the best NBA era: 80´s by far

[kiki]

Well,if 70´s closely followed by 80´s have been established as the best era since the inception of open tennis, then 80´s followed by 90´s is the best for NBA action.

Money, TV interest, fans willing to adopt to a relatively unknown or unpopular game ( it was miles behind baseball, football and probably ice hockey), legendary rivalries, big moves,the most talent loaded era without a hint of doubt, fundamentals, team concepts, great coaches and centers that COULD play and had a determinant role.

Johnson,Nixon,Mc Adoo,Wilkes and Jabbar with Mc Gee,Cooper,Worthy and Lucas in LA
Johnson,Ainge,Bird,Mc Hale and Parish with Archibald,Buckner,Maxwell and Walton in Boston
Thomas,Dumars,Dantley,Laimbeer and Mahorn with Johnson,Tripucka,Salley and Edwards in Detroit
Cheeks,Toney,Erving,Barkley and Malone in Phily with a bench including Edwards,Richardson,Bobby Jones and Johnson
Moore,Gervin,Banks,Mitchell and Gilmore in SA with Alvin Robertson as the best sixth man of the league
Lloyd,Reid,Mc Cray and the Twin Towers Sampson and Olajuwon with Sleepy Floyd, Wiggins and Petersen in Houston
Rivers,Drew,Wilkins,Roundfield and Willis or Rollins in Atlanta
Paxson,Jordan,Pippen,Grant and Cartwright in Chicago
Junior Bridgeman,Moncrief,Marques Johnson,Lanier and Cummings in Milwaukee
Williams and Dawkins in NJ
Oakley and Ewing in the Knicks and Stockton,Hansen,Malone and Eaton in Utah
Mullin and Joe Barry Carroll in Golden State
Adams,Ballard,Ruland in Washington
Gus Williams and Jack Sikma in Seattle
Walter Davis and Tom Chambers in the Suns team
Porter,Drexler,Kersey,Robinson and Bowie in Portland
Blackman,Aguirre and Donaldson in Dallas
Lever,Hanzlik,English,Vandeveghe and Issel in Denver

and coaches like Cunningham,KC Jones,Riley,Daly,Fitzsimmons,Moe,Wilkstedt,Unseld

The international basketball was also full of talent with the middle 80 USSR led by Valters,Vetra,Tikhonenko,Volkov and the young zar Sabonis and a bench with top class guys like Marchulenis,Kurtinaitis,Myshkin ,Lopatov and Belostenny or Goborov
Oscar,Marquinhos and Marcel ( with Ferreira and Paulinha) in Brazil; Marzorati,Riva,Villalta,Meneghin and Magnifico in Italy, Corbalan,Epi, Sibilio,Jimenez and Martin in Spain, Triano,Rautins,Kazanowsky and Wiltjer in Canada, Torres, Mincy, Ortiz and Rivas in Puerto Rico, Chavez,Malcolm,Medrick,Frazer and Butler in Panama, Davies and Gaze in Australia, Lopez and Ruiz in Uruguay, Brabenec and Kropilak in Czeckoslovakia, Aroesti,Berkowitz,Jamchy,Silver,Boatwright and Perry in Israel, the young and emerging Jaeckel,Schrempf,Blab and Welp in Germany, Dacoury and Ostrowsky in France and, finally, Slavnic,Kicanovic /Delibasic,Dalipagic,Jerkov and Cosic in the early 80´s Yugoslavia, the most similar to ballet and sophisticated art that we will see on a basketball court.

Oh¡¡ and the greatest BY FAR International team other than US: the late 80´s Yugoslavia with this guys: Zdovc,Petrovic,Danilovic,Kukoc,Paspalj,Radja,Divac and Vrankovic.Only dream team one is better than that.

And what do we have now? other than Bryant,LBJ and Wade where are the individual fundamentals? team picks and rolls? role players? hard work ethics? sound college development?.Other than non center Duncan and Howard playing center where has the low post play gone?

People who followed closely NBA since the early 80´s...aren´t there oceanic miles in enjoyment and class?

 

[Vcore89]

Thomas,Dumars,Dantley,Laimbeer and Mahorn with Johnson,Tripucka,Salley and Edwards; late Rodman in Detroit

Cheeks,Toney,Erving,Barkley and Malone in Phily with a bench including
Williams and Dawkins in NJ

Oakley and Ewing (laugh at how he leans and leans until he falls...) in the Knicks and Stockton (chicken wings) ,Hansen, Malone (one dirty knee jerk) and Eaton in Utah

Mullin and Jon Barry Carroll in Golden State


Porter,Drexler,Kersey,Robinson and Bowie in Portland
Blackman,Aguirre and Donaldson in Dallas
Lever,Hanzlik,English,Vandeveghe and Issel in Denver

and coaches like, Daly


Oh¡¡ and the greatest BY FAR International team other than US: the late 80´s Jugoslavia with this guys: Zdovc,Petrovic,Danilovic,Kukoc,Paspalj,Radja,Divac and Vrankovic.Only dream team one is better than that.

And what do we have now? We have Duncan, Bryant, and LBJ, where are the individual fundamentals? team picks and rolls? role players? hard work ethics? sound college development?.Other than non center Duncan and Howard playing center where has the low post play gone?

Chris Paul, Kevin Durant and LBJ.

 

[kiki]

Chris Paul, Kevin Durant and LBJ.

translate please what bolded letters mean

 

[Vcore89]

translate please what bolded letters mean

The ones I could at least identify and agree to, with your picks, espeically Thomas, Laimbeer, Mahorn, Salley and Rodman (you didn't include)--they are the ones I liked better for true grit and brutal intensity (dad keeps telling me how it was about Bird and the Lakers) sans fanfare--NO FRILLS!

Chris Mullin and Detlef Schrempf (which you didn't mention either.)...fair to say? In hindsight, from your perspective.

 

[kiki]

The ones I could at least identify and agree to, with your picks, espeically Thomas, Laimbeer, Mahorn, Salley and Rodman (you didn't include)--they are the ones I liked better for true grit and brutal intensity (dad keeps telling me how it was about Bird and the Lakers) sans fanfare--NO FRILLS!

Chris Mullin and Detlef Schrempf (which you didn't mention either.)...fair to say? In hindsight, from your perspective.

The Pistons were the team we liked to hate.But yes, a compact unit with a great floor and off floor leader.Thomas and Jordan were also fierce opponents.

I mentioned Mullin (GS) and I certainly forgot to mention Detlef when mentioning Dallas.My fault¡ But I mentioned the great european players of the 80´s and he was one of the most talented, of course.

I may be younger than your dad ( or maybe older) but if he enjoyed the Celtics and Lakers , he knows his basketball¡¡¡ ( although my faves were the 76rs)

 

[acura9927]

Phoenix Suns- most entertaining team in Basketball for many eras. You will never see that again when they had Nash and scoring 115-125 per game.
Even before that Kevin Johnson, Chambers, Larry Nance lighting it up.

Indiana Pacers of today. Oh please, I rather go for a bicycle ride than watch that crap.

 

[kiki]

Denver in the Doug Moe era ( 80´s) were the flashiest running and shooting team of history.More even than Suns.

English and Vandeweghe scores were ridiculous .I felt bad for fat Lever, a true one on one defender.

Dan Issel, their starting center, would get around 25 points per game..and he was usually the third scorer of the team

It was said in those days that Denver fans wouldn´t care if their team won or lost...but they wouldn´t accept any score lower than 120-130 points for their team.

 

[ttbrowne]

All I know is I will never forget the Celtics-Suns game in 1976 ,,,triple overtime...NBA Finals. Probably the greatest basketball game I ever saw. Would not trade that game for the whole 80's or 90's.

 

[kiki]

what about 82-83 76rs run to the title?

As Mo Malone predicted, it was " Fo,Fo,Fo" but he missed one game (Milwaukee took a game in the Eastern finals)

 

[kiki]

Mc Hale, man, it is Mc Hale.

The X factor in the Celtics.Like Bird is Havlicek , then Kev is Cowens.

They both needed each other.

 

[President]

Do you just think that everything from the 70's and 80's were the best? Must be a depressing life, living 20 or 30 years in the past continuously in all aspects.

 

[crazyups]

Do you just think that everything from the 70's and 80's were the best? Must be a depressing life, living 20 or 30 years in the past continuously in all aspects.

Not depressing at all except for those that missed those eras. Now the NBA allows 3 to 4 steps without dribbling.

 

[kiki]

Not depressing at all except for those that missed those eras. Now the NBA allows 3 to 4 steps without dribbling.

How true is that!

 

[kiki]

Do you just think that everything from the 70's and 80's were the best? Must be a depressing life, living 20 or 30 years in the past continuously in all aspects.

No I don' t, I live the present
But if I didn' t do this job on TT who would? Wouldn't we miss a huge lot OF interesting debates?
Now there were big flaws as well in the 80 like AIDS and lack of internet,and streets were tougher
As well
But some people who hate past times because of total lack of live experience,should sit and learn instead of doing silly and non sense comments

 

[kiki]

The so called Big Three beaten up by a bunch of oldies - AND SO DESERVEDLY SO-...and still some doubts about the gaP between 1980´s NBA and current NBA ?

 

[Vcore89]

The so called Big Three beaten up by a bunch of oldies - AND SO DESERVEDLY SO-...and still some doubts about the gaP between 1980´s NBA and current NBA ?

Duncan, Parker and Manu are Spurs' big three and they are essentially bigger with 5 titles compared to Miami's big three (Wade having won one more title with Shaq).

 

[kiki]

Duncan, Parker and Manu are Spurs big three and they are essentially bigger with 5 titles compared to Miami's big three (Wade having won one with Shaq).

I do agree.talented and solid players with good team work habits and a sixth sense for key matches.Miami has more raw talent but cannot combine it as well as Spurs.

 

[ACE of Hearts]

I am a celtics fan and I wonder if Len Bias hadnt use drugs and Reggie Lewis didnt collapse and died at the age of 27.Boston vs Chicago would have been a huge rivalry in the 90s

 

[jamesblakefan#1]

I've explained this to you in other threads kiki but why not again...

The league expanded which spread talent out and watered down things. That and FA building the spread between the haves and have nots in the league.

But the talent is still there. It's ridiculous if you think that guys like Bron, Durant, Curry, Love, Paul, Griffin, Parker, Duncan, etc aren't talented.

 

[borg number one]

The 80's had some all time great players. The shooting and passing among the top teams was better in many respects. With centers like Malone, Jabbar, Parrish, McHale, Robinson, Olajuwon, O'Neal, Ewing, and Barkley playing during the 80's, it was tough to go inside and you saw great players at all positions. Here are two of my favorites.

 

[T1000]

The so called Big Three beaten up by a bunch of oldies - AND SO DESERVEDLY SO-...and still some doubts about the gaP between 1980´s NBA and current NBA ?

spurs aren't old, only duncan manu and diaw are. and team basketball with the GOAT coach >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> lebron playing iso ball, d-wade disappearing and looking uninterested, bosh and the role players missing their shots or failing to create their own without lebron

 

[kiki]

Not that they are not, jamessblakefan but there are some aspects missing.That SA still depends on their three old guys to win and, when clutch time arrives, still no team has an answer when their games are so well known, is out of my comprehension.

There is, IMO, a big factor that people of my age valuates highly: the respect and discipline the former NBA stars developed at school and college levels.Yes, they had to wait till 22, mature youngs with an academic title and LEARN THE FUNDAMENTALS of this game.So, at the end, they relied much less on athleticism and much more on game knowledge.

That is what makes the former NBA stars look more talented than current non talented mega athletes.Their foundations and that relates to College.

Jordan had to be a disciplined guy at NC and if the coach put him in the bench, his mouth wouldn´t open.The 1984 OG team had 12 stars to be in the league.Yet, none of them dared even to slighty start a discussion with coach Bobby Knight

See what I mean? There´s plenty of examples like this

 

[borg number one]

I'd take this team!

 

[jamesblakefan#1]

Not that they are not, jamessblakefan but there are some aspects missing.That SA still depends on their three old guys to win and, when clutch time arrives, still no team has an answer when their games are so well known, is out of my comprehension.

Duncan's still highly skilled, arguably the most skilled big man ever. And as we know in tennis, athleticism can fade but skill and technique never do. That and Leonard, Diaw, and Mills were key to the Spurs' victory. Saying they relied on their 3 old guys is missing the point, they had the deepest team/bench of the NBA and Pop used them effectively.

There is, IMO, a big factor that people of my age valuates highly: the respect and discipline the former NBA stars developed at school and college levels.Yes, they had to wait till 22, mature youngs with an academic title and LEARN THE FUNDAMENTALS of this game.So, at the end, they relied much less on athleticism and much more on game knowledge.

That is what makes the former NBA stars look more talented than current non talented mega athletes.Their foundations and that relates to College.

Jordan had to be a disciplined guy at NC and if the coach put him in the bench, his mouth wouldn´t open.The 1984 OG team had 12 stars to be in the league.Yet, none of them dared even to slighty start a discussion with coach Bobby Knight

See what I mean? There´s plenty of examples like this

Fair point, but again it's a different era. AAU has pretty much led to 'me first' basketball. Which is why I commend LeBron, he could pretty much take over the game by himself but instead is the Magic of this era in terms of involving his teammates.

 

[tennisoh]

The 80's had some all time great players. The shooting and passing among the top teams was better in many respects.

Best three point percentage shooting season in the 1980s is the 25th best season in NBA history.

Best free throw season in NBA history league wide was 2008-2009.

Best three seasons in effective field goal percentage were 2009-2010, 2013-2014, 2008-2009.

Best five seasons in turnover percentage per 100 plays were 2007-2008, 2008-2009, 2009-2010, 2010-2011, 2001-2002 and 2004-2005.

Individually...

Out of the five best free throw shooters ever, only one barely had any prime years in the 1980s. Everyone else has played since, including three active players.

The best all-time three point shooter percentage wise who had a prime in the 1980s was Trent Tucker. He is the 20th best of all-time. Eleven active players are ahead of him.

Out of the top five in effective field goal percentage, Mark West is the only one with a prime in the 1980s. Two active players.



I can see you're fond of the 1980s NBA, and there is nothing wrong with that. People who think the NBA now is some watered down version is crazy though. In many, many aspects, the NBA is at an all-time high now, and it is only getting better as more players around the world play and specialize in the sport.

This is a pretty simple concept really, and the best way to illustrate it is the evolution of man in the 100 m dash. All the past champions are great, but Usain Bolt is just faster. Specialization, advancement in training, etc. is too much to overcome. Someone will take Bolt's record at some point, and humans will continue to get bigger, faster, stronger and more skilled.

 

[borg number one]

Tennisoh, you can't just look at shooting % though. The mid range jumper has fallen off, yet there are so many more dunks/layups. I think the defense inside is softer, which contributes to this. Plus, they moved the three point line in a couple of feet during the 1990's to address the drop in scoring. They moved it back, but there were more mid range shooters during the 1980's. So many plays are finished off close to the rim these days. These days point guards and small forwards seem to be more dominant than shooting guards and centers. The game has become more about the fast break and less interior defense. I'm not saying the shooting is now horrible, but there have been some changes.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/the-end-of-the-shooting-guard-1402354437

Aside from Jordan's influence, the NBA's decision in 2004 to outlaw hand-checking—that is, defensive players laying their hands on opponents—gave offensive players more freedom and incentive to dart toward the basket in hopes of drawing fouls.

 

[CCNM]

I agree I'd take the 1980's (been watching a lot of old games on youtube) and the 1970's. The 90's were ok when we didn't have Jordan and Company being shoved down our throats (K. Malone and J. Stockton in Utah were awesome, as were the Houston Rockets).

 

[tennisoh]

Tennisoh, you can't just look at shooting % though. The mid range jumper has fallen off, yet there are so many more dunks/layups. I think the defense inside is softer, which contributes to this. Plus, they moved the three point line in a couple of feet during the 1990's to address the drop in scoring. They moved it back, but there were more mid range shooters during the 1980's. So many plays are finished off close to the rim these days. These days point guards and small forwards seem to be more dominant than shooting guards and centers. The game has become more about the fast break and less interior defense. I'm not saying the shooting is now horrible, but there have been some changes.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/the-end-of-the-shooting-guard-1402354437

Burden of proof is on you. Right now your argument is based off of memory.

It can be statistically proven that teams are more protective of the ball, shoot better from the outside and at the very least shoot every bit as good from the free throw line. Teams don't take as many midrange jump shots these days mostly because analytics show they aren't the most efficient shots.

Also, the rule changes make the game more of an emphasis on skill and less about pushing and shoving all game. That's a good thing as far as I can tell.

 

[borg number one]

Burden of proof is on you. Right now your argument is based off of memory.

It can be statistically proven that teams are more protective of the ball, shoot better from the outside and at the very least shoot every bit as good from the free throw line. Teams don't take as many midrange jump shots these days mostly because analytics show they aren't the most efficient shots.

Also, the rule changes make the game more of an emphasis on skill and less about pushing and shoving all game. That's a good thing as far as I can tell.

The defensive rules have changed, allowing more shots closer to the rim, which increases shooting percentages. Shooting guards have gone away in favor of a different approach. I enjoy modern basketball too, yet you'll find few that would argue that there are centers as good as those in the 80's. I just prefer watching the best players of that era such as Jordan, Bird, Johnson, Barkley, Malone, and Olajuwon play basketball. The defense was tougher and you had that interesting variety with a good distribution of great point guards, shooting guards and centers. In a 5 on 5, I'll take Jordan, Olajuwon, Barkley/Malone, Bird, and Johnson. What team from today could beat those guys?

 

[tennisoh]

The defensive rules have changed, allowing more shots closer to the rim, which increases shooting percentages. Shooting guards have gone away in favor of a different approach. I enjoy modern basketball too, yet you'll find few that would argue that there are centers as good as those in the 80's. I just prefer watching the best players of that era such as Jordan, Bird, Johnson, Barkley, Malone, and Olajuwon play basketball. The defense was tougher and you had that interesting variety with a good distribution of great point guards, shooting guards and centers. In a 5 on 5, I'll take Jordan, Olajuwon, Barkley/Malone, Bird, and Johnson. What team from today could beat those guys?

The defensive rules changes to allow skill players to have more success. Getting hit by a hard foul when going into the lane isn't a basketball play. Hand checking as a defender isn't a basketball play.

I've never once mentioned straight up shooting percentage. Once again, you said they shot better in the 1980s, but the statistics say otherwise. You said they passed better, the statistics say otherwise.

There are stars in every single era. They aren't playing each other in their primes so it's dumb to even argue when everyone is going to just pick who they prefer. Statistically, there are probably 7-8 all-time greats in the NBA right now. The depth at the top is as good as ever.

 

[kiki]

Tennisoh, you can't just look at shooting % though. The mid range jumper has fallen off, yet there are so many more dunks/layups. I think the defense inside is softer, which contributes to this. Plus, they moved the three point line in a couple of feet during the 1990's to address the drop in scoring. They moved it back, but there were more mid range shooters during the 1980's. So many plays are finished off close to the rim these days. These days point guards and small forwards seem to be more dominant than shooting guards and centers. The game has become more about the fast break and less interior defense. I'm not saying the shooting is now horrible, but there have been some changes.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/the-end-of-the-shooting-guard-1402354437

Borg, being from Houston, do you remember that fantastic Cougar team of the early 80´s...that was so unfortunate to overlapse with the only stronger college team , the Tar Heels?

Houston had Drexler and Young outside and Michaux and Olajouwon outside...2 all timers and 2 great players who specialized in outside shooting and rebounding

Only that NC had, wait...Jordan and Worthy outside and Perkins and Daugherty inside¡¡¡

amazing era.

Still Houston beat in the 84 NCAA final Georgetown...with Pat Ewing

 

[Midaso240]

If a team of 80s all stars was sent into the future to play a team of 2014 all stars,the chances of the 80s team would be slim at best.

 

[Vcore89]

The defensive rules have changed, allowing more shots closer to the rim, which increases shooting percentages. Shooting guards have gone away in favor of a different approach. I enjoy modern basketball too, yet you'll find few that would argue that there are centers as good as those in the 80's. I just prefer watching the best players of that era such as Jordan, Bird, Johnson, Barkley, Malone, and Olajuwon play basketball. The defense was tougher and you had that interesting variety with a good distribution of great point guards, shooting guards and centers. In a 5 on 5, I'll take Jordan, Olajuwon, Barkley/Malone, Bird, and Johnson. What team from today could beat those guys?

Only Duncan & LBJ Belong in that league.

 

[borg number one]

Here is an article on NBA shooting by the numbers. Per these stats, it's three point shooting that has really changed in the NBA. More 3 pointers and higher percentages now vs. 1980. Meanwhile, shooting % for two pointers is down slightly. Total scoring is down by about an average of 10 points per game. A stat referred to as NBA "true shooting" has remained about the same at 53% (1980 vs. 2014).

http://www.besttickets.com/blog/nba-shooting/

 

[kiki]

The Dream team of 1992 was an example of 12 men knowing all the basics and fundamentals of the game and all of them played 5x5 basketball, as opposed to current NBA when there are max 2x2 or 3x3 situations

And big men were critical, not nowadays, as the TD case ilustrates.

 

[tennisoh]

Here is an article on NBA shooting by the numbers. Per these stats, it's three point shooting that has really changed in the NBA. More 3 pointers and higher percentages now vs. 1980. Meanwhile, shooting % for two pointers is down slightly. Total scoring is down by about an average of 10 points per game. A stat referred to as NBA "true shooting" has remained about the same at 53% (1980 vs. 2014).

http://www.besttickets.com/blog/nba-shooting/

Scoring is down because team defenses and team schemes are better. There was also a lot more reckless play back in the day. Dumping the ball inside obviously increases shooting percentage as well, which most teams did when there was a race to get as big as possible.

 

[tennisoh]

Only Duncan & LBJ Belong in that league.

Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Durant, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant and Shaq (depending if you throw him in this era or not) would all have plenty to say about that.

 

[borg number one]

There are some great players these days, but I'd still take Olajuwon, Jordan, Bird, Johnson, and Malone against a top five from the NBA today. Today's NBA has defensive rules that give more of an advantage to the offense (touch fouls, but flopping is used often by offensive players). Also, you have more three-point shooting as opposed to mid-range shooting, as well as more of an emphasis on guard play as opposed to big men. In the 80's big men such as Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O'Neal, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone and Charles Barkley made it tough to go inside. Plus, they could score in so many ways. Hakeem is the career shot block leader for example. I wish the Rockets could get back to the NBA finals. There are no centers around that can move around like this guy or disrupt shots.

 

[kiki]

As I mentioned,the era of centers involved 5x5 interplay,a concept hardly on use nowadays,when watching 3x3 is almost miraculous.
In the 80's team used the full court

 

[tennisoh]

As I mentioned,the era of centers involved 5x5 interplay,a concept hardly on use nowadays,when watching 3x3 is almost miraculous.
In the 80's team used the full court

This is absolute crazy talk. The only championship contender that doesn't play consistent team basketball is the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Spurs just won the title playing with more team work than any team since the Knicks in the early 70s.

Throwing the ball into a big man and letting him do work is somehow team ball, but swinging it around the perimeter isn't? The game is more athletic now, so big men can't be slow and lumbering. There's a reason why the experiment of guys 7'3" and taller is mostly over.

Check out the usage rates for individual players. The team concept is just fine. Stop listening to cliche reasons why the game isn't as good now as it was in the past.

 

[tennisoh]

In the 80's big men such as Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O'Neal, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone and Charles Barkley made it tough to go inside.

It's easy to make a long list of dominant big men when you pull from different decades. Robinson and O'Neal were clearly 1990s players, with O'Neal stretching into the 2000s.

 

[borg number one]

It's easy to make a long list of dominant big men when you pull from different decades. Robinson and O'Neal were clearly 1990s players, with O'Neal stretching into the 2000s.

The 80's, overall, had better big men I think, yet those guys played into the 90's as well with prime years. So it's tough to choose just one decade. O'Neal does not belong in that list. He was too young for the 80's, yet competed against Hakeem during those early years. Tim Duncan is the best around today, but after him? Of course, you could debate what decade to place a player in. Players such as Olajuwon, Robinson, and Ewing had their greatest years during the 80's. O'Neal was more of a 90's-00's player, I agree, if you try to choose just one decade for a player.

 

[borg number one]

This is absolute crazy talk. The only championship contender that doesn't play consistent team basketball is the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Spurs just won the title playing with more team work than any team since the Knicks in the early 70s.

Throwing the ball into a big man and letting him do work is somehow team ball, but swinging it around the perimeter isn't? The game is more athletic now, so big men can't be slow and lumbering. There's a reason why the experiment of guys 7'3" and taller is mostly over.

Check out the usage rates for individual players. The team concept is just fine. Stop listening to cliche reasons why the game isn't as good now as it was in the past.

I agree that the Spurs and OKC play some very good team ball. Also, I think Hakeem would love to run the floor the way a team like OKC does. Imagine Durant and Olajuwon together!

 

[Vcore89]

Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Durant, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant and Shaq (depending if you throw him in this era or not) would all have plenty to say about that.

Shaq and Kobe sure'll have plenty to say, all the others must prove their worth. Just like MJ said, he was paid $30 million+ in the last 2 years (of his tenure in Chicago) only after he has proven his worth.

 

[jamesblakefan#1]

I agree that the Spurs and OKC play some very good team ball. Also, I think Hakeem would love to run the floor the way a team like OKC does. Imagine Durant and Olajuwon together!

OKC does NOT play good team ball, they're pretty much a 2-3 man team with KD/Westbrook/Ibaka doing all the scoring. IT's been one of their undoings the past few years, since they traded Harden for nothing.

 

[tennisoh]

Shaq and Kobe sure'll have plenty to say, all the others must prove their worth. Just like MJ said, he was paid $30 million+ in the last 2 years (of his tenure in Chicago) only after he has proven his worth.

Only Paul and Durant have things to prove out of that list. The others are all-time greats if they never played another minute in the NBA.

 

[borg number one]

OKC does NOT play good team ball, they're pretty much a 2-3 man team with KD/Westbrook/Ibaka doing all the scoring. IT's been one of their undoings the past few years, since they traded Harden for nothing.

They're not the Spurs for sure. Yes, they were better with Harden. Not too many teams do it really well.

 

[kiki]

The average ability of the PG was far better than now, talking about shotmaking ability.

 

[Vcore89]

The average ability of the PG was far better than now, talking about shotmaking ability.

Just a simple question, who's the better point guard, Isaiah Thomas or John Stockton, why?

 

[kiki]

Just a simple question, who's the better point guard, Isaiah Thomas or John Stockton, why?

you know, they belong to the same era..why?

As for who is better, well Thomas won the ring but his teamates were far better, except for the Mailman.Can´t compare the overachieving Jazz with that juggernaut Pistons team that had the deepest inside quator of all time.

Both were really smart and tough guys, real leaders on and off the floor and exceptionally good at many aspects of the game.IMo, Thomas is a bit better because , even if he never liked too much deffense, he could be a solid defender, and he was as good as a clutch player as the Jazz player.

But it is damn even

Who is the best of the two for you?