Yesterday's NBA vs.Today's NBA

At some point the games elite athletes took over, and then at some point after that, athletic players started to think that they could put on an “And 1” display and beat people.

It’s no wonder that the better teams and players today are usually in the extreme minority as fundamental superiors. By the time you reach the conference finals, you are usually reduced to the few teams that still play basketball like most teams had to play in the 1980s.

Forget fundamentals, what about just playing hard? Ronald Dupree has survived as NBA journeyman today by basically taking a Chris Doleman approach to basketball. Dupree makes Rodney McCray look like a legend of the game from a basketball skills standpoint.

Next, is the NBA really bigger, stronger and faster?

I was recently told that Yao Ming and Al Jefferson are two of the best five centers in the NBA. Are they bigger and stronger than any of the following players:

Hakeem Olajuwon
David Robinson
Moses Malone
Robert Parrish
Patrick Ewing
Brad Daugherty
Bill Laimbeer
Mark Eaton
Kevin Willis

Are they even bigger and stronger than Karl Malone and Charles Barkley? They may be taller than Barkley, but Karl Malone in his prime would look at both of these “centers” and basically be like “yeah, AND?”

What about Dirk Nowitzki? How many 1990 power forwards is he “stronger” than? I’ll tell you how Dirk would have fared in 1990. Say he played the Detroit Pistons. First, they would have clotheslined him a couple times, since that was basically legal in 1990 (imagine how much more athletic a '90s player looks when he isn’t being plucked out of mid-air WWF style).

Then Dennis Rodman would have followed him everywhere he went, would have been up in his chest like Lennox Lewis, and Isiah and Dumars would have been streaking in underneath ready to pick his dribble. Then Laimbeer and Mahorn would have taken turns fouling him in ways that would warrant a twenty game suspension in today’s league, and that’s about the last you would have heard of Dirk’s “beautiful basketball.” He would have been good back then, but he would not be an MVP candidate.

What about faster? Hill seems to think that McGrady and Carter are better players than Joe Dumars. Are they really faster side to side? There’s a reason that every NFL team doesn’t sport a bunch of 6’7” wide receivers. Because as you get taller, you lose quickness and your center of gravity raises, which causes less balance and agility.

Today’s players may jump higher, but they often get fewer opportunities to take off because they lack the quickness to clear the space needed to launch yourself without obstruction. Luol Deng jumps high, but can you ever see him beating Scottie Pippen off the dribble? I can’t even see him beating Larry Bird in a wash.

Here’s another thing to consider. A little secret if you will. Lean in. Steroids, human growth hormone and speed may not be confined to Major League Baseball and the NFL. There just might be some NBA players taking it. For legal purposes, I am not asserting that even one NBA player is juicing, but scientists have come out and said it.

The evolution of mankind cannot naturally take place in a way that will make athletes get noticeably bigger and faster in twenty years. And don’t start with the “supplements” stuff. They had whey protein in 1990, and health clubs with nice equipment were everywhere.

“When Jordan played, he was a singular force that could not be equaled. Jordan was guarded by the likes of John Starks and Joe Dumars, who were fine players but weren't nearly as skilled or physically imposing as LeBron, D-Wade, Tracy McGrady or even Vince Carter.”

Way to start out with about the tenth best shooting guard Jordan faced early in his career. That would be like referencing centers today and starting with Eddy Curry or Erick Dampier. Using that alarming lack of logic, I could craft this sentence:

“Kobe takes it to the paint against the likes of Erick Dampier and Tyson Chandler, who are fine centers, but aren’t nearly as skilled or physically imposing as Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Moses Malone, Patrick Ewing or even Robert Parrish.”

Yesterday’s positions against today’s positions

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