When did basketball stop becoming a contact sport?

bk400 · #1 03-23-2025, 12:05 PM

Sometimes I wonder why the current NBA players even bother lifting weights, as the vast majority of rebounds are uncontested; contact is not allowed against a driving player; and there is so little post-up play in the paint.

Cue the old man music (love that reference, btw), but Steph Curry doesn't exist in the 90s. Gary Payton would have crushed him.

D. Bergin · #2 03-23-2025, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bk400

Sometimes I wonder why the current NBA players even bother lifting weights, as the vast majority of rebounds are uncontested; contact is not allowed against a driving player; and there is so little post-up play in the paint.

Cue the old man music (love that reference, btw), but Steph Curry doesn't exist in the 90s. Gary Payton would have crushed him.

Steve Kerr had a 15 year career and played during that era, and was strictly a stand in the corner spot up specialist.

Steph Curry would have been fine in any era. Even at 37 years old he moves without the ball better then just about anybody. That's his secret sauce. He's always on the move. All he needs is the tiniest amount of space to get his shot off, from just about anywhere on the court. He hits ridiculous shots at a historic rate of efficiency, even though everybody in the arena thinks they know what he wants to do with the ball. He's also an excellent facilitator when need be.

His biggest flaw is that he can be exploited defensively in certain matchups, which is true of any smaller Guard.

Though he's not as bad defensively as some might think. He has been among the league leaders in steals many times and has been a part of many statistically strong defensive teams with the Warriors.

Hell, if the notoriously inefficient shooting 6 foot Allen Iverson can have a HOF career playing in the "Gary Payton era", I'm pretty sure Curry could to.

Not saying Payton, might not have had Curry's number in head to head matchups...but that's just one guy in a 30 team league. Paytons one of the greatest defensive guards to ever play the game. Luckily for Curry and others, most teams didn't have another Gary Payton.

Curry has also never had a problem with other guys scoring instead of him, if he's not feeling it.

Shutting down Curry, doesn't necessarily mean, shutting down his team.

D. Bergin · #3 03-23-2025, 01:13 PM

I do miss the smash-mouth days of 80's-90's NBA and old Big East physical college play to, but I also remember they shot even more free-throws back then, then they do now.

Fouling has always been a strategy, it's just a matter of what you can get away with, and walking that line defensively based on the rules in place at any given time.

I also remember people complaining that the guys back then should pass the ball more, stop hacking offensive players, stop playing ugly basketball, and get better at shooting outside shots, because it was more skillful then just being tall and dunking on the inside.

They began changing the rules to cater to the public's perception of things...and eventually, we got what everybody wished for, and nobody liked that either, LOL.

Peter_Spaeth · #4 03-23-2025, 01:36 PM

I would start by silencing the organ music.

1952boyntoncollector · #5 03-24-2025, 08:18 AM

I have been saying for year they should have a 2 feet or so rule beyond the 3 point line a '3 or 5 second rule' like you have in the paint so you dont have guys just waiting there to chuck up 3s and keeping the floor so wide open .

I dont know how you can be pummeled and getting a AND 1 in the paint is worth the same as a 3 point shot. Right now only layups and 3s really make sense unless can hit 65 percent or so from 2 or get to the line..

3s are also rewarded now because you get fouled on a 3 more so now then in the past by being in the shooters 'landing zone', yeah there are no kick outs like reggie miller but im sure if you look at the stats there are way more fouls on 3 point attempts then in years past, correct me if im wrong.

jayshum · #6 03-24-2025, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1952boyntoncollector

I have been saying for year they should have a 2 feet or so rule beyond the 3 point line a '3 or 5 second rule' like you have in the paint so you dont have guys just waiting there to chuck up 3s and keeping the floor so wide open .

I dont know how you can be pummeled and getting a AND 1 in the paint is worth the same as a 3 point shot. Right now only layups and 3s really make sense unless can hit 65 percent or so from 2 or get to the line..

3s are also rewarded now because you get fouled on a 3 more so now then in the past by being in the shooters 'landing zone', yeah there are no kick outs like reggie miller but im sure if you look at the stats there are way more fouls on 3 point attempts then in years past, correct me if im wrong.

I'm not sure about the actual stats, but since there are a lot more 3 point shots being taken, there are probably a lot more fouls being called on them. Whether or not it's a statistical difference I don't know.

BobbyStrawberry · #7 03-24-2025, 04:08 PM

Another bad part of the current NBA game is the "offensive player going to the basket goes out of their way to shove their shoulder into the defender, resulting in a defensive foul." Harden and Luka Doncic do this a lot

Watching some of the NCAA tournament the last few days (mens and womens) is a refresher that outside of the NBA, basketball is still basketball for the most part.

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