LA Lakers: Why Andrew Bynum Is the NBA’s Most Important Player

Playing basketball on a regular basis affects how you view the sport.

It's good to be reminded of the game's simplicity.  It involves players operating in a group setting, yet five random guys with any kind of basketball IQ can instantly play and perform in a functional offensive system.  

** When you have "your five" everyone stretches and shoots for a few minutes then the game is on. No one's diagramming plays before-hand.  Try and imagine a similar scenario involving 22 guys playing an impromptu 11-on-11 game of "pick-up football."

On a related note, if you are a prospective college student who enjoys playing basketball, going to a big state school like UT is really quite something.  Gregory Gym has fairly high-level games going from 3-10 p.m. from Monday-Thursday **

So what's happening on the floor really can't be that complicated.  That's why basketball coaches with inferior tactical skills are irritating. This is not hard! You are deploying your personnel incorrectly! I could be watching a much more enjoyable game and your incompetence is robbing me of this.

** Here's a fun "what if": what if Mike Brown knew what he was doing? Playing LeBron James at the power forward position would have been a game-changer for the Cavaliers last season. The man weighs upwards of 260 pounds, has a 7'0 wingspan and a near 40-inch vertical jump; he could have easily guarded KG.

This would have sped up the game, absolutely vital since Cleveland never had a chance in a match-up of set defenses.  In the half-court, all the match-ups (besides LeBron/Pierce) were in the Celtics' favor.  No coincidence: The Cavs won every time they scored over 100 points in the series, and lost every time they didn't. **

I recently joined a regular game where I am consistently the tallest player by two or three inches without giving up much athleticism to the other players. &...

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