This is something I’ve been thinking about a bit. Transplant rookie Chamberlain onto the 97-98 Spurs, with Popovich as coach and Robinson as a still impactful veteran star.
Wilt entered the league in his age 23 season and played 14 years. He actually planned to play one more year in the ABA so maybe it would be 15 today.
How many rings do his teams win?
How many MVPs does Wilt win?
Does he remain on the Spurs for his entire career?
What does his typical stat line look like in his prime?
Put rookie Wilt on the 97-98 Spurs instead of Duncan. How does his career pan out?
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Put rookie Wilt on the 97-98 Spurs instead of Duncan. How does his career pan out?
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Put rookie Wilt on the 97-98 Spurs instead of Duncan. How does his career pan out?
Now that's the difference between first and last place.
Re: Put rookie Wilt on the 97-98 Spurs instead of Duncan. How does his career pan out?
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Re: Put rookie Wilt on the 97-98 Spurs instead of Duncan. How does his career pan out?
1 or 2 titles starting after 2006. Wilt Chamberlain didn't know how to play 5 vs. 5 basketball for the first half of his career.
Pay no mind to the battles you've won
It'll take a lot more than rage and muscle
Open your heart and hands, my son
Or you'll never make it over the river
It'll take a lot more than rage and muscle
Open your heart and hands, my son
Or you'll never make it over the river
Re: Put rookie Wilt on the 97-98 Spurs instead of Duncan. How does his career pan out?
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Re: Put rookie Wilt on the 97-98 Spurs instead of Duncan. How does his career pan out?
ronnymac2 wrote:1 or 2 titles starting after 2006. Wilt Chamberlain didn't know how to play 5 vs. 5 basketball for the first half of his career.
Do you imagine it would be the same if he was transplanted to 1997-98 and coached by Pop?
I think Wilt might 3-peat or might even do 5 straight from 2002-03 to 2006-07, after he gets Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and rest of the Spurs depth.
Then he gets bored of San Antonio and forces a trade to Cali.

Re: Put rookie Wilt on the 97-98 Spurs instead of Duncan. How does his career pan out?
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Re: Put rookie Wilt on the 97-98 Spurs instead of Duncan. How does his career pan out?
Better than Duncan. He'd get every mvp from 99 or 2000 to 2008, if not more. Spurs would win 8-10 championships in his career.
Re: Put rookie Wilt on the 97-98 Spurs instead of Duncan. How does his career pan out?
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Re: Put rookie Wilt on the 97-98 Spurs instead of Duncan. How does his career pan out?
migya wrote:Better than Duncan. He'd get every mvp from 99 or 2000 to 2008, if not more. Spurs would win 8-10 championships in his career.
How so? He is 13-5 with HCA

"Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships."
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Re: Put rookie Wilt on the 97-98 Spurs instead of Duncan. How does his career pan out?
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Re: Put rookie Wilt on the 97-98 Spurs instead of Duncan. How does his career pan out?
Wilt will not get 50 points per game
Wilt was a better Athlete than Duncan
Duncan and Pop were good leadership
Wilt has questionable leadership
Wilt was a better Athlete than Duncan
Duncan and Pop were good leadership
Wilt has questionable leadership
Re: Put rookie Wilt on the 97-98 Spurs instead of Duncan. How does his career pan out?
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Re: Put rookie Wilt on the 97-98 Spurs instead of Duncan. How does his career pan out?
SinceGatlingWasARookie wrote:Wilt will not get 50 points per game
Wilt was a better Athlete than Duncan
Duncan and Pop were good leadership
Wilt has questionable leadership
Yeah, I agree, 45 points per game much more reasonable than 50.
Life it is not just a series of calculations and a sum total of statistics, it's about experience, it's about participation, it is something more complex and more interesting than what is obvious.
Libeskind
Statistics are no substitute for judgment.
Clay
Libeskind
Statistics are no substitute for judgment.
Clay