₦airaland Forum

nairamaniac:
Here everything has evolved and gotten better.

The only part that died is the beauty and physicallity of bigmen, especially in the paint.

I miss those legworks, spins and postups from the era of David Robinson, Ewing, Shaq, Kareem and Olajuwan.

But in totallity, it's much much better now cos everyone prefers offence than defense

But you cant prefer offense to the point where defense is frowned upon. Which is why we have meaningless 120pt games now. A hard fought, NBA game should reach 90pts per team, tops. Right now some games are just shooting drills. Whats the point - kuku eliminate defense and lets reach 200pts per team

Khanben:
If a guy like Rod strickland can average a double double for years with no jumper then Doncic, Trae and Ja will be just fine in that era.
Be that as it may the elite players will all be elite in any era, the issue is with the role players and i will submit that it is fact that the role players now are more athletic, and more specialised than they ever were. Think about it, every time i watch that MJ shot against cleveland i keep thinking who in Gods name is Craig Ehlo that he was left to guard MJ 1v1 in that situation. A player like that is probably the 9th or 10th player in the rotation these days not part of the starting 5 in the last few seconds of a close out game

O my goodness, Strickland had a jumper, handles, and could put english on the ball!! He would average 30 in this era - guy was like a thug version of Kyrie. You could go to war on and off the court with that cat, and thats my point. Sweet video to jog your memories


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U93sjjAq9EY

Apologia to the millenials for video kwality, there was a time you watched the NBA without HD

Khanben:
But from what i just watched, if u reintroduce hand checking in this era it will just make PnR players much more effective, because keeping that hand out gives the guy setting the pick a bigger target and to a large extent makes it harder for the defender to slip around the pick.
The fact is that basketball tactics just like most other things have evolved tremendously. The game is better now because the skill level of the players are just off the charts these day in comparism to say the 80s or 90s. From ball handling to shooting the overall level is just better

I wonder if this is just because the game has been re-engineered to be a more marketable product. There is no way a Ja Morant could shine the way he did in playoffs versus the old Jazz teams with Stockton, Malone etc. Then you think of the forwards who could knock down the midrange jumpshot as well as post in past eras - Garnett, Duncan, Nowitzki (who had to toughen up) among a long list of bigs. Check out the old Celtics and Lakers teams, jumpshot was a given. Given the type of space Lebron gets today, Duncan, Garnett will hit a good clip at the 3pt line as well.

Then take a look at the Hardaways, Iverson etc. The ball handling even in the paint vs ruffians like Alonzo Mourning, Ewing, even Shaq. Who can handle the ball well in this era against that kind of pressure. Doncic? Nah

To me, guys like Durant, Curry, Lebron will get theirs in any era. But Doncic, Morant, Trae? Not nearly as much imo. Doncic hasnt even had to change his Euro game, like Nowitzki did. Clippers let the guy play like he is in the gym all alone. Same for Lakers vs Booker!!

Floor general. Making everybody better since 19... I think everybody haf open eyes now ba?

Im afraid to do the math, but its looking like a 50pt whacking

Shittaakeem:
Disappointed.
3's everywhere
Wow good thing Lakers got eliminated early it would have been 4-7 for LeBron

Admit it, you miss him

This looks like a coaching fail to me. If you know the nets are full of sharpshooters, I think you have to slow the game down, make them have to pick up the dribble to get in the paint. Just allowing them to spot up and shoot from the 3pt line looks like a very bad idea vs this team

joshboo:
Baba dey cash out steady. 31m every year guaranteed till 2024. He's still mentally injured that's how I see it, cos this guy had massive potentials wen he was on the knicks. I think he and Doncic don't complement each other

Wow, thanks. Cuban go dey do calculations right now.

It does feel like a mental block. Maybe doncics stardom intimidated him Or now that he has contract no need to perform again. Cuban has paid maga

Any one know what Porzingis contract be like? Need to get rid of him imo, get a serviceable forward

donlittle25:
kodogun kodogun

Where is your god now

Roland17:
If there is a player I trust to reel a team to a W, it definitely has to be Kawhi.

Even after come from behind loss last year? The superstar convo has always been part myth. Your teamates can lose liver under pressure and still kill your game. If todays game gets into 4q and its close, I trust Kawhi. I dont trust PG3.

Haaaa mo timiss game!!!

etidy:
Omo the amount of young beasts in the game right now is crazy with doncic being the head of the snake.

The moment doncic gets a co-star, it's over for the league for the next decade.

No sir, I humbly disagree. The league has changed, it is officially a new era, as in no one will dominate year after year like lebron did, or like warriors did.
People were hyping Kawhi 2 years ago. Doncic and Trae are now in the conversation. Ja Morant is not far behind. The skill level in the league is such that even with big 2 or big 3 you can be beat by a solid roster with one superstar.

I think we are going to see some spectacular coaching in the next few years

On the side, how are you guys in naija coping with the twitter ban. What foolishness.

How can Porzingis be so useless

steady986:
It was always going to be a tall order for LeBron to overcome the second best team in the league. A 36 year old man in his 18th season who is still nursing an ankle injury, without his sidekick and playing with bums who can't shoot. LeBron will be free of all slander. Anyone who wants to slander obviously just wants to troll And trolling is part of the game so go ahead

At least my guy didn't lose in the finals, because it seems losing in the finals is more detrimental to a legacy than losing in the first round So legacy secured. Off we go to Cancun. After having the shortest postseason of any team in history last year, we can now have what looks like a very long postseason this year.

Meanwhile, make I go through last years championship photos to keep me busy. Our time never elapse yet, we still be the champions

P S. No need to reply me o, I'm going off until the last game of the finals. See ya

Lakers already got the one ring off this cast, so its all good. I think the only reason Lebron is still in the league is so he can play on the same court with Bronny his son. For me, I am happy Lebron did not re-injure anything. I wanted them to pack this up and not even make playoffs for that very reason, but Lebron na stronghead.

#StillLeGoat

A40:
Any player that takes Supermax and is still whining about his surroundings is an unserious fellow. If you're not giving hometown discounts why should anyone else? Dame and Portland will have to endure playoff purgatory for the foreseeable future. He's only 31. Still some time left

At this point, I understand guys like Lillard and Beal. They are OK without ever getting a ring. We can knock Lebron, Durant, Harden for trying too hard to get a ring, but these guys are the opposite end. Lots of skill, only ambition is to get paid. I guess its ok, except for the fans that keep getting deceived each year.

DeeMain:
Approved, except the playing with bums part. The many staccato of injuries and covid protocol suspensions scuppered any rhythm and cohesion this team could have built to make a Championship run. I believe it affected everything, including peaking, psyche, belief and confidence.

yup, the team never really got together. same thing with the heat. playing that long into last post season with the short turn-around is one of the culprits no doubt.

aliondo:
CP3 is just too good.abeg

As in, floor general ba?

Painful loss, but we will be back. Gallant play by the lakers but too late. LeGoat is still LeGoat.

Like I said, floor general over sharp shooter any day

4th q! I remaun loyal!

Wes matthews and fake defense

Android17:
AD clearly is immobile. Why start him? Why not plan without him?

AD reading twitter and espn and deciding to play against everyones advice. Someone tell him to calm down and rest. If you lose in the first round, so be it. Anyone can say what they want, but they dont have a ring. End of story

Worst thing that can happen to a healthy player is to have everyone love you. No criticism, no growth. I hooe lillard takes a lot of heat for this loss

Live by the 3, die by the 3. Those logo 3s aint falling tonight. This friends, is why Lillard keeps coming up short. Lillards game has never changed

I know what steady986 dreamt of las night

nelsonebby:
Porziņgis is shockingly useless at this point

As in ...I would trade him next year

Trae trae. Good looking out for the atl. If embiid stays injured sixers need to be worried

Roland17:
Which blame/ responsibility him take? No dey cruise yourself! After AD went down and the Lakers lost game 4 he claimed he has shoulders broad enough to carry the Lakers to the next round. Na here we dey! Baba has been as poor as the guys he is leading.

Where did I say he did? In your haste to throw bombs at Lebron, you kukuma didnt even read what I wrote. Issokay, carry on sir! Goat is still goat. Meeeeeh

benji93:
All i saw was that Lebron has a tendency to want to statpad. . Just an observation.

To me, that was Lebron trying to set tone for the next game. Those 3rd q 3s were useless points, but it gives the team confidence to see that

Roland17:
Hahaaaaa... Loud am eh! Baba say him get shoulders to carry the Lakers.. You no see as everywhere don quiet since game 4 loss after

You are not wrong. If you say you are the leader, then you have to take the blame. Granted Lebron is not 100%,but then he should have mechonu, and let the game do the talking

I saw this coming from the day they hired this guy as coach. Brad Stevens becoming head of bball ops, as Ainge retires. Boston, Boston, as in network must network. Let me not say more than that