NBA stands for - Not as Big As - March Madness

Versus

Why not write about the NBA? Something that has bothered me concerning professional basketball can be split into many parts. I'll try and type clearly. First, I think there are too many teams and the schedule is too long. It is watered down with too many young players with too much money. There is no team. The individual is more important than the team. This is where it chaps my hide. There are few teams that really seem to work together as a unit. I find myself bored with the NBA everytime I see one player go on an isolation play after play after play. It becomes an individual game. What ever happened to whipping the ball around from one teammate to another until an opening is found and a layup/dunk is easily scored or an open jumper is hit because of the movement. God forbid we should play good defense and get a steal that leads to a transition slam. I loved Paul Pierce at KU and he is still a great player; however, since he got to the NBA a switch has been flipped to "I must score as many points as possible". Granted he has been the go-to guy but I would rather see a bunch of team players with not as much talent than one super star who shoots all the time - see Allen Iverson. This brings me back to the fact there are too many teams. Bring back the Lakers and Celtics of the 80s as well as the Bulls of the nineties. Honestly, I would rather see a backboor cut and layup/slam than a one-on-one move by a player solely focused on his own ability to score. Why do you think most of the and-one players never make it to the NBA? They are not team players and would rather not play defense; they focus on individual moves to impress. Plus most of the moves are illegal.

You know why the playoffs are so exciting. The long season that doesn't really matter in some parts is over and players get excited to play defense, hustle to take a charge, find an open teammate, listen to coaches, and they know you can't beat a team in a series if you depend on one superstar to score big every game. Michael Jordan couldn't win in the playoffs until he found roleplaying unified teammates he could trust to play defense, make a good pass, or make an open shot when he drew the entire other team to him while driving to the basket. WHY is this so hard to grasp for owners, GMs, coaches, and players. Phil Jackson knows! He needs to help Kobe who can't do it all on his own. Gasol is a main addition that hopefully can take a hit in PPGs while making the Lakers better. It could mean disaster if he doesn't find a way to play defense though.

All this brings me to the conlusion of saying I think the MOST exciting sport in our country is college basketball ESPECIALLY during MARCH MADNESS. Why do you ask? Put simply - TEAMS playing TEAMS. Anyone can win - it's win or go home every game!!! It brings the best out of every player. It's too bad players want to leave this joyous occasion early. I'll keep cheering for those players who can't make the jump to the NBA and simply play good TEAM basketball - the Valpariasos, the George Masons, the Hamptons, and yes that team which I won't give a name because it causes anger to erupt from the inside of every KU fan.

Now I will step down from the Debate Podium. Thanks!