I don't want to hear boomers complain about the lack of physicality in the NBA anymore

[Showtime 80]

Most of the people grumbling about physicality have no idea what they're talking about. Their memories of the past are fogged by 30-40 years of passing time, and they haven't really paid attention to the modern game. It's a critique based highlights not real games, and it's a praise of a fictitious nostalgic past. There is also a lot of failure to understand the physical challenges of the modern game. Needing to defend the entire half court instead of just the paint is a huge change, that requires much more effort and it's just ignored when people start crying about the modern game being too soft.

You want to know how it was factual that the game was more physical and the league wanted to soften and turn it more perimeter oriented? Because David Stern, Rob Thorn, Stu Jackson and Jerry Colangelo were more than open about the creation and objective for the numerous rule changes from the mid 90’s up to the late 2010’s. There’s a ton of literature on it that you should check out

[Patches Perry]

Most people want more physicality in games where they are neutral observers, but selection bias dictates that most of the commentary you see on a given game will be from fans of one of two teams, and fans will never love physicality if its being used (effectively) against their team.

[Deivork]

You don't have to be a boomer to have an opinion of how the game has evolved. This whole generation fixation is just another designed way for people to feel divided. Just my 2 cents.

[ScrantonBulls]

You constantly hear it on here and other places. People always complaining how soft the NBA is, how these players wouldn't survive in other eras. Old NBA players say it all the time too.

The games this postseason have been physical AF. It's like a freaking rugby match out there. I get that a lot of people are insecure about modern players being better than their favorite players of the past, but enough is enough. These guys are taking absolute beatings and playing physical as hell.

Starting a post by insulting a whole generation isn't a particularly intelligent way to open up a thread if the intent is actually quality discussion, just FWIW.

Boomer is a figure of speech, man. I don't literally mean baby boomers. I mean any old-head that whines about the physicality and "softness" of today's league.

[Ainosterhaspie]

Most of the people grumbling about physicality have no idea what they're talking about. Their memories of the past are fogged by 30-40 years of passing time, and they haven't really paid attention to the modern game. It's a critique based highlights not real games, and it's a praise of a fictitious nostalgic past. There is also a lot of failure to understand the physical challenges of the modern game. Needing to defend the entire half court instead of just the paint is a huge change, that requires much more effort and it's just ignored when people start crying about the modern game being too soft.

You want to know how it was factual that the game was more physical and the league wanted to soften and turn it more perimeter oriented? Because David Stern, Rob Thorn, Stu Jackson and Jerry Colangelo were more than open about the creation and objective for the numerous rule changes from the mid 90’s up to the late 2010’s. There’s a ton of literature on it that you should check out

You know we can actually watch games the games from the 80s, 90s and now right? Like whole actual games not just the same "10 brutal 80s plays" running on loop next to "10 of 2010s most egregious flops". If you bother to actually watch whole games it's very clear that the physicality of the 80s and 90s is highly exaggerated, as is the so called softness of today.

That's before you notice that much of 80s/90s defense is five guys standing in the paint instead of chasing people all over the court. You could get wide open 15+ foot shots in the 80s and 90s doing zero work. Defense gave you those for free. Try defending like that today and you'll get destroyed.

80s/90s defense being super intense and physical is one of the biggest NBA myths. It's pure cope to cover for an era that played stupid (treated the three as a novelty and bad shot instead of game changing weapon) and lacked skill.

Go watch the Blazers giving Jordan six wide open threes with barely a hint of contesting then get back to me about that super physical 90s defense.

[ScrantonBulls]

Most of the people grumbling about physicality have no idea what they're talking about. Their memories of the past are fogged by 30-40 years of passing time, and they haven't really paid attention to the modern game. It's a critique based highlights not real games, and it's a praise of a fictitious nostalgic past. There is also a lot of failure to understand the physical challenges of the modern game. Needing to defend the entire half court instead of just the paint is a huge change, that requires much more effort and it's just ignored when people start crying about the modern game being too soft.

This guy gets it. Aside from the fouls from from the Bad Boys, the 80s was softer than what we're seeing during these playoffs IMO.

[NbaAllDay]

People are going to come in here and conflate physical with rough acts and forget various other changes to the game. Using 90s as the comparison.

1. There were more 'rough acts' back in the day, which were non basketball plays and most have been rubbed out (maybe happened 1-2 a game). Watching these from the 90s gives the illusion it happened all the time.

2. The game is more physical on a per possession basis off ball today. Many more screens/picks and movement creating a lot more contact today. I've watched enough from the 90s to see this as fairly obvious.

Won't even go into the far greater physical demand on players today due to the constant running and 'space'.

3. The on ball contact is less today in a 1v1 set up, however there are far more PNRs and contact from it. Note the myth of 'Handchecking' making it multitudes tougher has been debunked fairly easily.

4. Somewhat contradictory to what I've said above is due to the amount of 3p shooting today there 'can be' less opportunity for the 'physical' hits of plays that you see in the 90s. This isn't a product of players/NBA being softer today and simply an evolution of how's its played.

5. We routinely see the increase in physicality in the playoffs, more than I ever saw in the difference In the 00s and 90s to the reg season.This is in part, a reason for playoff 'droppers' more these days imo who's game relied on the easier whistle in the Reg season comparatively. Somewhat subjective but it's what I've seen abd the data backs the production peice up.

TLDR -
more physical offball due to increase movement and sets.

Less on ball 1v1. More in most sets of 2v2.

Space can = less big hits per possession but more physically taxing requirement.

Playoff difference likely greater today.

[cdubbz]

The NBA is still soft. Physicality is not the same. If these playoffs are supposed to show how physical the game is then young fans don't know how physical the game was.

[tsherkin]

You constantly hear it on here and other places. People always complaining how soft the NBA is, how these players wouldn't survive in other eras. Old NBA players say it all the time too.

The games this postseason have been physical AF. It's like a freaking rugby match out there. I get that a lot of people are insecure about modern players being better than their favorite players of the past, but enough is enough. These guys are taking absolute beatings and playing physical as hell.

Starting a post by insulting a whole generation isn't a particularly intelligent way to open up a thread if the intent is actually quality discussion, just FWIW.

Boomer is a figure of speech, man. I don't literally mean baby boomers. I mean any old-head that whines about the physicality and "softness" of today's league.

The remark stands. It's a pejorative term, not going to engender any kind of positive response.

[SichtingLives]

Terrible poster with massive inferiority complex flexes his insecurities as the world yawns

[ScrantonBulls]

Starting a post by insulting a whole generation isn't a particularly intelligent way to open up a thread if the intent is actually quality discussion, just FWIW.

Boomer is a figure of speech, man. I don't literally mean baby boomers. I mean any old-head that whines about the physicality and "softness" of today's league.

The remark stands. It's a pejorative term, not going to engender any kind of positive response.

[ScrantonBulls]

The NBA is still soft. Physicality is not the same. If these playoffs are supposed to show how physical the game is then young fans don't know how physical the game was.

I was watching a 1985 finals game between the Celtics and Lakers earlier to see how it compared. I was shocked at how much less physical it was compared to the game we saw today. There was way less contact. It wasn't even close.

[BigGargamel]

Today's fans say they want physical play, then whine about technicals and ejections any time someone breathes on another player (or throws something on the court).

[FrodoFraggins]

I don't want to see coomers make posts about eras they never witnessed.

[Showtime 80]

The NBA is still soft. Physicality is not the same. If these playoffs are supposed to show how physical the game is then young fans don't know how physical the game was.

I was watching a 1985 finals game between the Celtics and Lakers earlier to see how it compared. I was shocked at how much less physical it was compared to the game we saw today. There was way less contact. It wasn't even close.

The 80’s Lakers and Celtics were never physical bruising defensive teams but these guys were:

Watch on YouTube

;pp=ygUTS25pY2tzIFBpc3RvbnMgMTk5Mg%3D%3D

Teams like these were allowed the exist and succeed in the NBA stifling the heck out of the top offenses in the league. After the Spurs, Pistons and Pacers started dominating in the mid 2000’s the NBA wanted to eradicate it and thus we have the soft as tissue Chuck and Duck era were 80%+ of the 3 pointers are open and the league average is still 36%.

David Stern and his cronies thought it was too physical and wanted it to set it back to beginner level for the dimwit offensive players that were coming into the league from mid 90’s onward.

[SOUL]

90s was physical but it's physical in a different way today. Take a random game from the 90s or early 2000s and you will see very soft defense. It's not a coincidence people always show the physical Pistons teams clotheslining people or 90s Knicks/Pacers/Heat and not just some random average team.

[SerialChiller]

I for one don't want to hear that a basketball game, any basketball game is like a rugby match ever again haha.

[Showtime 80]

I for one don't want to hear that a basketball game, any basketball game is like a rugby match ever again haha.

Those “rugby matches” created the most intense and greatest rivalries ever seen in NBA history during the 80’s/90’a unlike today which has turned into a 3 point shooting exhibition between AAU buddy buddies

Celtics/Sixers
Lakers/Celtics
Celtics/Pistons
Lakers/Pistons
Pistons/Bulls
Bulls/Knicks
Knicks/Heat

The NBA hasn’t had clashes like those in the last 20+ years

[SerialChiller]

I for one don't want to hear that a basketball game, any basketball game is like a rugby match ever again haha.

Those “rugby matches” created the most intense and greatest rivalries ever seen in NBA history during the 80’s/90’a unlike today which has turned into a 3 point shooting exhibition between AAU buddy buddies

Celtics/Sixers
Lakers/Celtics
Celtics/Pistons
Lakers/Pistons
Pistons/Bulls
Bulls/Knicks
Knicks/Heat

The NBA hasn’t had clashes like those in the last 20+ years

I'm talking to the OP saying in no way can any basketball game in any era be called a rugby match lol. It's basketball which is soft by nature and especially now softer than ever.

[Ainosterhaspie]

90s was physical but it's physical in a different way today. Take a random game from the 90s or early 2000s and you will see very soft defense. It's not a coincidence people always show the physical Pistons teams clotheslining people or 90s Knicks/Pacers/Heat and not just some random average team.

People think there were about 100x more clothelines than there actually were and meanwhile forget that stuff like that has still happened in the modern game. Ask JJ Barrea.

Watch on YouTube