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Who is the closest comparison in today's league to Elvin Hayes as a player?

So high scoring, low efficiency post-up ironman with elite defense and rebounding plus a personality that turns people off.

Really no one currently.

I think Jermaine O'Neal is his best modern comparison.

JO is a good one but I think he said "today's league."

Lamarcus Aldridge more recently, although better scorer and worse defender.

No truly appropriate comparison right now. Maybe JJJ in broad strokes as a guy who shoots more than he should but is valuable enough defensively that you forgive him.

AEnigma wrote:Lamarcus Aldridge more recently, although better scorer and worse defender.

No truly appropriate comparison right now. Maybe JJJ in broad strokes as a guy who shoots more than he should but is valuable enough defensively that you forgive him.

I also thought about JJJ, not a good stylistic comparison and worse rebounder but he's the first that came to my mind.

Anthony Davis (more efficient)

It's very clearly JJJ. Teams are just smart enough not to utilize him to the same volume as Hayes was requested.

penbeast0 wrote:So high scoring, low efficiency post-up ironman with elite defense and rebounding plus a personality that turns people off.

Really no one currently.

What about Julius Randle? I thought about them as two guys who take on themselves the offensive toll and have pretty good team success even if they have low efficiency. Randle is not the same tier defensively though.

durantbird wrote:Who is the closest comparison in today's league to Elvin Hayes as a player?

Tricky question because players who are so inefficient relative to the league generally don't have long careers where they are allowed to shoot that much any more.

If we just say we're looking at bigs who dominant on the glass and strong as defenders, maybe...Clint Capela?

Colbinii wrote:It's very clearly JJJ. Teams are just smart enough not to utilize him to the same volume as Hayes was requested.

I mean, Hayes first team got rid of him because he wouldn't NOT play shoot-first, so while teams today are smarter, this wasn't a situation where Hayes was simply doing what was asked of him.

durantbird wrote:

penbeast0 wrote:So high scoring, low efficiency post-up ironman with elite defense and rebounding plus a personality that turns people off.

Really no one currently.

What about Julius Randle? I thought about them as two guys who take on themselves the offensive toll and have pretty good team success even if they have low efficiency. Randle is not the same tier defensively though.

I'd say Hayes was more of a '23-24 Vucevic level scorer relatively speaking (speaking absolutely, Hayes was of course worse), but yeah, similar attitude with Randle even if Randle isn't nearly so offensively destructive.