Bobby Knight

[wilt the stilt]

I have been watching Bobby Knight with great interest. I know he has boorish behavior as a coach but his insights into basketball are illuminating. Like him I am old school. He detests the 3 point line and I agree that it has destroyed the game(certainly on the pro level). a friend of mine( former women pro) now find the pro game unwatchable and I have been watching the pros since '64 and even watched the famous Texas Western- Kentucky game. The 3 point line adds up to know floor movement and bad shots. Where are the great fast break teams of old?

[BOSSHOG]

1. I've been surprised at his demeanor

working for ESPN and he is very easy to listen to. Nice to have a non shouting talking head making sense. I agree with the three point nonsense as well. Imagine the points Pete Maravich would have scored with a three point line. Maybe they should make dunks count four points to mix up the offenses a little more.

[wilt the stilt]

2. Knight is actually quite charming

he just never respected the writers because they would call coaches like Jim Boeheim losers and 99% of them never competed on any level. His teams played wonderful basketball.

[underpants]

5. 'All of us learn to write in the second grade. Most of us go on to greater things. '

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/b/bobby_knight.html

[wilt the stilt]

3. I was never a Pete Maravich fan

In the school yards we called players like him chuckers and your pickup team always lost because of players like him.

[jimnasium]

4. Speaking of chucking...

I'm waiting for Bobby to chuck a chair across the studio!

For old time's sake.

[BOSSHOG]

6. Thats what I expected as well

but his sedateness is almost scary. Maybe ESPN dopes him up before his shows.

[Awsi Dooger]

8. As a kid I loved Pistol Pete but the 3-point shot has ruined basketball

I've posted that many times on DU. Bobby Knight's is merely stating something that should be blatantly obvious. Watch tapes prior to the '86-'87 college season and it's disgusting how limited and inferior the modern game is.

Three players paranoid to make sure their toes are behind an arbitrary line. In summarizing college basketball, you don't need to go far beyond that sentence. It's absurd how players drive inside the paint then kick it out for a much longer shot. That's progress? That's sensible?

As a Canes fan I witnessed the ultimate example last week. Miami was playing FSU, with a bye in the ACC tournament at stake. Tie game, Miami ball 33 seconds remaining. Now if ever a 3 point shot was irrelevant it was that possession. Absolutely no difference between a 2 or 3. In the old days no question a team would work the ball and attack the interior, crashing the boards for a chance at a decisive tip in. But the modern goofs are so programmed to wimpy perimeter crap ALL 5 MIAMI PLAYERS WERE BEHIND THE 3 POINT LINE when the inept final heave was taken. And the justified result: Canes lost in OT when FSU pounded them inside.

The only comparison I can apply is football if TDs beyond 30 yards were alloted 9 points. You'd have intentional sacks and wild tosses into the end zone as soon as a team approached the 30. All the fundamental plays and strategy we see now, to advance into the red zone and into the end zone, would be de-emphasized to the point the sport was a pathetic self parody. That's exactly what basketball is now but somehow it's accepted if not embraced. Bobby Knight is the first sensible voice in a decade or more.

I don't find the NBA nearly as abusive as the college game.

The most simple prediction I ever made was USA international basketball would crumble as soon as the 3-point shot was implemented for collegians. They lost the Olympics in '88 and by '92 the Dream Team was desperately summoned.

wilt the stilt has it exactly right; in my school yard days we chortled like hell at gunners. They were just good enough to get you beat. Inevitably they stayed outside the key, on both ends, too dainty to mix it up. I remember one kid who was always picked much higher than he should be, due to an overvalued reputation as an outside shot.

The other day I heard an analyst break down teams by tendency, in terms of NCAA tournament success the past 22 years, based on percentage of scoring. He said while guard play is critical to advance to the tournament, once there the frontcourt teams prevail. He broke it down as 13 frontcourt dominant teams have won titles, 7 backcourt oriented teams, and 2 balanced teams. He said the same criteria also applies to whether teams are likely to overachieve or underachieve in the tournament.

[wilt the stilt]

12. Exactly right

A score is a score is a score. You can not have different values for a score. No other sport has it. It was a gimmick in the ABA and is a gimmick today. Who would have ever thought that pro teams would consistently score in the 70's and 80's for an entire game. It is because the 3 point line is emphasized. When you don't hit them there is no rebounding for follow up scores. Watch a game from the 1970's and 1980's. The game was just faster and I don't mean the players. The great battles of the Lakers and the Celtics on who would control tempo. Now everyone has the same tempo. By the way, David Stern is a idiot. When he suspended the Suns players last year against the Spurs he rewarded the Spurs with a victory. He obviously never played basketball because any teammate would stand up for his own teammate. That was probably the last chance that we saw a speedy team win which may have actually helped the NBA in the long run.

[wilt the stilt]

13. we lost the '88 olympics

because we had an idiot coach. John Thompson was and is an idiot. He took one shooter to the Olympics(Hersey Hawkins) and we had no offense. He was a coach who never understood how to teach offense. Ewing never developed a post game and beacuse of that the Knicks never had a low post presence. He had to put the ball on the ground to score. That what I want a center who has to dribble to score. Mourning also never could really score. He was just a terrible coach.

[Hokie]

7. I have been impressed with Knight also

I do not really care for Knight as a human being. I think John Wooten should that you can be a great, tough coach without being an asshole. However, Knight is doing a very good job as a commentator. Of course, with clowns like Vitale it isn't hard to shine in that field.

[GOPisEvil]

9. I'm not Bob Knight's biggest fan, however...

...he is very intelligent, well-spoken and thoughtful. I really do enjoy listening to his opinions because they are so well-reasoned. I don't always agree, but I respect his opinion.

[BlooInBloo]

10. (shrug) Old school, new school, no school, no one in their right minds would...

.... even contemplate the notion that Knight doesn't know his shit left down up and back.

[Redbear]

11. My theory is that

Knight just looks like a genius because he is sitting next to Digger Phelps.

I do like Knight's wardrobe though.

[smoochez]

14. I despise Knights

He treats his players with disrespect. One time he choke one of his pupils. He also throws chairs into the arena.