He`s a player
Dunno --- to start the 2014-15 season, NBA rosters had 101 international players. Compare that number to 15-20 years ago, when the NBA rosters *didn't* have 101 international players. Instead, they had, yep..........lesser-talented American players!
But I'm talking about top-to-bottom talent, and you're talking about the top 10-20 players (and the superstars) --- I know, not exactly the same thing.
But still, where did the elite talent go? Basketball doesn't have a baseball problem @ the youth/teenage level (where some of the top baseball talent has shifted to lacrosse, golf, action sports, and white-people suburban sports). If you're 6'7", and you're a great athlete --- guess what, you're still playing basketball.
With all the advances in training, scouting, coaching, nutrition, video (and the growth of international hoops) --- do you really believe the world is producing less-talented players?
I'm willing to admit there is a superstar shortage. But two possible reasons:
1) There is always going to be a "shortage" when you compare to the Bird/Magic/Jordan era.
2) Thanks to 400 different TV channels (and the Internet, and 24/7 media), there really aren't many superstars, legends, icons, etc. Most sports (other than NFL) have become niche sports --- same for music, movies, television shows. Just look at the historical ratings for World Series, and NBA Playoffs. Hard to become a superstar, when millions of people are watching Walking Dead, Gold Rush, Dancing with the Stars, and the Kardashians.
Music might be a better example --- we went from Elvis, to Beatles, to Michael Jackson..........absolute icons. These days, almost impossible for a band to reach that status. What's the most recent example, or almost-there example? Pearl Jam? Coldplay? Taylor Swift?
Just for reference --- was Dominique Wilkins a superstar?
9x All-Star
Scoring title in 1985-86 (30.3 points per game)
26,668 points (24.8 ppg)
7,167 rebounds (6.7 rpg)
1 of 7 players in NBA history to average 25+ ppg for 10 consecutive seasons
However --- Wilkins never played in a Conference Final........nevermind the NBA Finals.
During the 1980s, Wilkins was a superstar, right?
But that kinda proves my point --- back then, every athlete/musician/celeb was larger-than-life. They were mythical creatures.
Now, you can follow them on Twitter. They're no longer stars, they're just people.
Anyway --- if Wilkins was a superstar, there are several current players at his on-court level. Chris Paul, Carmelo, James Harden.
And I still think Wade is there (barely).
Tony Parker?
Kobe, Duncan, Dirk --- not sure if they're still superstars.
9x All-Star
Scoring title in 1985-86 (30.3 points per game)
26,668 points (24.8 ppg)
7,167 rebounds (6.7 rpg)
1 of 7 players in NBA history to average 25+ ppg for 10 consecutive seasons
However --- Wilkins never played in a Conference Final........nevermind the NBA Finals.
During the 1980s, Wilkins was a superstar, right?
But that kinda proves my point --- back then, every athlete/musician/celeb was larger-than-life. They were mythical creatures.
Now, you can follow them on Twitter. They're no longer stars, they're just people.
Anyway --- if Wilkins was a superstar, there are several current players at his on-court level. Chris Paul, Carmelo, James Harden.
And I still think Wade is there (barely).
Tony Parker?
Kobe, Duncan, Dirk --- not sure if they're still superstars.
The 2 best players on the planet are Curry & Durant. Curry at this rate will go down as the best shooter in NBA history. You know you are a great shooter if you pull up from 40 feet & that would not be considered a crazy shot. The guy is a true marksman.
Durant is just a freak of nature in what his skill set can produce at his size. If he had the volume of shots, imagine what his numbers would be.
As much as he can shoot you out of a game at times, Westbrook is pretty much un-guardable when his mind is set to take over.
Durant is just a freak of nature in what his skill set can produce at his size. If he had the volume of shots, imagine what his numbers would be.
As much as he can shoot you out of a game at times, Westbrook is pretty much un-guardable when his mind is set to take over.
got it backwards
league isn't watered down
the game is changing
lots of ppl still stuck to the traditional basketball mentality but the athletes have transformed the game
you don't need a traditional pg/sg/sf/pf/c lineup anymore
roles are fused and tweeners is the norm
the once valued skillset of a back to the basket big is no longer coveted as floor spacing is becoming ever more important since they added the ability of zone thanks to shaq
nobody in the 80s has ever seen a shooter like steph or a league that hits 3s at the current clip that it does
the game is completely different. to say it is inferior basketball compared to the past is ridiculous. to even think a sport wouldn't evolve is like saying you expect sprinters in the 400m in the olympics to start slowing down, which is never the case if you look at the comparison of a 20 year trend. to think a sport compared to 20 years ago is definitively worse is just conservatism and ignorance.
Do i think Wilt Chamberlain would dominate as much today as he did in his era?
No i don't.
But not necessarily because he was less gifted athletically.
It's because the majority of the opponents he was playing against were Greg Kites of the world.
Millions of years of evolution, and some people think we as people & athletes have evolved even more so in a matter of 30-40 years. Give me a break.
If thats the case, why arent basketball players jumping any higher than the Jordan & Dominique's of the past?
Why aren't RB's or WR's running 4.0 and under now?
The changes we are seeing simply has more to do more people committing to & playing sports these days & yes maybe even focusing more on their health/nutrition, rather than a miraculous "evolvement" of people in a matter of only 30 years... (roll eyes)
No i don't.
But not necessarily because he was less gifted athletically.
It's because the majority of the opponents he was playing against were Greg Kites of the world.
Millions of years of evolution, and some people think we as people & athletes have evolved even more so in a matter of 30-40 years. Give me a break.
If thats the case, why arent basketball players jumping any higher than the Jordan & Dominique's of the past?
Why aren't RB's or WR's running 4.0 and under now?
The changes we are seeing simply has more to do more people committing to & playing sports these days & yes maybe even focusing more on their health/nutrition, rather than a miraculous "evolvement" of people in a matter of only 30 years... (roll eyes)
i wrote that the sport evolved
why aren't bball players jumping higher than jordan or dominique?
son, you have no idea what people are doing in dunk contests these days
there are people doing 720s and east bay's like it's nothing
lol u are clueless when it comes to exposure of what athletes today are capable of. there are ppl doing shit jordan couldn't dream of doing.
Yeah this is pretty obvious. 20 years ago baseball had Griffey, Thomas, Clemens, Johnson, etc and everyone had cool nicknames and was a household name.
Now if Mike Trout walked into a convenience store, most of us wouldn't even be able to recognize him.
It isn't because he isn't a great player, it's just more of a niche sport.
Wheres the proof in the increased 40 times??
There are none and yes that's all i need to make my point.
What you are saying is exactly what i stated above in your theory meaning athletes have evolved in only a matter of years.
If you believe that, then i don't know what else to say.
You are confusing the theory above with the simple fact many more people have turned to sports.
More people = more impressive athletes.
As for knowing & understanding the NBA & basketball, trust me, you cant educate me on it.
Ive followed it for 35 years, always played it on the streets, leagues, in school at different levels, and assure you i can handicap it as good or better than anyone here.
Couple of you guys are barking up the wrong tree with this subject...
You can't tell the difference in the aggregate foot speeds of the players?
Going beyond that point seems useless. If there isn't an agreement about that then we're watching 2 different games.
Do you think guys have 10 pounds more of muscle on average than 30 years ago?
Nobody is saying humans went from ordinary beings to insane beasts in 30 years, not sure where you got that. Just training methods, more people playing from a global population like you said....Then there is the strategic aspects like optimization from analytics, etc
Going beyond that point seems useless. If there isn't an agreement about that then we're watching 2 different games.
Do you think guys have 10 pounds more of muscle on average than 30 years ago?
Nobody is saying humans went from ordinary beings to insane beasts in 30 years, not sure where you got that. Just training methods, more people playing from a global population like you said....Then there is the strategic aspects like optimization from analytics, etc
What dont you understand?
Theres FAR more ppl playing, partially because kids see sports as a future, but mainly because there are more people.
We are seeing MORE PEOPLE run fast.
We are not seeing FASTER people in general.
Last i checked Darrell Green, Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders, Don Beebe, and others were some of the fastest ever, and i don't see others these days running any faster.
Yes i do agree ppl are in better shape these days but thats sign of the times with ppl & their health...
Yeah but that is the top 1% of the league and some unique guys. So you could argue the top 1% of the league then as athletic as now (although some wouldn't make the cut)
The point the FunkMonkey guy is making is the top 1000 people in the world playing bball/baseball/football right now are better than ever. Then he made some other good points about the media/entertainment climate and how everyone seems ordinary these days but a few (LeBron, Brady, Manning, Rodgers, no one in baseball)
Also, a lot are on HGH so that helps.
I mean the NFL is all mutant beast guys now. Why nobody can go longer than a few seasons without tearing something.
The point the FunkMonkey guy is making is the top 1000 people in the world playing bball/baseball/football right now are better than ever. Then he made some other good points about the media/entertainment climate and how everyone seems ordinary these days but a few (LeBron, Brady, Manning, Rodgers, no one in baseball)
Also, a lot are on HGH so that helps.
I mean the NFL is all mutant beast guys now. Why nobody can go longer than a few seasons without tearing something.
