Tom Chambers would be a 9th man in today's NBA. For some teams, he wouldn't even play.
That's how much better the league is these days. And yes, I've watched NBA basketball since the mid-80's. Fan nostalgia is one thing, but this current era is BY FAR the best of all time.
It's hard for me to watch even late 90's games at this point. The game is SO much slower.
I just struggle with this. I don’t view the speed of the game as some progressive factor that makes it better.
Like when we played the Blazers, Kings, Spurs, Thunder the last few weeks I’m just watching these teams pass around the perimeter and chuck 3’s….That’s not the Spurs… That’s not coach Pop and his style…Everything is screen, screen, drive kick out, pass, 3 point attempt….That team had an amazing power forward that was skilled, could pass, score, rebound, defend— they could run offense through Parker inside the 3point line— Ginobili creating modern like offense at the top with a screen and create for himself or someone else…. It wasn’t just screen—screen 3…
It’s a different game… For as much shooting as you’re getting (which wasn’t done back then so you can’t say those players couldn’t do it) I can look at these players today and just see how low the basketball IQ's are…. Areas where they’re not as skilled… (interior post play, passing) The inability to defend, the inability to move and get position on the block, the footwork…All of this is dead…
Those players then could probably shoot 3’s like this if that’s how the game was played… I’m not sure these players are skilled enough in other areas to compete with those guys as to what they did…These players are gonna want someone to set a screen so they can go get a bucket…. That’s not what that game was…
Even our guy Evan… You give him the ball on the block (if he can get position) or have him face up or handle and it’s not a good possession…. You throw that down to McHale or Barkley or Rasheed or Webber and it’s a damn good look….Even as rookies…. It’s just a different game…
Hell that’s what makes Jokic and Embiid so important… They’re legit interior threats that can do things like a player back in the day…But they also pass and score…
The Bulls won the title in 98 averaging 11 three pointers taken a night…worked their offense inside from the post… This year’s team averages 31 three pointers a night and their best player is an inside the 3 point line guy….They take more 3’s than 2’s actually…
It’s just a completely different game… I just don’t think it’s skill as much as it’s different style…And I’m not sure it’s that much better cause if you asked these bigs to go inside and do some damage they’re simply not skilled enough…
