Cassell : "The League is too soft now"

[lefty]

"'The league is very soft now,' Sam Cassell said. 'I know a lot of guys, like Charles Oakley, LaSalle Thompson and Buck Williams, they couldn't play in the game like it is right now. The enforcer on the team, he'd be cut right now. The game was tougher. It ain't that tough right now. It's like they're protecting the quarterback.' Not that Cassell really minds. He admits that David Stern had to clean up play, even if the commissioner did go a tad overboard. 'I just wish they made it like it is now when I first came into the league,' Cassell said. Then I wouldn't have had elbow surgery in '95 from falling on the floor. But it is what it is. It's a great job to have.'"

[SenorSpur]

Probably the result of the game moving more so toward an international one. A game where classic centers and power forwards and traditional post play are nearly extinct. Now you've got seven-footer who handle the rock, shoot the three and drive to the cup from the perimeter.

[GaryJohnston]

I prefer the game of the 80's and early 90's that the game that is played now

[lefty]

Actual Spurs and Jazz teams would be the only 2 actual teams who could survive in the 80's and 90's

[ElNono]

Probably the result of the game moving more so toward an international one. A game where classic centers and power forwards and traditional post play are nearly extinct. Now you've got seven-footer who handle the rock, shoot the three and drive to the cup from the perimeter.

You don't watch much international ball, do you? International play is 20x more physical than the NBA. My call on this is that since Jordan retired, they've been trying real hard to make the game easier for guards (hand check rules come to mind). At least, come playoff time, they're not as aggressive on the calls, otherwise the Spurs don't stand a chance.

[baseline bum]

The Spurs winning the title in 99 is what convinced Stern to change the rules. Ever since the rule changes for the 99-00 season, you can't breath on a guard (or a Dallas power forward) without a whistle going off. Plus, flopping is done at a ridiculous level right now.

[SenorSpur]

You don't watch much international ball, do you? International play is 20x more physical than the NBA. My call on this is that since Jordan retired, they've been trying real hard to make the game easier for guards (hand check rules come to mind). At least, come playoff time, they're not as aggressive on the calls, otherwise the Spurs don't stand a chance.

Maybe not. But if you can't see how the role of the traditional 4's & 5's has been diminished leading to the evolution of more fan-friendly "small-ball", then you clearly aren't paying attention to the current state of the NBA game.

[ElNono]

But if you can't see how the role of the traditional 4's & 5's has been diminished leading to the evolution of more fan-friendly "small-ball", then you clearly aren't paying attention to the current state of the NBA game.

That I agree with. Like I said, make the game easier for guards...

[SirChaz]

Maybe not. But if you can't see how the role of the traditional 4's & 5's has been diminished leading to the evolution of more fan-friendly "small-ball", then you clearly aren't paying attention to the current state of the NBA game.

It seems to me that it used to be easier to hide defensive 4s and 5s that were not a threat offensively. Now, without the old illegal defense rule a good defense will just take away the main options and make the weakest offensive player shoot the ball.

I think the game is going more toward players that are skilled and are a threat to score what ever the size.
Teams like Phoenix and GS play to have 5 skilled players on the floor all the time. Teams like the Jazz have a center that shoots threes. The problem is that there are not a lot of skilled big men to choose from and the few that there are are not easy to acquire. Hence the proliferation of small ball.