Would Larry Bird be an All-Star today?

[Andy Jick]

mchale, even without bird, would have dominated any team he played on.

Hate to say it but judging by the '86 finals, Olajuwon had out done McHale (and Parish) on the block. So using my all time favorite big man as an index, McHale would have been another top tier PF today, like Stoudamaire, and like Amare, would need a team around him to dominate in the paint though AS has done it alone, from time to time, during breakout times.

A player, who singlehandedly takes over the offense of a game is someone like Pierce. And that's the type of player, Larry Bird was. PP, for the first time, had a team equivalent to the one Bird had, back in the 80s.

the guy scored 56 points in a game...bird himself even admitted that mchale would have been a star on any other team.

comparing mchale to amare stoudamire is laughable...two different players that have nothing in comparison.  mchale was a unique, unstoppable low-post player.  he was a prototype power forward, and olujawon, for example, was a center (who killed nearly everyone he played against btw).

there is no player that compares to mchale today...in his prime he was a top defensive, low post offensive, and field goal percentage player.  putting amare and mchale in the same breath is comical.

[CoachCowens]

The better question is how great would bird make the players around him today?

[lifetime45]

With superior athlete of today, like Gerald Green, how could Larry Bird compete with that?

[crownsy]

Ive never understood the "well, players today are better because of new science/training programs."

Considering how great those guys were on and off the court, wouldn't it stand to reason that they would benefit just as well as today's athletes from all the advances in training and nutrition?

i mean, the players today are more athletic, but its not because there some new breed of humans, the approach to athletics has changed.

guys from that era would do just as well, if not better. they'd have the drives to be on the same programs, thus equaling out this imbalance.

[Roy Hobbs]

In today's NBA, McHale would be a better offensive version of Big Al, while also being the best defensive power forward in the league.  How valuable do you think that guy would be?  He could easily be the centerpiece of a championship team, although obviously (just like any player) you need to put talent around him.

[Who]

I'm still reading back on the thread ... but to the question -

Would Larry Bird be an All-Star today? Larry Bird would be the MVP of the league. Not just an All-Star, the MVP.

I would expect Larry to play power forward instead of small forward due to the rule changes which would have made it difficult for Bird to defend Elite SFs like Pierce/LeBron/McGrady off the dribble. He'd be able to defend guys like Prince and co. though so maybe more power forward than de facto power forward.

[Sweet17]

I think all three of our old Big 3 would be all-stars. However I think Larry would slip the most till about say a one time MVP rather then mutiple time. For whatever reason through time Larry's star has grown to big and McHale and Parish have lost too much stature. McHale would be an absolute stud..And Parish would be an excellent big man (perenially all-star)..

If you actually watch old time Bird - his athleticism is underrated some. He moves a little better then Dirk who he compared to but with more passing and toughness.

Pete

[TrueGreen]

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?   

My question is did you see Larry Bird play? I'm not trying to be argumentative here, but people who saw him play will think differently than those who didn't. Even people who only saw him occasionally will think differently from those who saw him alot. To me Larry Bird is the 2nd greatest player of all time following Bill Russell. Both those people would be at the top of this league today. Athleticism isn't always what it is cracked up to be. The Celtics, this year, weren't the most athletic team, they were simply the BEST. Bird and Russell are simply the BEST.

[TrueGreen]

I think all three of our old Big 3 would be all-stars. However I think Larry would slip the most till about say a one time MVP rather then mutiple time. For whatever reason through time Larry's star has grown to big and McHale and Parish have lost too much stature. McHale would be an absolute stud..And Parish would be an excellent big man (perenially all-star)..

If you actually watch old time Bird - his athleticism is underrated some. He moves a little better then Dirk who he compared to but with more passing and toughness.

Don't forget that for the last 5 or 6 years of his career Bird was extremely physically handicapped and he was still one of the best players in the league. I think Keven McHale said something like this:  "Micheal Jordan could control a game by taking 25 shots, Bird could control it with 10 shots". Bird did so much more than what showed in the stats, even when he was carted off to NE Baptist after a game to be put in traction and then return to play the next game.

[BballTim]

I think all three of our old Big 3 would be all-stars. However I think Larry would slip the most till about say a one time MVP rather then mutiple time. For whatever reason through time Larry's star has grown to big and McHale and Parish have lost too much stature. McHale would be an absolute stud..And Parish would be an excellent big man (perenially all-star)..

If you actually watch old time Bird - his athleticism is underrated some. He moves a little better then Dirk who he compared to but with more passing and toughness.

Pete

  People spent a good portion of Larry's career debating whether he was the best player of all time. His star hasn't grown too bright (as seen by threads like this).

[TripleOT]

In today's NBA, McHale would be a better offensive version of Big Al, while also being the best defensive power forward in the league.  How valuable do you think that guy would be?  He could easily be the centerpiece of a championship team, although obviously (just like any player) you need to put talent around him.

McHale was a great defender as PF, but he wouldn't be better than KG in today's NBA, strictly because KG's defensive ability away from the basket defending the pick and roll would be far superior.  Now McHale was one of the best PFs of his time at getting out on the floor and defending when he needed to, mostly with smarts and excellent positioning, but he didn't have the lateral quickness of KG.  McHale would be in the top three or four PFs defensively today.   

[Roy Hobbs]

In today's NBA, McHale would be a better offensive version of Big Al, while also being the best defensive power forward in the league.  How valuable do you think that guy would be?  He could easily be the centerpiece of a championship team, although obviously (just like any player) you need to put talent around him.

McHale was a great defender as PF, but he wouldn't be better than KG in today's NBA, strictly because KG's defensive ability away from the basket defending the pick and roll would be far superior.  Now McHale was one of the best PFs of his time at getting out on the floor and defending when he needed to, mostly with smarts and excellent positioning, but he didn't have the lateral quickness of KG.  McHale would be in the top three or four PFs defensively today.   

I don't know.  From what I remember, McHale moved pretty well; the team would put him on Dr. J at times, for instance.  Also, just as there are parts of McHale's defensive game that weren't perfect, the same is true of KG.  As great of a player as he is, he still struggles at times against bigger forwards, as witnessed by Gasol's performance in Game 5 in the playoffs.  McHale was a bit stronger than KG, KG is a bit more athletic.  Both are great defenders, but overall, I'd take McHale.

[jay_jay54]

In today's NBA, McHale would be a better offensive version of Big Al, while also being the best defensive power forward in the league.  How valuable do you think that guy would be?  He could easily be the centerpiece of a championship team, although obviously (just like any player) you need to put talent around him.

McHale was a great defender as PF, but he wouldn't be better than KG in today's NBA, strictly because KG's defensive ability away from the basket defending the pick and roll would be far superior.  Now McHale was one of the best PFs of his time at getting out on the floor and defending when he needed to, mostly with smarts and excellent positioning, but he didn't have the lateral quickness of KG.  McHale would be in the top three or four PFs defensively today.   

I don't know.  From what I remember, McHale moved pretty well; the team would put him on Dr. J at times, for instance.  Also, just as there are parts of McHale's defensive game that weren't perfect, the same is true of KG.  As great of a player as he is, he still struggles at times against bigger forwards, as witnessed by Gasol's performance in Game 5 in the playoffs.  McHale was a bit stronger than KG, KG is a bit more athletic.  Both are great defenders, but overall, I'd take McHale.

I agree RH,from what i remember,McHale definitely was a more productive shot blocker than KG,at least from what i saw this past season.I didnt follow all KG(career) games or ck stats.

[LarBrd33]

This thread makes me cry inside

[nickagneta]

In today's NBA, McHale would be a better offensive version of Big Al, while also being the best defensive power forward in the league.  How valuable do you think that guy would be?  He could easily be the centerpiece of a championship team, although obviously (just like any player) you need to put talent around him.

McHale was a great defender as PF, but he wouldn't be better than KG in today's NBA, strictly because KG's defensive ability away from the basket defending the pick and roll would be far superior.  Now McHale was one of the best PFs of his time at getting out on the floor and defending when he needed to, mostly with smarts and excellent positioning, but he didn't have the lateral quickness of KG.  McHale would be in the top three or four PFs defensively today.   

I don't know.  From what I remember, McHale moved pretty well; the team would put him on Dr. J at times, for instance.  Also, just as there are parts of McHale's defensive game that weren't perfect, the same is true of KG.  As great of a player as he is, he still struggles at times against bigger forwards, as witnessed by Gasol's performance in Game 5 in the playoffs.  McHale was a bit stronger than KG, KG is a bit more athletic.  Both are great defenders, but overall, I'd take McHale.

I remember when the Celtics played teams that had talented 3s but slower, less skilled 4s that McHale would draw the assignment of guarding the SF and Bird the PF. McHale guarded Worthy and Bird had Rambis. McHale guarded Dr. J and Bird had Bobby Jones. McHale guarded Bernard King and Bird guarded Louis Orr. These were very common matchups for the 80's Celtics because Bird was such an outstanding positional rebounder that the C's could afford for McHale to guard talent SFs when the matchup for Bird wasn't good.