How the NBA continues to make scoring easier 

Wish the refs today were that enthusiastic

the joey crawford block call is the greates ref moment of all time

@@brickathon7322 they are, but in regards to giving out technical fouls instead

The real beautiful game

shii those guys did look too joyful

thank you

@@SolaceMcfly Identical to my outline, except you have a much friendlier term for the 22:45 section.

@@ThinkingBasketball now I gotta know. What was it?

@@Bobbyboo2269 “The evolution of pu**y foul calls”

@@ThinkingBasketball as someone that has been watching basketball, I noticed most of these evolutions but didn’t experience pre 1990 so it was nice to see all of this. I remember Reggie Miller using the leg kick frequently in the 90’s but only in the past decade or so did become the norm. I remember Manu perfection that flop and slowly became the norm.

he was smarter than everyone else. the more we know the more amazing how chamberlain was... i put them 1a, 1b, 1c MJ, Wilt, Kobe, and number 2 is Bill Russell. Wilt played the way he did and did not join any racial cause, that is because he is so poor he could not afford to loose the benefit of having accepted by the white people. It was an easy choice, he avoid confrontation as much as possible, even though he got physically beaten from left to right... thats how mentally strong wilt was.

Allen Dixon note

Imagine the stat lines he’d have put up if he could have really used his strength like Shaq was able to.

@@jamiegaskins3687 He actually wanted to play the game this way because he honored the game the way it was created.

Word is that he just stopped contesting shots when in remote foul trouble.

And, yet today’s NBA fans would ignore this to spin their own narrative.

@@davonbenson4361we done with the 90s

except NBA basketball is not entertaining anymore....NBA shot itself in the foot in every way imaginable.

@@peterjabattack1 The NBA is more of an entertainment product than a sport!

I don't watch today. I watch NBA on TNT because of the rules and nonsense

L takes

For real. It's worse that modern fans just point to everyone's stats today and how they're better than all the players from every era, when it's just ridiculously easy to score and offense is catered to in every way.

Hopefully more fans look at this video objectively and come to the same conclusion. It is entirely possible to think this era of players is better while still respecting players from the past and recognizing the differences in the way the style of play and officiating has changed over the years, but way too many younger fans don't seem to see it that way.

I would put it differently - it's the current players who lack the skills

Agreed. They never had the opportunity to enhance their ball handling and player IQ because of the huge limitations on what they were allowed to do. It’s impossible for any players in the 60s-80s to have handling like Kyrie Irving or Allen Iverson because it would be a travel every single time.

@@kdub3288 Yup, and if today's players were time traveled to back then they would turn the ball over almost every time they touched it because of the rules were enforced.

Yeah that’s why the “plumbers” And “firefighters” shit is stupid as hell.

Yeah, just as a regular fan, that is one of the things that makes me actually mad.

Amen. It's disgusting to me

yea ok, for sure i agree. but what about a play where a guy takes the free lane to the basket and the moment the defender sees it, starts side stepping and the exact moment he puts his two feet down (while many times still moving his upper body towards him) they collide and that's an offensive call? (and the guys doin' it are usually shorter guys, that can't meet them at the rim)

@@georgemarco11 that’s an interesting question ask considering that’s the only way to actually get an offensive foul called

@@christophercrane2323 glad to know you read the manual. next step, try to play a little or watch some games, and not only your teams...find some time, you may like it

There's also the fact that Shaq physically moving Wilt isn't something I could ever see happening without flagrant fouls involved.

Shaq would still go crazy. He just wouldnt assault people like he did. Just like Wilt would just beat the shit out of everyone, if he played in the 90s. Dont underestimate how athletic Shaq was and how smart he is. He just got a little too comfortable after winning a lot.

Shaq would probably foul out in the first quarter.

James Harden has his own Set of Rules in the NBA …. 👀. 🏀

@@constablekennedy7705 you dont know ball

True, AI’s cross when he first started pulling it out in the league was controversial as some refs call carry because of how much slower the actual cross is compared to those of the past like Tim Hardaway Sr. who at his peak was revered for his crossover because his cross was a snap. Then we have James Harden who completely turned the rulebook on its head with his step-step back which legends even call a travel, it’s not player hating like everyone seems to think but if MJ in 1996 were to use that move, he would be called for a travel.

I find it funny they let AI get away with it since they try to censor so many things about him

Umm Iverson crossover got called repeatedly in his rookie season which is why after 98 he switched his handle up as far as using his off hand as a shield and using more triple threat jab steps. Trust and believe the refs was always on his ass 💯

Yuh like how JJ Redick disrespect Bob Cousy

They're still better, it's not disrespectful, in fact it's because of those guys that paved the way that made the players what they are today

I was literally about to type this whole thing. Some act like humans in the 60s were Neanderthals. Today's players would play the same as the 60s players did if they played back then. Thinking they're going to go back to 1960 and show em. Yea, show em how to get 30 travels 15 offensive fouls lol. Oh and give 60s players today's modern sports science, nutrition, facilities, travel, recovery, etc. Let them watch the last 60 years of videotape and then have a jump ball.....

@@donothesitate1198 They are better overall today, but that’s largely due to training methods and innovations in the game. I’m sure if you took someone like Oscar Robertson out of the 60s and let them grow up with modern training and such, they would at minimum still be a solid NBA player.

@@deathbackwards7850 definitely

thats why i only watch giannis

But they still won

Basketball today is almost nothing like what I grew up with. I was born in 82 so the 90s and early 2ks were when I played and watched basketball religiously. I can't even bring myself to watch games anymore and haven't really for at least the last 5 or 6 years. I'm not trying to hate on basketball now and days but to me it's just not even close to the same game anymore. I'm glad people still enjoy it but it's just not for me anymore.

Struggle? By winning it every four years? 😂

@@whayes8084 other than KD, many players couldnt even perform as good as they would in the NBA today because of the rules.

the game is so bad that even with more population and market they have only half the view than in mj time ...

@@jessicalacasse6205 nba was worth $11B in 1998, now its worth $60B, nba making money wether u think its bad or not. wether u watch or not.

@@jessicalacasse6205tell me you have no idea what you’re talking about without telling me you have no idea what you’re talking about… 🤦‍♂️

@@RobinXlone called inflation ,they just jacked the price of thing like ticket and tv contract and most those tv contractor are losing money now why the league want an ap

@@jessicalacasse6205 no the nba was worth $6B in 1998, i adjusted for inflation when i said $11B because i already knew a dumbass would try and say that stupid inflation shit

Facts, by old head logic you can't be considered an all time great defender if you played before the 2000s. It was so much easier to defend.

At the same time, we can call all those offensive Players overrated, because baskets are literally handed to them..

@@Jmiedawg actually they always say defense was harder to go against. Not harder to play.

Agreed, guys l8ke Gobert and Smart are near top 10 level defenders, but don't get spoken about that way.

@@linkonedgell894 Smart is a huge flopper and gambles way too much, Jrue Holiday is a way better defender. Smart only won dpoy because the Celtics had the no1 defense and their best defensive player (RW3) was hurt so they had to give to someone else

Giannis should be called more on those bs drives were he lowers is shoulder and completely destroy the defender like it’s football

@@GoulaLegamer The reason he can do this is because most defenders cannot get in front of him in time due to his length/quicness. Once you appreciate this, you'll understand these non-calls better.

NBA all time popular because of these rule changes. teams going from half a billion valuation to 2 billion. All the antics ARE skill, because the referee's mind is part of the court. Get into their head and flop for an offensive? Of course. Kerr and Draymond are wizards at getting the refs to see the game their way, as is LeBron. Who were the biggest beneficiaries of the new Harden rules? Draymond Green, and Andrew Wiggins. Ask Luka, or Tatum, or Jokic. or Ja. Unintended consequences always follow simple sounding rule changes.

@@maharajahdann doesn’t make sense ? U would know if u played basketball that when u lower u shoulder is in fact when u aren’t quick enough to go past the defender but now people be flopping all over the place because they’re sick of getting destroyed like they play in the nfl sum of those plays doesn’t look like basketball even if I love giannis in the nba if u don’t fall on the ground it Nevers get called an offensive which is complete bs ...

Well put.

Yes, global viewership shows. Better tech and easier access nowadays and nba viewership has been diving, basketball without defence is boring

You also had MJ. That helped a TON.

Yes, and they hadn’t completely tossed the rule book aside for superstars at that point. Now, rules only matter for the role players and bench guys.

Agreed. Balanced blend of athleticism, physicality and calls. Today's refereeing is ridiculously soft. 80's and back were too strict.

Yeah but only because it doesn't cover what defensive additions have been made as well. Once you start looking at things like zones and player switching and other things the defense is allowed to do that they couldn't do then its a lot more murky.

but then you’re also calling the defense in the offensive talent era underrated

todays era of defense is hella underrated i agree

@@KobeLoverTatumhow about quit putting words in peoples mouths lmao

This era has defense?

@@MrREAPERsz nope but it’s the rules fault be the players imo. Players are trying to play defense with rules that set them at a disadvantage. You’ll foul out in the first quarter trying to really defend with how the rules are set up

Jerry West was shooting near 50%fg as a perimeter player with no 3s. He would be an elite shooter. At age 35 they finally recorded steals and he was 2nd despite injuries. He would likely be a top 5 player in 2022. But the 50’s players did have a lot of far less athletic players. The 60’s is really where the taken began to form.

Their jumpers still looked awful back then and that has nothing to do with the rules lmao

@@ASMRblack the way a jumper looks doesn’t really matter. That’s just aesthetics.

@@ASMRblack It has everything to do with information and training. Steph Curry would be shooting underhanded if he were the first human to pick up a basketball. If the guys from the 60's were playing today they would have learned from modern coaches and their shots would look like modern shots. That's why the comparisons are so stupid.

Embiid in his current build would be too slow for the 90s, look at all agile those 90s hof big men are.

They tried to do that by fining players for flopping

@@reidb6327 I think they could apply an additional personal foul to the play for the flop or even make it a technical if it is a crazy flop. Something has to be done about flopping and ref baiting though because it’s getting out of control lol.

I think players should be allowed to embellish but let the victimized player take advantage. Like if an off nisve player embellishes a drive, let them fall and look crazy while the defensive player gathers the ball.

@@deathcare hmm... and given that there are thousands of commercial breaks, they could take their time off camera to assess the foul then and penalize or reward the teams. That could work.

@@deathcare Agree, a technical and possession can shift a game and/or a series just like you say. Make it affect the outcome of the game

The layup he blocked was probably a travel under the same rules

I do think Wilt was a better all around athlete.

spin moves often are just blatent travels...

I mostly agree. But if someone from the 60s don't have a good a jumper as I do now, we just can't pretend like this was just as good as mine because it was comparatively good then

@@loganmattoon5284 That's actually exactly what we can do. That's the definition of context. You have had the decades of basketball knowledge and jumpshot mechanics that came before you to study and improve yours. Nobody in the 60s had that same privilege that you enjoy. If they did, if they had that knowledge and context to draw on, then their jumpshot would obviously be as good or better than yours.

Kyrie is one of the few players he plays some of the purest basketball without the BS

@@tridra5714 I think he’s talking about his dribbling and finishing. He’d be called for travels and carries non stop.

@@loganmattoon5284 we need to use a combination of clues as to how they compare. One clue is work ethic and response to practice. For example, when Jordan practiced the long three in the late 80s and early 90s, he became good enough to compare to today's shooters, even putting up 6 straight in a Finals game. But after his first retirement, he stopped practicing the shot, and when the line moved back, we see his percentage and attempts drop. Each era had different skills that were important, and how players perfected their skills shows their ability to adapt. Players who also showed the ability to adapt as the game changed over time are the most likely to be able to adapt to different eras. For example, Magic couldn't shoot entering the league, but was a good shooter in his last years...same with Kidd. So it's not just how they played against their peers, but how they adapted their game across different styles. We also have to take how their skills would work against different defenses. For example, Dolph Shayes could shoot from distance, having three point range on his shot, even though there was no 3-pt line. However, he was a set shooter and didn't jump on his shot, which would make his shot more blockable. In today's game his set shot might be good as a wide open shooter, but not great against these long, quick, and reactive defenses. It's hard to tell if he would learn modern shooting techniques though. Considering he did adapt some during his time in the league, one might reason he could possibly become a Duncan Robinson type shooter, with his similar height and athleticism, but it's debatable.

There are other clips that show more physical play, but it's usually off the ball. On the ball, it was a lot smarter to give the offensive player a bit of space and anticipate his movements so you can beat him to his spot. Lots of offensive fouls were drawn this way. Bellamy doing that surrendered that possibility. The ruggedness of the 60s was more due to A) being expected to play through all but the worst injuries and B) the complete lack of flagrant fouls. So if the defense felt they had to fouls you or you score, there was no reason to not just clobber you. You can find clips of just that being done to guys like Chamberlain, West, Bellamy, etc.

😂 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

so u mean AI crossover was a streetball move? hell no its make the nba better, but the rules in favor of the offense are for sure

Except in street ball you aren’t trying to fake out refs

MJ was averaging 36pts when the PISTONS were on their PEAK. To say that the NBA made it easier for MJ to score was just a MYTH. How the heck did MJ scoring average went down when the rules were changed? Lol

@@dylanlanzuela7305 Try watching the video.

So in Wilts opinion the rules should have been changed stop Russell and the Celtics 😂

@@n.jigmelhendup5495 Nah, Wilt always considered himself the best player in those championships that he lost. The Celtics were just too loaded. That's why he finally came to the Lakers to win one.

@Dylan Lanzuela 80 defense was actually trash 🗑, the nineties was better but it was hampered by illegal defense rules, 2000s was the best. TOM THIBODAUX, until pace and space and Splash BROs, do schemes and players skill set got better. In the nineties the 3pt line was shortened.

He lead the league in FG% 10 times shooting fadeaway jumpers… Before Dirk was even born might I add

I saw several games of wilt from the 70’s. In the more modern game, he would be very similar to Shaq. Wilt was more awkward with the ball and didn’t have the footwork that Shaq had but wilt can jump higher and had a really good finger roll. Like Shaq, Wilt was bad from mid range and free throws but he was a great shot blocker with his length and size and high jump. Russel was better defensive because Wilt like Shaq lacked great lateral movement but Bill Russel on defense moved like a modern day Giannis.

@@Homer-OJ-Simpson Wilt wasn't a bad midrange shooter. 60% of his attempts were jumpshots. He had a very successful fadeaway Jumper (aka fallback jumper bank shot).

@@spaltersar I’ve gone through and seen several games. Never once saw him make a shot more than 8ft. And I counted his shots on two games and found 2/3 of his shots were layups or dunks almost all from getting fed the ball right by the hoop (ie he didn’t get the ball further out and work to create the shot). About 1/3 were fadeaway from usually 4-7 ft out.

@@Homer-OJ-Simpson 70s footage, right? better watch 60s footage, when he was in his prime and had another role than he had in Lakers team.

The amount of research in this video is so rare in RU-vidrs nowadays. Everyone is all about hot takes with no source to back it up.

Not true. Illegal defense made it easier to score in the 90s. Defense is actually better now than it was then, players are just THAT TALENTED now

They wouldn’t tho

@@xXSprMgaAwsmFxyHtXx yes they would

If LeBron James played in 1957, he'd be called for a travel every time. The 50s and 60s may have had these so-called "electricians and farmers", but I doubt any modern player could cope with the strictness of the rules of the day. Hell, Jerry Sichting, a role player from the 80s Celtics dynasty, had a cleaner dribble technique than James Harden.

they also criticize them dribbling mostly with the right hand, without realizing that it was just much harder to switch hands without carrying the ball

@@Sizdothyx cleaner technique than James harden ? Just stop it 😆😆😆😆😆😆🤡

Dont see why you are disgusted by the players its not like they are meant to have some moral obligation to play "the right way". Their goal is to help their team win, its the officiating that needs to change

@@lun4766 While I agree that the officiating is the biggest problem for rewarding certain behavior, that isn't the only issue. The players that exploit bad rules don't stop there, they often also try to trick the refs into making the wrong call on purpose. When they deceive the referees by flopping to make legal contact (or even non contact) seem illegal to bait a foul that is on their heads. Lying can give you an advantage in most games, but it degrades the game. Referees are not omniscient so they will always be susceptible to deception. At a certain point, sportsmanship is necessary.

case in point: celtics vs bucks this playoffs with giannis throwing himself at the defender and players falling over in order to get an offensive foul called

I got so confused i had to look at the jersey

I feel especially bad for the guys on an island out on the perimeter, then some giant comes over who's allowed to basically block you like a lineman in football. No wonder so much of the game now is just hunting switches.

What you are describing is the sweet spot of the 80s to early 2000s it’s gone and we will probably never get it back. Why ppl who have been watching the game forever could care less about the game now. It’s a shooting contest. Im sure certain players are doing there best to play defense but the officials are making its hopeless. Better to out score

It’s harder to play defense today and because the game moves so much and less opportunities for an individual defender to shine, individual defense isn’t as impactful as it was 20-50 years ago. But team defense today is far more important than ever .. the coaches are having to come up with far more complex defensive schemes than ever.

@@anthonyurso9366 "Why ppl who have been watching the game forever could care less about the game now." Describes me perfectly. I used to be a huge fan, but haven't watched a game in years. (I watch bits of video here and there, but the game has virtually nothing to do with the game I played and cared about.)

They don't even have to change defense, just fix the carrying and defense will be easier

Great point

Thats why football works a little bit better, there is less rules and the few that exist are clearer, the only weird things happens when the reff misjudges a play or just plain benefit another team, there is yellow cards and red cards and thats it

Today's NBA Is terrible. Been watching since 1975, can't even watch a full game anymore.

yeah.. indeed.. boring is the right word to describe today NBA, no offense manuvers who wow'd us anymore. no defense whatsoever. simple pass then hitting three's and hope that will go in. there's a reason why past 5 years NBA had lowest rating compare to late 80s 90s 00s.

@@kenturoni Where are you getting your ratings data? Pretty sure the NBA ratings have been higher than ever the past 5 years...

I agree. This is an excellent overview of the changes in officiating, and I enjoyed it very much. With respect to the goaltending call for pins against the backboard, that was a college rule well into the 1980s - Ewing as a Hoya, for instance.

Why don't you guys hate the 90s? It's also way looser rules than the 60s

Don’t get out of control 😂

Absolutely true.

ong they need VAR like football to check over every call instantly because these flops make the refs job impossible to get everything right. If they flop they should get a tech every time too idk how they haven't added that yet.

Just show an old video of jim class of the 60's then show one of 2023 and let's see who were more physical, durable, stronger!

I started watching in 1990. I saw the transition of the game as it slowed down more and more and got more physical while also seeing more allowed for dribbling. Then in 2004 they banned handchecking and the game overnight became a perimeter players game. And then 2012 or so the 3’s started flying. Then 2015/2016 or so, the pacing began to increase. And around 2009 they allowed a gather step though it was 2019 when it was spelled clearly in a rule. In 1990, I didn’t know about the past and saw video of players of the past that looked weak. It was only more recently due to the internet and RU-vid that I found out how much rile enforcement changed which is why old guys in 1990’s complained about hardaway and Iverson dribbling just like I sort of do today. They allow more and more dribbling. A lot of youngins today see video of the 2004 and before or see stats of that era and don’t realize the game was different.

2019 was a huge game-changer. That's when I started to not recognize the game as spacing increased exponentially as you had to account for 3.5 steps. Now every shot looks wide open

The only one willing, capable and available to do this type of relevant and not-easy basketball work. In a sea of bs, Ben is invaluable in the basketball scene (Clayton is good too).

And defense was easier!! Jordan was not a top defender.

Michael exactly. Even hand checking was made illegal after 77 , yet was hardly called.

@@Michael-eu4pf Deandre Jordan? Idk man he seemed pretty good in the early 2010s.

@@KleinpeterHank He's talking about MJ, which is crazy

@@Michael-eu4pf There it goes. Taking people's objective analysis to try and mold a garbage narrative. It's like you people completely and conveniently ignore the portion of the analysis that goes against your narratives.

He would be good but his stats would suffer due to a slower pace

Easily a lock for top 5 all time if he played during that era

@@ImbetterthanDWade But his field goal percentage would also be a good bit higher. And he already had good range on his jumpshot, if he can hit just 35% of his 3s, he would be an absolute terror.

@@Nuvendil What ? Wilt was a terrible Shaq level shooter. That doesn’t mean he can’t dominate but he isn’t hitting any 3’s lol.

@@ImbetterthanDWade That's flatly untrue. In fact, midrange fadeaways was one of his most noted and lethal weapons. In the season he averaged 50, that was one of hist most common shots. And he hit that shot from all over the floor. There's numerous videos of him doing this and it has been remarked upon by players and commentators of that time. If Wilt had the same range of scoring tools as Shaq, he wouldn't have been able to average what he did because the offensive foul officiating would have made it a lot easier to stop him. His free throw shooting was bad, but that's not the same as his shooting in normal play.

Definitely

Jordan got all the calls too

Nah it was the 90s.. David Stern changed the game for Jordan

D-Whistle

Dude I don’t even know how many times I saw Booker flopping in this video it’s insane. Clearly he learned from the best in Chris Paul

I used to watch the Spurs and Duncan make a living off that veteran move. Now I hate to see it lol.

Its hilarious how many cheap moves the Suns use. And no one talks about Kobe and Duncan doing that move over and over but god forbig Lebron embellish to actually get a whistle.

It's a counter to common defensive technique of hand to the chest/hip. This video explains these techniques really well: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3whM5OZ3c_Q.html

@@geordiejones5618 Older players used the move to get the guy to stop blocking their path. Gilbert completely closed the left side with his arm.

And definitely wiping the floor with youtubers as well.

They enforced it strictly for like 3 weeks at the beginning of the season, but slowly reverted back to calling it on the defense throughout the season.

It all just depends on who’s on Offense and who’s on Defense That’s what matters when the refs make calls. That’s all it’s even been since the 80’s

@@swirly3643 that 3 weeks was definitely fun to watch tho. Exposed some players (cough cough, harden) while also showing who were legit. They should definitely go back to that.

Or in other words, today’s players don’t have “da best handlez in da game histree” lol. You can have it both ways.

@@HT-sm9dm no, that's also true.

@@Star-pl1xs uh no it’s not.

And easier to score

Jordan finished playing with the bulls 2 years before "the early 2000s" He did actually play during the peak as an old man wizard.

The pace and average scores during the 2000s support the eye test as well. I think the general physicality was greatest in the 2000s but the % of “non-basketball” fouls were greatest mid to late 80s.

@@flyingpigmonkey1 and his efficiency was terrible

@@jonjuko8859 that's bullshit

@@thelemonadestand5248 no its not. he means his efficiency on the wizzards andn with that hes correct. terrible might be a strong word but mj was pretty inefficient (and for his own standards even terribly inefficient) in his wizzard years.

i be putting by leg under the other guys ass and inbetween his legs, I put my elbow in his chest.. I used my hips to dislodge him.. it be a wrestling match down low sometimes, and the ref dont be calling it..

As soon as they started charging admission in 1946 it was entertainment

The Jerry West video and now are the first times in agreeing with you

@@rockysalvatore435 I don’t recall which video we disagreed on before

@Rorschach 0007 do you like the video? Basically covers every single thing that I had mentioned in our debate before

@@Homer-OJ-Simpson pretty much giannis and 🃏 and Luka. We probs disagree on prime harden and Curry too

@Rorschach 0007 “it disproves you completely even though the title says scoring has become easier and spend 30 minutes detailing how it was made easier”

And it’s the only reason we have a new points leader. He is an offensive fouling machine.

Yeah even as a fan growing up as late as the 90s and early 00s I find the current game BEYOND unwatchable. Like I used to find excuses not to go play outside to watch a NBA or NCAA basketball game in the 90s and 00s. Not just the Bulls who were my team… but any of the top teams on Sunday NBA on NBC. Today, I can’t even watch the NBA for more than a minute even when I have money on a game. That’s where it’s come to. It’s boring beyond belief.

Huh the game is only the most watched it's ever been . There is a lot of problem with the league officiating but from offensive standing point it's the most interesting it's ever been .

@@ajajala5081 couldn’t disagree more. Watching a bunch of guys jack up 3s, travel and shoot free throws all day long isn’t basketball in my opinion.

I've found the current NBA the most interesting era. I grew up adoring Iverson and being in awe of MJ, but looking back I find it hard to watch those games again. The inability to use zone defense, coupled with the hockey-like hacks in the lane, seems to me to lead to a lot of hero-ball where a player tried to take another player off the dribble over, and over, and over again. I find that boring. (On the other hand, I do agree that today's NBA has a problem with ridiculous foul calls--it's improving, which is part of why James Harden's game tanked, but it's still an issue) I've never seen better passing than exists in today's NBA, and a perfect no-look pass, or one that threads the needle between three opposing players, is the thing I enjoy most in the game. That's not to say such passes didn't exist in previous eras, but it seems that most of them came from point guards and there was a lot more iso in the post,. The number of players who are exceptional passers has never been higher than it is today. I think it depends on what you like. If you prefer tough, physical defense, one-on-one play, back to the basket post work, clearly defined positional roles, and tight calls on dribbling and traveling, today's NBA won't thrill you. On the other hand, if you like quick and cerebral defense, exceptional shooting, lightning quick decisions, and incredible passing and speed from positions 1-5, today's NBA is great. The game tends to grow in the direction people want it to. As one group ages out or walks away and finds it unwatchable (as I now do with baseball--used to LOVE baseball, can't stand the three outcomes only version played today), the next group comes in and finds exactly what they're looking for. The NBA is still growing, so they're doing something right. They're gaining more fans than they're losing, which is the goal of any sport. If you don't grow and change, you end up like boxing or horse racing, a once-popular sport that is relegated to the occasional medium sized event.

@@HT-sm9dm how about a bunch of big men backing up their defenders then throwing a hook shot?

Nope, they just only were that good from time to time. Now Lebron has entire careers of 80s players worth of highlights in one game

I think using your wrist is fine, it allows players to have a lot of more fun moves to try. What I feel is too far is when players are allowed to have their hand under de ball.

I agree. It's gone too far, but ratings and highlights keep going up, so it wont come back. At least not for a long time

Dude ngl i like the current ball handling rules than strict no underhand cause it’s just much more fun and allows for flashy plays

Seems like a very reductive idea to me.

@@MoonMoon-bj9jr yeah, I think the ball handling is fine. What needs to change is all those offensive fouls called as defensive fouls.

Naw they are more skilled. If they were actually violations they would be called

And, besides the disrespected legend Cousy, it becomes even more unbelievable when It comes to West, who did it all and on both sides of the floor, in those two decades.

They are, it's just how sports work in general the more people play the more chance people who are excellent and gifted at basket ball play. The popularity of basket ball today is much higher than previous decades resulting in much higher number of people trying to become nba players which causes the talent floor to go up and up. That's why sports in general get better with time, the floor always raises That's doenst change that the goats from the time are still great, but the average player today is much much faster and more skilled than the average player of previous eras

​@Ahmad Azem so why hasn't a sport like baseball seen this same phenomenon of athletes being vastly more talented than previous generations? In fact hitting percentages and slugging percentages are at an all time low. Basketballs rule changes are definitely the biggest difference between players of today and the past.