Zach Lavine is putting up prime/peak Kobe numbers on even greater efficiency

[HBK_Kliq_2]

Kobe wouldn’t play enough minutes to average 39.2 if he played today. He obviously could have on a weak team if he played enough minutes but stars play at most 37 MPG these days, so he’d probably still top at around 35 PPG. His efficiency would absolutely be better though.

The defense today is still very good. The efficiency is just better because the talent across the league is so elite. It's not like the 1960's era every wing player was Ron Artest? because efficiency sucked back then.

[HBK_Kliq_2]

A guy like Kevin Garnett was the leading scorer back in the early 2000's. With his lack of offensive moves and scoring game, he wouldn't even be a top 15 scorer today. That's the difference between this era and the early 2000s.

[RRR3]

The defense today is still very good. The efficiency is just better because the talent across the league is so elite. It's not like the 1960's era every wing player was Ron Artest? because efficiency sucked back then.

How good the defense is is irrelevant when the rules neuter defenders so much. Additionally players are used optimally now which helps efficiency. People take smarter shots due to analytics.

[dankok8]

Kobe wouldn’t play enough minutes to average 39.2 if he played today. He obviously could have on a weak team if he played enough minutes but stars play at most 37 MPG these days, so he’d probably still top at around 35 PPG. His efficiency would absolutely be better though.

I took into account the slightly reduced minutes. Otherwise he'd take 3 more shots each game instead of 2 shots. The Lakers were a very weak team that year so they would rely on Kobe to carry them in any era.

[Dbrog]

A guy like Kevin Garnett was the leading scorer back in the early 2000's. With his lack of offensive moves and scoring game, he wouldn't even be a top 15 scorer today. That's the difference between this era and the early 2000s.

He basically played PG for a whole season and playoffs in the early 2000s. At worst he's AD with better handles and defense....but he wouldn't be a top 15 scorer

[HBK_Kliq_2]

How good the defense is is irrelevant when the rules neuter defenders so much. Additionally players are used optimally now which helps efficiency. People take smarter shots due to analytics.

What about the 1980s? Were the rules not in place yet? because defense sucked ass in the 1980s.

1990s defense got better but was nothing special

2000-2005 is pretty much the only "defensive" era but i think it was just because the lack of offensive talent across the league. This was when Shaq\Duncan made the finals every year, they would be more likely to get played off the court today.

At the end of the day, there's just more offensive guard\wing talent today then ever. So yeah a guard\wing would probably thrive in this era but a big man would get played off the court, it works both ways.

[HBK_Kliq_2]

He basically played PG for a whole season and playoffs in the early 2000s. At worst he's AD with better handles and defense....but he wouldn't be a top 15 scorer

He doesn't have anywhere close to the playoff efficiency and shooting ability of Anthony Davis.

Garnett would take fadeaway long two point jumpshots, he was physically weak and didn't have much of a low post game. He was basically a Draymond\Pippen hybrid.

[HBK_Kliq_2]

https://www.basketball-reference.com...-vs-spurs.html

This is what would happen if prime Tim Duncan defended a modern day offensive team.

Mavs offensive rating for series: 114.7

[Dbrog]

He doesn't have anywhere close to the playoff efficiency and shooting ability of Anthony Davis.

Garnett would take fadeaway long two point jumpshots, he was physically weak and didn't have much of a low post game. He was basically a Draymond\Pippen hybrid.

This guy right?

You do realize in 03....defensive 03, he scored 27ppg in the playoffs shooting 52% along with other monster stats? That's why I said AD at worst. Prime Draymond/Pippen hybrid is definitely way better. Maybe go watch some Thinking Basketball videos since you obviously didn't see KG play

[tpols]

If he does that in the playoffs then we will have something to talk about.

[tpols]

He doesn't have anywhere close to the playoff efficiency and shooting ability of Anthony Davis.

Garnett would take fadeaway long two point jumpshots, he was physically weak and didn't have much of a low post game. He was basically a Draymond\Pippen hybrid.

Garnett was much more violent and intense than AD... AD has GOAT skill and quickness for his height but if there's any knock on him it's that he's a little soft. KG was kind of an asshole lol... And he definitely wasn't weak by comparison to AD. Shaq and big guys like that sure but he held his own against most big men. Draymond and Pippen were nowhere near as tall as him either. He is legit 7 foot, Dray is like 6'6.

Him and Duncan grade out as two of the best defenders of all time in every metric. And KG's brand of defense would be particularly devastating today because he could cover the perimeter like a demon.

[ralph_i_el]

KG is the goat perimeter defending big man. He would be DPoY in this league right now. They used to run a soft zone and let KG defend like, everything above the free throw line. Idk what his scoring would look like because they wouldn't let him shoot a bunch of fadeaway 2's, but he would probably shoot spot up 3's and play the 5. I have to think he would be scoring 25ppg just based on being a length or quickness mismatch with basically every 5.

[Smoke117]

Everyone knows Zach Lavine is far superior to kobrick.

[HBK_Kliq_2]

Garnett was much more violent and intense than AD... AD has GOAT skill and quickness for his height but if there's any knock on him it's that he's a little soft. KG was kind of an asshole lol... And he definitely wasn't weak by comparison to AD. Shaq and big guys like that sure but he held his own against most big men. Draymond and Pippen were nowhere near as tall as him either. He is legit 7 foot, Dray is like 6'6.

Him and Duncan grade out as two of the best defenders of all time in every metric. And KG's brand of defense would be particularly devastating today because he could cover the perimeter like a demon.

Yeah, he's a Pippen. Kevin Garnett wouldn't be able to be the #1 scorer on a championship team in any era. He lacked a low post game, he's actually kind of soft for his height and shoots fadeaways, long 2 pointers, can't shoot the 3, he was also the worst superstar at drawing fouls.

All traits of a beta for KG. That's probably why he tries to act like he's so damn tough, he knows deep down he's just a beta player.

Back to OP, there's no dominant player today that wouldn't dominate in the early 2000s. Zack Lavine would be Vince Carter.

[Smoke117]

Yeah, he's a Pippen. Kevin Garnett wouldn't be able to be the #1 scorer on a championship team in any era. He lacked a low post game, he's actually kind of soft for his height and shoots fadeaways, long 2 pointers, can't shoot the 3, he was also the worst superstar at drawing fouls.

All traits of a beta for KG. That's probably why he tries to act like he's so damn tough, he knows deep down he's just a beta player.

Back to OP, there's no dominant player today that wouldn't dominate in the early 2000s. Zack Lavine would be Vince Carter.

Kevin Garnett led the championship Celtics in scoring in the 2008 playoffs, chief. Kawhit Leotard will also never surpass him on the goat players list.