Imagine lebron being drafted in 96..

[LAL]

Would he be a ballhandler even though he's pretty stiff with it? Or would he be forced to play the SF/PF position? His natural position. It's not like he had grant hill's handles or Magic's passing.

Other than the PG position, he would have been pretty inefficient because you can't take plays off the way he does his whole career.

[8Ball]

5 championships in 90s alone for him.

[Real Men Wear Green]

You should have learned by now that teams don't force James to do anything he doesn't want to and allow him to play however he wants to. Almost no one can stay with James now and he's approaching his late 30s. Young James was the best athlete in the league and would have been in any era (there are quicker guys but they are nowhere near as strong). He would always be a matchup nighmare at any position and always do a better job of guarding his man than his man will do of guarding him (except for the years he didnt bother to defend, which there were a few but he could still turn it on).

He has elite court vision and is a magnet for defensive attention. He would get the ball, period, regardless of whatever position he told his team to list him as...and FYI op, he's been listed as a forward for his entire career, for whatever that matters.

[LAL]

You should have learned by now that teams don't force James to do anything he doesn't want to and allow him to play however he wants to. Almost no one can stay with James now and he's approaching his late 30s. Young James was the best athlete in the league and would have been in any era (there are quicker guys but they are nowhere near as strong). He would always be a matchup nighmare at any position and always do a better job of guarding his man than his man will do of guarding him (except for the years he didnt bother to defend, which there were a few but he could still turn it on).

He has elite court vision and is a magnet for defensive attention. He would get the ball, period, regardless of whatever position he told his team to list him as...and FYI op, he's been listed as a forward for his entire career, for whatever that matters.

I'm sure he would do well, my point is that he'll be quite inefficient scorer, too soft to constantly back down 1 on 1, broken jumper, no more dribbling all game with all the space in the world just to kick it out in the end to one of 4 long range shooting teammates, terrible off ball skills. If he played the same position as most players of his profile back in the day that is. Even Scottie Pippen had better skills as a scorer. Yes anyone can stay with lebron without the stiff arm or thousands of screens. That's why he shoots so many lazy long range 3's because he can hardly keep up these days, all that usage and dribbling in his prime and he still can't average better numbers than a Westbrook/Harden/Luka. His offensive game has always been flawed and soft, the other guys do everything and are serious scoring threats at the same time. Of course i would've hijacked offenses from day one too if i was lebron. What else should he do? But in the 90's?

I don't think they would have let him handle the ball that much if they had a decent natural point guard anyway, that's how it went, unless you were Magic or Penny, they were talented with the ball, lebron it was mostly his athleticism and size that stood out, stiff as **** wouldn't have fooled most coaches like he did. Grant Hill had to share ball handling duties with Dumars and Hunter and was a better ballhandler than lebron too, and creative scorer unlike lebron so he didn't have to worry about hijacking everything.

[8Ball]

I'm sure he would do well, my point is that he'll be quite inefficient scorer, too soft to constantly back down 1 on 1, broken jumper, no more dribbling all game with all the space in the world just to kick it out in the end to one of 4 long range shooting teammates, terrible off ball skills. If he played the same position as most players of his profile back in the day that is. Even Scottie Pippen had better skills as a scorer. Yes anyone can stay with lebron without the stiff arm or thousands of screens. That's why he shoots so many lazy long range 3's because he can hardly keep up these days, all that usage and dribbling in his prime and he still can't average better numbers than a Westbrook/Harden/Luka. His offensive game has always been flawed and soft, the other guys do everything and are serious scoring threats at the same time. Of course i would've hijacked offenses from day one too if i was lebron. What else should he do? But in the 90's?

I don't think they would have let him handle the ball that much if they had a decent natural point guard anyway, that's how it went, unless you were Magic or Penny, they were talented with the ball, lebron it was mostly his athleticism and size that stood out, stiff as **** wouldn't have fooled most coaches like he did. Grant Hill had to share ball handling duties with Dumars and Hunter and was a better ballhandler than lebron too, and creative scorer unlike lebron so he didn't have to worry about hijacking everything.

100% troll post right here.

Why even bother typing it.


If you actually believe this God help your brain.

If not, whats the point. Are you just a jilted Kobe fan?

[RRR3]

100% troll post right here.

Why even bother typing it.


If you actually believe this God help your brain.

If not, whats the point. Are you just a jilted Kobe fan?
Yep. He’s a Butthurtbe stan.

[j3lademaster]

Lebron was drafted in 03 which is more similar to the 90's than the current era. Lebron's sophomore year in the NBA as a 19/20 year old(?) was averaging 27/7/7. Lebron drafted in 96 would become the best player in the league in 99 and never look back.

[Lebron23]

Lebron was drafted in 03 which is more similar to the 90's than the current era. Lebron's sophomore year in the NBA as a 19/20 year old(?) was averaging 27/7/7. Lebron drafted in 96 would become the best player in the league in 99 and never look back.

This

[hateraid]

I'm sure he would do well, my point is that he'll be quite inefficient scorer, too soft to constantly back down 1 on 1, broken jumper, no more dribbling all game with all the space in the world just to kick it out in the end to one of 4 long range shooting teammates, terrible off ball skills. If he played the same position as most players of his profile back in the day that is. Even Scottie Pippen had better skills as a scorer. Yes anyone can stay with lebron without the stiff arm or thousands of screens. That's why he shoots so many lazy long range 3's because he can hardly keep up these days, all that usage and dribbling in his prime and he still can't average better numbers than a Westbrook/Harden/Luka. His offensive game has always been flawed and soft, the other guys do everything and are serious scoring threats at the same time. Of course i would've hijacked offenses from day one too if i was lebron. What else should he do? But in the 90's?

I don't think they would have let him handle the ball that much if they had a decent natural point guard anyway, that's how it went, unless you were Magic or Penny, they were talented with the ball, lebron it was mostly his athleticism and size that stood out, stiff as **** wouldn't have fooled most coaches like he did. Grant Hill had to share ball handling duties with Dumars and Hunter and was a better ballhandler than lebron too, and creative scorer unlike lebron so he didn't have to worry about hijacking everything.

Inefficient? You kidding me?

1996 we had Jerry Stackhouse and he was putting up big scoring numbers. You don't think he could outperform Stackhouse???

If he came out 1996 then he would have been on the Sixers. which is fine by me. Lebron > Iverson anyday all day.

[3ba11]

You should have learned by now that teams don't force James to do anything he doesn't want to and allow him to play however he wants to. Almost no one can stay with James now and he's approaching his late 30s. Young James was the best athlete in the league and would have been in any era (there are quicker guys but they are nowhere near as strong). He would always be a matchup nighmare at any position and always do a better job of guarding his man than his man will do of guarding him (except for the years he didnt bother to defend, which there were a few but he could still turn it on).

He has elite court vision and is a magnet for defensive attention. He would get the ball, period, regardless of whatever position he told his team to list him as...and FYI op, he's been listed as a forward for his entire career, for whatever that matters.


Lebron is strong heading downhill, but downhill is less available without spacing, so the scenario where he's physically strong occurs less often in the 90's.. Otoh, the movements where he's physically weak are more common (shot-making from stationary position.. zero, one, or two step leaping.. movements in tight spaces.

And post play isn't Lebron's game, so he'd be a ball-handler back then just like today - but he'd be a far less aggressive scorer due to the rules and strategy (no spacing) - so he'd be a totally different player that scores a lot less like Kidd or Magic.. Lebron is often passive because he's waiting for the lane to open up, but the lane never opened up back then because the offensive strategy made defenders occupy the paint.

Btw, even if Lebron was the #2 player in the 90's, no one would notice or care until Jordan retired, like with Hakeem.

[hateraid]

Lebron is strong heading downhill, but downhill is less available without spacing, so the scenario where he's physically strong occurs less often in the 90's.. Otoh, the movements where he's physically weak are more common (shot-making from stationary position.. zero, one, or two step leaping.. movements in tight spaces.

And post play isn't Lebron's game, so he'd be a ball-handler back then just like today - but he'd be a far less aggressive scorer due to the rules and strategy (no spacing) - so he'd be a totally different player that scores a lot less like Kidd or Magic.. Lebron is often passive because he's waiting for the lane to open up, but the lane never opened up back then because the offensive strategy made defenders occupy the paint.

Btw, even if Lebron was the #2 player in the 90's, no one would notice or care until Jordan retired, like with Hakeem.

Let's disregard Sprewell and his success going downhill you moron. Now add 60 pounds to Sprewell.
Your takes are serious cringe.

[3ba11]

Let's disregard Sprewell and his success going downhill you moron. Now add 60 pounds to Sprewell.
Your takes are serious cringe.


Sprewell had downhill in the halfcourt?...:biggums:

News to me

No one had downhill back then in the halfcourt - it wasn't a "thing" like it is now - the spacing allows a lot of players to do it today, even little guards... Certainly, Giannis is the best at it, with Lebron a distant 2nd.

Today's players are constantly waltzing down the lane for neat little in-stride layups and gather-steps.. So everyone goes downhill - it's baked into the game format.. Penetration is automatic in today's game.. it's part of the game.

[LAL]

Let's disregard Sprewell and his success going downhill you moron. Now add 60 pounds to Sprewell.
Your takes are serious cringe.

Why do you keep bringing up players like Stackhouse and Sprewell? How old are you? They were natural scorers, didn't have those offensive skills flaws, that's why we have bronball.

[Bawkish]

He would be Grant Hill in steroids

[3ba11]

He would be Grant Hill in steroids


Bron gets flow buckets - he scores via physical ability or transition and less via skill/moves in the halffcourt.. So he's more like Pippen than Hill..

Hill had some of that scoring mentality that Lebron lacks - Lebron is a guy that waits for the lane to open up, which never happened in 90's offensive format, so he would be a passive scorer, like Kidd, Magic or Pippen.

So due to a similar passive scoring mentality, Lebron would be more like Pippen on steroids - and Pippen was a crappy enough that even if you double his averages in the playoffs across the board, it's only 32/12/10 and a turnover machine like Bron.. basically a westbrook

[SATAN]

32/8/8