Does the NBA have a problem?

[str8line]

this entire post is ********. defense in the nba is better and more advanced than it has even been. there is more emphasis, more scouting, more preparation on that side of the ball than there has ever been. the games are high scoring because the offense is so ridiculously advanced - everybody can handle, everybody can pass and everybody can shoot. you may not like the high scoring basketball where offense dominates and that's fair - we all have our unique tastes - but it isn't a result of poor defense or that defense is a "novelty" or not "a core part of the game". that sounds nice, you will get several thumbs up, it's narrative that people who don't understand the game like to trumpet, but it's patently false.

I don't know man, we all watch the game just like you. The three point shot is being used to ridiculous effect. Run down...one pass...and chuck... rinse... repeat. Maybe they should do something to make the three less pervasive. Move the line back or change the point structure.

 

[LogGrad98]

this entire post is ********. defense in the nba is better and more advanced than it has even been. there is more emphasis, more scouting, more preparation on that side of the ball than there has ever been. the games are high scoring because the offense is so ridiculously advanced - everybody can handle, everybody can pass and everybody can shoot. you may not like the high scoring basketball where offense dominates and that's fair - we all have our unique tastes - but it isn't a result of poor defense or that defense is a "novelty" or not "a core part of the game". that sounds nice, you will get several thumbs up, it's narrative that people who don't understand the game like to trumpet, but it's patently false.

Here's just one look at the best defensive teams in NBA history. Not one past 2013. There are a few lists like this, most showing the same outcome. None of the best defensive teams fall in the past 5 years and mostly even in the last decade. Defense has definitely been deprioritized by the league in general. The focus is on offense. As was stated, one pass, jack up a 3. There just isn't the same focus on defense there was in the past. It's a fact.


View: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2185159-ranking-the-nbas-20-best-defenses-of-all-time

Here's another look that shows defensive rating getting worse by decade.

Best Defensive Rating NBA By Decade | StatMuse

best defensive rating NBA by decade

www.statmuse.com

 

[str8line]

Avg. 3 pt attempts per game:

1990's- 11

2010's- 23

2020's- 35

 

[One Brow]

Here's just one look at the best defensive teams in NBA history. Not one past 2013. There are a few lists like this, most showing the same outcome. None of the best defensive teams fall in the past 5 years and mostly even in the last decade.

That evidence supports and @seattlejazzfan equally.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

this entire post is ********. defense in the nba is better and more advanced than it has even been. there is more emphasis, more scouting, more preparation on that side of the ball than there has ever been. the games are high scoring because the offense is so ridiculously advanced - everybody can handle, everybody can pass and everybody can shoot. you may not like the high scoring basketball where offense dominates and that's fair - we all have our unique tastes - but it isn't a result of poor defense or that defense is a "novelty" or not "a core part of the game". that sounds nice, you will get several thumbs up, it's narrative that people who don't understand the game like to trumpet, but it's patently false.

The defense is clearly worse, at least in relative terms.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Offense is rewarded more than ever so players are going to focus their own court effort towards offense and they will focus their training effort on offense.

You can be an advanced defender, but if you can't hit above 33% from 3 you might not even be in the NBA. I feel like the 90s and 00s had more roster room for defensive specialist than teams do now

 

[fishonjazz]

I don't know man, we all watch the game just like you. The three point shot is being used to ridiculous effect. Run down...one pass...and chuck... rinse... repeat. Maybe they should do something to make the three less pervasive. Move the line back or change the point structure.

This all might be true but has nothing to do with the post you quoted (it was talking about more offensive scoring having more to do with how good players are offensively today vs back in the day. Today players can shoot, pass, handle, etc better than 30 years ago or whatever. And that is the reason for the high scoring more so than poor defense.)

 

[fishonjazz]

Avg. 3 pt attempts per game:

1990's- 11

2010's- 23

2020's- 35

Yes players take and make more 3's today than ever before. Players today are better shooters than ever before. No one disagrees with this.

 

[Rubashov]

Yeah, Shaq is probably one of the worst people to call out players. What if Michael Jordan said the same thing? How would Kobe feel about today's NBA?

I quietly reckon Michael Jordan is a sociopath

 

[Rubashov]

Avg. 3 pt attempts per game:

1990's- 11

2010's- 23

2020's- 35

Analytics my friend, what is it? A 35% 3 point shooter has greater value than 50 percent 2 point shooter. The death of the mid range... its all in the stats...

Read an interesting article in the athletic about how analytics are changing football. The traditional set piece corner for example in the last 30 years there has been 50000 in the PL for 1500 goals. Fairly poor return with a lot of teams now taking the short corner and just playing from the corner.

 

[str8line]

Analytics my friend, what is it? A 35% 3 point shooter has greater value than 50 percent 2 point shooter. The death of the mid range... its all in the stats...

Read an interesting article in the athletic about how analytics are changing football. The traditional set piece corner for example in the last 30 years there has been 50000 in the PL for 1500 goals. Fairly poor return with a lot of teams now taking the short corner and just playing from the corner.

What language are you speaking? Is that Australian?

 

[Tremendous Upside]

I feel like the 90s and 00s had more roster room for defensive specialist than teams do now

They sure did. But the whole concept of NBA defense has changed a lot. Back in the day, we had a lot more static 1-on-1 play because the defensive rules were different and the game took place more or less inside the perimeter. When you look at old games from the 90's now, it's shocking how there's almost no spacing at all - until they easily clear a whole side of the court for a ridiculous ISO. That would be impossible today.

A defensive specialist was usually a "lockdown" guy, tasked to stop someone 1-on-1 either on the perimeter or in the low post. It made sense to have those dudes on your roster back then, but it's important to keep in mind that the conditions that allowed them to exist in the NBA with almost zero scoring skill were no less artificial than the emphasis on offense today.

Nowadays smart team defense is where it's at, and as a consequence, there's almost no room for the individual defensive specialists (if they can't shoot).

 

[str8line]

This all might be true but has nothing to do with the post you quoted (it was talking about more offensive scoring having more to do with how good players are offensively today vs back in the day. Today players can shoot, pass, handle, etc better than 30 years ago or whatever. And that is the reason for the high scoring more so than poor defense.)

I'm not sure how to quantify what I see on the defensive side but to my eyes defensive effort is not what it was 10 or 20 years ago. I'm not sure I believe that the players are that much better offensively(yes they are better from long-range so maybe time to move the line back). Maybe it's that dudes are saving their energy for the offensive end and why wouldn't they when most players get paid based on their offensive output. What I am seeing is a ton of offensive possessions with one pass and a shot, usually from three. Would be nice to see more team and less individual ball, and a restructuring of the 3-point shot(move the line back, change the point allowance to 3/4, etc.) could possibly accomplish that.

 

[Rubashov]

What language are you speaking? Is that Australian?

Get your carer to explain it to you, you spastic.

 

[str8line]

Get your carer to explain it to you, you spastic.

Who pissed in your Cheerios?

 

[Rubashov]

Who pissed in your Cheerios?

****ing life did, what's your issue? feel like a knife fight in the car park?

 

[str8line]

****ing life did, what's your issue? feel like a knife fight in the car park?

Depends on what kind of car I can get away with. I like certain BMW's.

 

[Thee Idiotic Minivan K]

All I know is teams played harder competed harder and laid it on the line more in the regular season and played through injury a lot more played while sick. They do none of those things now. Whether it’s Shaq or MJ saying those things it’s true.

 

[Thee Idiotic Minivan K]

Another tell tell sign is there are more injuries even though teams are load managing and players playing much less.

 

[Thee Idiotic Minivan K]

You never hear about players going on long periods without missing a game like we did 20 years ago.