Evolution of the NBA from 1950 to Today

[The Rebel]

I can see an argument that players of previous eras may have had the same level of latent talent as players of today but it should be accepted that simply because of the greater pool of players, the increased incentives to play modern basketball starting from an earlier age, increased time and training, improved training techniques and knowledge, and improved conditions, that the basketball of today should be superior in overall skill level and quality. This really should not be a debate. Anyone watching games from earlier eras compared to today should see it very quickly. The difference jumps off the screen.

I question anyone who criticizes the skill level of today's players in comparison to those of the past. That we have an entire forum that seems to glorify earlier players with ridiculous arguments when the metrics they frequently cite don't agree with them while at the same time criticizing team wins as an indicator shows how low the level of discussion really is. Longevity as a primary evaluation factor? Shows an absence in confidence in assessing the current.

Every study out there shows millions of kids have stopped playing sports, dramatically since the mid 80s, if you have anything stating otherwise I would love to see it.

Every study out there since the mid 90s shows that kids that do play sports tend to specialize at a very early age, if you have something to show different I would love to see it.

In no other sport have they had to change the rules to make basic skills easier, yet they have done it multiple times in basketball.

Overcoming mental blocks like the 4 minute mile doesn't suddenly make everybody a better athlete, that just means that they figured out something was possible.

Training fads come and go, but at the end of the day many of these teams use the same basic training that they always have. Go do some research, some free weights, a lot of stretching, and a lot of running are all big parts of NBA workouts.

So please provide proof of anything you are saying as being true, other than you think.

[queridiculo]

This was a travel just a few decades ago. The rules have changed so much, that it's really hard to compare.

This wasn't a travel a few decades ago either, it was a bad call.

[Fencer reregistered]

I can see an argument that players of previous eras may have had the same level of latent talent as players of today but it should be accepted that simply because of the greater pool of players, the increased incentives to play modern basketball starting from an earlier age, increased time and training, improved training techniques and knowledge, and improved conditions, that the basketball of today should be superior in overall skill level and quality. This really should not be a debate. Anyone watching games from earlier eras compared to today should see it very quickly. The difference jumps off the screen.

I question anyone who criticizes the skill level of today's players in comparison to those of the past. That we have an entire forum that seems to glorify earlier players with ridiculous arguments when the metrics they frequently cite don't agree with them while at the same time criticizing team wins as an indicator shows how low the level of discussion really is. Longevity as a primary evaluation factor? Shows an absence in confidence in assessing the current.

Every study out there shows millions of kids have stopped playing sports, dramatically since the mid 80s, if you have anything stating otherwise I would love to see it.

Every study out there since the mid 90s shows that kids that do play sports tend to specialize at a very early age, if you have something to show different I would love to see it.

In no other sport have they had to change the rules to make basic skills easier, yet they have done it multiple times in basketball.

Overcoming mental blocks like the 4 minute mile doesn't suddenly make everybody a better athlete, that just means that they figured out something was possible.

Training fads come and go, but at the end of the day many of these teams use the same basic training that they always have. Go do some research, some free weights, a lot of stretching, and a lot of running are all big parts of NBA workouts.

So please provide proof of anything you are saying as being true, other than you think.

What do you mean by "always"? Weightlifting used to be frowned upon, for fear of guys becoming "muscle-bound".

[Sark]

This was a travel just a few decades ago. The rules have changed so much, that it's really hard to compare.

This wasn't a travel a few decades ago either, it was a bad call.

It certainly was, which is why the Euro step wasn't used.

This was a carry in the 1980s




If you don't believe that the way the game is reffed has changed, then I don't know what to tell you.

[turnaroundJ]

This was a travel just a few decades ago. The rules have changed so much, that it's really hard to compare.

This wasn't a travel a few decades ago either, it was a bad call.

It certainly was, which is why the Euro step wasn't used.

This was a carry in the 1980s




If you don't believe that the way the game is reffed has changed, then I don't know what to tell you.

Except we've watched Magic perform what is practically the eurostep to make his fancy passes millions of times.

[Statlanta]

i'm not sure what the difference is between a pull-up or step back three and a fadeaway 2pt shot or a post up. the latter isolation plays are fetishized by over-nostalgic fans but are just as 'boring' as a pull-up 3pt jump shot in my opinion.

They are beloved because they are an attempt at getting to the basket, which with the size of the court and the length/height of the players requires feats of athleticism which is what fans want. It doesn't take much athleticism or skill to stop at 27 feet and shoot a jumpshot. To make the shot sure but the skill(dribble/speed/footwork) in getting even just past the first line of perimeter defense is getting a little lost in this era in exchange for guys, especially players with inherent advantages such as height, settling for "a more efficient shot".

[Statlanta]

I think people who hate the 3 point shot are simply bitter oldheads. You prefer a game with no spacing where people are just standing around?

I don't like standing around, but I hate spacing. Imo it shouldn't be just like a Sunday stroll to get the rim

Ironically the reason people hate the 3pt shot is that it brings back the standing around of the isolation era. Much like illegal defense offensive players can just wait parked in certain areas of the floor in this case the 3pt arc. It turns the basketball floor into having 3-4 NFL punters(for lack of a better term) on the field

[bbalnation]

Did you just compare international refs to 1960s refs? Really? You have no idea how massive the difference between these two is.


I actually agree here, but you don't use the same criteria for old players playing without three point line.


The explaination is simple - it's much easier to handle the ball within modern rules. You can have far better control palming the ball, which makes your weaker hand moves safer. That's why players dribble the ball more with left - because they have it easier now.


You don't believe me? Check out this play and tell me this would be called a palm in 2022:

Watch on YouTube

It's regular crossover today and it was forbidden back then.

You're right: international refs are different than the 1960s NBA refs. They also operate within a different set of rules than we saw, and as you demonstrated.

That is an explanation & example of a crossover, from right to left, in addition to a change of direction.

That isnt dribbling with the left hand. The player in the initial clip refuses to. Why?

I just wanted to show you how hard it was to make basic dribble moves back then. That's why many players didn't use left hands as often as now. They used it though, it wasn't something extremely rare. Do you want me to show clips of 1960s players using left hand?

You showed me a crossover: which as far as I know was an accepted move by Tim Hardaway in the 1990s.

That's not why players didn't use left hands. You have yet to provide that explanation. Your response about why the individual in the video is dribbling with his right THE WHOLE TIME was a video of a crossover being called a palming? That isnt an explanation. They're different points.

Dribbling skills, like many other parts of basketball, has evolved drastically. The rule changes helped: but so has overall access, as I mentioned before.

[70sFan]

You're right: international refs are different than the 1960s NBA refs. They also operate within a different set of rules than we saw, and as you demonstrated.

That is an explanation & example of a crossover, from right to left, in addition to a change of direction.

That isnt dribbling with the left hand. The player in the initial clip refuses to. Why?

I just wanted to show you how hard it was to make basic dribble moves back then. That's why many players didn't use left hands as often as now. They used it though, it wasn't something extremely rare. Do you want me to show clips of 1960s players using left hand?

You showed me a crossover: which as far as I know was an accepted move by Tim Hardaway in the 1990s.

That's not why players didn't use left hands. You have yet to provide that explanation. Your response about why the individual in the video is dribbling with his right THE WHOLE TIME was a video of a crossover being called a palming? That isnt an explanation. They're different points.

Dribbling skills, like many other parts of basketball, has evolved drastically. The rule changes helped: but so has overall access, as I mentioned before.

But players didn't dribble the ball with his right the whole time, even this video proved it wrong. Players now usually don't use weaker hands that often for any other things than crossovers and other moves to shake defenders.

My point is that it was much harder to dribble the ball back then. That's why players used it less often, because dribbling was harder to perform in absolute sense. You needed to focus more on ball protection. If you don't understand this point, then I'm afraid you have never tried to handle the ball the way players did back then.

[bbalnation]

I just wanted to show you how hard it was to make basic dribble moves back then. That's why many players didn't use left hands as often as now. They used it though, it wasn't something extremely rare. Do you want me to show clips of 1960s players using left hand?

You showed me a crossover: which as far as I know was an accepted move by Tim Hardaway in the 1990s.

That's not why players didn't use left hands. You have yet to provide that explanation. Your response about why the individual in the video is dribbling with his right THE WHOLE TIME was a video of a crossover being called a palming? That isnt an explanation. They're different points.

Dribbling skills, like many other parts of basketball, has evolved drastically. The rule changes helped: but so has overall access, as I mentioned before.

But players didn't dribble the ball with his right the whole time, even this video proved it wrong. Players now usually don't use weaker hands that often for any other things than crossovers and other moves to shake defenders.

My point is that it was much harder to dribble the ball back then. That's why players used it less often, because dribbling was harder to perform in absolute sense. You needed to focus more on ball protection. If you don't understand this point, then I'm afraid you have never tried to handle the ball the way players did back then.

Yes: it was more difficult to dribble. I thought I already acknowledged this early: its a different system of rules. Ive seen enough from today's players to confidently say that players today have the dribbling skills and access to adapt to those rules. They can dribble on the left side, with their left hand, without palming. It happens every game, in any game, NBA or not. It happens in every warmup (look at an NBA guards pre game routine; like Steph. He, like many others, dribbles with his left without palming).

Players in the original video? I couldn't say. Theres no proof to suggest it.

That person was dribbling with his right hand. The entire time.

Driving left on the left side of the court? Right hand. But the defender(s) couldn't take it from him? To me it reflects that the defense hadn't yet evolved and figured out how to take the ball from a player who, fundamentally, was dribbling with their OFF hand.

You're right. I dont understand, and I've never tried to handle the ball the way player did back then.

You just dribbled around me with only your right hand.

[70sFan]

Yes: it was more difficult to dribble. I thought I already acknowledged this early: its a different system of rules. Ive seen enough from today's players to confidently say that players today have the dribbling skills and access to adapt to those rules. They can dribble on the left side, with their left hand, without palming. It happens every game, in any game, NBA or not. It happens in every warmup (look at an NBA guards pre game routine; like Steph. He, like many others, dribbles with his left without palming).

No, you don't acknowledge that. Players today palm the ball even in regular dribble on the left side with left hand. That's the whole point - very basic fundamentals are so different that it's almost impossible to compare. You don't see players dribbling now in a way 1960s were forced to.

Players in the original video? I couldn't say. Theres no proof to suggest it.

That person was dribbling with his right hand. The entire time.

You can watch full games and see they used left hand on the left side. Not all of them, but most did. You focus on one example that was highlighted to show a point from a YouTuber who never watched 1960s basketball before.

Driving left on the left side of the court? Right hand. But the defender(s) couldn't take it from him? To me it reflects that the defense hadn't yet evolved and figured out how to take the ball from a player who, fundamentally, was dribbling with their OFF hand.

Again, I suggest you to watch more than a few minutes of biased commentary video on YouTube before drawing such strong conclusions...

You're right. I dont understand, and I've never tried to handle the ball the way player did back then.

Then try to do that and come back here.

[bbalnation]

Yes: it was more difficult to dribble. I thought I already acknowledged this early: its a different system of rules. Ive seen enough from today's players to confidently say that players today have the dribbling skills and access to adapt to those rules. They can dribble on the left side, with their left hand, without palming. It happens every game, in any game, NBA or not. It happens in every warmup (look at an NBA guards pre game routine; like Steph. He, like many others, dribbles with his left without palming).

No, you don't acknowledge that.

That sums up my experience with this convo.

I just *did* acknowledge that.

I'll agree to disagree.

Cheers.

[70sFan]

Yes: it was more difficult to dribble. I thought I already acknowledged this early: its a different system of rules. Ive seen enough from today's players to confidently say that players today have the dribbling skills and access to adapt to those rules. They can dribble on the left side, with their left hand, without palming. It happens every game, in any game, NBA or not. It happens in every warmup (look at an NBA guards pre game routine; like Steph. He, like many others, dribbles with his left without palming).

No, you don't acknowledge that.

That sums up my experience with this convo.

I just *did* acknowledge that.

I'll agree to disagree.

Cheers.

If you think that players dribble straight the same way now as they did, then you didn't acknowledge it.

Cheers.

[bbalnation]

That sums up my experience with this convo.

I just *did* acknowledge that.

I'll agree to disagree.

Cheers.

If you think that players dribble straight the same way now as they did, then you didn't acknowledge it.

Cheers.

Yes: it was more difficult to dribble. I thought I already acknowledged this early: its a different system of rules

[70sFan]

That sums up my experience with this convo.

I just *did* acknowledge that.

I'll agree to disagree.

Cheers.

If you think that players dribble straight the same way now as they did, then you didn't acknowledge it.

Cheers.

Yes: it was more difficult to dribble. I thought I already acknowledged this early: its a different system of rules

Yet you've said just after this that we've seen players today dribbling that way in every game.

[bbalnation]

If you think that players dribble straight the same way now as they did, then you didn't acknowledge it.

Cheers.

Yes: it was more difficult to dribble. I thought I already acknowledged this early: its a different system of rules

Yet you've said just after this that we've seen players today dribbling that way in every game.

It happens every game, in any game, NBA or not.

It happens in every warmup (look at an NBA guards pre game routine; like Steph. He, like many others, dribbles with his left without palming)

[70sFan]

Yet you've said just after this that we've seen players today dribbling that way in every game.

It happens in every warmup (look at an NBA guards pre game routine; like Steph. He, like many others, dribbles with his left without palming)

You also said this:

It happens every game, in any game, NBA or not.

Bu the way, you mention Steph, who is one of the best ball-handlers in the league and compare him to players who weren't elite ball handlers back then. Besides, do you really think guards couldn't dribble the ball left handed without defender's pressure back then? Have you ever seen what theu were capable of on streetball?

[bbalnation]

Yet you've said just after this that we've seen players today dribbling that way in every game.

It happens in every warmup (look at an NBA guards pre game routine; like Steph. He, like many others, dribbles with his left without palming)

You also said this:

It happens every game, in any game, NBA or not.

Bu the way, you mention Steph, who is one of the best ball-handlers in the league and compare him to players who weren't elite ball handlers back then.

I added the quote before you posted.

Theres truth in both statements. I ask you to separate them.

In the flow of a game, people in 2020 would accidentally & occasionally not fall outside the dribbling rules of the 1950s

Thats what happens when a person has access to be able to develop skills to excel in both systems


Stephs pre-game routine is one that is copied by thousands, if not millions, around the world today. Professional players or not. You've spammed me to check out Youtube: maybe you can do the same on what drills are out there for today's players. Some are in line with the rules of the 1950s. Most are in line with the rules of 2022.

The dribbling skills of 2022 has grown and seen an evolution of the dribbling skills of the 1950s. The rule changes have had positive and negative consequences.

[70sFan]

You also said this:

It happens every game, in any game, NBA or not.

Bu the way, you mention Steph, who is one of the best ball-handlers in the league and compare him to players who weren't elite ball handlers back then.

I added the quote before you posted.

Theres truth in both statements. I ask you to separate them.

In the flow of a game, people in 2020 would accidentally & occasionally not fall outside the dribbling rules of the 1950s

Thats what happens when a person has access to be able to develop skills to excel in both systems


Stephs pre-game routine is one that is copied by thousands, if not millions, around the world today. Professional players or not. You've spammed me to check out Youtube: maybe you can do the same on what drills are out there for today's players. Some are in line with the rules of the 1950s. Most are in line with the rules of 2022.

The dribbling skills of 2022 has grown and seen an evolution of the dribbling skills of the 1950s. The rule changes have had positive and negative consequences.

We haven't seen modern players exceling in both systems in funcional way. Doing a pre-game routine is nothing compared to basketball game. We haven't seen them doing it against set defenses with potential pressure or double teams.

Again, it seems that players back then were unable to make a left handed dribble moves. Probably some of them struggled with their left hands, but they weren't guards that handled the ball. Players were more secure with their handles back then, but it doesn't mean they could dribble with their left. I can show you hundreds of examples of left handed dribbles back then, it wasn't anything rare.

We haven't seen 1960s ball-handlers within modern rules, but modern rules are easier to handle than older ones. Does it mean that 1960s guards had better handles? Probably not, because players today specialize to develop this part of the game. It does mean that fans impression of 1960s players sucking at dribbling is plain wrong though.

[slick_watts]

i'm not sure what the difference is between a pull-up or step back three and a fadeaway 2pt shot or a post up. the latter isolation plays are fetishized by over-nostalgic fans but are just as 'boring' as a pull-up 3pt jump shot in my opinion.

They are beloved because they are an attempt at getting to the basket, which with the size of the court and the length/height of the players requires feats of athleticism which is what fans want. It doesn't take much athleticism or skill to stop at 27 feet and shoot a jumpshot. To make the shot sure but the skill(dribble/speed/footwork) in getting even just past the first line of perimeter defense is getting a little lost in this era in exchange for guys, especially players with inherent advantages such as height, settling for "a more efficient shot".

48% of shot attempts were inside of 10 feet in 1997. 44% in 2022. give me a break. the big change has been mid-range jump shots moving to three point range. there's still plenty of shot attempts at or near the rim. the big difference is players are not posting up 20 feet away from the basket and taking fade aways. which is even more boring than three point shooting imo.