You can meekly agree, affirming every ridiculous thing they say for the sake of avoiding an awkward conversation. If you're having a drink, you can throw it on them (the modern-day face slap with a glove). Or, you can fight stupid with fact. If you're like me, then you're too much of a man to go option #1. But, if you're like me, you're not man enough for option #2. So, you're stuck with option #3. If that's the way you're gonna go, this is an attempt to provide the weapons against the various arguments that come up, one by one.
Stupid Argument: "The players / game just isn't as good as it was years ago."
The fundamental (-ly flawed) premise of this argument is that for whatever reason, NBA players have been getting progressively worse at every skill in the game. "Guys just can't shoot the way they used to... These guys don't pass at all anymore... the game today is so sloppy and one-on-one now." Shockingly, the data just does not back this up. At all.
As far as shooting, overall league shooting percentages shouldn't be looked at in isolation, because the addition of the 3 point shot, and its increasing use, has some effect on that metric. As a result, it makes more sense to look at the three types of shots available: free throws, 2 pointers, and 3 pointers.
FREE THROWS
The free throw hasn't changed in 40 years. 15 ft away from a 10 foot hoop, and no one is playing defense. Over the past 4 decades, NBA players shot free throws at the following percentages: 75.5% ('72-'81), 75.8% ('82-'91), 74.2% ('92-'01), and 75.6% ('02-'11). That conspicuous low point for any season? The '99 lockout shortened season. Nobody getting worse here.
Again, nothing unusual here. But an interesting question... has defense gotten worse in the last 10 years? I would say that it's no worse than the 80's, which most consider the golden age of NBA ball. Same shooting ability (proven by free throws), similar 2 point shooting results. Watch some old highlights closely when you get a chance... do the rotations and close-outs look as intense as today? I say no, but at the very least, they're equal. That's another point for the NBA fan.
This is too easy. Now, obviously, the 3 point shot only started in the NBA in the '79-80 season, so players had to get used to it, but anyone who argues that today's players aren't better at shooting it is looking at this backwards. Or upside down. Or both. Players in the league are shooting a higher proportion of 3's, at the same clip as any other time, if not better. One more for the NBA fan.
If the game is devolving into one-on-one plays that generally make the game sloppy and ugly, then it stands to reason that there should be fewer assists (because of the players that don't know how to pass), and more "i'm-gonna-score-at-any-cost" type turnovers (again, because of the players that don't know how to pass). Not so much. Quite the opposite, in fact. Don't say offenses might be more intricate now, though - you don't need a knockout when you're ahead on points.
If your opponent can even comprehend the beating he's just taken, he'll probably say that numbers don't matter, because he knows basketball. That's the arguing equivalent of him taking his ball and going home. When he does, feel free to break out the Dikembe wag, because nobody brings that weak stuff in your house. The Sam Cassell dance works too, but make sure the crowd is age appropriate - gotta stay classy when you win.
One last thing: there's an outside chance that someone throws random things like rules changes in your face. These aren't arguments based on numbers, so matching him with something equal should be a push. Things like, "Ever since the hand check rule, any guard can score at will." Easy to come back with something like, "Before the Mark Jackson rule, any low post player could score at will."
Hope this helps other NBA fans in the eternal fight against stupid.
No comments:
Post a Comment