Kevin Garnett: ‘I don’t think guys from 20 years ago could play in this game’

[Draft Crazy]

Craig Hodges would clearly be Stephen Curry in today’s NBA.

 

[Robotech]

Rule changes are a lot of it, maybe even most of it. Rule changes made the league less physical which favors smaller, quicker players. It's easier for a guy Steph Curry's size to drive to the basket when he knows the 7 footer in the paint can't make him pay for it.

Kind of make you marvel at guys like Iverson who were attacking the rim when it could get you killed. lol

I think Steph has an undeserved reputation as being weak. There was an article from about five years ago that said that he had the second highest deadlift on the Warriors behind only Festus Ezeli. I know he isn't huge, but he's actually bigger and stronger than many of the point guards from back in the day. Bigger than Isiah, Stockton, Mark Price, Mark Jackson, and of course, Allen Iverson. There's a reason that Curry is one of the great inside finishers in NBA history. He's well built, and I can't believe that I found this picture by Googling "Stephen Curry physique." LOL.

 

[Pastafazul]

Defense, I’m starting to watch a little more BB than I have in years.. I don’t see much of it being played . Years ago, when you got scored on you took it so serious, you clobbered the guy for showin you up the next time you had ball. Today, you get scored on, and it’s take the ball out and do same onto the other . No emotion , nothing! Defense is intense emotion!

nobody takes anything personal these days.

also, the commentators make similar comments, I believe one game I was watching they named like maybe 5 players that really commit to playing good solid d, I believe qami Leonard was tops ...

 

[flyerhawk]

I think you could've picked just about any other big from that era and had better luck with this argument honestly.

I agree with that on premise. That a lot of the bigs from then would struggle with the rules of today's game. He just happened to be ahead of his time.

I don't think a single big from the 70s and 80s would have any success in the NBA today. Including Laimbeer. Maybe Kareem but the game is just so vastly different today.

I know that some fans would consider this sacrilege but it's not really all that debatable to me.

 

[flyerhawk]

I think Steph has an undeserved reputation as being weak. There was an article from about five years ago that said that he had the second highest deadlift on the Warriors behind only Festus Ezeli. I know he isn't huge, but he's actually bigger and stronger than many of the point guards from back in the day. Bigger than Isiah, Stockton, Mark Price, Mark Jackson, and of course, Allen Iverson. There's a reason that Curry is one of the great inside finishers in NBA history. He's well built, and I can't believe that I found this picture by Googling "Stephen Curry physique." LOL.

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Generally speaking athletes today in all sports are in much better physical condition. They eat better. They have better training and they accept that it is a requirement for success today. Of course there are exceptions.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

I don't think a single big from the 70s and 80s would have any success in the NBA today. Including Laimbeer. Maybe Kareem but the game is just so vastly different today.

I know that some fans would consider this sacrilege but it's not really all that debatable to me.

That's crazy talk

 

[trojanfan12]

I think Steph has an undeserved reputation as being weak.

It's not about the strength, it's about the size. In the 80's and 90's the no layup rule was a real thing and if a smaller player entered the paint, he got clobbered. The stuff bigs used to do to smaller players would get them ejected in today's game.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

It would be fun to draw up the difference in video etc and I may do it as an exercise but like tlance said you have changes... the big one is defensive 3 in the key. So back in the day you obviously could double but it had to be a hard double, you could switch but it had to be a hard switch. But the bigs had the benefit of selling out because as long as they stayed within 3 feet of their man (or any man really) they were good. So they could park there and collapse when a guard got by their guy.

Now, teams use their bigs to draw the middle of the D out. So if you're running a pick and roll.. let's say with the 5 your 4 is going to pull his man away from the hoop. That is where a 4 that can not hit a 3 is an issue because teams could sell out and let him wander and still collapse on the roller.

Anywhoo, so with the inability to zone in the day there were a lot more one on one matchups with bigs just outside the paint where the good bigs all harnessed a nice post up game. You don't see near as much of that anymore. And for some that killed some of the beauty of the game.

 

[The Q]

Ironically I think KG would’ve been fine. Literally just needed to learn to take one more step back and he’d be a clear top 5ish player of all time.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

Long story short you could run intentional isos with guys like olajuwon. Now a defense can ignore that iso and collapse on it and leave their man. So it isn't an intentional zone but they don't have to worry about illegal defense as they did before.

So you need a big that can spread the floor rather than succeed in those low post or short mid matchups

 

[Robotech]

Ironically I think KG would’ve been fine. Literally just needed to learn to take one more step back and he’d be a clear top 5ish player of all time.

He's perfect for today's game. Athletic big, excellent defender, and has shooting range.

 

[Golden Spur]

In the article, Garnett talks about how you can't hand-check as much anymore, and that's huge. And in any era, teams set their personnel to the rules. You had more physical players in the paint back then. Big centers who could post like Ewing, Kareem, and Shaq, defenders like Laimbeer and Cartwright. The game was more defensive, especially in the playoffs, where everything slowed down.

But he's painting with a broad brush. To name two, Jordan and Worthy were as good of athletes as anyone in the game now. As far as offensive skill, a guy like Reggie Miller would be in his element.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

Hand checking had to go

In college before they started hammering it teams would basically foul the shit out of opposing teams daring the refs to call them all and called that defense. Ahem Louisville. Cough MSU

 

[trojanfan12]

In the article, Garnett talks about how you can't hand-check as much anymore, and that's huge. And in any era, teams set their personnel to the rules. You had more physical players in the paint back then. Big centers who could post like Ewing, Kareem, and Shaq, defenders like Laimbeer and Cartwright. The game was more defensive, especially in the playoffs, where everything slowed down.

But he's painting with a broad brush. To name two, Jordan and Worthy were as good of athletes as anyone in the game now. As far as offensive skill, a guy like Reggie Miller would be in his element.

Reggie would be a taller Steph Curry. In today's game where no one could touch him...he'd be scary.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

When you look where the scoring was headed in the early 2000s something had to be done

 

[Robotech]

Reggie would be a taller Steph Curry. In today's game where no one could touch him...he'd be scary.

Wasn't Reggie more of a catch and shoot guy?

 

[trojanfan12]

When you look where the scoring was headed in the early 2000s something had to be done

Problem is, they went too far. Imo, the 80's had the best mix of physicality and finesse. Teams like the Lakers who were known for their finesse could still get physical and more physical teams like the Celtics, could still get out and run.

 

[trojanfan12]

Wasn't Reggie more of a catch and shoot guy?

That's where he did most of his damage. But he actually was also really good at driving to the hoop. He just didn't do it a lot because he was rail thin and didn't want to get killed. In today's game he'd be able to drive to the hoop a lot more.

 

[Golden Spur]

Wasn't Reggie more of a catch and shoot guy?

Largely, but for that very reason he'd be great today on a team with good ball movement. Which is one of the big changes in the game in the time interval being discussed, imo.

 

[trojanfan12]

Largely, but for that very reason he'd be great today on a team with good ball movement. Which is one of the big changes in the game in the time interval being discussed, imo.

That's my favorite thing about today's game. The ball movement is as good as it's ever been.