MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / May 22, 1999

Remember the days when the Denver Nuggets averaged 100 points a game during one season? Now, its newsworthy when a team scores 100 in a game. And the way things are going, it may get to be where the teams willcombine to score 100.

Wasn’t an uptempo style what made the NBA more popular in the 1980s.

What happened to the Los Angeles Lakers’ “Showtime?” Where is the hang- in-the-air, changing-hands ability of a Dr. J? The score from anywhere,anytime ability of a Michael Jordan? The bomb it from downtown ability of a Larry Bird? The Detroit Pistons made defense and physical play fashionable in the late 1980s. Now, everybody takes it to the extreme. The old joke I went to afight and a hockey game broke out now applies to the NBA. I saw betterbody checks during the Heats-Knicks playoff series than I did during some of the NHL playoff games.

The Heat relying on defense and physical play to win games? Et tu, Pat Riley? Weren’t you the coach of the Lakers when Showtime was there.

Remember the beautiful slight of hand passing by Magic Johnson? The graceful sky hook of Kareem Abdul Jabbar? The fluid drives of James Worthy? It used to be fun to watch the NBA Championship series between the Lakers and the Celtics when Johnson and Bird tried to out-do each other with their passes. Now the only slight of hand you see is players trying toget away with hand checks. And they do.The Chicago Bulls set an NBA record for the fewest points in a game since the shot clock was implemented this season. Jeez, it used to be Jordanused to be good for about 30 points a quarter when he was on. Where haveyou gone, your “Airness?” A scoreless league turns its lonely eyes to you.

It’s not that today’s players don’t have the ability to put points on the board. You just have to look at the college game to see that. Allen Iversoncould be Jordan’s heir apparent as the scoring champion for years to come.

Shaquille O’Neal can put up 30 points a game on a consistent basis. Thereare a lot of other players that can do that as well.

So what’s wrong? Maybe today’s players have gotten too big and too fast.

Too many bodies are taken up too little space around the basket. Onesuggestion that has been passed around is to make the court longer and wider. Another is to do away with the illegal defense rule. Anything toopen up the game again.

The NBA does not need its teams scoring 60-70 points a game. It does notneed a Portland scoring five points in the fourth quarter of a playoff game like the Blazers did Tuesday night against Utah.

Yes, defense wins championships. But for a league that desperately needssome positive attention after the recent lockout, a little offense might be a winning formula too.

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