₦airaland Forum

Nets are really unlucky. I cannot see them winning without Kyrie and Harden. The Bucks have to take advantage and close this in 6

Kwahi looks tired in the 4th somewhat... Bojan is doing a great job on him in the 4th

nairamaniac:
So u can now understand why I disagrees with you when u initially said defence was more porous in the 80's.

HAND CHECKING made it naturally difficult for guards to score.

80s was all about 1v1 defense. The defensive schemes were for a better word primitive. These days team defense is more the norm.

What do you guys think if the Sixers do not win it all this year of a Simmons for Dame swap. The Sixers get more shooting and spacing around Embid + a closer and the Blazers get a reset to build around point-forward Simmons?

birdman:
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!!

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

nairamaniac:
U are not completely right here. It wasn't exclusively effectly against wingplayers who used postup moves.

I would paste a link to a video on when kenny explained how handchecking affected guards which they were very far off the arc.

Focus from the 1min:20seconds part of the timeline.

it was effective against wingplayers. But it helped guards alot when they were on the dribble.
The hand checking stifled guards from being able to change directlion while on the dribble or going for jumpshots from the very bounce (crossovers)

Here it is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA71MNNZzIs

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

Android17:
I just watched MJs 55pts game against the Knicks at MSG. Truth of the matter is, a lot of those arguments about how the old timers were allowed to hand check is a lie. They called those things fouls as well. The only major difference is the severity of the punishment. There were a lot of ticky-tacky fouls in the 80s and 90s. MJ is the current GOAT but people should not use propaganda to make him what he was not. Summary is, I agree with you.

Thank you. Another thing, this narrative that losing to the Jordan rules piston 2x is a positive for MJ never ceases to amaze me. I have watched at least 3 of those games and for the life of me i never understood why he did not pass the ball especially when he gets 3 guys coming at him(IMHO it shows his inability to see the bigger picture for 2 whole seasons). The truth is if Magic or Lebron was in that team instead of MJ the bulls probably beats the Pistons at least once in those 2 series

nairamaniac:
I totally disagree.
The pistons were both rough and defensive. That pistons team can't do the same shit in today's nba.

Some teams from late 80's and early 90's were purely and neatly defensive already, like the cavs(late 80's with Ron harper) , celtics,
rockets (with Ralph samson and olajuwan) portland(entire team of 1991/92), rockets and knicks(early 90's).

Jordan was mostly double teamed by all teams with a lot of hand checking being allowed back then.

Fine, he always had a primary defender on him, but the help-defenders were never far away.

And all eyes from the opposing defense were on jordan rather than any of his teammates in his early years.

I personally don't think any player has been has marked as much as jordan and iverson in the history of NBA.

You can add shaq to the mix of jordan and iverson.

But shaq wasnt to prevent his scoring. It was to get him to the freethrow line so he misses his shots.

Hand checking was only effective against wing players who used post up moves. If you put a Steph or Dame in the 80s with their current skill sets, how do you hand check them? They do not post up at all.

nairamaniac:
Totally agree with u.


Just that there was a certain mr. Jordan who I watched in real time from like his 5th season in the nba.


He could easily have averaged 38points per season all thru his career facing double teams, if not some necessary adjustment that needed to be made.

MJ is greatest player, but in the 80s defense were very porous, sometimes you watch games and you do not even understand what they were doing. As for double teams i beg to differ apart from bad boys pistons most teams left him 1v1. Check all of his great shots he never got double teamed because of the illegal defense rules

nairamaniac:
Totally agree with u.


Just that there was a certain mr. Jordan who I watched in real time from like his 5th season in the nba.


He could easily have averaged 38points per season all thru his career facing double teams, if not some necessary adjustment that needed to be made.

He will have to shoot 3s and play against zone defense , double, triple and four box in 1 more often than not That is what coaches now will do to MJ force him to shoot by deploying bigger athletes against him, the simple fact is the average nba player are bigger and faster now.
He will still get his numbers but he will not average 40

nairamaniac:
. Giannis is only more physical and athletic than durant.

But durant is the most efficient, most versatile, most fluet scorer since kobe and jordan.

Also, he occupies more space defensively that 90% of players in the nba with his heght and wingspan.

He has more as much scoring moves as Prime-Tracy-Mcgrady.

Shoots as good as Curry to an extent.


Legwork from a post as good as olajuwon.

Leap as high as lebron with that wingspan


Durant would have gotten at least 4 regular season mvp if he had stayed with OKC at the rate he was going.

First time i saw KD, i just thought he was Tmac, with an extra 4 inches plus better shooting. He is the most complete offensive weapon (just scoring) that the league has ever seen.

Roland17:
Kai! Injury Na to bad thing sha! Watching D. Cousins run just made sad in some ways. This was dominant and promising player until injuries derailed everything.

He is a study of why it is always better to secure the bag as early as possible.

Ben Simmons at it again, averaging a triple single. Another case of giving the max way too early

A40:
Lmaoo you ninjas swore it wasn't AD's team

He has a groin injury na. How do you force him to play?

The issue with AD's injury is not just about if he is willing to play or not. In the old days players had the final on whether they played or not because their salaries were by and large not insured. These days the medical staff has the final say because of insurance implications. If a player chooses to force the issue and even try to play when he has been advised by the medical staff not to, his advisers will just butt in and convince him not to because of all the offsetting language in players contract.

nelsonebby:
Porziņgis is shockingly useless at this point

He is really annoying in this series. When will he man up and put his ass on the low post, the Clippers play small so much that he will have either batum or Morris on him for a stretch. KP is just

Dame is a beast in the clutch abeg

Roland17:
If you are not watching the Nuggets/ Portland you are missing! Overtime!

Assinn this game is fire. Since last season both teams have just been serving up classic after classic sheezzz

The Nets big 3 already have 101 points with over 4 minutes to go. Too much fire power

Great in game adjustment by the Bucks. Getting it done in 4.
Pj tucker's hustle is showing out in this game

Android17:
Wonder why he was drafted so low. He played very good that year when his team won the NCAA.

He actually went undrafted. I think it is the size thing just like fred van vleet.

joshboo:
Imagine kemba having just 2 points in 22 minutes, he needs to be better and Show up. Despite all the firepower the Nets have the Cavs took em to the cleaners, the ream is very vulnerable, I'll be most happy if Boston evens the series

Kemba is a fraud. Just collecting max dollars for nothing

Bucks in 4

birdman:
indeed it was. I meant JVG, ex rockets coach was the only one who enjoyed that finals. Kept salivating at the defense . I know the nba will never let those kind of teams meet in the finals again - set the nba back like 5 years

His commentary through out was as if he was in heaven. I remember that was one of the reasons i loved that series.

I totally agree the NBA will hate for 2 defensive juggernauts to make it into any nba finals. The only reason why they even liked the Pistons in the 04 finals is because they were the David who slayed the Shaq Kobe goliath

Knick fans are really feeling this game 2

A40:
The man is hilarious. The irony is there have been far bigger #1 busts than him IMO.

Anthony Bennett
Andrea Bargnani
Olowokandi

Absolutely, at least he had 10+ years in the league

Thanos:
As much as I hate to see players injured, lakers are one AD injury away from being dumped in the second round. The physical advantage they lost this summer has been highlighted but what would really determine how far they'll go is their durability. As for the nets, I still stand by my word once they encounter a team that can shoot the lights out and play lock down d, they'll begin to unravel. And they have two of those teams lining up opposite them

The Bucks have too many guys they can put on any of the big 3 1v1 and be comfortable with the results. I still dont know who will guard Giannis and Middleton even Lopez will kill them if the Bucks run a couple of low post sets for him.

Thanos:
My number 1 quality for a top 5 nba player is availability. I don't care how talented you are. If you cannot suit up to play, keep your talents abeg. Based on that alone, that eliminated alot of pretenders from the top 5.

That boy is a problem

joshboo:
Bruv the problem with dem idiots is basically selective amnesia( Dementia) but it is what it is, haters would always hate. Been a Spur since 98 But you gotta give props up when it's due, Truth is most of them are youngins and probably started watching Bball recently.
Its the same new generation idiots that would say AD is better/ greater than Duncan.

Wait who says AD is better than Timmy. That is straight up blasphemy, that is like saying a high end toyota is better than a ferrari. That bank shot alone sheeesssee. Timmy is a god were AD is abeg.

birdman:
You enjoyed Spurs vs Pistons . Is that you, Jeff van Gundy?

It was larry brown . it was still ugly but very gritty. I remember losing sleep just to watch those games on STV. You could not tell who could win and they were classics

Android17:
You are right however do you know when the finals was to begin the pundits and media in a consensus said the Cavs will win? It is just revisionism that makes people praise the warriors today. In fact, that is the reason SC was not voted finals MVP. They wanted it to look like something out of the ordinary happened that made the warriors win. You saw some of the Lebron fans here praise him for beating Miami with Bam and Dragic out but the same people always said that the warriors 2015 win was questionable.

It is just like the last four nba finals IMHO while the games made for good TV, the conclusion was forgone b4 the series started. There was no way the Cav were beating KD and the GSW, the Raptors were given a cake walk as soon as both KD and Klay got injured. As for the 2020 finals it was just laughable people thinking the Heat had any chance especially after Dragic got injured.
I am seriously hoping this years finals give us some pretty even teams like we saw in some of the 2000s finals. I remember the lakers vs Celtics 2x, lakers vs Pistons, Spurs vs Pistons. Those finals were nail biters and were all crazy and enjoyable

Android17:
Yea but the seasons I was even referring to were 2008-2010. Some silly people claim that the team that played San Antonio in that 08 finals were bums. They also claim the 2018 finals Cavs were bums. We can bring receipts here to destroy such arguments. Meanwhile, KLove was injured long before the finals so they fared well without him. Kyrie was injured after game 1 of the finals so an argument can be made about him although they did lose that game 1 with him playing.

You mean the 2007 finals right. I watched the 07 series and with due respect if i said list the top 4 players in that series the fact is simple, the Cavs had only one of them and the Spurs had 3, Add to that the fact the Spurs also had the better coach. even though i was supporting the Spurs because of my guy Ginobili, i had that series ending in 4.

Android17:
Yea but the seasons I was even referring to were 2008-2010. Some silly people claim that the team that played San Antonio in that 08 finals were bums. They also claim the 2018 finals Cavs were bums. We can bring receipts here to destroy such arguments. Meanwhile, KLove was injured long before the finals so they fared well without him. Kyrie was injured after game 1 of the finals so an argument can be made about him although they did lose that game 1 with him playing.

IMHO when one team is without 2 of their three best players, i dont care how good a player the one remaining is, if the opposition team cannot win in the finals then that opposition team does not deserve to be there.
The finals is a whole other level in comparism to other stages of the playoffs, and no one player is beating any healthy team in a best of seven series. It can be done in just one game but not 4 out of 7