Have you watched an NBA game lately?
A foul is called. Play stops. The guilty player turns to the ref, arms outstretched, palms up, pleading his case. On the sidelines, his coach is doing the same thing. What??!!! That was a foul???
Yup. New rules this year. Technically, it's called "Freedom of Movement." No holding, grabbing, hand-checking, things the NBA has always been known for.
Remember the Bad Boy Pistons? That wasn't defense, that was a mugging. If you read "Sacred Hoops," you find much attention paid by Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan to the Pistons, and how to overcome their brutal defensive schemes. In the modern era, both the Celtics and the Utah Jazz are known for their aggressive, hands-on, often arms-around, defense.
But no more. Some say this is the "Warriors Rule." To keep teams from grabbing and holding both Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, either away from the ball or on-ball.The Splash Brothers have re-defined basketball, and created the new equivalent of baseball's home run or football's long pass plays: The three-point bomb from unimaginable shooting distances.
And the TV ratings reflect this. The Warriors are by far the best draw on national or NBA TV. And let's not forget, at the management level, the NBA is in ratings wars with soccer, baseball, but most especially the NFL. Ratings: The bottom line. In other words, more fast, free-style play akin the Warriors, and less Pistons-style defense.
Of course, two of the biggest disappointments in the NBA so far have been the Jazz and the Celtics, and some experts think it's because of the new "freedom of movement" rule. Those teams just can't get away with the grabbing and holding that defined their defensive schemes.
So what does this mean for our Griz?
No, the NCAA has not changed their rules about defense, at least so far as I can tell. But you can't tell me college refs aren't watching NBA games. Or that the NCAA officialdom doesn't also know what's going on, and isn't mindful of ratings.
All of which works against the defensive schemes DeCuire has brought to Montana. I thought many of the calls last night against us ranged from ticky-tack to phantom. The game really turned when Creighton got into the bonus, then the double bonus, with about eight minutes left in the first half. As one of the announcers said, that not only puts them on the line, but stifles your own defensive intensity.
Maybe we just got homered, as you so often do in college basketball. But I think the entire trend in basketball is working against great defensive-minded teams like Montana, and for the teams that can shoot lights-out, as Creighton did last night.
Defense may win games. But offense wins ratings.
A foul is called. Play stops. The guilty player turns to the ref, arms outstretched, palms up, pleading his case. On the sidelines, his coach is doing the same thing. What??!!! That was a foul???
Yup. New rules this year. Technically, it's called "Freedom of Movement." No holding, grabbing, hand-checking, things the NBA has always been known for.
Remember the Bad Boy Pistons? That wasn't defense, that was a mugging. If you read "Sacred Hoops," you find much attention paid by Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan to the Pistons, and how to overcome their brutal defensive schemes. In the modern era, both the Celtics and the Utah Jazz are known for their aggressive, hands-on, often arms-around, defense.
But no more. Some say this is the "Warriors Rule." To keep teams from grabbing and holding both Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, either away from the ball or on-ball.The Splash Brothers have re-defined basketball, and created the new equivalent of baseball's home run or football's long pass plays: The three-point bomb from unimaginable shooting distances.
And the TV ratings reflect this. The Warriors are by far the best draw on national or NBA TV. And let's not forget, at the management level, the NBA is in ratings wars with soccer, baseball, but most especially the NFL. Ratings: The bottom line. In other words, more fast, free-style play akin the Warriors, and less Pistons-style defense.
Of course, two of the biggest disappointments in the NBA so far have been the Jazz and the Celtics, and some experts think it's because of the new "freedom of movement" rule. Those teams just can't get away with the grabbing and holding that defined their defensive schemes.
So what does this mean for our Griz?
No, the NCAA has not changed their rules about defense, at least so far as I can tell. But you can't tell me college refs aren't watching NBA games. Or that the NCAA officialdom doesn't also know what's going on, and isn't mindful of ratings.
All of which works against the defensive schemes DeCuire has brought to Montana. I thought many of the calls last night against us ranged from ticky-tack to phantom. The game really turned when Creighton got into the bonus, then the double bonus, with about eight minutes left in the first half. As one of the announcers said, that not only puts them on the line, but stifles your own defensive intensity.
Maybe we just got homered, as you so often do in college basketball. But I think the entire trend in basketball is working against great defensive-minded teams like Montana, and for the teams that can shoot lights-out, as Creighton did last night.
Defense may win games. But offense wins ratings.
