Would Larry Bird be an All-Star today?

[cdif911]

one Celtics legend I'm not sure would be a star in the league today is Cousy, what he did at the time was revolutionary, but now many guys play similar games to him and the league has changed because of him.  I think he'd be an average pg today, compared to the talent level around, but again maybe he'd be a Steve Nash... what do y'all think on that one

[oldmanspeaks]

Bird would be a star in any era because his game was a combination of anticipation, strength and incredible shooting skill and thrived on pressure. He also never tired which is highly unusual. He made passes that I didn't think were even possible because he was looking the wrong direction but his anticipation allowed the entire court to be in his head even when he wasn't looking. He was a tremendous rebounder but got most flat-footed because he carved out a space before the ball even got to the rim. His off the ball defense was great for the same reason. I have played basketball for a zillion years and I have never seen anyone read a court like Bird.

[get_banners]

while its true there were guys in the league during bird's time that were athletic marvels, the overall level of athleticism was lower. this is largely due to the revolution in nutrition and exercise in the past 10 or so years. nowadays, there's a supplement for everything, and the workout equipment is much better. plus, teams devote a lot more to these areas than they used to. if bird played today, he'd still have his shooting ability and high basketball IQ, but he'd also be in better physical condition given all the advances. soooo...he'd dominate, like he did i the 80's.

[Finkelskyhook]

The question that should be asked is how the messiah would have done in Bird's era?  Where he wouldn't have benefited from the officiating fraud he benefits from today.  Personally, I think the messiah would be better than he is now because he would raise his game in a way he doesn't have to now.  By getting every call and traveling on every posession, he can dominate without raising his game at all by virtue of being a skilled physical freak.  Same thing could be said about Jordan.

Players like Bird transcend the game.  Great picture of Oscar as well.  Players like Bird and Oscar would be as great now as they were when they played.

[fairweatherfan]

Yes absolutely...one thing that is not taken into account is that the increased athleticism today isn't just some evolutionary leap in human DNA, it's mostly due to superior training methods.  Larry with today's weight training, conditioning, and diet would be just as much of a demon, relative to the league, as he was in his heyday.  And the superior film archiving would have greatly enhanced his legendary ability to see the play 3 steps ahead.

I will say this though, I watched all of the 86 Finals for the first time on DVD between Games 4-6 of this year's finals.  The most striking thing I noticed is that defensive intensity was much lower back then compared to today.  Both series were played very hard, but that 86 series saw a lot of open jumpers on both teams, and not just on kickouts from double teams.  Dunks were also more common, and scores higher, in 86.  Additionally players didn't look to draw charges or contact nearly as much as they did today.  Larry might score a little less today, but his defensive instincts would have made him a tremendous asset to a defensively-oriented team.

[tenn_smoothie]

huh ??

uh, yes.


and btw, i'd easily take Larry Bird on my NBA team ahead of Bryant, James, Paul or Pierce or Garnett. 

such short memories.

[BballTim]

Reyquilla said something that touched on something that I've always wondered about.  Given today's athleticism, how would Larry Bird do in the NBA if he were drafted today (assume he's 22, ofcourse!)? 

Do you think Larry Bird could have done as well in today's NBA?   

  Today's athleticism is amazing. Players from the 80s like Jordan and Pippin and Drexler and Nique and Isaiah and Magic would never survive in today's NBA.

[slam]

Reyquilla said something that touched on something that I've always wondered about.  Given today's athleticism, how would Larry Bird do in the NBA if he were drafted today (assume he's 22, ofcourse!)? 

Do you think Larry Bird could have done as well in today's NBA?   

  Today's athleticism is amazing. Players from the 80s like Jordan and Pippin and Drexler and Nique and Isaiah and Magic would never survive in today's NBA.

Wow, BballTim.  That is without a doubt the most outragous thing I've heard on this blog, unless it was sarcasm.  I'll just speak on Jordan.  Yeah, he was from the 80's, but he was from the 90's too, and even played in this decade.  His athleticism is probably top 10.  TODAY.  He would be the best player in the NBA right now if his career had started 8 years ago.

If you are talking about players from the 50's and 60's, you have an argument, but not someone that just retired a few years ago.  Jordan would dominate the NBA if he were playing in his peak today.  No doubt about it.  I would also say that everyone else you mentioned would be just as successful if they were playing at their peak today.

[BballTim]

Reyquilla said something that touched on something that I've always wondered about.  Given today's athleticism, how would Larry Bird do in the NBA if he were drafted today (assume he's 22, ofcourse!)? 

Do you think Larry Bird could have done as well in today's NBA?   

  Today's athleticism is amazing. Players from the 80s like Jordan and Pippin and Drexler and Nique and Isaiah and Magic would never survive in today's NBA.

Wow, BballTim.  That is without a doubt the most outragous thing I've heard on this blog, unless it was sarcasm. 

  I'll go with sarcasm...

[Aaron]

I know I'm just repeating what others have already said, but today's "athleticism" is a by-product of the training/nutrition... but it's also a product of SportsCenter and the Internet.

Guys were doing amazing things in the 70's-80's-90's... you just weren't able to watch the "highlights" every night on tv, or check out the top plays online.  Everything is amplified now, and in large part due to marketing... The NBA wants you to see the league as the world's top athletes performing amazing feats every night. 

And they are... but they always have been. 

And, it's just silly to wonder if Bird wouldn't be an all-star today.  He'd be MVP.

[guava_wrench]

Bird's shooting and passing will always have a place in the game, as well as his will to win.

Even athletic players like Kobe often prefer the reliable turn-around fadeaways that Bird was so great at. They just jump higher when they shoot it, while he released it quicker. I imagine his scoring would be the same, as well as his assists. His scoring could actually be higher with the shorter 3pt line.

I would expect less rebounds though.

On defense, it's all about the scheme.

[LarBrd33]

Reyquilla said something that touched on something that I've always wondered about.  Given today's athleticism, how would Larry Bird do in the NBA if he were drafted today (assume he's 22, ofcourse!)? 

Do you think Larry Bird could have done as well in today's NBA?   

  Today's athleticism is amazing. Players from the 80s like Jordan and Pippin and Drexler and Nique and Isaiah and Magic would never survive in today's NBA.

Wow, BballTim.  That is without a doubt the most outragous thing I've heard on this blog, unless it was sarcasm. 

  I'll go with sarcasm...

Yeah I mean.  Bird was dominating stiffer competition than today.   Jordan is a good example.  Even at 40 years old and bad knees, Jordan was able to play in today's league, make the allstar team and average 23 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1.5 steals. 

Bird would dominate.  Anyone who says otherwise is 15 years old.

[Emmette Bryant]

i think so what do i know it's just my opinion

[guava_wrench]

Reyquilla said something that touched on something that I've always wondered about.  Given today's athleticism, how would Larry Bird do in the NBA if he were drafted today (assume he's 22, ofcourse!)? 

Do you think Larry Bird could have done as well in today's NBA?   

  Today's athleticism is amazing. Players from the 80s like Jordan and Pippin and Drexler and Nique and Isaiah and Magic would never survive in today's NBA.

Wow, BballTim.  That is without a doubt the most outragous thing I've heard on this blog, unless it was sarcasm. 

  I'll go with sarcasm...

Yeah I mean.  Bird was dominating stiffer competition than today.   Jordan is a good example.  Even at 40 years old and bad knees, Jordan was able to play in today's league, make the allstar team and average 23 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1.5 steals. 

Bird would dominate.  Anyone who says otherwise is 15 years old.

I don't think we can say there was stiffer competition back then.

But we can say that Bird's offensive skills and effort will always be exceptional.

[Andy Jick]

obviously the original poster never saw larry play...we'd never be having this discussion right now if he had.