Things That Bug Me in the NBA

Though the NBA has some of the best athletes in the world, there are some areas it could improve in.

As much as I love the NBA, there are things about the league that simply bug the crap out of me and make me embarrassed for the game.

The Reggie Miller foul - My biggest peeve is the refs allowing a shooter to pump fake to draw the defender in the air and then lunge themselves six and a half feet forward to make contact with that defender. I call it the Reggie Miller foul, because he all but made a living off it. If the player’s shoulders are square and he is jumping straight in the air that should not be a defensive foul, in my opinion.

The Manu Ginobili flop – They may be doing away with allowing players to flop when they get blown on. The Spurs are the best at this, as are many European players, like Andres Nocioni. Some say Vlade Divac was the master of the flop and it really became popularized when guarding Shaquille O’Neal when he was in his prime.

The poor-passing big men – If I were a big man coach charged with helping the development of an up-and-coming star, like Greg Oden, the three things I’d focus on first would be 1) teaching him how to seal his man and use his body as well as pivot properly to get open looks; 2) learn how to box out and rebound, as well as defensive positioning; and 3) learn how to pass out of double teams to find the open shooter. Don’t get me wrong, big men need to eventually develop a midrange jumper and perhaps a bit of a face up game to be successful in the NBA, but if he doesn’t have those previous basics down, what good is having a big man? With any big man, it’s best to optimize their size at both ends of the floor. In addition, if a big man does develop superior offensive skills, not being able to pass out of double teams can prove fatal. Yao Ming averaged 25.0 points per game this season, but only 2.0 assists per game with 3.5 turnovers per game. Eddy Curry averaged 19.5 points per game, but only 0.8 assists with 3.6 turnovers per game. Yikes!

Players playing the 'race card' – I’m not a racist, nor do I feel like I have to defend myself as not being a racist. That being said, it’s sad that so many dark skinned players feel the need to use the race card every time a controversial issue comes about. When players were asked to wear a collared shirt on game days, several players like Chauncey Billups said the NBA was discriminating against African Americans, implying that casual dress was part of their culture. When the league implemented the minimum age requirement of 19 years old to enter the NBA Draft, Jermaine O’Neal said they were being racist and trying to keep young African Americans out of the league. Of course, he must have forgotten that Robert Swift of the Seattle Supersonics was also drafted right out of high school. I acknowledge that racism still exists today and is still a bigger problem than most would like to admit, but playing the race card on every little thing you disagree with cheapens the argument when it truly applies and hurts minorities in the process. I don’t know Jermaine O’Neal, but my guess is if he considers racism an employer, who by the way is paying him something like $15-$20 million a year, asking him to wear a collared shirt when he gets off the bus on game days, then he hasn’t really had much experience where he’s been discriminated because of his race. In fact, it kind of makes him sound spoiled if you consider that most folks in this country have to wear a collared shirt to work every day and don’t make a fraction of what he makes.