Old School vs. today...you can't be serious

[spit_bubble]

Re: Old School vs. today...you can't be serious

...And before somebody pops in and says, "but players of today couldn't adjust to the hard, physical play, and they'd get called for travelling, blah blah blah..." I will just say that, WHY do we have to adjust backwards?? Hell, players of back then could not adjust to TODAY'S game.

You do realize the NBA changed it's rules because nobody could hit a jump shot, don't you?

The most basic fundamental of the game, the jump shot, can't even do that.

[DJ2Kay]

Re: Old School vs. today...you can't be serious

Pretty sure i'm not trolling, and don't act tough online buddy boy..

[CMH]

Re: Old School vs. today...you can't be serious

How about you guys just discuss the thread title?

Also, let's be careful with the insults. No one is an idiot for having an opinion.

[Weeks]

Re: Old School vs. today...you can't be serious

Nobody back then could keep up with today's players. Plain and simple. Imagine someone like JR Smith playing back then, he'd completely dominate.

I don't want to sound bad, but this really shouldn't be much of an argument. Players nowadays are way more physically superior and possesses much greater talent. Sure their are a few people back then that could hang in the league now, but aside from the select few--the current era would dominate.

[DukeC]

Re: Old School vs. today...you can't be serious

Nobody back then could keep up with today's players. Plain and simple. Imagine someone like JR Smith playing back then, he'd completely dominate.

I don't want to sound bad, but this really shouldn't be much of an argument. Players nowadays are way more physically superior and possesses much greater talent. Sure their are a few people back then that could hang in the league now, but aside from the select few--the current era would dominate.

Is this the same JR Smith that I know? The JR Smith I know is perfectly content to shoot jumpers instead of driving to the basket using his superior physical gifts (Huh...sounds an awful lot like Vince Carter.....) and generally has a low basketball IQ.

As to the physically superior....how did you come to that conclusion? You do know that the game hasn't evolved physically (In terms of bigger, faster, and stronger) like the NFL right? The change hasn't been that drastic. Stick Dominque, Dr. J, David Thompson, James Worthy, or Scotty Pippen in today's game? With no hand checking1?

Wilkins would average 30 .

[ggsimmonds]

Re: Old School vs. today...you can't be serious

I hate feeding trolls but.

<object height="315" width="420">


<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rCWrGWuU2Ak?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="315" width="420"></object>

And I'll leave it at that.

Great discussion here, anyway.

I don't know. That video only serves to prove his point imo. The defenders were like statues and Wilt's post moves were seemingly in slow motion. That was some of the weakest and softest defense I have seen.

[AlexBrady]

Re: Old School vs. today...you can't be serious

these old players wouldn't do ****. bill russel would be a bench warmer, along with wilt.

Bird would still be good. people around his era would still be good, but not AS good..

Russell would still be a standout in todays game. His anticipation, and quickness up and down and side to side was simply incredible. It was an honor to see him play live and he had the quickest feet I ever saw, though Michael Ray Richardson was a close second.

Wilt Chamberlain was 7'1 310 lbs and he was an athlete. The only player that was stronger was Shaq. Who playing in today's game is going to move him off his spot? Wilt would bend today's defenses into disadvantage positions. A foolish statement to say those two players would be benchwarmers.

everyone that thinks that bill russel would average 20 rebounds in todays game is an idiot, and whoever thinks that oscar would average a triple double is also dumb. all the players that were around when they played were little *** white guys.

Nowadays players are A LOT more athletic..players back then didn't even train like they do today..

The typical statement by the uninformed modern day fan. Once again, the quick footed players would still be standouts.

I actually disagree with this. I think that's a relic of some romantic nostalgia of a bygone era... If you go back and actually watch some of those old games, there were lazy, dumb players back then, too (some might argue more of them). It wasn't the high-dollar, high-profile world of today, where you simply can't get away with that crap.



Violent nature? Ppfffttt... Not so. The old standbye statement of "They'd knock your teeth out if you came in the lane back then" is simply untrue. Again, go back and watch some of those games and that was NOT happening on a regular basis AT ALL. There was PLENTY of lane to drive into, defense was often poor. I'd argue that today's defense is far superior to the defense of old. Guys like Artest, Gerald Wallace, Dwayne Wade, Kobe... Those old flat-footed players would have NONE chance scoring against the likes of them.




You're kidding, right? First of all, playing against a team of today, they'd get ran off the court. I honestly believe that. Second of all, this INCREDIBLE team that sets Earth-moving screens, leaving teams battered won a total of... ONE championship. So - they weren't even the best team of that era (save that one year), and you're telling me they'd waltz through today's league? Sorry, I aint buyin' it.





Like I said, SOME players from older eras could hang. (But I'm not including any of those guys. I don't think they could even hang with today's guys, and you think they'd DOMINATE? No. Maybe Russell, Wilt, Oscar...




And you do the same. Watch today's game. Away from the ball. Watch Kobe shadow Ray Allen all over the court, running around screens. Watch Ray make determined cuts to get free. Watch the solid screens that Ray uses to get free. Don't worry, your head won't explode if you do that.

Its true, weak side action was much more complex back then. The Bucks had about 50 different ways they got Kareem post position and usually there was advanced action on the weak side. The Knicks were popping, curling, re-curling and DeBusschere and Reed were brick wall screeners.

The Sixers were always in motion with Jackson and Chamberlain being outstanding screeners. Wilt would post and bend the defense out of shape, looking for off ball cutters. Then there were the Blazers with Bob Gross being the motion man, and their varied post entrys into Walton and Lucas which opened up cutters and faders. Those are just a few examples of the brilliant teams of yester-year.
The dumbing down of the game has been disheartening.

Hand-checking allows the defender to apply hand pressure to the hip and forearm, this crucial one second delay allows the defense to rotate over and contest the shot. It also allows the defender to play about a step off and still interfere with the shot and the drive. Today's defenses are overly reliant on finesse, and there is a premium on making quick rotations.
And did I mention the ban on banging cutters and horsing post up players? A tactic to make the game look as non-violent as possible.

Since Artest has lost about two steps, Wallace has lost his explosion, and Bryant is strictly a ball-chaser, its doubtful that any hot-shots of long ago would have any difficulty. Wade still has the goods to play bone on bone defense though.

The 67 Sixers were the most powerful team of all time. Chamberlain was irresistible. Jackson was a tank on the boards. Walker was the bully of the baseline. Greer did everything. And the secret weapon was Billy Cunningham. His lefty slashes were unstoppable and he could jump to touch the stars. With today's league being so finesse, the 67 Sixers would push teams around like they were hollow. The zoning and double teaming tactics teams use today would be eviscerated since they were top notch ball reversers and zones are succeptible to power rebounders.

In 68, the Sixers smoked the entire league and were sure bets to repeat, but then Billy Cunningham broke his arm and it was all over. I have not seen a team play better basketball since those Sixers.

Ray Allen is a basketball genius. He uses weak side screens to perfection, curling, re-curling, fading, ect. Great fun to watch. Too bad he is one of the few who excels in that area.

[authentic]

Re: Old School vs. today...you can't be serious

This is a tough one. I am one to believe that past generation teams wouldn't have much of a chance, except the elite teams. To say athletes from the 80s have the same athleticism than the current players is off a little. Name one athlete thats as athletic as LeBron James? Probably couldn't because he might be the most athletic person to ever play the game. The reason I say this is because he's 6'8, 250 lbs and can guard big players, and he also shut down Rose. Also, who was as quick or athletic as Rose 30 years ago? Not many people. "IF" Rose, Wade, LeBron, Kobe..etc, any of the most athletic players in the game played 30 years ago they would've been the best players in the game, hands down. At that, the game is always played with the same competition level. So to say Rose or LeBron is better than those generation of players is not right to do. The game evolves, Rose is better than almost every PG 30 years ago, but a lot of PG's are as well. The game is always at a high level for the certain time period, and that needs to be figured in as well. Therefore, comparing players and saying whose better or if they'd kill older teams, is not fair. I could honestly agree or disagree with the topic, in any sport.

[J_Posse]

The modern fan values athleticism entirely too much. Players in the past played with more skill and fundamentals. There are countless players that have excelled in the modern game without the raw athleticisms of a LeBron James, Dwight Howard or Blake Griffin. Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowtizki, Steve Nash, John Stockton, Larry Bird and Chris Mullin all played at a high level in the " modern" era -1980's and beyond - and did so with skill and limited athletic ability. We should appreciate the past and respect what those players accomplished. We can never go in a time machine and see any of this take place, so why argue it all the time and disrepect past greats' accomplishments?

from Bills Backer Clubhouse

[deathsai]

Re: Old School vs. today...you can't be serious

We can never go in a time machine and see any of this take place, so why argue it all the time and disrepect past greats' accomplishments?

from Bills Backer Clubhouse

Because there's a lot of whiny old girls who say that the modern game is not as entertaining, and use these arguments as to why the modern NBA is a shell.

[LingeringRegime]

Re: Old School vs. today...you can't be serious

The modern fan values athleticism entirely too much. Players in the past played with more skill and fundamentals. There are countless players that have excelled in the modern game without the raw athleticisms of a LeBron James, Dwight Howard or Blake Griffin. Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowtizki, Steve Nash, John Stockton, Larry Bird and Chris Mullin all played at a high level in the " modern" era -1980's and beyond - and did so with skill and limited athletic ability. We should appreciate the past and respect what those players accomplished. We can never go in a time machine and see any of this take place, so why argue it all the time and disrepect past greats' accomplishments?

from Bills Backer Clubhouse

Very well said. Basketball is much more than alley oops and breaking ankles. Sad, that a lot of people see it as just that though. Can't say I blame them too much, considering what the masses are fed on Sportscenter.

[mkharsh33]

Re: Old School vs. today...you can't be serious

I'm 39 years old... I've watched a LOT of basketball, especially early 1980's. Common sense tells me to avoid this thread because I don't enough time to talk about the NBA from that era until now, nor do I feel what I type would be respected or taken seriously by those who have already made up their mind on certain perceptions that are usually charged by racial stigma's (that I'm seeing here).

[The 24th Letter]

Re: Old School vs. today...you can't be serious

The "basketball is all high flying dunks, And 1 crossovers and flash these days" argument is just so cliche at this point it's not even funny....

That's what ESPN/ Networks focus on....fine....but there are so many things not on Sportscenter that go missed because this logic....

The players play in the league they play in. They didn't take a collective vote for softer rules....they play within the parameters the league has set up. There's no doubt in my mind many of them could play in prior decades and vice versa....and both would have their respective disadvantages because of the way the league has evolved/ devolved...

The way we talk about these past players BBIQ, it borders on telepathy/ telekinesis or something...

[LingeringRegime]

Re: Old School vs. today...you can't be serious

The "basketball is all high flying dunks, And 1 crossovers and flash these days" argument is just so cliche at this point it's not even funny....

That's what ESPN/ Networks focus on....fine....but there are so many things not on Sportscenter that go missed because this logic....

The players play in the league they play in. They didn't take a collective vote for softer rules....they play within the parameters the league has set up. There's no doubt in my mind many of them could play in prior decades and vice versa....and both would have their respective disadvantages because of the way the league has evolved/ devolved...

The way we talk about these past players BBIQ, it borders on telepathy/ telekinesis or something...

I think you misunderstood my post. I didn't say that is all that the modern game is, but most think that is all that it is. There are tremendously skilled players today. It's just that I don't see the post moves of Zach Randolph on top plays very often.

[The 24th Letter]

Re: Old School vs. today...you can't be serious

DEF my post wasnt directed at you...I meant to put that in my post lol

I knew what you were saying....