Has Offense Gone Too Far In The NBA?

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0:00 intro
3:40 Chapter 1
24:14 Chapter 2
35:26 Chapter 3
43:56 Chapter 4
All songs from epidemic sounds

[@rustybuckets]

Use code RUSTYBUCKETS50 to get 50% off your first Factor box at bit.ly/444MOih!

[@catdogfishdogcats]

It hasn't gone far enough. Not until everyone making full court shots at will, and makes perfect passes the instant anyone is open to catch and shoot those buckets.

[@joeknapp9162]

I think players should be able to make contact with the opponents hand when contesting a shot

[@Oldschool811]

I agree with everything you said except for a couple issues I believe the 3pt line should be an arc of 23'9 it would eliminate corner 3's making a completely new approach possible on defense also I think hand checking should be brought back it allows for strong physical defenders perhaps without height to have a role right now if your not 6'8 and quick your a liability. I just want to say the most popular sport is in fact the nfl and what does the nfl have that the nba does not physicality the nba was much more relevant in the 90's when we had that aspect. what is the limited appeal to the NHL physicality enough said!!! Finally you hit on the variability aspect all the teams are the same people haven't changed since Roman gladiators we want to see an element of a battle, right now we have a 3pt contest big yawn!!!!

[@williamethegod5013]

This maybe crazy but make mid ranges worth 2.5 points

[@Anthonydu01630]

I agree with everything you said except homogeinity, you can’t tell me Jokic’s Denver, Giannis Bucks, Tatum’s Celtics, ANT’s Wolves, Kawhi’s Clippers, Lebron’s Lakers, SGA Thunders, Zion’s Pelicans or Luka’s MAVS or Wembanyama’s Spurs all play the same. All these players have a different playstyle, in fact their is way more diversity in the players of todays NBA, and you act like in the 80’s they weren’t all playing in the post lol, watch a game now and watch a game of any other decades especially before 2000 and you’ll see the diversity of todays players, their are millions of moves now, players are much more skilled, the handles and footwork of SGA, Jokic, Embiid, Doncic or Ja Morant are some of the best ever, and we have all sort of freak of nature, back then it was only 7footer like Wilt and Kareem, then 6’9 coordinated guys like Magic and Bird, then super athletic wings like MJ, but now you have all these archetype and more, you have the Lebron, Giannis, Zion archetype, you have the Jokic, Sengun, Sabonis archetype, the Embiid, AD, Wemby and Chet archetype… I just don’t understand how you can say all the teams play the same, im a Lakers fan and nobody play like the Lakers, with a PF who run the offense but not nearly as ball dominant as guys like Doncic or Trae Young, right now Lebron, AD and D-Lo are really close in term of possession imo, even Reaves get a lot of opportunity, so it’s not just 1 guy creating everything it come from everywhere, and Lebron play a lot in the post now, same for AD, so they have 2 post playmakers and 2 perimeter ball handler D-Lo and Reaves, and they are just dominant in the paint, when both Lebron and AD have a good night you feel it, and Austin Reaves play like no other player, same for D-Lo, they all have a unique style so i don’t agree at all with this homogeinity things

[@madingthree]

NBA in 2050: Player: blocks a single shot *“dEfEnSiVe pLaYeR oF tHe YeAr”*

[@dee-5297]

1990 STOCKTON AND HORNECK TWICE FINALS CANT BLK SHOTS BUT PLAY DEFENSE 😂😂😂😂

[@cappy2282]

And MVP of league is some 5'4, outta shape dude who shoots 60% from 3

[@billyjean5934]

​@@cappy2282he does rebound 4.8 tho and shoots a tidy 87% at the line

[@whenisdinner2137]

@@dee-5297 They are guards and stockton literally has the most Steals of all time

[@lebarbosa9778]

offense: carry travel carry carry NO CALL defense: breathes too heavily FOUL

[@stanleyball2615]

Exactly if the NBA called Carries, Travels and Walks offenses would score less. If the NBA allowed hand checking the defenses also would stand a chance. Since the NBA adopted the 3 point shot and slam dunking from the NBA GIVE 3 POINTS FOR SLAM DUNKS AS WELL.

[@stanleyball2615]

Type 0 ( From the ABA )

[@nicolasfierro2143]

@@stanleyball2615that would be the worst rule ever not a single other shot would ever be shot

[@user-mh6yh3lh8w]

@@stanleyball2615... Steph Curry would lose half his career point total if they enforced travelling violations and allowed hand checking

[@Trollificusv2]

@@stanleyball2615 Ummm...no. Because then they'd want 4 points for really fancy dunks and 5 for a dunk-and-nutsack. I'd pass on that.

[@jimmywalker8354]

The fact that the 16/17 GSW would have the 17th best offense today tells you the NBA is currently broken. That's possibly the greatest offensive team ever.

[@fkm512]

That’s the single most insane stat which suggests things have clearer gotten out of hand

[@Realest1ne]

Also the fact that, that team was less than a decade ago. That’s crazy.

[@unphantom173]

the nba right now is built for casuals not real fans anymore and look man i don't hate the nba like some of these people do but its important for us to see real basketball and you only really get it if top teams are playing and i liked the warriors and lakers game i truly do but other then that theirs no game i could watch and say its game of the year not much the early 2000s is too defensive base, the early 2020s is too offensive base, i someshow liked the mid to late 90s and if people say they don't liked the mid 2010s nba they lying you got the mix of tradional defensive players and offensive players and the meta of the future it was an all around better product because you got every mix of player put in an era to me 2010s was my childhood so its peak basketball to me.

[@HorizonOfHope]

I have a horrible feeling that because the NBA knows that a lot of basketball fans don't really watch games end to end, or even much at all, as long as they have great highlights packages and exciting stat lines showing how someone posted 35 / 11 / 6 then they will give offence free reign to flop, travel, shove and rip through their way to ludicrous scores.

[@woah7609]

Shai, Luka, Embiid, Booker are always flopping or pushing off. If they called regular season games like they do in the playoffs it’d be way less frustrating to watch

[@trollking4058]

I think it's more that they know the game would slow down if they called every carry, travel, or flop.

[@fortynights1513]

Highlights are great plays to have made, but they aren’t every play of every game. If everything is a potential highlight, then nothing feels like one.

[@beckembrown7002]

Players today are revolving their entire offense to getting to the line, and smartly so, as it is more efficient. You may dismiss it as not a skill because it is not entertaining to you but it is a another skill that currently players mastered compared to past players, just like the 3pt shot.

[@zxcvb3772]

@@woah7609 The sad thing is, if you notice, they don't even "tighten" their calls for the playoffs anymore. They used to do that, but now it feels like they don't, they call it like they call the regular season games.

[@terrytraore4586]

Who’s here after Lukas 73 point game😭😭

[@dee-5297]

STOCKTON AND HORNECK CAN STOP LUKA 😂😂😂......

[@shaquille7414]

Me

[@rece5232]

@@dee-5297how his nuts taste 😂😂

[@robertrecker9017]

Yup.

[@Argee52]

What do you mean.

[@d34n_]

I think that blocking fouls are called way too frequently. If an offensive player drives and the defense slides in front of them, it’s often called a defensive foul even if the offensive player initiated the contact. It usually is determined by whether or not the defender has his feet planted, but it’s nearly impossible to slide in front of a player running that fast and not be moving your feet when they reach you.

[@jamesr169]

100% on target

[@seanbell69]

One thing I really like about 60's and 70's basketball is how strict they were about aggressive offense. If you jumped into your defender, a lot of the time that was going to be an offensive foul. I can only imagine how effective Wilt would be on offense today if he could just jump right through defenders on his way to the rim.

[@cappy2282]

Ya that's not basketball

[@johnnybadmen3473]

So the moral of the story is the Detroit Pistons ruined defense by associating it with their 'bad boys' image. Not only in the 90s but in the 00 during their 'goin to work' days too.

[@fortynights1513]

Goin to Work Pistons are one of my favorite teams

[@johnnybadmen3473]

We've all got a taste of what would happen when the Pistons draft and trade for 'high character' prospects. You get the 2023-24 Pistons.

[@fadercreek]

​@@johnnybadmen3473don't feel sorry for the pistons this season they play no veterans

[@johnnybadmen3473]

@@fadercreek They do play vets. But Bojan and Monte were injured to start the season. Alec Burks and Joe Harris were a** to start the season. And that was all the vets they had until the Marvin Bagley trade.

[@santumi2298]

​@@johnnybadmen3473Joe Harris was ass to start the season, ass during the season, is ass right now, and will be ass at the end of the season

[@tysonmaddox1090]

A quote I’ve heard from the fighting game community is that “a game is more fun when it buffs more than it nerfs. It’s more fun for everyone to be broken than be muted versions of what they were” the problem is that the NBA has gone too far one way. They simply should either buff defense or do what mlb did and try to decentivize analytics. Stealing was all but dead until the mlb made the bases bigger and made it harder for pitchers to get runners out. That way is a bit harder for the nba so I think they should do things like let go of the defensive 3 seconds and other defensive nerfs that they’ve done over the years

[@zxcvb3772]

I will have to disagree with the statement of "a game is more fun when it buffs more than it nerfs", because if it's a game where tanks/defensive units exist, but every dps characters are broken as hell, that renders the tank characters useless. If your dps character can do 194826589321 damage to the boss that has a maxhp of 99999999999999, what differentiate it from let's say, 19482658932? The numbers are so huge that most people don't even notice a difference. Compare to say, if your dps character is doing 79 damage on average per hit on a boss with a maxhp of 9999, you'll notice it when it's being compared to somebody who's doing 59 damage on average, because every upgrades matter for your numbers, it's the same with NBA or any sports. There are so many blow out these days it's hard to care about the games. It used to be fun when games were at 95 to 99 and it came down to the wire. Now everyone's winning 130 to 110 it's just not as exciting. Almost every teams are now living or dying by the 3's, basically a luck game.

[@shia8938]

​@@zxcvb3772 This is wrong since in games if they have a lot of buffs even tanks are pretty much stronger than any DPS since they have more damage and way durable. That's why you see a lot of people complain about tanks in games.

[@DjangoRaisuli]

The current discussion around Drive Rush in SF6, Wild Assault in Strive and 66L in GBVSR show that there is such a thing as to much offence. It make's the games too volatile and as a result less representative of player skill (If that doesn't sound to condecending or elitist).

[@jmgonzales7701]

@@zxcvb3772 exactly, i miss it when it was low scoring, scoring actually mattered. It doesn't need to be football type lower scoring, but it was fun when 90 and 100 were the final scores

[@sunnycombo5275]

The issue with this outside of taking away soft fouls, you can't stop the evolution of offence you can nerf fighting game characters or nerf a mechanic like drive rush. But with the NBA you can't stop the game from evolving to where the three point line is more useful than a mid-range shot, or the many moving parts of offences with so many screens, or letting bigger guys start the offence. Offences have simply gotten better with or without rule changes, defences have more court to cover and are more stretched out and you can't stop that.

[@rolieg81]

Tonight goes to show how crazy offense is. 2 players scoring 60+ points on the same day happened twice in 1 week. Only happened 5 times in NBA history now.

[@Polotongquitz]

To add: 1. Be more strict on travelling/carry calls. 2. Use FIBA size courts. Smaller courts will allow the defense to cover the court much effectively.

[@user-pp7nc7ib8j]

Make the court smaller will not solve anything

[@Polotongquitz]

@@user-pp7nc7ib8j watch euro/fiba games. A lot of great shooters but fewer 3s are attempted compared to the NBA. That's because the defense can easily sprint from the post to the 3pt line hence easier to cover the 3. Plus defense won't use much energy in case they want to press the offense up court.

[@TheFrostyboy419]

@@user-pp7nc7ib8jit definitely could but they’d never do it

[@maartenvz]

The corner three should be further away but that will be a nightmare for stadiums

[@TheFrostyboy419]

@@maartenvz that would make the court larger adding to more spacing making defense harder

[@erstimus5439]

The legalization of the gather step (as well as leniency in carrying rules over time) in 2019, opened up far more possibilities for lengthy steps around defenders, and I is crucial in part of the offensive explosion we see today, as it allowed less adept drivers as well as larger drivers like Giannis to be far more successful than before. This, and the increasing aptitude for three point shooting amongst every position is a further development of the three-point revolution; leading to offensive systems like boston and OKC where everyone can drive, pass and shoot, positionless nightmares for defenses where there are no solutions, only bad choices and worse ones. Great video btw.

[@beckembrown7002]

Defenders have to cover more space than ever before, resulting in them just drawing more fouls as a last resort. Truly scary generation of scorers.

[@lebarbosa9778]

These clowns are getting away with murder and thinking they are the most skilled generation ever. Call the double dribbles, call the travels, call the stiff arms and we have a different sport. A sport that died no longer than 5 years ago. Go watch a game from 2011, don't have to go to the 90s, it's different sport. Offensive players are allowed to cheat now, that's why we're seing bullshit boxscores, bullshit statlines and a terrible product. Nobody watches games anymore, only highlights.

[@HorizonOfHope]

Gather step = travel. Harden step-back = travel.

[@RobinXlone]

2019? theres videos of players gather stepping in the 80s and 90s. learn basketball

[@RobinXlone]

@@HorizonOfHopeif u dont understand how the rules work just say that

[@milkgrapes6420]

These new hour long Rusty Buckets videos are so damn good

[@aestheticphilosopher]

hour long video? holy cook

[@Bgrud624]

Bros making full length movies now and I’m for it. Don’t give up on this style you’ve got a knack for filmmaking and can’t limit yourself to simple content, even if it’s the more efficient style

[@erstimus5439]

To add on to what makes the modern offense kind of unenjoyable is what makes soccer/football so enjoyable. Each goal has to be desperately fought for, with long, drawn out strategies employed to get the ball pass the bevvies of defenders and into the goal. The tension, struggle and disappointment from each failed attempt only compounds, and, when that goal is finally achieved, it's a release of emotion (positive or negative). Because the game is so low soccer, a single mistake in the middle of the game can swing the entire thing radically. When you score so much, it dilutes that. Each bucket is no longer fought for, and it feels like, only consequential in the last 2 minutes of the game. The ability to swing from highs to lows in an instant is part of what makes sports so fun; it's unpredictable, it plays with our emotions and expectations. While basketball will never be football, just because of how the scoring works, it's important to not lose sight of what makes it enjoyable to begin with.

[@T.H.E.O.R.Y.]

I never knew that. I personally wanted to play soccer as a kid but shied away due to not wanting to fail and look the part. As a result, I never watched it growing up and thus never knew about what you posted. Thanks for the knowledge.

[@ybnhstudiosdesign]

thiiisss

[@samuellanghus1455]

This is why I love gridiron so much. Every possession is fought for, and sometimes defense is the primary thing that you see in the game. It’s honestly a shame how injury-riddled the sport is for how much I enjoy it. If there was a massive reduction in injuries to what we see these days, I would say that it is one of the greatest sports of all time.

[@T.H.E.O.R.Y.]

@@samuellanghus1455 it already is even in light of the explosion in popularity the nba has seen until this point in the last decade

[@acidspit14]

spot on. NBA is a kiddy sport compared to football. people in my country now play basketball mostly, cause they've becomed lazy pussies, when all they do is throw the ball into the basket. it's just a shitshow all around

[@aaronowusuagyemang4459]

Incredibly ironic that the same week this vid dropped, Embiid dropped 70, and Luka got a 73 burger😭

[@6tiple6ix6afia]

That is literally not irony. A video about how the NBA is all offensive IS PROVEN by them scoring more. That has ZERO irony in it.

[@aaronowusuagyemang4459]

@@6tiple6ix6afia chronically online. go outside, I’m begging you

[@andycanoy863]

You nailed it right on the head @RustyBuckets. If there's no one trying to prevent the opposition from scoring, it'll feel like the offense isn't earned. May not be best example but its like when gamers cheat in online games especially shooters. Sure your score will be significantly higher than others, but the victory will feel hollow because you weren't challenged. You didn't face oppoents that gave you a fight. If I ever did that, sure I'll feel great for a while that I'm winning a lot more than losing but after a certain time, it starts to feel boring when no one is forcing me to really strategize and almost lose a battle. That feeling of things possibly going wrong motivates you to win a lot more than blowout after blowout every match.

[@ChanBoogie310]

I feel part of the reason is the rules now benefit the offense. Players now can carry take like 2-3 steps in between in each dribble, so now it’s more moves players can use to create space and the defense can no longer hand check. There isn’t a balance no more. If you’re too aggressive as a defender and an offensive player lean into you and rip through it’s a foul on you, or the fact that now players have to guard from 20+ feet out from the basket before teams use to just wall up the paint and stay in the midrange area. Also the fact that the nba is heavily reliant on offense and more fans if they want to admit it or not is the cause because they said ‘low scoring games’ that involves two great defensive was “boring to watch”. Multiple factors contribute to what we have now.

[@JojiUrHomie]

Hand checking is for bums who can’t guard. And the rip through is almost always a no call now so let’s be fair and call out that the league has been working on it and the past 2-3 years a lot of the macho officiating changes have been made to benefit the defense.

[@lebarbosa9778]

@@JojiUrHomie carrying and traveling is for bums who have no real handles and no fundamentals

[@RobinXlone]

u can take unlimited steps in between dribbles. have u not seen MJ do the stutter step back in the day? its impossible to travel while dribbling. learn basketball. Players have to guard from 20+ feet out bc players can shoot better nowadays. sorry u cant just pack the paint all game, people have actual skill now

[@RobinXlone]

@@lebarbosa9778hand on the side of the ball isn't carrying. gather step isnt traveling. learn basketball. grow up and stop using high school rules

[@ChanBoogie310]

@@RobinXlone I want you to look at players in each decade and see how different they dribble compared to each decade. I know more basketball than most played it and watched it currently. Also I’m not complaining about the having to guard 20 feet I’m just saying it’s one advantage Offensive players have now a days because the defense is so spread out and it’s more spacing now a days. Also players was always skilled it just before the rules prevented them to do anything kzbin.info/www/bejne/bHqziYanhM2socksi=gl1lwniLMmm0-Z9g Watch that video when you get the chance

[@davidmartinez52420]

Just started watching this video, but I hope Rusty gets into how defense is essentially being legislated out of the game with the way they call fouls, and how traveling and carrying almost never get called anymore which makes players harder to defend. Players today by and large are better than before(that's true for every era compared to the ones that preceded it), but when the refs make playing defense harder because anything can get you a whistle it just gives the appearance that players today are infinitely better when that's not exactly true.

[@davidmartinez52420]

Yes he did, and that's why I enjoy his content. I appreciate that he's a young fan but is actually knowledgeable, respectful, and honest about the past.

[@ybnhstudiosdesign]

thissss

[@vinnytucks87]

Fun fact. There are less fouls per game than there were during the 80s and 90s.

[@davidmartinez52420]

@@vinnytucks87 Yes, Rusty mentioned that in the video. What he also mentioned was some of that is a product of the quick whistle forcing defenders to back off which contributes to the lower number of fouls.

[@hainavidotcom]

@@davidmartinez52420 Facts

[@drippindanny1306]

I think another problem that kinda adds onto the homogenization of offense is the length of schedule. It’s hard to get emotionally invested in a game where every possession looks basically the same and the outcome of the average regular season game is so menial on the overall standings. Even the playoffs can feel unnecessarily dragged out too. Do we really need to make the 1 seed beat the 8 seed 4 times to know who the better team is? A potential solution is adopting a playoff format similar to the MLB. 7 teams in each conference make the postseason, top seed in conference gets a first round bye. 1st round best of 3, second round best of 5, conference and nba finals best of 7. This would lead to a more competitive and fun playoffs but would likely cost the league revenue so it won’t ever happen.

[@mechkota]

Yep. I do not know why no one is talking that the regular season is too damn long and it logical that teams are using most of the regular season games as practice games. In the Euroleague there 34 regular season games and they are playing defense because every games matter(yeah know that the rules are also different). I am not saying that the NBA should have only 34 games but 82 is too much. Same with NHL. Thats why NFL is so popular. every game matter.s

[@2kolbe010]

@@mechkota would lowering the nba game count to 65 help or is it to much of a decrease?

[@dmichael100]

A lot of us have been saying 82 games is way too many for some years now but it is an economic reality unfortunately. Not only are 82 games too many- but there are too many teams- at least for the sake of an interesting league where every game matters more. But the NBA will add a few more teams and you might see a reduction to 74 but that's as far as it would every go....and that's not enough to make a difference.@@mechkota

[@dmichael100]

@@2kolbe010 Its NOT too much of a decrease just in terms of fan interest and making and giving the regular season meaning but it is beyond the pale economically as far as the owners are concerned. I have always thought that one huge advantage that the NFL has over the NBA is there is only one game a week in the NFL so all the attention is on anticipating it and each one, obviously has great meaning. Both owners and players would have to accept a lower threshold of ridiculous wealth- I mean, you could cut NBA salaries in half and it would still be a dream to be the last man on the bench on minimum salary. As long as television keeps paying the rights fees- the owners have no incentive to reduce number of games.

[@Damian-km6sk]

@@dmichael100nba players get paid wayy too much, it’s absurd.

[@polarkeef]

Being from Chicago and a life long bulls fan I remember my absolute hatred for the pistons as a young child. When the pistons beat up on the bulls in 89 & 90 I was 7-8yrs old. I specifically remember being in tears and just possessing so much rage for Detroit. I know it's just a game but good luck telling little me that. I wanted them to experience the pain I was feeling

[@doge1590]

Bull sucks

[@polarkeef]

@doge1590 thanks for pointing that out. I hadn't realized that

[@Ivander85]

The final part is actually the most frustrating one to me in today's game. The NBA needs to consistently call travels, carries and moving screens. This would already decrease the pace a bit because players would have to be more careful.

[@geminisneverlie]

This is it for me as well. It is mad to see a player play solid defense just to have the offensive player egregiously carry the ball when the defender has no chance of recovering and get an easy bucket. If they allow carry’s they should allow hand checking. But I’d say just get rid of carrying.

[@legendarywiimaster]

Agreed

[@BigGainer98]

The current NBA is a fucking disgrace. I cannot watch a full game because of this shit. And these are so called professionals.

[@Ryan__2000]

To only be 23 and already lived through three eras of nba basketball is wild to really think about

[@tmac731]

Facts I’m 25. I started watching in 2008. They should push back the 3pt line

[@h4rshturtle456]

​@@tmac731feel like a 4 point line might not be that crazy off an idea

[@shamrock73]

​@@h4rshturtle456yeah add a 4 point line and bring back hand checking.

[@ykg2393]

@@shamrock73lmao y’all think adding a four point line would DECREASE scoring?? Use your head

[@legendarywiimaster]

@@ykg23934

[@mastersplinter1950]

There is 1 very easy rule change to help out defences, REMOVE THE CORNER 3! It is something silly like 39% from the corner, if the 3 point line just follows its arc up to meeting with the out of bounds, then massive spacing gets lessened somewhat.

[@jeremiahcole2542]

I love the idea of removing the corner 3, that would damn near fix everything

[@Riese79]

Thats Not a problem at All. Refs favour offence over defence is.

[@jamesfitzgerald8267]

Nah that's not the issue, the issue is the 3 second rule and players being able to travel all the time because of "gather steps."

[@AlienMaster3000]

booker had 62, embiid had 73, kat had 62, luka had 73....... Ridiculous lol

[@david-468]

Lukas was way more impressive imo emid had like a record ft attempts or something crazy

[@chrisuncleahmad]

If YT existed in 2004, I wonder if there would have been a 'Has defense gone too far?' video

[@fighterck6241]

They did make that complaint. It was frequent.

[@Cosmicgardening]

This hypothetical is weird because it literally existed in 2005 one year later lol.

[@legendarywiimaster]

For sure

[@oscarradunski8314]

No, because watching the game was more fun. Today is 2k on rookie

[@Nick1994H]

I'm here after Luka scored 73. There was close to 0 defense the whole game. Players walking/ barely jogging. It's an offensive problem for sure but eliminating real defense was the catalyst

[@alxx292]

We’ve had 2 players drop 70 and 60 since this video 😭

[@6tiple6ix6afia]

And some dude in the comments was dumb enough to call that "ironic". As in somehow a video saying scoring is getting crazy = players scoring an insane amount in one game is unexpected lmfao. Who authorized these people to be allowed to use the internet?

[@issackhussein5838]

How do you expect fanatics of a game not to realize when someone is not putting enough effort to the game especially on the defensive side. Thank you. This is much needed.

[@noisepuppet]

It would really help bring the defensive factor back if officials were allowed to call certain things the way they used to: charging, traveling, moving screen, and discontinued dribble (carrying) come to mind. Calling these violations wouldn't require any rule changes. For example: It's currently not legal in the rules as written for the ball handler to shoulder-check a squared-up defender and go through his chest on the way to the basket, but I see it every game. And often it's called an and-one. And the announcers go "wow he's unstoppable downhill!" Yeah because we're letting him mow down defenders with impunity. 😂

[@demidon117]

From my casual perspective, it feels like there’s still a lot of guys who play defense, but there are a lot of guys that don’t seem to get a lot of defensive pressure But, like, if there’s a 7-footer who can shoot fadeaways from beyond the arc, how are you meant to defend that? I think some guys are just too talented on offense. To the point where you kinda just let them shoot and hope they miss. Obviously Kevin Durant gets his shots contested, but defenders aren’t giving 110% on every play because that’s a waste of time and energy We’re talking nearly 100 possessions a game. The pace, the rules, and techniques of offense have made it to where some guys are literally unguardable. Just put your hand in his face and hope he just misses

[@kylethomas2993]

Yeah it's pretty obvious to anyone watching that a lot of players don't care about defense

[@DJETtheQuietStorm]

One reason why viewership has dropped so much is not only that it's too much offense but more importantly there's little to no diversity in offensive play style amongst current nba teams. Everyone is just running spread offenses with pick and roll and a lot of drive and kick and iso ball mixed with too many threes being taken. Outside of the Nuggets, Sixers and Heat you are hard-pressed to find a team that runs actual sets that utilizes backdoor cutting, off-ball movement, post ups and most importantly the mid-range. If you look at every championship or dynastic team, they all had those elements. Yes, even the Warriors. When the Warriors were running the league, they were in the middle of the pack in 3pt attempts which means that their offense was way more diverse than people think. They were always top 3 in percentage which gave the illusion that they were a 3pt mostly team. The Warriors are more 3pt dependent now than they were during their reign. Also, most of the players today work with the same trainers so they do the same moves, so there is little individuality in the NBA today just among the players styles let alone the teams. It's turned into if you watch one game you done watched them all, which makes it a harder product to market.

[@RobinXlone]

TV ratings dropped bc no one watches cable tv. But viewership hasnt dropped🤦‍♂🤦‍♂. How can viewership drop when baskteball is the biggest its ever been? u think people in other countries in are watching euroleague?? or chinese basketball?? no bro everyone watches the nba.

[@fortynights1513]

@@RobinXloneViewership for individual programs by raw TV ratings will always be lower in later years as more people check out entertainment that appeals to their specific tastes, and audiences become more fragmented. Some TV shows on broadcast TV today might get renewed with ratings that would get them cancelled 10-15 years ago.

[@neptune4359]

@@RobinXloneif thats the case why did the nfl crush the nba this year on Christmas Day? If “no one watches tv” NBA has been on a steep decline since 2020. Streaming also contributes to ratings aswell, just face it I’ve seen you try so hard to defend this era and you just need to admits it’s dying man.

[@neptune4359]

⁠@@RobinXlonerevenue for the nba is up but the viewership is down. So you’re wrong by saying it’s the biggest it’s ever been.

[@PanzehVideos]

Post ups are horrific offense. They're no different from Allen Iverson 20 dribble isolations except there's not even a chance to get past the defender. You huck up a bad shot and miss most of the time.

[@justtimes9257]

the nba need to add fiba & olympic rules to the nba

[@stevonwhite8933]

Wouldn’t be able to tout about “offense”

[@justtimes9257]

@@stevonwhite8933 wait what?

[@stevonwhite8933]

@@justtimes9257 “Most exciting version of basketball in the world” essentially.

[@reginaldwilliams3681]

With the complexity of offenses and efficiency of players (even role players) it essentially creates no-win scenarios for defenses every possession. Good defense is no longer stopping the other team, good defense is now making the decisions that increase the percentages in your direction more often. The offense is winning the arms race right now. Probably until there is a rule change.

[@TylerShainOnYT]

*I played 2K24 MyPlayer on rookie mode and had to restart it after 5 games. Scoring 60 isnt fun at all if its little to no resistance from your opponent.*

[@protostnl6369]

It is why I made my player character in MyPlayer specialize in passing and rebouding rather than scoring. Amusingly, shot blocking as well later on. Sure, it's cool to score a lot in a game but I found more enjoyment passing the ball and blocking shots.

[@Sam_P29]

I like the new main channel format. These long videos suit your writing style, and videos like these are totally worth the wait.

[@Carlostothe24]

THANK YOU. I have said that calling illegal screens will change the game entirely. Not allowing free space to be made every possesion will cause offenses to slow down. As a kings fan watching sabonis do dribble hand offs and set moving screens kills me even though it works. This definitely slows offenses down way more becuase the amount of free lanes to the basket or open jump shots made off these screens is huge.

[@EmperorTee]

I think the league as a whole is more talented than it’s ever been. Also, I think people who don’t understand defense confuse physicality with good defense. A lot of the stoppers from previous eras simply couldn’t play today without being able to use their physicality to bridge the talent gap.

[@bradentucker4854]

11:00 the bad boy pistons 30 for 30 is the whole reason I got into basketball also amazing vid so far god damn

[@moonshinei]

Yo Rusty! Love the vid once again; really enjoying the deeper explorations. Your points are all salient, and while I don’t have as much input here, I think your thesis is pretty sound. I do hope to see some changes take place- if not just for variety’s sake.

[@whenisdinner2137]

The offense can do literally anything, including traveling and carrying, and they don't even have to worry about a big man in the paint or a hand check

[@Nahcalifuly]

Love the new style of content dude. You’re great with the research and the production from Rudy really shows. Keep. It. Up.

[@Trillyana]

I am absolutely tired of the fact that if someone with the ball is moving fast enough you just aren't allowed to stop them or it's a foul, so defenders just get out of the way

[@whitjones7521]

Watching this as Luka drops 73 lmao

[@quadavis4]

I feel like the early 2010’s were a great example of how it should be,like from ‘10-‘15

[@fortynights1513]

I like 99-08 best personally. But to each their own.

[@zxcvb3772]

@@fortynights1513 The 2000's is definitely the best "decade" basketball wise, there were so many different playstyle from different teams, different team philosophy/identity and there were different type of offensive players, you have people who are mainly jump shooters, some are high fly dunkers, some can shoot 3's, some score from the post, Tim Duncan has his iconic bank shot, some rely on the defense and fast break to put up points, and so on.. They also played defense and took pride in it. Most games were gritty and hard fought.

[@fortynights1513]

@@zxcvb3772Me personally, the thing that stands out about that period is that we saw both some players who played like the older, eradicated archetypes, and others who were more versatile and played like we are used to seeing now. But to each their own.

[@kennysdead500]

Knicks Bulls Easter 2012 is still a great game to go back to

[@fatesgates8393]

They wanted so desperately to get LeBron more championships because KG, Duncan, and Tyson Chandler all beat prime LeBron (who had no j).

[@theorw4583]

Loving the work ethic bro, keep it up🔥

[@rob_008_4]

Very well done video my pookie bear love the effort you’ve been putting into these vids it’s been amazing 🙌

[@yungtago9161]

I think the foul baiting rule probably has the most potential out of these, however I think there would need to be some clarity on what specific moves actually constitute "foul baiting." Off the top of my head I think the moves to ban should be rip-throughs, abruptly stopping or jumping backwards to make contact, driving and than unnaturally going up for a wild shot after getting bumped, and pump-faking for the sole purpose of getting the defender in the air to jump into on jumpshots (I think this is ok for players who are deep in the paint since they tend to allow more contact there anyway) . Edit: I also think just simply not calling more ticky-tack fouls like bumps and slaps that don't actually impede the offensive player should be another adjustment.

[@joebache394]

The quality of the recent uploads is off the charts, keep up the great work!!

[@hibiki8473]

Funny this came out and we had 2 players score over 60 in same night as kobe 81 point game

[@merc7105]

Quality video. Great script, great editing. And great treatment of the subject. Thank you.

[@cs49500]

I love the video essay style! Great work!!

[@fookvisuals]

Went to a Rockets game last night, and was lucky enough to have seats really close to the floor. Trust me they are trying there ass off on Defense

[@rafikz77]

Yep

[@Glaedr11]

"... when everyone's super... no one will be."

[@wesleygainey2611]

Few things I'd add 1. International game's influence (US bad showing in the 2000s, zone defense added and its effects). 2. Other sports influence (CTE/concussions lawsuit in NFL, negative view of long lasting damage to athletes, ect). 3. The adjusted view of what pivot foot/carrying/travel means to refs. 4. And, simply, the drastic increase of shooting ability and skill (from the field and on the line).

[@catdogfishdogcats]

It hasn't gone far enough. Not until everyone making full court shots at will, and makes perfect passes the instant anyone is open to catch and shoot those buckets.

[@meh7348]

Rules these days definitely favor it in the sense that Refs can really exploit them to increase a teams opportunities for scoring. All comes back to the refs as usual probably lol.

[@woah7609]

Refs are always calling weak calls it’s hard to watch

[@sarahsloot2290]

I’ve ranted too hard about it. But the offense having too large of a rules advantage, which was in part to showcase the skilled offensive players, undercuts the elite offensive players. Because I don’t get to see how good the guys are that could get these buckets highly contested in crunch time. The scorers today are truly talented, but for me it’s defense that tests the offense. And all the game stopage is difficult to deal with. I do like when teams are running more off ball plays at least.

[@tobacactus]

Sending love rusty, been waiting for this to drop

[@EdgelordSativa]

I had this conversation with a friend about 2k, I said it’s no longer fun when we’ve played so long we know what to do with our teams we all green release every jump shot and we know which badges are best, after a while a high scoring game between us no longer feels competitive until we get to the last minute. The NBA is suffering from the same issue.

[@luvkoaofficial]

Like and comment for this hour long video! Keep up the great work my dude. Love the new direction 🙏🏾

[@zsomborszigeti6797]

I think a huge point that is not talked about is how referees have just lost the respect of everyone. They are not held accountable for anything and have way too big of an impact on games. A referee is good when he is not talked about and that hasn't been the case for about 15 years or so. It's a relatively new thing so it wouldn't be that hard to change and it would make the game a lot better imo.

[@LoveEatingBricks]

This is an awesome video. I'm at the part where you present this broader perspective on the greater importance of spectating sports in the grand scheme of society, and it is truly impressive; I don't remember ever seeing such insight in a sports video

[@Dkdraheim]

Great video. Love the content direction decision you made, some of the most engaging basketball content available

[@Jeff_2x]

Idk if it’s gone too far or not but I just hate when casuals or old head pretend there is no defense be played today. Offenses are MUCH more complex and players are MUCH more skilled than they were in the past that it’d be harder (in theory) to play defense today.

[@killablackmambakbm7593]

I'd argue players are less skilled today than the 90s or early 2000s. The bigs shoot 3s but have mediocre post games and don't rebound. The perimeter players can really only slash to the lane or shoot 3s. They don't have a mid range game nor post game.past players could get the the paint and avoid contact. Today plays drive to create needless contact

[@nevertoolate7120]

There is no defense being hardly played today. You have to have an exceptionally high motor to do so because of ball movement. Players rather save energy for scoring. It’s obvious but people don’t want to admit the truth.

[@BoxingisgoatedBoxingisgoated]

@@nevertoolate7120 no there defense played today lol. Most people who say this don’t actually watch basketball much unfortunately.

[@BoxingisgoatedBoxingisgoated]

I agree with this fact. The fact that people say defense is not played is simply untrue we have defensely great players like jimmy butler Kawhi gobert Jaren Jackson Evan Mobley even Giannis and ad. Also jrue holiday and Caruso back then

[@woah7609]

This is true but refs make it harder to defend cause they’re giving all these weak calls to superstars and show favoritism towards them makes it frustrating to watch at times

[@evanstensland611]

Honestly, this is why I’m so so thankful to be a Wolves fan, every game is amazing to watch. Wolves are holding teams to 107 a game as of right now and I couldn’t be happier.

[@legendarywiimaster]

I’m a Wolves fan too. Haven’t watched much but I definitely should

[@violettheshadowfan]

omg hype new rusty buckets on what is a really fascinating topic !!!!

[@eternalblessing4984]

I love these longer talks on these topics man. Hope you keep doing them.

[@grewdordan]

Actually just ran into Dennis Rodman earlier today lol

[@fortynights1513]

How was he?

[@grewdordan]

@@fortynights1513High and drunk at a public restaurant

[@Isaac_Arango]

The reason why players don't play defense anymore is because these refs are so soft that the most minimum contact is a foul.

[@iansanzari8431]

amazing video rusty thank u for such high quality documentary like content

[@hatchking4088]

loving these documentary videos, keep up with the great work!!!

[@willstout5988]

Hey man, I love these longer thought piece videos you’re doing. I’m a new sub, and all i used to see was more straightforward analysis videos based on the nights games. Keep doing this, it’s really fun to watch! Also, I’m a kings fan, could you kindly stop showing the bucks dame time buzzer beater from the other night please😅

[@ralphcadet5492]

OH THIS GUY KNOWS BALL , the 23:00 minute mark sealed it for me using that bam clip of him defending Steph curry his rookie year or 2nd year ❤

[@jesseprovencal5048]

Been watching for a while now dude 🔥 this new format is great!

[@jimbokilo]

Im 36. I played a social league game against some 20 year olds... I played 90s defence and they looked shocked and confused. They tried charging through me, only to find a brick wall and their ass on the floor. The young female refs had no idea what to do, so called it a foul and gave them a boundary throw in. I couldn't stop laughing. They stayed away from me the entire game after that, destroying their cocky confidence. Us older guys just charged through to post and they had nothing.

[@jabari7158]

I think the problem is that it’s made the sport more popular. The nba views hyper offensive play as good for the growth of the product. Even though us basketball purists may wish too return to a more 50/50 mix of defense and offense, it seems offense is what’s best for the sport from the nbas viewpoint

[@zirbto5749]

But the hyper offensive is leading to less views.

[@gabrielnieves9974]

@@zirbto5749no it is not. TV ratings aren’t a accurate representation of viewership because no one watches cable nowadays like they used to

[@lorddj9910]

It’s not working cause less people are watching more and more overtime

[@blindprophet182]

The accessibility & foreign stars are probably growing the sport, not the offensive balance. Idk how the NBA can isolate the offense as the cause over the social media explosion,the streaming explosion, the explosion of non American elite talents. I can see the NBA thinking what they did is the cause, instead of things outside of their control.

[@hiramsicles5580]

Love the new style of content

[@maroofhaque6445]

Quick note on the low points of 90s and 2000s: those numbers were at its lowest from late 90s to early 2000s. Loosening zone defense rules and having too many defensive players really made it hard to score

[@raneynewman8315]

Let’s just bring back Roy Hibbert and the verticality rule

[@Magnolius22]

I didn’t think anyone outside of Utah remembered Kirilenko 😂 dude was a defensive monster

[@fortynights1513]

Kirilenko was an excellent defender. I’ve also heard that he played a lot of World of Warcraft.

[@slimypickle19]

The NFL destroying the NBA on Christmas tells you all you need to know. I understand NFL games are more meaningful in the regular season, but the margin it beat the NBA by was embarrassing. I'm tired of hearing about how "talented" the players are today compared to previous eras, the facts are defese is an absolute joke now.

[@cadrollhunting3564]

TV ratings are just not a good way to compare that, TV is dying out for the younger generation and the NFL has a much much older fanbase, that is the reason for the christmas ratings.

[@freeisalwaysme]

The NFL season is coming to an end at Christmas. Along with many Fantasy football league. While its still early days for the NBA. I myself. don't watch as many games until after the NFL playoffs.

[@leetorry]

​@@cadrollhunting3564also, the op is forgetting something the NBA has that the NFL will never have: strong foreign support. The foreign fanbase, especially in China and my country the Philippines, still rake in millions of views and billions of dollars for the NBA. Plus, its a much bigger cultural entity than the NFL, im sure more people outside the USA know more NBA players than NFL playerd.

[@stevonwhite8933]

@@leetorry But he’s talking domestically. I’m not even American, but that’s diverting from his argument on American popularity.

[@mostmost1]

​@@cadrollhunting3564 TV ratings pay the most money youtube not paying the nba those billions

[@awakeish]

Timeless video thank you for making this entertaining content man!

[@Rozwell007]

It's really good to see the change in your vids. You look great man. Keep up the good work, we're happy for you.

[@bobbypoynter8444]

This is aging well

[@randomperson2540]

I just want physicality defensively to be more allowed, it's inconsistencies of what's a foul and isn't bothers me. Also bring back hand checking I wonder how good today offense would do with that

[@2kolbe010]

I fear the refs being consistent.

[@michaelahurt]

They'd run more handoff tosses for the fast quick guys like Philly does with Maxey already. Hand checking would mostly change which actions are popular but wouldn't have *that* much impact on scoring totals unless they legislated that defenders can actively impede an offensive player's progress. But that's never been in the rules. They cracked down on hand checking in 1994-95 when it started getting out of hand because guys like Derek Harper were strong enough that they could basically grab your hip and drive you in a specific direction. But you have to remember when they abolished it in 2004 the game was still very isolation and PnR based. Hand checking is very effective against those types of possessions. But as the game has evolved, it's really only bigger stronger players who iso a lot these days and the shifty guards -- the guys hand checking really impacts -- have moved away form PnR towards more handoff and toss actions. So Trae Young would go from 27 to like 21 but Luka might be even better if they brought it back. (It's just another way for him to fool defenders.)

[@BigGainer98]

​@michaelahurt How would Luka be better under it but not Trae, when both play so similar? I would like to hear your thoughts.

[@michaelahurt]

@@BigGainer98 Luka is 6'7" 230 pounds and is like trying to move a mountain. Trae is 6' 165 and is like moving a paperweight. Is it easier to catch a baseball at 70 mph or a bowling bowl at 70 mph? It's just physics. Luka is big, Trae is small. Luka can play through contact -- i.e. hand checking -- in a way Trae can't.

[@okvayno]

54:27 rustys final boss music started playing

[@pimpnamedslickback7780]

This is such a great video man. Keep it up

[@TherealMatthias1998]

27:08 I really hope this bit was for me recognizing the reference in the last video essay

[@rustybuckets]

🫡

[@TherealMatthias1998]

@@rustybucketsit’s been a pleasure following your growth as a content creator for the last 5-6 years. You still talked about going to JC when I first subbed with my other account. Somewhere around the time you were releasing the Goatmentary in different parts

[@gediminaskucinskas6952]

I will just speak of my experience. I used to watch a lot of game in 90's and 2000's. I still do watch a lot of international FIBA competition sopassion for basketbll is not gone but NBA games are just not that interesting. The very predictactable offense where you either shoot 3 or drive to the basket is just boring. And every team plays the same. The stops happen rarely because all the rules are benefitting offense instead of defense so its essentially just run and gun style of play. Variety is completely gone. Everey basket feels the same as the last one. And dont get me started about bad officiating, superstall calls where every even smallest of contct gets a whistle unless refs decide tht they want to screw one team off. I would like to think that there could be some changes to return some defense back into the game where every basket would have more value but I am not sure if it will happen.

[@chrisuncleahmad]

Late 90s/early 2000s basketball was very predictable for all the wrong reasons (nobody bothered to shoot 3’s)

[@JamesSmith-ey7vc]

Defense is played just as hard as in the 90's. The difference is that the floor is more spread out, making it easier to score today.

[@mrxexes]

What folks fail to understand is that with the proficiency of the three-point shot, the ball handling skills, advanced motion offensive plays, and the killer crossovers in todays NBA game, it is kind of hard to play that old school in your face defense, because now instead of falling back into the paint defending against in paint dribble penetration now the defender has to damn near pick up his opponent from the half court logo. To put in proper perspective just imagine if players were able to constantly hit from beyond half-court, causing players to have to pick up their defender from the other side arch, just imagine how difficult playing defense would become then.

[@malcolmvincent895]

woah an hour?? i’m definitely gonna watch eventually but go ahead and hold this like in advance (my adhd makes this pretty daunting tbh)

[@Ddvgh1]

I’m a simple man, I see an hour of Rusty Buckets, I click

[@crosbyhoffman1304]

The modern NBA approach of jacking up 40s per game is one thing... the inability of defenders to so much breathe on an offensive player without a foul being called is another thing... the refusal to call obvious travels/carries/palming, leading to NBA players today almost literally getting away with the violation every time down the court, which has enabled players to get 3+ft of separation resulting in open jumpers is likely the most obvious reason offenses numbers have become video game like in nearly every area. Must also state that players contracts ballooning to more than $50mil per year and your average players at best getting $10mil has led to players themselves being far more stats and load management focused (to ensure health going into that next big pay day) than prior generations who cared far more about winning.

[@oldhamneal]

These last couple of long form videos have been great

[@denvergray8943]

I know it's all complicated and interwoven, but the bottom line is I basically stopped watching most NBA games because I stopped enjoying the "product on the court"(fking hate that phrase). I can't honestly say I care, even a tiny bit, about a great stat-line or an incredible highlight...if it comes at the expense of watching an overall boring game of fast-paced-but-vaguely-meaningless offense.

[@2kolbe010]

Same. As a laker fan, I don’t watch many games anymore because of how bad the damn product is. This team refuses to do shit right and its sickening.

[@kingof21kings9]

Getting the popcorn out for this

[@Donnydon1996]

My grandad use to always say “the worst thing that ever happen to the NBA was the 3 point line” he passed in 2019.. I wonder what he would think of todays scoring and how ridiculous it’s gotten