On a fast break toward oblivion

[Jimcs50]

On a fast break toward oblivion
Alley-oops are in; fundamentals are out. Crowd-pleasing dunks are in; shooting is out. Today's basketball might have Dr. James Naismith turning over in his grave. Can it be fixed?
By FRAN BLINEBURY

• What the experts are saying
We asked a number of basketball people in the know their thoughts on the state of the game.
What's wrong with basketball in the country where it was invented?


What's right with basketball in America?

Could the answers be both nothing and everything?

Watch Tracy McGrady transform from his seemingly somnambulant state to a whirling, twisting, flick-it-gently-off-the-backboard magician in the flap of a hummingbird's eye, and there is every reason to think the 21st century version of Dr. James Naismith's invention is climbing to new heights.

But flick the TV remote control on any given night and wind up seeing an NBA or college game in which the most basic task — putting the ball through the hoop — looks to be as difficult as in the days when they were using ladders to fetch the ball out of peach baskets.

Watch the Rockets and Mavericks race up and down the floor in an efficient blur of reds and blues to produce a 124-114 work of art, and it is difficult to imagine anything prettier.

But watch the Rockets and Spurs just three nights later grind out a 73-67 affair in which both teams walk the ball up the floor to misfire, and it's as painful as a tooth extraction, especially if you envision the game as part ballet, part jazz riff.

March Madness will again bring the pep bands, the color and the emotion of college kids playing in the single-elimination razor's-edge atmosphere of the NCAA Tournament.

Yet what also will be noticeable is a drop-off in skill level and execution from the game that was played a decade ago.

"I firmly believe (the game) isn't as good," said University of Houston coach Tom Penders. "I grew up in the late '50s, watching the Knicks and the Celtics. I don't know what you'd call the best era for fundamental or purist basketball. But I can safely say that through the early to mid-'90s, it was still the greatest show on earth. Then something happened."


Not just a youth problem
It is too easy to blame the opening of the floodgates on dozens of players each year leaving college early and so many jumping from high school straight to the NBA. Particularly when the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Garnett and Amare Stoudemire — to name a few — are top performers who grasp the team concept.

From too much reliance on the 3-point shot to zone defenses to the nightly highlight dunks on TV, the game has become more flamboyant yet less appealing for a mul ude of reasons.

"I'm not one who likes to bash the young guys," said Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler. "I think there is still a good product out there at the very top of the game. But when you get to the bottom half of NBA rosters, there's a drop-off, for sure. What we need is a real developmental league."

What the game needs, perhaps, is fewer dictatorial coaches, pulling every string and every lever on the sidelines, and more nurturers to pull the game back up from the grass-roots level in order to avoid a repeat of the bronze bust performance by Team USA — full of NBA talent — that finished third in the 2004 Olympics.

Is it just a coincidence that the 2004 U.S. Olympic team was the first made up entirely of players who came out of the AAU system that dominates high school basketball these days? So many coaches pulling in so many directions.

Not all of them with coaching expertise, but many wanting to make a name or reputation by pulling the strings.

"Basketball is the ultimate transition game, constantly flowing," said Hall of Famer Bill Walton. "To me, there's nothing worse than a guy getting the ball, coming to a dead stop and then looking back over his shoulder to get a play called by his coach."


'Overcoached, undertaught'
Pete Newell is another Hall of Famer, still a guru to many of the biggest names in the coaching game, who runs an annual camp for big men. He put it succinctly: "The game is overcoached and undertaught."

The game is overcoached — at times even suffocated — at the top level; too few are minding the gym at the entry level of the game, as the instruction of fundamentals has slipped badly.

"There has been a premium put on athleticism over skill development," said Rice coach Willis Wilson. "That's reflected at the youth level and the high school level. Kids play games. They don't work at the game."

Former Rocket Steve Francis is the poster boy for today's player. He is a superior athlete who can make the near-impossible play but never has learned to simply hit the open man and run a team.

Until this season, when teams such as Phoenix and Seattle have attracted so much attention by pushing the tempo and emphasizing offense, the scoring numbers in the NBA had dropped dramatically. Even now, in this season of resurgence, eight teams are averaging more than 100 points per game. In 1990, when the Bad Boys of Detroit were turning heads with their hard-nosed, bruising defense, all but one team in the league averaged over 100 points.

Just last season, Sacramento led the NBA in field-goal percentage at a .462 clip. In 1990, 21 of the 27 teams in the league then shot better. Yet there are more players and more teams launching from farther out as the use of the 3-point shot has increased exponentially.

In the 25 years since the 3-pointer was introduced to the NBA, the long-range shot has warped the basics of the game. Now there are acrobatic dunks and players — even on a fast break — spotting up beyond the arc. As a result, a generation of players has drifted from the fundamental precept that the closer to the basket, the better. Now there are few players adept at making what used to be the pro's bread and butter — a 12- to 15-foot jumper, a hook shot, a bank off the glass.


No shooting practice
So why can't Johnny shoot? Or Kobe and Qyntel, for that matter?

"You are what you practice," said Bill Fitch, the fifth-winningest coach in NBA history. "Never mind shooting jumpers. If we walked out to a playground right now and watched for an afternoon, how many guys do you think we'd ever see try a free throw? We've lost the value of the free throw, of a lot of basic things in the game. There's just no excuse for Shaquille O'Neal to be the athlete, player and person he is and have that kind of hole in his game."

Is it the product of watching all those slam-dunking, backboard-swaying highlights on ESPN? Or is it simply Michael Jordan's fault? Did his Airness take the creative torch from Elgin Baylor and Dr. J and lift the game too far off the ground?

"The shame is that a lot of kids don't know how fundamentally sound Michael Jordan was," said Texas Southern coach Ronnie Courtney. "They looked at the crossover dribbles and the dunks. But what they missed was the footwork, the positioning, the getting his shoulders square to the basket that made all of that possible. Kids today are watching Vince Carter, and they're looking past Tim Duncan."

There are signs — if you look hard enough — the message might be starting to sink in. The recent NBA All-Star Game featured Carter's self-aggrandizing tomahawk slam off a pass from himself off the backboard, but there was also 20-year-old phenom LeBron James looking to set up teammates with a basic bounce pass.

The retooling of the game cannot happen overnight, and it won't happen unless the focus comes from the ground up.

Pat Riley coached the "Showtime" Lakers with Magic Johnson and now as president of the Miami Heat says it is the obligation of NBA clubs who draft teenage players to teach.

"Maybe overall the game takes a step back for a while," Riley said. "But who's to say the game can't become more exciting to watch with the influx of all that youthful exuberance?

"I'm not down on where the game can go in the future. But there's no doubt that it's going to take a lot of work."

[Jimcs50]

We asked a number of basketball people in the know their thoughts on the state of the game. Here's what they had to say:



Tom Penders Head coach, University of Houston

Associated Press
Tom Penders
Q: What is fundamentally wrong with how the game is played today?

A: These kids are bigger, stronger. It's more physical. But we got away from the team concept of winning and losing. Now it's all about getting big contracts by putting up stats.

Q: Has the AAU system that is feeding high school talent into colleges and directly into the NBA hurt the game?

A: Yes. By and large, there are just a handful of AAU programs with any teaching going on anywhere around the country. These guys are grabbing up all-stars from all over the place and practicing once a week. Basically, it's just a showcase to get players scholarships and, in some cases, pro contracts.

Q: What do you think of the 3-point shot?

A: Personally, I believe the game would be better off without it. But it's here for keeps. So we need to teach the value of range on shots, where you take them from, how good they are. I have my kids play games in practice where a 3-pointer only counts as one and anything in close counts as three. The most basic idea in the game is to get closer to the basket for a better shot.

Willis Wilson Head coach, Rice

Associated Press
Willis Wilson
Q: Has the quality of the game slipped?

A: I'd say so. There's been a premium placed on athleticism over skill development. That's reflected at the youth level and the high school level. They just play games. They don't learn how to play the game.

Q: What happened to all of the good shooters?

A: We don't teach shooting the way we once did. Ricky Pierce at Rice was a great example. His primary emphasis that enabled him to break into the NBA was to shoot 600, 700, 1,000 shots day. You say that to a kid nowadays, and he's gonna tell you: "I'm not shagging my own balls for several hours. Why would I do that?" Truth is, it's not glamorous. It's hard work, and the lack of it is showing.

Q: Are you in favor of significant rule changes?

A: I don't know if we tinker with the game too much or don't tinker enough. Today the players are bigger, faster, stronger, and we have no rule changes to accommodate the size of the athlete. In some form or fashion, the lane will have to be widened.



Ronnie Courtney Head coach, TSU
Q: Are young players today as receptive to teaching as in the past?

Chronicle
Ronnie Courtney
A: Yes, they are. They do want to learn, for various reasons. Some see learning in college as a way to get them to the league (NBA). Others are just hungry to learn to play their best. When I had T.J. Ford at Willowridge and we won the state championship in his junior year, he came to me and said, "Coach, I want us to be better next year." I told him, "T.J., we only lost one game all year. That means you have to go undefeated." He told me, "We will." And they did.

Q: Is the game overcoached or undertaught?

A: Different coaches are in different situations. You're either gonna keep your job or worry about the fundamentals of a kid who moves on and then you might be out looking for a job. If you're a coach like Tubby Smith or Rick Barnes or Eddie Sutton and have that job security, you're gonna take the time out and teach those guys the fundamentals of basketball. Without that security, you're just gonna try to win the next game.

Q: Who were your best basketball teachers?

A: There were two guys, and I don't want to separate them. Coach Ray Long was my middle school coach. He taught me so much outside of basketball. He made me want to get into this profession. My college coach, Herschel Kimbrell, actually taught me the whole picture of basketball. He taught me to understand the game.




Clyde Drexler Hall of Fame player

For the Chronicle
Clyde Drexler
Q: Could you have made the jump from Sterling High straight to the NBA?

A: Yes. And I liken a lot of the guys who are taking that big step to where I was at that same age. I was 6-7, 200 pounds, and there's no doubt in my mind that I could run up and down the floor, made some dunks, done some things. But I would never have developed the all-around skills and my knowledge of the game without the years I spent with Guy V. Lewis at the University of Houston.

Q: How much did you learn, improve while you were in the NBA?

A: A tremendous amount. That's because after every season I would try to evaluate my game and go back to the drawing board to make improvements. Today, these guys have so much options at every level. In high school and college, they have the Internet, video games, cable TV with a million channels. The pros are making movies and commercials in the offseason. I guess I sound old. But I had nothing else to do, so I spent all my time playing basketball.

Q: Why has the gap closed so quickly in international basketball between the U.S. and the rest of the world since you were on the original Dream Team in 1992?

A: In one word, experience. Look at the guys who were on that team. Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone and the rest of us. We all had 10 and 11 years of experience in the NBA. We understood the value of being a team.


Bill Walton Hall of Fame player

Associated Press
Bill Walton
Q: Is the game in trouble?

A: I think it's better than ever. We hear grumbling every year from the NBA towns where the team isn't doing well. But look around the league right now at what's happening in Phoenix, Seattle, Washington and Cleveland and I think you're seeing a rebirth. Don't tell the fans in those cities that the game has a problem.

Q: Why are even today's top players often lacking in fundamental skills?

A: They don't know how to practice. One of the greatest things that John Wooden ever taught me was how to learn. No matter how great the teacher is at any level, if the student does not know how to learn, is not willing to accept "this guy can give me something," then it never works.

Q: Why have international teams passed the U.S. in major compe ions?

A: What happened in Athens was not a failure of the system. That failure has to rest squarely on Tim Duncan's and Allen Iverson's shoulders for their inability to pull that team together. That team should have mowed down the compe ion.

Q: Does the pressure to win and relentless schedule of the NBA make it impossible to teach at that level?

A: Absolutely not. That's what I loved about Phil Jackson. He saw his role as a bigger responsibility. You look at the vast majority of players who played for Phil, and they came away from their time with him as tremendous people and better players.


Bill Fitch Former Rockets coach

Associated Press
Bill Fitch
Q: How does the U.S. get back to the top in international basketball?

A: That thing can easily be solved. If you have a checker tournament and you pick a poker team, you're not gonna win at checkers. We kept all of the 3-point shooters at home. The Brent Barrys were available to go over there. We just sent the wrong team. Having said that, the world has caught up. At one time, we could send anything over there and win. We got caught in that trap. Yes, the gap has closed. But we have so much talent, I just can't see us not winning if we send the right team to the Olympics.

Q: Why can't anybody shoot?

A: You are what you practice. If you went to a playground in Philly or New York today, you wouldn't see one kid shooting free throws or working on a spot-up jumper. They're all heaving up 3s or tossing the lob pass for a friend to dunk. They can make that play because they practice it. But not the 15-footer — stop and pop — that guys like Sam Cassell and Richard Hamilton make a living doing.

Q: What would you change in the NBA?

A: The schedule has been 82 games forever. It's time we at least took a look at that.

Q: Is the game still entertaining?

A: If you like to see the pick-and-roll five different ways. If you like to see them play outside-in rather than inside-out, which is how you should play. ... I get more of a kick out of watching the games on ESPN Classic.


Pat Riley Miami Heat president

Associated Press
Pat Riley
Q: Can the young players actually learn the game while in the NBA?

A: Until the NBA puts in an age limit, we have no choice. The game is getting younger and younger, and you can't pass on that potential. If you have a contending team, you can't risk getting the younger players experience and risk not winning games. But we drafted Dorell Wright and now we have Qyntel Woods, both very young. We teach them and work them hard. It's their profession now, their livelihood. We can make them work from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and we do. They get gym work with our assistant coaches. They'll play when they're ready.

Q: What happened to shooting?

A: I say it's not for lack of practice. At least not on our team. But in the '70s, when I played, we didn't have so many defined positions. A lot of guys played everywhere. They learned to shoot from everywhere. Now we have roles and guys stay within them. We also have rule changes, like the zone defense, where guys can't get inside for that 15-footer without getting hit or having their path blocked. That's not good.

Q: Weren't you the one who started the pendulum swinging toward defense with those teams in New York?

A: Well, yeah. The way it was then with the Knicks and when I first came to Miami, it was all bare fists and knuckles all of the time. I think those days are over. It's a new era. Maybe the game is going to open up again. I hope so.

[exstatic]

Former Rocket Steve Francis is the poster boy for today's player. He is a superior athlete who can make the near-impossible play but never has learned to simply hit the open man and run a team.

Kids today are watching Vince Carter, and they're looking past Tim Duncan.