Where would Peak Kareem rank today?

[Matt15]

Where would Peak Kareem rank in todays league?

[70sFan]

At the top.

[SportsGuru08]

No. 2 at worst, likely No. 1

[Tomtolbert]

Probably best player, though I can see an argument for #2 depending on how he'd translate.

[tsherkin]

Fun to consider. Something like maybe 77 Kareem?

Obviously, he wouldn't be able to smash 24 FGA/g or 44 mpg like he did in the earliest stages of his actual career, so his raw production wouldn't likely be as crazy as it was over that first half decade or so. But something like 26/12/4 and 60%+ TS makes some sense. Good defensive impact. Kareem's draw rate away from Milwaukee and before Magic was a little BLEH, but if you consider the spacing of the modern era, his willingness to move around away from the rim and all that, you could also see him coming out for DHOs and such. He took a while to develop a straight jumper in his actual career.

Young Kareem was pretty mobile, could slash, drew fouls pretty well. Later Kareem developed a fade, a middie and improved at the line. The spacing of his time was dog-ass, so that's something he'd enjoy today and would positively impact his finishing rate, too. But stylistically, he liked his skyhook, and unless you want to radically reimagine the player, those shots went in on a fairly reliable percentage that wouldn't drive upper-tier efficiency today.

Tough for me to envision him as the best player in the game. I don't think he'd be able to score efficiently enough for that to happen. He wasn't as good a shooter (even at the line) as someone like Embiid and he wasn't as proficient as someone like Jokic in terms of passing or shot-making.

Top 5, though, with era-related changes? That seems legit. Kareem was a beast in his own time, had good passing ability to help keep him relevant and was already in his own time comfortable around the foul line. Maybe he develops a tepid 3, and he certainly would facilitate contemporary action as far as using a big man up top for passing and opening the interior. Not a guy I see as really great in terms of being a classical PnR partner, but that's okay given the rest of what he provided.

[dygaction]

top 5 to be safe but should be top 3

[Cavsfansince84]

I think he'd be a top 5 off player and top 3 def player. So chances are 3rd at worst. You might be able to argue Giannis over him in the rs but Kareem would be the way more reliable half court option in the post season.

[SK21209]

Let's not be silly, a Top 3 player in the history of the game at his peak is the best player in the NBA today.