Anyone else BORED SICK of the current NBA right now?

[Nick 1733]

The reason I'm becoming dis-interested is because of officiating. It's no longer fair. Certain players get 'star' treatment and other's get jack and it's ruining the game.

Now living in Denver, our NBA team is the best pro sports team we have right now and it's still hard to watch because of the officiating.

[Guest]

The reason I'm becoming dis-interested is because of officiating. It's no longer fair. Certain players get 'star' treatment and other's get jack and it's ruining the game.

Once again, show me this era where Jordan, Magic, and Bird got the same treatment as anybody else.

[slapshot]

Where to begin?...

1. Fundamentals.

Since I started to actively pay attention to NBA basketball (1981, the Larry Bird Era), I have noticed that teams scored a lot more then than they do now. Is it defense? Hardly. Too many players are in the league now that can't shoot very well. Is it any wonder the American team gets spanked in International competition?

Of the top 100 point-scoring teams in the last 25 years, only twice since 2000 has a team broken into the list, both times it was Phoenix. And there isn't much representation from the mid-90's either. Wasn't this also during the few seasons the 3-point line was moved closer to the basket?

Didn't teams used to score regularly in triple digits? Anything below 90 was a bad night. How many times in the last 10 years have teams scored less than 75? 70? 65? Way too often. Games like the 161-157 Phoenix/NJ game are a lot more fun to watch than a 65-59 groaner with the Knicks and (insert random bad team here).

I don't want to watch pro ball players throw bricks. I want to see them pass and score, and play legitimate defense (so, no All-Star game either). It's not happening. Why? Well, that leads me to #2...

2. The league is too young.

Remember the days when college players stayed in school until graduation? Was it that long ago? Moses Malone was the exception to the rule, not one of the crowd.

Every year, there are 10 or so players coming straight out of high school into the NBA draft, missing out on years of honing their fundamental skills at a competitive team level.

You don't go out and work for a Fortune-500 company straight from high school. If someone's doing that, they're an anomaly, not a clone.

Are there really that many good high school players that are already NBA level? Seems like it. But why? Are high school players any better now than they were 20-25 years ago? Weren't there LeBrons and KGs back then? Why weren't they playing in the NBA?

Granted, KG and LeBron may be exceptions. But the fact is, high school players haven't stepped up to meet the NBA's caliber of play. The NBA's level has dropped to the point that high schoolers can fit in. What does that tell you?

The play of the NBA sucks to the point that there's no need to go to college and get better. Why waste time? Just go right to the NBA.

3. The gang mentality/lifestyle.

This will probably come across as a racial thing, but bear with me. Back in '81, you had your superstars. Bird. Dr. J. Kareem. They were put on a pedestal. They were great players, head and shoulders above their peers. And we didn't know much about them off the court.

Then we had Sir Charles, Michael Jordan, and Magic. We started to learn a little more about their off-the-court lives. Barkley seemed to make racial comments. Mike liked to gamble. Magic was promiscuous. It was off-putting, but as long as they were able to separate their off-court personas fromwhat they brought to gametime, everything was cool.

Then, we had Allen Iverson. This squeaky-clean looking kid from Georgetown had come into the league with his braided afro, multiple tattoos and arrogant personality. And we learn he hung around with felons, or "thugs" as they have been referred to. The thuglife persona was born, and more and more NBA players were filling that stereotype. More and more players were causing trouble on and off the court, blurring the line between sports and celebrity.

Do I need to mention Ron Artest? Kobe?

That's not to say it's only the black players who are the thugs. But they're the only ones who seem to get publicity for it.

The players used to be likeable. But they've become too "me-first", all think they're above the game. How do you market that?

There have been players recently who try to put a positive spin on the league's image. Dwayne Wade comes to mind. Tim Duncan. Steve Nash. Players who also seem to have a good grasp on the fundamental and team aspect of the game. Go figure.

4. The referees.

No, they don't call everything. As a referee, I can't watch the NBA. Travelling and palming are never called. Fouls aren't consistent. The Jordan Rules never went away.

Yes, I think there is a conspiracy, and it starts with David Stern.

5. The playoffs. They go on too long. A seven game series shouldn't take 2 1/2 weeks. Ten days tops.

I've put more effort into this post than I have watching any NBA game. I'd rather put my energy into watching NCAA. It's so much better.

[RyanMcD29]

I've basically stopped watching the NBA since the NHL lockout ended. Between watching college hoops and being basically the leader of my school's student section for basketball, I'd take NCAA and HS hoops any moment over the NBA

[Lee.]

I lost interest in basket-ball since those delightful peach baskets were replaced by these new-fangled stringed hoop things that I see everywhere, and when the true basketball players were replaced by tall negroes.

Although, to give credit where credit is due, this Shaquille gal is quite something, as was that Dominique Someone who played for, I believe, a team in the republic of Tejas. Those ladies certainly could play in a league dominated by men.

[nwtrailtrekker]

i prefer how scoring works in football, faster than baseball, hockey, or soccer (yawn) but more influential and higher stakes than basketball.

i love baseball. great sport to play. but watching it is just sleepy (especially as a Mariner fan)

hockey and soccer.. YAWN!

basketball, fun live. but otherwise, not terribly exciting till the last 5 minutes of a close ball game

[CS85]

I used to be a huge fan from about 1997-2003, but after the league's stars I grew to love in the 90's NBA heyday started to fade away, and all of a sudden defense became secondhand, and the league became all about image and scoring, pop, flash and sizzle. Players were shopped and dealt all over the place, I couldn't keep up with the rosters anymore. I think also I just can't follow my team as much anymore. I am a huge Pacers fan, but have almost become a closet Bulls fan since I live in Illinois and read Bulls press all the time. Reggie Miller retired, Rik Smits had to leave the game years ago, Mark Jackson and Travis Best are gone, Austin Croshere descended into mediocrity. Ron Artest and Jermaine were brought in, and it just wasn't the same for me.

But the game itself is still a fun game to watch, it's just lacking in the legends we've all known for so long. I still get chills watching tape of Jordan, Bird, Magic, etc.

[harperdc]

I might be in the minority, but I've become a bigger fan, and it has to do with the seeds for the revitalization of my only home-town franchise being planted and being nurtured right now. My team - the Blazers - has a great tradition, is the only major team in town, and has a great future on the back of players like Roy, Aldridge, Jack, Rodriguez, Przybilla, and, if they can truly buy into the team philosophy, Randolph and Miles.

the game live is great, too. I went to my first game (against the Nets a few weeks ago) and enjoyed every minute.

being interested in the Blazers has also gotten me more interested in the Association...and I honestly think there are a lot of great players and superstars in the making out there right now. I'm also fascinated by the possible tie-ins between the NBA and the EuroLeague...that could be awesome for both.

I'm also reading the book ":07 seconds or less" and it's really confirmed the Suns as my second team right now. Awesome style of play that I think more people should emulate.

[leedsunited]

I might be in the minority, but I've become a bigger fan, and it has to do with the seeds for the revitalization of my only home-town franchise being planted and being nurtured right now. My team - the Blazers - has a great tradition, is the only major team in town, and has a great future on the back of players like Roy, Aldridge, Jack, Rodriguez, Przybilla, and, if they can truly buy into the team philosophy, Randolph and Miles.

the game live is great, too. I went to my first game (against the Nets a few weeks ago) and enjoyed every minute.

being interested in the Blazers has also gotten me more interested in the Association...and I honestly think there are a lot of great players and superstars in the making out there right now. I'm also fascinated by the possible tie-ins between the NBA and the EuroLeague...that could be awesome for both.

I'm also reading the book ":07 seconds or less" and it's really confirmed the Suns as my second team right now. Awesome style of play that I think more people should emulate.

Interesting, as a lot of people in Portland have been turned off by the team and the NBA as a whole in recent years. I know that the Trailblazers have done some serious marketing in order to win back those fans, and their drafting of kids with no serious character issues has helped.

But, Darius Miles epitomizes everything I cannot stand about the NBA in its current guise. Overpaid malcontent.