The Centers of the 70's...How Would They Fare Today?

[pudman13]

this is a really good post...... which makes me think that red stuff is a typo.

Also, A Train was the centerpiece of the ABA Champion Colonels from first to last although he had one of the all-time greats - who the OP most miserably forgot about - Dan Issel.

It was a mistake! I'll fix it.

Issel was great. Like a few others (McGuinness comes to mind) it's too bad his best years were before he came to the NBA. The one ABA guy I really wonder about is Mel Daniels. How would he have fared in the NBA?

[LAZERUSS]

Laz, not only did you forget about Big Dan Issel who was listed first to last as a 4/5, but where's Bob Rule at? And where's Dawkins? Darryl wasn't an all time great but he was a powerhouse at all times.

And okay I understand you leaving Wilt Chamberlain out... because you didn't want to see trolls bleeding from their eyeballs trying to attack the thread... but where's Nate Thurmond?

Captain Willis Reed took home two trophies in the 70s and yet you leave him out???

Reed did win two FMVPs in the 70's, but realistically, his last great season was 1970. Bellamy had a very good year in '72 (19 ppg on a .545 FG%), but he was well past his prime.

Rule had about three solid seasons, and was on his way to a possibly great season in '71 when he suffered what would be a career ending injury.

Wilt was still a Top-4 MVP candidate in '72 and '73 (and a FMVP in '72), but this was a post-surgery Chamberlain in his last two seasons in the league (albeit, in 11 straight H2H's with Lanier, he averaged 24 ppg on a .784 FG%.)

Thurmond has a case, as he was still an elite defender up thru '73 (and he absolutely crushed Lanier in his H2H's), but then he was basically done.

The centers I mentioned were pretty much in their primes in the 70's, albeit, Walton's was very short-lived. And KAJ, Moses, and Gilmore were still dominant centers in the first half of the 80's.

If you want to include primes, then Bellamy, Reed, Thurmond, and Wilt were among the best ever.

[Big#50]

2-3 guys besides Kareem and Moses would be good rotation players. Others would lack the skill and stamina to participate in today's game

You know nothing. NO stamina????

[Dr.J4ever]

In general, centers from the 70s, who relied on post ups to score, would score less in today's game. Maybe 10-15% less, but not just because of the rules, but because of less opportunities.

If they play for bad teams today, it is possible that they score the same amount of points, but on good teams, they will definitely score less. To be a good team today, you need your share of 3s and penetration from the perimeter. Offensive efficiency would dictate this. This is true, at least for most good teams today.

Bob Mcadoo and Dan Issel would still be scoring machines. Interestingly, Dawkins was ahead of his time because he was a good perimeter scorer, but Billy C. just didn't want him taking outside shots. But Darryl looks like a modern day center.

I hated his inconsistency and his low iq play, though.

[Round Mound]

They Would Destroy The 10s. This is The Weakest Era Ever for Centers.

[JohnFreeman]

Riding the bench

[LAZERUSS]

Riding the bench

Yep. After all these skilled centers like the 6-11 Jordan, 6-10 Drummond, and 6-9 Howard, would physically overwhelm those short guys from the 70's. What chance would guys like the 7-2 Kareem, 7-2 Gilmore, and 7-1 Wilt, 6-11 Lanier, and 6-11 Walton have, right?

[ImKobe]

Wilt would average 12 ppg 8 rpg today

[LAZERUSS]

Wilt would average 12 ppg 8 rpg today

Yep....THIS Chamberlain would only be a 12-8 guy in today's NBA...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCWrGWuU2Ak

[houston]

good player be a good player in any era