In previous eras, 20 ppg usually meant you were good.. Nowadays, it means nothing

[3ball]

36 guys average 20 points today, versus 14 in 1998

And 98' was the modern game with a comparable amount of perimeter wings and modern play, including all-stars like:

Grant Hill
Penny
Kobe
Duncan
Garnett
Kidd
Drexler
Pippen
Garnett
Hakeem
David Robinson
Shaq
Payton
Kemp
MVP Jordan


So don't use the excuse that there wasn't sufficient talent because the aforementioned players probably represent MORE talent than today's game - heck, Mitch Richmond currently leads today's league in scoring (beal)

So today's game is simply softer than a grape - a spaced-out, hands-off beginner format.. that's why league offensive rating reached record highs in each of the last 5 seasons

[light]

20 ppg is still a significant threshold to cross and that number is still an incentive in contracts.

If Kyle Kuzma averaged 20 ppg Lakers fans would be over the moon.

There are a ton of young guys with potential that fans are wishing and hoping would average 20 ppg to legitimize them, and then you go up from there - 25 ppg is another level and so on.

[SouBeachTalents]

The majority of the players you listed were several years before or past their primes in '98

[Axe]

Well today's era is superior compared to the past

[Airupthere]

Kyle Anderson is a prime example that basketball pre 2010s is obsolete. Kyle would obliterate competition in the 80s, 90s, 2000s with ease. Sprewell would look like a weakling playing in today's league.

[light]

1998 was not a modern game. The pace was still a lot slower and of course there was no zone.

The pace in 1998 was 90.3.
The pace in 2020 was 100.3.

You still didn't have to be a good shooter to score a lot in 1998.

Almost all of the high scorers this year are good three point shooters. Curry, Beal, Murray, Jokic, VanVleet, Embiid, LeBron, LaVine, Harden, Lillard.

It's more difficult to score today because of the zones, so if you transplanted those players from 1998 they wouldn't be able to score like they were used to unless they improved their 3 point shooting.

[3ball]

1998 was not a modern game. The pace was still a lot slower and of course there was no zone.

The pace in 1998 was 90.3.
The pace in 2020 was 100.3.

You still didn't have to be a good shooter to score a lot in 1998.

Almost all of the high scorers this year are good three point shooters. Curry, Beal, Murray, Jokic, VanVleet, Embiid, LeBron, LaVine, Harden, Lillard.

It's more difficult to score today because of the zones, so if you transplanted those players from 1998 they wouldn't be able to score like they were used to unless they improved their 3 point shooting.

Pace was faster in the 80's so pace has nothing to do with being "modern".. that's a purely ignorant take

Furthermore, the league MVP (Giannis) is literally a beginner jumpshooter - he looks like a beginner every time.. it's embarrassing

And Westbrook led the league in scoring with zero jumper

So good jumpshooting isn't needed to today because the spacing means there's no help defender on half of drives, according to ESPN, even for the league's best driver (Giannis)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9jtOOQ43yw4&t=05m42s


The open lane prevents the need for jumpshooting, whereas the paint was packed in previous eras, so good mid-range shooting over the packed paints was required to be a good scorer - the toughest, most skilled shots (contested mid-range) was required to be a good scorer in the no-spacing eras

[FireDavidKahn]

The overall skill level is just higher.

It isn't just a few top end talents anymore.

[3ball]

The overall skill level is just higher.

It isn't just a few top end talents anymore.

The role players are the guys taking the most threes/layups, so they suck the most - there's tons of 3-point robots in today's game that wouldn't make the league in previous eras when threes weren't used as a primary strategy.. the eras that required the toughest and most skilled shots (iso's, contested mid-range) > today's threes and open layups skillset (beginner skillset).

Ultimately, today's players shoot threes and in-stride layups because the spacing and hands-off format allows it (beginner format) - they suck anytime there's actual traffic and contested shot-making - see the league MVP look helpless when the paint gets marginally clogged in the playoffs - it's an embarrassment and an indictment on the weak skillset that today's format produces.

otoh, contested shots were required on most possessions in the no-spacing eras of the past, so each player had to develop their own individually-unique way to score ON defenders... that's why players in previous eras had one-of-a-kind styles (aka jamaal wilkes, mcadoo, etc) and today's players all have the same style like identical robots that are stopped by contests (harrison barnes, lebron, draymond)... But their in-stride layups and elgin-steps on a spaced-out court look cool and "skilled" though!!! .. lol

[FireDavidKahn]

The role players are the guys taking the most threes/layups, so they suck the most - there's tons of 3-point robots in today's game that wouldn't make the league in previous eras when threes weren't used as a primary strategy.. the eras that required the toughest and most skilled shots (iso's, contested mid-range) > today's threes and open layups skillset (beginner skillset).

Ultimately, today's players shoot threes and in-stride layups because the spacing and hands-off format allows it (beginner format) - they suck anytime there's actual traffic and contested shot-making - see the league MVP look helpless when the paint gets marginally clogged in the playoffs - it's an embarrassment and an indictment on the weak skillset that today's format produces.

otoh, contested shots were required on most possessions in the no-spacing eras of the past, so each player had to develop their own individually-unique way to score ON defenders... that's why players in previous eras had one-of-a-kind styles (aka jamaal wilkes, mcadoo, etc) and today's players all have the same style like identical robots that are stopped by contests (harrison barnes, lebron, draymond)... But their in-stride layups and elgin-steps on a spaced-out court look cool and "skilled" though!!! .. lol

Yes.

Spacing is better nowadays because the skill level is so much higher that more players are threats.

[HBK_Kliq_2]

I think the 2020s era is the GOAT era.

2x finals mvp and 2x defensive player of the year Kawhi

Durant
Harden
LeBron
Curry
Giannis
Anthony Davis
Irving
Embiid
Jokic
Jimmy Butler
Westbrook
Luka
Zion
Tatum

When was Jason Kidd ever a 20 PPG scorer? He never was but since you said Jason Kidd I will match that with Ben Simmons.

[Bronbron23]

Skill set isn't much higher. That's just dumb. Literally all you have to be able to do is come off screens and hit open threes, jumpers and floaters now. The rules combined with the hundreds of screens and rolls makes it unguardable

[Spurs m8]

Yep.

That's today's defenseless league

[Axe]

I think the 2020s era is the GOAT era.

2x finals mvp and 2x defensive player of the year Kawhi

Durant
Harden
LeBron
Curry
Giannis
Anthony Davis
Irving
Embiid
Jokic
Jimmy Butler
Westbrook
Luka
Zion
Tatum

When was Jason Kidd ever a 20 PPG scorer? He never was but since you said Jason Kidd I will match that with Ben Simmons.

Ladies and gentlemen.

Guys that are known to have blown 3-1 leads in the postseason

[Marchesk]

Well today's era is superior compared to the past

Rookie Wilt would destroy Zion.