2023-24 NBA Thread

[MU82]

Shaq and Hakeem were the exception not the rule

Maybe, maybe not. I could give you plenty of names - David Robinson, Bill Walton, Kevin McHale, Karl Malone. I mean, how bout freakin Kareem and effen Wilt ... come on.

But remember ... dopey Edwards said Jordan was the ONLY skilled player. So not even Shaq and Hakeem in his eyes.

It's just a ridiculous take from a guy who admitted his ignorance at the very start of his ridiculous take.

[4 Falling Turds]

Maybe, maybe not. I could give you plenty of names - David Robinson, Bill Walton, Kevin McHale, Karl Malone. I mean, how bout freakin Kareem and effen Wilt ... come on.

But remember ... dopey Edwards said Jordan was the ONLY skilled player. So not even Shaq and Hakeem in his eyes.

It's just a ridiculous take from a guy who admitted his ignorance at the very start of his ridiculous take.

He seems to have accomplished his goal by riling you up at least. NBA twitter thrives on these takes.

[Pakuni]

Shaq and Hakeem were the exception not the rule

Who are the current bigs with equal skill? I assume there must be a dozen.

[wadesworld]

He seems to have accomplished his goal by riling you up at least. NBA twitter thrives on these takes.

Exactly.

[JWags85]

Michael Starr

We pivoting to Steel Panther?

[lawdog77]

Who are the current bigs with equal skill? I assume there must be a dozen.

Iwas talking about dribbling and said taller players-meaning 6 8 or more. There were very few 6 8 guys back in the 80s that could dribble like todays taller players. KD, Paul George, Jayson Tatum, Lebron. There are well more than a dozen guys 6 8 and over that have great ball handling skills

In terms of centers, off the top of my head, Jokic,  Holmgren and Wemby are much better dribblers. Players like Wendell Carter, Bobby Portis, Jakob Poeltl, Myles Turner, Bam Adebayo,Sabonis, Embiid. That's 10 center that are probable better dribblers.

[tower912]

Brad Sellers, one of the first 7' SFs, will forever be known as soft.   Just another example of how times change.

[lawdog77]

Maybe, maybe not. I could give you plenty of names - David Robinson, Bill Walton, Kevin McHale, Karl Malone. I mean, how bout freakin Kareem and effen Wilt ... come on.

But remember ... dopey Edwards said Jordan was the ONLY skilled player. So not even Shaq and Hakeem in his eyes.

It's just a ridiculous take from a guy who admitted his ignorance at the very start of his ridiculous take.

I was simply talking about dribbling/ball handling

[MU82]

He seems to have accomplished his goal by riling you up at least. NBA twitter thrives on these takes.

Guilty.

If only Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars had any skills.

[forgetful]

Maybe, maybe not. I could give you plenty of names - David Robinson, Bill Walton, Kevin McHale, Karl Malone. I mean, how bout freakin Kareem and effen Wilt ... come on.

But remember ... dopey Edwards said Jordan was the ONLY skilled player. So not even Shaq and Hakeem in his eyes.

It's just a ridiculous take from a guy who admitted his ignorance at the very start of his ridiculous take.

Yeah, and clearly there weren't 6'8" ball handlers back in the day of Bird, Magic, Pippen, and Dominique.

[tower912]

Or, the original proponent of the point forward.  Don Nelson with Paul Pressey.

[WhiteTrash]

I think you can make a logical argument the talent is deeper in todays NBA compared to the 80s & 90s due to population growth, increased worldwide talent pool, better training and committed focus to a single sport year-a-round. That argument can be made for every major sport.

Comments like "Jordan was the only skilled player" and "players are 100x more skilled" are silly and wrong. There has been incremental improvement, but, IMO, even an assertion that players are 2x better is a massive stretch and false.

These sports change over time and new strategies & rule changes dictate types of players teams value. The NBA used to value large big men who could bang and guards who could take a physical beating. The arguments made here would lead you to conclude MLB starting pitchers were "100x" more skilled in the 60s and that there are is only a small fraction of "skilled" running backs or linebackers in the NFL today compared to 30 years ago.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

There is a lot more quickness and length on the court now as well. Edwards statement is obviously ridiculous, but the game overall is played at a higher level now than it has at any time in its history. Whether or not that means the players are more skilled, IDK...but it's not really all that relevant. 

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Whoa. The final "Woj Bomb."

https://x.com/wojespn/status/1836414909829034140

And he's going to St. Bonaventure to be the GM of their basketball team.

https://x.com/GoBonnies/status/1836415566963249275

[cheebs09]

Whoa. The final "Woj Bomb."

https://x.com/wojespn/status/1836414909829034140

And he's going to St. Bonaventure to be the GM of their basketball team.

https://x.com/GoBonnies/status/1836415566963249275

Does that mean using his connection to agents and NBA guys for NIL?

[MU82]

Whoa. The final "Woj Bomb."

https://x.com/wojespn/status/1836414909829034140

And he's going to St. Bonaventure to be the GM of their basketball team.

https://x.com/GoBonnies/status/1836415566963249275

Good on him. He was a hell of a reporter, and I wish him well on his new challenge.

[WhiteTrash]

Good on him. He was a hell of a reporter, and I wish him well on his new challenge.

Not many true reporters at ESPN, but he was a good one for sure.

[4everwarriors]

Walkin' away from $20 mil. Datsa lotta Apple stock, hey?

[JWags85]

Whoa. The final "Woj Bomb."

https://x.com/wojespn/status/1836414909829034140

And he's going to St. Bonaventure to be the GM of their basketball team.

https://x.com/GoBonnies/status/1836415566963249275

Speaks a lot to the stress and expectations of that gig that dealing with NIL and college athletes is a relaxing second career.

[MU82]

Great note about new Bucks part owner Junior Bridgeman (from Yahoo Sports):

Despite never making more than $350,000 annually as a hooper, Bridgeman is the fourth-richest NBA player ($600 million net worth), trailing only Michael Jordan ($3.2 billion), Magic Johnson ($1.2 billion) and LeBron James ($1.2 billion).

[WhiteTrash]

Derrick Rose retires after 16 years. Truly one of the most disappointing careers due to injury. I think you can make a sound argument he was trending to be a top 25 player of all time.  I think he would have been #2 of the past 20 years behind LeBron.

[Hards Alumni]

Derrick Rose retires after 16 years. Truly one of the most disappointing careers due to injury. I think you can make a sound argument he was trending to be a top 25 player of all time.  I think he would have been #2 of the past 20 years behind LeBron.

Uh.... maybe.  This is a very bold claim, and I hope you enjoy defending it for the next two pages at least. 

[Uncle Rico]

Uh.... maybe.  This is a very bold claim, and I hope you enjoy defending it for the next two pages at least. 

I don't think it's that far-fetched.  He was an incredible talent before the injuries and the Bulls were certainly capable of winning a title had he been the player he was.

3-time all-star and 1-time MVP entering his prime when the knees became Swiss cheese.  Given his playing style, he probably was doomed to injuries dominating his career, so it's likely the what-if scenario is wishful thinking but I'd listen to an argument he may have been a top-25 all-time talent

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I don't think it's that far-fetched.  He was an incredible talent before the injuries and the Bulls were certainly capable of winning a title had he been the player he was.

3-time all-star and 1-time MVP entering his prime when the knees became Swiss cheese.  Given his playing style, he probably was doomed to injuries dominating his career, so it's likely the what-if scenario is wishful thinking but I'd listen to an argument he may have been a top-25 all-time talent

Top 25 all time I believe.  #2 of the last 20 is a no way from me.

[Lennys Tap]

I don't think it's that far-fetched.  He was an incredible talent before the injuries and the Bulls were certainly capable of winning a title had he been the player he was.

3-time all-star and 1-time MVP entering his prime when the knees became Swiss cheese.  Given his playing style, he probably was doomed to injuries dominating his career, so it's likely the what-if scenario is wishful thinking but I'd listen to an argument he may have been a top-25 all-time talent

Before his injuries Rose was unguardable.