Re: Nelson, Cuban dislike charge line

DJ Kazuya wrote:

> "brink" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>  
>
> > i disagree.  a lot of defense is positioning, and that's what this boils
> > down to, period.  it's up to the refs to make the right call, but what is
> > wrong with being in good position to cut off a player who is driving
> >    
> toward
>  
>
> > the hoop?
> >
> > and bill walton's idea of "get up in the air and block a shot" is great
> > except for  the fact that refs are more likely to call that a foul these
> > days.  even a "clean" block (one where the ball gets blocked and then the
> > defender's hand comes and touches the shooter's hand, which should be  a
> > legal defensive play) is likely to result in a whistle and free throws and
> >    
> a
>  
>
> > PF.
> >
> >
> >    
>
> FWIW, I can't disagree with you... defense is a lot about positioning.  But
> from my *personal* perspective, I just think it uglies up the game.  Fans
> want to see Kobe take off from the baseline and jam, not see some spare
> bench player with six fouls to give run and stand under him without even a
> thought of trying to challenge him. 
That's the key.

"....without even a thought of trying to challenge him."

If they'd let the players play without _ALWAYS_ protecting the offensive 
player and calling a foul anytime someone breathes on a guy with the 
ball (there has to be a balance, I know, I'll touch on that in a sec) 
players wouldn't be so afraid of challenging shots.

That said, the refs still have to call the obvious fouls to avoid 
muggings, but for the most part the weak shit fouls need to be removed. 
That will encourage _actual_ defense. Remove the bullshit charges and 
that will encourage _actual_ offense. Wow. Think about that. Real 
basketball, without rules trying to FORCE basketball into a more 
enjoyable prance-fest.

The idea of protecting offensive players to stimulate scoring makes 
sense, but at the cost of actual defense it sure doesn't make the game 
better.

> It also encourages contact (leading to
> more injuries) which I thought basketball was trying to get away from by
> eliminating hand checking and creating rules to increase player movement.
> Finally, I might not have a big problem with it if flopping wasn't so
> widespread, or the league was proactive in trying to reduce flopping by
> reviewing tape or something.
>
> Of course, now I'm wondering what the original intent of the no-charge zone
> was in the first place....
>  

--
MF

See L.A. for class
On March 21 in Los Angeles, former Celtics great (who broke the hearts
of many Lakers fans) Bill Russell had his picture on the scoreboard.
The fans gave him a long ovation.
The previous night, when it was announced that Shaq O'Neal scored his
20,000th point, the fans in Sacramento booed. Then, to make matters
worse, a the game ball was defaced, presumably by a Sacramento fan.

Clinton E. Parish
Sacramento

Rest in Peace, Francis Dayle "Chick" Hearn :  1916 - 2002