RealGM

We speak a lot about how the game changed in the last 30 years, but how did it really change the relative importance of the top players? It's not like scrubs would become MVPs or the opposite, but how would a rank change if they were all playing nowadays?
An actual ranking might be:
1. jordon
2. Akeem
3. Malone
4. Shaq
5. Barkley
6. Robinson
7. Pippen
8. Ewing
9. Penny
10. Payton
who would be the biggest gainers and losers?
I suspect Malone would drop significantly (not enough rim protection to play center, slow feet on the perimeter against modern forwards, no 3point range, no off the dribble game) while Penny could be in the top3.

I can see guys like Tim Hardaway, Mark Price, and Kevin Johnson getting a major boost in today's game. Reggie as well. Webber might be more dominant when you consider his passing and ball handling as a big man.

I think you'd definitely have to put Jason Kidd and Grant Hill on that list.

Im not sure if guys like Barkley and Ewing would be quite as dominant without being able to utilize the post. Would Payton be as effective not being a great shooter and scorer?

Stalwart wrote:I can see guys like Tim Hardaway, Mark Price, and Kevin Johnson getting a major boost in today's game. Reggie as well. Webber might be more dominant when you consider his passing and ball handling as a big man.

I think you'd definitely have to put Jason Kidd and Grant Hill on that list.

Im not sure if guys like Barkley and Ewing would be quite as dominant without being able to utilize the post. Would Payton be as effective not being a great shooter and scorer?

Old Barkley would have been already heavily affected by the rule preventing him to back down a player for more than 5 seconds. But His younger version was probably dynamic enough to thrive with modern spacing, maybe some sort of a proto-pointZion.
Agree on the smaller PGs (Price's peak is really underrated, but it was too short) but who are they passing?
Would really Ewing or Malone drop enough to be passed by some of them?
On Webber, the interesting thing is that Nelson's vision was to play him center but this generated the controversies that led to his trade.

To me the key one is healthy Penny, I can see getting as high as #2.

Price definitely would be a better player than the names like Pippen,Payton,Ewing in this era.

feyki wrote:Price definitely would be a better player than the names like Pippen,Payton,Ewing in this era.

Price was better in his own era as well

Colbinii wrote:

feyki wrote:Price definitely would be a better player than the names like Pippen,Payton,Ewing in this era.

Price was better in his own era as well

disagree, pippen would be insane in this era

he could be a defensive anchor as a 4 or even small ball 5 while being a viable point forward in a 4 out offense

he would arguably be lebron lite

Colbinii wrote:

feyki wrote:Price definitely would be a better player than the names like Pippen,Payton,Ewing in this era.

Price was better in his own era as well

Better than Ewing? I don't agree...

falcolombardi wrote:

Colbinii wrote:

feyki wrote:Price definitely would be a better player than the names like Pippen,Payton,Ewing in this era.

Price was better in his own era as well

disagree, pippen would be insane in this era

he could be a defensive anchor as a 4 or even small ball 5 while being a viable point forward in a 4 out offense

he would arguably be lebron lite

I'm a big fan of Price, but no, he wasn't better then Ewing for the time. And Pippen would have his own modern issues given he was a poor shooter.

1. Shaq: The league just isnt built to stop him. Look at what like, vucevic does. Brook Lopez was recently all NBA defense. Look what a pushing 40 year old shaq on the celtics as doing to him:



The size just isnt there. Im not willing to listen to "how could he guard curry in space". Anything he gave up defensively he would get two times over on the other end. And i mean if guys like Lamarcus Aldridge can find a way to stay on the floor prime shaq would manage too.

2. MJ: His game would not be hurt by todays rules. He probably shoots a few more threes and the lack of shot blocking bigs probably doesnt hurt him either. He is likely the same level of dominance he was in his era.

3. Larry Bird. 89-90 Bird was still an elite level player. it was his last, but it still is in the 90s and counts. 25/9/8. Would play a similar role as Kevin Durant only tougher inside with better passing. Like a KD/Jokic high-bred. Unlike KD, I think you could play him full time at center. he was tough enough. he played 75 games that year, but today he would be load managed which would only help his effectiveness

4. Drexler. Most under rated player off all-time because of bad timing. If MJ wasnt around, Drexler would have won a rings with portland and been the leagues poster. Dude was D-wade before D-wade only with a mean streak. It would be just like prime wade stepping into todays NBA.

5-7. Ewing/D-rob/Olojuwon. Pick your order. All 3 would be Embiid level players or at worst towns with defense (which is basically embiid). All 3 could shoot and with value to do so, they would take the 6 feet back and shoot threes instead of long twos. like shaq, the league is not setup to stop them. all 3 could handle switching on to smalls in their prime.

8. Reggie Miller. dude was scoring 25 ppg taking just 4 threes a game. That number would be 8-12 attempts a game in todays league and he is easily a 28-30 point scorer. Throw in how clutch he is and his size at 6'8" allowing him to be a PF in todays league and his value is off the charts.

9. Chuck. Young chuck was a full court player. He would be like prime westbrook in todays league, rebounding and going end to end with insane highlights. furstrates you with his three point shooting but makes enough to be effective all around. His d would get called out but he could defend and rebound. Would be so fun to watch.

10..... so many, dont want to leave anyone out. pippen,stockton, malone, payton, gugliotta, chambers, webber...

feyki wrote:Price definitely would be a better player than the names like Pippen,Payton,Ewing in this era.

The idea of price being better then Ewing in any era is utterly absurd. Young pre-injury ewing was super athletic. He didnt rely on the post. his face up game was outstanding. he could shoot and while akeem gets credit for it people ignore ewing insane footwork and ball handling for a guy that big.

He would challenge for DPOTY while at worse being a 20/12 guy on the other end. If he succesfully stretched his range from 20 feet to 23 feet, he would be a top 8 player.

Of all the 80s players, Ewing is the one who gets most underrated and overlooked. partially because of the knicks style, partically because people remember the tail end post injuries because the knicks were still good. But Ewing was a bad dude.

Mark Price? ... dude... mark price?!

falcolombardi wrote:

Colbinii wrote:

feyki wrote:Price definitely would be a better player than the names like Pippen,Payton,Ewing in this era.

Price was better in his own era as well

disagree, pippen would be insane in this era

he could be a defensive anchor as a 4 or even small ball 5 while being a viable point forward in a 4 out offense

he would arguably be lebron lite

He would be a shorter Giannis with a better jumper

Rik Smits is a guy that I think gets a boost in today's era. He was 7'4, blocked shots, and had a beautiful stroke. If he's shooting 3's at a high volume then I reckon he's one of the so-called unicorns.

SHAQ32 wrote:Rik Smits is a guy that I think gets a boost in today's era. He was 7'4, blocked shots, and had a beautiful stroke. If he's shooting 3's at a high volume then I reckon he's one of the so-called unicorns.

He' be a slower porzingas with no handle.

But he was strong as an ox and super physical player. he would be ok, but he woudlnt become a unicorn/shooting big handling the ball. he would play more like gobert

falcolombardi wrote:

Colbinii wrote:

feyki wrote:Price definitely would be a better player than the names like Pippen,Payton,Ewing in this era.

Price was better in his own era as well

disagree, pippen would be insane in this era

he could be a defensive anchor as a 4 or even small ball 5 while being a viable point forward in a 4 out offense

he would arguably be lebron lite

Pippen would be a great player in every era, but would he be comparatively better now than what he was then?
I am not really so sure, only rim protecting center and high level creators can get away with not being a major threat from three and still be top players.
I can see him to be around the 15th best player, that would be lower than his actual peak as a top 5-10 player.

Prokorov wrote:1. Shaq: The league just isnt built to stop him. Look at what like, vucevic does. Brook Lopez was recently all NBA defense. Look what a pushing 40 year old shaq on the celtics as doing to him:

Watch on YouTube

The size just isnt there. Im not willing to listen to "how could he guard curry in space". Anything he gave up defensively he would get two times over on the other end. And i mean if guys like Lamarcus Aldridge can find a way to stay on the floor prime shaq would manage too.

That's always a very dangerous sentence to read, when discussing the most absolutely elite players.
I would go as far as saying that I am not sure he would have been better than either Jokic and Joel... on both sides of the floor!!!
Not suggesting that I would pick both of them over him, just I am not sold that he'd have been better.

SHAQ32 wrote:Rik Smits is a guy that I think gets a boost in today's era. He was 7'4, blocked shots, and had a beautiful stroke. If he's shooting 3's at a high volume then I reckon he's one of the so-called unicorns.

That's the kind of guy that gets played out of the floor, actually.

70sFan wrote:

Colbinii wrote:

feyki wrote:Price definitely would be a better player than the names like Pippen,Payton,Ewing in this era.

Price was better in his own era as well

Better than Ewing? I don't agree...

it sounds like a huge stretch to me as well, as much as I think that at his peak he was better than all the other 90s PGs (excluding the freaks like Magic and Penny), even more so projecting him in today's game.
But we shouldn't forget he was NEVER really healthy, even at his peak.

Prokorov wrote:

feyki wrote:Price definitely would be a better player than the names like Pippen,Payton,Ewing in this era.

The idea of price being better then Ewing in any era is utterly absurd. Young pre-injury ewing was super athletic. He didnt rely on the post. his face up game was outstanding. he could shoot and while akeem gets credit for it people ignore ewing insane footwork and ball handling for a guy that big.

He would challenge for DPOTY while at worse being a 20/12 guy on the other end. If he succesfully stretched his range from 20 feet to 23 feet, he would be a top 8 player.

Of all the 80s players, Ewing is the one who gets most underrated and overlooked. partially because of the knicks style, partically because people remember the tail end post injuries because the knicks were still good. But Ewing was a bad dude.

Mark Price? ... dude... mark price?!

The point is, is 20/12 with dpoy level even an all-nba player in this era?

Between the 92/94 Price played with 17,6 PPG, 7,7 APG, +7 rTS, +13 rORTG; and even with his over 30+ games 21 PPG, 8,5 APG and with +15 rORTG. This line is approximately 23 PPG, 9,5 APG, %66 TS and with 130 ORTG; this is definitely in the mvp discussion.

feyki wrote:The point is, is 20/12 with dpoy level even an all-nba player in this era?

Yes?

Prokorov wrote:1. Shaq: The league just isnt built to stop him. Look at what like, vucevic does. Brook Lopez was recently all NBA defense. Look what a pushing 40 year old shaq on the celtics as doing to him:

Watch on YouTube

The size just isnt there. Im not willing to listen to "how could he guard curry in space". Anything he gave up defensively he would get two times over on the other end. And i mean if guys like Lamarcus Aldridge can find a way to stay on the floor prime shaq would manage too.

This is like a season or even career highlight for Shaq's brute force. It's not like Shaq had these moments 10 or 15 times a game. Not even 5 and not even in his prime. Against this one there are countless times he was forced to pass back out, forced to shoot from 3+ feet away (a below 45% shot for him) or turned it over.

It's not like he didn't play against the likes of Tyrone Hill, Loy Vaught, Charles Oakley, McDyess, Othella Harrington and Bo Outlaw (all under 6-10 and 250) in his prime and he didn't average 30+ an 60+TS against any of them.

The game pace is too high for Shaq's weight today, his FT shooting is too poor and his range too limited. Of the 10 he would suffered the most.