but w.r.t. fixing the NBA:
1. Shorten the season to 60 games.
2. Contract by at least four teams, maybe six. Then go back to two divisions.
3. Widen the court by four feet and lengthen it by at least 8.
4. Contract the playoffs to top four teams in each conference, or top six with two byes. Return the first round to best of five.
5. On offense, enforce the traveling, palming, and pivot foot rules.
6. On defense enforce the no hand checking rule.
7. Watch the ponies proliferate!
5. On offense, enforce the traveling, palming, and pivot foot rules.
6. On defense enforce the no hand checking rule.
IE, return to the unimaginable Stone Age period before most people were born, when pros played by middle school rules.
Ponies indeed.
Easy, Sybil. Nude hockey.
*slice*
*wince*
Man up, Stanley. Hockey isn't for the timid.
I must say, I miss best of 5 playoff rounds. Get it over with, already.
Please post a comment starting with "I must say," in all the other threads as well.
Do comments beginning "I must say" have as little shazam as comments beginning with "Well,"?
65: Presumably the presence of ice would reduce slicing opportunities.
I must say, I admire your observant nature, peter1.
IE, return to the unimaginable Stone Age period before most people were born, when pros played by middle school rules.
Meh, I'd settle for the enforcing the pivot foot rule. It seems almost every time down the court, someone clearly changes pivot foots. It would be easy.
You could try making the court bigger, maybe cover it with grass and put it out doors. Then, to make it a bit harder, ban the players from using their hands. Perhaps replace the baskets with a wide net to compensate for the difficulty of only using feet. Maybe have 11 players per side.
Or put the players on horseback and let them use mallets to strike the ball.
The ice would keep the parts cold so that they could be reattached after the game.
Basketball: have bumpers coming down from above to about the 5 foot level, like in snooker, so that players have to steer their way through the alleys between them.
Allow punching. This would also be a good adjustment for soccer.
Allow superchargers and unlimited displacement.
re: 78
I've played soccer under those rules. An old karate instructor I used to have once organized an indoor five-a-side game as an alternative class when our training hall was being renovated: punching and kicking the opposing players was explicitly allowed, as were tripping, grabbing their clothes, etc.*
* all the people involved were mates, so the punching and kicking wasn't totally full-on ...
Soccer has been in decline since 1863, when the wimps at the FA introduced this rule:
Basketball would certainly be enlivened by projecting nails and iron plates. This would also have the apparently desired effect of reducing the number of teams and shortening the season (quite a lot).
Gutta-percha? Doesn't that just mean rubber?
If every team with rubber on their shoes is disqualified, that would make Albania or somebody the 14-time defending World Cup Champions.
I mean two basketballs. It's really the easiest fix. You don't have to give up the high priced seats to widen the floor. They do it in pinball.