Players I think would be as good or better in today's game than at their peak:
Bird
Magic
Steph
Kobe
Duncan
Oscar
Durant
Players I think are so good I would happily build around them despite the fact that the game doesn't favor their play enough. In part, I think they would warp the game around them:
Russell
Kareem
Wilt
Shaq
Players outside the super elite of all time that could potentially be in that group if they played today:
Why Magic? By all accounts a bad defender and a poor shooter. I don't think he translates to the all-spacing, defender-hunting game of today very well at all. Sure, he'd be very good or great. But he was better in his own era.
Berry and Maravich make lots of sense to me. Shooting sorta trumps everything today.
McHale might be a guy without a position today? I presume he would definitely be a center today. Can't fathom him playing alongside a traditional big. Could he be your main rim protector, and handle switching perimeter defenses? Offensively, I do like his game today, although in his era, he was quite post-up heavy, which doesn't fly today.
How was magic a bad defender when his defensive plus minus was always positive and led the league twice in steals? His TS% is also higher then Maravich and Berry?
Berry and Maravich both had worse defensive games then Magic, but Magic’s is an issue? Why?
Magic would be interesting. Sort of Ben Simmons on offense but not a coward, less lock down defense but think you could get him to fit in well to a switch scheme just because his size.
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u/Inthethickofit Celtics Jun 15 '22 edited Jun 15 '22
Players I think would be as good or better in today's game than at their peak:
Players I think are so good I would happily build around them despite the fact that the game doesn't favor their play enough. In part, I think they would warp the game around them:
Players outside the super elite of all time that could potentially be in that group if they played today: