Are you happy with the state of the league??

Great to see the old heads are starting to be happy. I think we all agree that the playoffs have been 🔥🔥🔥

Old head loving it! Silver's best decision since Sterling ban, really shows who could have thrived in 00's and earlier, Ant is absolutely playing in the mold of Wade, Kobe, MJ.

This playoffs is shaking up to be one of the best I've seen in quite a long time but I honestly would love to see this kind of intensity be more prevalent in regular season games as well.

Watching the Twolves defending against the Suns, was so awesome, Ive never felt so much joy watching basketball

Adam Silver finally showing he has a spine. Never thought I’d see it

I started watching the NBA in the 1990s and I completely agree. When watching the T-Wolves destroy my favorite team, the Nuggets, in game 2, I seriously thought that it was the best defense I have ever seen. I had almost given up on the league, but this was fantastic (even though I hated that it came against the Nuggets). I can’t remember a more dominant performance.

Commissioners, owners and TV executives decided a long time ago, in all sports, that more offense is a better game. They have always been wrong.

it's also so satisfying that the young, budding superstars that are set to become the faces of the league are also guys who've bought into wanting to compete at a high level on both ends (i don't even particularly have to name them, everyone automatically knows who they are). hope it continues in this direction

You are my favorite voice in basketball. Deep statistics and balanced viewpoints are both music to my ears, and you're the rare source of both.

As a 39 year old that grew up watching the Bulls, Rockets and Pacers in the 90s this has been the most entertaining playoffs in recent memory. We still get a fast paced game but with a hell of a lot more intensity. I love it. I hope this becomes the norm for the near future

One of my favourite things has been young uns seeming to realize why defence is A Good Thing.

I'll say this, a lot of players are looking very different now, much more "regular"

I'm an old school baller, but even before this video I had realised that this year's play offs are something else. I can only hope this keeps going the way it is and for now just enjoy the moment.

This is exactly what me and my guys are talking about just the other day.

Loving the playoffs so far, i just hope next year we don't go back to legislate defense out of the game. As an oldschool basketball fan i would love more emphasis on calling travelling and carrying too but i understand this would probably never happen. The league looks in good hands now, the superstars of the 10's are officially been surpassed and that's a good thing.

It’s refreshing as hell. It like I’m watching something new. Been watching since the 90s. Every game you can appreciate

I feel like the overall play style of the league is starting to be more consistently interesting and fun to watch, lately. Completely agree with the defense these playoffs.

This is the most playoff basketball I've watched since 2015

Love seeing this video from you jonny because this is exactly what I've been thinking through this POs. Really started noticing around G2 of the Mavs-Clippers series, and then saw how it was happening (almost) all over. It's been a blast watching Luka, Kyrie, Ant, Jokic and other stars actually working for their points. Ball always going through the net doesn't make the game more interesting if it's because of a lack of defense, which yeah, I'm not the old head that thinks it's because current players can't play defense, but's usually because they're not allowed to... definitely not the case in this POs. It's freaking heaven right now. For example, I watched the Pacers vs Knicks game yesterday, which didn't really have much defense, and it felt like a chore to watch most of the time (final minutes were more fun, but if you can't make final minutes of a close game fun in basketball, then we'd be really doomed). I sure hope this is not a one night stand and becomes a marriage, so to speak. I hope the league understand people consider the TWolves defense exciting and that we love players like MJ, Kobe or Ant not only because they score(d) a lot, but because they manage(d) to beat amazing defenses to do so. Bless this POs so far and I sure hope things don't change.

Jalen brunson has me watching basketball again after 8 years and im not even a knicks fan

Perfect video. Can't really say much more than that, everything you said is spot on. I love the NBA and where it is right now, I think the league is so competitive and exciting with so many great young stars. These playoffs have been amazing and I hope it continues to trend in this direction. The reality is basketball fans don't need games that end 142-140 to be entertained. We want to see players fight, scrap, claw their way to wins. We want to see hard defense and these incredible offensive talents try to overcome it. This is NBA basketball.

Great vid. I didn't even hear Grant Hill say that and I gad said it in my head. This is like watching the old school games and it made it so much more fun.

Good, now apply this same level of energy & passion in the regular season.

I love the hustle and physical plays during this playoffs, especially at the end of the games. We got a lot of young superstars without teamups and superteams fighting it out and I'm here for it. Hope it stays this way

0:00 bro might have the best intro of all time. one of the first creators I started with when I got deep into nba basketball. Brings so much memories love it never change it bro. An absolute classic

I love the new era, obviously a bit sad to see the people we’ve been watching for a decade finally decline but man the league is in such good hands for the foreseeable future.

It's amazing what allowing defense does for the game. Contrary to popular belief sports fans don't want to see over the top scoring, we want to see 2 teams struggle against each other and play their hardest on both sides of the ball to see which team is the better team. It also helps that a new generation of players are starting to bloom more and getting playoff experience is going to wonders for these young players games

Yes. It has been a breath of fresh air.

Exactly! The defensive intensity that Minnesota showed against Denver, a great offensive team, debunks the narrative about offense being too good nowadays. This defensive intensity has just been missing for a generation because the millennial players weren't bred the same way as the gen X and boomer players were. Even Boston's defense against KD in his last Brooklyn season proved it.

yes, as a 90s kid loving the early 00's NBA games, im loving this current playoffs as now we are seeing DEFENSE on the game and this will test how great teams are

I agree 100% with all said. Just worried we are celebrating too soon and in October everything is back to 150 points per game.

This is the most excited I’ve been for a nba playoffs

You are right especially T Wolves defense vs Nuggets, and as a neutral I absolutely loved it bro that's what it's all about in the play offs.

Thank you Johnny… Dear Adam Silver, Thank you for waking the hell up. I was beginning to think that I would have to improve my bowling game to keep up with your game scores. Unlike like the regular season this year, in the playoffs the players don’t look like bowling pins on defense anymore.

I agree these playoffs are very good first time in a very long time that I want to watched every single game.

So glad defence is back!! It really only felt like half the game before

seeing the wolves, okc, cavd, magic and pacers is really refreshing to watch.

I am pleasantly surprised by this latest turn of events. Games have that intensity again, and at the same time we're seeing these new, young killers like Ant Edwards and SGA and Brunson bring some toughness and real competition back. Finally I feel like i can enjoy the game again.

I agree. The games are more physical and more competitive.

Lakers' fan since 1999 here and I approve this message 😀

I could not agree more with this take. I’ve hated what the NBA has become for over a decade now. Tried watching again at the start of the 23/24 regular season. I couldn’t do it. Started watching these playoffs though, and I’m actually into it again! Especially now that all of the whinny cry babies like Lebron and KD have been finished.

i'm an old school fan & yes i've noticed things changed after the all star break. you're right, the game somewhat looks like the 90s & i love it!

THE PLAYOFFS HAS BEEN INSANE!!!!

It's not just physical defense but also smart defense with good schemes that we see currently playing out.

I got that mention to jxh. His takes on the "so amazing modern ofense" are DEAD. By the way, you are the youtube basketball GOAT. Thanks for doing it.

Fun fact: Wolves were +3000 to win the west at the start of the season. Thunder were +8000. In the past 15 years the team that had the worst odds that won the west was the 2011 Mavs. They were +1200!! This is wild!

the thing i like the most about these playoffs is that nearly everyone of the "player movement" guys has been eliminated (with kyrie soon to be), this year the contenders are the ones that built their roster with a real project and that actually fit the definition of "team". Just hard work, good management and patience to develop. It's the first time that i think i will be happy with basically every possible winner (well maybe a little less if boston wins, but just a tiny bit less then the others)

I'm part of your audience that follows your channel for your throwback content. I only watch NBA these days during the playoffs where the quality is so much better where defense is actually allowed.

Bro got the best zen and appealing intro 🤞😂 I be restarting the video

This post season is honestly so great, havent been excited since 2019. And I love the defense being played by the wolves, but I still got boston winning🎉

Great vid I agree with you this years playoffs have been entertaining

I noticed this too. I think they've reached a decent balance between offense and defense in these playoffs. It's been very entertaining.

Thank you Jonny! Why can’t games be like this in regular season as well as the playoffs 🤔

This is what we were all waiting for. This is what everyone who loves the game wanted. I am actually excited for the playoffs this year.

I remember being so wiped after the Game 1 Knicks Pacers thriller then immediately got thrown into the Wolves Nuggets bloodbath and realizing in that moment on top of the other amazing teams that are finally reaching their stride that we are entering a new era of basketball with amazing young talent that I'm so excited to see grow. The Pacers, Magic, Knicks, Thunder, and so many others have amazed me in the past two years and it's wild to me that someone like Luka barely turned 25 and he's putting up MVP seasons for years now. We're really privileged to be watching this era and I'm so excited over the young talent. I obviously have a favorite team, but I'm just more happy that there are so many amazing stories and young rosters coming out of this new era. I think a lot about Larry Bird talking about how he loves the new eras of basketball and saying to keep the game the way they found it and it'll continue being great for generations and I'm truly excited for this new generation of players.

I was about to say. These playoffs have been fantastic if you're a lover of old school NBA. High Defense causing low scoring games. It's been awesome to watch.

This is the best NBA postseason since 2018-2019 in my opinion.

Good post Jonny !Good to see u😂

Mr Arnett me and pops lived in MN the year KG got drafted im so excited to see them playing like a pack of wolves I called my pops immediately wake up old man history is happening again good times of from my youth love your channel

Hopefully, there will be a new champion this year. The Timberwolves have never won, the Thunder have never won in Oklahoma City, the Pacers have never won(though I don't think they will win), and the Celtics, Mavericks, and Knicks all haven't won for a while. I'm hoping for this decade to continue like the 70s where there isn't a clear cut dynasty.

Honestly man this FEELS like the best basketball possible

It's been so good, i might start watching the NBA again.

One of your best videos yet. This nba needs to stay

I love these playoffs! They are getting Physical! Ha! Love it !

Been watching the NBA eversince. You and me had the same taste Jonny i love the 2000s era. But i won't discredit the 80s-90s. This year so far had competitive playoff games in a long long time. Im happy superteams are choking tho 🤣

Loving the mix of the old and new. Glad you made this video. Would love to know your thoughts about Denver last night.

As much as it is fun to watch a sensational offensive possession with tons of ball movement or dribbling display it is also very satisfying to watch a team absolutely clamp up the other team. The communication between teammates, getting into the passing lanes, strategic double teams, etc... Plus, the defensive end is exactly where momentum can start to build for one team. Get a steal, get going in transition, and then score in transition, the bench gets hyped, the crowd goes crazy or goes silent. Points off turnovers sway the direction of games if there is a large difference between the two teams. Not sure why most teams won't buy into the defensive side of the game but this postseason is proof it's worth doing. I guess the officiating has had a little something to do with this. I loved the no calls and letting the players play in game 2 of Minnesota vs Denver. The reactions from the players and coaches when they don't get the foul they want with this officiating is very revealing of how bad the league was before. I hope this carries over to next year, fingers crossed.

Excellent video. As usual, right on point.

Yes! It’s so nice to see! Alsoo I see a lot of people talking about the 2010s but Please don’t get the whole decade mixed up!! The early 2010s were amazing!!! It was about post 2014/2015 we’re everything went wrong, bombing insane amount of 3’s, post game became non existent, foul baiting/flopping increased, carrying and travelling were normal and frequent, etc. but go back and watch 2010-2014 basketball, it was beautiful and so balanced I loved it

Let’s just hope that they stick by this

The pacers and knicks series has been so much fun. Guys like Josh hart are out out there working HARD and playing real basketball. I love it. These young teams are getting after it.

Love the video and the playoffs this year as well

105-110 ppg is about perfect

Love it. Its the basketball i love in amazing quality. It feels like a time jump. Like 10 years have gone by since games looked likethis

I LOVE it! Bringing back actual defense!

Galaxy brain: the players wanted different officiating so they deliberately played no defense in the ASG to force Silver's hand.

Minnesota's Game 2 at Denver was the masterclass in old school defence - full court press, not letting the opponent breed, cutting the passing lanes, punching out opponent's ball from behind and playing on the edge of foul. I'd argue that a number of Denver's turnovers came from them running their usual plays that worked in the regular season, while Minnesota obviously watched plenty of tape and knew what the passing lanes were for said plays. That is how you play defence. The only thing that surprised me, on Denver's part, is that they didn't try to get CAT into foul trouble - a tactic common in European basketball - especially since they used that very tactic against Lakers' AD in Game 2 of that series. All in all, in spite of how much it pained me to see my countryman Jokić lose in the fashion he did, the game itself was everything you'd expect from two top teams slugging it out in playoffs. Can't wait for Game 3 and the sleepless Friday onto Saturday night (03:30am local time), because for that kind of game I will stay up.

Nuggets vs Timberwolves Game 2 second quarter was the greatest basketball I've ever seen. More of that please Adam Silver.

Seema like da 90s style us comin back a lil bit, hopefully it does.

Awesome! I completely agree this post season is WAY better than anything I have seen in years! Lakers vs Nuggets awesome. Lakers vs Twolves, awesome! I am still feeling there is too much 1-1 isolation ball, hopefully they fix that. But it’s just a great time to be a fan!

Glad you made this. Id love to see it explored some more. Like when kobe talked about telling the ref to "call it fair". Of course super stars get more calls but was that during a time when refs were calling ridiculous amount of fouls over all or maybe more like post all star. Or even less than were seeing now.

I’ve watched more of the playoffs this year. Minnesota & Denver play styles I can enjoy more than the spread the floor & shoot threes thing. I see some posting up which I love & much better D.

Yessir the league is watchable again

I just wish the regular season had the same refereeing code. I am really happy with the playoffs so far but I’m olde. I think the league has to make up their mind. The players/coaches can’t anticipate what kind of game is going to be allowed.

Yup! This is the NBA I love to watch, not the boring one! I hate to see teams shoot and score then transition to the other side, shoot and score, over and over, it felt like the game is predictable, they can score that's it, if they miss a lot when shooting 3's or middy, then you know who will win, boring! But when defense was imposed, I felt that same excitement of whether the player be able to score, and the team with the strongest defense win!

I agree with this vid. I've been mostly tapped out of the NBA for a while, but these playoffs have been great. It does feel like 90s playoffs with better shooting.

I really like the way the refs have calmed down on foul calls, I honestly love the new aspects of the game but I don’t like feeling stressed out that a drive to the basket is gonna stop the momentum of the game because of a foul

I wish I could love this video instead of just liking it.

Have a great day!

Loved this

I’ve been waiting and anticipating this change the last 2 or 3 years. The nba has seen the drop in viewership and had to to something about it. I figured it would be defense and allowing more physicality since that was the biggest complaint

Great video guys!

Great video. I haven't had any respect for Adam Silver lately but he might actually be making a good change for once.

So true. The emphasis on defense is also exposing certain players as well. Jamal Murray getting wrecked by the Wolves.

With the type of offence we have nowadays,defence becomes the new entertainment.

I loved that Game 2 of the T'Wolves vs Nuggets... the refs let them play

I was looking at the Wolves-Nuggets game and I had goosebumps because of the suffocating defense. it felt like a 90s game to be honest, minus the hand checking. Hopefully this keeps up.

I'm 47 grew up absolutely loving the NBA ever since I was probably about 10 10 years old. And I consumed everything that I could whether it be buying all the Superstar tapes and to come fly with me's and all of that up through probably about 2018 then I started to drift a bit and it's to the point now where I have not seen or watched a full game in 3 years and I haven't watched a regular season game since it's probably about 2020. And I'm not saying the game is soft or anything like that. Now it's just a different product and it's not really for me. I will never not keep a pulse on what's going on in the league because I still love the game of basketball but I definitely don't keep up like I did. With all that said I have watched some of these playoff games and I did notice they were letting them play. I mentioned that to my wife and I was shocked.

Teams like the knicks and wolves who are dogs on defense are dominating. Even the magic were able to compete with the cavs with just about 0 offense. Some of the calls and no-calls are still bad, but the refs have affected the game much less. A lot of improvement.