NBA Finals Game 1

[jwinslow]

Horrible coaching by Brown. Prince made a huge difference yet was not in for more than a few minutes in the second quarter. Arroyo and Hunter have no business being in the game, and if they are ever in there with Billups he HAS to be controlling the ball.

The combination of benching the starters in the first quarter and refusing to bench Arroyo/Hunter is why San Antonio is back in the ball game. Detroit shut down SA's offense both quarters, but had terrible personnel and awful shot selection after the first portion of the first quarter.

This is gonna be a really painful series to watch. I have an extreme dislike for players like Rip & Manu who thrive off of acting skills (Parker does this some too).

I have a lot of respect for San Antonio, especially Duncan, but the Pistons really should blame themselves for being nearly tied at halftime.

 

[jlb1705]

I don't really care who wins. I respect both teams, and there's a Wildcat on each side (Prince, Mohammed), so that's a wash.

I hope it goes to seven games though, so I can hear Hubie Brown's color commentary. You can watch basketball all year, and learn more in the games Hubie Brown calls than the rest of the games combined. That's one of the things that's missing in sports commentating these days.

 

[HabaneroBuck]

This is not a pretty game, but both teams are capable of playing pretty ball at times.

People like to make fun of the NBA and all, but facts are facts. The fundamentals of basketball include taking charges, helpside-defense, ball movement, boxing out, pushing the ball when there is an opportunity, and altering shots. These teams play 100% fundamental basketball. To even suggest that the NBA is lacking "fundamentals" is wrong. Sometimes NBA ball can be ugly exactly BECAUSE a team is sound fundamentally.

 

[JohnnyCockfight]

People like to make fun of the NBA and all, but facts are facts. The fundamentals of basketball include taking charges...

Wouldn't it be equitable to call technical fouls on those who flop rather than charges on those who are the victims of flops? That's the biggest officiating problem in the NBA in my opinion.

 

[HabaneroBuck]

Wouldn't it be equitable to call technical fouls on those who flop rather than charges on those who are the victims of flops? That's the biggest officiating problem in the NBA in my opinion.

For every time a foul is called on a flop, there are two or three where the guy hits the deck and nothing happens. The current crop of NBA officials is not the greatest in history, but I really don't see flopping as destroying the game. A flop is just an exagerration of contact. Contact IS made. You can't call a technical for exagerrating contact, can you?

 

[JohnnyCockfight]

For every time a foul is called on a flop, there are two or three where the guy hits the deck and nothing happens. The current crop of NBA officials is not the greatest in history, but I really don't see flopping as destroying the game. A flop is just an exagerration of contact. Contact IS made. You can't call a technical for exagerrating contact, can you?

Yes, it denigrates the game. It's the equivalent of callling a yellow-card on someone who does it in soccer.

But then again, I went to a football school, so maybe I just enjoy contact. Blame Katzenmoyer and Winfield for being so good while I was there.

 

[BB73]

Just wanted to point out that San Antonio averaged over 108 points in the Phoenix series. They can play either style.

 

[jwinslow]

The pistons flat out got beat. Billups was the only one that could shoot.

That being said, Manu is allowed to do whatever he wants. I realize they were letting them play out there, but he definitely had two charges that went uncalled and two non-charges he had called for him. He's a sensational player. That's why it stinks that his game is also so filled with acting.

I don't mind someone who draws contact inside by his own doing as much, its overdoing the charging contact that bothers me.

 

[HabaneroBuck]

The pistons flat out got beat. Billups was the only one that could shoot.

That being said, Manu is allowed to do whatever he wants. I realize they were letting them play out there, but he definitely had two charges that went uncalled and two non-charges he had called for him. He's a sensational player. That's why it stinks that his game is also so filled with acting.

I don't mind someone who draws contact inside by his own doing as much, its overdoing the charging contact that bothers me.

Actually, everytime I looked up, Manu was getting nailed for something or other. One was a charge that they could have NOT called that was called on him. The other was a reach-in that they called that, again, they could have swallowed their whistle if they so chose. I just don't see it as a big problem as long as the refs are aware of what is going on. For the most part, the refs. are on to it all and let the game flow as well as possible.

I agree with you from an aesthetic perspective, however. Manu doesn't have to do it, and he probably will mature out of it someday.....maybe.

 

[jwinslow]

I missed the first 10 min of the 3rd quarter, so I may have missed a lot of stuff there.

Either way, my complaints have nothing to do with the game. Antonio McD has to stop shooting 18 fadeaways a game, and Arroyo needs to never play ever. He can be a SG maybe, but definitely not a PG. Hunter needs to get his head straight too so Arroyo can stay on the bench. Sheed and Prince need to have a lot more touches, and Prince needs to take it inside.

Rip needs to be slapped around on the bench to get him to stop trying to take it thru the middle of the lane in a physical series. That's just stupid.

 

[tibor75]

Hockey players can also get whistled for a penalty when the official thinks they've overacted, but it's rarely called. It would be interesting if they started that in basketball. Just a few calls in the beginning of the season would likely be a good deterent.

 

[jimotis4heisman]

actually id say its called once every 4 or 5 periods.

ive been one who has thought for 10-15 years they should call the flop as a technical.

 

[Fungo Squiggly]

It's not jsut the NBA, either. Certain college coaches obviously teach their players to fall down the minute the ball-handler extends the off-arm a quarter inch. I don't know how many times Brent Darby was called for this during his last couple years at OSU, but it seemed like you could count on him getting called for it at least once per game.

 

[jimotis4heisman]

bucky katt, its not just college, its high school too. personally i think its cheap basketball. a little acting is something, but everytime by everyplayer, all over the floor. just another way a great game is going down the drain

 

[BB73]

I don't think they need to call the flop as a technical. I think the adding of the arc under the basket, where you can't get a charge unless you're outside the arc, has helped the game. That said, the refs did badly miss one call like that when Ben Wallace was going in for a dunk and they called a charge when he ran into a guy almost completely inside the arc. But the announcers miscalled the commentary on that play. They said it should have been a blocking foul on the guy underneath. It should have been a no-call; you can establish position inside the arc so when there's contact you're not called for a foul, but you can't draw a charge in there unless the refs blow a call. This has cut down on flopping the last few years.

The rule change that would help the NBA most would be to call the intentional foul as 2 shots and the ball. When a guy has a breakaway, he gets grabbed from behind and only gets 2 free throws. The call still benefits the offender, so he grabs the guy and stops the flow of the game and wipes out a fan-pleasing dunk. Just think about it, rules are made so that the violator of the rules are penalized, but giving 2 free throws instead of a wide-open dunk/layup doesn't penalize the guy taking the foul. Make that 2 shots and the ball and that won't happen very often.

The other intentional foul is the one inside, which coaches and announcers call a "good, hard playoff foul." Tayshaun Prince got assaulted on his left shoulder last night and just got two free throws. It wasn't a flagrant foul, but it was clearly intentional, to stop the layup he had. Making all those obvious fouls that aren't playing the ball 2 free throws plus possession, and thatl would improve the look and flow of the game.

I also think it's time to widen the lane. Calling the intentional foul would be better if the post-up players had to work a little harder to get off their shots inside.

JWins, was one of those 'definite charges' on Manu the time when he went from the top right of the lane and went airborne at the top of the arc, had contact with Big Ben, scored with a left handed flip shot, and ended up on the left side outside the lane, while Ben Wallace ended up on his ass under the basket? If so, IMO that was a big-time flop by Ben and a good no-call by the refs. Manu was going at an angle and barely glanced Wallace, who fell straight back.