Bill Simmons: NBA should shorten season, because today's players are way too good..

[Malik Hairston]

What do you guys think, tbh?

He said today's players are too skilled, and they give more 2-way effort than players of the past, which burns them out long-term, leading to coaches resting players, etc..

Simmons is 40-something, he's not a millennial, he grew up watching 80s and 90s ball..he claims that players of the past only really gave effort on defense during 4th quarters..any unbiased observer understands how much better the game has become, of course..

I agree that they should shorten the season, hopefully it will happen before 2020, but I doubt it, too much money at stake..

[cantthinkofanything]

I don't know. I like Simmons but it seems like he's just looking for material. I don't agree with his assessment of 80's and 90's ball as being only 4th quarter defense. The play has gotten soft compared to the physical game of those years. Need something in between imo. But the season does need to be shorter.

[Clipper Nation]

Simmons is a faggot, but less games with more time for players to rest in between would be fine. Just because 82 games apparently worked in the 1960's when they adopted the current schedule doesn't mean it's the best way of doing things.

[Malik Hairston]

I don't know. I like Simmons but it seems like he's just looking for material. I don't agree with his assessment of 80's and 90's ball as being only 4th quarter defense. The play has gotten soft compared to the physical game of those years. Need something in between imo. But the season does need to be shorter.

It's mostly a myth that the game has gotten "soft", but the reason it's less physical is because the game was extremely ugly in the 90s, tbh..the only reason 90s ball thrived is because of Dad Killer and his marketing..viewership declined dramatically in the Pistons/Spurs era of 2003 to 2007..

And if you watch a game from the 80s, their "defense" is absolutely embarrassing, tbh:lol..

[RD2191]

82 games is way too many and pointless.

[King Emmanuel]

:lol today's NBA
:lol can't play more than 2 times a week omg so exhausting
:lol faggots

[apalisoc_9]

- Another thing to consider is how much tougher it is to guard ball moving offenses. In the past, you had the luxury to rest every now and then because there was minimal off the ball movement. Now, every darn team is using off the ball screens at almost every darn play. Defense is a lot tougher now..Way Smarter offensive schemes.

- Bigs also have more responsibility defensively now. Sadly, mainstream is still stuck with 90's mentality's (mainly because the media is full of 90's players) that a big's two most important jobs is paint and post defending. In today's NBA, I don't think that's the case. Being able to switch as big now, IMO is the most important defensive aspect of big's D or at least 2nd, IMO.

[~O~]

These players are already getting richer off the new tv deal. Now lets spoil their rich asses even more with less games? I don't think so.

[King Emmanuel]

:lol want the games to be more important
:lol manufactured storylines
:lol white people wanting the sport to become more like WWE
:lol another notorious redneck interest

[apalisoc_9]

I don't think post defending is as important now. Way less teams post now..It's all about paint defending and being able to chase guards..chasing guards off PNR>>Post defending..

Thankfully, there is some promising mobile big defenders in today's NBA..Noel for example is really good at chasing guards, and a good paint defender but average post defender..IMO, that should be the model of big defending in today's NBA.

[Killakobe81]

It's mostly a myth that the game has gotten "soft", but the reason it's less physical is because the game was extremely ugly in the 90s, tbh..the only reason 90s ball thrived is because of Dad Killer and his marketing..viewership declined dramatically in the Pistons/Spurs era of 2003 to 2007..

And if you watch a game from the 80s, their "defense" is absolutely embarrassing, tbh:lol..

To say no one played defense in the 80s is bullshit. Cooper Dennis Johnson Tr Dunn Larry Nance, etc were all top level defenders for any era. We also had more elite shot blockers with Eaton, Bol, Tree etc to add to Hakeem Ewing etc. Bigs that could defend pnr were lacking and that is one of the reasons the Jazz feasted on teams ...but the dismissal of the 80s on here is disrespectful

[apalisoc_9]

To say no one played defense in the 80s is bullshit. Cooper Dennis Johnson Tr Dunn Larry Nance, etc were all top level defenders for any era. We also had more elite shot blockers with Eaton, Bol, Tree etc to add to Hakeem Ewing etc. Bigs that could defend pnr were lacking and that is one of the reasons the Jazz feasted on teams ...but the dismissal of the 80s on here is disrespectful

the 80's was a joke xompared to today's game..

[DMC]

They need to cross compete in the playoffs.

1 seed in East plays 8 seed in West and so forth.

If you have 6 Western teams by round 2, then teams that deserved to be in round 2 will be in round 2. Fuck divisions.

[Mitch]

I'm all for it, our players are wearing out on this tanking season. There's only so much Bryant could have done in a long season, as opposed to a meaningless shortened season like 1999.

[DMC]

I'm all for it, our players are wearing out on this tanking season. There's only so much Bryant could have done in a long season, as opposed to a meaningless shortened season like 1999.
2/10 Work on it.

Bryant has had a few shortened seasons lately. He should be good to go.

[cantthinkofanything]

It's mostly a myth that the game has gotten "soft", No, it's soft. I get why they started calling it tighter but the pendulum swung too far like affirmative action. Calling hand slaps and nudges in the paint. It's partially to blame for the flopping epidemic that they had to create special rules for.

[RsxPiimp]

Nah, keep it as it is. They should start with smarter scheduling instead. Eliminate one week with 2 games followed by 4 games in 5 nights the next, Home/Road back 2 back games needs to go as well.



Also, take out preseason games. Those are pointless and meaningless.

[Franklin]

Or they can try extending the season a bit, so they would play less games per unit time, and it'd also shorten the longass off-season so fans would waste less money/time on football and other shitty sports imho.

[BatManu20]

Knock off 8-10 games and call it a day.

[cantthinkofanything]

Play every team in the league twice. One home, one away. Top 16 go to the playoffs. Don't know on tiebreakers. Hottest cheerleaders maybe.

[Thread]

& who's gonna give up those multi-millions?

[Mitch]

2/10 Work on it.

Bryant has had a few shortened seasons lately. He should be good to go.

Here's a pity, reply, now wipe the crisco off your keyboard..

[coachmac87]

You cant change the amount of games. It's stupid and a over blown situation...

[DMC]

Here's a pity, reply, now wipe the crisco off your keyboard..
You can always tell the immigrant alts, improper use of commas and such.

[Cry Havoc]

The NFL definitely makes fewer games work for them.

[RD2191]

Here's a pity, reply, now wipe the crisco off your keyboard..
:lmao

[Arcadian]

To be accurate, he's not actually arguing that today's players are "better" per se, just that they expend more energy on defense. Granted, you could argue that trying harder on defense makes you a better player; but it's slightly misleading because most people conceptualize "talent" as independent of effort. So it really comes down to semantics, I suppose, but I find the topic title misleading.

[Stalin]

Here's a pity, reply, now wipe the crisco off your keyboard..




:lol:lol

[Killakobe81]

the 80's was a joke xompared to today's game..

Team defensive schemes are more advanced. No doubt about it. Just like offensive and defensive schemes in the NFL are more advanced than they were inthe 80's I would be stupid to argue otherwise. But most of the younger fans on here dont know shit about the 80's outside of youtube and I am telling you that the guys I mentioned above are better defenders than some of the people you guys suck off on here ... Coop, Dennis johnson, Nance would be great defenders in any era.

[Cry Havoc]

Team defensive schemes are more advanced. No doubt about it. Just like offensive and defensive schemes in the NFL are more advanced than they were inthe 80's I would be stupid to argue otherwise. But most of the younger fans on here dont know shit about the 80's outside of youtube and I am telling you that the guys I mentioned above are better defenders than some of the people you guys suck off on here ... Coop, Dennis johnson, Nance would be great defenders in any era.

Effort expended on defense has skyrocketed. Do you deny this? In the 80s the average team score of a game was 109. The FG% in 83-84 was 49.2! :lol

[baseline bum]

Team defensive schemes are more advanced. No doubt about it. Just like offensive and defensive schemes in the NFL are more advanced than they were inthe 80's I would be stupid to argue otherwise. But most of the younger fans on here dont know shit about the 80's outside of youtube and I am telling you that the guys I mentioned above are better defenders than some of the people you guys suck off on here ... Coop, Dennis johnson, Nance would be great defenders in any era.

No love for child whoring ankle bracelet wearing felon Alvin Robertson, ya Laker bastard?

http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2009/0214/nba_g_robertson_412.jpg

[Findog]

It's never going to happen because the big money pie that comes from ticket and suite sales/merchandise sales/licensing rights/tv rights is all based on an 82 game season. I mean, if the players and the owners both want to make less money, then sure go ahead and shorten the season.

[TDMVPDPOY]

imo get rid of preseason

start of preseason should be start of regular season and stretch out the games, no bs 4 games in 5 nights crap
do something about tanking...

[Findog]

imo get rid of preseason

start of preseason should be start of regular season and stretch out the games, no bs 4 games in 5 nights crap
do something about tanking...

In an ideal world, I think a 65 game season would be best. Pre-season would be no more than 3 games, no more back to backs, no more 4 games in 5 nights. But it's never going to happen.

[Killakobe81]

No love for child whoring ankle bracelet wearing felon Alvin Robertson, ya Laker bastard?

http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2009/0214/nba_g_robertson_412.jpg

I agree thought about mentioning him as well. But KI shouldn't have to, on a Spurs board. In fact Arob was better at defending opposing PG/SG than most of the so called great two way players of today.

[SupremeGuy]

It would only be possible if the players agreed to less money per year; but since that isn't going to happen, neither is the shortening of the season.

[Beaverfuzz]

He has the right idea, but totally the wrong argument to try and defend it.

[Thread]

^& usually it's just the opposite for this charlatan.

[Cry Havoc]

It's never going to happen because the big money pie that comes from ticket and suite sales/merchandise sales/licensing rights/tv rights is all based on an 82 game season. I mean, if the players and the owners both want to make less money, then sure go ahead and shorten the season.

Shortening a season could drive up demand for tickets, though. Again, the NFL is the standard-bearer here. Every single game in a season is incredibly important, and unlike baseball, basketball can't get by as a way to "pass the time in a cool place", unfortunately, so more games wouldn't work too well.

[DMC]

It doesn't matter how they market it or how they fund it. It matters whether or not they do it. Fewer games is fine, longer stretches between games will change the face of the NBA, no back to backs removes the need to rest players on consecutive nights, however when game 50 comes around you'll still see shitty basketball because teams will sit their stars in fear of injury. You'll see tanking because the draft is fucked up. When it's better to be the worst team in the NBA than to be 9th place in your conference, that's a broken system. It's like being just above the poverty line and not getting welfare or food stamps, but if you lose your job you live better. Shitty system made by idiots.

[StrengthAndHonor]

Nah, keep it as it is. They should start with smarter scheduling instead. Eliminate one week with 2 games followed by 4 games in 5 nights the next, Home/Road back 2 back games needs to go as well.



Also, take out preseason games. Those are pointless and meaningless.

I agree but the scheduling is very complex for most teams as some arenas are shared by multiple teams and are far more booked by other entities, Staples and MSG for example.


Preseason definitely needs to go though.

[ChumpDumper]

The NFL definitely makes fewer games work for them.The NFL is doing everything possible to increase the number of games.

[Cry Havoc]

The NFL is doing everything possible to increase the number of games.

Yes, from 16 to 18. That's still not significant compared to the NBA/MLB/NHL. I seriously doubt we'll see a 24+ game NFL season anytime soon.

[mavsfan1000]

56 game season with more rest between games sounds right to me.

[ChumpDumper]

Yes, from 16 to 18. That's still not significant compared to the NBA/MLB/NHL. I seriously doubt we'll see a 24+ game NFL season anytime soon.The NFL owners would have teams play every night were it physically possible. The games are apples and oranges.

[vander]

season should be shortened, but not by much: 76 games, no back to backs

[ducks]

Most teams play each 4 teams if you are in the east you play easy teams 4 times only play 3 times
That is all you needy I do

[lefty]

:lol today's NBA
:lol can't play more than 2 times a week omg so exhausting
:lol faggots

My nigguh

[davethedope]

Loads of shit.

Players these days are unquestionably weaker for whatever reason, I suspect it's because they train to hard.

In any event, do whatever, the league is about as uninteresting as it's ever been.

Hopefully, the playoffs show us something.

Plus, it's hard to top the narrative of the previous two seasons which are all-time high points, so wait and see.

Btw, anyway claiming the level of play today is just worlds away from previous eras, do yourself a favor and check out youtube or hardwood classics on NBA TV.

You don't know wtf you're talking about.

[Jenks]

Nope

Current format rewards teams that have deep benches (Spurs). It punishes teams with frontloaded talent (Portland) and borderline retarded coaches who don't understand losing an occasional regular season game is better than playing your stars 40 mpg (Thibs).

Request denied.

[Seventyniner]

How about keeping the 82-game schedule, expanding rosters to 19, and only letting each player appear in 66 games? No restrictions on appearances for the playoffs, of course.

[UZER]

Loads of shit.

Players these days are unquestionably weaker for whatever reason, I suspect it's because they train to hard.

In any event, do whatever, the league is about as uninteresting as it's ever been.

Hopefully, the playoffs show us something.

Plus, it's hard to top the narrative of the previous two seasons which are all-time high points, so wait and see.

Btw, anyway claiming the level of play today is just worlds away from previous eras, do yourself a favor and check out youtube or hardwood classics on NBA TV.

You don't know wtf you're talking about.

I think this is the biggest reason. most players back in the day played primarily on talent. Sure they worked out, but they didn't do they year round demanding workouts players do now just to stay in the league.

The bodies are running on 7-9 rpms all the time.