He cohosts the Cyclone Fanatic “Let Him Cook” podcast with Dylan Coon.
They only do basketball
Nigel's horrible take on 90's NBA
- Thread starter Cycsk
- Start date
They only do basketball
Dad told me you shouldn’t compare different generations. He said there are only two truths in sports that span different generations.
1. Bob Gibson and Sandy Koufax were the best pitchers of any era.
2. Seneca Wallace was in bounds.
1. Bob Gibson and Sandy Koufax were the best pitchers of any era.
2. Seneca Wallace was in bounds.
Agreed. Look up the series recaps from 1994 through 1999......most games, both teams were in the low 80s.
Those Knicks-Pacers games with Oakley, Mason, and the Davis Brothers were more demo derby than basketball.
One guy that I think would be less effective in today’s game is Shaq. Bigs need to be more versatile now and have the ability to play on the perimeter. Once Shaq got heavy he just camped in the paint .
It’s different in auto racing. Bill Vukovich was the best driver of all time (Drove in the 1950s). Ray Harroun’s 1911 Indy win at 74 miles an hour, would be like today’s driver averaging 250 miles an hour at Indy when you compare harroun’s wasp with the average contemporary car and doing the same today with a sedan.
I don't think the take is that off-base. The average skill level of an NBA player today is insanely high compared to players in the 80s and 90s.
Yes, they were allowed to be more physical.. but physical play doesn't necessarily prevent skill. Basically every player on an NBA roster these days can make moves that were rare back in the day. Obviously they only can do so because they all grew up idolizing MJ and copying him.. this isn't a knock on MJ in the slightest.
I absolutely think that MJ would be incredible in today's game, just like he was in the 90s. He almost certainly would score on the same level as (prime) Lebron or Kobe or Durant or the more modern guys. But, let's not pretend like the level of competition he was facing was anything like it is today.
Yes, they were allowed to be more physical.. but physical play doesn't necessarily prevent skill. Basically every player on an NBA roster these days can make moves that were rare back in the day. Obviously they only can do so because they all grew up idolizing MJ and copying him.. this isn't a knock on MJ in the slightest.
I absolutely think that MJ would be incredible in today's game, just like he was in the 90s. He almost certainly would score on the same level as (prime) Lebron or Kobe or Durant or the more modern guys. But, let's not pretend like the level of competition he was facing was anything like it is today.
Jordan would have averaged a 40 point triple double in today’s NBA. With the freedom of movement he would be unstoppable going to the rim. And you know he would have mastered the euro step, step back and all the other fancy moves. He would have worked his 3 point shot till it was lethal.
I don't know, though. we don't currently have any big men like Shaq.. He had 50 lbs and an inch on Joel Embiid during his prime LA days, and look how Embiid tears it up when he's healthy. 7'1" 330 pound freight trains with touch around the rim don't exactly grow on trees.
He literally forced teams (20 years ago, so not THAT long) to hire 7 foot bruisers just to have more fouls to give.
LOL these soft players would learn a lesson facing Rodman, Lambier(?) and others.
Well evidently Nigel is dumber than a box of rocks. Hope he has a good day job.
The guys that are bigger, stronger and faster would have a tough time with physical play?
There is a difference bigger and tough. I'll stand by my statement.
The only player I can see as an enforcer type in the 90s is Draymond Green. Guys who have an edge to them, little bit of crazy lol
This is true. But how much of that is the style of play allowed and how much of it is the player? Could Lambier guard an Anthony Davis or KAT 25 feet from the basket? I’m guessing no. Would Lambier beat the **** out of them in the lane until the refs actually blew a whistle? Yes.
All of this comparing across generations is really silly. And people are arguing about completely different points. Some people are talking about skill and others about physical play. Not the same thing.
Some players from the 80s/90s would have no place in today’s league because they’re not skilled enough. Some players from today would not stand up to a more physical style of play. It goes both ways
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The reason players can’t be as physical anymore is because the league continues to change rules to protect the stars, same reason why you can barely touch QB’s anymore in the NFL. Are players today “softer” because of that? No- it’s a different era that literally has different rules.
Meh LeBron seems pretty soft and whiny to me. Great player scores lots of points occasionally even plays defense. But what a baby.
I agree he whines a lot. And he probably wouldn’t have had a 20 year career had he started in the 80s.
But he is a physical specimen. Guys his size back then were in the game to rebound and play enforcer. Not do what Lebron does on the court. Charles Oakley is one of the tough guys of his generation (rightfully so) and he’s smaller than Lebron. Just as people rightfully say MJ would adapt to todays style of play I’m fairly certain someone like Lebron would have found a way to put up points in the 80s/90s.
