Educate me...what has changed in the NBA that scoring is so high?

[who_better_than_me]

Giannis is 7ft. Rice was 6-8.

It's patently ridiculous to grab the lowest hanging fruit of someone who you perceive isn't particularly skilled and use him as the standard for the rest of the league. That's all you back-in-the-day cats do in these discussions. Just straight up arguing in bad faith.

Giannis is a top 2 player in the league right now. Lol I’m not disrespecting Giannis. He’s been climbing my ladder as one of my favorite players for a couple of years now. I respect the hell out of Giannis but im not goin be oblivious about his game.

I jsut don’t believe the league has gotten more skilled, dramatically, over the years. Role players made MLE primarily in The past whereas now they’re making max money Anthony Mason was considered a role player during his time. So was Lamar Odom, Brooks Diaw. Compare the skill level of those role players to the role players of today like Crowder, Ariza, PJ Tucker, even Brdigrs in Phoenix. They’re not as skilled. They’re not like Iggy.

 

[1thouwow]

shyt watered down like the new four lokos

 

[OfTheCross]

Best breakdown I've ever seen:

gotdamn this is tremendous.

 

[UpNext]

The shooting and off ball movement is just way better, period. The shooting and off ball actions are light-years away from the 00's and 90's

And also, the offensive rebounding not getting a full 24 seconds really really sped up the pace.

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

break down the freedom of movement in this video

I've commented on this game many a time, but the defense is comically bad.

Defenders getting caught behind offensive players who're not even screening, and allowing MJ to curl into 16fters is something you just don't see today. Any off-ball action that MJ releases himself from was barely even defended back then, and if it was, it was rarely ever the big man coming to help (they were almost always stationed in and around the paint).

Just look at how bad the defenders move laterally; look at how late they are to rotate; look at how bad they are at contesting; look at how often they go under screens.

Big men defending outside the paint during that era was non-existent.

Just look at the possession at 1.57sec - MJ gets a screen at the top, which then forces a switch onto Daugherty, who literally just watches MJ stroll around him, because he's too damn slow in the head and with his feet to do anything. Dudes on this board think fouling hard somehow equates to good defense.

 

[Ukbrotha]

The average player is definitely a much better player than ever. Mainly in terms of scoring. That cannot be disputed. This is obvious and true in most other sports too.

The NBA defence is one thing that isnt significantly better at the same rate and that is because the players dont care about it. Players and teams in general do not put in the same effort defensively like they used to because they would rather just go and get theirs back.

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

@Cladyclad imagine those 90s defenses trying to defend this -

Teams back then would be looking at this shyt as if it were black magic.

 

[bigde09]

Combination of players being better shooters and it being easier to score in todays era

 

[mastermind]

The NBA defence is one thing that isnt significantly better at the same rate and that is because the players dont care about it.

I don’t think you understand how hard it is to defend today. Players use way more energy and cover more area.

Individual and team defending much better today than it’s ever been, but the leniency on dribbling and players shot making ability has made it seem impossible.

 

[mbewane]

@Cladyclad imagine those 90s defenses trying to defend this -

Teams back then would be looking at this shyt as if it were black magic.

Spurs were doing stuff like this about a decade ago

Edit : didn't you see you specified the 90s, nvm.

 

[FunkDoc1112]

The 90's and early aughts were outliers

Nobody here wants to admit that

 

[Ukbrotha]

I don’t think you understand how hard it is to defend today. Players use way more energy and cover more area.

Individual and team defending much better today than it’s ever been, but the leniency on dribbling and players shot making ability has made it seem impossible.

Team defending sure but I dont agree about individual defending. I know what you mean about the leniency on dribbling etc but I think that is what is discouraging the effort from defenders.

 

[AJtheOne]

The talent level is crazy right now. Especially on the perimeter.

 

[mastermind]

Team defending sure but I dont agree about individual defending. I know what you mean about the leniency on dribbling etc but I think that is what is discouraging the effort from defenders.

Individual defenders are much better today than any time in the NBA’s past. Better athletes and they exert more energy.

The talent level is just better right now.

 

[CrimsonTider]

@Cladyclad imagine those 90s defenses trying to defend this -

Teams back then would be looking at this shyt as if it were black magic.

No they wouldn’t.

This is simple basketball. When you have player movement