For those who follow the NBA

[Barbershopman]

I don't follow the NBA until the playoffs. The last NBA game I attended was when the Kings were still in Kansas City in 1985. That game the Kings were victorious with 101 points. Of the games that were played last night, all of the losing teams scores would have beaten the Kings. The Bulls lost to the Warriors 149-124 without the game going into overtime for crying out loud!

Now before I get nasty replies, yes, the game has changed since 1985. The three point line has been implemented and now the game is being played at the perimeter rather than trying to get the ball inside. But what is it about the scoring this year, most of the LOSING teams are scoring 110 plus. Is this just a perk of how the game is played today, shooting more threes and not worrying about getting the ball inside? Is it that teams aren't running the shot clock down and therefore more possessions per game? Is it that the players are getting better? Is it a combination of all three or is it something else?

Barbershopman

 

[Philip_2006]

I don't follow the NBA until the playoffs. The last NBA game I attended was when the Kings were still in Kansas City in 1985. That game the Kings were victorious with 101 points. Of the games that were played last night, all of the losing teams scores would have beaten the Kings. The Bulls lost to the Warriors 149-124 without the game going into overtime for crying out loud!

Now before I get nasty replies, yes, the game has changed since 1985. The three point line has been implemented and now the game is being played at the perimeter rather than trying to get the ball inside. But what is it about the scoring this year, most of the LOSING teams are scoring 110 plus. Is this just a perk of how the game is played today, shooting more threes and not worrying about getting the ball inside? Is it that teams aren't running the shot clock down and therefore more possessions per game? Is it that the players are getting better? Is it a combination of all three or is it something else?

Barbershopman

Yes, Golden State Warriors are a super team so the best teams are definitely getting better than the rest.
No, individual players aren't getting better...4 seasons of Steve Nash 50% field goal, 40% at 3, 90% FT.
GS had 16 turnovers in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.
James Harden missed all 11 3-pointers, but won thanks to GS TO.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50%E2%80%9340%E2%80%9390_club

 

[Philip_2006]

Game 2 West Finals Houston Rockets "Super Team" of James Harden & CP3 went 4-20 20% behind the arc.
Eric Gordon & PJ Tucker bailed them out of that game against GS Warriors, but it wasn't close at 127-105.

 

[Mitchell]

Barbershopman,

While I don't follow the NBA as closely as I do major league baseball.

I do watch the New York teams, the Knicks, and Nets, occasionally, even with as poorly as they both have played so far this season.

In regard to what you said.. A couple of things.

One..

The Western Conference teams, ie. the Warriors, etc, usually score more points than the Eastern Conference teams like the Knicks.

Also,

It seems as though teams don;'t play perhaps as "Stifling Defense" as they used to 20 or 30 years ago.

When the Knicks had their successful run for many years in the 1990s.

They used to be able to beat teams. 95-85.

The Knicks defense was so strong, that they did not have to score many points to win, and would regularly put up 50 wins a season each year doing such.

I'm one who believes that the "Three point line"

Is more for the excitement of the fans than for the players.

So many times, you see guys firing up way off mark three point shots.

I'm mixed on the three point shot.

Part of me says it is exciting to run up the score, and another part says it would not be the worst thing in the world if they took the shot away.

That's my take on the NBA.

 

[Barbershopman]

Yes, Mitch, I do agree they don't play the stifling defense of 20-30 years ago and that has contributed to higher scores.

I remember watching the games of the 90s and the pace was not as quick as today.

Plus, when the 3-point line was introduced in 1984, teams would take shots from behind that line maybe 15-20% of the time. Today, that number is well over 50%. Plus when it was introduced it was 23 feet 9 inches. Today, it is 22 feet uniform from the basket. In the ABA, it was introduced in the 1968-69 season.


Just a side note, it was first used in college in the tournament in 1987. I follow the Missouri Tigers and if the 3-point line was introduced in the early 80s, Jon Sunvold would have torn up the Big 8 and we would have been a high seed every year in the tournament instead of a middle seed.

Thanks for the input Mitch!


Barbershopman