Comparing old nba to today just stupid. The talent level is 1000% higher and players asked to do different things. They should reset all stats and records every 30 years and look at them in eras.
Hell I watched Larry Nance play he would eat these new kids apart.................................................................
Most likely George T. Johnson (who was a good enough defender to be named NBA All-Defensive team in 1980-81) and his backup, John Gianelli. A 47/18/12/5 is what it is. It's an outlier obviously, but it was the greatest stat line in Suns' history.
This is disappointing to read and counter to some narrative on Ayton in this board: Shoot I lost the article. It essentially said that the suns are 20pts better per 100 possessions when Ayton is off the court.
I'm willing to bet that doesn't apply if you use just the last couple days. That's why it's so important that he develops consistency.
The players definitely do different things - but saying the talent level is 1000% higher today is total BS. If you mean there are much better shooters now, sure there are, there was no emphasis on shooting the 3 until recently. But I tell you what - give me the dream team in their prime against today's best any day of the week.
Not just the dream team bc doesn’t have to Americans. magic Jordan Larry Barkley Olajawon verses curry Harden durant Lebron Jokic(?)
I think the depth of talent is better today (especially from an athleticism standpoint), but yeah the top end talent from the 80s-90s is better than the top end talent today.
Athleticism and shooting is much better today, but comparing across eras is pointless. If Jokic played in the 70s he'd either play in the low post or be a top of the circle passer like Alvan Adams. A lot of the big men in todays game wouldn't thrive in the pre-three-pointer happy NBA. They'd be expected to battle in the post with players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Artis Gilmore, Bob Lanier, Willis Reed and Dave Cowens. The differences in the game aren't just the differences in how the game is played. Nutrition and medicine have advanced lightyears. Players get a lot more instruction at a younger age as AAU basketball is much more important than it used to be. How good would Jerry West and Oscar Robertson be if they grew up playing now? Or Connie Hawkins? Or how good would LeBron James and Kevin Durant be if they grew up in the segregated 50's and early 60's? These are all impossible questions to answer, and while it's great fun to raise them and debate them, nobody's ever going to win that argument.
You raise valid points. The interesting thing is, I think you could take the two teams I listed above and put them against each with both today’s rules and 80-90s rules and the old folks would win both. Of course that’s with each of the players on both sides being in their prime. I think people would be surprised how a Robinson and olajawon would eat up today’s centers offensively and be nimble enough to have to come out and defend stretch centers like jokic.
Empty stats. Ayton is not a difference maker. Especially as the #1 pick and a Center. And evidently the Suns coaching staff can't change that. Despite his periodic empty proclamations, Ayton plays soft because he thinks soft. The Suns are not good enough to cover for that.
Did you watch the game that stat line was from? Apparently not if you think they were empty stats and not impactful. Ayton won that game for the Suns. I want to see it happen more often but there's no denying those were anything but empty stats, as you claim.
