Jerry West upset with young players

[s_knight8]

http://news.mysanantonio.com/story.cfm?xla=saen&xlb=212&xlc=1129552

LOS ANGELES — Quite literally, Memphis Grizzlies general manager
Jerry West epitomizes the NBA. He is "Logo Man," the silhouette of
West dribbling the officially trademarked logo of the league.

Well, "Logo Man" isn't so happy with the emphasis on entertainment
that has begun to overtake pure basketball in the league.

Specifically, West said he was appalled when Friday night's Rookie
Challenge game devolved into a dunking exhibition.

"I turned it off," West said. "I couldn't stand to watch it."

West said some of the league's young players seem to focus more on
entertaining the crowd, rather than focusing on doing what it takes to
win.

"To me the thing that really makes you feel good about yourself is
being able to compete and being able to beat the guy opposite you,"
said the Basketball Hall of Famer after a news conference at which
this year's finalists for induction in the Hall were announced. "I
think there's so much that is right about the NBA playoffs. Those guys
are after each other.

"That (Rookie Challenge) game the other night looked like a bunch of
kids out on the playground playing and having fun with no regard to
who wins or loses. (It was) who can make the best dunk, or who can do
the most spectacular thing, and if they make a mistake, they laugh
about it.

"I don't like that, OK? But again, there's a lot I don't like. I like
substance over style, always, and I think that wins for you in this
league."

West pointed to the immaturity of players as something teams have to
deal with.

"Some of these young kids are thrust into situations where maybe the
thing they do best at that point in time is what they're doing," West
said. "It takes a maturation process for them to get to a point in
time to where they become a complete player. They become the player
that, every night when he goes out there and plays, and if you're good
enough you know your team has a chance to win.

"But it makes it very difficult for coaches. You see this revolving
door of coaches and the pressure that's on the coaches today. But if
you have a lot of young players who don't blossom or mature, they're
going to fire the coaches, because they don't fire the players."

[Gary Collard]

Post by s_knight8
Specifically, West said he was appalled when Friday night's Rookie
Challenge game devolved into a dunking exhibition.
"I turned it off," West said. "I couldn't stand to watch it."

I'm far from the curmudgeonly guy who bitches about today's players, but
I'm with Jerry here - I punched out before halftime, deleted it without
watching the rest.

[Chainsaw]

Coincidence that West and Oscar Robertson both
feel this way? I think not.

And people who try to slough them off as outdated
and out of touch, are part of the problem.

Post by s_knight8
http://news.mysanantonio.com/story.cfm?xla=saen&xlb=212&xlc=1129552
LOS ANGELES — Quite literally, Memphis Grizzlies general manager
Jerry West epitomizes the NBA. He is "Logo Man," the silhouette of
West dribbling the officially trademarked logo of the league.
Well, "Logo Man" isn't so happy with the emphasis on entertainment
that has begun to overtake pure basketball in the league.
Specifically, West said he was appalled when Friday night's Rookie
Challenge game devolved into a dunking exhibition.
"I turned it off," West said. "I couldn't stand to watch it."
West said some of the league's young players seem to focus more on
entertaining the crowd, rather than focusing on doing what it takes to
win.
"To me the thing that really makes you feel good about yourself is
being able to compete and being able to beat the guy opposite you,"
said the Basketball Hall of Famer after a news conference at which
this year's finalists for induction in the Hall were announced. "I
think there's so much that is right about the NBA playoffs. Those guys
are after each other.
"That (Rookie Challenge) game the other night looked like a bunch of
kids out on the playground playing and having fun with no regard to
who wins or loses. (It was) who can make the best dunk, or who can do
the most spectacular thing, and if they make a mistake, they laugh
about it.
"I don't like that, OK? But again, there's a lot I don't like. I like
substance over style, always, and I think that wins for you in this
league."
West pointed to the immaturity of players as something teams have to
deal with.
"Some of these young kids are thrust into situations where maybe the
thing they do best at that point in time is what they're doing," West
said. "It takes a maturation process for them to get to a point in
time to where they become a complete player. They become the player
that, every night when he goes out there and plays, and if you're good
enough you know your team has a chance to win.
"But it makes it very difficult for coaches. You see this revolving
door of coaches and the pressure that's on the coaches today. But if
you have a lot of young players who don't blossom or mature, they're
going to fire the coaches, because they don't fire the players."

[Neil Cerutti]

Coincidence that West and Oscar Robertson both feel this way? I
think not.
And people who try to slough them off as outdated and out of
touch, are part of the problem.

The rookie gamers didn't know what was going on except in the
stands. I imagine their antics were generating a good crowd
response, and they figured it was fine.

Come on, Jerry! It was the fricken' rookie game.

[Gary Collard]

I disagree, they are talking about two entirely different things. West
(and I) were disgusted with the non-basketball played in the Rookie-Soph
game. Oscar was just throwing out the tired "things were so much better
back in my day" screed.

Post by Chainsaw
Coincidence that West and Oscar Robertson both
feel this way? I think not.
And people who try to slough them off as outdated
and out of touch, are part of the problem.

Post by s_knight8
http://news.mysanantonio.com/story.cfm?xla=saen&xlb=212&xlc=1129552
LOS ANGELES — Quite literally, Memphis Grizzlies general manager
Jerry West epitomizes the NBA. He is "Logo Man," the silhouette of
West dribbling the officially trademarked logo of the league.
Well, "Logo Man" isn't so happy with the emphasis on entertainment
that has begun to overtake pure basketball in the league.
Specifically, West said he was appalled when Friday night's Rookie
Challenge game devolved into a dunking exhibition.
"I turned it off," West said. "I couldn't stand to watch it."
West said some of the league's young players seem to focus more on
entertaining the crowd, rather than focusing on doing what it takes to
win.
"To me the thing that really makes you feel good about yourself is
being able to compete and being able to beat the guy opposite you,"
said the Basketball Hall of Famer after a news conference at which
this year's finalists for induction in the Hall were announced. "I
think there's so much that is right about the NBA playoffs. Those guys
are after each other.
"That (Rookie Challenge) game the other night looked like a bunch of
kids out on the playground playing and having fun with no regard to
who wins or loses. (It was) who can make the best dunk, or who can do
the most spectacular thing, and if they make a mistake, they laugh
about it.
"I don't like that, OK? But again, there's a lot I don't like. I like
substance over style, always, and I think that wins for you in this
league."
West pointed to the immaturity of players as something teams have to
deal with.
"Some of these young kids are thrust into situations where maybe the
thing they do best at that point in time is what they're doing," West
said. "It takes a maturation process for them to get to a point in
time to where they become a complete player. They become the player
that, every night when he goes out there and plays, and if you're good
enough you know your team has a chance to win.
"But it makes it very difficult for coaches. You see this revolving
door of coaches and the pressure that's on the coaches today. But if
you have a lot of young players who don't blossom or mature, they're
going to fire the coaches, because they don't fire the players."