Listen, if 6'3" SG Lu Dort is the hill you are going to die on trying to prove evolution of the game, you lost the debate before it even started.
Not only did the NBA have overall bigger SGs than Dort in the past (Like 6'6" Jim Jackson below), but guys who were FAR more skilled.
Nobody said that Dort isn't rugged, or that he isn't a great athlete.
But don't be ridiculous. Dort is not proof of anything.
And if you think Dort is an evolved athlete for the NBA, you don't know the history of the game.
So stop it with the BS.
Clyde Drexler was a 6'7" SG that was far more versatile, a better overall athlete (better footwork, higher leaper, better body control/coordination, etc), and was FAR MORE skilled as a player (do I even need to say that?)
Stacey Augmon was a 6'8" SG who was more versatile, a better overall athlete, longer wingspan, with more overall skill as an offensive player.
Steve Smith was a 6'7" SG who not only had 4 inches on Dort, but BLOWS HIM AWAY from a skill standpoint.
Latrell Sprewell was a 6'5" SG who was a better ALL AROUND athlete, and a FAR MORE skilled player overall.
Dan Majerle was a 6'6" SG who was a great defender, ripped/rugged himself, and a far more skilled basketball player overall.
Mitch Richmond was a 6'5" SG who was a great athlete himself, and far more skilled offensively.
Michael Jordan was a 6'6" SG
I don't need to say anything else.
Gerald Wilkins was a 6'6" SG who was a great overall athlete himself, with better scoring talent.
Nick Anderson was a 6'6" SG who was a great overall athlete himself, with more scoring talent.
Allan Houston was a 6'6" SG who was in phenomenal shape himself, and from a scoring skills standpoint he makes Dort look absolutely terrible.
Isaiah Rider was a 6'5" SG who was not only a ridiculous athlete himself, but had far more scoring talent.
Chris Morris was 6'8" and played SG for the Jazz during the 95-96 season, and SF his other seasons in the NBA.
Dort is listed as a G/F at 6'3" who played SF during his rookie year.
I hope you guys see where I am coming from here.
This whole "the guards were little in the 90s", and "players were smaller overall" is complete BS. The 90s had PLENTY of big guards. Do people not realize the height of guys like Oladipo (6'4"), Beal (6'3") etc etc?
Do people not realize the height of these guys who are playing SG in the NBA this season?
Do they not know the heights of these guys who are playing SG this season?
Do they not know the height of these SGs who play today? Or do they actually think 6'4" and 6'5" is BIG for SGs?
All listed as SGs this season.
All listed as SGs this season.
All listed as SGs this season.
You get the point.
What is with this ridiculous belief that guards are HUGE today (height/weight wise) compared to past decades? It doesnt match what you see.
Is it because people are not watching games as much anymore? Not doing research? They dont know what they are watching?
The NBA today does have SGs that have solid height.
Like 6'6" Jaylen Brown, 6'7" Huerter, 6'7" Fournier and 6'8" Paul George
But the 90s had Guards those heights as well (Augmon, Jalen Rose, Steve Smith, Jordan, Majerle, Drexler, etc)
Did you not realize that the 80s also had a lot of tall SGs 6'6" and over? Some of these players I'll post go from 70s into 80s, and some 80s into 90s.
Followed by a bunch of 6'5" SGs like Michael Cooper, Terence Stansbury etc
And for those arguing weight, OF COURSE some slender guys existed in the 80s, they also exist now. Same with smaller guards height wise. They exist at that time and now.
Here is the thread showing how OFF the weights are on basketballreference.
They are also messed up on REALGM for guys like Oakley and a bunch of other classic players.
People would look at the NBA in the early 70s entirely different if it had the ABA talent. People would consider it a much stronger stretch for the league.
63 of the 84 ABA players entered the NBA at merger (1976). 10 were all-stars in the 1st season.
And with that ABA talent in the NBA, you could have seen results altered. Including champions, all-stars, stats, accolades in general, etc
It also would have made the NBA more exciting in general, as the ABA was fast paced, fun, and had a style that the NBA overall was missing.
Here is some of the talent that was in the ABA at some point during its run.
Julius Erving
Rick Barry
Artis Gilmore
George Gervin
Connie Hawkins
George McGinnis
Moses Malone
Spencer Haywood
Maurice Lucas
David Thompson
John Williamson
Etc etc
I can't even begin to tell you how exciting it was to watch the Jason Williams Kings.
"The first impression one gets from watching the Kings play basketball is the right impression: the razzle-dazzle bunch enjoys the game and eachother and it shows" - David Dupree
I put that team against any team today (Same with the Bibby, Webber, Stojakovic Kings) and they win in a 7 game series
Era, depth, competition matters
No team today plays with close to the same exciting style, you kids today just don't get it. You missed out on some great hoop.
When you see Garnett sell out and say that he questions if players from 20+ years ago could play in todays game, and you remember that you played for the late 90s/early 00s Kings.
Want to know why we are still in awe of Michael Jordan?
👇Because since he retired nobody has matched what he could do on a basketball court. Double team? Triple team? didn't matter.
I've never seen better from an athleticism, skill, control and determination standpoint.
Go ahead... double him... triple him... it doesn't matter.
His movement was so smooth..... nobody has moved liked him since.
I watched Jordan live throughout the 90s, and I watched him with the Wizards.
All of these years later and I still get the same feeling watching his games and highlights. I see him do stuff that we never see today, in a style that is unmatched.