Bulls: 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls Roster

[Caltex2]

And what is a Kevin Johnson?

Signed,

Today's NBA fans

Seriously...

[Caltex2]

And everyone knew O'Neal was going to be an allstar from the second he entered the league. The Spurs desperately tried to sign him after the lockout in 99.



Yeah that team was loaded the same way the 2014 Spurs were. People forget how good Damon Stoudamire was back then. Greg Anthony was an absolute top notch backup point guard, especially defensively. You had two shooting guards who were workhorses in the post in Steve Smith and Bonzi Wells, and Smith had great range too. Detlef Schrempf was a bigtime player at that time and I remember freaking out when they landed him as a starter, and then he wasn't even good enough to get big playing time because they got Pippen and could play Sheed at the three. Prime Rasheed starting at the four, backed up by Brian Grant. I remember Grant destroying Karl Malone in the second round the year before, and in the 99 WCF he was pretty strong checking Duncan (so that Robinson had to carry the offensive load that series). Then Sabonis, the greatest passing bigman in the history of the league. Stacy Augmon was still a pretty solid defensive option and he was the 11th man on the team. And of course Jermaine O'Neal. All they were missing was a coach.

Dunleavy was a solid coach, maybe not Hall of Fame worthy but he was great. There's certainly worse coaches you could have at your disposal.

[HarlemHeat37]

And what is a Kevin Johnson?

Signed,

Today's NBA fans

Why do you and your fellow fans love child molestors, tbh?

[midnightpulp]

There's really no debate that today's talent pool is much larger than in older days. It's just a natural thing. Sometimes I wonder how some folks can be so dumb to debate such things. I hope I never grow to be a bitter clueless oldman, tbh.

This is true, but the argument that's silly from "Today's NBA camp" is the assumption that the greats from past eras wouldn't be able to adapt, thinking that because we're in the "amazing" 21st century with Chinese made smartphones a player from the 80s or 90s would be as obsolete as a 486 Computer. That logic is horse .

Chart the career of any great (in any sport). They usually have no problem adapting through their 10-20 year career. Larry Bird came in '79, already "old" at 23 in his rookie year, and he had little problem adapting to the athletic style of basketball that players like Jordan, Barkley, 'Nique, Drexler spearheaded. In 1992 he was 35 with no back, the league was more athletic and above the rim than ever, and Bird still averaged a respectable 20ppg, 9.6rpg, and 6.8apg on 46%. Magic came back from a 3 year layoff, HIV infected, and still put up respectable numbers in '96. We've seen Duncan adapt seamlessly to about 4 different eras. Football: Tom Brady and Jerry Rice.

Certain players wouldn't have a place today, the enforcers and such, but a great would be great in any era up to a point (I don't see a player like Mikan being great in any era, for example).