Originally Posted by
CJ
A few years back, I believe Jordan (although it may have been Barkley) stated Kobe, Duncan and Dirk would've had no problem playing in the 80s/early 90s. I've got to agree with that. Dirk's offensive game is transcendent, as his jumpers were virtually unguardable. Plus Dirk is a bit older than some of the others named, so lets just move on.
Durant is similar to Dirk, with the unstoppable shot. He's essentially a taller version of McGrady, so I don't see why he'd be any less dominant. Rail thin guys like George Gervin got theirs, so I think Durant would've been just fine. He likely shoots less threes, due to the style of the era, but he'd still be a scoring machine.
Wade/Westbrook/Harden all play a similar crash the basket like a maniac style, and that worked quite well for Allen Iverson in the back half of the 90s, did it not? I don't think Westbrook would've ever averaged a triple double, but I do think they'd all still have been elite. Durability would've likely been an issue, but then again it already is for Wade. I'd imagine one of the three of them would've been done early in a Grant Hill/Penny Hardaway injury way, with everyone wondering what could've been.
Cousins is a fun one to analyze, as the mind games of the era, coupled with more physical defenders may have completely nullified his skill set. Conversely, he may have thrived in that environment. I don't see him fairing any better than say, fellow Kings alum, Chris Webber, and I think he ends up more like Derrick Coleman.
Speaking of mind games, Rondo might've been in big trouble. I'd say a rich man's Vernon Maxwell is the best case scenario. Their career paths have been quite similar, shuffling from team to team, post Championship success.
The Splash Brothers playing in that era may not have been as exciting. The three point style wasn't in play yet, but as another poster said... if Reggie Miller could make it. I think Klay would've been a Steve Smith style player. Curry is tougher to figure out, as he's already had a lot of injury issues. Playing in a tougher era may have broken him. Either way, ideally Steph would've played on the Hornets with his father, while Klay played in Portland with his.
Kyrie Irving is the one guy on this list I really think wouldn't have made it. He's soft, egotistical and would've got knocked on his ass over and over. I think he would've given up. At best he would've been a Tim Hardaway style player, just hoping to finally have a healthy season.
LeBron is ridiculous to include, he's one of the best ever. The notion he would've got knocked around by the more physical players is just plain stupid given LeBron's strength and size. Personally, I think playing in that era would've made him tougher, as he would've have come into the league so entitled, with everyone lining up to suck him off. Most likely he'd have enjoyed Karl Malone/Charles Barkley level success, an MVP here or there and no titles. The best part is he would've lost to Michael every year, settling that debate once and for all.