For All the NBA Haters......
 

I was just watching the ESPN 30 for 30 episode which The Knicks (of Patrick Ewing) vs The Pacers (of Reggie Miller).....and what we are seeing now, physicality, is gentle in some ways to what happened back then. Brutal.

"You aren't coming down the lane. If we didn't block the shot, we took you out." Some nasty footage......Smitts, Oakley, Starks, man oh man. Fights, head-locks, ejections, even a head Butt (Starks to Miller).

Ole school? LA and Boston, Detroit and Chicago

In some ways, what we're seeing now maybe tame I guess.....

Different times, different eras, different players, different rules I imagine......different memory? For me, it was eye opening to see what I had somewhat forgotten.

I am a Pistons fan and they used to allow hand checking and putting hands on a dribbler on the perimeter. I remember one of the reasons defense for them was so tough is they would allow defenders to put their hands all over the ball handlers in an effort to just shut a team down defensively. You do that stuff now that my Pistons used to do, they would suspend you for half the season. It was not unusual that teams would score in the 80s and win championships.

Peace

I still smile every time I think of my favorite backcourt - the Bulls Norm Van Lier and Jerry Sloan. It was like watching the NHL.

You can look it up...
 

Just because I'm a numbers geek I checked scoring from the '90s compared to now. Even with all the handchecking and beatdowns in the lane during, say, the '93-94 season when my Knicks played in one of the most offensively-challenged Finals ever, the average team still scored 101.5 PPG (the lowest average in 36 seasons). Starting in '95-96, the average team has scored fewer than 100 PPG every year except two ('08-09 and '09-10). Despite all these athletic players, NBA teams now are scoring like NBA teams did in the '50s.

The things I noticed that probably affected offense the most over the past 20 years have been:
*More 3-pt attempts (9.9 in '93-94 up to 20 this season), which probably led to...
*Lower overall FG% (46.6% then, 45.3% now), and...
*Fewer FTs attempted and made (about 20/27 then, 17/22 now), and...
*Fewer fouls called (22.2 then, 19.8 now)

Right now teams are shooting and making, on average, fewer FTs than ever in NBA history. You want scores to drop? Remove free points from the equation.

I'm not sure it was forgotten...I don't think it (all the extra curricular) was covered and highlighted on video as much as it is now. Back then, fewer cameras, fewer angles, more focus on the ball. Now...cameras everywhere covering every covert handcheck or elbow. Better equipment allowing for instant video review and dissemination by talking heads ready to offer expert opinion rather than just calling the game action.

Speaking of "back then".....
 

Was Birdman suspension legit? You make the call - NBA News | FOX Sports on MSN

This article has some good vintage, footage at the end......

While I remember the great NBA wars from the late 60's and early 70's, I am thoroughly enjoying repeat play on the Big10 channel. :o

Hand checking makes defense tougher, but also makes it easier to call a foul, so more freethrows.

Also the difficulty to cut the basket with hand checking makes strategical moves more important and result in higher FG%.

Plus players in the 80-90's grew up in tough environment, current players grew up in better environment & better educated, thus it affects their playing attitudes, and also shaped their crybaby character. *ahem the King*.

Oh please. I'd bet your claim is neither true nor relevant.

Huh? You do not know much about many of the current guys in the league I see.

Peace