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Lawson and Dozier don’t survive Final Roster Cuts

NBA is dead to me. I watch World Cup and Stanley cup before NBA playoffs. I miss the 80’s and 90’s era of basketball.
 
Since we have brought this old thread back from the dead, AJ Lawson has made it back on a roster. Was signed by the Mavericks on a Two-Way Contract.
 
The competitiveness of the 80's and 90's games was great. However, go back and watch some of the tapes on NBATV. The shooting was brutal. The floor spacing was bad as only guys like Bird and Reggie Miller could consistently hit an 18 foot jumper. My favorite team is the Sixers of the late 70's with Dr. J. Nonetheless, I can admit that their shooting was brutal. You had playoff game scores of 82-76. The Pistons, Knicks, and Miami Heat of those days are the reason the NBA rules are they way they are today. The Hard Core fans got tired of watching a street fight dressed up as a basketball game. One of the hardest things to do is for us old-timers to admit that the young guys can do something better than us. I was forced to as my son is a high school player now. He has easy range out to 25 feet because all these kids are Stephen Curry babies. We didn't shoot with that type of range in my day. So my son has been ripping me in shooting games for years. I have to admit it. We watch tape together of the old games as guys I revere like Magic Johnson shoot brick after brick and my son is sitting there laughing like "was this really the golden age". So, I have been kind of forced to face it and eat my words on the greatness of 80's and 90's basketball.
I watch & keep up, but I do prefer a brand of basketball wherein one is not allowed to put their hand literally under the ball while dribbling.
 
I watch & keep up, but I do prefer a brand of basketball wherein one is not allowed to put their hand literally under the ball while dribbling.
I take it that you haven’t watched this year. They are calling traveling and palming to the extreme this year. I understand adhering to the rules. However, I am more a pace of play guy. Keep the play going. Call those things if a player got an advantage. Don’t over-officiate the games with calls that don’t affect whether a team scores or not. If a guy gets his hand under the ball dribbling up the court by himself what does it matter.
 
I take it that you haven’t watched this year. They are calling traveling and palming to the extreme this year. I understand adhering to the rules. However, I am more a pace of play guy. Keep the play going. Call those things if a player got an advantage. Don’t over-officiate the games with calls that don’t affect whether a team scores or not. If a guy gets his hand under the ball dribbling up the court by himself what does it matter.
Not really talking about bringing the ball up the court. I’m talking about the ability to become a halfback as-opposed to a basketball player. Yes, I’ve hated it since Jordan. Still watch.
 
Not really talking about bringing the ball up the court. I’m talking about the ability to become a halfback as-opposed to a basketball player. Yes, I’ve hated it since Jordan. Still watch.
There was a game between Golden state and Dallas recently where over 20 Travelling calls were made. 6 on one player (Jordan Poole). The NBA tends to have these early season mandates on particular calls. Then, they loosen it up a bit after the All-Star Break going into the playoffs.
 
The FBI (he calls himself), a big NBA fan has put out a weekly blog or podcast (or one of those terms) breaking down certain players in-game traveling and carrying the ball. It’s crazy. Just saw the one on Ja Morant. You can’t guard a guy when they let you do those things. Last week it was another player but I can’t remember which one it was.

Why can the guards walk and carry but if a post guy turns his pivot foot they call a walk?
 
The FBI (he calls himself), a big NBA fan has put out a weekly blog or podcast (or one of those terms) breaking down certain players in-game traveling and carrying the ball. It’s crazy. Just saw the one on Ja Morant. You can’t guard a guy when they let you do those things. Last week it was another player but I can’t remember which one it was.

Why can the guards walk and carry but if a post guy turns his pivot foot they call a walk?
My one reply to that though is the guy that many consider the greatest NBA player of all time was one of the worst offenders of the uncalled palming and traveling violations. All those traveling calls that were whistled at UNC became good plays. He then added a quick hesitation where he would put his hand under the ball and quickly turn it over that would leave defenders in the dust. People tend to focus on these things when the offender is a player they don't particularly like. They let the post players get away with a lot too (Hakeem Olajuwon, Kevin McHale, Robert Paris). They all traveled a lot in the post. Kevin McHale was switching his pivot foot on those up and unders. Same with Hakeem. Paris was just uncoordinated and took 3 steps practically every time he touched the ball. I don't mind though. My one requirement, even when I played, was to call the game consistently whether that be loose or strict. The NBA is the show. It's not for teaching the game. I want to see the best guys in the world play. I don't want to see an over-officiated professional game. However, a lot of these problems are old problems that they act like they are going to change early in seasons only to revert back to how they normally call the game later in the season.
 
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It’s not the players that are most at fault. It’s the league. The players will adjust to the calls. But like “the FBI” said, “ it’s like they are taunting the rules” and knowing they can get by with it. A step or two … I still don’t like it. But 3-4 steps and 2-3 obvious carries in a possession? I still remember when the video was out there a couple of years ago of Harden taking 7 steps before a shot. Comical. It’ll all calm down and the commissioner will be happy when all the games are 145-137 and there is no defense, all games being like that sorry all-star game they put on. The National Entertainment Association.
 
It’s not the players that are most at fault. It’s the league. The players will adjust to the calls. But like “the FBI” said, “ it’s like they are taunting the rules” and knowing they can get by with it. A step or two … I still don’t like it. But 3-4 steps and 2-3 obvious carries in a possession? I still remember when the video was out there a couple of years ago of Harden taking 7 steps before a shot. Comical. It’ll all calm down and the commissioner will be happy when all the games are 145-137 and there is no defense, all games being like that sorry all-star game they put on. The National Entertainment Association.
I get your point, but isn’t entertainment the point of professional sports. The 5000 guys that have played in the history of the NBA made it to the top of their profession. Their job is to put on a show for fans. It’s not to adhere to some notion of the right way to play. We have high schools and colleges for that. My best advice is, if you are going to enjoy a professional game, take your coach hat off and enjoy the elite matchups that you will only see at that level. On the college level, you get those type of matchups 2-3 times a year and maybe at the Final Four. I am just different than you. I can’t watch bad players even if they are attempting to run good offense and trying on defense. I have an expectation of skill level and I lose interest if you don’t meet that. So, our whole approach on how we see the game is different. No big deal.
 
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I get your point, but isn’t entertainment the point of professional sports. The 5000 guys that have played in the history of the NBA made it to the top of their profession. Their job is to put on a show for fans. It’s not to adhere to some notion of the right way to play. We have high schools and colleges for that. My best advice is, if you are going to enjoy a professional game, take your coach hat off and enjoy the elite matchups that you will only see at that level.
But it has trickled down to the colleges and high schools. I listened to Coach K’s radio show today and he and Dusty Baker were talking about that very thing.

coop, I can’t take my coach’s hat off when watching basketball and football. Did it too long. I’ve tried but I always get back to watching what’s going on like I’m grading or scouting the film. I do watch baseball, horse racing, boxing and other sports as a pure fan, probably because I don’t know enough of the details of those sports to get in the way of being entertained by them.

Anyway, it’s all sports. It ain’t brain surgery or saving lives or saving souls. It’s just sports and I’m glad we have it to enjoy and argue about it. I think of those Argentine fans someone had mentioned and their celebration of winning the cup - a sport bringing people together. We could have been born in the Ukraine or Somalia or North Korea or ……………
 
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