…about using one bad performance by one team to cast generalizations on the whole league? Well, The Sports Curdmugeon must have taken my advice.
“The NBA season started last night. To show you just how veteran players view these games in early November, the defending champion Miami Heat lost to the Chicago Bulls 108-66. The Bulls are a pretty good team this year but the Heat was so indifferent on defense that the Bulls shot almost 50% from the floor. Don’t misunderstand here; the Heat had not focused so intently on their offensive game that they lost sight of the defensive aspects. The Heat shot less than 40% from the floor and less than 60% from the foul line. This game is a microcosm of the NBA regular season; there are lots of games and a team need only win about half of them to make the playoffs, which is the “prime objective” for any team. So, some nights they play with purpose and hustle and focus and some nights they don’t. Here’s what Shaq had to say about this game:
“We’ll be all right. Long season.”
I would not be surprised to learn that David Stern doesn’t mind this kind of performance/attitude. After all, that is a sure way to keep people from gambling on NBA basketball.”
