Nigel's horrible take on 90's NBA

[IASTATE07]

You only think I’m a jackass because I expose the truth

You do this on a variety of topics. It's a tired bit.

 

[twincyties]

1990s Bulls/MJ fans: MJ is the GOAT because he won 6 titles by himself. It wasn’t a super team.

Also 1990s Bulls/MJ fans: Rodman, Pippen, Kokoc, and Harper would dominate in today’s NBA.

 

[Rabbuk]

You do this on a variety of topics. It's a tired bit.

It's like barstool as a human.

 

[MJ271]

I think that you allude to it in your own post but this is a weird take. You're essentially saying that the players of that era were bad because they don't train for today's style of play. It doesn't make sense. They did not evaluate the game through the lens of advanced stats and min/max analytics in those days. So of course a guy will take shots that aren't perfectly optimized based on analytics.

In those days, people threw it into the post because it was a higher percentage shot. They didn't analyze things like points per possession, effective field goal percent, etc. If they had, they would have changed their strategy and played like they do today. What you're doing is sort of like saying man people in the 80s must have been complete idiots with no fashion sense based on their hairstyles. Obviously, that's not the case - they did what was popular then. They could just as easily done things the way we do today, but that wasn't how it was done then. Were they better or worse? My guess is that they're all about the same in terms of skill and talent - just trained and coached with different priorities.

I'm not making any comments on whether players of that era were bad or good or smart or stupid.

I'm making a comment on the perception of the defense and physicality of the era. I think there might be a distorted sense of players' physicality today vs. the 90s because today there are fewer plays in which physicality is needed. Post play is physical, of course, and the 90s had a lot of post play even though it wasn't efficient. If you take most of those post possessions and turn them into jump shots, the game is less physical on average, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the players themselves are less physical on apples-to-apples possession type comparisons.

 

[ISUCyclones2015]

You do this on a variety of topics. It's a tired bit.

I’ve never wavered from LeBron being better. Me being a Cavaliers fan is merely a coincidence

 

[goody2012]

Are there people that seriously think that those Bulls teams in the 90s could beat the best teams from today? Zero chance.

 

[Clonefan32]

Are there people that seriously think that those Bulls teams in the 90s could beat the best teams from today? Zero chance.

If I'm understanding correctly the argument is that they'd just foul alot, somehow making them better...?

 

[IASTATE07]

The bad takes keep coming.

 

[goody2012]

If I'm understanding correctly the argument is that they'd just foul alot, somehow making them better...?

What would they be better at other than punching dudes after the whistle?

 

[HFCS]

1990s Bulls/MJ fans: MJ is the GOAT because he won 6 titles by himself. It wasn’t a super team.

Also 1990s Bulls/MJ fans: Rodman, Pippen, Kokoc, and Harper would dominate in today’s NBA.

Corrected:
Pippen - elite all time defender, LBJ has played with many better offensive stars
Rodman - elite all time defender/rebounder, gave you almost nothing on offense
Harper - defensive role player, you wouldn’t remember him had he played on other teams
Kukoc - role player, bench scoring, nobody would remember had he played on other teams

 

[twincyties]

Are there people that seriously think that those Bulls teams in the 90s could beat the best teams from today? Zero chance.

There are a lot of people that think that. And others that disagree. I think it’s interesting debate but people get really worked up about.

I tend to take the approach of appreciating each generation for what it was. Because I just really enjoy basketball.

What I think is really crazy is when people start talking in absolutes. Like this guy would dominate today or that guy could never have played in the 90s. It’s impossible to compare. And no one will ever know for certain. But maybe that debate is fun for some people.

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

1990s Bulls/MJ fans: MJ is the GOAT because he won 6 titles by himself. It wasn’t a super team.

Also 1990s Bulls/MJ fans: Rodman, Pippen, Kokoc, and Harper would dominate in today’s NBA.

It's not like it is today though, where LeBron gets to hand pick his superstars wherever he wants to be.

 

[NorthCyd]

Corrected:
Pippen - elite all time defender, LBJ has played with many better offensive stars
Rodman - elite all time defender/rebounder, gave you almost nothing on offense
Harper - defensive role player, you wouldn’t remember him had he played on other teams
Kukoc - role player, bench scoring, nobody would remember had he played on other teams

Whar Longley?

 

[deadeyededric]

Rodman could guard anyone

He could gaurd any post player. Did you ever see him picking up guys at half court? I don't recall him ever guarding 6-10 guys 30ft from the rim.

 

[rosshm16]

Our fans would know this if they watched Niang defend as a pro vs how he defended as an all big 12 star player.

If he didn’t get a TON better he’d have never had a long successful career. Monte also had to improve on defense to expand his role and stick. Tyrese has a freak body where he disrupts shots and gets steals no matter what, even as a green rookie.

I was talking to a guy I know recently who is a "load management" expert (I work adjacent to that area), he said the big difference between NCAA and NBA basketball is that in NCAA they come playing hard right away then run out of gas and things get sloppy near the end. In the NBA they take it easy to start then play harder as the game continues.

 

[deadeyededric]

It's not like it is today though, where LeBron gets to hand pick his superstars wherever he wants to be.

He took a team to the finals almost instantly by himself a few times. I don't remember Jordan getting past the 2nd round until he got help. LeBron also wasn't washed up playing for the Wizards in his late 30s. He still plays at an elite level at 40. Just some food for thought.

 

[HFCS]

Whar Longley?

I previously mentioned 12-18 fouls at center

 

[HFCS]

He took a team to the finals almost instantly by himself a few times. I don't remember Jordan getting past the 2nd round until he got help. LeBron also wasn't washed up playing for the Wizards in his late 30s. He still plays at an elite level at 40. Just some food for thought.

LBJ is obviously the better past his prime player, not surprising how he is built. MJ was obviously better in his prime in the playoffs, no 16ppg playoff series losses.

 

[deadeyededric]

The level of skill current NBA players have now compared to then is not even comparable. Players now are taller, more athletic, and can shoot multitudes better than 90's players. Jordan has lower efficiency ratings than many of the current stars in an era where teams couldn't even double or play zone due to invalid defensive sets.

There is a reason Kareem, Bill Russell, or Wilt Chamberlain aren't considered the GOAT's of basketball, and it's the same reason Jordan shouldn't be. The skill levels of current players is so much higher than the guys of that era.

It's impossible almost to play D in the NBA now. The skill and shooting level 1-5 is off the charts. Defenses are so extended its almost impossible to help defend too. More entertaining in the 90's? I guess it depends on your preference but the skill is 2x better than the 90s.

 

[Cfinnerty16]

Can’t people just agree that the 2 eras had different styles & skill sets to be great in?

And that if MJ was born in 1998 his game would be more suited for today’s style of play & he’d still dominate.

The 2 eras are different, but it doesn’t make the 90s bad. Younger people growing up watching the fast paced offense of today’s era OF COURSE would look down at the pace in the 90s.
And people who grew up watching 80s & 90s ball would look down on today’s game seemingly having lower defense.
You cannot compare the two.