There used to be an old adage in the NBA that, “Defense Wins Championships,” lately though defense is hard to find in any NBA game. Every game I see, the final score is is the mid to high one hundreds for each team. These scenarios appear to be a relatively new phenomenon in the league this year, the question remains, why is this occurring. In my estimation, there are several explanations for this. Firstly, offense is king. Secondly, in today’s society defense is considered boring and fans want to see action, thus more scoring. Therefore, teams usually do not use true centers that traditionally blocked shots and rebounded. Now, many teams employ forwards in that position, which, due to the height difference, leads to decreased defensive production. In my opinion, these changes in strategy have led to a watered down product on the court.
Needless to say, the NBA is in the business of entertainment, and in today’s environment, how do you maximize this aspect? Increase scoring. Scoring gets people’s attention, and keeps it, for that matter. With a population plaqued by an epidemic of instant gratification, the league has implemented strategies that increase the pace of play. Most teams have a run and gun offense, which includes a greater reliance on the 3 point shot. Consequently, there seems to be little effort to drive the ball inside to score on higher percentage shots. As a result, teams have chosen to live or die by the three pointer, which has virtually eliminated some skilled facets of the game.
Unfortunately, while attempting to keep their audience engaged by increasing offensive numbers, defense in the highest professional basketball league is becoming extinct. Unlike earlier eras, when there was an emphasis put on tough defense and rebounding, the modern NBA looks more like a backyard pick-up league than professional basketball. Why is this? Apparently, today’s NBA fan doesn’t find excellent defensive play exciting. Defensive games don’t get fans out of their seats today. For reasons not fully understood, fans find blocking and rebounding boring. For me, the pendulum has swung to far in the wrong direction. Basically, the league is all offense and no defense. Sadly, today’s fan has been unable to appreciate the tremendous skills required to play defense well. Consequently, the purity of basketball has been diminished.
To further denigrate the defensive facets of the NBA, most organizations do not have players that can effectively play each position. Most notably, most teams do not have personnel that can adequately play the center position. Consequently, defensive blocks and rebounds are at a premium, therefore more scoring is permitted. Furthermore, lack of a true center makes it impossible to prevent or intimidate certain scoring opportunities, thus making defensive strategy non existent. Not having a player that can best perform at the center position dilutes the defensive effort of teams, which, in my opinion damages the integrity of the NBA.
Though maybe not intentional, the NBA has chosen to cater to the now impatient occupants of our world by taking the view that offense is exciting, while defense is not. Meanwhile, long-standing basketball fans are anxious for the return to a well rounded and well played basketball game. Unfortunately, the NBA feels that a faster paced game is the best way to maintain its brand. It is my hope that the league as a whole will operate in a manner that has all facets of its game on display. Without a doubt, this is the best way to maintain the game’s viability and quality.
I like it, educational for me.
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