NBA History Question of The Day.... 8-14

[Diesel]

Who is more successful?

1. Lebron in Jordan's Era.
2. Jordan in Lebron's Era.
3. Curry in Jordan's Era. 
4. Steve Nash in Today's Era.
5. Shaq in Today's Era.  

[AHF]

Jordan in LeBron’s era (Jordan would be great in any era but handchecking rules would make him a nightmare)

(LeBron and Shaq would be my next two picks and I think they would both be dominant in any era)

[Spud2nique]

25 minutes ago, AHF said:

Jordan would be great in any era but handchecking rules would make him a nightmare)

This. 

[Diesel]

2 hours ago, AHF said:

Jordan in LeBron’s era (Jordan would be great in any era but handchecking rules would make him a nightmare)

(LeBron and Shaq would be my next two picks and I think they would both be dominant in any era)

Shaq was not immediately dominant in Jordan's era.  At least towards a championship. 

Jordan definitely would be a 40-50 ppg player in this era.

But I wouldn't dismiss Nash so much.   IN 2007-2008, he shot 47% from 3 on 4 attempts per game.   In this era, he would be expected to shoot more threes.   That has the makings of a monster. 

 

[djjob23]

5 hours ago, Diesel said:

Shaq was not immediately dominant in Jordan's era.  At least towards a championship. 

Jordan definitely would be a 40-50 ppg player in this era.

But I wouldn't dismiss Nash so much.   IN 2007-2008, he shot 47% from 3 on 4 attempts per game.   In this era, he would be expected to shoot more threes.   That has the makings of a monster. 

 

100%. My hierarchy of who would be more successful:

1. Jordan in LeBron’s era: Offense would be tremendous due to hand checking, but I do believe he’d struggle more on defense. Regardless, it’s Jordan, he’s too competitive to not be the greatest.
2. Nash in today’s era: 7-8 3’s per game, yes please. He’d have similar impacts like Trae Young today.
3. LeBron in Jordan’s era: Less 3 point shooting plays to his strengths. Would love to see him play without the hand checking rule and wonder if he’d have as long of a career.
4. Curry in Jordan’s era: less 3’s and not sure if he’d be athletic enough for this era. 
5. Shaq in today’s era: Today’s game needs players like this again, but his glaring FT weakness (hack a Shaq) would be exploited. His muscles would become a weakness (like we saw with Dwight Howard) and a lot of offensive fouls would likely be called in a weaker era.

[shakes]

9 hours ago, Diesel said:

Who is more successful?

1. Lebron in Jordan's Era.
2. Jordan in Lebron's Era.
3. Curry in Jordan's Era. 
4. Steve Nash in Today's Era.
5. Shaq in Today's Era.  

I'll take MJ in any era thank you.

 

dead last would be Curry in Jordan's era.  Curry wouldn't be allowed to play like that 25-30 years ago.  Would've never seen the floor for a lot of teams.  Then, if by some miracle he found a coach that actually let him play how he wanted the second he started knocking down bushels of 3s he would've been fouled so hard and so often that he would've broken into 1000 pieces.

 

[Diesel]

12 minutes ago, djjob23 said:

Nash in today’s era: 7-8 3’s per game, yes please. He’d have similar impacts like Trae Young today.

His 3pt% was much higher than Trae's (~43% for his career).   Can you imagine the gravity he would exploit?  His assists totals was a little better also (~11 apg in his prime). 

14 minutes ago, djjob23 said:

LeBron in Jordan’s era: Less 3 point shooting plays to his strengths. Would love to see him play without the hand checking rule and wonder if he’d have as long of a career.

Lebron in a competitive league?  Lebron with the physicality of Jordan's era?  The reason why Lebron is so durable is because he didn't have to endure the physicality that they faced in the Jordan era.  He may have turned out to be similar to Karl Malone but he would have to deal with the physicality. 

16 minutes ago, djjob23 said:

Curry in Jordan’s era: less 3’s and not sure if he’d be athletic enough for this era. 

This is a good point.   Curry would have to deal with the physicality too.  Guys who could check you and foul you as they did it... with no whistle. 

17 minutes ago, djjob23 said:

Shaq in today’s era: Today’s game needs players like this again, but his glaring FT weakness (hack a Shaq) would be exploited. His muscles would become a weakness (like we saw with Dwight Howard) and a lot of offensive fouls would likely be called in a weaker era.

It's disrespectful to lump Shaq in with Dwight Howard.  It was nothing for Shaq to average 29 and 13 in his prime... with FG% around 60%.  A few years ago we saw the dominance of Zion Williamson.    Well Zion is 6'6".   Shaq is 7'1.  Whatever Zion thought was dominant, Shaq did 10 times over.  Shaq would hold this era in the palm of his hand because he would be the most physical player and nobody would be able to stop him.  Dwight Howard was never the offensive engine that Shaq was and he never took the game serious.  Dwight's best year, he was 22.9 ppg.  That's Shaq taking it easy. 

 

 

[Diesel]

30 minutes ago, shakes said:

Curry wouldn't be allowed to play like that 25-30 years ago.  Would've never seen the floor for a lot of teams. 

Maybe before your time but they let Michael Adams, Mark Price, Dale Ellis, and Danny Ainge all had a green light.  Hell Even Mookie Blaylock got his time to shine.  People forget Lenny tried to recreate the three bombarderes with Mookie, Smitty and Ty Corbin/Henry James. 

 

 

[djjob23]

14 minutes ago, Diesel said:

It's disrespectful to lump Shaq in with Dwight Howard.  It was nothing for Shaq to average 29 and 13 in his prime... with FG% around 60%.  A few years ago we saw the dominance of Zion Williamson.    Well Zion is 6'6".   Shaq is 7'1.  Whatever Zion thought was dominant, Shaq did 10 times over.  Shaq would hold this era in the palm of his hand because he would be the most physical player and nobody would be able to stop him.  Dwight Howard was never the offensive engine that Shaq was and he never took the game serious.  Dwight's best year, he was 22.9 ppg.  That's Shaq taking it easy. 

The Dwight comparison was in relation to offensive fouls due to his strength (never said Shaq would be like Dwight Howard). Shaq’s game was bully dominant and that wouldn’t fly in today’s era. Shaq would definitely be more productive than Dwight,, but wouldn’t be more successful than he was in his era. Zion has more finesse in his game than Dwight or Shaq and would likely have a more successful career in todays era (if he could stay healthy).

[shakes]

26 minutes ago, Diesel said:

Maybe before your time but they let Michael Adams, Mark Price, Dale Ellis, and Danny Ainge all had a green light.  Hell Even Mookie Blaylock got his time to shine.  People forget Lenny tried to recreate the three bombarderes with Mookie, Smitty and Ty Corbin/Henry James. 

 

 

lol before my time.  i wish that was before my time.  I went to college with Mookie Blaylock.   

 

None of those players you mentioned had the green light I'm referring to.  None of them put up nearly 10 3s per game like Curry.  Price put up 3.4 attempts per game.  Curry averages more 3PM per game than Price averaged attempts.  And none of them came close to attempting shots from as far back as Curry, not even close.

[djjob23]

22 minutes ago, Diesel said:

His 3pt% was much higher than Trae's (~43% for his career).   Can you imagine the gravity he would exploit?  His assists totals was a little better also (~11 apg in his prime). 

Agreed! If he could keep up his 3p% with more shots and todays perimeter defense, it would truly be amazing to watch. I do wonder if Nash’s assist numbers would go up in today’s era. The assist stat is quite subjective and during his era there was speculation that assists were counted more often during home games (begging the question on whether assists were counted more leniently during home games). Not to say Nash’s assist counts weren’t accurate, but he played in an era where others (like Jason Kidd & Chris Paul) are questioned for some of their assist numbers.

[Diesel]

57 minutes ago, djjob23 said:

Shaq’s game was bully dominant and that wouldn’t fly in today’s era.

 

[Diesel]

37 minutes ago, shakes said:

None of those players you mentioned had the green light I'm referring to.  None of them put up nearly 10 3s per game like Curry.  Price put up 3.4 attempts per game.  Curry averages more 3PM per game than Price averaged attempts.  And none of them came close to attempting shots from as far back as Curry, not even close.

With the change in era came the change in shots...  Curry didn't start off shooting 10 3 per game.   However Adams and Mookie had green lights.   I think Mookie tipped out at about 8 per game and he was a mediocre 3 pt shooter.  That was more than KK in our best season. 

 

 

 

[Diesel]

39 minutes ago, djjob23 said:

Agreed! If he could keep up his 3p% with more shots and todays perimeter defense, it would truly be amazing to watch. I do wonder if Nash’s assist numbers would go up in today’s era. The assist stat is quite subjective and during his era there was speculation that assists were counted more often during home games (begging the question on whether assists were counted more leniently during home games). Not to say Nash’s assist counts weren’t accurate, but he played in an era where others (like Jason Kidd & Chris Paul) are questioned for some of their assist numbers.

That could be a thing.  Unfortunately assists are subjective... Just like somebody calling travelling.   I view Trae as the Unicorn because he gets assists like Nash but his scoring is top 10 in the league.   Nash never scored much.   I think he never had a season in the 20s... I may be wrong.    But if you think about the fact that he won 2 MVPs and Trae is a better scorer, just as good an assist guy and his team wins but not as stacked... and Trae has trouble getting on the all NBA team... it makes you question the subjectiveness of those All NBA teams. 

 

[djjob23]

2 minutes ago, Diesel said:

That could be a thing.  Unfortunately assists are subjective... Just like somebody calling travelling.   I view Trae as the Unicorn because he gets assists like Nash but his scoring is top 10 in the league.   Nash never scored much.   I think he never had a season in the 20s... I may be wrong.    But if you think about the fact that he won 2 MVPs and Trae is a better scorer, just as good an assist guy and his team wins but not as stacked... and Trae has trouble getting on the all NBA team... it makes you question the subjectiveness of those All NBA teams. 

 

OH 100%! The Trae hate is real and the decision makers for those awards already made their minds up after the 1st half of his rookie season. When Trae had a slow start compared to Luka’s (primed off of Euroleague competition), there could only be 1 winner and they want it that way to not look like fools.

[AHF]

With Nash I just don’t believe he was wired to be a volume scorer.  His efficiency is enhanced materially by the low volume of attempts.  If he could get much more aggressive obviously that would play well but there were guards doing that in his era and he never attempted it.

[macdaddy]

You guys are crazy if you think a guy who can shoot like Curry wouldn't work in any era.  If he can be played more physical then the screens to get him open looks can be more physical.  

[shakes]

5 minutes ago, macdaddy said:

You guys are crazy if you think a guy who can shoot like Curry wouldn't work in any era.  If he can be played more physical then the screens to get him open looks can be more physical.  

It's not that he wouldn't work in any era, but from the choices listed in the OP I think it's not even debatable that he would struggle the most.

[Diesel]

3 hours ago, AHF said:

With Nash I just don’t believe he was wired to be a volume scorer.  His efficiency is enhanced materially by the low volume of attempts.  If he could get much more aggressive obviously that would play well but there were guards doing that in his era and he never attempted it.

That's an interesting theory.   Basically saying that he was shot selective so that aided him being a 47% 3pt shooter at one time.   I don't necessarily agree there.   I believe than D'Antoni's offense system and fast play (similar to Westhead's) allowed for more open three opportunities.   I mean, what are you going to do.. stop Amare and Marion or let Nash have a wide open set 3 pter.  When you take the floor with Amare, Marion, Joe Johnson, J Richardson and Steve Nash.. it is too many weapons out there which won't allow you to key in on Nash.  IN fact, you're trained (at that time) to give them the tougher shot.   I would have loved to see Nash pulling 8 3pters per game like Mookie did.   I agree with you, he was much to much a PG to do that because he had too many other weapons to be selfish. 

 

That brings about a question.  As Trae get more weapons, will he shoot less?

 

[Diesel]

37 minutes ago, shakes said:

It's not that he wouldn't work in any era, but from the choices listed in the OP I think it's not even debatable that he would struggle the most.

I think Curry's struggle would be minds and hearts... and not skills.  It's no lie that the Splash brothers ushered in this new era.   He still had to win over some minds and hearts and it took a Steve Kerr.

Him Jumping + 3 attempts in 2012 is Jackson letting him be free  and +3 more attemp=s in 2015 is all Steve Kerr. 

Mark Jackson team put up 1351 3pters. 

Steve Kerr's team put up 2592 3 pters. 

That's almost double the amount.  Steve Kerr believes in Let it fly!  Steph needed that to become the fuller player that he is now.  Curry would have had to effect coaches in that era to want to be let it fly coaches.    Not even Westhead had tht kind of greenlight.