Rosen: Yao would Overpower a in his prime Bill Russell

but back then, u see scores in the 150s to 160s. the avg team scored 105-110 ppg. though that's due to good shooting (and i admit players back then have much better fundamentals like a mid-range game), but a faster paced game also led to more rebounds and thus more possessions. as a result, u see a guy like wilt or russell avg 20-22 rebounds a game, which is IMPOSSIBLE today.

plus, on one team, u always have so many athletic players that it's hard for one guy to dominate the boards. look at phoenix

 

4. Putback Missed Free Throw

 

so? Yao would hook shot and shoot over them all day.

 

I personally think Jordan could have averaged 60 back then. He averaged 37.1 ppg in a more difficult era and he also averaged 35 ppg on 24 fga in a more difficult era too.

 

Shaq used to use his crossover on slower big men during the Lakers title runs....that isn't a joke he actually would use it fairly often!

 

The man has only one move, for Christ's sake! spin and dunk? spin,elbow and dunk? elbow,spin and dunk ? It's the same move! Doesn't anybody notice this? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!!

 

Back in his prime he had a great drop step, a crossover and a jump hook.

 

No..they made the Sir Charles rule so you can't do that anymore.

 

I've allways said, people tend to overrate the older generation players. just look at the players back then. wilt was dominating a bunch of 6;4 unatheletic chumps. so was russell.

Now look at the protype players of today. physicaly huge, atheletic , skilledand quick. in my opinion a guy like hakeem or shaq would tear the likes of russell or wilt apart. same with yao and he's humongus frame.

 

Hakeem wasn't much bigger than Russell so size had nothing to do with Hakeem's dominance over every other center he played. Hakeem's dominance came from his mind blowing footwork, amazing guard type quickness, athletisism and high basketball IQ.

 

I didnt mean hakeem would beat him with sheer size, i meant ith he' amazing lowpost game and agility for he's size. i think when you mention the great name of olajuwon, i think it's a given that people mean that he'll kill you with he's skill and agility.

 

Hakeem would have had some problems with Wilt defending him. Wilt, when motivated, was a great defensive player.

Kareem talked about how when he came into the league, he had to invent a bank shot that squeaked off of the top of the backboard and then went in - just to get it over Wilt's fingertips.

Wilt had unbelievable speed, power, and stamina for a big man (for any player, really). He was as big for his day as Yao is in today's game, but he could run up and down the floor all game. Literally all game - for you young pups out there, he didn't take a single play off one season.

Wilt would still be a monster in today's game - think a taller, stronger Dwight Howard with tremendous offensive skills.

I don't think that he would average 20 rpg, but if he was in his prime, 16 rpg would be a lock with 48 mpg.

 

Yao has enough trouble with Mehmet Okur, and we have folks here saying Bill Russell would be a backup in today's NBA? What the hell is wrong with you people?

 

Guys like Shaq would score 101 points back in the 60's.

 

I always hate these dumb discussions on old players vs. modern players. It's like asking: "how would Jesse Owens do against modern sprinters?" or "How would Mark Spitz in his prime do in the 2008 Olympics?" Well, they would both get killed as would any athlete from 20 or more years ago.

 

if shaq was motivated a little bit more, he would easily be considered the most dominant player EVER bar none. but he got fat in the reg. season and only played when it counted, which still made him one of the most dominant ever.

but shaq is a beast i don't think we'll ever see again. a guy that big, that strong, that athletic, that agile, that powerful => ridiculous.

 

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LMFAO anyway back to the discussion Russell at 6'9 1/2" wouldn't make him struggle in the current NBA. Remember how Hakeem outplayed Shaq in the 1995 despite Shaq measuring 7'1" without shoes and 303 pounds at the 1992 pre-draft camp and Hakeem admitting to being 6'10" and Hakeem looked about 250 pounds. Look at the size difference!

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The result between the 7'1" 303 pound player and the 6'10" 250 pound player playing against eachother?

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Championship for the 6'10" 250 pound player!

 

It's unfair to compare that 95 version of Shaq and Hakeem. Hakeem was a player in his prime, having dominated the league at the Center position for years. Shaq was fresh out of college, and although he was and still is a physical freak of nature, not to mention totally turning the Orlando Magic team around in just his first season, experience wasn't then on his side. To be fair, he probably didn't really know how to maximise his God-given talents too. Shaq in '95 and Shaq in '99-'02 were noticeably different.

Had you pitted an in-his-prime Hakeem vs an in-his-prime Shaq...I think neither could've guarded the other. Though I'll probably give Shaq the advantage just for having such ridiculous amounts of athleticism at his mack-truck size.

 

I agree but that proves my point. Shaq wasn't as smart of a player in 1995 so Hakeem was able to beat him despite being way smaller.