Can we stop pretending like old school NBA playoff games are more physical than they are now?

[Nate505]

The 3s they shoot today are definitely more physical than the 3s they shot 30 years ago. Since they take 10x the amount of them, it results in a far more physical game that's totally amazing to watch.

[ScrantonBulls]

My god this generation is so very insecure.

Imagine coming to this conclusion after seeing former players and fans of the previous era constantly crying about the current era Johnny Bball logic right there.

[Zenzibar]

ChatGPT: Who is the greatest NBA Defensive Player of All-Time?

*Observe no modern-day player. Perhaps that is due to a higher emphasis on 3-point shooting and less driving to the rim.


ChatGPT said:
The title of best defensive NBA player of all time usually boils down to a few legendary names, and while there's no absolute answer, here are the top contenders, depending on what you're looking for:

All-Around Defensive GOATs
Dennis Rodman
Position: Forward

Known for: Insane rebounding, defensive versatility, and shutting down bigger players.

Accolades: 2× Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY), 7× All-Defensive First Team.

Why he’s in the convo: Could guard all five positions. A disruptor.

Scottie Pippen
Position: Forward

Known for: Perimeter defense, IQ, and suffocating ball pressure.

Accolades: 10× All-Defensive Team selections.

Why he’s in the convo: Made life miserable for guards and wings during the Bulls’ dynasty.

Big Man Rim Protectors
Dikembe Mutombo
Position: Center

Known for: Shot blocking, finger wag.

Accolades: 4× DPOY, 3,289 career blocks (2nd all-time).

Why he’s in the convo: If you drove in the paint, you knew he was there.

Ben Wallace
Position: Center

Known for: Strength, shot blocking, rebounding.

Accolades: 4× DPOY (tied most ever), 6× All-Defensive Team.

Why he’s in the convo: Undersized center who dominated on D. The heart of the '04 Pistons.

Bill Russell
Position: Center

Known for: Intellect, shot-blocking, team defense.

Accolades: 11× champion, no DPOY (wasn’t awarded yet), but widely respected as the defensive anchor of his era.

Why he’s in the convo: Revolutionized defense, elite IQ, and dominated in the 60s.

Perimeter Menaces
Gary Payton
Position: Point Guard

Known for: Trash talk, pressure D.

Accolades: Only PG to win DPOY (1996).

Why he’s in the convo: Locked up guards, got in people’s heads.

Kawhi Leonard
Position: Forward

Known for: Hands of doom, silent killer.

Accolades: 2× DPOY, 7× All-Defensive selections.

Why he’s in the convo: Strips and stops in clutch moments. Key in stopping LeBron (2014 Finals).

Personal Pick?
If I had to name one…
Bill Russell probably wins for sheer impact, IQ, and changing the way defense was played.
But if we’re talking modern era, Dennis Rodman or Ben Wallace might be it.

Want the best defensive duo ever? Jordan + Pippen. Easy.
Want the best rim protector ever? Probably Hakeem or Mutombo.

[ScrantonBulls]

The 3s they shoot today are definitely more physical than the 3s they shot 30 years ago. Since they take 10x the amount of them, it results in a far more physical game that's totally amazing to watch.

We need players grinding out the clock by backing down a player 1v1 in the post for 10 seconds. That is truly groundbreaking television.

[liquidswords]

You nostalgia heads won't admit it but if that Rockets-Warriors Game 2 took place in the 90's, you'd have your hands down your pants.

[AbeVigodaLive]

I find the defense on Steph Curry to be confusing, amusing and sorta insufferable.

But then again, maybe hugging and holding has never been called a foul?

It's part of what seems like a more recent trend toward "well, they can't call every foul."

[LockoutSeason]

You nostalgia heads won't admit it but if that Rockets-Warriors Game 2 took place in the 90's, you'd have your hands down your pants.

It’s always funny to the check the comments on literally any YouTube video of a ‘90s NBA game. It’s just endless glazing of non-existent “physical defense”.

[tamaraw08]

The 3s they shoot today are definitely more physical than the 3s they shot 30 years ago. Since they take 10x the amount of them, it results in a far more physical game that's totally amazing to watch.

it’s a different kind of physicality today where they have to constantly cover 26 feet, fight through screens or switch properly so they don’t get burned by a 3 pt shot.
Back then, they allow more contact at the low post, requiring them to use their lower body parts to gain favorable positioning inside.

[Helsbyte]

If prime Lebron feared Kawhi Leonard, imagine how he would fare facing 3 Kawhi’s in Jordan, Pippen and Rodman. He would probably not even show up to the game and fake a groin injury or something.

OMG here we go. Let's not pretend that MJ was not guarded by Craig Ehlo, John Starks and Jeff Hornacek.

Sydney Montrief, Michael Cooper, DJ, the entire bad boy pistons (including Rodman and dumars), entire cavs bigs that you're conveniently forgetting, all of the GOAT level defensive centers in the later including Hakeem, Robinson, mourning, Ewing, Mutumbo, Payton, and so on

and acting like Starks wasn't a great defender is proof that you didn't watch those games.
Starks was a very good defender.

No one today can wait for perimeter players in the lane like the guys I mentioned.

And that's why you never see boxing out, poster dunks, much contact whatsoever and so on.

Watch on YouTube

Gasol, Ihaka and Rudy don't win a single DPOY in the 90s and you know it... let alone repeat

Don't forget Indiana front line Dale and Antonio Davis. Hell even Smits was physical.

[LockoutSeason]

OMG here we go. Let's not pretend that MJ was not guarded by Craig Ehlo, John Starks and Jeff Hornacek.

Sydney Montrief, Michael Cooper, DJ, the entire bad boy pistons (including Rodman and dumars), entire cavs bigs that you're conveniently forgetting, all of the GOAT level defensive centers in the later including Hakeem, Robinson, mourning, Ewing, Mutumbo, Payton, and so on

and acting like Starks wasn't a great defender is proof that you didn't watch those games.
Starks was a very good defender.

No one today can wait for perimeter players in the lane like the guys I mentioned.

And that's why you never see boxing out, poster dunks, much contact whatsoever and so on.

Watch on YouTube

LOL

All of MJ’s primary defenders were 6’3” while Lebron played against Kawhi, PG, KD, Iggy, Tayshaun, Bowen, .

The closest thing to a modern wing defender that MJ ever play against was Byron Russell.

He also played the best defenses ever: 2000s Spurs, 2000s Pistons, ‘08 Celtics, Thibs’ Bulls, Vogel’s Pacers, even the Warriors were one of the best defenses ever.

[Johnny Bball]

My god this generation is so very insecure.

Imagine coming to this conclusion after seeing former players and fans of the previous era constantly crying about the current era Johnny Bball logic right there.

You started this thread doing the same as a handful out of thousands of players, crying, you hypocrite!

At least they were in the league and the insults involved them. You have no reason for it, except...

[Raps in 4]

Jordan was dealing with NFL defenses every time he touched the ball. I once saw a guy get tackled and stabbed with a shiv. The refs didn't call a foul. It was a different time. Only real men were allowed into the league back then.

[LockoutSeason]

Jordan was dealing with NFL defenses every time he touched the ball. I once saw a guy get tackled and stabbed with a shiv. The refs didn't call a foul. It was a different time. Only real men were allowed into the league back then.

I’m surprised MJ is even able to walk these days playing against such violent physical monsters in the ‘90s.

[Bergmaniac]

If you watch full games, the average physicality today is much higher than the 80s, 90s and 00s. If you just rely on memory and highlights, it's never been less physical than it is right now.

I trust video more than 20-40 year old memories, but maybe that's just me.

This is so true.

The whole "game was way more physical back in the day" is a great example of nostalgia goggles.

It's so funny to me people can watch for example Curry being grabbed on almost every play and bigs being allowed to manhandle each other on every contested rebound and claim playoff games aren't physical today.

[Dan33185]

The 3s they shoot today are definitely more physical than the 3s they shot 30 years ago. Since they take 10x the amount of them, it results in a far more physical game that's totally amazing to watch.

We need players grinding out the clock by backing down a player 1v1 in the post for 10 seconds. That is truly groundbreaking television.

Yeah, a glorified 3 point shooting contest is exhilarating as well

[The Explorer]

My god this generation is so very insecure.

Imagine coming to this conclusion after seeing former players and fans of the previous era constantly crying about the current era Johnny Bball logic right there.

ScrantonBulls logic: ignore the commissioner of the NBA literally saying the game was too physical back then, so he got the rules changed.

Speaking to former player Kevin Garnett on his show Certified, league commissioner Adam Silver said he believed the game became “too physical” in the later part of the decade and it wasn’t aesthetically pleasing.

“It de-emphasized the particular skill a player had and maybe weighed too heavily on physicality,” Silver said, “where a big, strong player could come in and prevent an incredibly skilled player from doing those kinds of things.

“I think of — not that he’s a small guy — but a smaller player like Steph Curry, (what he) can do on the floor. I think that when you think of some of his ability to shoot, his ability to move through the paint, that if guys could just bang him and knock him to the ground — as that was once the case in the league — I don’t think that would be a better brand of basketball.”

[Nate505]

The 3s they shoot today are definitely more physical than the 3s they shot 30 years ago. Since they take 10x the amount of them, it results in a far more physical game that's totally amazing to watch.

We need players grinding out the clock by backing down a player 1v1 in the post for 10 seconds. That is truly groundbreaking television.

Hey, that would take away from 40% of all shots being 3s. Which is hands down super exciting. Because a 3 is worth more than 2!

[ScrantonBulls]

The 3s they shoot today are definitely more physical than the 3s they shot 30 years ago. Since they take 10x the amount of them, it results in a far more physical game that's totally amazing to watch.

We need players grinding out the clock by backing down a player 1v1 in the post for 10 seconds. That is truly groundbreaking television.

Hey, that would take away from 40% of all shots being 3s. Which is hands down super exciting. Because a 3 is worth more than 2!

The percentage of shots taken within 10 feet is relatively the same as previous eras. Players are just shooting less long 2s.

Imagine complaining about players taking fewer long 2s in favor of 3s.

I loved watching players brick long 2s!

[ScrantonBulls]

My god this generation is so very insecure.

Imagine coming to this conclusion after seeing former players and fans of the previous era constantly crying about the current era Johnny Bball logic right there.

ScrantonBulls logic: ignore the commissioner of the NBA literally saying the game was too physical back then, so he got the rules changed.

Speaking to former player Kevin Garnett on his show Certified, league commissioner Adam Silver said he believed the game became “too physical” in the later part of the decade and it wasn’t aesthetically pleasing.

“It de-emphasized the particular skill a player had and maybe weighed too heavily on physicality,” Silver said, “where a big, strong player could come in and prevent an incredibly skilled player from doing those kinds of things.

“I think of — not that he’s a small guy — but a smaller player like Steph Curry, (what he) can do on the floor. I think that when you think of some of his ability to shoot, his ability to move through the paint, that if guys could just bang him and knock him to the ground — as that was once the case in the league — I don’t think that would be a better brand of basketball.”

NBA fans: "Adam Silver is wrong about everything and is ruining the game!"
Also NBA fans: "Look what Adam Silver said. It has to be true if he said it!"

[HotelVitale]

The 3s they shoot today are definitely more physical than the 3s they shot 30 years ago. Since they take 10x the amount of them, it results in a far more physical game that's totally amazing to watch.

We need players grinding out the clock by backing down a player 1v1 in the post for 10 seconds. That is truly groundbreaking television.

If only, man. 10 seconds of backing down is what the POINT GUARD did in the 90s-2000s, to set up like a midrange curl shot. Thrill ride.