Coming soon to eat your frontcourt players

Is there anyone that doesn't expect Greg Oden to come in next season and destroy the big men of the Association? Does anybody doubt that he will make an immediate impact for the TrailBlazers, and be THE dominant force in the league for the next 12 years?

He's on deck for next season, and very much on track to eat the opposition alive in a few months - check out what Portland fans saw in a local broadcast a couple weeks back during pregame warmups:

Attention NBA: Enough is enough.

Okay, enough already. It's getting ridiculous. Are we really supposed to enjoy watching games that include these types of plays? If the League has any intention of winning back their lost fan base, this type of thing needs to stop. Last season's strategy of using quick-fire technical fouls to cut down whining and complaining has been effective. For next season, let's hope the Association has a plan to drastically cut these calls out of the equation. We have had enough of it. Watch this if you want to know what we mean:

9 examples from 1 playoff game...

There is a reason the nation got behind Golden State in last year's playoffs. They were beating teams, and they were doing it without grinding the action to a standstill with fouls. The tide is turning - many NBA fans are sick and tired of players using fouls as a game strategy. Drawing fouls has become such an integral part of the league that drawing contact and getting to the foul line as a result is now a commendable "skill" that some players have mastered. The problem is that this style of play is excruciating to watch. Leading up to this year's playoffs, we will look at the last couple of postseasons to point out what is frustrating to us, the fans, in the hope that the league will take notice and bring excitement back to the playoffs. Today, let's check out this video compilation from Game 7 of last year's Western Conference Semifinals...

In anticipation of today's game...

How about a little video poll to get you by until the game is on? Watch the action below!

San Antonio @ Dallas - A Lesson in Patience

When I saw this matchup, I didn't think "Oh, how exciting it will be to watch two powerhouses battle for Western Conference playoff position!" My reaction was more like this: "Hmm... There's a game I can spare myself the agony of watching. Seriously, does the League and ABC really expect me to get fired up to watch Manu Ginobili "try to draw the contact" every three possessions? Or endure Tim Duncan getting a whistle every time he turns around? How about watching Dirk flop around like he's having a seizure and complain about lack of a foul? Attention, Dirk: If you get some body control and try to make a simple layup without losing your balance, you won't need a whistle to bail you out. Just play ball for once. Do it for the people, fellas... For the people.

What is the Media Bench?

The NBA regular season is nearly concluded, and with the arrival of the postseason comes the inevitable parade to the foul line that has gradually become an integral part of professional basketball. While the NBA tries to figure out how to combat declining television viewership, low scoring games, and negative public opinion, we at Media Bench are using a different approach to the league’s concerns: Identifying problems and finding solutions that will satisfy us as fans. Join us as we take an honest and scrutinizing look at the way the game is played today. We will analyze statistics, strategies, officiating, new rules, and other aspects of the game that do not have a real public forum. We are not professional media. We are quite simply passionate, informed fans that feel the need to speak our minds. Think of us as benchwarmers for the conventional media, observing the league from the sidelines and forming our own opinions and solutions from the Media Bench.