David West, a 14-year veteran and recent NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors, had something to say about whether unskilled basketball players from the past could even compete with today's players and evolving rules.
Here are David West's comments, courtesy of Dane Carbaugh of NBC Sports:
…The rules have had to change to adjust to the physical nature of the players … the game is so skilled now, you have to start asking the question: ‘Could guys of the past who were unskilled play in today’s NBA?’ I don’t think so…
West went on about how players that relied on hacking and fouling, in terms of playing physical, have no space in the league, as skilled players are adapting to the changing rules. For example, he stated that unskilled big men from the past would not be able to go up against the talent the NBA has today.
West's remarks not only questions the physicality players from the past played with, but also whether or not those guys could even be on the same court as the stars of the NBA today. Surely, big men from the past such as Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon, could play alongside current NBA centers, such as Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, and Kristaps Porzingis, but what about the other less skilled big men who had spots on NBA rosters?
Additionally, it's fun to wonder how current guards like Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, and Kyrie Irving would match up against Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, or Magic Johnson.
Whatever the case may be, inevitable changes are being made in the NBA every day. The way the game is played and the emphasis on talent has evolved over the years, questioning the methods implemented in the history of the game.
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