2024-25 NBA Thread

[The Sultan]

It's an event that is beyond saving. But hosts trashing the event and trashing the league isn't helpful either.

[WhiteTrash]

It's an event that is beyond saving. But hosts trashing the event and trashing the league isn't helpful either.

Very glad I skipped this event for the past 10 years.

When was the last time anyone told you about the great NBA All-Star game they watched?

Literally nobody I know has mentioned an NBA All-Star game to me in a decade plus. Not even the 400 point game last year in a disparaging way. In my world it does not register (same with the Pro Bowl).

[The Sultan]

The players really don't care all that much about it any more. They clearly care about the regular season...they even care about the Cup. And they certainly cared about the Olympics.

But we go into a moral panic because they don't really care about this.

[Uncle Rico]

Very glad I skipped this event for the past 10 years.

When was the last time anyone told you about the great NBA All-Star game they watched?

Literally nobody I know has mentioned an NBA All-Star game to me in a decade plus. Not even the 400 point game last year in a disparaging way. In my world it does not register (same with the Pro Bowl).

What a shocking revelation

[StillAWarrior]

I still watch the Saturday night events (skills, 3pt, and dunk) if I don't have something else going on. This year, I didn't so I watched. Really only two things stuck out to me: 1) Mac can dunk; and 2) CP2 should be embarrassed.

[MuggsyB]

I watched 0.0 secs of the All-Star game but read that Lebron and Anthony Edwards decided they weren't going to play the day of the game?  WTF? 

[MUfan12]

The first year they did the Elam Ending was pretty great. That fourth quarter was incredible since they were all getting after it.

[WhiteTrash]

I watched 0.0 secs of the All-Star game but read that Lebron and Anthony Edwards decided they weren't going to play the day of the game?  WTF? 

To quote the legendary Uncle Rico, "What a shocking revelation".

[MuggsyB]

To quote the legendary Uncle Rico, "What a shocking revelation".

That cost two players an all-star nod.  I don't recall this happening before. 

[WhiteTrash]

That cost two players an all-star nod.  I don't recall this happening before. 

Your take is reasonable and correct. Their actions are just additional evidence of the farcical nature of the "game".

[Skatastrophy]

After that Kevin Hart bit, the Inside the NBA crap, and the Mr Beast bs I would have walked out too. Good on lebron and Ant protesting the load of crap the Silver put together.

[The Sultan]

Ratings have been rebounding lately.

Gosh it's almost like style of play wasn't the actual reason they were down in the first place. 

[Uncle Rico]

Ratings have been rebounding lately.

Gosh it's almost like style of play wasn't the actual reason they were down in the first place. 

The game is so much better than the 90's.  The players are vastly superior in talent and athleticism

[The Sultan]

The game is so much better than the 90's.  The players are vastly superior in talent and athleticism

Exactly. Very few want to go back to that era despite what people like Barkley are yammering about.

[tower912]

C'mon.  Playoff games finishing in the 70's lots of mid range. Jordan being protected.  What more could one ask for?

[Uncle Rico]

C'mon.  Playoff games finishing in the 70's lots of mid range. Jordan being protected.  What more could one ask for?

Woof.  It's always jarring to go back and watch Showtime and the Celtics teams of the 80's that played incredibly fluid and exciting basketball and then watch the Pistons, Knicks and Heat strangle the game for a decade.

The 90's and early 00's were pretty brutal basketball

[WhiteTrash]

Ratings have been rebounding lately.

Gosh it's almost like style of play wasn't the actual reason they were down in the first place. 

Saw those Bulls ratings. Woof. I guess Chicago doesn't like what the Bulls are doing. Which begs the question: what are the Bulls doing?

[MuggsyB]

Draymond had a very bad few days.  As far as saving the gane the only real option is cold hard cash like TBT on steroids. Something like the winners get 5 mill, the losers get bumpkis. 

[The Sultan]

Draymond needs to learn that he can't just be against everything. And that the secret to the Inside the NBA guys, is that they can be joyful about the game as well. And self-depreciating too.

[JWags85]

Woof.  It's always jarring to go back and watch Showtime and the Celtics teams of the 80's that played incredibly fluid and exciting basketball and then watch the Pistons, Knicks and Heat strangle the game for a decade.

The 90's and early 00's were pretty brutal basketball

I saw a tweet talking about how "this era had so much more aura" and it was a clip of the Magic-Lakers finals.  The score was 54-56 with 4 min left in the 3rd.  It showed 3-4 made shots as it jumped forward and then it was 58-60 with 25 seconds left before the next Kobe make.  As in they scored 8 points in almost 4 min.  And they were serious thinking it was so much better.  Pure nostalgia merchant behavior.

Those mid 2000s Piston teams in particular were brutal.  People hated the super successful Spurs teams but I know plenty of people who begrudgingly respected them and their style of play.  Nobody outside of Detroit enjoyed those Pistons teams.

[WellsstreetWanderer]

C'mon.  Playoff games finishing in the 70's lots of mid range. Jordan being protected.  What more could one ask for?

Still more exciting than Stef Curry's half court shots and they played defense

[tower912]

Defense is played now.   Phenomenal defense, considering how the NBA treats scorers like the NFL treats QBs.

[Uncle Rico]

I saw a tweet talking about how "this era had so much more aura" and it was a clip of the Magic-Lakers finals.  The score was 54-56 with 4 min left in the 3rd.  It showed 3-4 made shots as it jumped forward and then it was 58-60 with 25 seconds left before the next Kobe make.  As in they scored 8 points in almost 4 min.  And they were serious thinking it was so much better.  Pure nostalgia merchant behavior.

Those mid 2000s Piston teams in particular were brutal.  People hated the super successful Spurs teams but I know plenty of people who begrudgingly respected them and their style of play.  Nobody outside of Detroit enjoyed those Pistons teams.

It was bad.  The 00-01 Bucks would actually have thrived in today's NBA I believe

[WhiteTrash]

I agree players across the board are better athletes and I do respect the defense they are allowed to play.

The difficult part of making the argument stick that the 80's, 90's and some 2000's were not as good because the scores were lower is physicality was so much greater. When you look back at the low scoring games of that era, everyone will agree that it was harder to score due to the physical nature of the defense, and not strictly a reflection of lower skill level.

And, while I think the players are better now; the improvement of the watchability has more to do with rule changes than player improvement.

Just one fan's opinion.

[tower912]

It was bad.  The 00-01 Bucks would actually have thrived in today's NBA I believe

Brad Sellers was a punch line in the 80s.  His length and skill set would absolutely play today. 
Ben Wallace, Charles Oakley, Anthony Mason, no.  Vinnie Johnson, no.

The overall length and athleticism has grown, like in football.