New to basketball

[Guest Last Warrior]

Hello,

 

I live in England and have been playing basketball for around five years now, so I am familiar with the game itself, the rules etc.

 

Recently, I gained access to be able to watch the NBA. I really want to get into it because I love playing basketball but there is a lot of stuff that I am unfamiliar with.

 

I was wondering if anybody could explain the league structure to me. That would be great.

 

Also, it is much more fun when watching sports to ave a favourite team and so I have decided to follow the San Antonio spurs simply because they have the same nickname as my favourite football team here in england. I have chosen them blindly, so any info anyone could give me on them would be great.

 

Thanks.

[Guest Smark Hammill]

I would wait a month or so for college basketball to start. IMO, that's basketball in its best form. That's, of course, assuming you have access to some college games.

[Guest MrRant]

I enjoy watching the Sonics but all bias aside they move the ball around and play a team sort of ball. Lots of Europeans on the team too. :-)

[Guest MarvinisaLunatic]

The NBA is a 29 Team League (Soon to be 30 when the NBA expands to Charlotte in 2004/2005 which had its team move to New Orleans for this year..)

 

There are two conferences. The Eastern Conference (15 Teams) and Western Conference (14 Teams). Each Conference is divided into to divisions: Eastern into Atlantic (7 Teams) and Central Divisions (8 Teams) and Western into Midwest and Pacific Divisions (7 Teams each). The Western Conference is by far the better Conference with better teams than the Eastern Conference.

 

NBA Teams have 82 Game Schedules which last from November to Mid-April. Teams in the East play teams in the West twice (Home and Home) and around 3 or 4 games vs teams within their own conference and vice versa.

 

The Playoffs are determined by the top 8 teams in each Conference. The Playoffs follow a 1 vs 8 seed, 2 vs 7 seed 3 vs 6 seed 4 vs 5 seed opening round which is the best of 5 games and then the remaining rounds are high seed vs lower seed in a best of 7 format. Its generally considered that the NBA regular season is pointless considering that more than 50% of teams make the playoffs anyway..and there is better basketball to be watched in the college ranks (especially in March).

 

The NBA All Star Game is held in the beginning of February, alternating between Eastern and Western Conference Arenas and features Eastern Conference vs Western Conference All Stars as voted by the fans and is usually a pretty high scoring game (130s or so..)

 

The Spurs are in the Western Conference, Midwest Division and have one of the League's best players in Tim Duncan and future hall of famer David Robinson. They are one of the better teams in the Western Division although they are usually overlooked by the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings.

 

Hope that helps.

[Guest Leena]

The Clippers are also in the West. They are the best team.

[Guest MarvinisaLunatic]

The Clippers are also in the West. They are the best team.

Eh..lol..don't lie. The Clippers aren't even the best team that plays in that Arena. The Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers both play in the Staples Center and the Lakers are by far the better team, being back to back to back defending NBA Champions and all..but they aren't off to such a hot start because they are missing their best player Shaq. This is why the NBA regular season is pointless, because the Lakers will inevitably still make the playoffs and be favored in any game even as the lower seed.

[Guest Last Warrior]

Thanks for the help everyone.

 

I find nba.com to be pretty much comprehensive but I was just wondering if there were any other sites that would be worth checking out as well.

 

Thanks.

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

Bah, stupid double post. Mods, please abort this if you can before it grows arms and legs...

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

Check out the team sites.

 

CBSSportsline is a favorite of mine for news...

[Guest razazteca]

the Dallas Mavericks and Sacamento Kings have alot of Europeans on their teams and play a fast pace game.....needless to say they are 2 of the best teams in the league.

[Guest El Satanico]

The only thing you need to remember about the NBA is that they kiss the asses of the main star of the league and his team. Because of this league ass kissing the refs will also give him and his team favortism in the playoffs.

 

Sometimes the favortism isn't totally obvious and they hide it well. However sometimes like last year the favortism is obvious as they did everything possible to get the Lakers into the finals.

 

It has been happening since at least Jordan and will not cease at any time in the near future.

 

You will see it come playoff time and it shall make you sick so stay far away from this cess pool known as the NBA and as already suggested just watch College

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

College, pfffft. College is like watching a bunch of kids read off cue cards. Occasionly you get the juco transfer scholarship guy who can win the game by himself.

 

Anyway, the Spurs are known for having 2 great big men, Tim Duncan, arguably the game's best player, and David Robinson a Hall of Famer who is retiring after this season. But they also have 2 good guards, a 20 year old Frenchman named Tony Parker, and a rookie who led Argentina to the World Championship this summer, whipping America's ass in the process.

They also have Bruce Bowen, one of the league's better defenders, and Malik Rose, who gets paid $40 million to sit on the bench for half the game.

 

During the season, you will think the Spurs have a chance at a championship, but they don't. The Lakers have the game's two best players, and an excellent coach, and they don't care or try untill the playoffs start. Also, the Spurs have a habit of getting thrashed by the Lakers in the playoffs, so watch out for that.

[Guest Leena]

The Argentine's name is Ginobili, and he sucks on all my fantasy teams.

 

I'm telling you guys... watch the Clippers! Once their injury bug is gone, and they play enough to become a cohesive unit... they're playoff material. Olowokandi just might be able to contain Shaq, too... maybe... OK, there's no chance of that, but the Clips rule!

[Guest papacita]

The Clippers are also in the West. They are the best team.

101-99~!

 

SIXERS~!

[Guest DawnBTVS]

Boston Celtics are doing solid as well. They have a fundamentally sound team game with Pierce and Walker able to go off and score 30-40 any given night.

[Guest Bricks]

The chances for any team to win the Championship this season seems to revolve around Shaquille O'Neal's arthritic big toe. If he's healthy, then the Lakers will most likely win it all. If he's not, well, it's up for grabs.

 

Also, last year the top teams of the Western Conference were clearly more dominant to those in the Eastern Conference, so if things stay on course like last year, then whoever comes out representing the Western Conference in the Finals will have no problem beating the team from the East.

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

I'm telling you guys... watch the Clippers! Once their injury bug is gone, and they play enough to become a cohesive unit... they're playoff material. Olowokandi just might be able to contain Shaq, too... maybe... OK, there's no chance of that, but the Clips rule!

The Clips have a lot of good players, but the're still the Clips. I say they come down with a case of Blazer Syndrome, Kandi mopes because he wants a new contract, Odom gets suspended, Q shoots worse than Iverson, and Miller and Brand cry eachother to sleep on the flight home.

[Guest phoenixrising]

The Clippers always seem to start off horribly...last year they were being talked up as palyoff contenders and fell flat out of the gate, a couple years before they lost 21 straight to open the season. The team is a lot better than past teams though, just seems like they have a lot of slow starters.

[Guest Rabbi_wilson13]

College basketball is a million times better than NBA, and that's that.

 

Teams that are fun to watch are the Nets, Mavs and Clippers. And if you're going to be a Spurs fan, enjoy your regular season.

[Guest Smark Hammill]

College, pfffft. College is like watching a bunch of kids read off cue cards. Occasionly you get the juco transfer scholarship guy who can win the game by himself.

There's just something about watching 150 foul shots taken in front of a dead silent crowd that doesn't appeal to me.

 

Oh yeah, you get the occasional dunk. Exciting stuff.

[Guest Choken One]

I agree...Save for the Playoffs and the Mavs/Kings or Nets/Sixers games...NBA is tremendously boring.

 

College is Unpredictable...You can't Buy (at least legally) the best players...You have to Discover them or entice them. College Coaches have the hardest job in sporting biz. Pro Coaches RARELY play a part in neogotion of a player...

 

NCCA Field of 65 is the greatest sporting event known to mankind and unlike the Games or World Cup it happens each year.

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

College is unpredictable, which makes it more exciting for the coaches and players. For me, it makes it "Who are these people? And why aren't any of them good?" When you do get close games, it's because the kids are trying to out Iverson eachother (maybe we should change that to out Kobe) and they end up with like 50 turnovers. Then there's the good teams, who follow thier coach's design to the letter, or the really good teams, who ride thier superstar because he's leaving at the end of the year anyway. It's like electronic football except with boosters giving you SUV's for your birthday.

 

Besides, everyone knows the best young talent in the world can be found on the bench of NBA teams. If a guy does turn out to be any good, all that means is he's graduating early, so to speak.

 

But don't get me wrong, you guys are right about the Mavs and Nets blowing away the rest of the league as far as entertainment value goes. And after the Van Horn trade, how is a non superstar supposed to score on the Nets, exactly?

[Guest alfdogg]

The Pacers are 3-1 and tied for first in the Central.

 

And Reggie is still God, even though he's injured.

[Guest Vern Gagne]

If you wanna see up tempo watch Dallas. If not watch almost any other team.

 

I start paying attention to College B-Ball when conference play starts. Realistically the pre-season games don't matter that much.

[Guest Bricks]

I don't think Curry Man, who seems to be from England is going to get US College Basketball games.

[Guest ant_7000]

Or watch FIBA as well, or watch And 1 mixtapes if you want to get in to streetball style.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

The thing about college ball is that I don't have a favorite team or anything. Not to mention the pros are more talented. I get into March Madness, but I don't give a crap about the regular season at all.

[Guest Last Warrior]

As unusual as it sounds, I believe that we do get some college basketball here in England.

 

There was a new channel launched recently (non sport) and I checked the listings and it shows a program called "CIAA Basketball". Is this college basketball? It is on today soI will give it a go whatever it is.

 

I am in the middle of watching the lakers / wizards game at the moment.

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

Curry, if you ever wonder why you see so many NBA guards doing repeated spins and crossovers and then throwing up a 20 foot fadeaway with 3 guys guarding them, check out those mix tapes Ant7000 was talking about.