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College Hoops

grizd said:
kyle_sample said:
I'm guessing most of you criticizing the NBA don't really watch the NBA anymore. You probably gave up on it in the mid to late 90s when the rules allowed defenses to slow the game down and the talent pool was aging and there weren't a lot of young players to fill the gap.
But if you've watched it since the early 2000s on, you would know that isn't the truth anymore. Most of the league is not 1-on-1, its pick and roll based, which by definition brings two players into play and by extension brings the other three in because the spacing is key to forcing the defense into showing what its going to do.
Some of you have said the Warriors have helped you get back into basketball because they play team ball and have a lot of ball movement. In reality, they're not even in the top five in the league in passes per game. There are a lot of teams out there that get no attention for doing very similar things the Warriors do, they just don't have the same depth of talent. If you're willing to give test your disdain for the league, now is the time to give it a try.
I just don't understand the argument that college basketball is a better product. It's not anymore creative than the NBA is. It's not anymore talented than the NBA. The league is the BEST PRODUCT IN THE WORLD. THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE WORLD. There are certainly areas it could improve (for one, the season is too long). But claiming college is better because the players play for the love of the game is contradictory to the idea that the 1-and-done has hurt the product. If they know they're 1-and-done -- this year is a good example, go look at how many freshman are projected to be drafted in the first round this year -- they're really just playing to get to the NBA. So that is what they REALLY care about. They want to win, I'm sure, but they're there only because they have to. And to suggest NBA players don't care is pretty short sided. They're only in the NBA because they are incomprehensibly competitive. There are likely exceptions, but the overwhelming majority are competitive.
I'm a big NBA guy, so I always go a little crazy when this comparison is made. But what I'm really trying to say is, give the NBA another try.
Click to expand...

I did give it a try and yes a lot of what you say is true, but Kevin Durant going to the Warriors really turned me off entirely. We all know they will be in the Finals barring injury and even if they play bad a game they have to play bad 4 games to not be the Champion. I like that the #1 team in CBB, Gonzaga right now, is only 1 bad game from being done in March.
Click to expand...

Like grizd, I also made a foray into the NBA over the past five years... bought the full NBA League Pass subscription and made a concerted effort to identify with several teams. Of course, they're the best players in the world. But I quit as this season started. I vastly, vastly prefer almost any aspect of the college game... despite its warts and the widespread awfulness of the officiating. If anything, I'd like to see the college game adopt most of the rules of the NBA (except fines, of course). Otherwise, I'll take a college or high school game any day over the pros.
 
grizzlyjournal said:
grizd said:
kyle_sample said:
I'm guessing most of you criticizing the NBA don't really watch the NBA anymore. You probably gave up on it in the mid to late 90s when the rules allowed defenses to slow the game down and the talent pool was aging and there weren't a lot of young players to fill the gap.
But if you've watched it since the early 2000s on, you would know that isn't the truth anymore. Most of the league is not 1-on-1, its pick and roll based, which by definition brings two players into play and by extension brings the other three in because the spacing is key to forcing the defense into showing what its going to do.
Some of you have said the Warriors have helped you get back into basketball because they play team ball and have a lot of ball movement. In reality, they're not even in the top five in the league in passes per game. There are a lot of teams out there that get no attention for doing very similar things the Warriors do, they just don't have the same depth of talent. If you're willing to give test your disdain for the league, now is the time to give it a try.
I just don't understand the argument that college basketball is a better product. It's not anymore creative than the NBA is. It's not anymore talented than the NBA. The league is the BEST PRODUCT IN THE WORLD. THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE WORLD. There are certainly areas it could improve (for one, the season is too long). But claiming college is better because the players play for the love of the game is contradictory to the idea that the 1-and-done has hurt the product. If they know they're 1-and-done -- this year is a good example, go look at how many freshman are projected to be drafted in the first round this year -- they're really just playing to get to the NBA. So that is what they REALLY care about. They want to win, I'm sure, but they're there only because they have to. And to suggest NBA players don't care is pretty short sided. They're only in the NBA because they are incomprehensibly competitive. There are likely exceptions, but the overwhelming majority are competitive.
I'm a big NBA guy, so I always go a little crazy when this comparison is made. But what I'm really trying to say is, give the NBA another try.
Click to expand...

I did give it a try and yes a lot of what you say is true, but Kevin Durant going to the Warriors really turned me off entirely. We all know they will be in the Finals barring injury and even if they play bad a game they have to play bad 4 games to not be the Champion. I like that the #1 team in CBB, Gonzaga right now, is only 1 bad game from being done in March.
Click to expand...

Like grizd, I also made a foray into the NBA over the past five years... bought the full NBA League Pass subscription and made a concerted effort to identify with several teams. Of course, they're the best players in the world. But I quit as this season started. I vastly, vastly prefer almost any aspect of the college game... despite its warts and the widespread awfulness of the officiating. If anything, I'd like to see the college game adopt most of the rules of the NBA (except fines, of course). Otherwise, I'll take a college or high school game any day over the pros.
Click to expand...

I tried to like the Lakers when they were winning but even then, in the end, I find pro basketball, and football, basically boring. Basketball, in particular, is a finesse sport, and I simply don't see much of that on a pro court. I guess I just don't understand the rules, e.g. traveling, fouling, etc. And, in much of college ball, the refs are the total opposite and go whistle crazy. The NAU game was fun to watch because of the production quality and announcers but mainly because the officials let them play, but not on the level of the pros.
 
kyle_sample said:
I'm guessing most of you criticizing the NBA don't really watch the NBA anymore. You probably gave up on it in the mid to late 90s when the rules allowed defenses to slow the game down and the talent pool was aging and there weren't a lot of young players to fill the gap.
But if you've watched it since the early 2000s on, you would know that isn't the truth anymore. Most of the league is not 1-on-1, its pick and roll based, which by definition brings two players into play and by extension brings the other three in because the spacing is key to forcing the defense into showing what its going to do.
Some of you have said the Warriors have helped you get back into basketball because they play team ball and have a lot of ball movement. In reality, they're not even in the top five in the league in passes per game. There are a lot of teams out there that get no attention for doing very similar things the Warriors do, they just don't have the same depth of talent. If you're willing to give test your disdain for the league, now is the time to give it a try.
I just don't understand the argument that college basketball is a better product. It's not anymore creative than the NBA is. It's not anymore talented than the NBA. The league is the BEST PRODUCT IN THE WORLD. THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE WORLD. There are certainly areas it could improve (for one, the season is too long). But claiming college is better because the players play for the love of the game is contradictory to the idea that the 1-and-done has hurt the product. If they know they're 1-and-done -- this year is a good example, go look at how many freshman are projected to be drafted in the first round this year -- they're really just playing to get to the NBA. So that is what they REALLY care about. They want to win, I'm sure, but they're there only because they have to. And to suggest NBA players don't care is pretty short sided. They're only in the NBA because they are incomprehensibly competitive. There are likely exceptions, but the overwhelming majority are competitive.
I'm a big NBA guy, so I always go a little crazy when this comparison is made. But what I'm really trying to say is, give the NBA another try.
Click to expand...

I'm with you, buddy. I've had league pass for 5+years and it's getting better and better. I watch a Griz game, and I frickin' love the griz and so badly want them to do well and take the next step, and after the Griz game I watch an NBA game and it's refreshing to watch basketball where officials don't f@cking ruin tempo and the players hit open shots.

I don't begrudge anyone for loving college ball over the NBA. It's easy to understand. We went to U of M. We are a part of the university and are vested in the University's success, including the sports teams. When talking about first rate literature, Norman Maclean put it well when he said it's OK to champion a second rate author/work of literature as long as you acknowledge that it's second rate. And College Ball, in regards to the product on the court, is second rate. That doesn't mean we shouldn't love it, though.
 
kyle_sample said:
I'm guessing most of you criticizing the NBA don't really watch the NBA anymore. You probably gave up on it in the mid to late 90s when the rules allowed defenses to slow the game down and the talent pool was aging and there weren't a lot of young players to fill the gap.
But if you've watched it since the early 2000s on, you would know that isn't the truth anymore. Most of the league is not 1-on-1, its pick and roll based, which by definition brings two players into play and by extension brings the other three in because the spacing is key to forcing the defense into showing what its going to do.
Some of you have said the Warriors have helped you get back into basketball because they play team ball and have a lot of ball movement. In reality, they're not even in the top five in the league in passes per game. There are a lot of teams out there that get no attention for doing very similar things the Warriors do, they just don't have the same depth of talent. If you're willing to give test your disdain for the league, now is the time to give it a try.
I just don't understand the argument that college basketball is a better product. It's not anymore creative than the NBA is. It's not anymore talented than the NBA. The league is the BEST PRODUCT IN THE WORLD. THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE WORLD. There are certainly areas it could improve (for one, the season is too long). But claiming college is better because the players play for the love of the game is contradictory to the idea that the 1-and-done has hurt the product. If they know they're 1-and-done -- this year is a good example, go look at how many freshman are projected to be drafted in the first round this year -- they're really just playing to get to the NBA. So that is what they REALLY care about. They want to win, I'm sure, but they're there only because they have to. And to suggest NBA players don't care is pretty short sided. They're only in the NBA because they are incomprehensibly competitive. There are likely exceptions, but the overwhelming majority are competitive.
I'm a big NBA guy, so I always go a little crazy when this comparison is made. But what I'm really trying to say is, give the NBA another try.
Click to expand...

Like a thorough legal opinion from a knowledgeable lawyer, the last sentence is always the most important. :D
 
--I like the NBA for the incredible skill level. You watch Kyrie handling the ball; the Splash Brothers shooting and making from incredible distances; LeBron making a phenomenal pass; Kevin Durant flying through the air for a monster jam; Draymond Green defending guys bigger and smaller and blocking more than half the layups attempted against him--you just don't see athleticism and skills like this at the college level.
--But I like college ball for the emotional element. The connection to your alma mater; the joy of a victory, the agony of defeat, especially at the Big Dance; the surrounding atmosphere like Cal's Straw Hat Band or the Stanford Band always on the verge of something outrageous, or the students all painted up and yelling crazy shit; plus all the other zany improbable things that are not as scripted as the pros, and only youth seem capable of pulling off.
Never forget: Two things can be true at the same time.
I love both.
 
:thumb:
citay said:
--I like the NBA for the incredible skill level. You watch Kyrie handling the ball; the Splash Brothers shooting and making from incredible distances; LeBron making a phenomenal pass; Kevin Durant flying through the air for a monster jam; Draymond Green defending guys bigger and smaller and blocking more than half the layups attempted against him--you just don't see athleticism and skills like this at the college level.
--But I like college ball for the emotional element. The connection to your alma mater; the joy of a victory, the agony of defeat, especially at the Big Dance; the surrounding atmosphere like Cal's Straw Hat Band or the Stanford Band always on the verge of something outrageous, or the students all painted up and yelling crazy shit; plus all the other zany improbable things that are not as scripted as the pros, and only youth seem capable of pulling off.
Never forget: Two things can be true at the same time.
I love both.
Click to expand...
 
In other news, researchers have found that pro boxers, pro tennis stars, pro hockey players and pro pros perform at a higher level than non pros, and that everyone should immediately stop watching the non pro levels of all these respective endeavours as they are wasting their time and missing some really good shit.
 
Fat Bruno said:
In other news, researchers have found that pro boxers, pro tennis stars, pro hockey players and pro pros perform at a higher level than non pros, and that everyone should immediately stop watching the non pro levels of all these respective endeavours as they are wasting their time and missing some really good shit.
Click to expand...

Oh, Fat Bruno, you're the fattest!
 
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