Why “no one plays defense in the NBA”

why is this guys hair so elegant

he could be an extra as a citizen at the capitol in the Hunger Games

This more "more skilled because we've advanced over time" is an unfounded statement. Things dont get better over time all the time. Is music better since michael jackson? Are movies better since terminator 2? Has the mile record been broken since the 90s? The NFL has no problem accepting that their greatest player and era are behind them. Tom brady and his era is the best. The nba was the best in the 90s and 2000s...just accept reality...

The thing that prevents me from enjoying NBA games is the amount of fouls. I say frequently, "That is not a foul." Then I turn off the game as it frustrates me. If they called on egregious fouls and told the players to suck it up, I think I would enjoy it much more.

Wow. Dude. You're stanning so hard for an inferior NBA and missing the point completely. The 90s and 2000s, teams were built to stop jordan, kobe, and shaq. There was no point in your team existing if you couldnt stop them. That was the scouting report for the whole year. These are people that would average 50 on 70% in the current era. Back then, if you were a strong, long, athletic defender that could stick shaq or jordan but couldnt put up 10 ppg, you were valuable. Do we wanna watch that kind of basketball or today's basketball where everyone is "such a good shooter." We all know which basketball is better based on viewership.

Can’t play defense if you choose to sit out back to backs. 2003 all stars played 79 games fast forward to 2023 that average dropped to 64. They don’t want to suck it up 82 games nor all star weekend. The association is a joke at this point for more than those reasons.

Is there any change in the pattern of points per game and efficiency in the playoffs from reg season? It looks like the game is officiated completely differently and more physically in the playoffs.

Sorry, got carried away. You finish with this. 👍

This all rings true. 90s offensive strategy is just not as competitive anymore. Doesn't help offense can take extra steps and basically charge the defense without a lot of negative consequence. The game turns into a shot-blocking contest instead of fundamental defensive footwork necessitating more performance training, less endurance training, more injuries, and more load management to minimize injuries.

Tighter officiating can help dial this in for an overall more joyful game. As a main candidate, the extra steps really need to stop. Take 2 steps after the last dribble only while still moving (not stop moving and then 2 more) and then you either stop, pass, or shoot... or we continue to get what we're getting.

Excellent video, congrats!

These are all helpful points to nuance the discussion that guys aren't playing good defense anymore. BUT, even in light of all these observations, all the old heads also have a very valid point that players don't value defense like they used to. A huge part of defense is hustle and effort and those attributes are obviously less in the younger generation. The refs also need to stop making it so easy for a league that already favors offense, sure, but effort and pride can definitely go up.

I didn't know Stan can move like that.

Thank you for carrying NBA discourse

Old heads keep old heading cause their heads are old.

I guess no one even notices that in the 90s man defense created artificial rules based spacing. Like how if offenses all moved above the foul line, their defenders had to “stay” there, thus leaving the blocks in isolation coverage.

Don’t believe me? Look up Utah Jazz and Karl Malone abusing this. Pick and roll wasn’t their only bread and butter offense

Why “no one plays defense in the NBA” ???
Answer: Quick counter-attacking offense on the other end of the court minimized the defense and boosts the offense further. That is the current modern game. I find it very sad that we are losing the tradition of classical defensive plays of the 80's Detroit Pistons, 80's Boston Celtics and the Defense of the GOAT Michael Jordan himself. We also give credit to the defense of the 90's era Dekembe Mutombo, Hakeem Olajuwon, Ben Wallace, Charles Barkley, Dennis Rodman, Gary Payton, Dwayne Wade, Kobe Bryant, Bruce Bowen, Shane Battier, Raja Bell... These NBA players are the illustration of classical defensive prowess. I find the new NBA modern game is more emphasized on speed, quickness and counter-attacking offense. Its a more fast pace game than the 80's and 90's NBA and less defending.

Its so funny to think players lose games because they forgot to play defense and not a single player was financially motivated to be the only defender in the league lmao

Be a defensive player like Dort or Caruso and you have the dumbest people on the planet bitching about how they're dirty players and they're "harassing" their favorite superstars. If y'all wanna fix defense in the NBA, fix the fan base

Poor video.

It's pretty simple. People want a more balanced situation on the court, if it's all defense, it's boring, but now when it's all offense, it's even more boring. With all that rise in skill that everybody talks about, the players on offense shouldn't need additional help against defenders. It's like parents boasting they have a genius son and then giving him 1+1 to solve every day.
Moving screens, flopping and foul baiting and most of all, all the traveling and carrying. You can legalize it and call it gather step or whatever you want, but (with the addition of refs giving techs like they live from it) it makes the NBA as a product unwatchable.
Dumbing it down for the masses obviously isn't working.

Phenomenal video. Great to have an emphatic response to all the whingers. Great interviews and a wonderful overview on the state of the sport at the highest level.

this is the best and healthiest piece of nba media of all time, so tired of the constant “defense is gone” narrative from every era of oldheads

Bad offense and spacing makes average defense look like elite defense. If I put Luka on Jared Vanderbilt Luka is going to look like a all defense level player. Dudes in the 90s and back were just worse on offense with bad spacing. It's that simple. 🤷🏾‍♂️

NBA offenses and defenses are both advancing, and it's doing wonders for the game, but the NBA referees are as bad as ever and they frequently spoils it for us. It's one thing to not call travels, moving screens, and carries, but in general they miss calls regularly. In previous decades when post scoring was the main vehicle, it's easy to have three referees cover all the action, but now that spacing is the new paradigm, they can't keep up with all the action. Another referee or another set of eyes and the usage of more instant replays should improve the quality drastically, but the league is too stubborn and egotistical to adapt.

Bro really did a poll on a shirt 😂😂

FANTASTIC video 👏🏽

Old heads can't stop themselves from their delusional "better times" I tell people all the time the NBA is the most competitive and skilled as it's ever been and I always hear but NO ONE PLAYS DEFENSE. Which if you watch basketball you see there is still plenty of physicality and defense being played especially in the playoffs, but one thing that has changed since the 90's is that the games have started to heavily favor offensive players to allow offense to flourish in the NBA but it starts to get out of hand with Foul baiting, arm locking, moving screens, flopping, clear travels not called, and more. This along with Basketball players becoming more skilled individually overall has multiplied the points scored making it appear that no defense gets played, when in fact more defense, better defense, more well thought out tactical defense is being played.

Defenses will catch up. Offenses will evolve and advance. Then the cycle will repeat.

It’s easier to play defense when nobody can shoot the ball and the best offense you can muster is a long 2 or 50% post up

watching the Warriors-Rockets playoff, there are instances when refs allow 'defense'...

More choreographed dancing than defense

Not that hard... bring back hand checking... and allow zones... problem solved..

it isnt "skill" thats improved, its what skills players choose to develop. raw strength used to be one of the most important skills, now shooting and lateral quickness are some of the most important skills

In my opinion, there are 4 rules we need to modify, eliminate, and/or add to help defenses.

1) Eliminate 5 second back to the basket
2) Eliminate offensive & defensive 3 second
3) Add euro-league-like basket interference rules
4) Modify the collision rules such that any two players in motion may contest a vacant spot with appropriate-levels of body-based physicality (e.g., offensive and defensive players may "check" shoulders when heading towards the basket). To clarify, any player who isn't in motion and receives contact would be fouled (e.g., non-moving screeners, charge-takers, stationary ball handlers who are "checked" off their spot, etc.). In addition, contact to the arms, neck, face, or legs on shooting fouls would still be fouls. In practice, these rules would allow "playoff" fouls without the need to blatantly ignore fouls.

Anyone and everyone who's a fan of watching basketball needs to see this video. I absolutely love your content. They should have you on Inside the NBA on a regular basis!

Kobe said he had a solution that he never had the chance to apply to Curry as he ran out of time. But we can't forget the liabilities on the floor where the fact the court is spaced out because of 3pt Shooting allows for offenses to control the flow of the game. The Defense also plays the drop over the 3PT shot still which also hurts the defense as well from being able to adapt naturally. A defender is more likely to bite on a drive then they are to guard close on the perimeter. The best defenders are those who are in the best shape. That is because they can play on both sides of the ball without being a liability late in the game like.

dude's doing phd papers for each of his vids. kudos mate

Peak content as usual.

People don’t realize that teams used to waste time doing false actions. Those were actions you really didn’t have to guard. They honestly just wasted shot clock lol

people always go immediately to mike d'antoni when they mention the offensive shift but don nelson AND stan van gundy were very similar in their offensive ideologies.

I think you identified the solution. Start calling traveling and moving screens like the old days. I'm only 36 years old, but I don't know if I could play a pick up game with the youths because I understand the concept of a pivot foot. It's pretty crazy now. The players chase over screens well. It's the officiating that caused a lot of the growth in offense.

Anyone that has played ball the last 20 years or 2k since 2k4 knows how easy playing defense you to be and how hard it is now it’s easy to get a good quick shot when you don’t have to run a set play every possession you don’t have to wait for your big to post up and eat the shot clock or a pick and roll

This is how big media discuss basketball, instead of who is the GOAT or drama stuff.

Without those moving screens there is no Steph Curry none !!! The warriors can't win ish ....

I am SO GLAD the first voice we hear is Kenyon Martin. He thinks acting angry counts as defense. Jokic would cook him for 50 while he pouts and yells.

MY FINAL JUDGEMENT:

“No one plays defense in the NBA” anymore...
Only the 80's Detroit Pistons and 80's Celtics have legendary Defense in NBA...
Why? Current NBA players mostly care on swagger, showtime, highlights and entertainment.
Very few are left thinking that they can get credited for hardwork particularly playing defense.
Everybody wants to be superstars just like celebrities. Its all showtime. Modern game sucks. Truth Hurts Big.

By the way, I give huge credit to the legendary roster of the 2004 NBA Champions Detroit Pistons for THRASHING DOWN the Los Angeles Lakers thru EXCELLENT DEFENSE.

Imagine Ben, Battier, & Van Gundy as analysts rather than the current ESPN lineup…

Fans are the source of money for the league. Falling ratings suggests fans don't like the game as much anymore. When your source of money tells you why they don't want to give you money anymore, you don't get to be confused about why they aren't giving you as much money. I got your next video title right here: "Is the NBA so out of touch? No, it's the fans who are wrong."

Thank you for making it clear, for old heads like me who cried that they don't play defense today :) I admit, I was wrong about that. I still would like the game to be called more strictly, to help defense a bit more, but overall product is very nice to see, as we see in these finals.

If they called more moving screens, it'll go a long way towards giving the defense a fairer chance without sacrificing the beauty of modern offenses.

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