If the bar is “quality” and “influence,” then yes. Olajuwon could be a quality player and influence games. But if the bar is “centerpiece” and “mvp,” then an Olajuwon-like talent would not be in the conversation.j2j wrote: ↑Sun Nov 24, 2019 7:09 pmMaybe not "championship 1A caliber", but this conversation ignores the talents of Gobert, Drummond, Vucevic, Capela, Aldridge, Adams, Davis, Ayton, Harrell, Sabonis, Allen, Bam, Favors, Jordan, and others who are quality big men who influence games yet don't shoot the 3 very often.Beef Supreme wrote: ↑Sun Nov 24, 2019 6:11 pmThat’s a different argument. This is more about style and how the game has changed than Olajuwon specifically. I lament the loss of diversity from the offensive game of the nba. This Olajuwon thought exercise explains that.j2j wrote: ↑Sun Nov 24, 2019 5:46 pm Wouldn't that assume Hakeem wouldn't add to his game? Dude was insanely talented and driven.
Compare Hakeem to Duncan. Or Hakeem to Jokic? Or Anthony Davis?
And really the dominant, championship caliber players have been LeBron, Kobe, Duncan, Shaq, Michael, Bird, Magic going back 35 years. Now it's Kawhi, Durant, Steph... Obviously the 3pt shooting allows Steph to enter the discussion, but it's not like wings havent been championship leaders for decades.
If Michael doesn't get suspended and essentially miss 2 seasons does Hakeem even get 2 rings? Or does Chicago win 8 straight?
But it’s apparently what the nba wants. They keep tweaking the rules to make the 3 better and make the inside game less relevant. This 3pt-centric era of advanced metrics has made the inside game obsolete. I mourn that. The game is not as interesting as it was. There is very little contrast of styles anymore. It’s just who shoots the 3 better.
But yea a different conversation about transporting a 21 year-old Olajuwon to 2019 and allowing him to grow into today’s game could be made.
Chicago and Jordan may have won 8 straight, but twice Olajuwon’s rockets came out of the western conference. So they would have been Jordan’s opponents in those finals. Even if Jordan triumphed, clearly Olajuwon’s teams would be considered “championship caliber.”
If Shaq happened to come around next year, I dont think anyone would start forcing him to shoot the 3. He'd still he Shaq. But he's such a historical outlier to compare anyone to him is flawed. Drop Hakeem into today's game and he likely would be too.
But as you said, if Hakeem was in high school today he's probably similar to Embiid where he does stretch out to the 3 point line.
I don't see anything wrong with that.
Look at those names you listed. Drummond? Capela? I agree with that. Those are the players he’s be compared to today. Not the elite difference-makers and impact-players in the game like he was in his day. He wouldn’t sniff the mvp conversation today. Just like capela, who is a nice player.
The modern nba would reduce hall of famer Hakeem Olajuwon to a “nice player.” And I think that sucks.