Sometimes it's fun to read other Blazer forums

[SlyPokerDog]

 

[oldmangrouch]

That there is some quality trolling!

 

[riverman]

I don't remember Wilt ever playing for the Blazers..hmmmm?

 

[Draco]

Ha yeah that'd make Wilt 100 years old when he scored his 100 points.

The center jump ball that was used to restart a game after every successful field goal was eliminated in 1938, in favor of the ball being given to the non-scoring team from behind the end line where the goal was scored, in order to make play more continuous.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rules_of_basketball

I don't pay any attention to stats before the early 70's though; the league had no competition and was much smaller than arena football is today. Basically none of the pros were high level athletes that could succeed in football or baseball as they are today. Modern basketball really started in 1977 after the ABA merger.

 

[UncleCliffy'sDaddy]

Ha yeah that'd make Wilt 100 years old when he scored his 100 points.



https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rules_of_basketball

I don't pay any attention to stats before the early 70's though; the league had no competition and was much smaller than arena football is today. Basically none of the pros were high level athletes that could succeed in football or baseball as they are today. Modern basketball really started in 1977 after the ABA merger.

Huh???? Oscar Robertson was the LeBron James of his day and very easily could have played pro football. Jerry West was another terrific all around athlete and likely could have played pro baseball. Wilt ran track. Dave Debushere played pro baseball. Walt Frazier wasn't a high level athlete?? Those are just a few players from that era who were not only all around athletes, but who could probably kick some ass today if you could magically transport them to 2015. Wow, I can't wait till you are in your fifties or sixties and the younger generation at that time gives Jordan, Kobe, LBJ et al the back of their hands. Besides, comparing generations is an exercise in futility. I wish I could be alive 30 years from now so I could watch your reaction. You have some great insights to share on this blog but this particular post ain't one of them....

 

[magnifier661]

but they didn't have the 3 second rule and jumped center that helped wilt

 

[UncleCliffy'sDaddy]

but they didn't have the 3 second rule and jumped center that helped wilt

I'm not sure of your point as far as 3 seconds and the center jump goes. Though 3 seconds has been around for my lifetime (not that it...or traveling ever gets called on today's NBA). I was just defending the athleticism of the players from the 60's and 70's. And back to the traveling thing. Michael Jordan wouldn't have averaged over 12 points a game if the traveling rule had ever been enforced.....though I'm digressing...I just think the players back then were just as athletic. They certainly seemed to be more durable than the hot house flowers of today....

 

[dviss1]

I'm not sure of your point as far as 3 seconds and the center jump goes. Though 3 seconds has been around for my lifetime (not that it...or traveling ever gets called on today's NBA). I was just defending the athleticism of the players from the 60's and 70's. And back to the traveling thing. Michael Jordan wouldn't have averaged over 12 points a game if the traveling rule had ever been enforced.....though I'm digressing...I just think the players back then were just as athletic. They certainly seemed to be more durable than the hot house flowers of today....

What? Are you trolling? Lebron is the traveler. Not MJ.

 

[Harry's Raincoat]

3 second rule introduced in 1936.

 

[UncleCliffy'sDaddy]

What? Are you trolling? Lebron is the traveler. Not MJ.

Go back and watch again...though yes, LBJ is at least as bad. But in all honesty, uncalled traveling probably started with Dr. J. I think the refs were so amazed by what he was able to do once he was in the air they didn't have the heart to negate it. Regardless, traveling is by far the most abused rule in the NBA by far.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

3 second rule introduced in 1936.

First enforced in 2036...

 

[BlazerCaravan]

I think I figured out why 3 in the key is enforced so strangely today:

1936 - 3 in the key becomes a rule. The lane is 6 feet wide at this point.

1951 - Lane widened from six to 12 feet (Change primarily attributed to the dominance of George Mikan)

1964 - Lane widened from 12 to 16 feet (Change primarily attributed to the dominance of Wilt Chamberlain)

If 3 in the key had expanded along with the size of the key, it would be 8 in the key. But that's not exactly fair, because camping out in the CENTER of the key 8 seconds is horrible. But since it takes a second to get int the key far enough to match the 1936 rules, and a second to get out again, maybe we should make it a 5 in the key count instead.

...which is what refs basically do now.

 

[e_blazer]

Just get rid of 3 in the key entirely, rename the "center" the "keeper" and sit back and enjoy soccer-style scores like 4-2.

 

[magnifier661]

I'm not sure of your point as far as 3 seconds and the center jump goes. Though 3 seconds has been around for my lifetime (not that it...or traveling ever gets called on today's NBA). I was just defending the athleticism of the players from the 60's and 70's. And back to the traveling thing. Michael Jordan wouldn't have averaged over 12 points a game if the traveling rule had ever been enforced.....though I'm digressing...I just think the players back then were just as athletic. They certainly seemed to be more durable than the hot house flowers of today....

Woooooosh right over your head

 

[magnifier661]

What? Are you trolling? Lebron is the traveler. Not MJ.

Jordan's go to move was his hook that was never called

 

[Draco]

Huh???? Oscar Robertson was the LeBron James of his day and very easily could have played pro football. Jerry West was another terrific all around athlete and likely could have played pro baseball. Wilt ran track. Dave Debushere played pro baseball. Walt Frazier wasn't a high level athlete?? Those are just a few players from that era who were not only all around athletes, but who could probably kick some ass today if you could magically transport them to 2015. Wow, I can't wait till you are in your fifties or sixties and the younger generation at that time gives Jordan, Kobe, LBJ et al the back of their hands. Besides, comparing generations is an exercise in futility. I wish I could be alive 30 years from now so I could watch your reaction. You have some great insights to share on this blog but this particular post ain't one of them....

Hey that's your opinion but I disagree with it. Yes there were a couple exceptional players here or there so perhaps I should've noted that. But the league overall was full of average Joe's instead of now where its top to bottom some of the best athletes in the world. The Celtics were racking up those 10 titles when there were 8 franchises in the NBA and most of them just sold their players to one of the few big teams. It means more in the modern NBA to get second in a conference as it did to win a title back then. That was closer to globetrotter exhibition than a major competitive sport. Those pre1970 stats are nearly meaningless. Comparing those stats to modern day players is the same as comparing 142 TD record in an arena football season to the 50 TD record Brady had in the NFL. The pre-1970's NBA isn't at all similar to other sports such as the MLB. Baseball had an ultra competitive mature league that existed for decades with competitive franchises all over the country. NBA games weren't televised, sometimes weren't on the radio and many learned about them later in the newspaper. It was a small niche sport back then.

Basketball is a great sport and those early NBA teams, the ABA league and college ball set the stage for what we now have. I think of it as similar to 1800's baseball.

 

[UncleCliffy'sDaddy]

Woooooosh right over your head

Yep, dang it! And the breeze as it went by took my hat right off. That's what happens when a guy tries to stay involved with a thread while trailing his wife around the shopping mall. I didn't read Sly's original post anywhere near close enough before blowing off your point. I think it was between, "yes dear" and "that looks great on you, Honey" that I just skimmed the whole thing. And missed the joke. My bad.

 

[BlazerWookee]

Huh???? Oscar Robertson was the LeBron James of his day and very easily could have played pro football. Jerry West was another terrific all around athlete and likely could have played pro baseball. Wilt ran track. Dave Debushere played pro baseball. Walt Frazier wasn't a high level athlete?? Those are just a few players from that era who were not only all around athletes, but who could probably kick some ass today if you could magically transport them to 2015. Wow, I can't wait till you are in your fifties or sixties and the younger generation at that time gives Jordan, Kobe, LBJ et al the back of their hands. Besides, comparing generations is an exercise in futility. I wish I could be alive 30 years from now so I could watch your reaction. You have some great insights to share on this blog but this particular post ain't one of them....

Chuck Connors (The Rifleman) played in the NBA, Major League Baseball, AND was drafted by the Chicago Bears.

I think he was the first one in the NBA to break a backboard...

 

[UncleCliffy'sDaddy]

Hey that's your opinion but I disagree with it. Yes there were a couple exceptional players here or there so perhaps I should've noted that. But the league overall was full of average Joe's instead of now where its top to bottom some of the best athletes in the world. The Celtics were racking up those 10 titles when there were 8 franchises in the NBA and most of them just sold their players to one of the few big teams. It means more in the modern NBA to get second in a conference as it did to win a title back then. That was closer to globetrotter exhibition than a major competitive sport. Those pre1970 stats are nearly meaningless. Comparing those stats to modern day players is the same as comparing 142 TD record in an arena football season to the 50 TD record Brady had in the NFL. The pre-1970's NBA isn't at all similar to other sports such as the MLB. Baseball had an ultra competitive mature league that existed for decades with competitive franchises all over the country. NBA games weren't televised, sometimes weren't on the radio and many learned about them later in the newspaper. It was a small niche sport back then.

Basketball is a great sport and those early NBA teams, the ABA league and college ball set the stage for what we now have. I think of it as similar to 1800's baseball.

You make some excellent points but I think what really set the table for today's NBA started no later than the early '60s with freak (especially for that era) athletes like Cousy, Russell, West, Robertson and Baylor (I'll leave Chamberlain out of it because he was an even bigger aberration for that time). Cousy and West had ball handling and passing skills that are the norm today but were black magic back when they started doing it. Robertson and Baylor were high flyers and aerial artists that paved the way for the Dr. J's, MJs, etc. Their skills would translate almost completely to today's NBA. If the Big O was playing in his prime today, LeBron would be calling him Daddy. And that's the God's honest truth. Too, it can be argued that since there are now 30 NBA teams, the talent level is seriously diluted compared to back when there were only 8 teams. But, as I stated in an earlier post, comparing generations is truly subjective, so my argument is only for conversational purposes. And one last point...I love pro basketball almost as much as I love my wife but in some ways the NBA is still a "niche" sport, especially when compared to MLB and the NFL. The NFL is is a 24/7/365 topic with the national media, MLB gets about 9 months of love and about the only real attention the NBA gets (unless you live in Portland) is during the actual season. And that sucks. That's why this forum is a godsend, especially at this time of year....

 

[MarAzul]

it can be argued that since there are now 30 NBA teams, the talent level is seriously diluted compared to back when there were only 8 teams

And that's a fact.

 

[magnifier661]

Yep, dang it! And the breeze as it went by took my hat right off. That's what happens when a guy tries to stay involved with a thread while trailing his wife around the shopping mall. I didn't read Sly's original post anywhere near close enough before blowing off your point. I think it was between, "yes dear" and "that looks great on you, Honey" that I just skimmed the whole thing. And missed the joke. My bad.

Hahahaha! It's all good man. Sometimes I pay attention and lose the OP

 

[Strenuus]

Yep, dang it! And the breeze as it went by took my hat right off. That's what happens when a guy tries to stay involved with a thread while trailing his wife around the shopping mall. I didn't read Sly's original post anywhere near close enough before blowing off your point. I think it was between, "yes dear" and "that looks great on you, Honey" that I just skimmed the whole thing. And missed the joke. My bad.

One of the posts of the year, right here. LOL!!!

 

[PDXFonz]

Yep, dang it! And the breeze as it went by took my hat right off. That's what happens when a guy tries to stay involved with a thread while trailing his wife around the shopping mall. I didn't read Sly's original post anywhere near close enough before blowing off your point. I think it was between, "yes dear" and "that looks great on you, Honey" that I just skimmed the whole thing. And missed the joke. My bad.

I hope you paid more attention to your wife than your phone. I can't imagine how bad it would be for you if the "yes dear" was accidentally in response to "does this dress make my butt look fat?".

 

[PtldPlatypus]

And that's a fact.

Not at all; in fact, I would argue the opposite. It can easily be argued that since the world's basketball playing population is significantly greater now than it was 50 years ago, there is actually more elite talent per team now than there was then. Players that would previously have been undeniably elite relative to the whole seem less so because the average player is better--ie, more closely comparable to the elite.

In short, today's greats seem less great now because today's average players would have been dominant had they played in earlier eras.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Jordan would have averaged 80 points a game in 1964.

 

[dviss1]

Jordan's go to move was his hook that was never called

Back then that hook would never have been called because hand checking was "legal" (I want to say they change the hand checking ruled in either '94 or '96). Just like the offensive foul against Byron Russell. That's just something you're not going to call against Jordan.

As for the three second rule, its called advantage/disadvantage. A ref asks themselves a question: is this player gaining an advantage from being in the key so long? A player would never be in my key for 5 seconds ... F that... (at least up to college where refereeing is still pure).

 

[dviss1]

We used to (and you still can do this at maybe the middle school level where they are still learning) tell the players:

"Get outta the key!"

But they nip that in the bud and that's probably for the best. A good referee friend of mine called the funniest 3 second call you will ever hear. On two or three different occasions he tells the player to get out of the key. Without responding to him, he's called three seconds on her twice in the first half. In the third quarter the girl was just standing in the key looking around not doing anything again. She wasn't guarding anyone, nor did she really look like she knew what she was doing at all. He tells her three or four times to get out of the key. Still no response. After she's in the lane for about 4 seconds he finally blows his whistle and says:

"SHE'S LIVING IN THERE!!!"

She never did it for the rest of the game.

 

[MarAzul]

I would argue the opposite

And I think you just did. Were you there to see?

 

[MarAzul]

Jordan would have averaged 80 points a game in 1964

I have never seen a defender nearly as good as Russell. I don't think Jordan did either.

 

[e_blazer]

And that's a fact.

Except that the pool of players is much larger than it was then. The population of the US is more than double what it was then, the number of college programs is much larger, and the number of NBA-caliber international players has increased dramatically. I'd be willing to bet that if you had a time machine half of the teams in today's NBA could win a series against the NBA champion teams from about 40 years ago.