How good would Arvydas Sabonis have been in todays NBA?

Tracymcgoaty · Post #1 » by **Tracymcgoaty** » Sat Jul 21, 2018 4:09 pm

Would he have been like Jokic but better? Or would he have flopped because of the pace of todays game?

hickfromfrenchlick · Post #2 » by **hickfromfrenchlick** » Sat Jul 21, 2018 4:12 pm

taufblazers33 · Post #3 » by **taufblazers33** » Sat Jul 21, 2018 4:15 pm

Best center in the league.

doc quivers · Post #4 » by **doc quivers** » Sat Jul 21, 2018 4:17 pm

The Jokic comp is a joke. Young Sabas played Hakeem level defense. Picture a better shooting & passing Kareem. The guy had the whole package, that is how good he was.

Hellcrooner · Post #5 » by **Hellcrooner** » Sat Jul 21, 2018 4:19 pm

excellent in offense.

awfull in defense , too slow for todays pace.

since nowdays the only thing that mtter bout centers is defense he wouldnt get too much playing time.

its sad but thats how things are now for bigs no matter how good on offense.

Xherdan 23 · Post #6 » by **Xherdan 23** » Sat Jul 21, 2018 4:19 pm

7'3 athletic Jokic.

Wolfgang630 · Post #7 » by **Wolfgang630** » Sat Jul 21, 2018 4:29 pm

doc quivers wrote:The Jokic comp is a joke. Young Sabas played Hakeem level defense. Picture a better shooting & passing Kareem. The guy had the whole package, that is how good he was.

Hellcrooner wrote:excellent in offense.

awfull in defense , too slow for todays pace.

Hmm

since nowdays the only thing that mtter bout centers is defense he wouldnt get too much playing time.

its sad but thats how things are now for bigs no matter how good on offense.

TheSheriff · Post #8 » by **TheSheriff** » Sat Jul 21, 2018 4:29 pm

He’d be a top five player prime Sabonis never played in the NBA. Guy was a beast before injuries took their toll.

UcanUwill · Post #9 » by **UcanUwill** » Sat Jul 21, 2018 4:33 pm

doc quivers wrote:The Jokic comp is a joke. Young Sabas played Hakeem level defense. Picture a better shooting & passing Kareem. The guy had the whole package, that is how good he was.

His rim protection was elite, but he would be exposed on pick and rolls.

doc quivers · Post #10 » by **doc quivers** » Sat Jul 21, 2018 4:34 pm

Wolfgang630 wrote:
doc quivers wrote:The Jokic comp is a joke. Young Sabas played Hakeem level defense. Picture a better shooting & passing Kareem. The guy had the whole package, that is how good he was.

Hellcrooner wrote:excellent in offense.

awfull in defense , too slow for todays pace.

Hmm

since nowdays the only thing that mtter bout centers is defense he wouldnt get too much playing time.

its sad but thats how things are now for bigs no matter how good on offense.

I think we are talking about 2 different Sabas's, pre and post back injury. He was a different player when he was in the NBA.

Post #11 » by **Stanford** » Sat Jul 21, 2018 4:35 pm

doc quivers wrote:I think we are talking about 2 different Sabas's, pre and post back injury. He was a different player when he was in the NBA.

He was still a **** monster in the NBA.

doc quivers · Post #12 » by **doc quivers** » Sat Jul 21, 2018 4:36 pm

Stanford wrote:
doc quivers wrote:I think we are talking about 2 different Sabas's, pre and post back injury. He was a different player when he was in the NBA.

He was still a **** monster in the NBA.

I know, he could have had a chance at the GOAT convo if he came over earlier and never got hurt.

draftnightsuit · Post #13 » by **draftnightsuit** » Sat Jul 21, 2018 4:38 pm

Porzingis/Jokic hybrid.

UcanUwill · Post #14 » by **UcanUwill** » Sat Jul 21, 2018 4:38 pm

doc quivers wrote:
Stanford wrote:
doc quivers wrote:I think we are talking about 2 different Sabas's, pre and post back injury. He was a different player when he was in the NBA.

He was still a **** monster in the NBA.

I know, he could have had a chance at the GOAT convo if he came over earlier and never got hurt.

No chance. He was never durable.

Post #15 » by **Goudelock** » Sat Jul 21, 2018 5:05 pm

doc quivers wrote:The Jokic comp is a joke. Young Sabas played Hakeem level defense. Picture a better shooting & passing Kareem. The guy had the whole package, that is how good he was.

This part seems like hyperbole. Sabonis was good, but from what I've seen, he wasn't "better version of Kareem" good.

Hellcrooner · Post #16 » by **Hellcrooner** » Sat Jul 21, 2018 5:08 pm

doc quivers wrote:
Stanford wrote:
doc quivers wrote:I think we are talking about 2 different Sabas's, pre and post back injury. He was a different player when he was in the NBA.

He was still a **** monster in the NBA.

I know, he could have had a chance at the GOAT convo if he came over earlier and never got hurt.

i saw him play on tv before injury, after injury in europe (many times and live on the arena no less), and then in tv again on his blazers career.

he was great for the day but even before injury he would be slow for todays pace.
not to mention that his body frame was going to get him injured no matter what.

theres no " if he didnt injury" because his body was going to get him injury sooner or later no mtter what paralel dimension

LuDux1 · Post #17 » by **LuDux1** » Sat Jul 21, 2018 5:14 pm

Hellcrooner wrote:
doc quivers wrote:
Stanford wrote:
He was still a **** monster in the NBA.

I know, he could have had a chance at the GOAT convo if he came over earlier and never got hurt.

i saw him play on tv before injury, after injury in europe (many times and live on the arena no less), and then in tv again on his blazers career.

he was great for the day but even before injury he would be slow for todays pace.
not to mention that his body frame was going to get him injured no matter what.

theres no " if he didnt injury" because his body was going to get him injury sooner or later no mtter what paralel dimension

Before major injuries he was 2nd fastest in Zalgiris in 60 meters dash after 6'6 SF. Small sample size, but still makes him faster than average player, guards including

Johnny Firpo · Post #18 » by **Johnny Firpo** » Sat Jul 21, 2018 5:18 pm

I'm a huge Euro homer but pump the breaks, guys. Kareem had a, what, 28/17/5/4 season? And a bunch of other crazy campaigns. He probably should be much more frequently debated as the potential GOAT. Anyway, there was never such a thing as peak or prime Sabas, because he tore his achilles at like 21. If he never gets injured and comes over young he's probably a Top 20 all-time player, but no guarantee he would have been better than Dirk, even being a much better two-way player.

Hellcrooner · Post #19 » by **Hellcrooner** » Sat Jul 21, 2018 5:18 pm

LuDux1 wrote:
Hellcrooner wrote:
doc quivers wrote:
I know, he could have had a chance at the GOAT convo if he came over earlier and never got hurt.

i saw him play on tv before injury, after injury in europe (many times and live on the arena no less), and then in tv again on his blazers career.

he was great for the day but even before injury he would be slow for todays pace.
not to mention that his body frame was going to get him injured no matter what.

theres no " if he didnt injury" because his body was going to get him injury sooner or later no mtter what paralel dimension

Before major injuries he was 2nd fastest in Zalgiris in 60 meters dash after 6'6 SF. Small sample size, but still makes him faster than average player, guards including

basket players were slower than they are now back in the day.
and euro players were much much slower than nba players back in the day.

being second fastest in 80s zalgiris means nothing.

Hornet Mania · Post #20 » by **Hornet Mania** » Sat Jul 21, 2018 5:21 pm

PockyCandy wrote:
doc quivers wrote:The Jokic comp is a joke. Young Sabas played Hakeem level defense. Picture a better shooting & passing Kareem. The guy had the whole package, that is how good he was.

This part seems like hyperbole. Sabonis was good, but from what I've seen, he wasn't "better version of Kareem" good.

I assume by shooting he's referring to the advantage in 3pt shooting. Sabonis was definitely a better shooter from distance. Passing is hard to say, probably not a huge difference though Kareem was always great at handling the double team. Sabonis was certainly flashier though, more no-look stuff.

I seriously doubt Sabonis could ever match Kareem's career, but the fact it' doesn't seem totally insane is a testament to how good he was overseas and in international competition. I'd be shocked if he didn't end his career as a no-doubt top 10 C of all time if he'd played his entire career in the NBA. If the Soviet sports authority hadn't worn him into the ground he may have been much healthier too, his durability issues were not necessarily inevitable from what I've read but rather he just never rested for any serious length of time.