KBlaze

[eliteballer]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIOHzrJgipg

How good would he be in today's NBA..

[Kblaze8855]

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/FortunateOblongChimneyswift-size_restricted.gif


Im thinking Kemba Walker with better playmaking? Its so hard because the numbers from then to now are achieved so differently you might as well not even compare things like efficiency. None of those players would be used the same way today. Theres really no way to account for the difference between taking 3s you are asked to take...in a system designed to create them...and taking them by breaking the offense and doing your own thing.

No way to account for the difference between guys who had 12-14 screens a game on the ball to now when a guy may literally have 50 and build his whole game around it.

And guards have SO much freedom now. Bigmen who werent even that good got the ball in the post back then. Today Nick would be free to control everything without having to dump it in to say...Shaq...or even Elden and vlade before him. There is no dump it in and wait.

A scoring point can do whatever he feels like.

Nick would thrive but the numbers are hard to predict because as I said...theres so much change you almost cant use the old ones to even compare.

Hes worse than Kyrie....but that doesnt mean the Celtics would be worse if you switched them. Id say hes somewhere around Kemba...that half step below Kyrie in most peoples eyes...but it wouldnt much show when you put them on the same court.

[tpols]

if van exel averaged what kyrie does in the playoffs, shaq wouldve 4 peated. he's flashy, not an all time great shooter by any means.

[Kblaze8855]

There are like 10 people doing 26 a game right now. In nicks last season with Shaq Antione Walkers 22 a game was 5th in the league. Nick was never gonna do current star numbers in the late 90s.

Nobody did.

James harden puts up 37/8/7 for God

[Hamtaro CP3KDKG]

Kemba and Kyrie are 2 of the best off the dribble shooters in the league and really good at catch and shoot and set shots as well...................NVE wasnt known for that and was a mediocre shooter most years. Hes definitely a better passer than either tho. Comparison doesnt make sense stylistically or impact wise

[305Baller]

Kemba and Kyrie are 2 of the best off the dribble shooters in the league and really good at catch and shoot and set shots as well...................NVE wasnt known for that and was a mediocre shooter most years. Hes definitely a better passer than either tho. Comparison doesnt make sense stylistically or impact wise

oh yea, forgot to mention ELITEBALLER SUX
BWAHAHAHAHAA

[DaHeezy]

NVE is not the level of scoring Kemba is. No way. He's creative. He can score. But he's not a 3 level killer. NVE is a floor general that makes flashy look easy. Maybe a Chris Paul would be the closest thing to the modern player

[Pointguard]

Nick could do the spectacular but he was never a consistent high level player. While very quick he was never the finisher Kemba is. His off games were plentiful. He was erratic. Had a great handle. He wasn't smooth nor did he control the pace of the game He wasn't an explosive scorer like those mentioned in this thread. He was very exciting if you went to the game. While very fast, good coaches knew how to neutralize him. To me he was most similar to Isaiah Thomas BEFORE Boston.

[Kblaze8855]

Kemba and Kyrie are 2 of the best off the dribble shooters in the league and really good at catch and shoot and set shots as well...................NVE wasnt known for that and was a mediocre shooter most years. Hes definitely a better passer than either tho. Comparison doesnt make sense stylistically or impact wise


Nobody in the mid to late 90s played the style those guys play though. Thats why its hard for me.

Kemba Walker isnt even an elite shooter(id say hes good but streaky) and hes gonna take more threes this year than the Jazz, Bucks, and Warriors took in 1998 when Nick was having his only all star season. And the Bucks had Ray Allen and the Jazz had 3 really good shooters in Hornacek, Stockton, and Eisley. Basketball simply wasnt played that way and it limited the impact of guards compared to now for any number of reasons.

Its like trying to compare Ayton to Kevin Willis or Rony Seikaly when they got the ball even when they didnt deserve it and Ayton has to beg for a touch that isnt a putback or roll to the basket. We can talk about the skillsets we can see and physical attributes...but im not sure how we presume to know what one would do in the others place.

Basketball is the same in name only. Its as if someone wiped the slate clean and rebuilt the game.

Tell Nick he can and should take 10 threes even if they arent going in...and to push the pace all the time? And that he doesnt have to feed the post and wait....and he gets the entire offense built around screens 25 feet from the basket with stretch bigs and nobody in the paint to clog the lane?

I really cant say what he does. For better or worse. Im not even in position to argue if you think he wouldnt do better. Its like softball to baseball. Same concept but the few changes make a real difference.

Nick had some of the nicest handles...was quick...clutch...crafty. Was a better passer than his assist numbers at times. But as wild as he played by the standards we had then? Hed still have so much more freedom now. Hed be no better in reality but the game would cater to him.

I dont know how to account for that fairly going either way. I dont think its fair to say hes a clear superstar now when he didnt really earn that status then....and its also unfair to say Kemba or any guard really would be worse in a league they didnt build their games to suit. Yea I know Harden isnt doing 36-37 a game in 1998. But does that mean his numbers arent "legit"? No. You just have to understand that the numbers dont make the player.

Thats why this is so hard to be sure about. It feels like you are gonna disrespect someone just acknowledging the obvious. I like Kemba. Really. I see him a lot. Im just baaaarely in his home tv market. He has my respect. But I watched him put up 17-18 a game on upper 30s shooting for 4-5 years before the freedom of movement rules were enforced and now the game is even more tightly called and hes doing 25/6? I feel like I should be able to both like him and be real about whats happening here.

Hes a really good player. He might end up a borderline hall of famer if he has 4-5 more years like this. But I can still wonder what happens in a league where defense wasnt chemically neutered 12-15 years ago to stop the boring Pistons/Pacers/Nets/Spurs then castrated entirely recently to help open the game up even more.

I can think hes great...and the league makes him more productive than he would be in other times. Much like the 60s players. Oscar was great...but he doesnt put up 30/12/11 in 1975 or 85. Just less rebounds to grab. Its that simple. Russell is a first ballot hall of famer. He isnt doing back to back to back triple double seasons or anything like 32/12/11 anywhere from 1970 to a few years ago. He needs the soft stretch bigs, wider lanes on both ends to crash the boards, and a league content to let a guard dominate. 90s bigs would take it personal that he was even coming in there so often. Bigs now want to be guards so they dont take pride in owning the paint. Karl Malone would have split his head on general principle. I can both think hes great and tell the truth about the things that allow the specific numbers.

I dont know what to think of these super explosive guys who I know wouldnt have the same chance to control games back in the day.

I acknowledge that it doesnt really...matter. But in a direct comparison with someone from back then? It just bears mentioning you know?

[kennethgriffen]

i remember nick being semi retarded for us back in the 90's


i watched quite a few games in 97-98 and i remember him constantly having bad turnovers and taking the most retarded shots


he was a horrible point guard IMO

[Kblaze8855]

Oh I remember thinking "What the **** was that....." often watching him. But I was watching with the standards I had then.

These days we dont even seem to acknowledge that bad shots exist unless its an 18 footer that doesnt go in.

I think hed seem less insane now.

[tontoz]

Small guards from the past would obviously do better in this era. Not exactly news that NVE would fit better now.

Just imagine Mark Price in today's game. Kevin Johnson, Isiah Thomas... you could go on and on.