NBA players in the '70's, 80's...

What makes you say this?

Bird was a great player. I think he would do just fine in the game today. He would work just as hard as he did then, shoot the lights out, be one of the smartest players of all time, and just find a way to make his team better.

I think Barkley would as well.

In fact, I think I would say that all of the big stars from that era would do just find in the game today.

 

I agree. I do not see why they could not play well in todays league.

 

There are a few big men--Artis Gilmore comes to mind--who would be less dominant because there's more "bruising" in the paint now.

 

Yea it has become more street ball than NBA civilized competition.

 

Keep in mind if Bird couldn't shoot he would still be great due to his passing, he made the players around him play better. Ask the players he played with and against, they say he was one of the best shooters they had ever seen, but you couldn't crash in on him because he was so quick with his passing. He couldn't run jump or anything but he sure could pass and shoot and he turned into a good D player also. Barkley, I think could play today just by what Jordon has had to say about him.

 

You might have seen him play more than I did, but I saw him play many times. He is in the top 10 players I've ever seen. Keep in mind he held his own against the best of his day.
Barkely was said to be to short when he played. Keep in mind you have to check the heart of a player.

 

One that comes to mind to me: Chris Mullin.

Sharpshooter...sure. But less talented than Bird. In this more athletic, bigger, stronger league, his presence would be less important.

One type of player that I think consistently would perform well--the classic ball-distributing point guard (Stockton, DJ, Isaiah, etc.). Always a need for that.

Oh, another one: I think Danny Ainge would be shot and killed within the first few weeks of his career if he came up now.

 

I believe Dr. J could adapt well to today's game. He was creative enough to get his shots. He was a team player that would make his team mates better. I believe Shaq would have been able to play back then and possibly be more effective. He plays best around the basket. Back then, the big man didn't flash to the high post very often. He planted himself on the low post and stayed there.

 

It would be fun to see Shaq, Wilt, and Bill Russell have some battles.

 

Larry Bird was "way too slow", even back then. And Charles Barkley was short, as were KiKi Vandeweighe and Adrian Dantley for the four spot, and none of those three could exactly "jump out of the gym", not even back then, as well. Another mentioned "Big Artis". Another spoke of someone not being a great shooter. I seem to remember a couple of pretty good centers who were not exactly "scoring machines", from days gone by, namely Wes Unseld, and Bill Russell. Of all the above mentioned, I would suggest that probably Kiki Vandeweighe (due to defensive play) and Artis Gilmore (due to lack of post mobility and assorted offensive moves, plus getting banged around more, because of the weight of the opposition), are two that come to mind. Some 'sixth men' and other reserves of today, would no doubt be starters and bigger 'stars', even superstars, 30 years ao, but some of them would achieve that status, even today, with other teams and systems. And some players, even then, would not have flourished to the degree they did, or would have shown more under other teams and systems, even then.

For a more extreme example, some of the great sixth-men of the Celtics, from Frank Ramsey, the original 'sixth-man', through Sam Jones, Don Nelson, John Havelicek, and Paul Silas, would all have been starters and bigger individual stars, elsewhere, while they were playing the role of the 'sixth-man', and or reserve, there in Boston. But I'd bet they'd all have a lot fewer championship rings to show for the 'stardom'.

Ed