The issue is that the players move differently if it's 2D vs. 3D.  In 2D, basketball games control just like a Pokemon game with depth just being an optical illusion.  In 3D, they move around the court differently.  It's hard to explain.  I prefer the 2D style for arcade sports games, and after playing NBA Jam and Madden for the SNES, and then years of Madden, NCAA Football/Basketball and a billion other sports games on the N64 and the consoles that followed it, the subtle difference is pretty noticeable and irksome if it's not the right one.

I think I see what you're getting at. A 3D game will give 'depth' movement the same inertia as sideways movement, since all movement is using the same physics rules. Old 2D games tend to apply no inertia at all to movement along their simulated depth dimension. Am I on the right track?

Ah well, my optimism is clearly no match for your nostalgia. Maybe they'll put Jam out on the VC to try to build excitement.