Mantis Toboggan M.D.
I’m here for the scraps
I'm not saying there weren't good handlers back then. Just that there's more of them now. Guys did use back cuts and give and go plays a lot because it came from the old mentality of get the closest shot since most of the guys then played or grew up in an era with no 3 point line. It didn't make sense to take jumpers unless you had to. The rules had to be changed like they were because everyone was trying to imitate Jordan against the cavaliers, AI crossing over Jordan, and mike's last shot. That season a guy who didn't even shoot 40% from the field on the head was finals MVP. I think the problem the centers were facing this past decade was an identity crisis from all these things. It wasn't trendy to play like Shaq or Kareem or Hakeem or anyone like that anymore, without great floor spacing you could always zone off a center so you needed great shooters, and the game had to grow into what it is now. Dwight is definitely the star I think would struggle most under the old rules. For whatever reason, his post game never grew into a go to one on one weapon, though it wasn't horrible during his best years. The bigger issue is that what he does and did well on both ends of the floor weren't as important 20-30 years ago. You didn't really need a center who could shut down the pick and roll, offer help defense on the wing whose main skill on offense was running the pick and roll. He was as good a rebounder and defender as the guys were then in my opinion (seriously go back and look at how many bad defenders he used to cover for in Orlando while the Magic were a top tier defense solely because of him. They should have named the defensive player of the year award after him at one point). In the 80's and 90' though you definitely needed a great low post one on one game to thrive as a center. Shame his never grew into that.The first bolded. I wouldn't agree entirely. Yeah you're right the amount of "dominant ball handlers" has definitely increased. But it's not like there were never dominant ball handler's in the past. Like Isiah Thomas. Even though he wasn't a shake and bake guy, Oscar Robertson was a the prototypical ball dominant guard. Also Tiny Archibald, and Earl the Pearl Monroe. Honestly with the motion offense of the 60s and 70s, there was alot of backcuts and screens though. And you're right, a decade ago, the offense was at a all time low, now I think passing is becoming a huge part of the game again
The second bolded. Yeah I totally agree. The big men of the past decade have been underwhelming, and no way would any of the big men in the past decade been starting centers or make any dent in the league. Outside of maybe like 3. Dwight Howard would have been a backup center at best if he played back then. But, you see the new crop of Centers and PF coming up? The young ones that came in the league in the past 3-4 years gives me hope. In 5 years, it'll be a inside-out big man league in no time
and have had the privilege to see 7 of the top 10 scorers in NBA history in their prime, (I was too young to appreciate Hayes, Moses Malone, and Kareem in their primes).
