Whatever--this guy writes for the Indiana Statesman. That's not even the best newspaper in INDIANA. That's like being fourth runner-up in the Miss Butte pageant. He might be right about some players and teams being no fun to watch, but I think that teams want to play more like Sacramento and Dallas. After this year, teams may begin to copy the Suns more, too. The country hasn't been paying attention to the Rockets this year, and it's on the team to show what it can do in the playoffs. Then we don't have to start all these threads about what different journalists say.
Maybe Steve Francis and Baron Davis are bad for their teams in the NBA...the jury is still out on them... but Iverson and Mcgrady being included in that is ludicrous. Maybe Mcgrady hasn't done much in the playoffs, but if you've seen him play at all this year you know what he can do. Iverson gets a bad rap from the media and a lot of other people, and it pisses me off. The guy gives his all night in and night out, and he's usually the smallest guy on the floor. He's never had a whole lot of help either (spare me on Chris Webber and Glenn Robinson)...he could be playing along side Larry Hughes right now. Oh, and he did lead his team to the finals once. I'm sure this writer was a Celtics and/or Lakers fan through the 80's, and a Bulls fan in the 90's. He's just waiting for the next dynasty to roll around to say something positive about basketball. He's probably bitter about the Lakers falling apart, too.
Everyone, please read what Clutch said... The article clearly lumped all new school player into one group. Tmac is playing the game the right way. He's bought into a more balanced mind-set; offense and defense. Scoring and passing. Rebounding and steals. He believes in himself, and his teammates. He's not turnover prone like Kobe -- never has been even when TMac was in Orlando on a losing team! This, IMO, elevates TMac over Kobe. The issue isn't racial motivated. It's culturally evolved. Which the NBA took advantage of: the Hip-hop crowd. It's not who you are, it's what you do. As long as the hip-hop crowd continues to embrace the dunk as the end-all-be-all form of skill. Then, there will be articles like this. But if the Hip-hop crowd embraces; shooting, passing, rebounding, FT, and team play (TMac). They will get praise. There's just not enough of these players for some to notice. Well, you just wait. After the play-offs, TMac will get more praise than you ever heard him get before. Count on it! Be a complete player. Not a specialist. I don't care how high you can jump or how many cool dunks you get. If you don't learn the complete game you are limiting your ability. I've seen these changes with LeBron/Nash/TMac -- they make passing cool again So, we are moving in the right direction.
Dude picked the wrong year to write this article. Scoring is up. Assists are up. Fast breaking is up. Teams like Seattle and Phoenix who run up and down the floor are at the top of the league. That's boring? He's a year too late and dumb enough to write an article that makes no sense. Of course, the paper was stupid enough to publish it.
someone get this idiot some glasses. He must be blind to think McGrady is bricking shot after shot. He's been watching too much of the Pacers...
There is a section to post comments and the end of this guys article. Anyone want to rip him a new one?
I would have agreed with him if he were talking about the Steve Francis-led rockets. I thought that that was a terrible team to watch and essentially I stopped. But the Rockets this year are a compelling team. They pass. They play defense. They rarely play an isolation game. They happen to have one of the greatest scorers that I have ever seen. But that doesn't mean they aren't playing team basketball. This is a fun team to watch.
I already posted comment on the bottom of the article. however, there is a moderator that views our feedback before posting our comments so i don't know if they will post my feedback about the article.
Isn't the Pacers the league's best story besides the Anti-Lakers glee over their demise? Ratings are going to reach Jordan era levels. We seriously need a Darwin award for sports writer. They wear that shame until they get fired.
I agree...but he's also in Indiana where it probably was boring to watch Pacer games after the brawl.
Yep. You are right! Both players take pride in passing. Seems like Livingston will be the better passer of the two.
Guys don't take this guy too seriously, though he makes some valid points, just in a stupid way. First of all, the only newspaper read by more than 10 people in Indiana is the Indy Star/News. No other newspaper in the state is worth more than 5 cents. Take my word for it on this. Secondly, there are a lot of people turned off by the NBA. The last few years the uglyball (grab and foul defense with no foul called) and isolation plays were awful. The seemingly multiplying problems off the court by many players hurt the league. Thirdly, the brawl in Detroit will go down in history. Many perceptions will never be the same again. Should they be? It's Stephen Jackson, not Artest, that should have been suspended for the year. I will NEVER look at him the same again. This year has been one of the best years ever in the NBA. I'm very glad they tightened up handchecking and holding on the outside. It's made a huge difference in scoring and style. The Phoenix Suns also deserve special mention for their positive contribution. The NBA game is still predicated (a lot) on slam dunks and 3 pointers while the mid-range game suffers. This year has shown progress. My hope is more teams will morph towards the Phoenix model and the movement toward speed will continue. Don't let the moron who wrote the article offend you. This clown just happened to get an article published in some two-bit paper no one has heard of. He probably hasn't seen a full NBA game all year. With that said, there are thousands of people like him near you who have been turned off by the NBA. Give it another year and let's see what happens. Perceptions usually trail reality. If the CBA is wrapped up on a timely basis, I look for the NBA to enjoy a surge in the next few years, as long as criminal behavior outside the court doesn't continue to rise (or at least get publicized more). Here's a thought, just shut down the Portland franchise and most of the problems in this area are solved.
