Where would Jerry West rank today?

[kendogg]

Durant, Curry, Giannis and Jokic are top 4 locks right now. In the playoffs, you can probably add LeBron to that list. But for regular season, you could potentially put him as high as #5. But Doncic, Harden, PG13 or possibly a few others could step up and claim a higher spot. Basically we're talking lesser MVP candidates here, someone who would legitimately get some votes or even win if the stars align (somehow the top 4 put themselves out of contention due to bad team, injury, etc)

As far as a modern comparison, I'd say Donovan Mitchell's offense with Alex Caruso's defense. Which is scary good. But he isn't the BEST at anything, like the aforementioned top 4 are, each in their own way. So I have my doubts that he can surpass any of those players as far as regular season contribution. In the playoffs, West is as clutch as they come, as long as he's healthy. I could see him outshining some of the top 4 in playoff rounds, depending how the matchups shake out and how good their teams are.

[70sFan]

West was entire tier ahead of Mitchell as an offensive player.

[ZeppelinPage]

Jerry West is one of the greatest offensive players to ever live:


This season we have seen what happens to players offensively when the rules change and the refs allow more physical defense.

Jerry West played in a physical era that limited players offensively. His efficiency and volume, not only in comparison to his peers but also on an all-time scale, should not be understated.

West was the best scoring and defensive guard of his era--and outperforms nearly every modern player from a volume and efficiency standpoint.

[SinceGatlingWasARookie]

When young fans bad mouth the level of competition in the 1980s I object.
But I bad mouth the level of competition in the 1960s and considers the 1970s the transition decade to the modern athleticism.

You can't just relearn body memory. 1960s obeyed the traveling rules as they are written in the rule book.1980s stretched the traveling rules and the currentbera just plain breaks the traveling rules.

Legalized traveling is an advantage. If I take peak Jerry West and plunk him into the current era he will be at a disadvantage because he will be the only guard that isn't traveling. He won't be able to blow past modern guards so easily because the speed of the guards has an increased. The 1989s guards are faster than the 1970 guards and the current guards are a little bit faster than 1980s guards.

Now I am judging these guys by how fast they move in relation to the court. Better sneakers might help.

Jerry West was a great shooter in his era. His shooting is not so special now. Basketball is now a full time high paying job. Basketball was not such a high paying job back then and the lesser players had to work off season at some other job. But I am not improving West due to better conditions now. I am nit giving Westva 3 point shot. I am just plunking peak Jerry into the current league.

I don't think Jerry West can stay in front of Damian Lillard.

I think West is still a top 40 player in the current NBA but I don't think he is a top 20 player unless I magically improve him based on hypothetical advantages of modernity. I am just teleporting him into a league playing a style he has never seen. Under those conditions I don't think he is top 20. He isn't fast enough. He's just a little faster than average. He is no longer bigger than average. And he's just an average shooter in the current league; and he doesn't have a three point shot. He still a good passer. He was still have a good man to man defense of skills but he won't have a good feel for defending modern offenses.

Everybody from the past will benefit from modern spacing created by three point shooting. Floor being opened up will help Jerry West some.