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If Bill Russell couldn't guard him, I don't think anyone else could either.Donn Beach wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 2:13 amCome on, you really think Chamberlain could average 50 points and 25 rebounds a game over a season if he played today, see a 100 point game again? Nobody is going to dominate basketball the way he did in 1962, including him
Oh, I agree it would not be the same. Still, in his worst year, he averaged 18.2 rebounds. That is not just being 7' tall, it takes anticipation, positioning and agility. He was a heck of an athlete.Donn Beach wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 3:49 amif you say so, Wilt was a great player but the fact is a part of that was being 7' 1" and 260 pounds, he was physically dominate, he would not be as physically dominate today. No player today no matter how strong is going to be allowed to stand under the basket averaging 50 points a game, defenses today wouldn't allow it
Chamberlain's rebounding likely would have carried over well to the modern game. He led the league in rebounding 11 times - even from ages 34 to 36 as he was wrapping up his career with the Lakers - and averaged 22.9 boards per game overall. In any era, a 7-foot-1, 275-pound player who set High Jump records at the University of Kansas would be a standout rebounder.
We don't have official numbers on his shot blocking, but it was a trademark skill. He never fouled out of an NBA game and averaged just two fouls per game in his career. That's impressive, but also suggests he would be prodded to increase his aggression and take more risks today.
If Chamberlain was born 55 or 60 years later, he likely would have been encouraged to diversify his game, to take the touch he showed on his fadeaway jumper beyond the three-point line. There would be more emphasis on drawing fouls, too, on using pump fakes and taking advantage of overzealous defenders. Though free throws were a major weakness for Chamberlain (51.1 percent in his NBA career), he probably would have scored a higher percentage of his points at the foul line.
How much would he score overall? It's obviously a difficult question to answer. Though Chamberlain played during a relatively high-scoring time - teams averaged 118.8 points per game in 1961-62, compared to 111.4 this season - he was an outlier. He would have played a lot less than 45.8 minutes per game in the name of load management, which would have decreased his scoring average but perhaps prolonged his career.
It's possible the shift toward three-point shooting would have diminished his post-up opportunities because, for the most part, the post-up is no longer an efficient or popular type of play. Joel Embiid is an exception, though even he attempts almost four threes a game.
Against constant double teams, Chamberlain would have been coached from a young age on how to systematically read the defense, identifying where extra men were coming from, where his teammates were stationed and what the proper reads were. That might not have made a huge difference, since he had natural talent as a passer and had the most assists in the NBA for the 1967-68 season.
not to mention holding the dubious distinction of getting thrown out of his own farewell game! by Billy Crystal no less.Boisehawk wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 3:28 amKareem would have easily dominated in any era. HIs sky hook was unstoppable. He was one of the best defensive center ever. The Lakers had the best fast break ever with him. Magic had something to do with it too lol. He was taught by John Wooden which is a giant advantage. He was part of winning streak in college no one will have again. Players are not as technical as they were back when.
When in doubt, throw it into Kareem for a sky hook.DavidGee24 wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 4:43 amThat's the thing about Chamberlain and Kareem, they would have been bigger and stronger today, and in Chamberlain's case he'd probably have developed an outside shot. 50 points a game or even 40 is out of the question, but one could see him being comparable to Giannis Antetokounmpo. Kareem would probably play similarly to the way he played but score less because he wouldn't be getting the ball as much with the game evolving into a 3-point shooting contest.
“Maybe a few people got to it, coming to help where I couldn’t see them, but if I knew where someone was, that person was not going to block that shot, because I always got my body in between them and the ball before I released the ball, and it’s impossible to get to it,”
I thought Marvin Webster got him .Donn Beach wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 9:18 amJabbar has claimed nobody blocked his hook
Wilt doing it twice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwHP04TWOps