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Analytics ruining sports?


rico

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49 minutes ago, jblaz13 said:

Another thing on changes in modern basketball :  The increased desire for players more ideal to play Zone Defense in the NBA helped influence a fundamental shift in the type of feedback players started getting when they tested the waters. 

In the NBA's old illegal defense days, it was different, and man - to-man was far more prevalent until the 1990's.  Starting in the days of Shaq, when the defensive rules changed, teams resorted to zone defenses more frequently, which ultimately gave way to teams adopting new ways to beat zones.  

The name of the game became outside shooting(over the top ), and attacking points of (open space)separation as zone defenses shift,  but we know how draft feedback works. That(change to the types of players being drafted for respective positions) influenced the both the ideal body type, and skill sets conducive with success in attacking the variations of increasingly common zone defenses.. Back to the basket post players became less sought after once the feedback from the league trickled down to the lower levels of the game, That changed the way coaches prepared recruits for college , and so forth on down. This is not an opinion, either.  It's hard to single out one rule change like the shot clock, but several combined starts to help one fill in the blanks using basketball knowledge. 

Feedback starts at the top, then most of the amateur and "amateur" coaches followed the trends. 

An arguably undeniable positive "bi-product" of the same rule changes in that  era was Tim Duncan.  He isn't the last true legendary big man(complete with multiple titles-homework) by accident  He possessed enough of the total package to continue to benefit against the change of styles.Back to basket,  mid range game, and all.

Dirk seemed like the next step in the evolution- which is just my opinion but sure I'm not the first to see it that way. Nowitzke's biggest flaw was mobility as a defensive liability, but he was otherwise a legendary offensive talent and more modernized big man. Just a couple of examples.The quicker and more defensively adept bigs with outside range became increasingly common as lower systems had more focused development around evolving desired skill sets. International basketball definitely played some role. USA Basketball had to change after losing separation from the Dream Team on . I wonder what influence that had..Close on shooters, rim protection became pre-requisites along with offensive versatility and transition game speed.Period.

I just come to have understood all of it and much more helped set what we now see into  motion  In the same breath. I'm also not so inclined to write off influence of Jordan. Next in that line were Kobe, then LeBron, but we all know shooting outside and dunking were pretty well shown on TV, so kids have either gotten Jordan or Jordan wannabe's for a long time.  I used to have a really detailed reply to this saved , but I lost my PC it was on  3-4 years ago.  It had video links  rule change references, bios , line-ups, All-Star and  Alll LEague teams from pro and college .  and all. Boooo This does it no justice, and I had more guys  Fortunately all of this information is widely known and publicly available A different change than Shaq, but no less influential all around athlete-players...

FWIW "position-less "basketball was a concept I still recall Pat Riley having felt was "most ideal" even back in the 1980's.  Not sure if he was the first, but he was the first I am aware of, personally.The Warriors remind me of that vision.NOt sure whether or not I agree with him , but I agree with better all-around players. I just think traditional post bigs can still be successful with the occasional dominant player. Theoretically , all it would require is a dominant player(s)or system that has enough success to change the trend again. The hallmark of a trend changer is dominance. I can't name one trend that changed in my lifetime leading to more dunks and 3 pointers though from a fundamental standpoint than Shaq's dominance.. "Basketball 101" on the surface...

Doesn't necessarily mean big men can't/won't ever be dominant again with a back to the basket game.Nor does it mean the mid range game won't become a future trend. They just don't seem so likely to prevail again at the current point in time. The valid counter  argument is ,however,  if Riley was among those on point in theory, is there a "better" mold for the game than fundamentally sound versatile basketball? I just think the fundamentals are watered down by "other negative trends" originating in the professional game.Even further originate completely outside of athletics and just permeate it now. Entitlement. We can argue all day long , but as a parent I live understanding since my child comes home with what they hear at school all day. I sure as you know what don't allow or promote it to my child..Center of Authority has largely shifted away from coaches and parents towards players and children. Kind of same thing to me.That is just my  personal experience. 

Something to ponder, and really tough to fully  attribute/conclude on one "cause" but a bit easier with one rule change. 

Are as many kids with able talent investing into sports with the same dedication as they used to or are there more distractions in modern culture?  I battle  to balance the physical  and the virtual on a regular basis so just saying. My personal approach is electronics off, books or exercise out and do it with them until being old beats me. I do complain , but I do try to solve .Also have coached for that matter.

Fortunately heart, desire, conditioning, and intangibles are not equal with neither kids nor systems... I've experienced just over 30 years of basketball concepts I was old enough to clearly recall in/around sports. I will also say I find it most unfortunate and ironic the team closest to what Scott described missing-  in the NCAA in the recent past few seasons-  had been Purdue with Biggie and Haas and even some mid range game.I perceive what he meant he misses is a more traditional basketball offense ... Sucks.Purdue somewhat defined it Lol 

One thing is that you still have the defensive 3 seconds in the NBA so it is not like the defense can just jam the paint.  Yes you can play zone but it is not like it is in college where you can just put your bigs in the paint and stay in there.

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On 4/25/2019 at 12:22 PM, IU Scott said:

One thing is that you still have the defensive 3 seconds in the NBA so it is not like the defense can just jam the paint.  Yes you can play zone but it is not like it is in college where you can just put your bigs in the paint and stay in there.

Yes true, about literally camping the lane itself, but it's the schematics of defense being unrestricted by players having to commit to a man.

Avoiding a 3 second call is still less inconvenient than having to fully commit to a 1 on 1 or a double team.Adequate floor awareness is already up to the team to draft.

 

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