If you could draft any retired Center to today's game, who would you pick?

[Outside]

Regarding the bolded, he'd obviously be a different defender than he was during his time, but couldn't he be a taller, longer, faster Draymond with GOAT-level defensive IQ, which is arguably Draymond's greatest asset? Draymond is considered by many to be the best defensive player of his generation.

Yeah, I'm not debating the notion that Russ could be the best defender in the league. I presume he would be, if in slightly different fashion.

I very specifically meant he wouldn't exert the same specific level of impact he did in the 60s because it's not actually possible to do that anymore with the many changes the interceding decades have brought to the game. That's all.

Got it. I agree.

[tsherkin]

Regarding the bolded, he'd obviously be a different defender than he was during his time, but couldn't he be a taller, longer, faster Draymond with GOAT-level defensive IQ, which is arguably Draymond's greatest asset? Draymond is considered by many to be the best defensive player of his generation.

Yeah, I'm not debating the notion that Russ could be the best defender in the league. I presume he would be, if in slightly different fashion.

I very specifically meant he wouldn't exert the same specific level of impact he did in the 60s because it's not actually possible to do that anymore with the many changes the interceding decades have brought to the game. That's all.

Got it. I agree.

I think Draymond and Rudy have both proven that if the rest of your team is sufficiently good on O, you can get away with your primary defender having his various weaknesses. And yeah, I imagine if Draymond was 4 inches taller and stopped hitting people in the balls, he'd have an even higher ceiling as an impact defender, heh.

[Ol Roy]

David Robinson. Would be a pick-and-roll monster thanks to great mobility and verticality. Imagine him as a baseline lob threat, too. Given that he drew fouls on 58% of his shots in his own era (and made 74%) without being a flopper, it seems he'd be an automatic trip to the free throw line today. His dribble driving and passing would be better utilized today thanks to spacing and shooters. And he was a solid midrange shooter himself. Defensively, he would still be a major problem today.

[Outside]

Yeah, I'm not debating the notion that Russ could be the best defender in the league. I presume he would be, if in slightly different fashion.

I very specifically meant he wouldn't exert the same specific level of impact he did in the 60s because it's not actually possible to do that anymore with the many changes the interceding decades have brought to the game. That's all.

Got it. I agree.

I think Draymond and Rudy have both proven that if the rest of your team is sufficiently good on O, you can get away with your primary defender having his various weaknesses. And yeah, I imagine if Draymond was 4 inches taller and stopped hitting people in the balls, he'd have an even higher ceiling as an impact defender, heh.

I dunno, hitting people in the balls sounds like an "impact defender" to me

[AEnigma]

I agree David Robinson would be a major problem defensively in an era where the average playoff offence is far more dangerous for laterally limited centres than those Jazz teams which gave him (and Shaq) so much trouble.

[Outside]

I agree that Robinson would also be a good choice.

[rrravenred]

Walton would be an extremely interesting player in today's game. A discount Jokic on O, discount Gobert (arguably) on D. Enough range to demand coverage and intelligent enough to play in a distributed offence.

Wouldn't work brilliantly as a helio scorer in the modern sense, but would hold his own.

And maybe medical science has advanced far enough for him to play full seasons. Or that may still be a few decades off.

[kdawg32086]

If we are saying prime of their career with no injuries, give me Arvydas Sabonis.

[tsherkin]

Got it. I agree.

I think Draymond and Rudy have both proven that if the rest of your team is sufficiently good on O, you can get away with your primary defender having his various weaknesses. And yeah, I imagine if Draymond was 4 inches taller and stopped hitting people in the balls, he'd have an even higher ceiling as an impact defender, heh.

I dunno, hitting people in the balls sounds like an "impact defender" to me

Hehehe, well played.