Where would Peak Charles Barkley rank today?

[Matt15]

Where would Peak Barkley rank overall in todays NBA?

[iggymcfrack]

He wouldn't be close to Jokic or SGA, but he could be the best of the rest ahead of Wemby and Giannis. I voted 3rd.

[jdzimme3]

Votes top 5. Behind jokic, giannis, sga, and maybe luka.

[One_and_Done]

I mean, I have Kobe in the 7 to 16 range, but probably leaning outside the top 10. I'd say peak Barkley is a little better, but I'd have to sit down and work out exactly where. Certainly not touching Jokic, SGA, Luka, or Giannis. Not as valuable as Wemby either. So at best between 6 and 10, but maybe lower than that in reality.

[Harry Palmer]

Imagine if Zion looked worse but played better.

[lessthanjake]

Peak Barkley was probably about as good as Luka. Not that they’re similar players in terms of playstyle but I think Barkley would be similarly great offensively, while also having a similar amount of defensive weakness. I think one could try to posit that Barkley’s style of offense wouldn’t be as successful nowadays, but I think Barkley could probably play similar to a less-good-at-passing-but-better-transition-finishing Jokic on offense.

[Ol Roy]

Peak Barkley was probably about as good as Luka. Not that they’re similar players in terms of playstyle but I think Barkley would be similarly great offensively, while also having a similar amount of defensive weakness. I think one could try to posit that Barkley’s style of offense wouldn’t be as successful nowadays, but I think Barkley could probably play similar to a less-good-at-passing-but-better-transition-finishing Jokic on offense.

I see Barkley playing like Giannis on offense and Luka on defense.

[D.Brasco]

Imagine if Zion looked worse but played better.

Chuck at his best looked better than Zion at his worst

[migya]

Imagine if Zion looked worse but played better.

Chuck at his best looked better than Zion at this worst

Barkley is not at all fat here.

[Special_Puppy]

Top 4

[ceoofkobefans]

I mean, I have Kobe in the 7 to 16 range, but probably leaning outside the top 10. I'd say peak Barkley is a little better, but I'd have to sit down and work out exactly where. Certainly not touching Jokic, SGA, Luka, or Giannis. Not as valuable as Wemby either. So at best between 6 and 10, but maybe lower than that in reality.

Name 16 players that are better than what Kobe would be in the modern era in the league rn please

[ceoofkobefans]

I’d prolly have Barkley in that fringe t3 range prolly a little bit below Jokic SGA and Giannis

[homecourtloss]

Peak Barkley is probably a less refined offensive player as far as handle, creation, and shooting are concerned, but more explosive and a force of nature, i.e., end days in Philadelphia. Here you had a +12—+13 rTS% monster. For that same type of efficacy in today’s game, he’d have to be a 71%+ TS player at volume which probably isn’t possible. His defensive weaknesses in his era would be magnified today, though, i.e., his ball-watching, hunting for rebounds, poor/slow rotations, etc.

In summary, he’s likely a less efficacious scorer, and more of a defensive liability. This is all with the assumption his has the same instincts/development he had though he’d obviously have different ones learning the game today.

So somewhere in the top 10…maybe.

[DCasey91]

I mean, I have Kobe in the 7 to 16 range, but probably leaning outside the top 10. I'd say peak Barkley is a little better, but I'd have to sit down and work out exactly where. Certainly not touching Jokic, SGA, Luka, or Giannis. Not as valuable as Wemby either. So at best between 6 and 10, but maybe lower than that in reality.

Name 16 players that are better than what Kobe would be in the modern era in the league rn please

Hakeem
Shaq
Garnett
Duncan
Dirk
Bird
Jordan
Robinson
Magic
Kareem

Jokic
James
Curry
Giannis
Kawhi
Luka

That took two 2 secs to do. Peak wise ain't hard a sell that they all cleared Kobe.

[One_and_Done]

I mean, I have Kobe in the 7 to 16 range, but probably leaning outside the top 10. I'd say peak Barkley is a little better, but I'd have to sit down and work out exactly where. Certainly not touching Jokic, SGA, Luka, or Giannis. Not as valuable as Wemby either. So at best between 6 and 10, but maybe lower than that in reality.

Name 16 players that are better than what Kobe would be in the modern era in the league rn please

Hakeem
Shaq
Garnett
Duncan
Dirk
Bird
Jordan
Robinson
Magic
Kareem

Jokic
James
Curry
Giannis
Kawhi
Luka

That took two 2 secs to do. Peak wise ain't hard a sell that they all cleared Kobe.

He means in 2025, and I'd only need to name 15. I'm not sure there are 15, but I'd say there's definitely more than 6. The number is somewhere in between.

I'd start with Jokic, SGA, Giannis, Luka. That's 4 right there. Add Wemby, Tatum, Curry, KD, and that's 8. If Embiid was healthy he'd count, but we may have seen the last of that. I'd take Ant higher certainly. AD as well. After that it's iffier and depends on injuries or guys reclaiming past form. Mitchell in theory might be if you squinted. Certainly if you replaced him with Kobe the Cavs would get worse, due in part to fit. Not sure you can pick him in a vacuum though. If Kawhi was healthy or Jimmy reclaimed his 23 form those guys would be ahead, but not sure that's ever happening again.

[penbeast0]

Charles's offensive game would probably be less effective today as the backdown rule takes away one of his go to moves, offenses have moved away from post scoring, and encouraging a .266 career 3 point shooter to shoot more 3's isn't going to make him a more effective player. His defensive weaknesses, missing switches, size, not caring much about that end of the floor, would be even more of a problem today and his defensive strength, rebounding, is a bit less important too with all the 3 point shooting creating more long rebounds.

Still one of the great interior scorers and rebounders of all time and a huge physical freak so he'd be a #1 option and star on almost any team in his prime. You adjust the players around him rather than him adjusting to them. To run modern offenses, you'd need a center who can defend the post and play away from the basket on offense or else you'd have to run more of a retro set.

[ceoofkobefans]

I mean, I have Kobe in the 7 to 16 range, but probably leaning outside the top 10. I'd say peak Barkley is a little better, but I'd have to sit down and work out exactly where. Certainly not touching Jokic, SGA, Luka, or Giannis. Not as valuable as Wemby either. So at best between 6 and 10, but maybe lower than that in reality.

Name 16 players that are better than what Kobe would be in the modern era in the league rn please

Hakeem
Shaq
Garnett
Duncan
Dirk
Bird
Jordan
Robinson
Magic
Kareem

Jokic
James
Curry
Giannis
Kawhi
Luka

That took two 2 secs to do. Peak wise ain't hard a sell that they all cleared Kobe.

While I disagree with a few of these only 6 of these players are in the league rn so that would be 7th and there is no way you’re taking 2025 Kawhi Leonard or Steph curry over peak Kobe Bryant

[konr0167]

i have doubts as to how a 6'4 post player works in the modern nba with how advanced defesnes have become
he would on the other hand likely get a boost in transition but in the half court i don't think his style works anywhere near as well as it did in the 90's with illegal defense
and on the other side of the ball i think his defense which already wasn't good in the 90's gets exploited to hell in this modern era
he's a short PF who isn't particularly mobile and was known for being lazy
i think he struggles immensly vs PnR and prolly can't provide much rim protection due to a combination of size and modern spacing

he'd prolly still be good but just not anywhere close to what he was in the 90's

[DCasey91]

Name 16 players that are better than what Kobe would be in the modern era in the league rn please

Hakeem
Shaq
Garnett
Duncan
Dirk
Bird
Jordan
Robinson
Magic
Kareem

Jokic
James
Curry
Giannis
Kawhi
Luka

That took two 2 secs to do. Peak wise ain't hard a sell that they all cleared Kobe.

He means in 2025, and I'd only need to name 15. I'm not sure there are 15, but I'd say there's definitely more than 6. The number is somewhere in between.

I'd start with Jokic, SGA, Giannis, Luka. That's 4 right there. Add Wemby, Tatum, Curry, KD, and that's 8. If Embiid was healthy he'd count, but we may have seen the last of that. I'd take Ant higher certainly. AD as well. After that it's iffier and depends on injuries or guys reclaiming past form. Mitchell in theory might be if you squinted. Certainly if you replaced him with Kobe the Cavs would get worse, due in part to fit. Not sure you can pick him in a vacuum though. If Kawhi was healthy or Jimmy reclaimed his 23 form those guys would be ahead, but not sure that's ever happening again.

Ah that makes sense misread it. 16 is too low for Peak Kobe imho, I only have Jokic, Giannis and Luka as ahead right now. No world I'm taking Ant over him

Anyway Barkley was great. He'd be automatic inside and basically have Giannis/Bron/Zion finishing percentages while being an obvious better rebounder than Zion. Definitely a top 5 OPOY as he was back then. I don't actually see a big difference or change. 4-10 range sounds right

[Top10alltime]

Not better than 2025 Jokic, so top 3