Sometimes, I'll pull up a random game from 1990s just to check myself. Maybe teams did move more off the ball, run more complex actions! Newsflash: they did not. Some different things, got to post ups. But some UGLY possessions. (Jazz-Nuggets 1st Q O from Denver, 2/8/1994)

Here's another one from Feb. 2, 1992. NYK-GSW. In case you like faster offense, here are some GSW possessions in the first quarter. Not exactly amazing ball movement. Lot of pull-ups. Lot of drive and kick, just kickouts to midrange. So...same thing as now, just worth 2 vs. 3.

I don't do this to call out the players. Was just a totally different era. But I do think that the ubiquity and availability of basketball now makes it way easier for people to call out the bad stuff they see. When in reality, that stuff was happening in the 1990s, too!

Look at how condensed the spacing is. Think it makes it easier to guard? Easier to have bigger, slower players out there to protect the rim? And again, you expect the game to move forward. But the ideas haven't changed THAT much. Get paint touches. Score at rim or kick out.

Nostalgia is a funny thing. We remember what we want to remember. The stuff that sticks in our brain is good stuff. Not the random Tuesday where dudes are chucking contested 18-footers or airballing floaters because basketball is hard and the other guys are good, too.

I say all of this to say: it's ridiculous to disparage today's NBA vs. past eras. Game has evolved and made defense insanely difficult through skill/shooting improvement. And it's easier to see games now. More low-hanging fruit to call out. That stuff happened in the 90s, too.

Trusted by 90% of the NBA, Noah Basketball uses the most advanced technology to measure the key elements of the perfect shot, providing real-time data with instant, audio feedback showing players exactly what they need to do to improve their shooting percentages.

People let their fantasies in their head control them. The issue is 95% of NBA fans never saw games like this, never saw highlights of the game, and damn sure did not have access to break down every play in real time.

That game finished 96-95 and both teams had 2 30-point quarters each.

The only real difference is the SPACING that 3-point shooting brought. It's the same thing when you look at classic all-star games. The effort was still lax throughout most all-star games, it just looks worse whe it leads to deep 3-pointers over mid-range jumpers.

@ryenarussillo as you were saying

@ryenarussillo Ryen: very smart!