Suns a Sight for Ignorant Eyes

[Obstructed_View]

I've just read about the tenth article where someone is wishing the Suns beat the Spurs because it's "good for basketball". It’s nice of these people to speak for the average Joe sports fan. We will forget, for the moment, that these articles are written by the same people who voted for MVP, Coach of the year, and executive of the year. It would be refreshing, and far less disingenuous, for them to say it makes them look less foolish if the Suns win. People that love to write about Kobe Bryant's rape case and Jeff Van Gundy's conspiracy theories have proven that "good for basketball" isn't high on their priority list until it suits them.

You've heard the hype: The fun is back. The NBA is watchable again. Many harken with nostalgia to the great scoring teams of the 80's. Those people, like most of the rest of Americans, weren't watching the NBA back then, as it was not terribly popular. Another oft neglected fact is that those high scoring teams never made it to the conference finals to be watched by so few of us.

What is it about scoring anyway? How many people miss the NHL because there's no all-star game? If 15-12 hockey doesn't make your heart pump, then why does a 115-110 NBA game?

But we'll come back to that. So ultra high scoring basketball is what everyone loves, right?

The Suns must be scoring 160 points a game, right? Wrong. The Suns average seven points more per game than any other team in the league.

Seven points? This is the team that put the word "basket" back into basketball? Considering the rate at which they jack up threes, that's just over two baskets per game. Are the fans saying that two long jumpers somehow makes basketball fun to watch again?

Let's look at some of the other top scoring teams in the NBA: Sacramento, Boston, Washington, Toronto. Are these the teams you most want to watch? Me neither. So there isn't necessarily a correlation between points and excitement. So is Phoenix really exciting because they score three baskets a game more than the Kings?

Of course, the answer is no. The fact is, the Suns are exciting to watch, but it has nothing to do with the final score.

Their pace must have something to do with it. The Utah Jazz of the mid 90s were probably the closest comparison. High assist point guard, dominating power forward, dead-eye shooter. The only difference is the Jazz substituted defense for the six second shot clock. They were a better team, but they didn't get nearly as much attention as these Suns, even when they were finishing with the league’s best record.

Steve Nash is having a pretty good year, but statistically speaking, it's not his best year. He's playing the same game he played in Dallas a few years ago that stalled out in the Western Conference Finals. It's not yet proven to be championship basketball, but it's fun to watch.

Amare Stoudamire is a genetic freak, and he abuses the rim like nobody since Antonio McDyess still had cartilage in his knees. Watching the human pogo stick in action is fun, and was fun even when he had Stephon Me-bury not passing him the ball often enough. For my money, if the guy played volleyball he'd be entertaining to watch. Until the officials decide to enforce the rule preventing you from clearing out with your off-hand while shooting, Amare's a pony that doesn't have to search for another trick unless he wants a ring.

So what else makes the Suns exciting? The Suns won game 4 mainly because the Spurs allowed the Suns to play within their roles. Push the ball, dribble into the lane, and pass out to the perimeter for a wide open three. They have a great game plan, great players, and great discipline. When they play in it, it’s fun to watch. When they don't, they are a train wreck. As with Nash's Mavericks, an ability to hit low-percentage shots at a relatively high percentage helps for a while, but the complete inability to improvise within a team framework isn’t satisfying to watch. I therefore ask again: So what else makes the Suns exciting?

When did the average sports fan decide that scoring points was more exciting than good team execution? And when did the conventional wisdom decide that a 70-69 game couldn't possibly be exciting? The most popular team sport on the planet averages about 4 points total per game. Could it be that the “sports fans” saying this are making conclusions based upon box scores?

The only explanation I can find is this: These writers don't speak for the average sports fan. Sports is like politics in that many people repeat what they hear other people say in order to hide the fact that they don't really understand what's going on. The writers probably need to stop speaking for the NBA fan that only watches games when he gets free tickets.

[mavsfan1000]

A team who doesn't play defense doesn't deserve to be in the finals. It is a must to win it all.

[texbumTHElife]

A team who doesn't play defense doesn't deserve to be in the finals. It is a must to win it all.

Leave it to a Mavericks fan to actually bring tried and true logic to the forum! I am shocked.

[ObiwanGinobili]

iI'm sick of this whole idea that Spurs play "borign basketball".... where on earth do they get this??? I seriously cannnot understand it.

You know how I even came to love basketball? By watching the Spurs. I was bartending and alot of our regulars were Spurs fans so the game was always on. Now I hated basketball. I grew up a baseball girl and had even played on a boys only little league. When I was younger basketball had alot of caveman- chest beaters in it talking trash ... and all the kids I knew who watched it were big time punks.. so I never got into it.
Well 1/2 way thru the 99 season I was hooked, I couldn't believe how much I was enjoying it... all thanks to the the Spurs. They are a great team, their style of play keeps you entertained from tip off to the final sec. of the 4th quarter. Of course then I had to convince my husband that basketball was worth watching.. that took till about the 3rd week of the 00 season.
Ever since then we have only missed like 5 or 6 reg. season games. We've learned as much as we could about the rules and nuances of the game, and have recently become interested in basketball as a whole- paying attention to other teams and players.. thinking about who would make a good trade with who for whom.
Would the NBA be gettign my viewership with out the Spurs? no. Would the be gettign my $$ for tickets and merchandise? no.
Bottomline: Spurs are good for the NBA, infact the NBA needs the San Antonio Spurs.

[FromWayDowntown]

Nice take, Obstructed View. Great to see someone engage a little critical analysis. Yours is extremely well-thought out and very well reasoned.

I'm with you, by the way. In the midst of this series, I watched a videotape of Game 5 of the 1990 West Semis between the Spurs and Blazers. It was a high scoring game (Portland had 72 points, lead by Terry Porter's 27, and lead by 14, I think, but the game went 2 OTs) but what struck me was the fundamental difference between those teams played and the way that Phoenix inflates its scores. Both teams in that 1990 game pushed the ball, but they spent more time playing in half court sets. In those half court sets, the teams could still score points, though, because the players on each team could do fundamental things like creating shots with dribble penetration and knocking down a 17 foot jump shot with regularity. It wasn't this "run you out of the gym" idea that Phoenix employs, and it wasn't an "I'm not going to defend hard, because I want the ball back" mentality. Both teams played good defense (those teams had some defensive stalwarts on the floor: David Robinson, Clyde Drexler, Clifford Robinson), but the talents of the offensive players were superior. I found that game so much more compelling than the syrupy remakes of the modern day.

I also don't find that basketball games are made more dramatic by how many points are scored. In most cases, it's far more dramatic (and exciting) from my perspective, to see a battle where every made basket is immensely important because they are so difficult to come by. Phoenix doesn't offer that, and the idea that any 8 point lead isn't safe because it can be changed in 3 or 4 possessions just doesn't do it for me.

[MadDog73]

It's funny, because people wishing the Suns will win for a more "exciting" Finals will be extremely disappointed, if, by some black magic, the Suns do somehow manage to win 4 in a row.

Because waiting for them in the Finals is Detroit and Miami. PHX will have no answer for Shaq or Wade or even Mourning. That series is over, although I guess it will be entertaining to watch Amare and Wade exchange buckets almost at will. :rolleyes

Suns vs Pistons is harder to predict. Since the Spurs couldn't really stop Nash and Amare, I doubt the Pistons could either. But they could disrupt their fast -break game, and make for "boring" half-court basketball.

I don't know, since I'm a Spurs fan, I'm biased. But I wonder which of the following combos would provide the best basketball experience:

Heat vs Spurs
Heat vs Suns
Pistons vs Spurs
Pistons vs Suns

any ideas?

[BillsCarnage]

You've heard the hype: The fun is back. The NBA is watchable again. Many harken with nostalgia to the great scoring teams of the 80's. Those people, like most of the rest of Americans, weren't watching the NBA back then, as it was not terribly popular. Another oft neglected fact is that those high scoring teams never made it to the conference finals to be watched by so few of us.

Were you watching basketball during the 80's?? That was the golden age for the sport. It was hugely popular from Dr. J ushering in the decade to the Magic/Bird rivalry with the Lakers and Celtics. West coast vs East coast at its best. Everyone was high scoring back then. The Pistons, to me were the teams that made defensive minded teams start to emerge into the early 90's. The '92 dream team was the peak of exciting basketball. The Bulls were great, but they were on another level compared to the rest of the NBA.


But we'll come back to that. So ultra high scoring basketball is what everyone loves, right?

No, it's not about the scoring but the pace of the game. It's fun to watch a team running up and down the court, flying from the wing to dunk the ball, the fastbreak, etc. Faster pace generally means higher scores.


Seven points? This is the team that put the word "basket" back into basketball? Considering the rate at which they jack up threes, that's just over two baskets per game. Are the fans saying that two long jumpers somehow makes basketball fun to watch again?

The long lost art of the mid-range jumper.. Its been missing for years.


Let's look at some of the other top scoring teams in the NBA: Sacramento, Boston, Washington, Toronto. Are these the teams you most want to watch? Me neither. So there isn't necessarily a correlation between points and excitement. So is Phoenix really exciting because they score three baskets a game more than the Kings?

Seven points over and 82+ game season is quite a large differential when put into perspective. Take away the losses and they probably averaged 115+ compared to 100 or less for the rest of the NBA.


Of course, the answer is no. The fact is, the Suns are exciting to watch, but it has nothing to do with the final score.

Their pace must have something to do with it. The Utah Jazz of the mid 90s were probably the closest comparison. High assist point guard, dominating power forward, dead-eye shooter. The only difference is the Jazz substituted defense for the six second shot clock. They were a better team, but they didn't get nearly as much attention as these Suns, even when they were finishing with the league’s best record.

Steve Nash is having a pretty good year, but statistically speaking, it's not his best year. He's playing the same game he played in Dallas a few years ago that stalled out in the Western Conference Finals. It's not yet proven to be championship basketball, but it's fun to watch.

Amare Stoudamire is a genetic freak, and he abuses the rim like nobody since Antonio McDyess still had cartilage in his knees. Watching the human pogo stick in action is fun, and was fun even when he had Stephon Me-bury not passing him the ball often enough. For my money, if the guy played volleyball he'd be entertaining to watch. Until the officials decide to enforce the rule preventing you from clearing out with your off-hand while shooting, Amare's a pony that doesn't have to search for another trick unless he wants a ring.

So what else makes the Suns exciting? The Suns won game 4 mainly because the Spurs allowed the Suns to play within their roles. Push the ball, dribble into the lane, and pass out to the perimeter for a wide open three. They have a great game plan, great players, and great discipline. When they play in it, it’s fun to watch. When they don't, they are a train wreck. As with Nash's Mavericks, an ability to hit low-percentage shots at a relatively high percentage helps for a while, but the complete inability to improvise within a team framework isn’t satisfying to watch. I therefore ask again: So what else makes the Suns exciting?

You've answered your own question: It's the pace of the game.


When did the average sports fan decide that scoring points was more exciting than good team execution? And when did the conventional wisdom decide that a 70-69 game couldn't possibly be exciting? The most popular team sport on the planet averages about 4 points total per game. Could it be that the “sports fans” saying this are making conclusions based upon box scores?

Seriously, how exciting is watching a team walk the ball up the court, stand there and dribble for 16 seconds then take a shot? The decline started with Houston/NY in the finals. GAWD that was a snoozer!



The only explanation I can find is this: These writers don't speak for the average sports fan. Sports is like politics in that many people repeat what they hear other people say in order to hide the fact that they don't really understand what's going on. The writers probably need to stop speaking for the NBA fan that only watches games when he gets free tickets.

In a sense they do. The 'average' sports fans is a bandwagoner. Fanatics are the ones who spit out stats from 20yrs ago or more.
The pace and scoring of the game has been slowing down since the mid early/mid 90's and the game has looked like the players were running in mud at times. So when a team averages 110pts/gm it gets everyone's attention because it's the highest in 10yrs. The NBA has changed it's rules over the years to try to enhance scoring. People, in general, love to see scoring.

Defense may win championships, but Offense will get you there and vise versa.

[mavsfan1000]

1.Spurs and Heat close series.
2.Pistons and Suns pistons can stop pick n roll.
3.Suns and Heat Shaq and Wade would dominate.
4.Pistons and Spurs Spurs win easily

[tlongII]

1.Spurs and Heat close series.
2.Pistons and Suns pistons can stop pick n roll.
3.Suns and Heat Shaq and Wade would dominate.
4.Pistons and Spurs Spurs win easily


:rollin

[BillsCarnage]

iI'm sick of this whole idea that Spurs play "borign basketball".... where on earth do they get this??? I seriously cannnot understand it.

That's because the "reporters" are only viewing stats. To me, this is what makes the Spurs favorite this year. They can run and score points but also hold a team without a score for four or five straight posessions.

The Suns play a bend-but-don't-break defense. Unfortunately, they can't get those four or five stops in a row. Maybe one or two.

[Xolotl]

I'm just a big fan of defense. I love to see great team defense shut down offense. Which is why I do respect the Pistons they usually do a great job also

[weebo]

If winning is boring, then I'll take boring all the time.

[FearDaFro]

I'll take ben wallace swatting a layup attempt off the glass, over ben wallace standing there and letting someone have an open layup any day of the week.

The only thing that can make offense entertaining is good DEFENSE. Watching an offense basically get handed easy points is not entertaining. It smacks of the all-rookie game every year, or AND-1.

If there's nothing there to challenge the offense, why would scoring be impressive?

IMO, the only thing more entertaining than a dunk is a REJECTED dunk.

[mavsfan1000]

:rollin
:drunk

[myhc]

Nice take, Obstructed View. I also don't find that basketball games are made more dramatic by how many points are scored. In most cases, it's far more dramatic (and exciting) from my perspective, to see a battle where every made basket is immensely important because they are so difficult to come by. Phoenix doesn't offer that, and the idea that any 8 point lead isn't safe because it can be changed in 3 or 4 possessions just doesn't do it for me.

Took the words out of my mouth. I live in Maryland and follow the Wizards and try to watch a game every now and then. They're fun to watch on offense but when they're letting people score at will and get beat, it's extremely frustrating and it takes away from the enjoyment of the game. Because isn't that the main objective, WIN?

[adrienne]

If they want to see boring, wish the Pistons into the finals. They play great team ball, give them all the credit in the world...but they are NOT exciting. The Spurs WERE boring for a period of time, but with the coming out of Manu and Tony to compliment Tim they're just as exciting as most teams in the league.

[mavsfan1000]

The Mavericks and Suns are the most interesting to watch but San Antonio and Detroit are most likely going to have the most success in the playoffs.

[FearDaFro]

If they want to see boring, wish the Pistons into the finals. They play great team ball, give them all the credit in the world...but they are NOT exciting. The Spurs WERE boring for a period of time, but with the coming out of Manu and Tony to compliment Tim they're just as exciting as most teams in the league.

The only thing more boring to me was the layup-fest that was the mavs-suns series......

yeah, driving in for uncontested shots all night is really entertaining....I can do that in my backyard. AT least the wind provides more resistance than Dirk Nowitzki....

team basketball is so awful. If only we had the isolation-fest of the 90's......

[adrienne]

What? I didn't say there was anything wrong with team basketball. That's what I like about the Pistons. The Spurs play team basketball and they're not dead boring like Detroit.

[FearDaFro]

What? I didn't say there was anything wrong with team basketball.

By calling team basketball "boring," you are indeed implying that there is something wrong with it.

And the spurs dont play any more spectacular of a style. They just ran into a team that was more than happy to let the spurs take open shots all game. AGainst Seattle and Denver, they had to slug games out just like the pistons did.

[adrienne]

I didn't say team basketball is boring. I said the Pistons are boring. The one good thing about them is that they play team basketball.

[FearDaFro]

I didn't say team basketball is boring. I said the Pistons are boring. The one good thing about them is that they play team basketball.

I find the Mavs incredibly boring. Let the other team score, jack up a three. let the other team score, jack up a three. But then again, maybe thats why they're always watching the games at home in june.....

If you ask me, the Mavs are what is ruining the NBA. They're the epitome of inflated box scores. If I want to see gimmick-ball, i'll watch the and-1 circut. Then again, some of their guys actually steal the ball on occasion....

[samikeyp]

Holding up that gold trophy never gets boring.

[adrienne]

Okay, thanks...

I still didn't call team basketball boring.

[FearDaFro]

Holding up that gold trophy never gets boring.

Agreed.

Somehow, those parades never seem to get old.....

[Obstructed_View]

snip
That wasn't really a piece that I intend to defend part by part. You are responding to rhetorical questions here. It's a slap at the writers.

If you rooted for the Suns when they were terrible, then you root for them now, but it has absolutely nothing to do with the way they play or the number of points they score. Root for your team, but don't dilude yourself into believing that the Suns have any similarity to the teams that won championships in the 80s, or that they are somehow special because of the attention they get. The Suns are the sweetheart of the media, and they are now being exposed for exactly what they are, so the media is jumping off the bandwagon while hand-wringing about the state of the game.