Charles Barkley does have a point. The NBA is going through a transition phase

[Forlife44]

This guy really put Julius randle in there

 

[gho3st]

what a shyt post/thread Never had the nba had so much talent. Does it have 4 top 10 all time players? No. But there's a lot more 2nd tier(all time) superstars. Kobe, Shaq and Duncan saved us from mediocrity the last generation

 

[The Fire]

Exactly, this is what people aren't understanding

Okay.. they're still good enough to make the NBA competitive and entertaining
Lebron was the best player like two years into his career, far from his prime

 

[ISO]

His biggest gripe that I agree with is the over-emphasis on analytics. People like to bring up point totals/averages and shooting percentages when that shyt is for the most part a product of the way today's game is officiated.

Of course teams are gonna score more when you can't handcheck jump shooters or be the least bit physical when someone waltzes into the paint. Bragging about that is like bragging about current NFL passing numbers.

Except teams aren't necessarily scoring more today there is a greater balance.

80's defense was terrible with "handchecking" and increased physicality and there were more FT's taken then by a wide margin.

The 80's is the worst era in NBA history defensively.

 

[FTBS]

Wait, what, excuse me

What...did you stop reading there and miss my explanation or do you not know about the 80s...the actual 80s not the 80s that people hearken back to with rose colored glasses?

 

[Mars]

If you take away the top 5 players at each position from the 1995-96 season,there still was a great amount of depth.And just look at that rookie class

Point guard:
Stockton
A.Hardaway
Kidd
Payton
K.Johnson

Shooting guard:
Jordan
Richmond
Miller
Houston
J.Jackson

Center:
Olajuwon
Shaquille
Ewing
Robinson
Mourning

Power Forward:
Malone
Barkley
Rodman
Kemp
Baker

Small forward:
Pippen
Hill
Rice
G.Robinson
Ceballos

Notable mentions:
T.Hardaway
Strickland
M,Jackson
A.Johnson
M.Blaylock
K.Anderson
T.Brandon
Van Exel
Sprewell
Majerle
Curry
N.Anderson
M.Abdul Raul
B.Phills
V.Maxwell
Horry
Elliot
C.Mills
Mutombo
Smits
Mureson
Polynice
Divac
Mason
D.Davis
A.Davis
L.Vaught
A.Gilliam
C.Gatling
Howard
J.Williams
L.Johnson
C.Robinson
Rose
S.Smith
G.Long
Weatherspoon
P.Jones
T.Gugliotta
T.Kukoc
D.Mckey
D.Scott
G.Mccloud

Rookie class:
J.Smith
Garnett
D.Stoudamire
Mcdyess
Stackhouse
Wallace
Finley
Sabonis
Barry
Reeves
Edney
Ratliff
Sura
Williamson
T.Best
E.Snow

 

[NYC Rebel]

His biggest gripe that I agree with is the over-emphasis on analytics. People like to bring up point totals/averages and shooting percentages when that shyt is for the most part a product of the way today's game is officiated.

Of course teams are gonna score more when you can't handcheck jump shooters or be the least bit physical when someone waltzes into the paint. Bragging about that is like bragging about current NFL passing numbers.

Stop with the hand check bullshyt already

 

[Pimp]

All these sucker ass nikkaz on Super teams made the league boring. We gonna have the same nba finals for the third year in a row. There's no balance right now.

 

[FTBS]

All these sucker ass nikkaz on Super teams made the league boring. We gonna have the same nba finals for the third year in a row. There's no balance right now.

When was there in your life time?

Please do not list also ran ass squads that had no shot and would really get exposed in today's league as proof of balance.

 

[ISO]

If you take away the top 5 players at each position from the 1995-96 season,there still was a great amount of depth.And just look at that rookie class

Point guard:
Stockton
A.Hardaway
Kidd
Payton
K.Johnson

Shooting guard:
Jordan
Richmond
Miller
Houston
J.Jackson

Center:
Olajuwon
Shaquille
Ewing
Robinson
Mourning

Power Forward:
Malone
Barkley
Rodman
Kemp
Baker

Small forward:
Pippen
Hill
Rice
G.Robinson
Ceballos

Notable mentions:
T.Hardaway
Strickland
M,Jackson
A.Johnson
M.Blaylock
K.Anderson
T.Brandon
Van Exel
Sprewell
Majerle
Curry
N.Anderson
M.Abdul Raul
B.Phills
V.Maxwell
Horry
Elliot
C.Mills
Mutombo
Smits
Mureson
Polynice
Divac
Mason
D.Davis
A.Davis
L.Vaught
A.Gilliam
C.Gatling
Howard
J.Williams
L.Johnson
C.Robinson
Rose
S.Smith
G.Long
Weatherspoon
P.Jones
T.Gugliotta
T.Kukoc
D.Mckey
D.Scott
G.Mccloud

Rookie class:
J.Smith
Garnett
D.Stoudamire
Mcdyess
Stackhouse
Wallace
Finley
Sabonis
Barry
Reeves
Edney
Ratliff
Sura
Williamson
T.Best
E.Snow

We just name dropping players now

 

[UpAndComing]

Okay.. they're still good enough to make the NBA competitive and entertaining
Lebron was the best player like two years into his career, far from his prime

Lebron was not the best player in his 2nd year, stop it. With players in 2005 like Duncan, Kobe, Shaq, Dirk, KG, Iverson, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, etc etc
Nobody is the best player in their 2nd season. Not Lebron, not Jordan in his 2nd year, not Shaq in his 2nd year

That's the problem with the NBA media, always propping up young talent like they are the best in the NBA when they aren't even close to being ready
Same like when they were propping up Magic in his rookie season when the Lakers won the title in 1980. Like "Omg he dominated in all positions", like Kareem wasn't dominating the entire series and the reason they even got to a game 5

Or like the whole "Next Jordan" phase. Propping up a young Kobe like he was a top player in 1998, same time he was throwing airballs against the Jazz in the playoffs

These young players ain't reach their prime yet, which is why the whole league is lackluster. Most of the players currently in their prime are average. Lebron, Melo, Wade, and Chris Paul can't carry the league forever unfortunately

 

[Mars]

We just name dropping players now

Point guards not named Stockton,Kidd,Hardaway,Payton ot K.J.

1995-96 stats:

T.Hardaway:15.2p/8.0a(post knee injury)
Stoudamire:19.0p/9.3a/43%fg
Strickland:18.7p/9.6a/47%fg
M,Jackson:10.0p/7.8a/3-1 asst/to ratio
A.Johnson:13.1p/9.6a/49%fg
M.Blaylock;15.7p/5.9a/2.6s
K.Anderson:15.3p/8.0a(post wrist injury)
T.Brandon:19.3p/6.5a/46%fg
Van Exel:14.9p/6.9a

That's quality depth at the PG position.

 

[H. Selassie]

I understand the whole "make the best of what you have" mentality but if y'all dudes are really trying to fool yourselves like this is the greatest era of basketball ever played, delusional doesn't even begin to describe it.

 

[NkrumahWasRight Is Wrong]

This dude listed Travis Best

 

[Mars]

This dude listed Travis Best

Notice,I did not put his name on the notable players list.I mentioned Best as part of the rookie class because he played 10 years in the league,and was a key contributor on a indiana team that went to the nba finals.