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I'm not nor have I ever been a sports fan. I've seen a few games of basketball, football, and the other football on television during big events, but I've never followed a season. I kind of know the rules and positions in American football because I lived with some college fans, but I know pretty much nothing about basketball. There's 2 pointers, 3 pointers, penalty shots, and something called "no press(ure?)" ... but that's about it. I'm clueless about the rules, the history, the positions, the top players (well, I guess everyone has heard of Kobe and Lebron). But I want to change that. As part of a general effort to expand my comfort zone and do things I wouldn't usually do, I'd like to try following this NBA season. Since I'm completely new to all sports, I really have no idea where to start. I don't want to sperg out on stats and history lessons, but surely there's something good I can do this week to get "primed" for the first game. After that I really have no idea what I'd do ... follow a particular team? Just try to watch a game a week? I'd greatly appreciate any guidance you guys can offer. I know my post is kind of vague so I feel free to ask questions. I don't want to make this a big deal, but if it warrants it, I can create a new thread (where I can post updates throughout the season... might be fun!).
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 05:13 |
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| # ? May 24, 2013 22:08 |
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MorningView posted:I still bust them out after all of my life's major accomplishments, up to and including "made beer pong shots". you really need to have someone to dmiles you back, otherwise it's just confusing
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 05:17 |
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The Laker/Celtic rivalary is still very real. A lot of this was probably fueled by Phil Jackson and Doc Rivers being mentally stuck in the time when rivalries were important, but they both successfully instilled them on their respective teams. It gets especially crazy because most of the Celtic starters live in Los Angeles and guys wouldn't go to the same clubs or parties or practice facilities, even though those players pretty much show up to those things no matter what team they are. Probably the funniest thing that happened recently was, last year all the home teams that played on a certain day (I think it was Earth day) all wore green uniforms to raise environmental awareness. Except the Lakers. They refused. The uniforms were made and they wouldn't wear them. That's right, they hate the Celtics more than they love the environment.
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 05:21 |
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nachos posted:I don't know how feasible it is but they just need a player to publicly say they aren't signing or re-signing with the Clippers specifically because of Sterling Andre Miller came pretty close when he was on the team: Bill Simmons posted:After a Clippers practice last February, Jimmy Kimmel's show filmed a bit where Quentin Richardson rated his teammates' cars. Well, I happened to be there. Searching for participants, we approached Andre Miller, who was untying his sneakers at the time. After we explained how the piece was called "The Cars of the LA Clippers," Miller scowled and said, "Man, I ain't doin' sh*t for the Clippers!" Then he stormed off.
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 05:22 |
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thegloaming posted:I'm not nor have I ever been a sports fan. I've seen a few games of basketball, football, and the other football on television during big events, but I've never followed a season. I kind of know the rules and positions in American football because I lived with some college fans, but I know pretty much nothing about basketball. There's 2 pointers, 3 pointers, penalty shots, and something called "no press(ure?)" ... but that's about it. I'm clueless about the rules, the history, the positions, the top players (well, I guess everyone has heard of Kobe and Lebron). But I want to change that. It's probably easiest to get into basketball during the playoffs. Then just attach yourself to a team that's really good. Other people may criticize you for being a bandwagoner, but you will like the sport more if you initially get the satisfaction of your team winning.
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 05:22 |
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Rick posted:It's probably easiest to get into basketball during the playoffs. Then just attach yourself to a team that's really good. Other people may criticize you for being a bandwagoner, but you will like the sport more if you initially get the satisfaction of your team winning. I don't have a team though (and I'm not sure I need one?), and I'd really like to see the whole season. It seems to me like the difference between listening to all of the Beatles albums or just One (the greatest hits collection).
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 05:24 |
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For thegloaming, I would say the easiest way to get your feet wet is see if you can grab a last minute fantasy league, either one of the goon ones in Armchair Quarterback or just an open one on Yahoo or ESPN or whatever. You can pick players (called drafting) or just let the computer pick based on who's available and who it thinks is best. Don't worry if you don't understand all the letters and numbers yet. Basically, the advantage of having a fantasy team is you'll suddenly have a slate of players on various teams you can follow and you'll have a list of stats you can get to know. I think a game is much more interesting if you're rooting for players on a team you control and you can start getting a feel for the positions, the stats, and the quirks of each player. Then as you have questions, you can post in here or just look up the terminology that way. Like if you watch, I dunno, Lakers-Heat, you might enjoy yourself. But if you need Kobe to pick up a 3-pointer to win your matchup this week, suddenly you have something to root for (and you'll want to figure out what a 3 pointer is).
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 05:24 |
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Dr. Kyle Farnsworth posted:For thegloaming, I would say the easiest way to get your feet wet is see if you can grab a last minute fantasy league, either one of the goon ones in Armchair Quarterback or just an open one on Yahoo or ESPN or whatever. You can pick players (called drafting) or just let the computer pick based on who's available and who it thinks is best. Don't worry if you don't understand all the letters and numbers yet. That sounds like a good idea. I really have no idea going about doing this but it sounds like if I just sign up to a service they'll help me along. How is the goon one ran? I always thought fantasy games needed some sort of a computer...
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 05:27 |
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Almost definitely I'd follow a team. If there's a team in your area that's the way to do it, if not (or if your team is just terrible) there's no shame in attaching yourself to an up and coming decent playoff team. (I'd recommend the Thunder, Grizzlies, Clippers, Pacers, Bulls, or of course I have to say Blazers). The easiest way for me at least to get attached to a league is to follow a team and root for them hardcore in every game. Even as a diehard NBA fan, I get bored sometimes watching games of two teams that I'm not involved in. As for learning the rules and nuances of the game, a lot of those simply come with time of watching, but don't hesitate to ask in this thread. That's what it's for after all. I doubt any NBA fan here or anywhere is gonna get mad at someone trying to learn their way through a sport. Also, actually going out and playing the sport itself helps me at least appreciate it more; your experience may vary. thegloaming posted:I don't have a team though (and I'm not sure I need one?), and I'd really like to see the whole season. It seems to me like the difference between listening to all of the Beatles albums or just One (the greatest hits collection). The majority of fun for most people in sports, unless you just love watching the fundamentals of the game which it doesn't sound like you're in that position, is to watch your team win. To get emotionally invested in the team, players, and organization. I don't give a flying gently caress about a Wizards-Cavs game, but I sure as hell won't EVER miss a Trail Blazers game because the team means a lot to me. I love the sport, but the team in specific is what draws me in and makes me care more. Quandary fucked around with this message at Dec 21, 2011 around 05:34 |
| # ? Dec 21, 2011 05:29 |
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thegloaming posted:I'm not nor have I ever been a sports fan. I've seen a few games of basketball, football, and the other football on television during big events, but I've never followed a season. I kind of know the rules and positions in American football because I lived with some college fans, but I know pretty much nothing about basketball. There's 2 pointers, 3 pointers, penalty shots, and something called "no press(ure?)" ... but that's about it. I'm clueless about the rules, the history, the positions, the top players (well, I guess everyone has heard of Kobe and Lebron). But I want to change that. There are foul shots (these are the one point shots taken during stoppages in play after a foul by the other team) which I'm guessing is what you are thinking of when you say penalty shots. The press is when a team plays defense all the way up the floor instead of just getting back and setting up in a half court defense as normal. You don't see it a whole lot in the NBA unless its at the end of a game and a team needs to foul or force a turnover quickly. As far as positions they're pretty lose designations but the canonical positions are Center/Power Forward/Small Forward/Shooting Guard/Point Guard. As I've listed them they're going from biggest to smallest guy (generally) and also from playing closest to the basket to furthest out. The point guard is usually the guy that brings the ball up the court and the primary facilitator on offense. You'll also here terms like "Bigs" (C/PF), swingmen (SF/SG) and numbers 1-5 (Center is 1, PF is 2, etc) I'd just start watching games on TV or streams and if a team clicks for you then start following them, just see how it goes really. The nice thing about the NBA is that due to relatively small team sizes compared to other sports you'll get familiar with all of them (or at least the ones that get a lot of air time) in pretty short order. But yeah, watch a game, come back and ask questions, rinse repeat would be my advice. Rick's right about the playoffs being awesome to watch but if you figure out wtf during the regular season you'll enjoy them that much more.
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 05:32 |
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dude, just watch a bunch of basketball. With the compressed season (66 games instead of 82 because of the lockout), there will be basketball on pretty much every day and you'll figure out which teams you like. Also, more than any other sport, the NBA is really driven by personality, so you can also latch onto a guy you like and just follow his team. Or just say gently caress it and jump on the Clippers bandwagon. Lob city, motherfuckers.
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 05:32 |
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As Quandry said don't be afraid to ask any questions. To get started you should definitely pick a local team to follow. Read any articles in local papers about your team so you can begin to gain general knowledge about the players and situation the team is in. Don't concern yourself with fancy statistics right off the bat. Start with Points, Assists, Rebounds, Blocks and Steals. Basketball is extremely easy to follow if you watch a couple of games. Don't concern yourself with the small little rules and nuances. Just hop in.
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 05:34 |
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R.D. Mangles posted:Or just say gently caress it and jump on the Clippers bandwagon. Lob city, motherfuckers. This is probably the best way to do it TBQH. Edit: Also, to get team specific news I'd check out SBNation. There's a blog for every team in the league, and while they're obviously very homer writers and some are better than others, it's awesome to be able to have all your team news in one spot with analysis of games and players of the like. That's a great way to draw yourself into whatever team you pick to follow and learn the nuances of the team/. Quandary fucked around with this message at Dec 21, 2011 around 05:36 |
| # ? Dec 21, 2011 05:34 |
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Quandary posted:Almost definitely I'd follow a team. If there's a team in your area that's the way to do it, if not (or if your team is just terrible) there's no shame in attaching yourself to an up and coming decent playoff team. (I'd recommend the Thunder, Grizzlies, Clippers, Pacers, or Bulls). The easiest way for me at least to get attached to a league is to follow a team and root for them hardcore in every game. Even as a diehard NBA fan, I get bored sometimes watching games of two teams that I'm not involved in. I live in southern California and everyone seems to love the Lakers (I think Clippers fans are a minority here). I think it would be cool to follow a team I know pretty much nothing about (i.e. any team other than the Lakers), so maybe the Clippers would be a good idea. L.A. is nearby... I could even go to a game, maybe? I am horribly uncoordinated and the last time I played basketball I was 4'7"... but maybe I can find some people at work to shoot hoops with.
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 05:35 |
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thegloaming posted:I live in southern California and everyone seems to love the Lakers (I think Clippers fans are a minority here). I think it would be cool to follow a team I know pretty much nothing about (i.e. any team other than the Lakers), so maybe the Clippers would be a good idea. L.A. is nearby... I could even go to a game, maybe? You're now a resident of Lob City
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 05:39 |
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thegloaming posted:I live in southern California and everyone seems to love the Lakers (I think Clippers fans are a minority here). I think it would be cool to follow a team I know pretty much nothing about (i.e. any team other than the Lakers), so maybe the Clippers would be a good idea. L.A. is nearby... I could even go to a game, maybe? The Clippers are perfect for you then. Blake Griffin and Chris Paul are two of the leagues most likeable and good players and the team is definitely on it's way up. Also, gently caress the Lakers. This is a pretty widely held opinion. As I mentioned in an earlier post, aside from the N/V and GDT threads on this forum for general NBA news, if you're interested in becoming an afficionado I'd reccommend checking out http://www.clipsnation.com/ for specific clipper news. Hope you become as addicted to the NBA as we all are 
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 05:39 |
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R.D. Mangles posted:you really need to have someone to dmiles you back, otherwise it's just confusing I started doing it with a good friend from high school but when he's not around it probably is a bit confusing for people, especially since I would guess that the number of people who remember that Clippers team is incredibly low.
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 05:39 |
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thegloaming posted:I live in southern California and everyone seems to love the Lakers (I think Clippers fans are a minority here). * short for alley-oops, a pass thrown above the rim to be caught and dunked
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 05:41 |
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Quandary posted:The Clippers are perfect for you then. Blake Griffin and Chris Paul are two of the leagues most likeable and good players and the team is definitely on it's way up. On the other hand, 
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 05:43 |
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The only NBA advice you need is don't be a Lakers fan.
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 05:44 |
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If you think following a team is cool, do that. I'd suggest you just watch a few games and figure out if there's anyone you like. Spoiler: You're going to like Blake Griffin a whole lot. Wikipedia has a decent overview of various rules. Some of the rules can get really technical, but you'll pick up the basics pretty quickly. Watch some preseason tomorrow if you can. After 2-3 you'll be dialed on for FIVE GAMES ON CHRISTMAS, THE BEST DAY
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 05:44 |
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MorningView posted:The only NBA advice you need is don't be a Heat fan.
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 05:45 |
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jackofarcades posted:CHRISTMAS, THE BEST DAY This is the truest of all posts this year. Our families are going to hate all of us.
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 05:45 |
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I am so glad the NFL put their games on Saturday this week so I can fully pay attention to sweet basketball. And Mark Jackson coaching his first game  Iso Iso Iso
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 05:47 |
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Kekekela posted:I'd just start watching preseason games. Its a really straightforward game and I doubt you'd have much trouble picking it up. If anything unusual does happen the announcers will probably cover it in depth. Are there still preseason games this week? Kekekela posted:As far as positions they're pretty lose designations but the canonical positions are Center/Power Forward/Small Forward/Shooting Guard/Point Guard. As I've listed them they're going from biggest to smallest guy (generally) and also from playing closest to the basket to furthest out. The point guard is usually the guy that brings the ball up the court and the primary facilitator on offense. You'll also here terms like "Bigs" (C/PF), swingmen (SF/SG) and numbers 1-5 (Center is 1, PF is 2, etc) Are there archetypical players for each position (obviously, that's subjective, but it seems like you know enough to come up with something)? Kekekela posted:I'd just start watching games on TV or streams and if a team clicks for you then start following them, just see how it goes really. The nice thing about the NBA is that due to relatively small team sizes compared to other sports you'll get familiar with all of them (or at least the ones that get a lot of air time) in pretty short order. Where's the best place to stream? I feel like I'd be taping shows until February since football games are usually on my television set during the weekends (although it might be fun to experience and NBA vs. NFL argument when there's a scheduling conflict). R.D. Mangles posted:dude, just watch a bunch of basketball. With the compressed season (66 games instead of 82 because of the lockout), there will be basketball on pretty much every day and you'll figure out which teams you like. Also, more than any other sport, the NBA is really driven by personality, so you can also latch onto a guy you like and just follow his team. It's good to hear that there are games every night. I agree that less planning and more watching is a good idea, so I'll try to catch the next game that's on and ask specific game-related questions afterwards. Quandary posted:Also, to get team specific news I'd check out SBNation. There's a blog for every team in the league, and while they're obviously very homer writers and some are better than others, it's awesome to be able to have all your team news in one spot with analysis of games and players of the like. That's a great way to draw yourself into whatever team you pick to follow and learn the nuances of the team. Thanks for the link!
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 05:47 |
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Also helpful is this thread covering who's who on specific teams. There's been a ton of player movement in the last couple of weeks, so unfortunately a lot of posts are obsolete, but it's still a pretty decent guide to who goons think is good on their team.
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 05:58 |
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thegloaming posted:Are there still preseason games this week? Yes but don't put a ton of stock into preseason games. The preseason serves to showcase whatever skills the new recruits may have, along with other bench players who rarely see time. Starters rarely see 30 minutes because there's no reason to risk their injury over a game that does not matter one bit. The preseason is a little more important this year because the shortened season and radically different rosters have us clamoring for a sneak peek into the unknown. Regular season starts on Christmas but preseason goes until then. quote:Are there archetypical players for each position (obviously, that's subjective, but it seems like you know enough to come up with something)? quote:Where's the best place to stream? I feel like I'd be taping shows until February since football games are usually on my television set during the weekends (although it might be fun to experience and NBA vs. NFL argument when there's a scheduling conflict). This is tough. Firstrowsports usually has the most hassle free streams but sometimes it can take a while for them to pop up. Other sites can be risky and ask you to install suspicious .exe files to watch a game, avoid these. My primary advice to you is avoid drowning yourself in a rulebook. For a new fan it is just too overwhelming with all the technicalities that almost never come up in a game. After a week of watching games you should have a general idea of the common fouls and how they are committed. There's regular fouls, technical fouls, and flagrant fouls--in order based on their severity and flagrants usually result in suspensions or massive fines. EllisD fucked around with this message at Dec 21, 2011 around 06:12 |
| # ? Dec 21, 2011 06:09 |
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thegloaming posted:Are there archetypical players for each position (obviously, that's subjective, but it seems like you know enough to come up with something)? Check the first page of this thread, there's like 4 or 5 posts on this
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 06:10 |
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MorningView posted:The only NBA advice you need is don't be a Lakers fan. Being a Clipper fan as an alternative to cheering for the Lakers is like cheering Mussolini instead of Hitler. Either way you're cheering on the same Axis except you're cheering on the pathetic part run by a tiny slumlord, and in the end the people you're goosestepping with are still the Nazis. Cheer for the Warriors or Kings if you want moral superiority and still want to go for a California team.
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 06:16 |
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thegloaming posted:Are there still preseason games this week? The first page has a ton of information on basketball basics. And yes, the Clippers are going to be really fun to watch this year! The preseason game won me over
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 06:19 |
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Rick posted:Being a Clipper fan as an alternative to cheering for the Lakers is like cheering Admiral Horthy instead of Hitler. For true underdoggy goodness, follow the Nuggets, who have a bunch of fun players, play an eminently watchable brand of basketball, and may actually do some damage this season.
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 06:24 |
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Rick posted:Being a Clipper fan as an alternative to cheering for the Lakers is like cheering Mussolini instead of Hitler. Either way you're cheering on the same Axis except you're cheering on the pathetic part run by a tiny slumlord, and in the end the people you're goosestepping with are still the Nazis. Just to be clear, this is hyperbole and you can be a fan of whatever team you want
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 06:28 |
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OK. Here's the plan: I will be following the Clippers. My to-do list for the week: - Watch some preseason games - Look for articles in my local paper (I'm not sure I'll find anything good; I think my city is unanimously pro-Lakers) - Join a fantasy league (still not sure how I should go about doing this) - Read the first page of this thread - Read the Wikipedia entry on basketball - Read Meet the Team thread I bookmarked firstrowsports, Clips Nation, and SBNation. Also I don't know what N/V and GDT mean.
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 06:31 |
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thegloaming posted:Also I don't know what N/V and GDT mean. News/Views Game Day Thread
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 06:33 |
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thegloaming posted:
N/V stands for news and views, it's the main NBA thread where we talk about recent happenings in the league(or, frequently, things that happened 20 years ago) in detail. GDT is a gameday thread, where people post chat room style about the games they are watching at the moment.
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 06:34 |
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dokmo posted:For true underdoggy goodness, follow the Nuggets, who have a bunch of fun players, play an eminently watchable brand of basketball, and may actually do some damage this season. You don't think Gallinari poses a threat to the fun? I'm terrified of being bored to death by half-court sets based around his awkward drives and free throw shooting with a little mid-range Andre Miller snoozefest thrown in.
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 06:35 |
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Thank you everyone for the advice and support! I will be posting in this thread regularly with my questions/thoughts on the game. I'm excited!
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 06:36 |
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thegloaming posted:I live in southern California and everyone seems to love the Lakers (I think Clippers fans are a minority here). I think it would be cool to follow a team I know pretty much nothing about (i.e. any team other than the Lakers), so maybe the Clippers would be a good idea. L.A. is nearby... I could even go to a game, maybe? Definitely root for the Clippers, then. I'm also trying to get into basketball, but as someone who is a serious fan of other sports, my best advice is that sports fandom requires something very akin to suspension of disbelief. In the same way that you need to buy in to a story or a movie to really enjoy it, in sports you need to buy in to a team (or, as some people have suggested, some individuals). Just as we know that a movie isn't real, we know that sports don't really matter, but the joy comes from letting yourself get sucked into an alternate universe where they do.
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 06:39 |
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thegloaming posted:OK. Here's the plan: Sweet, another brand new Clippers fan  That meet the team entry is probably outdated by now with the Paul trade. And hey, next game is tomorrow night! It's gonna be a great year
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 06:50 |
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| # ? May 24, 2013 22:08 |
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OldHansMoleman posted:You don't think Gallinari poses a threat to the fun? I'm terrified of being bored to death by half-court sets based around his awkward drives and free throw shooting with a little mid-range Andre Miller snoozefest thrown in. What makes the Nuggets hard to watch sometimes are the turnovers and absolutely abysmal free throw shooting. These are problems that never seem to go away, yet no matter how used to them I may be, when I die it will be due to a Nuggets-induced aneurysm. The Nuggets have a few SAS fans anyway. Do we even have a Pacers fan? I don't think I've ever seen one.
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| # ? Dec 21, 2011 06:52 |
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