60 and 70's Style of Play

[Guest]

This came up in the Wilt's competition thread. One of the arguments was the face paced style play of that era. Something like an extra 30 possession per game vs. today's style of play.

What is general opinion, would you as a fan want to see this style of play return or like the current style of play?

[tsherkin]

This came up in the Wilt's competition thread. One of the arguments was the face paced style play of that era. Something like an extra 30 possession per game vs. today's style of play.

What is general opinion, would you as a fan want to see this style of play return or like the current style of play?

If they shot better than they did in that era, it might be interesting, but I think that given strategies in the contemporary age to reduce transition breakouts, it almost isn't possible to play at that pace any longer unless the other team is willing to cooperate. All you really need to do is work just a little at transition defense and that pace comes down. Maybe if 3pt shooting volume wildly increases again, a team here or there could try to do it, but again, the competition's complicity is required.

If you're specifically looking at how they played in the 60s, forget that. Not enough PnR, really horrible shooting, fairly limited dribbling (limited by culture and rules, mind), no 3pt shot... I'm fairly happy with contemporary basketball. It has its flaws, but stylistically, I prefer it to those games. Wish I could port a few of the star players forward into the modern age, though.

70s were also known as an era with weaker passing and more emphasis on iso ball, and I'm happy to say that the present-day NBA is a lot closer to the 80s with regards to quality of passing and offensive diversity. It isn't a master class in how to work a motion offense or anything like that, but we've got a lot of exciting, high-quality teams who move the ball intelligently, and it makes me smile. I always hated the Kings in the early 2000s, but I always loved to hate them because they weren't the Lakers. They were beautiful to watch, what with all of the hand-offs and backdoor cuts and hi-los and how everyone on the team got into the passing... In many ways, it reminded me of Showtime.


Meantime, with respect to that other thread, the pace argument was discussed mostly in the context of the generation of specific stats more than anything else. No 3s, 33% higher shooting volume, much lower FG%... lots more opportunities for rebounds, you know?

[Johnlac1]

This came up in the Wilt's competition thread. One of the arguments was the face paced style play of that era. Something like an extra 30 possession per game vs. today's style of play.

What is general opinion, would you as a fan want to see this style of play return or like the current style of play?

The sixties were the days when ex-players still comprised most of the coaches. Although most teams had some set plays there was no three point shot and no advantage (they thought at the time) of elaborate offensive schemes or spending time running a lot plays.
It really wasn't until college coaches, like Dick Motta of the Bulls, came into the leage as coaches did teams start developing more elaborate off. sets. Even then Motta was known more being a def. minded coach than an off. expert.

If you watch some of the available film of games from the sixties, you'll notice there's little time spent screening for an outside shot. In fact, by the sixties while most players had jump shots and abstained from the awful running, drifting shots of the fifties, many still got the ball and shot it whether they were open or if they were covered. The style was run and gun.
I've seen the replay of the '77 game 6th game of the title series between the Sixers and the Blazers, and I'm always stunned at the breakneck pace of the game. It would be sort of fun to see a modern team use that pace.
But I think most modern coaches dislike run and gun for several reasons: one, many bad shots are taken in that style of play and two, the strategy of shooting threes would be disrupted. The introduction and increased use by the decades of the three ball radically changed the way the game is played from the old days.

[Wizop]

Celts championship teams regularly hit 100 at the end of the third quarter. Outside shots were still two handed set shots. They ran at every opportunity.

Sent from my 831C using RealGM mobile app

[Warspite]

Would like to see a faster game. More dunks, more great post play and more open court passing would be an improvement.

[tsherkin]

Would like to see a faster game. More dunks, more great post play and more open court passing would be an improvement.

To be fair, the league hasn't been as fast as it was this past season since the first half of the 90s. The game HAS begun to move more quickly again as part of the usual response to the stifling godawful horror of the late 90s and early 2000s.

League average pace last season was 95.8. Average, mind. That's +1.9 possessions per game over even 2014-2015 and only 1 possession per game less than it was in 92-93, just for reference.

IOW, you're getting your wish.

[Johnlac1]

Celts championship teams regularly hit 100 at the end of the third quarter. Outside shots were still two handed set shots. They ran at every opportunity.

Sent from my 831C using RealGM mobile app

By the sixties only a few player were still shooting flat-footed, two-handed set shots. Those were old-timers like Dolph Schayes, Richie Guerin, Larry Costello, and maybe a few other oldies. Cousy always shot a one-handed set shot.
But even Cousy was taking a few jump shots by the early sixties. You can him take a few in the '62 title game against the Lakers on the internet. Shocked me.
By the mid-sixties virtually nobody was shooting two-handed set shots or set shots, period.

[Wizop]

By the sixties only a few player were still shooting flat-footed, two-handed set shots.

I'm remembering Sharman but maybe that was 50's not 60's.

[Johnlac1]

By the sixties only a few player were still shooting flat-footed, two-handed set shots.

I'm remembering Sharman but maybe that was 50's not 60's.

Although Sharman is known for being one of the few jump shooters in the league in the early to mid-fifties, he did often shoot a one handed push shot. There is a short highlight clip of Sharman on the internet where he takes that kind of a shot.