A retraction about NBA Action

February 21, 2005


Okay, I apologize.

I’ve only watched the first half of the All-Star game (taped, to be viewed later). And even though I ranted just yesterday on the downfall of basketball and the All-Star game’s contribution to the end of team dynamics, I have to admit, the All-Star game this year was, well, pretty damn good.

I think we’re seeing a sort of renaissance in the NBA. For ten years, we were subjected to a defense battle every game, where teams like the Heat and Knicks, and later on, the Nets and Spurs, would play a slow down game, dragging every possession out and forcing the opposing team to win with jump shots and free throws, daring them to come inside where they would, ultimately, get pounded. Teams like the 2001-2 Mavs were hard to find, and when you could find them, you would see them get bounced in the first round of the playoffs, unable to compete with the defense that had become the leagues hallmark.

Now, however, we have teams that can score, the game has been opened up, and the “team” concept is back. The Phoenix Suns and Seattle Sonics, and even the aforementioned Miami Heat, are playing a wide open game. Even Jeff Van Gundy, former Knicks coach and current Houston Rockets leader has had to reform his game plan to compete a league that is based on, of all things, scoring.

I think, for whatever reason, I’m a little slow in realizing how much better the NBA game has become. When I watched the All-Star game last night, or at least the first half of it, I saw players, like Allen Iverson and Shawn Marion, who I had previously seen as overrated and selfish, playing some great team basketball with people they have rarely played with before. This All-Star game celebrated the “team,” rewarding some great all-time team players with spots on the team – Manu Ginobli, Antawn Jamison, Rashard Lewis, and, perhaps, the greatest team player, in my eyes, Steve Nash.

All in all, I was surprised and incredibly optimistic about the NBA’s future when I watched the game last night. I even liked Vince Carter, a player who admittedly dogged it while in Toronto, but now is playing as if he’s 5 years younger in New Jersey.

It seems as if the NBA has finally taken the actions needed to finally bring it’s desire for individual superstars and it’s dependency on fast-break team play together. In fact, since the Malice at Auburn Hills (which is a pretty sore subject in my Pacers-driven mind) I think basketball is on par with that 1988 All-Star game I had eluded to yesterday.

Jeez… I might even be able to say… basketball is fun to watch again.

Tags: Basketball, Sports |

Comments

4 Responses to “A retraction about NBA Action”

  1. eric on February 21st, 2005 258 pm

    corey, watch some recent all star games on espn classic. this is the same thing that has always happened. sure there’s some hot dogging, but that’s part of the buy-in for the fans. remember 2003? double OT? how’s that for exciting! look back at the stats for people like ai and kidd, or basically any player who played point in an all star game. they dictate those games even more than in regular games, their assist totals are ridiculous, partly because they don’t want to be seen as ball hogs or whatever. as far as all star games go, basketball is the only one i watch because it’s really the only one that’s really exciting. think about it…baseball is too much like any other game, the probowl is boring!!! but basketball is great. how great is it to be a dork like me and think about how great it would be to see ray allen play with kg all the time, or tim duncan, or kobe or yao or shit, i could keep going but i won’t . the point of this ramble is basketball has been on a huge upswing for at least 5 or 6 years if not longer, and the all star game is always sweet. except for the fred hoiberg no 3 pt contest sham.
    eric

  2. Corey on February 21st, 2005 341 pm

    Eric, my friend.

    Ray Allen could be playing next to Garnett, but the suits thought Marbury would be a better pick. Ouch.

    Anyway, I did make a retraction. That post was to say that yes, basketball is on it’s way up again. But for the past 5 or 6 years?… no, it’s been pretty weak, in comparason. You have the lucky perspective of being a Wolves fan, which gives you an inside look at one of the more promising teams of the past 5-6 years. This is not at all on par with the rest of the league, which has been slipping down into a quagmire of low shooting percentages and 80 point games. This year, though, that has changed, and teams are scoring again.

    As far as PG in an All-Star game, they’d damn well better have higher assist totals – these guys are passing to Garnett, McGrady, and Shaq instead of Keith Van Horn, Darius Sognalia, and Chris Anderson, and on top of that, All-Star players aren’t playing the type of defense that they would in a regular season game.

    All I’m saying is that the league became very sloppy and very shoot-first oriented, especially after the strike, and is just now kicking itself in the ass to recover from it. I’ll say it again – I LIKED THE GAME THIS YEAR. When I used to think about recent All-Star games, I would think of the obligatory “seven fast breaks in a row with a sloppy missed dunk at the end” series, while this year, those dunks were made, or were passed out for the trey. The game was more fluid this year.

    I’m just complaining for complainings sake, and retracting when I realize I’m wrong. I was wrong about the All-Star game this year, but I sure as hell don’t retract what I say about the league in general.

    I love you Eric. We’re coming up to see the Mouse this weekend. Will you drink a beer with me?

    Corey.

  3. Trassy on February 21st, 2005 1011 pm

    Since you’re talking about the Wolves…I will just mention that I love how Kevin McHale fired Flip Saunders and then named himself coach. Maybe it’s just because I’m an old school Celtics lover and I’m bitter.

  4. eric on February 22nd, 2005 752 am

    oh corey corey
    i’m sorry that you’ve been stuck in the shit that is the eastern conference. you forget to notice what’s going on in the rest of the league. i didn’t say that the nba has been sweet for 5 or 6 years, i said it was an upswing. think about it. the nba started to tank when jordan retired, he left a vaccuum. people came to expect that kind of play and they are just not going to get it. but think about the last five years, the kings? (gulp) the lakers? the wolves? the spurs? lebron? reggie miller announcing retirement! ok that was low i guess. really though the east is finally staring to catch up to the west this year (or is it just shaq?). anyway maybe this year you’ll have to actually have a winning record to get into the playoffs, like you always have to in the west. i’m too tired for this to make real sense.
    eric
    marbury is a bitch

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