Whole lot of truth in this Rafters post:
The #1 problem is the way the game is coached. Coaches never get on each other because that is a huge "no-no". Look how many games are still being played in the low to mid 50's and this is with a 3pt line, a 30 sec shot clock, a 20 sec clock on offensive rebs, to increase scoring/speed up play. Yet all the media and other coaches laud are these control freak weirdos who hate giving freedom to players to play the game. Watch a UVA game or Ohio State game and look at sidelines when guys get ball and start running it up--2 hands up to slow them down. Nobody presses until they are down 10 with 2 mins left...and then pressure works but it's often too late.
I am blessed to have grown up in Golden Age of CBB in 1980's-1990's. Teams would score. Players had freedom. Teams played different styles, but also embraced skill development and scoring. Coaches would gameplan for an opponent by forcing them to do things they didn't do well or recruit to their system (Bennett is only guy to do this out of the slow and low approach). If you are Chris Holtmann, why the hell would you waste time with DJ Carton/Alonzo Gaffney when you view a good game as something from the Peach Basket era? Mark Turgeon has a deep team, athletic enough and good offensively when they play fast, so what does he say after a big double digit win over Iowa last week? We played too fast, need to slow it down. Depth is only an advantage if you use it and so many of these guys sign players so they don't have to face them instead of out of the want to utilize/adapt to their talent.
I've told my Dad and other family/friends who loved CBB but find it boring and hate watching now and want to blame AAU basketball that it's not the problem--it's the awful CBB coaches that exist right now. Control freaks who make too much money, need to put their imprint on each game and somehow justify how smart and powerful they are. To see a split screen during a game (Cal included) is so stupid. Nobody comes to watch a Coach. Nobody comes to watch Officials. They come to see players play and too often that only happens at the HS/AAU/NBA level and never at the college level. If you follow the sport, we all see this:
1. Player dribbling up top and the only motion is 3 man dribble weave at top of 3 pt line with all action going sideline to sideline
2. Refusal to teach Secondary offense--UNC is only program who excels at this and with Cole Anthony being a ball hog, their Secondary Break has been limited and that is biggest weapon in UNC offensive approach. I find Roy Williams offensive teams the most enjoyable to watch and love when UK plays them because the games are entertaining and about making shots/players showing their ability in a fast paced game. Why don't more teams embrace that approach of basketball?
3. Great Defense is really about fouling so much they realize officials can't call everything. So they hold, bump/grab, flop and games are lasting so long.
4. Throw in monitor reviews to often add .01 to a clock but ignore the fact that so many of these clown coaches instruct players after a made basket to throw the ball to the officials and delay inbounding the ball. So that tenth of a second means so much in last 20 secs, but you are willing to waste 5-10 secs each time after a made basket. All that needs to be done is once the team with possession grabs a ball after a made basket, you start the count--if they throw it to an official on live ball action, official needs to let it go and punish that team--give them a 5 sec violation.
5. Wipe out Bonus at 10 min mark of each Half--force teams to make shots and score and not just rely on FT's to score. How many games do you watch and if not for FT's the score would be in high 30's/low 40's?
6. Lower the 10 sec count to get ball over to 8. No need to not push the ball into the frontcourt even if you want to play halfcourt offense. Walking the ball up is pathetic. Wastes time/action.
7. Take away timeouts--Give 3 total for a team--with stoppage in last min of a game and TV timeouts--these teams don't need the amount of timeouts given.
8. Enforce a Coaching Box restriction to the bench area and nothing near Mid Court--there is no reason these guys should be making 7 figures and have teams who can't understand what they are trying to run on offense/defense. That's what practices are for. Personally, I'd be for coaches sitting on the bench the entire game so the emphasis of them/officials is eliminated but that would never go over, so keep them in front of their bench area where they can stand and that's it. No need for these self important clowns to be near midcourt, on the floor (that should be automatic tech and 2 should be an ejection even if you are on floor in backcourt).
Now will this happen? Hell no. People love to talk what is good for the game but in reality they all make too much money and want to be seen as THE MAN instead of focus on the players. Players are why fans come. Players are what make the game great. When you let the coaches get involved, they find ways to make sure they stamp their signature all over the game. We're to the point fans accept something as pathetic as intentionally fouling late in a game while ahead as a great strategy. It is purposely violating a rule to benefit your team--which is smart while allowed-but why allow it? Rules violations should always be punitive, not rewarding. I want to see Malik Monk hitting jumpers to beat UNC, not there's the foul to prevent the jumper. Or the excitement of players on the court deciding a game, not some goober in the suit lauded for how smart he is.
Sorry for rant but sick of these coaches saying all that needs to change but doing nothing to change the actual problem. Them.
