Players with three 60+ points in a season

[KSF-ERIC]

 

[tlongII]

And a shortened season at that.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

And a shortened season at that.

Yep

 

[Wade Garrett]

I used to watch those Chicago Bulls teams and think "they're good, but they are not SIX Championships good.."
They had a guy. And, nobody could stop him. He could do whatever he wanted, offensively, or defensively.
And they won because of Him. And, only because of Him.
I am not comparing this TrailBlazer team to those Bulls teams, but Damian Lillard, is STARTING to remind me of another guy, who
could do whatever it took, to refuse to lose a game.
What a career he has already had.

 

[HolyBackboard]

I think it's safe to say Dame is making the Blazers GOAT conversation a little less debatable ...

 

[TBpup]

I think it's safe to say Dame is making the Blazers GOAT conversation a little less debatable ...

Quite right...in the regular season. But he needs more Playoff success IMO to pass Drexler and Walton. Greatest to me is about success in the post-season and Dame has yet to win a game in the Conf Finals. That might be a high bar, but Walton is a Finals MVP with a ring and Drexler lost to the all-time goat in the Finals and to defending NBA Champs in both Finals attempts.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

Quite right...in the regular season. But he needs more Playoff success IMO to pass Drexler and Walton. Greatest to me is about success in the post-season and Dame has yet to win a game in the Conf Finals. That might be a high bar, but Walton is a Finals MVP with a ring and Drexler lost to the all-time goat in the Finals and to defending NBA Champs in both Finals attempts.

Dame is better than Drexler. I saw Drexler choke, and his shit work ethic plenty. Dame leads a team in a way Drexler never did. Physical gifts yes Drexler had, hell he might've had more than Jordan. Dame is now better than what Drexler ever did as a Blazer, Dame still hopefully has more to show us, and Dame will be regarded higher than Drexler in all Blazers ways forever.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

Quite right...in the regular season. But he needs more Playoff success IMO to pass Drexler and Walton. Greatest to me is about success in the post-season and Dame has yet to win a game in the Conf Finals. That might be a high bar, but Walton is a Finals MVP with a ring and Drexler lost to the all-time goat in the Finals and to defending NBA Champs in both Finals attempts.

Well getting there is a team accomplishment. Dame can’t get there by himself. He’s the Blazers GOAT for me.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

Well getting there is a team accomplishment. Dame can’t get there by himself. He’s the Blazers GOAT for me.

Agreed. Its also dependent on the other team. Does Walton win the title if Philly has Jordan instead of Dr J? I don't think so.

Yes winning a title is an accomplishment. But it's just one of many and not the be all end all of ranking individual players. Id never consider Bill Russel the greatest player in NBA history. He shot 44% for a big.

 

[Strenuus]

Quite right...in the regular season. But he needs more Playoff success IMO to pass Drexler and Walton. Greatest to me is about success in the post-season and Dame has yet to win a game in the Conf Finals. That might be a high bar, but Walton is a Finals MVP with a ring and Drexler lost to the all-time goat in the Finals and to defending NBA Champs in both Finals attempts.

I care more about how they are as a person.

Dame wins that without discussion.

 

[TBpup]

Dame is better than Drexler. I saw Drexler choke, and his shit work ethic plenty. Dame leads a team in a way Drexler never did. Physical gifts yes Drexler had, hell he might've had more than Jordan. Dame is now better than what Drexler ever did as a Blazer, Dame still hopefully has more to show us, and Dame will be regarded higher than Drexler in all Blazers ways forever.

Well getting there is a team accomplishment. Dame can’t get there by himself. He’s the Blazers GOAT for me.

It's no slight on Dame....for a time, Drexler was the 2nd best player in the league next to Jordan. And I agree about Clyde's less than stellar work ethic. Also hope Dame has more to show us and that he gets at least to the Finals.

As for Dame doing it by himself, I've always found that a bit off given who some of the players they each played with.

CJ vs Porter - A case can be made for either so it's not like either one was terrible. Porter was more clutch, CJ probably the better scorer. Neither was a very good defensive player.

Nurkic vs Duckworth - please, Nurk all day.

Aldridge vs Williams - Buck on D by far, Aldridge the better offensive player.

Melo vs Kersey - Kersey because he was in his prime and a created havoc. But did anyone trust Kersey's jumper nearly as much as an older Melo? One was a great role player, one is a past his prime HoF'er.

What Dame is doing is incredible and no one is trying to take anything away from that, but despite Drexler's flaws, there were things he did that were incredible as well and it's not like he was surrounded by anywhere near the talent Jordan had at the time. He wasn't the natural scorer Dame is but was much more of a force in other things, sometimes just due to his size and freak athletic ability. It sucks Clyde grew up learning to shoot on a hoop with an 11' ceiling or he would have had a much better shot.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

CJ vs Porter - A case can be made for either so it's not like either one was terrible. Porter was more clutch, CJ probably the better scorer. Neither was a very good defensive player.

Between CJ's 5 years as a starter and Porter's 5 years in the same stage of his career, the gulf between the two is actually wide and significant. Aside from usage (FGA) and turnovers, Porter was vastly better across the board.

https://stathead.com/basketball/pcm...layer_id2=mccolcj01&p2yrfrom=2016&p2yrto=2020

 

[e_blazer]

It's no slight on Dame....for a time, Drexler was the 2nd best player in the league next to Jordan. And I agree about Clyde's less than stellar work ethic. Also hope Dame has more to show us and that he gets at least to the Finals.

As for Dame doing it by himself, I've always found that a bit off given who some of the players they each played with.

CJ vs Porter - A case can be made for either so it's not like either one was terrible. Porter was more clutch, CJ probably the better scorer. Neither was a very good defensive player.

Nurkic vs Duckworth - please, Nurk all day.

Aldridge vs Williams - Buck on D by far, Aldridge the better offensive player.

Melo vs Kersey - Kersey because he was in his prime and a created havoc. But did anyone trust Kersey's jumper nearly as much as an older Melo? One was a great role player, one is a past his prime HoF'er.

What Dame is doing is incredible and no one is trying to take anything away from that, but despite Drexler's flaws, there were things he did that were incredible as well and it's not like he was surrounded by anywhere near the talent Jordan had at the time. He wasn't the natural scorer Dame is but was much more of a force in other things, sometimes just due to his size and freak athletic ability. It sucks Clyde grew up learning to shoot on a hoop with an 11' ceiling or he would have had a much better shot.

I guess I missed that season when the Blazers had LA, Nurk, CJ, and Melo on the same roster with Dame. Must have been a helluva team.

 

[TBpup]

I guess I missed that season when the Blazers had LA, Nurk, CJ, and Melo on the same roster with Dame. Must have been a helluva team.

As it says 'some of the players each played with' and not all at the same time, well, I'll just go ahead and assume people are smart enough to figure that out and see the bigger point. Then again, I know we live in a world now where picking on the smallest thing possible instead of seeing the bigger picture is just kind of the thing now.

 

[e_blazer]

As it says 'some of the players each played with' and not all at the same time, well, I'll just go ahead and assume people are smart enough to figure that out and see the bigger point. Then again, I know we live in a world now where picking on the smallest thing possible instead of seeing the bigger picture is just kind of the thing now.

It wasn't my intention to give you undue grief, but I actually think it's a pretty major point. Yeah, Dame has played with some really good teammates, but if you're going to judge a player by his team's accomplishments, it's pretty important to have them together on the roster at the same time. Drexler's '92 NBA Finals roster included Terry, Buck, Duck, Jerome, Cliff Robinson, & Danny Ainge. I don't think anyone is going to argue that the roster that Dame is working with this season has anywhere near that level of veteran support. His best team was the 2014-15 season when he had LA, Lopez, Matthews, Batum, Kaman, Barton, Afflalo, & CJ. That team probably would have made some noise if Matthews hadn't blown his Achilles and if Afflalo hadn't sucked.

I wrote in one of my posts that Dame is the greatest player to have worn a Blazers uniform. I'm coming at that from a personal accomplishments standpoint. He can't do anything about the quality of the team that management puts around him. He's not accountable for LA deciding to bolt the team and essentially put the Blazers into a rebuild on the fly mode. I've got nothing but admiration for Clyde and Walton. Both were GREAT players. Walton would be at the very top if his foot hadn't been made of ceramics. Clyde would have been the perfect complement to Dame in an ideal Blazers' backcourt. That said, Dame has a different level of drive that, IMO, puts him at the top.

 

[wizenheimer]

And a shortened season at that.

well, Dame is pretty short so it's appropriate

 

[wizenheimer]

It wasn't my intention to give you undue grief, but I actually think it's a pretty major point. Yeah, Dame has played with some really good teammates, but if you're going to judge a player by his team's accomplishments, it's pretty important to have them together on the roster at the same time. Drexler's '92 NBA Finals roster included Terry, Buck, Duck, Jerome, Cliff Robinson, & Danny Ainge. I don't think anyone is going to argue that the roster that Dame is working with this season has anywhere near that level of veteran support. His best team was the 2014-15 season when he had LA, Lopez, Matthews, Batum, Kaman, Barton, Afflalo, & CJ. That team probably would have made some noise if Matthews hadn't blown his Achilles and if Afflalo hadn't sucked.

I wrote in one of my posts that Dame is the greatest player to have worn a Blazers uniform. I'm coming at that from a personal accomplishments standpoint. He can't do anything about the quality of the team that management puts around him. He's not accountable for LA deciding to bolt the team and essentially put the Blazers into a rebuild on the fly mode. I've got nothing but admiration for Clyde and Walton. Both were GREAT players. Walton would be at the very top if his foot hadn't been made of ceramics. Clyde would have been the perfect complement to Dame in an ideal Blazers' backcourt. That said, Dame has a different level of drive that, IMO, puts him at the top.

good post

I think you have to gauge a lot of factors.

One is that Dame is only 6'2 in a tall man's game. He has to use speed, guile, and craft to dominate games...and he does. But that height means he also has limitations guys like MJ and Clyde and Lebron didn't have

and of course if you're using playoff success as a gauge, you absolutely need comparative judgements on supporting talent. Walton had Maurice Lucas, who was better than Aldridge. And there was Lionel Hollins, who was better than CJ. And there was the ultimate glue-guy in Bob Gross. And, along with Walton, all of those guys made NBA all-defensive teams. But that was a different era

Clyde's teams were incredibly physical. 2nd to only the Pistons. IMO, Terry Porter, Buck, and Kersey were all better all-around players than CJ. And those teams were good defensively and on the glass

Dame has not had supporting casts anywhere close to what Walton and Clyde had. If Nurkic could stay healthy and correct some flaws, he could be good support. But in today's NBA, until the Blazers can add another elite perimeter player who forces defenses to adjust, Dame is going to be on an island against good defensive teams

 

[HolyBackboard]

Quite right...in the regular season. But he needs more Playoff success IMO to pass Drexler and Walton. Greatest to me is about success in the post-season and Dame has yet to win a game in the Conf Finals. That might be a high bar, but Walton is a Finals MVP with a ring and Drexler lost to the all-time goat in the Finals and to defending NBA Champs in both Finals attempts.

In regards to Dame and his playoff success, he led the Blazers (w/ LA's help) to their first series win in 14 years over the Rockets.

He took a pre-season predicted 26 win team to the second round of the playoffs after beating the Clippers in the First Round after the Blazers lost 6 of their top 7 leading scorers the year before. Miss me with that CP3 and Blake injury noise, too. The fact we were even in the playoffs, let alone a 5 seed is a minor miracle.

After getting swept in 18, he bounced back with one of the single greatest series performances against the OKC Thunder, a team that swept us in the regular season. I'd say he had the greatest single-game playoff performance in franchise history scoring 50 in a closeout game, including arguably the greatest shot in league history. He broke up a damn franchise. We really made the Western Conference Finals after losing Nurk (and Enes Kanter separating his shoulder)! Yes CJ was a monster in the WCSF against Denver, but that makes my point (below) about Dame playing with a strong supporting cast which helps further him into the playoffs.

Let's fast forward to 19-20, where the team loses multiple rotation players from a WCF team, and the entire starting frontcourt to injuries (Hood, Collins, Nurkic) and we're still in position to make the playoffs. This is some Iverson in 01 type of shit we're witnessing the way he's putting the team on.

Is he the defender Walton was? Of course not. Is he the all-around performer that Drexler was? No. But he's clearly the best offensive player in franchise history, best leader, and most loyal, especially when you consider how often stars switch teams these days. Dame doubles down on his love and loyalty to this franchise, city, and fans.

There's no knocking Big Red's accomplishments. He's responsible for the franchise's only banner and won an MVP the year after but longevity has to matter and like a Brandon Roy, Bill Walton just wasn't able to perform at the level he was capable of long enough. Again, if someone has Bill Walton as their Blazer GOAT, there's nothing wrong with that answer.

Now Drexler holds a lot of sentimental value in my mind, because he is the player who got me interested in the Blazers and was my favorite athlete growing up. He holds damn near every single franchise record and was the star of the best three-year stretch in team history (90-92). But, those teams were loaded (and dare I say ahead of their time). Duck was a two-time All-Star, Porter was a two-time All-Star, Buck was 1st Team All-Defense, Mercy was a Top 10 Small Forward during that era, and we had Cliff Robinson and Danny Ainge off of the bench. I hate doing this, because, again, Clyde is my guy, but if we're going to knock Dame for postseason failures, we need to look at Drexler as well. 92 can be thrown out the window. As you mentioned, there's no shame in losing to Jordan (although the team blew a 15-pt 4th quarter lead in G6 ... but I digress). So let's look at 90 and 91. 90 we can out of nowhere, but came back to Portland tied 1-1 with the Pistons. There's no way we should have allowed Detroit to take 3 straight at the MC when we were undefeated there all postseason long. 91 is the year that really hurts ... best record in the league and homecourt throughout the playoffs. There's just no excuse for losing to that Lakers team. Given Clyde's statistics and team success, I have no problem with anyone who has him as their Blazers GOAT.

Michael Jordan is really the only player in NBA history where you can say he didn't ever come up short once he got on top. Every single player has flaws. Every single player has had failures. Pointing out Dame's shortcomings but not acknowledging Walton and Drexler's feels shortsighted to me. The reason I don't particularly like using postseason success when determining the Blazers GOAT, is because basketball is a team game. Dame has played with a single All-Star in his entire career (Aldridge) and he left the team five years ago. As mentioned earlier, Drexler played with two and Walton played with two in 78 (Lucas, Hollins).

There's not a single doubt in my mind that had Dame played with a better cast around him that we have another banner hanging in the Rose Garden right now and, to me, that's why I have him as my GOAT.

 

[Minstrel]

I think right now there's only two strong answers for Blazers GOAT, and each depends on what you're prioritizing. If you're prioritizing peak, then I can understand picking Bill Walton. Walton's years as a Blazer were exceptional on both ends of the court and few players ever can match how good he was in his championship year and the following year prior to getting hurt.

If you're prioritizing career, it has to be Lillard at this point. Drexler was great and had a great Blazers career, but his best simply wasn't as good as Lillard's best (especially now that Lillard has worked his defense into the neighborhood of average, which is basically the neighborhood Drexler inhabited) and Lillard has played enough seasons that Drexler's lead in games played really doesn't push him past Lillard.

I'll always be curious how much value Roy could have piled up for the Blazers had he been fully healthy and I think it's obvious that Walton would be far and away the Blazers' GOAT (and arguably a top-five center in NBA history, which is saying a lot considering the competition) had he remained healthy.

 

[TBpup]

There isn't a right or wrong answer here, but how far one goes toward the ultimate prize alone with league awards does play a part.

Walton - NBA MVP, NBA MVP runner up, Finals MVP, 'Ship ring
Drexler - NBA MVP runner up (to the GOAT), 2 NBA Finals, 3 conference Finals and in the Finals loss to Jordan, played with turf two on both feet and a knee injury that resulted in surgery after the season. In the first 8 seasons between Dame and Clyde, Dame just edges Clyde by just a couple hundred assists even though Clyde was a SG. (I think people forget how good of a passer Clyde was....even with his head down.) And he did this back when teams were playing MUCH more physical defense and getting away with serious hand checking as compared to now.

Again, this is not to take anything away from Dame who has been INCREDIBLE. But perhaps, some have forgotten how good Clyde was or were soured on how he went back home and won a ring. That's fine if that affects someone's like/dislike of him. But he was an amazingly talented, physically dominating player who for a stretch, only had one player above him.....the Goat. That same player kept him from being 1st team All NBA many times. To be second to Jordan is no slap in the face.

I think Dame will get there and eventually take over that top spot (IMO) on the Blazers Mt Rushmore. Just not yet.

 

[Natebishop3]

I went back and watched game one in Chicago when we went up by like 20 points and then Jordan went off.

Clyde did jack shit. The entire team froze.

Dame would not have let that happen.

 

[TBpup]

I went back and watched game one in Chicago when we went up by like 20 points and then Jordan went off.

Clyde did jack shit. The entire team froze.

Dame would not have let that happen.

...and I hope we find that out by Dame's 2nd NBA Finals vs the Goat. Would love it!

 

[KSF-ERIC]

I went back and watched game one in Chicago when we went up by like 20 points and then Jordan went off.

Clyde did jack shit. The entire team froze.

Dame would not have let that happen.

We were never up by 20 in that game. In fact, we trailed 33-30 after the first quarter.

 

[Minstrel]

Drexler - NBA MVP runner up (to the GOAT), 2 NBA Finals, 3 conference Finals and in the Finals loss to Jordan, played with turf two on both feet and a knee injury that resulted in surgery after the season. In the first 8 seasons between Dame and Clyde, Dame just edges Clyde by just a couple hundred assists even though Clyde was a SG. (I think people forget how good of a passer Clyde was....even with his head down.) And he did this back when teams were playing MUCH more physical defense and getting away with serious hand checking as compared to now.

To me, the team comparisons only make sense if one believes that if you replaced Drexler with Lillard on those teams, you'd expect them to do worse. Despite the fact that they played different positions, I don't think the team quality diminishes with Lillard in place of Drexler. In fact, I think the current Lillard makes them a superior team. Drexler was never as good as Lillard is right now.

And sure, Drexler was doing it against more physical defenses; Lillard is doing it against much more schematically sophisticated defenses, against legal zone defenses and with far more switchable defenses with better athletes to power them. At most, it's a wash and it's entirely possible that Lillard faces the greater defensive challenge between the two.

 

[Hoopguru]

To me, the team comparisons only make sense if one believes that if you replaced Drexler with Lillard on those teams, you'd expect them to do worse. Despite the fact that they played different positions, I don't think the team quality diminishes with Lillard in place of Drexler. In fact, I think the current Lillard makes them a superior team. Drexler was never as good as Lillard is right now.

And sure, Drexler was doing it against more physical defenses; Lillard is doing it against much more schematically sophisticated defenses, against legal zone defenses and with far more switchable defenses with better athletes to power them. At most, it's a wash and it's entirely possible that Lillard faces the greater defensive challenge between the two.

I think you underestimate just how tough defenses were back then with being able to use hands and arms and dirty play by guys like Stockton.
Dame would have done well in that era but he needs to get them to the finals a couple times.

 

[Minstrel]

I think you underestimate just how tough defenses were back then with being able to use hands and arms and dirty play by guys like Stockton.

Perhaps you're underestimating the benefit defense have no with no "illegal defense" which opens up many more potential schemes. Coaches have said that allowing zone defenses really opened up defense and made a huge difference. And the screen switching with lots of long athletes makes getting clean shots a lot tougher than it was in the '80s. If you go back and watch a bunch of games from the 1980s, you'll be struck by how many open jumpers were given up.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

I think right now there's only two strong answers for Blazers GOAT, and each depends on what you're prioritizing. If you're prioritizing peak, then I can understand picking Bill Walton. Walton's years as a Blazer were exceptional on both ends of the court and few players ever can match how good he was in his championship year and the following year prior to getting hurt.

If you're prioritizing career, it has to be Lillard at this point. Drexler was great and had a great Blazers career, but his best simply wasn't as good as Lillard's best (especially now that Lillard has worked his defense into the neighborhood of average, which is basically the neighborhood Drexler inhabited) and Lillard has played enough seasons that Drexler's lead in games played really doesn't push him past Lillard.

I'll always be curious how much value Roy could have piled up for the Blazers had he been fully healthy and I think it's obvious that Walton would be far and away the Blazers' GOAT (and arguably a top-five center in NBA history, which is saying a lot considering the competition) had he remained healthy.

There has only been one Blazer who has won league MVP. And it's the same Blazer who won a championship. And went 50-10 before he got injured the next year.

Sadly, of course, he's also the only Blazer to sit out an entire season in protest and leave in free agency the next year.

 

[Hoopguru]

Perhaps you're underestimating the benefit defense have no with no "illegal defense" which opens up many more potential schemes. Coaches have said that allowing zone defenses really opened up defense and made a huge difference. And the screen switching with lots of long athletes makes getting clean shots a lot tougher than it was in the '80s. If you go back and watch a bunch of games from the 1980s, you'll be struck by how many open jumpers were given up.

The game was changed to benefit the offense and put more points on the board. It worked too. Just my opinion.

 

[Hoopguru]

Perhaps you're underestimating the benefit defense have no with no "illegal defense" which opens up many more potential schemes. Coaches have said that allowing zone defenses really opened up defense and made a huge difference. And the screen switching with lots of long athletes makes getting clean shots a lot tougher than it was in the '80s. If you go back and watch a bunch of games from the 1980s, you'll be struck by how many open jumpers were given up.

Referees have been ordered to emphasize what often is called "the no-touching rule." As the league continues its battle to keep scoring up and thuggery down, it is focusing on perimeter contact as never before.

Though team scoring is holding steady, all those trips to the line have resulted in higher averages for players at the top of the scoring charts. For the first time in 24 seasons, three players--Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson and LeBron James--are likely to average more than 30.0 points for the season. Two years ago, there wasn't a single 30-point scorer. Entering the week, there had been 95 performances of 40 points or more, compared with 67 last season and 41 two seasons ago.

Indeed, the league has created a statistical whirlwind, but there has been a price. The ebb and flow of an 82-game season has added a bit too much ebb, with the continuous whistles creating points for players who are more than capable of creating them for themselves. The aesthetics that result from increased scoring are being negated by all the whistles.

The league's stance is this is nothing new, at least this season. "It's actually been in effect for two years." says NBA senior vice president Stu Jackson. "It was really an outgrowth of the hand check. What evolved is players originally used the hand check in an effort to deter the offensive player or reroute him. And then we saw a real influx of body checks by players in an effort to reroute the offensive player off his path."

On one hand, the no-touch policy has coaches giving the ball to their slashers, which clears the court for either dynamic dunks or frequent free throws. On the other, those same coaches are at their wits' end trying to orchestrate an effective defense.

It is an officiating style that would have turned the smart folks who employed the Jordan Rules into Jordan's fools.

"There is so much stuff being called out on the perimeter," Knicks coach Larry Brown says. "I can't imagine what Michael would have gotten with the hand-check rules the way they're calling it now."

Jordan's former running partner is not so sure he could have reached his own level of success under the current rules. "I'm glad I'm not playing now," Scottie Pippen says. "I wouldn't be a good defensive player."

Even Rothstein, now a Heat assistant coach, is conflicted. Like many who were on Chuck Daly's Pistons staffs in the late '80s, he is consumed with the science of NBA defense. He sees little reason for any player to shoot 20 or 25 free throws in a game. But he appreciates that offense sells and that it's what commissioner David Stern wants and what fans expect in this video-driven era of individual theatrics.

"I understand the nature of the business and who we are and what we are," Rothstein says. "Do I like it? No. But it doesn't matter if 1 like it. There are still very good defenders in this league who do a very good job, who have adjusted to the rules. It used to be you'd get a forearm on and it gave you certain leverage. So you've got to move your feet better. There's no way you can be as good under the current rules."

Rothstein's boss says it is undeniable that the game has changed for today's offensive stars.

"I think guys are just warming up to the whole thing," Heat coach Pat Riley says. "Everybody's starting to realize, 'Hey, I can get a ton here.' So I think this year has really been the first year where the rule is starting to have an impact. We're going to have a 200-point game by a team pretty soon."

 

[Minstrel]

Referees have been ordered to emphasize what often is called "the no-touching rule." As the league continues its battle to keep scoring up and thuggery down, it is focusing on perimeter contact as never before.

Though team scoring is holding steady, all those trips to the line have resulted in higher averages for players at the top of the scoring charts. For the first time in 24 seasons, three players--Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson and LeBron James--are likely to average more than 30.0 points for the season. Two years ago, there wasn't a single 30-point scorer. Entering the week, there had been 95 performances of 40 points or more, compared with 67 last season and 41 two seasons ago.

Indeed, the league has created a statistical whirlwind, but there has been a price. The ebb and flow of an 82-game season has added a bit too much ebb, with the continuous whistles creating points for players who are more than capable of creating them for themselves. The aesthetics that result from increased scoring are being negated by all the whistles.

The league's stance is this is nothing new, at least this season. "It's actually been in effect for two years." says NBA senior vice president Stu Jackson. "It was really an outgrowth of the hand check. What evolved is players originally used the hand check in an effort to deter the offensive player or reroute him. And then we saw a real influx of body checks by players in an effort to reroute the offensive player off his path."

On one hand, the no-touch policy has coaches giving the ball to their slashers, which clears the court for either dynamic dunks or frequent free throws. On the other, those same coaches are at their wits' end trying to orchestrate an effective defense.

It is an officiating style that would have turned the smart folks who employed the Jordan Rules into Jordan's fools.

"There is so much stuff being called out on the perimeter," Knicks coach Larry Brown says. "I can't imagine what Michael would have gotten with the hand-check rules the way they're calling it now."

Jordan's former running partner is not so sure he could have reached his own level of success under the current rules. "I'm glad I'm not playing now," Scottie Pippen says. "I wouldn't be a good defensive player."

Even Rothstein, now a Heat assistant coach, is conflicted. Like many who were on Chuck Daly's Pistons staffs in the late '80s, he is consumed with the science of NBA defense. He sees little reason for any player to shoot 20 or 25 free throws in a game. But he appreciates that offense sells and that it's what commissioner David Stern wants and what fans expect in this video-driven era of individual theatrics.

"I understand the nature of the business and who we are and what we are," Rothstein says. "Do I like it? No. But it doesn't matter if 1 like it. There are still very good defenders in this league who do a very good job, who have adjusted to the rules. It used to be you'd get a forearm on and it gave you certain leverage. So you've got to move your feet better. There's no way you can be as good under the current rules."

Rothstein's boss says it is undeniable that the game has changed for today's offensive stars.

"I think guys are just warming up to the whole thing," Heat coach Pat Riley says. "Everybody's starting to realize, 'Hey, I can get a ton here.' So I think this year has really been the first year where the rule is starting to have an impact. We're going to have a 200-point game by a team pretty soon."

Yes, they changed the rules to open up the game, but then they later changed further rules to give defenses more options. The result has actually given us (IMO) the best era in basketball, where offenses can play free-flowing basketball unimpeded by grabbing and holding (which was never a particularly skilled style of defense) but defenses have been given the ability to play new styles of defense to combat that.