[PulseGlazerParticipant]

 I get that for a lot of people, it’s great individual performers, great isolation, and scorers.  I’m watching this Thunder-Heat game, and this kind of basketball just isn’t for me.  The Thunder have so so so much talent, but their offense is a small set into an iso for Russ or KD 80% of the time.  Even their defense, which is usually pretty good, is largely build around having just strong and athletic dudes. The Thunder are on at a reasonable time on the east coast so rarely that I always get excited… then I watch the game, and I’m reminded – I just don’t love their brand of basketball.  

The point of this thread isn’t to insult people who enjoy this kind of basketball. The Thunder are super successful. My complaint is an aesthetic one.

I love great defense individually, but even more when everyone is moving on a string.  Kawhai mirroring his man, but also manuevering him into Duncan, forcing a pass into a perfect rotation from Diaw. Green being too strong to post properly, holding ground as his man is swarmed, forcing a turnover.    I love George and Lebron covering 3 and 4 positions, using different tactics to lock down each, not because they’re bigger and more athletic, or not only because of that, but because they clearly know every move the opponent is going to make.

I love motion offenses.  Golden State and San Antonio whipping the ball around to find extra extra open men for lay ups and threes.  I love Rubio dribbling down the lane, finding amazing athletes like Towns and Wiggins from unbelievable angles.  I even love the triangle when it works well, with it’s tiny cuts, and precision shooting.  

So, that’s what I enjoy about watching basketball. How about you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[AdamJCallejaParticipant]

I get chills everytime a team is on a run then forces a turnover and then it’s nothing but clapping, getting in each other’s faces and playing with that emotion and fire. If any of you guys have ever felt that and I’m sure a lot of you guys have, it’s ons of the best feelings in basketball having all that momentum on your side. My high school coach emphasized defense like no other and since then I can’t help but love watching guys like Draymond Green.

[NBAjunkie81Participant]

 like the Lakers & Celtics & Bulls & Pistons I can actually feel my childhood – those memories of childhood when these athletes were larger than life heroes….. I can remember my older brother & I living & dying w/ every Bulls playoff win or loss…. There was not much cable back then so we could only Watch nationally televised games….. & we just idolized Jordan…..

And of course I luv the strategy of the game & like Adam & other guys it broings back memories of playing in high school & local rec leagues & just the physicality of the paint & moving without the ball & playing great defense & proper fundamentals…. It’s why I respect Tim Duncan & the Spurs So much & it’s why I absolutely Golden State b/c they are carrying that torch of "playing the right way…" 

I also LUV watching teams rebuild & I luv following young prospects & seeing them grow from scared kids w/ raw talent into mature leaders of men….. You learn so much about life from playing sports: team work, loyalty, committment; mental toughness…..

But more than anything I remember actually playing & that feeling of being young & indescructable…. Like you have the whole world in front of you….. learning to power through your fears & weaknesses b/c your coach & teammates believes in you….

 Great Question! Great thread – I really enjoyed reading Everyone’s answers! I wish I could give ALL of you More than just One +1 !!! 🙂 

 

 

 

[NBAjunkie81Participant]

 like the Lakers & Celtics & Bulls & Pistons I can actually feel my childhood – those memories of childhood when these athletes were larger than life heroes….. I can remember my older brother & I living & dying w/ every Bulls playoff win or loss…. There was not much cable back then so we could only Watch nationally televised games….. & we just idolized Jordan…..

And of course I luv the strategy of the game & like Adam & other guys it broings back memories of playing in high school & local rec leagues & just the physicality of the paint & moving without the ball & playing great defense & proper fundamentals…. It’s why I respect Tim Duncan & the Spurs So much & it’s why I absolutely Golden State b/c they are carrying that torch of "playing the right way…" 

I also LUV watching teams rebuild & I luv following young prospects & seeing them grow from scared kids w/ raw talent into mature leaders of men….. You learn so much about life from playing sports: team work, loyalty, committment; mental toughness…..

But more than anything I remember actually playing & that feeling of being young & indescructable…. Like you have the whole world in front of you….. learning to power through your fears & weaknesses b/c your coach & teammates believes in you….

 Great Question! Great thread – I really enjoyed reading Everyone’s answers! I wish I could give ALL of you More than just One +1 !!! 🙂 

 

 

 

[AdamJCallejaParticipant]

I get chills everytime a team is on a run then forces a turnover and then it’s nothing but clapping, getting in each other’s faces and playing with that emotion and fire. If any of you guys have ever felt that and I’m sure a lot of you guys have, it’s ons of the best feelings in basketball having all that momentum on your side. My high school coach emphasized defense like no other and since then I can’t help but love watching guys like Draymond Green.

[CameronCrazy11Participant]

I love team basketball so much. Watching Golden State and San Antonio is an absolute treat each time they’re on TV. There’s a reason that those teams are on top of the league right now. As you said, iso-ball just doesn’t do it for me. I hate seeing it when I’m playing pick-up ball and hate seeing the best in the world do it.

I also really love how a team cannot be put together simply by getting a bunch of talent and throwing the ball out there. The talent has to mesh well, and players have to have different roles in order to be a successful team. GMs have to know how to draft and scout for specific talent and specific personalities. Those high level role players are usually some of the most underrated in the league as they play an enormous role on their team’s success.

 

[CameronCrazy11Participant]

I love team basketball so much. Watching Golden State and San Antonio is an absolute treat each time they’re on TV. There’s a reason that those teams are on top of the league right now. As you said, iso-ball just doesn’t do it for me. I hate seeing it when I’m playing pick-up ball and hate seeing the best in the world do it.

I also really love how a team cannot be put together simply by getting a bunch of talent and throwing the ball out there. The talent has to mesh well, and players have to have different roles in order to be a successful team. GMs have to know how to draft and scout for specific talent and specific personalities. Those high level role players are usually some of the most underrated in the league as they play an enormous role on their team’s success.

 

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

 I enjoy the following (in no order):

– Players who just have that swagger and who consistently step up and make plays with the game on the line. 

– Chest to chest dunks. I enjoy when a player comes down the lane, jumps off of two feet and just posters somebody! 

– Teams/players who play the game the right way. I’m not a big fan of heavy hero/isolation basketball. I love team ball. Love teams/players who’ll move the ball and just make that extra pass. Love seeing the right play being made. 

– I really enjoy watching skilled/fundamentally sound players. I love a player with great footwork… And just how they use their pivots, jabs, jump stops, hop steps, etc… How they gather their steps. I love seeing how players chain their dribbling moves together… Enjoy seeing those combination moves and how they use them with a change of pace/direction.

– I love seeing great defense, both individual and team. I can’t stand watching teams/players who give half ass effort on defense. 

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

 I enjoy the following (in no order):

– Players who just have that swagger and who consistently step up and make plays with the game on the line. 

– Chest to chest dunks. I enjoy when a player comes down the lane, jumps off of two feet and just posters somebody! 

– Teams/players who play the game the right way. I’m not a big fan of heavy hero/isolation basketball. I love team ball. Love teams/players who’ll move the ball and just make that extra pass. Love seeing the right play being made. 

– I really enjoy watching skilled/fundamentally sound players. I love a player with great footwork… And just how they use their pivots, jabs, jump stops, hop steps, etc… How they gather their steps. I love seeing how players chain their dribbling moves together… Enjoy seeing those combination moves and how they use them with a change of pace/direction.

– I love seeing great defense, both individual and team. I can’t stand watching teams/players who give half ass effort on defense. 

[ZachAttackParticipant]

 I like the emotion some players show. Lebron shows it, Trevor Booker shows it, and Curry does it too. I also like it if a technical foul is called because of someone posterizing someone and they stand over them. I’ve done that in pick up games and sometimes you can’t just help it. It’s a great feeling and it’s fun to just watch the emotions be let out.

[ZachAttackParticipant]

 I like the emotion some players show. Lebron shows it, Trevor Booker shows it, and Curry does it too. I also like it if a technical foul is called because of someone posterizing someone and they stand over them. I’ve done that in pick up games and sometimes you can’t just help it. It’s a great feeling and it’s fun to just watch the emotions be let out.

[khaled_a_dParticipant]

Let me start that I am not American and I am from a country that basketball isn’t popular at all

I started watching BB only in FIBA games (world cup,Olympics etc) and liked it but wasn’t watching regular games until I was 21 at 2008 .had tough time at that year and was looking to do something new and caught in loving the game
Started watching the game in that season .My favorite team was the Mavs because Germany was my favorite national team in soccer so I normally went for the team with the German Super star 🙂

Early on ,I was bigger fan of iso game actually .with little basketball knowledge I became more and more of scoring wings like Kobe & Durant .I remember at every Mavs ball I was like “give the ball to Dirk ,he is the best scorer in the team ffs”
But as time goes and watched the game ,I turned totally into fan of team basketball .teams who has gr8 movement but still has all options in scoring .3pt shooting,slashing,post game etc

part of this is duo to the Mavs style of play under coach RC .part of it more understanding to the game

I remember at in 3rd quarter in game 6 in the 2011 NBA finals the final play the ball was in Jason Terry hands but slashed and gave the ball to Ian Mahinmi who was literally our last man in the offense but he was the open man and knocked it down .
That play was one of my favorite highlight of the finals .the team who moves the ball and trust each other to the last man on the bench even in the championship game

Teams like the Spurs,GSW,Hawks are very entertaining too and all implement the same team ball I love .

[khaled_a_dParticipant]

Let me start that I am not American and I am from a country that basketball isn’t popular at all

I started watching BB only in FIBA games (world cup,Olympics etc) and liked it but wasn’t watching regular games until I was 21 at 2008 .had tough time at that year and was looking to do something new and caught in loving the game
Started watching the game in that season .My favorite team was the Mavs because Germany was my favorite national team in soccer so I normally went for the team with the German Super star 🙂

Early on ,I was bigger fan of iso game actually .with little basketball knowledge I became more and more of scoring wings like Kobe & Durant .I remember at every Mavs ball I was like “give the ball to Dirk ,he is the best scorer in the team ffs”
But as time goes and watched the game ,I turned totally into fan of team basketball .teams who has gr8 movement but still has all options in scoring .3pt shooting,slashing,post game etc

part of this is duo to the Mavs style of play under coach RC .part of it more understanding to the game

I remember at in 3rd quarter in game 6 in the 2011 NBA finals the final play the ball was in Jason Terry hands but slashed and gave the ball to Ian Mahinmi who was literally our last man in the offense but he was the open man and knocked it down .
That play was one of my favorite highlight of the finals .the team who moves the ball and trust each other to the last man on the bench even in the championship game

Teams like the Spurs,GSW,Hawks are very entertaining too and all implement the same team ball I love .

[canadabasketballisrisingParticipant]

 1. Team suffocating defnese getting stops, and stops turn into turnovers, which chnages momentum in your favour.

2.) well excecuted offense

 

 

 

[canadabasketballisrisingParticipant]

 1. Team suffocating defnese getting stops, and stops turn into turnovers, which chnages momentum in your favour.

2.) well excecuted offense

 

 

 

[LA12Participant]

I’m only 20 and didn’t start watching basketball until I was 12. I’ve been exposed to the era of dominant guards and the decline of the era of big men. That said, there’s nothing I love more than watch a big man go to work. I just love seeing talented big men come into the league. The thing I notice with big men that I love so much is how different each is from the next. You have guys like Okafor who dazzle you with their post moves. You have guys like Dwight who are just stronger than everyone else out there. You have guys like DJ that are gonna catch and jam any lob that comes towards them. There’s guys like Anthony Davis. There’s the up and coming all around big men like KAT. Then you got your guye like Porzingis. Guys like Marc Gasol. Aldridge. Duncan. Dirk. They’re all just so different and unique from eachother, when on the contrary perimeter players are becoming more and more like eachother. It’s so fun watching them grow in the league and make their own impact. Needless to say, I’m not a fan of the movement towards small ball that the Warrors started last year. I just want to watch big men dominate.

 

[LA12Participant]

I’m only 20 and didn’t start watching basketball until I was 12. I’ve been exposed to the era of dominant guards and the decline of the era of big men. That said, there’s nothing I love more than watch a big man go to work. I just love seeing talented big men come into the league. The thing I notice with big men that I love so much is how different each is from the next. You have guys like Okafor who dazzle you with their post moves. You have guys like Dwight who are just stronger than everyone else out there. You have guys like DJ that are gonna catch and jam any lob that comes towards them. There’s guys like Anthony Davis. There’s the up and coming all around big men like KAT. Then you got your guye like Porzingis. Guys like Marc Gasol. Aldridge. Duncan. Dirk. They’re all just so different and unique from eachother, when on the contrary perimeter players are becoming more and more like eachother. It’s so fun watching them grow in the league and make their own impact. Needless to say, I’m not a fan of the movement towards small ball that the Warrors started last year. I just want to watch big men dominate.

 

[Gold Chain]

 I like watching Porzingis/Olynyk types. 7 footers who can do it all, with high character, high iq, and always team first. First guy in the gym, last guy out, transforming their body through willpower.

Like Olynyk tonight in Mexico City scoring 21 points on a wide variety of shots. 3-5 from 3, pull up jumpers, Dirk one-leggers, and thunderous double clutch dunks.

Porzingis is so fun to watch I find myself almost always rooting for the Knicks to win, even though they are a division and regional rival.

 

 

 

 

[Gold Chain]

 I like watching Porzingis/Olynyk types. 7 footers who can do it all, with high character, high iq, and always team first. First guy in the gym, last guy out, transforming their body through willpower.

Like Olynyk tonight in Mexico City scoring 21 points on a wide variety of shots. 3-5 from 3, pull up jumpers, Dirk one-leggers, and thunderous double clutch dunks.

Porzingis is so fun to watch I find myself almost always rooting for the Knicks to win, even though they are a division and regional rival.

 

 

 

 

[Gold Chain]

Kelly Olynyk Highlights vs. Sacramento Kings (21 points, 4 assists) https://youtu.be/JVuVPGofBTs?t=39s

[Gold Chain]

Kelly Olynyk Highlights vs. Sacramento Kings (21 points, 4 assists) https://youtu.be/JVuVPGofBTs?t=39s

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

 I love watching great players make great plays within a team frame work.

Some of the top examples: the Dream Team, the ’96 Bulls, the last Spurs title team, and the current incarnation of the Golden State Warriors.

other than that?  Alley oops and dunks in traffic.  

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

 I love watching great players make great plays within a team frame work.

Some of the top examples: the Dream Team, the ’96 Bulls, the last Spurs title team, and the current incarnation of the Golden State Warriors.

other than that?  Alley oops and dunks in traffic.  

[Gold Chain]

 Brian Scalabrine was calling the Celtics Kings game tonight and said he’s so happy that Brad Stevens is coaching and the Celtics play a motion offense with lots of passing. He said it would be tough to call games for a team that just played a lot of iso ball.

Hopefully this Spurs/Warriors/Celtics style of ball spreads to the whole league, and we’ll get a more interesting product.

 

[Gold Chain]

 Brian Scalabrine was calling the Celtics Kings game tonight and said he’s so happy that Brad Stevens is coaching and the Celtics play a motion offense with lots of passing. He said it would be tough to call games for a team that just played a lot of iso ball.

Hopefully this Spurs/Warriors/Celtics style of ball spreads to the whole league, and we’ll get a more interesting product.

 

[Andrew1984Participant]

 A perfectly-placed bounce pass, to the spot where the passer anticipates the recipient eventually being, in stride; crisp, unselfish; beautiful. 

[Andrew1984Participant]

 A perfectly-placed bounce pass, to the spot where the passer anticipates the recipient eventually being, in stride; crisp, unselfish; beautiful. 

[DolanCareParticipant]

I love it when a player finds the perfect system or coach that allows him to flourish. Witnessing Z-BO take off in Memphis was an incredible transformation. 

I love it when an entire team is clicking on defense. There was one Mavericks vs. Thunder game in the 2011 playoffs, where the Mavs executed every rotation, contested every ball screen, every jump shot. Even when the Mavs went up by 20 it was beautifully compelling. 

I love watching Lebron James when he gives 100%. The fact that he takes off so many games may be the reason that excludes him from being the GOAT. 

 

I love it when the 9th or 10th man makes an impact on the game. 

I love it when someone makes a big shot to make it a one posession game, but everyone stays calm and focused. Jason Terry was the king at this. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DolanCareParticipant]

I love it when a player finds the perfect system or coach that allows him to flourish. Witnessing Z-BO take off in Memphis was an incredible transformation. 

I love it when an entire team is clicking on defense. There was one Mavericks vs. Thunder game in the 2011 playoffs, where the Mavs executed every rotation, contested every ball screen, every jump shot. Even when the Mavs went up by 20 it was beautifully compelling. 

I love watching Lebron James when he gives 100%. The fact that he takes off so many games may be the reason that excludes him from being the GOAT. 

 

I love it when the 9th or 10th man makes an impact on the game. 

I love it when someone makes a big shot to make it a one posession game, but everyone stays calm and focused. Jason Terry was the king at this. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[CU.LIONSParticipant]

So many great posts in this thread. Too many for me to reply to. I will only add this. Basketball is one of the few sports where both great individual and team play can and does amaze. But when “team play” wins it’s even better.

[CU.LIONSParticipant]

So many great posts in this thread. Too many for me to reply to. I will only add this. Basketball is one of the few sports where both great individual and team play can and does amaze. But when “team play” wins it’s even better.

[StewParticipant]

  My favorite basketball team is Kentucky, and watch all there games. And follow all the NBAPlayers that went there

[StewParticipant]

  My favorite basketball team is Kentucky, and watch all there games. And follow all the NBAPlayers that went there

[King CaluchaParticipant]

This happens to me in all sports. I love watching teams who don’t have a lot of individual talent but perform well a group. In college I like teams like Virginia who usually have good defense… Gonzaga executes well on offense. That’s what I enjoy… there are some individual plays that amaze me but it’s not important if those don’t happen often.

[King CaluchaParticipant]

This happens to me in all sports. I love watching teams who don’t have a lot of individual talent but perform well a group. In college I like teams like Virginia who usually have good defense… Gonzaga executes well on offense. That’s what I enjoy… there are some individual plays that amaze me but it’s not important if those don’t happen often.

[Hype Machine]

 I like watching Monmouths bench celebrations.

Until the NCAA told them to stop doing it…

 

[Hype Machine]

 I like watching Monmouths bench celebrations.

Until the NCAA told them to stop doing it…

 

[Author]

Posts