What would Larry Bird do in this pace & space + banned defense era?

[hiphopanonymous]

I was just thinking the other day how a player like Larry Bird as great as he was in his own era might have been born in the wrong decade. Had he been able to play the current expression of the game his one weakness (defense) would have been completely unnoticed due to the fact that defense is completely banned from pro basketball right now and his greatest strengths ( shooting - especially open-gym style) would have been accentuated.

I can see Larry Bird putting up 35ppg and 12+ rebounds on the right team. And his passing... the way they hand out assists like candy he'd probably be in the 9 assist per game club to top it all off and would be perceived as having literally no weaknesses at all because in this era you can't be weak at defense when it isn't allowed to begin with.

[warriorfan]

Prime Larry Bird would play power forward and probably be the best player in the league. I

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

What would he do?

He'd play like the best player in the game.

The guy was a better pure shooter than Kevin Durant coupled with a far superior post game. Throw-in (?) the playmaking where he wasn't Magic in that regard but damn near close. Larry Bird in today's game would be a fukking cheat code.

[Marchesk]

Hardenesque, minus the ref baiting and step back travels. Also with a mid and post game.

[Ca$H]

Bird would be a poor man's Luka

[SpaceJam]

A lesser Joe Ingles

[Round Mound]

[QUOTE=warriorfan]Prime Larry Bird would play power forward and probably be the best player in the league. I

[Odinn]

[QUOTE=warriorfan]Prime Larry Bird would play power forward and probably be the best player in the league. [U]I

['Toine=MVP]

He'd probably have a shot to move up from #2 GOAT to #1 honestly.

[FKAri]

edit - I change my mind

[hiphopanonymous]

I love Larry Bird and prefer him to Magic as my Magic trolling might have given away but I actually think Magic would see more of a boost in this era than Bird. Bird transported to this league would probably be worse than he was. Allow Bird to grow up in this era and build his game accordingly and he'd be just as good, if not better. He knew how to build his game. But, as is, his game isn't exactly tailor made for today's play.

And no Bird's defense doesn't get better in this era. It probably gets worse. Bird had incredible hands and that was a big part of his defense. Nowadays you can't do as much with that and have to do more with your feet. Hence, he'd be worse.
Which part of his game isn't tailor made for the modern rules?

Elite shooting with deep range - check

Elite ball handling/vision (passing is part of ball handling) - check (with modern carries a-la Durant/Giannis dribbles he'd be crossing people up left and right if he wanted)

What else does he need? Defense isn't even allowed let alone necessary so he'd be a player with literally no weaknesses. Can't touch him on or off ball... it'd be like open gym night

['Toine=MVP]

I love Larry Bird and prefer him to Magic as my Magic trolling might have given away but I actually think Magic would see more of a boost in this era than Bird. Bird transported to this league would probably be worse than he was. Allow Bird to grow up in this era and build his game accordingly and he'd be just as good, if not better. He knew how to build his game. But, as is, his game isn't exactly tailor made for today's play.

And no Bird's defense doesn't get better in this era. It probably gets worse. Bird had incredible hands and that was a big part of his defense. Nowadays you can't do as much with that and have to do more with your feet. Hence, he'd be worse.

I love Magic, but his game would suffer in this era. Bird would thrive.

[superduper]

Bird was an infinitely better scorer than Magic and a very very good playmaker. He would thrive in this era

[FKAri]

I love Magic, but his game would suffer in this era. Bird would thrive.
Well you got me thinking now and the lack of shooting does hurt Magic. Ya I change my mind. Bird would thrive more than Magic. It's just hard to imagine because both of them would not only be able but NEED to play quite differently today I feel. I guess I was just focusing in on how much of Bird's game was out of the post and how a lot of those talents are wasted in today's face up league.

I'll edit my post. You've changed my mind.

[hiphopanonymous]

I have to get in Magics defense here for a sec just so we don't get carried away with Birds landslide

- Magic handling the ball in transition, posting up, and taking it to the hoop running downhill with 80's rules in the open court looks insane - that's with people hand checking him - no such thing as a no-charge zone near the hoop - and only 2 steps allowed after the gather

Now imagine Magic handling the ball with modern rules, 4 steps allotted after the gather etc... dude would pirouette his way to the basket in only 2 or 3 open court dribbles from rebound to layup. He's not as long as Giannis but he had 3 times more moving parts and flash to him that would mindfvk defenders. Him doing all that shit today would be highlights every day.

And I've seen him shoot in an open gym. Nowhere near the shooter Larry Bird is with traditional form when defenders are draped on him because his form is more of a set shot - but if you put 3 point shooters around him in this modern pace and space era that would spread out the "defense" (matadors) of today he'd get a wide open look for his set shot and like I said it looks money uncontested in his open gym footage. This is the open gym era of NBA basketball.

- don't want to derail the thread tho this is about how Bird would be basically the best player playing today with zero weaknesses http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/images/icons/icon6.gif

[iamgine]

The 80s wasn't really big on defense either. Bird would probably play like Nikola Jokic.