There is one certain fact that will always be true in any competitive field: Copycatting will be utilized. The easiest way to stay viable in an industry is to figure out what is successful for your competitors and copy them. We see this especially in sports. You see that other teams in the NFL are having success with two running backs, you start using two RBs. You see that other teams in the MLB are working their bullpens with a designated 8th inning set-up man and a designated closer, you design your bullpen the same way.This usually is a good thing for the caliber of play in sports. Teams are able to see what works and eventually adopt strategies that will make everyone better. No one team will continue to have a competitive advantage based on one strategy (at least assuming other teams are smart enough to learn what they can from the more successful franchises).
However, this approach can have terrible consequences as well, which was seen in the NHL recently. In the 80’s and early 90’s, the average goals per game was over 7. In 1995, the New Jersey Devils began to try a new defensive strategy, the Neutral Zone trap. The trap called for putting all your defenseman in the zone, closing off passing lanes, obstructing breaking skaters without the puck, and forcing forwards to the sideboards where they would be held by the wingers. The Devils used this defensive strategy to win three titles between 1995 and the lock-out 8 years later, which in turn led to other teams following suit. This led to two main results. The game was slowed, as it was more difficult for teams to move quickly and make the necessary passes for a break. It also led to less scoring, as teams were unable to set-up an attack into the offensive zone. The goals per game fell to a low of 5.14 in the 03-04 season.
During the lockout, the league knew that it had to fix this problem if the sport had any hope of regaining a foothold with American fans. The act of obstructing or holding a player was made illegal, keeping defensives from slowing down breaks by holding the wings. Two line passes were made legal to allow for quicker transitions and to keep the attack from getting bogged down in the neutral zone. These changes worked and scoring has since risen.
This brings us to the San Antonio Spurs. There is no doubting the success the Spurs have had as they have won 4 titles since drafting Tim Duncan. They have done this by playing defensive basketball that tries to slow teams down and grind out ugly games. Offensively, while Manu and Parker are exiting, most of the offense is getting the ball to Duncan and letting him show off just how thrilling back someone down with good foot work can be (specifically: Not thrilling). They play a style where Bruce Bowen, and cheap-shot artist scumbag with no basketball skills, can play a key role. It is not important that he brings nothing to the table basketball-wise, just that he works to slow the opposing team and frustrate scorers with his dirty tactics.
The point here is not just to bash the Spurs, but of the inherent damage the team could do to the game. You can never underestimate the harm that can be done to a league by a team that shows that slow, boring style of play will lead to wins. There are obviously teams in the NBA who run extremely enjoyable offenses to watch, i.e. Phoenix and Golden State especially, but this will not hold without titles. The last few championships have been won by the Spurs and Pistons, both of who play a slow boring defensive game. As teams see that this approach is the most successful, the player who can play defense but brings nothing offensively is suddenly a value. This line of thought can do more harm to a sport than you can imagine. It obviously sounds outlandish but I saw it happen to hockey and it can happen again.
As sports fans, all we can do now is sit back, root against the Spurs and hope that good can triumph. A Spurs defeat is not simply one basketball team defeating another: it is good over evil. It would be bigger than the miracle on ice. It would be Darth Vader tossing the emperor. It would be Frodo throwing the ring into the Volcano. Good over Evil. So root for the Suns, and the Hornets and Lakers after that if necessary. Root that they would take this blight to the game and send it home. Root that they would show the league that fun, enjoyable basketball will beat unwatchable basketball. Most importantly, root against the Spurs so that these playoffs, this season, and this game is made safe for the fans who love it.
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