I followed the NBA since a young kid, and wagered it yearly in the past with much success (all documented).
But you cant wager something you don't care for or follow closely any longer. (You can, of course, but i don't bet blindly)
NBA has gone downhill in different ways.
It used to be filled with Star-Power.
Now there arent even a hanfful.
There also used to be great centers coming along every so many years.
Shaq was the last one...
I disagree with your views.
I think NBA is the best it's been in a long time.
-Offense is up dramatically in the last decade due to subtle rules changes. I think the NBA has done a terrific job on this. There wasn't even rules changes per se, it's more just actually enforcing the existing rules. No more hand checking. Not as much clutching and grabbing. The NBA in the Bulls/Pistons/Jazz earlier was pretty terrible in hindsight. I watched a ton of basketball in that era and I still loved it. But when you look back there was tons of clutching and grabbing and "mucking" it up. The game flow wasn't as good, just like the NHL in the Devils/trap era.
It seems people have rosy colored memory of the Jordan era, but in reality the basketball wasn't that great and scoring was way down.
- Analytics has finally taken hold in the NBA the last decade so we see a lot more three point shots and layups then in the past, which is great for entertainment value, even 20 years ago it was dunks and three's that were the highlights, not 15 ft shots by Horace Grant. Maybe the 3's and dunks don't seem as special now since there are many more per game. Hard to complain about that though.
-teams play at a much faster pace, getting shots up with over 10 seconds left as a norm. 20 years ago the players would just dilly dally with the ball the first 14 seconds and not get serious about offense until there was 10 secs left, then often take a rushed bad shot at the shot clock expired. It was brutal. Much like the Jazz offense this year, tough to watch.
It's not like scoring is up because teams don't play defense. The defense is just as good as ever, the reasons above are the main reasons for the increased scoring
Regarding Star Power... it's seems just as strong as ever, if not stronger. The only thing making it seem not as strong is the early flameouts of Wade, Carmello (never panned out) and the team style ball of the Spurs which limits star status and also when they all play for the top teams there star power is limited, like Durant and Irving. But there is still Lebron, Westbrook, Curry, Harden etc.
Regarding the centers: This is your first legitimate gripe. It's just the evolution of the game. Mainly due to analytics. Having a center is almost a liability unless he can shoot threes or defend smaller players too. Often teams with decent centers can't even play them towards the end of the game due to matchups. Having two big guys is even worse, what used to be an advantage in the 80's has become a big liablity in the NBA. It didn't happen all at once, it was a slow evolution over the last 30 years plus. Sorry if that makes you guys feel old
The big mans value has been on a steady downward trend for over 20 years.There has been some annoying antics the last decade in the NBA , but they resolve themselves quickly.
Notably a couple years ago with the "hack a ____" whoever the worst shooter on the team was. This is way down this year and almost non existent... thank god.
This year we have the silly jack a shot up as soon as a defender touches you from anywhere on the floor and get 3 free throws . It's garbage and will resolve itself soon I'm sure. Luckily all the worst offenders are out of the playoffs, Harden, Westbrook, Isiah Thomas.
Notably a couple years ago with the "hack a ____" whoever the worst shooter on the team was. This is way down this year and almost non existent... thank god.
This year we have the silly jack a shot up as soon as a defender touches you from anywhere on the floor and get 3 free throws . It's garbage and will resolve itself soon I'm sure. Luckily all the worst offenders are out of the playoffs, Harden, Westbrook, Isiah Thomas.
The Finals don`t start until June 1 ##)##)##)##)##)##)##)##)##)
