The NBA is badly in need of fumigation. We have now entered that phase of the roundball year known as the playoffs. There is another name for Playoff Basketball: Thug Ball. That game is more about bullying than ballet. That game eschews finesse and embraces fisticuffs. That game emphasizes intimidation, the push-and-shove over the pick-and-roll. Frankly, it grows tiresome in a hurry. A certain amount of physicality, of ratcheted intensity, is to be expected, even to be desired. The stakes and the consequences, after all, have been escalated. But Thug Ball is an insult to a game that, when played right, becomes a five-as-one concerto. Thug Ball has no such artistry. Thug Ball will result in a gradual erosion–already evident–in the television ratings, because it has no staying power, no enduring appeal.
