NBA Then and Now: How 2016-17's Superstars Would Have Fared in the Past
What if Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson were challenging for triple-doubles at the same time?
Could Anthony Davis have held his own against the legendary centers who roamed NBA hardwood before the advent of the three-point line? What would Stephen Curry have done against all the retired players who have criticized him and his Golden State Warriors in recent years?
These are questions we'll never truly get to answer. No one (to our knowledge) has invented a time machine, and any future creation of such a device would probably focus on more pressing inquiries first.
But we can pretend.
Here, we're taking modern NBA superstars and putting them in a past decade, looking to provide educated speculation about how they'd perform in such a scenario.
Who would emerge as their biggest contemporary rival? Which player from that era would serve as the best comparison? Would they be better off now or then?
And, most importantly, how would they do?
Russell Westbrook in the 1960s
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Biggest Rival: Jerry West
Most Comparable Player: Oscar Robertson
Better Off Playing in 1960s or 2016-17? Then
If Russell Westbrook won't stop racking up triple-doubles for the Oklahoma City Thunder in today's NBA, just imagine what he could do replacing Oscar Robertson on the 1961-62 Cincinnati Royals.
Robertson became the first and only player to average a triple-double for an entire season—an accomplishment so otherworldly it took years for the significance to set in—but he did so while using 25.9 more possessions per 48 minutes than Westbrook receives on the current Thunder.
Assuming he could maintain his present level, Westbrook would average 39.1 points, 13.8 rebounds and 14.3 assists with the Royals' pace. That ignores other confounding factors—the difficulty of travel in the 1960s, for example—but it should help put in perspective just how nuts the point guard's current numbers could become.
Though the era's defensive aces (think: Jerry West) would focus on slowing him down in isolation, Westbrook's game would be tailor-made for the decade.
He wouldn't have to worry about lofting up triples, because that gimmicky arc wouldn't yet exist. He could constantly attack the basket, taking advantage of the breakneck speeds with his superior athleticism. Everything about the style of play would allow him to maximize his output.
Perhaps the only problem would be the constant delays he'd create. Breakaway rims weren't introduced to NBA action until 1981-82, and Westbrook would've shattered plenty of backboards during the '60s.
Another We Want Taken Back: Ricky Rubio
If the world thought Bob Cousy was flashy with his behind-the-back passes and fancy dribbling, just think about the reaction to Ricky Rubio's flair. Even during an era that notoriously hesitated to hand out assists, Rubio would have dazzled defenses and racked up dimes.
Anthony Davis in the 1970s
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Biggest Rival: Dave Cowens
Most Comparable Player: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Better Off Playing in 1970s or 2016-17? Now
Parity ruled the 1970s.
The New York Knicks (twice), Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics (twice), Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, Washington Bullets and Seattle SuperSonics all emerged as champions, while a plethora of big men patrolled the paint. Looking only at centers, we had Willis Reed, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dave Cowens, Bob McAdoo, Bill Walton and Moses Malone win MVP.
How could we not want to see Anthony Davis go to war against that gauntlet?
Sure, it would be tough for him to stay healthy while playing against that murderers' row, especially because the NBA of the '70s was a far more physical place. Hard fouls ruled the roost, and players weren't strangers to errant elbows and punches when dominating a game.
If Davis remained in working order, he'd add a new signature move to a decade that featured one sky-hook after another from Abdul-Jabbar. No one would be able to slow down his mid-range jumper and simultaneously keep him away from the basket. Even without players willing to throw him lobs around the rim, he'd be able to score in a variety of ways while playing fantastic defense against a smaller crop of big men.
But it could get better.
If Davis were transported back into the '70s but suited up for an ABA team, he'd become a cult hero within nanoseconds. Style mattered as much as substance in that league. Fans watching a 7-footer take players off the dribble, throw down vicious slams in transition, knock down a few triples and ferociously reject players around the rim might literally have to deal with brain explosions.
Another We Want Taken Back: Karl-Anthony Towns
Karl-Anthony Towns isn't as far along in his development as Davis, but he's another example of the modern big-man blueprint. He can do just as many different things on the court, and his ability to play through contact might make him an even better fit in the '70s.
LeBron James in the 1980s
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Biggest Rival: Larry Bird
Most Comparable Player: Magic Johnson
Better Off Playing in 1980s or 2016-17? Does it matter?
The 1980s featured plenty of points amid one-on-one offense, but the players who subscribed to those philosophies rarely achieved much success. Michael Jordan didn't win his titles until the Chicago Bulls grew stronger around him in the '90s, while high-scoring stars such as Dominique Wilkins, Alex English, Adrian Dantley and Bernard King went ringless.
LeBron James wouldn't have to become a one-man wrecking crew. Instead, he could take on those scoring icons, play against versatile Hall of Famers such as Larry Bird and run a team in the Magic Johnson style. It's actually not too different than what he's doing with the current Cleveland Cavaliers by deferring scoring responsibilities to Kyrie Irving and averaging a career high in assists.
"It can all be encapsulated in one line: James is averaging the fewest shots (17.2) and the most assists (9.7) per game in his career," ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst wrote at the end of November. "This is how he has always wanted to play. He has had flashes of it in the past. But never has he had a roster that so suits his talents and desires, which is to be a conductor, not a solo act."
Put him back in the '80s, and you might not have as many shooters surrounding him. But he could help emulate the Showtime Lakers while taking over games with his scoring acumen whenever necessary. Given the pace and offensive emphasis of the era, it wouldn't be unreasonable to except 20/10 nights on a regular basis.
Plus, James would have helped revitalize the popularity of the sport along with Bird and Johnson.
He'd be another icon to build around, and we could finally dispel of the notion he only thrives in the modern NBA because it's so much softer than the eras of old. It might take a few games to adjust after his exhortations for whistles went unanswered, but a physical specimen in the 2010s would be a physical specimen in any other decade.
Another We Want Taken Back: Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi Leonard is rather easily the best defensive wing we've seen in the modern NBA, becoming the first non-big to win Defensive Player of the Year since Metta World Peace in 2004, as well as the first back-to-back winner since Sidney Moncrief in 1983 and '84. Of course we want to see him guarding late-'80s Jordan—the best individual version of the G.O.A.T.
Stephen Curry in the 1990s
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Biggest Rival: Michael Jordan
Most Comparable Player: Rich man's Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (shoutout Phil Jackson)
Better Off Playing in 1990s or 2016-17? Now
"He's not more than a shooter. He's just a great shooter," Charles Barkley told Dime Magazine's Jack Winter and Spencer Lund about Stephen Curry.
"I just don't think coaches today in basketball understand the game of basketball. They don't know anything about defenses. They don't know what people are doing on the court. They talk about analytical basketball and stuff like that," Oscar Robertson said on ESPN's Mike & Mike Show (h/t NJ.com's Randy Miller), complaining about modern coaches not asking their troops to play tighter defense against Curry.
The Hall of Famer also compared Buddy Hield to Curry and hinted that the former might be a more complete player.
Stephen Jackson thinks the 2006-07 Golden State Warriors, who went 42-40, could've beaten last year's record-setting bunch because the NBA has grown so much softer. Cedric Ceballos said the following on the Steve Gorman Sports! Show (h/t USA Today's Maggie Hendricks) while claiming his 1993-94 Phoenix Suns could stomp the '16-17 Dubs:
"Steph Curry, an unbelievable shooter, but [Kevin Johnson] was a point guard's nightmare because he was strong and loved to go to the basket. That's one thing these teams do not do. They do not expose Steph Curry and the way he plays defense."
Let's give Curry a chance to defend himself against the rough-and-tumble defenses of the '90s, back when hand-checking was still legal and the Detroit Pistons could get away with enforcing their Jordan Rules during postseason play.
The best shooter in NBA history would need a coach willing to let his creativity shine—something that didn't often happen during this decade. But so long as he had someone like Don Nelson calling the shots, he'd torch a league unprepared for his long-range assault. And that's even if we didn't put him into a year with a shortened three-point arc.
It's easy to say Curry would be overwhelmed by the era's physicality. It's harder, however, to slow him down when you're playing tight to prevent treys and then get blown by for a creative finish around the rim, where he's shooting 71.8 percent. Defenses had enough trouble with an older John Stockton, and the reigning MVP has far slicker handles.
His game is still customized for the current pace-and-space era, but expecting him to struggle two decades prior is pure nostalgic foolishness. Plus, his defense might even look better if he was allowed to use his strong core and hands to keep players out of the lane.
Another We Want Taken Back: Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant vs. Scottie Pippen. Enough said.
Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 2000s
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Biggest Rival: Kobe Bryant
Most Comparable Player: LeBron James
Better Off Playing in 2000s or 2016-17? Now
To be clear, we're talking about the early 2000s here.
You know, the period that saw the NBA world embroiled in an unending search for the next Michael Jordan, identifying myriad players who ranged from Kobe Bryant to Jerry Stackhouse. Isolation basketball and hero ball reigned supreme while games slowed down and featured declining scores.
What would happen if we transported a burgeoning superstar from the modern era?
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the antithesis of the hero-ball ideologies, choosing to play like a point guard while dominating without a perimeter jumper—or any type of jumper. His defensive abilities would fit right in, but his offense would throw everyone for a serious loop while convincing the world the next great player didn't have to play like Mike.
Just imagine Antetokounmpo going head-to-head with Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers and mitigating the impact of the Black Mamba's scoring prowess by always making the right plays. Think about him trying to slow down Allen Iverson in 2001, Tracy McGrady in 2003 or Kevin Garnett in 2004. Has any other player been so uniquely talented that he could legitimately line up against all four of those legends and still find time to contribute on offense in unorthodox fashion?
"We have special players that we come across," Milwaukee Bucks head coach Jason Kidd recently said, per Bleacher Report's Dan Favale. "LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan. And Giannis is one of those rare players we'll be able to enjoy for a long time."
The current NBA is already struggling to figure out exactly what it has in Antetokounmpo; the early 2000s would have no idea.
Even if the aptly named "Greek Freak" would be better off today while surrounded by players who can space the court around him, we can't help but wonder how much fun it would be to see him butt heads with hero ball itself.
Another We Want Taken Back: James Harden
Would James Harden have been called "the next Jordan" if he'd come around a decade earlier? He doesn't mind taking over games as a scorer and has the ability to assume crazy usage rates without seeing his efficiency decline. Battles between him and peak Iverson or Bryant would be must-see television.
