I understand, somewhat, that argument.
My argument back is that if a team is truly fundamentally sound they should be able to still be successful. We arent talking about an NBA shot clock where you have two passes and then a shot. Plenty of slower paced offenses can still succeed with a shot clock. If you get a rebound the shot clock resets too. The difference is you couldnt just hold the ball without shooting for a minute and a half. When you do that it is just gambling that you can luck up and win if you limit the possessions enough.
Ive seen lots of rural teams that have beaten athletic teams. Some can run with them. Some have to utilize other strategies. When it comes down to it talent normally comes out on top though.