JBOMB Basketball Blog

I am a basketball fan and I watch the NBA games less and less through the years. I started to watch basketball from the hey-day of the Lakers’ Showtime – My idol at that time, Magic Johnson, is still shining in his last few seasons with the NBA. His spectacular passes, sneaky steals and deadly shoots sit me down for hours watching games after games.

But not today. Those fun days are over.

In today’s games, you heard the whistles so often that I am starting to hallucinate, pushing the fast forward button on my remote while watching a live NBA game.

So many fouls called, so many rules, so many game stoppers.

Of course, when you saw Shaq slamming down a 6′1″ guy the ref gotta call a charge on him – But watching some great defense get called with some obscure defensive fouls is frustrating.

And the Bobcats’ coach Larry Brown shares his frustration, ejected from Bobcats’ recent off-season game against the Atlanta Hawks. Maybe not because of the foul calls, but who knows?

He did offer some good comment and tips on the foul calls. He argued that NBA games should have better flow and more shooting than it is in the past few years. Otherwise, the NBA could fed the fans up and eventually makes them leaving the pro game – pretty scary situation, indeed.

He also offered some tips if he were the NBA Commissioner:

• Standardize rules worldwide for the NBA, college and international games.
• Move the NBA 3-point line in slightly.
• Permit teams to play any defense they choose without violating some anti-zone rule.

I cannot agree more.

I remembered when the NBA was moving the 3-point line – My favorite shooter at that time, Suns’ Dan Majerle, bombing the opposing team with tons of threes. And I agreed at that time, that even though the ballers made more shots and missed more shots, the game was indeed moved in faster pace.

About the standardized rule – If it’s happen, the NBA will have better game quality. Rookies are having a hard time adapting to the pro game, thanks to the different rules. Having the same rules for every competitive basketball game throughout the world will lead young ballers to understand and master the rules of the game, hence giving them fighting chances to the more experienced pro ballers.

About the defense – Ah, I remember the hand checking rules about a decade ago that frustrated great defenders, such as Gary “The Glove” Payton. I agree that it’s the coach’s and team’s prerogative rights to implement any defense strategy without too-strict foul callings. Why aggressive but honest defense is undermined, where Hack-a-Shaq – to intentionally foul Shaq for his poor free throw ability – is carried out by great NBA teams, such as the San Antonio Spurs?

All in all, today’s NBA games is boring – especially if you watch great defensive teams, such as Detroit Pistons, play – Fouls after fouls were called for some reason I can’t understand, even though I am an NBA fan for years. I understand “flagrant foul”, but heck – what does “illegal defense” mean?

NBA – I know you set your eyes on International basketball. But with such foul callings, you will have a hard time entertaining existing fans, let alone winning more fans.

Image by PabloBM.