Would 1967 Chamberlain Be The Best Player In The League Today?

ty 4191 · Post #1 » by **ty 4191** » Mon Nov 15, 2021 9:12 pm

Just an initial posting; food for thought..please click the tweet to view the complete numbers:

Thoughts, everyone?

70sFan · Post #2 » by **70sFan** » Mon Nov 15, 2021 9:24 pm

Yes, despite massive difference between 1960s and 2020s basketball I think Wilt would be able to impact the game with his two way play to the degree that no other player today can.

ty 4191 · Post #3 » by **ty 4191** » Mon Nov 15, 2021 9:29 pm

70sFan wrote:Yes, despite massive difference between 1960s and 2020s basketball I think Wilt would be able to impact the game with his two way play to the degree that no other player today can.

Agreed, 100%. In his greatest season, overall, it could be argued that he was the most impactful two way center ever.

And, what he did in the playoffs against two all time great centers in their primes, is truly staggering.

Statlanta · Post #4 » by **Statlanta** » Mon Nov 15, 2021 9:40 pm

Yes, I mean it's a top 10 peak on this forum.

Post #5 » by **Doctor MJ** » Mon Nov 15, 2021 9:45 pm

ty 4191 wrote:Just an initial posting; food for thought..please click the tweet to view the complete numbers:

Read on Twitter

Thoughts, everyone?

I wouldn't bet on it, but would acknowledge the possibility. Some thoughts:

1 - My biggest concern about Wilt's '66-67 offensive accomplishment is the way it disappeared after one season - and recalling that it was his first and only time as the fulcrum of his team's offense where he led to team offensive excellence. Why was that?

Some have said it was about injuries in '67-68 to Wilt and others, and that's certainly something that could theoretically justify it.

Additionally we could just say that Wilt wasn't feeling like playing the same way in '67-68. That he could have led a comparably dominant offense, and thus whatever held him back it had nothing to do with any fundamental limitations.

But I worry that this was a situation where defenses were caught in '66-67 continuing to play the 76ers as if the big threat was Wilt's scoring, but by '67-68 they started to really recognize that this wasn't the threat any more, and by reallocating their spacing they could mitigate effectively. I'd feel much more confident projecting Wilt in this role if we saw a sustained elite offense with him doing that.

2 - It has to be noted that the 76ers offense back then, while GOAT at the time, would be incompetent by today's standards. Yes, today he'd be surrounded by better spacing and that would help significantly, but I'd still not consider him the best offensive prospect from his era for today any more than he should have been seen back then. Oscar & West were better offensive players than he was, and in today's game many teams have guys who are better at handling the ball from the perimeter, better at shooting, and better at decision making.

3 - Changes to the game have lowered the ceiling on what you can expect to achieve through big man defense and rebounding, which were his greatest strengths. The spacing on the floor hurts all big-time rebounders, and it specifically hurts "giant big men" because of the decreased value of staying around the rim and greater vulnerability if you force them out to the perimeter.

All this to say that I definitely still see Wilt as a "build your team around him" level guy, he's not someone I'd expect to be my #1 pick over all comers.

RCM88x · Post #6 » by **RCM88x** » Mon Nov 15, 2021 10:08 pm

He would have a very good shot at being the best player this season... last season? Not so much.

Biggest question would be how his post scoring would translate and if he would be able to pickup the PnR and actually feel confident enough to use his jump shooting ability between 5-15ft. Also need to entertain the question of if he would be in the right head space to play to his best ability consistently, considering this is the '67 version I think that would happen. Very easily could see him averaging 20-22 ppg, 65 FG%, 14-17 reb, and 5-6 ast per game, with a good number of blocks and steals to go along with it.

Cavsfansince84 · Post #7 » by **Cavsfansince84** » Mon Nov 15, 2021 10:14 pm

I'd lean towards no but I could be wrong. Just not sold on his offense translating well enough with the terrible ft shooting to go with it.

70sFan · Post #8 » by **70sFan** » Mon Nov 15, 2021 10:32 pm

RCM88x wrote:He would have a very good shot at being the best player this season... last season? Not so much.

Who was the better player than peak Wilt last season?

RCM88x · Post #9 » by **RCM88x** » Mon Nov 15, 2021 11:26 pm

70sFan wrote:
RCM88x wrote:He would have a very good shot at being the best player this season... last season? Not so much.

Who was the better player than peak Wilt last season?

It's not necessarily that players would be better, but that the rules last year would be very penal to his playstyle and position, and favorable to some of his worst matchups (small perimeter guards who jack up lots of shots and hunt fouls).

ty 4191 · Post #10 » by **ty 4191** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 12:11 am

RCM88x wrote:It's not necessarily that players would be better, but that the rules last year would be very penal to his playstyle and position,.

The Rules would be penal to his playstyle?

Watch this:

Watch on YouTube

HeartBreakKid · Post #11 » by **HeartBreakKid** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 1:13 am

I think there's a good chance. Defensively, he would be a serious problem. Gobert is already anchoring teams with relatively poor defenders like the Jazz to the best defense nearly single handily, I would imagine Chamberlain at a minimum could replicate the same - if not establish even more crushing defense.

Would be hard not to see him being a volume scorer on very high FG%. He can pass too, so he would be able to play in a fluid system if he does get his points.

No-more-rings · Post #12 » by **No-more-rings** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 3:10 am

I would say yes assuming he started his career several years prior here.

LukaTheGOAT · Post #13 » by **LukaTheGOAT** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 3:40 am

Jokic is playing seemingly like the best player ever right now early in the season. Want to see how this season ends, but I think we are in for an all-timer with Jokic this year man...and yes I know Wilt has a top 10 peak ever and very possibly higher than that, but Jokic is changing the very fabric of the sport and pushing my imagination of what a basketball player is capable of.

coastalmarker99 · Post #14 » by **coastalmarker99** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 4:10 am

1966-67 Wilt is the best player of all-time.

He was just unreal during that entire season

As in the regular season, he averaged 24 PPG 24 RPG 8APG and over 9 BPG on an unreal shooting percentage of 68%

Then in the playoffs over the course of 15 games, he averaged

21.7 PTS 29.1 REBS 9.0 ASTS 9.2 BLKS FG% 57.9

So therefore I say yes to your question that 1967 Wilt would be The Best Player In The League Today

Sebastian · Post #15 » by **Sebastian** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 6:17 am

I mean imagine if Gobert had maybe the best cardio in the league and could score an efficient 20+ a night and was a very good passer and an even better rim protector and rebounder. Would that not be the most disruptive force in the NBA?

ty 4191 · Post #16 » by **ty 4191** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 6:53 am

LukaTheGOAT wrote:Jokic is playing seemingly like the best player ever right now early in the season. Want to see how this season ends, but I think we are in for an all-timer with Jokic this year man...and yes I know Wilt has a top 10 peak ever and very possibly higher than that, but Jokic is changing the very fabric of the sport and pushing my imagination of what a basketball player is capable of.

100% agreed. Jokic is Pure Magic. For a CENTER to average .390 from three, .850 from the line, and 25/11/10 (basically) for the last 85 games is totally insane!!

That said, what Wilt did in 67' (particularly) was both preternatural, and- probably nonpareil. Especially in the playoffs, outshooting TWO top tier HOFers (and arguably the greatest center ever in Bill Russell), by a combined 210 points in the ECF and NBA FInals....averaging a triple double, without blocks tracked, against prime Russell and prime Thurmond..... is, well.... totally beyond the pale.

Max123 · Post #17 » by **Max123** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 8:57 am

Sebastian wrote:I mean imagine if Gobert had maybe the best cardio in the league and could score an efficient 20+ a night and was a very good passer and an even better rim protector and rebounder. Would that not be the most disruptive force in the NBA?

Do you think he would be a better defender than Gobert today? I’m not so sure. Gobert is pretty close to perfect in what he does defending the pick and roll and attacks to the rim. Perhaps Wilt would be the better man defender (?)

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coastalmarker99 · Post #18 » by **coastalmarker99** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 9:06 am

Max123 wrote:
Sebastian wrote:I mean imagine if Gobert had maybe the best cardio in the league and could score an efficient 20+ a night and was a very good passer and an even better rim protector and rebounder. Would that not be the most disruptive force in the NBA?

Do you think he would be a better defender than Gobert today? I’m not so sure. Gobert is pretty close to perfect in what he does defending the pick and roll and attacks to the rim. Perhaps Wilt would be the better man defender (?)

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Wilt had one of the highest IQ's in basketball history and is the greatest athlete the game has ever seen.

He is also the GOAT at shot-blocking and rebounding.

Also, outside of Russell WIlt might have had the biggest defensive impact ever.

As virtually all of Chamberlains’ teams were at least good defensively, with some escalating to all-time levels on that end, and that’s not a coincidence.

So yes he would easily be a better defender than Gobert is today.

ty 4191 · Post #19 » by **ty 4191** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 9:12 am

Max123 wrote:Do you think he would be a better defender than Gobert today? I’m not so sure. Gobert is pretty close to perfect in what he does defending the pick and roll and attacks to the rim. Perhaps Wilt would be the better man defender (?)

He was, and would be, a much better man defender. Consider this. All HOF Centers vs Wilt, Kareem, Shaq, Russell:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jE5K2XrILol56zGe0e7LA-bKyRECGNgG/edit#gid=367062482

Nobody ever dominated opposing HOF Centers more, on both sides of the ball.

feyki · Post #20 » by **feyki** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 4:58 pm

I think he wouldn't. He was not the OPOY level offensive player. His defensive impact erodes by offensive inflation and his offensive impact not much great to create a force to be the best in the league with the inflation. I don't think he would be better than Curry or Durant in this circumstances. He would be as good as Giannis or Embiid or even(probably) better.

Basically, his offensive impact not much great to be the best in this league. 115 Ortg league we have for the last few years.