Outside the paint, today's defender can sag off their man............

[3ball]

https://media.giphy.com/media/Bheqr6H8ZiQOk/giphy.gif


UNTIL the defender meets the edge of the paint - that's where defensive 3 seconds kicks in..

Since the paint blocks defenders from further sagging on all sides, today's defenders outside the paint aren't allowed to be further away from their man than previous eras - previous eras were allowed to sag off their man to the edge of the paint as well (see image above) with the same 3 second limit inside the paint.

The paint blocks today's defender from being able to stand further away from their man while outside the paint.. The only exception where today's defenders outside the paint are allowed to be a FURTHER distance from their man than previous eras is during "flooding".

But flooding merely attempts to make today's concentration of strongside defenders equivalent to the un-spaced courts of previous eras, and therefore wasn't needed back then.. Flooding also wasn't viable because the unspaced courts of previous eras activated the NBA's legal paint-camping provision, which is a superior defensive tactic to flooding.
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[FKAri]

OP:

http://forgifs.com/gallery/d/222661-2/Anonymous-mom.gif

[AlphaWolf24]

http://cdn.makeagif.com/media/2-06-2014/YOlUdw.gif

[3ball]

OP:

https://media.giphy.com/media/Bheqr6H8ZiQOk/giphy.gif



Look at John Stockton in the far corner above - he's paint-camping in the "outside lane", which is the outer partition running up the sides of the paint.

This was legal in previous eras - defenders could paint-camp in the outside lane "with no time limit", per Rule 2a of the Illegal Defense Guidelines:


2a. Weakside defenders may be in a defensive position within the "outside lane" with no time limit, and within the "Inside lane" for 2.9 seconds.


Today's defenders can't do this - they have 3 seconds in the "outside" lane, just like they do in the inside lane.

Given this disadvantage in sagging off on corner/sideline 3-point shooters (where paint-camping in the outside lane is no longer allowed), today's defender has less freedom in sagging off shooters than previous eras.

[AlphaWolf24]

Look at John Stockton in the far corner above - he's paint-camping in the "outside lane", which is the outer partition running up the sides of the paint.

This was legal in previous eras - defenders could paint-camp in the outside lane "with no time limit", per Rule 2a of the Illegal Defense Guidelines:


2a. Weakside defenders may be in a defensive position within the "outside lane" with no time limit, and within the "Inside lane" for 2.9 seconds.


Today's defenders can't do this - they have 3 seconds in the "outside" lane, just like they do in the inside lane.

Given this disadvantage in sagging off on corner/sideline 3-point shooters (where paint-camping in the outside lane is no longer allowed), today's defender has less freedom in sagging off shooters than previous eras.


That's why MJ pulled up at the FT line...because if he drove all the way JS would have been ready for the charge...

oh who are we kidding....no player ever drew a charge on Michael Jordan.

( The play right before JS was waiting for MJ in the exact same spot and MJ ran right over him......foul on JS)

MJ = the most coddled athlete ever.

[3ball]

This thread is just for reference purposes the next time some ignoramus says defenders in previous eras had to "follow" and stay close to their man.

When this happens, I'll quickly copy and paste the OP, which points out that today's defender can't sag off their man any further than the edge of the paint, which is the same that previous era defenders were allowed - since the paint blocks defenders from further sagging on all sides, today's defenders outside the paint aren't allowed to be further away from their man than previous eras.

Heck, maybe I'll just copy and paste the paragraph above.

The only time today's defenders can be further away from their man than previous eras is during flooding... But flooding merely attempts to make today's concentration of strongside defenders equivalent to the un-spaced courts of previous eras, and therefore wasn't needed back then.. Flooding also wasn't viable because the unspaced courts of previous eras activated the NBA's legal paint-camping provision, which is a superior defensive tactic to flooding.

[3ball]

That's why MJ pulled up at the FT line...because if he drove all the way Stockton would have been ready for the charge...


Stockton did force MJ into that jumper - and that demonstrates why paint defense was so much better in MJ's day.. First of all, we know that teams shot less 3-pointers back then, so defenders could guard the paint better and force guys like MJ into mid-range pull-ups rather than lane penetration.

Also, the RULES allowed players to pack the paint more - on this play, Stockton wouldn't have been ready for a charge in today's game, since he wouldn't be able to paint-camp "with no time limit" in the "outside lane" (the outer partition running up and both sides of paint), as seen in the gif.

Today's defender only has 3 seconds in the outside lane, just like they do in the inside lane, so Stockton would've been positioned outside the lane and closer to the shooter in today's game - therefore, he'd be less likely to cover the ground necessary to draw a charge..

Given their disadvantage in sagging off on corner/sideline 3-point shooters (where paint-camping in the outside lane is no longer allowed), today's defender has less freedom in sagging off shooters than previous eras... This is in addition to having to guard the 3-point line much more in today's game, due to better 3-point shooting, which opens up the paint.
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