After watching Showtime Lakers, no way could today's players compete with them

[Walk on Water]

I never really watched 80s basketball. I know late 90s. But after watching a game on Youtube with the Lakers and Celtics, I was blown away. Players back then were taller, played much faster, had more endurance. And in addition to that, they actually could scored in a variety of ways. Plus, they didn't hesitate to take shots. They were decisive and went to battle. Players today don't know how to post up, they don't have a mid range game. They only can drive to the rim when there's an opening. They just stand around waiting to get a shot for 3 with all that wide spacing.

Imagine teams today trying to play against the Celtics or Lakers without relying on the 3 pointer. They gonna get murked. They don't have the fundamentals. I'm actually surprised how fast the 80s games are. Players today could never play like that because they're lazy and rely on 3 pointers. Look at how lazy they are in All Star games compared to the past. That is partially due to not having the stamina, thus the reason why players want to load manage. It's not only because they wanna play smart, it's because they don't have the strength and stamina to actually last.

Players are bigger, faster, and taller now? You're kidding yourself. Players were much taller back then. Just look at the game. They all look like they barely fit on the court. Kareem would tower a lot of players. Bird is tall for a small forward. Magic is taller than a lot of power forwards today.

Today's teams simply wouldn't be able to compete against the old players and I never watched 80s. I only started watching because the modern game is boring and one dimensional. But today's players would not even have the stamina to last because they would have to play defense. They would never be able to guard centers. They wouldn't stand a chance. Lebron would quit if he had to play against this kind of competition.

[iamgine]

I see

[Akeem34TheDream]

Interesting

[Mask the Embiid]

Any elite player can play in any era.....we still doing this? yall are still doing this? I thought after Ben Simmon's sorry ass and his 1950's style of play came into the league. In the late 2010's, racking up all star appearances, we would stop saying this bs.....A PG who couldn't shoot 3's, dominated in the late 2010's....If that didn't debunk this stupid ass myth of people not being able to play in different eras, Jokic should of put the nail in the coffin in the 2020's. The man is not being able to jump over a loosely piece of paper. Yet still dominates everyone in the league outside of joel embiid

[Walk on Water]

Any elite player can play in any era.....we still doing this? yall are still doing this? I thought after Ben Simmon's sorry ass and his 1950's style of play came into the league. In the late 2010's, racking up all star appearances, we would stop saying this bs.....A PG who couldn't shoot 3's, dominated in the late 2010's....If that didn't debunk this stupid ass myth of people not being able to play in different eras, Jokic should of put the nail in the coffin in the 2020's. The man is not being able to jump over a loosely piece of paper. Yet still dominates everyone in the league outside of joel embiid



Well I'm not saying Jokic could not play in the 80s. But you know dam well in your heart that many players of today don't know how to play near the hoop. They wouldn't be able to go in the paint. Plus, they wouldn't have the stamina. Even if they had the stamina, many players today don't even want to play too much, whether it's demonstrated with load management or not trying in the All Star Game. They even want to play less games. Players back then wanted to play. They played much harder too. Modern day players are too lazy and lack the passion and desire. They would even admit it themselves.

[Xiao Yao You]

They certainly dont have the fundemantals anymore. Rare you see a guy that makes lay ups with his opposite hand and many struggle to make them at all

[ArbitraryWater]

Thought provoking

[Lakers Legend#32]

The Showtime Lakers were the greatest team ever.

[RRR3]

Those Lakers teams made between 1-2 3s a game. The WORST team today makes 11.2 3s a game. There is no way to overcome that discrepancy, they would get obliterated.

[Walk on Water]

Those Lakers teams made between 1-2 3s a game. The WORST team today makes 11.2 3s a game. There is no way to overcome that discrepancy, they would get obliterated.


You know dam well that if they played 80s style with little to no 3s that today's teams wouldn't stand a chance. It would be embarrassing.

[Walk on Water]

I would love to see today's teams try to compete against the best teams of the 80s without relying on the 3 pointer. I think we know who would win.

[RRR3]

You know dam well that if they played 80s style with little to no 3s that today's teams wouldn't stand a chance. It would be embarrassing.
Why would a modern team stupidly handicap themselves by not taking 3s? :roll: :roll: :roll:


BRAINDEAD

[RRR3]

I would love to see today's teams try to compete against the best teams of the 80s without relying on the 3 pointer. I think we know who would win.
"I would love to see today's teams compete against 80s teams by trying to lose intentionally"

[Walk on Water]

Why would a modern team stupidly handicap themselves by not taking 3s? :roll: :roll: :roll:


BRAINDEAD


Without the 3 point shot, they wouldn't have a chance. You are trying to change topics. Today's NBA sucks and you know it. Even their own promoters say it.

[Walk on Water]

"I would love to see today's teams compete against 80s teams by trying to lose intentionally"


They wouldn't have a chance without the 3. The 80s players were better all around.

[sdot_thadon]

They wouldn't have a chance without the 3. The 80s players were better all around.

Ummm, but there was a 3 point line in the 80s. Why WOULDN'T todays players use it when they do every game? "Lets play a game to decide whos best, except you can't use your greatest strength and i can use mine?" Kinda silly take you've got going. And by your theory then the 60s Celtics would also annihilate the 80s Lakers because they did it 1st and even faster than showtime did with more limitations on the way they could play. Silly theories open even sillier doors.

[RRR3]

Ummm, but there was a 3 point line in the 80s. Why WOULDN'T todays players use it when they do every game? Kinda silly take you've got going. And by your theory then the 60s Celtics would also annihilate the 80s Lakers because they did it 1st and even faster than showtime did with more limitations on the way they could play. Silly theories open even sillier doors.
He's dim :(

[Phoenix]

I don't really follow other team sports strongly enough to know if rules and style changes handicap older teams and/or players to the extent it does the NBA. Like if you bought the 80s 49ers or 2000's Pats into 2024 would they get obliterated by today's NFL teams?

By 2050 the teams will be taking 80 threes a game and then todays teams wouldnt be able to compete with them. It's kind of a circular, pointless conversation at this stage comparing teams this far apart and playing in rules so different they may as well be different sports.

[90sgoat]

Someone like Dennis Johnson would be a superstar today and he was only a role player on Celtics.

Players were not allowed to carry and palm in the 80s which made the players look much worse than they actually were, but Dennis Johnson doesn't look awkward even by today's standards.

Tom Chambers would be a huge star today, 6'10'' and very athletic, run like a guard. Ralph Sampson is basically Wemby etc.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q6PuWutCHg

[Walk on Water]

Ummm, but there was a 3 point line in the 80s. Why WOULDN'T todays players use it when they do every game? "Lets play a game to decide whos best, except you can't use your greatest strength and i can use mine?" Kinda silly take you've got going. And by your theory then the 60s Celtics would also annihilate the 80s Lakers because they did it 1st and even faster than showtime did with more limitations on the way they could play. Silly theories open even sillier doors.



So you admit it then, that other than the 3 point shot, 80s teams are better. Make the simple era adjustments 80s style and the 2025 teams have no shot. That’s all I’m saying. Just agree.

[Walk on Water]

Someone like Dennis Johnson would be a superstar today and he was only a role player on Celtics.

Players were not allowed to carry and palm in the 80s which made the players look much worse than they actually were, but Dennis Johnson doesn't look awkward even by today's standards.

Tom Chambers would be a huge star today, 6'10'' and very athletic, run like a guard. Ralph Sampson is basically Wemby etc.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q6PuWutCHg



Exactly. You understand.

[Walk on Water]

I don't really follow other team sports strongly enough to know if rules and style changes handicap older teams and/or players to the extent it does the NBA. Like if you bought the 80s 49ers or 2000's Pats into 2024 would they get obliterated by today's NFL teams?

By 2050 the teams will be taking 80 threes a game and then todays teams wouldnt be able to compete with them. It's kind of a circular, pointless conversation at this stage comparing teams this far apart and playing in rules so different they may as well be different sports.


That’s true but all I’m saying is if you watch an entire game you will come to realize that today’s players don’t have the talent of the past inside the 3 point line. It’s a very big gap.

[Phoenix]

That’s true but all I’m saying is if you watch an entire game you will come to realize that today’s players don’t have the talent of the past inside the 3 point line. It’s a very big gap.

Well it's the inverse of now. Past players had to be more skilled inside the line and in the post because defenses were geared more towards those areas of the floor.

[Walk on Water]

Well it's the inverse of now. Past players had to be more skilled inside the line and in the post because defenses were geared more towards those areas of the floor.


So I would like to see more of a balance now. There’s no reason they had to give shooters so many rule advantages.

[3ba11]

today's players have mastered the simpleton "down-hill" format and struggle against less talented international teams that play 5-man basketball, so they would get killed by the 80's and 90's basketball - real basketball - not a manufactured "down-hill" format

[Kblaze8855]

Kareem magic and worthy would be borderline automatic buckets, 12 feet and in versus the small ball lineups but in the end, you’re still trading threes for two. Magic Cooper and worthy would take a lot more threes I’m sure but they will make adjustments. Give them like four modern role players they will be fine on day one.

[Phoenix]

C and worthy would be borderline automatic buckets, 12 feet versus the small ball lineups but in the end, you’re still trading threes for two. Magic Cooper and worthy would take a lot more threes I’m sure but they will make adjustments. Give them like four modern role players they will be fine on day one.

I would say the same for 2nd threepeat Bulls. Rodman would probably be a small ball center, Kukoc at the 4, and give them some current age 3 and D types.

[ILLsmak]

Any elite player can play in any era.....we still doing this? yall are still doing this? I thought after Ben Simmon's sorry ass and his 1950's style of play came into the league. In the late 2010's, racking up all star appearances, we would stop saying this bs.....A PG who couldn't shoot 3's, dominated in the late 2010's....If that didn't debunk this stupid ass myth of people not being able to play in different eras, Jokic should of put the nail in the coffin in the 2020's. The man is not being able to jump over a loosely piece of paper. Yet still dominates everyone in the league outside of joel embiid

It's not as much about players, tru, but it is about teams. There have been some ATG teams, and there really aren't any now. I think the last really great team was the KD Wars. Am I missing something?

-Smak

[Phoenix]

It's not as much about players, tru, but it is about teams. There have been some ATG teams, and there really aren't any now. I think the last really great team was the KD Wars. Am I missing something?

-Smak

It's like the 70s now where there was a different champion like every year. You're correct that the last ATG team as far as being an enduring dynasty is the Warriors.

[Lebron23]

Probably the reason why Jordan only won 1 playoffs series in the 1980's. The 1980's were tougher than the 1990's

[90sgoat]

That’s true but all I’m saying is if you watch an entire game you will come to realize that today’s players don’t have the talent of the past inside the 3 point line. It’s a very big gap.

What surprised the first time I watched Bulls Lakers in 91 was how good Worthy was on offense, had the entire package, including post game, mid range, driving. Definitely the third best in that series.

[3ba11]

What surprised the first time I watched Bulls Lakers in 91 was how good Worthy was on offense, had the entire package, including post game, mid range, driving. Definitely the third best in that series.


Worthy was completely hobbled and injured in the 1991 Finals, yet he still nearly outplayed Pippen and hit far more timely buckets.

In 1987, Worthy carried the Lakers to the Finals with 30 on 62% in the WCF and then he won FMVP in 1988, so Worthy has many examples of PERFORMANCE that topped anything Pippen ever did.. Worthy was 1st option over Kareem and Magic for the 87-89' Playoffs and had many dominant performances.

Otoh, Pippen has zero great performances and simply lives off the 6 rings that MJ carried him to... Everyone that won more than 2 Finals needed a teammate to get 25 ppg or FMVP for at least 1 of the Finals, but Pippen peaked at 21 ppg and is 0/6 in FMVP, so he's literally the least help ever for than anyone that won more than 2 chips.

[Xiao Yao You]

Someone like Dennis Johnson would be a superstar today and he was only a role player on Celtics.

Players were not allowed to carry and palm in the 80s which made the players look much worse than they actually were, but Dennis Johnson doesn't look awkward even by today's standards.

Tom Chambers would be a huge star today, 6'10'' and very athletic, run like a guard. Ralph Sampson is basically Wemby etc.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q6PuWutCHg

Not palming or not gather stepping and all the other shit they do today doesnt look awkward to me.todays players certainly dont look right to me

[Micku]

The math wouldn't have worked out. You are trading 3s for 2s. And back then, they weren't used to defending the 3. They would usually coincide to it because it was considered to be a bad shot.

You are right that teams like the Lakers and the Celts were quick and decisive on their shots. And the fast breaks were crazy. But it was a different game back then with different rules. Players today can't get away with some of the stuff they do now. Back then they would call carry, moving screens, and all of that. That Harden step back is a travel.

With that said, they can shoot the ball out of the gym. The 80s teams likely wouldn't be able to keep up. And the sets that they run now is much more complicated. Some of the moves that players would make now would be revolutionary back then. The Euro step, the crazy step backs, and etc. Even GSW being so mediocre now, they would probably break the league back then because they never seen stuff like that. They took the Jazz pick and roll offense and just expanded it. The spacing is crazy now.

However, not to say the 80s star players can't play in today's rules. Superstars can play in any era. And the Lakers were stacked. Give them time to adjust to the game, and they'll be good.

[90sgoat]

The step backs would be called travel for sure.

[sdot_thadon]

So you admit it then, that other than the 3 point shot, 80s teams are better. Make the simple era adjustments 80s style and the 2025 teams have no shot. That’s all I’m saying. Just agree.

It's a stupid point it'd make a ton more sense if you were comparing to an era without the 3 point line, or a shorter line. Real life differences. You're over here claiming Carl Lewis could beat Usain Bolt of he was missing a leg lol. It's a stylistic difference not a handicap to hand out to reach your desired conclusion. Whenever someone approaches a debate trying to add/remove things for either side they've already lost and just won't admit it.