[Bilas] “Cars are better now, computers are better, everything is better in America except basketball players? That’s just not true … the average player now is much better than the average player was years ago”

33 comments

  3. I feel like there’s more people arguing against imaginary people saying that modern basketball players are worse than people actually saying modern basketball players are worse

    When people criticize the modern game it’s more likely to be for the rise of the three pointer basically meaning that there’s one way (driving and kicking for open threes) to win

  4. I mean, if you go just by logic, he’s right. Nutrition is better, training is way more structured and scientific, and recovery is better. The skill argument is debatable, but simply on a physical level, players are better now than ever. In 40 years it will be true for that time as well.

  5. Yes, modern medicine has done a lot for the game. Yes, we have a lot more knowledge now than we did before. But its also true that it’s easier to score now than it ever has been. I don’t for a single second believe that Lebron at 40 is as good of a player as he was at 28. I also don’t believe KD scoring 27 in 2025 is the same as him scoring 27 in 2012 lol.

    I think we have to be realistic here. The game has never been easier for offensive players. A large chunk of that is spacing related, another portion is how smart the players and coaches are. But another huge part is the game not enforcing it’s own rules.

    Guys like Jordan, Larry and Magic would absolutely thrive in a modern offense. I really don’t think you can debate that.

  8. Honestly just go down to your local highschool games. The talent pool has grown so much since even just a decade or two ago.

    I coach youth ball and young kids are just way better than they were.

    So many more resources for players and coaches on every level that didn’t exist or wasn’t available before.

  10. Jay Bilas remains a treasure. I’m 31 and this dude been on the screen my entire life feels like

  11. It would be a disservice to the game of basketball if the game didn’t evolve each decade. Idk what we will see next but I’m sure excited about it

  12. Yep, you see it everywhere. Like check stuff that is objectively verifiable, like gold medal performance at olympic events. High jump, long jump, 200m sprint, basically everything has improved dramatically since the so-called “golden age” of the 1980s and 1990s. But the boomers and their nostalgia just turn a blind eye.

    … wait a second, that’s not true at all, all of that stuff has been flat for decades. Huh.

  14. There is no denying this but if you’re comparing players across eras then you have to compare them to their competition.

    Would Babe Ruth be as good today? Who knows. Maybe not, pitchers are way harder to hit. Maybe he’d be better, he didn’t have the knowledge we do know—he invented the knowledge. Every modern hitter owes their approach to Ruth.

    As the saying goes, these guys stand on the shoulders of giants. Got to respect that. Are today’s engineers or physicists smarter than Tesla or Newton? Hell fucking no. Can they do more bc they have access to more information and tools? That’s more likely.

  15. I hate how this conversation has little to no nuance whatsoever. Not to diminish what Curry has done because he is one of my favorites players to watch and in my opinion at least a top 20 player this game has ever seen but his ankles which were a huge problem early on in his careers would have gotten cooked in converse had he been born in the 1948 instead of 1988. Not to mention the fact that there wasn’t even a three point line in the 60’s and early 70’s when our hypothetical Steph Curry would have made the league. Again none of this is to hate on Curry but ignoring all the external circumstances that have lead to Curry having such a great career is idiotic. At the end of the day we should just appreciate players from any era who are great and not put down any eras because they all build off of each other.

  20. Watched game 4 of the 1984 finals between the Celtics and Lakers. The quality of play seemed low, compared to today. The defense of both teams packed into the paint and dared the other team to take mid range shots. Players were missing the wide open mid range shots left and right. Modern players are much better shooters. Defense, today, is in your face, from 3 point line, in. Kareem was good with his low post moves, but the defense on him, wasn’t very physical and McHale was guarding him straight up. No double teams.

    Anyone that thinks basketball quality was better, 30 or 40 years ago, please go on YouTube and watch some of these games.

  21. The same thing gets posted everyday. Nothing insightful comes out of this.

  23. I’m hoping the expansion comes sooner than later bc I’m sure there’s a bunch of guys who would jump at the opportunity to make a bigger name for themselves and a bunch of guys who would just love a chance to play in the league in general.

  24. This is the first class in years where that’s the case imo. I think there was a 3 to 4 year period where the players with classic AAU centric development (ball dominant, bad basketball etc) led to less then ideal prospects compared to what Europe was producing and compared to what we were capable of producing. But around 2019-21 we figured it all out and now we’re seeing the fruits of our best players competing against our best players from 14yrs old on with good coaching as well.

  25. This is all an extension of the cantankerous “Jordan v. LeBron” fruitless GOAT argument. This is how bad it’s gotten. The Jordanites and revisionist historians in the NBA media and social media, have deemed the 1990’s as “apex NBA basketball.” This, by definition in their eyes, means that everything after the 1990‘s is worse.

  26. It’s a weird point of comparison because there are many things where the build quality is clearly worse now then it was in the 70s/80s. Many things now are all flash and not made to last.

    Not saying he’s wrong about the talent being higher now but it’s a weird point to compare it to cars and objects that seem to be losing long term quality by the day.

  27. Look I agree with both parts of his statement independently but the juxtaposition implies that basketball players are a product of research and iteration by successive generations of mechanical and electrical engineers which to my understanding is inaccurate

  29. Of course, now everyone can bomb threes and players are picked up as soon as they cross the halfcourt. Hand in the face at 30 feet, doubles, strict coverage and it’s still goes in. In the 80s you could walk to the paint before serious defense came.

  30. Computers might be but I’d argue older operating systems are better. Love you Windows XP.

  31. The rules have changed and have made the new Players candy asses. Imagine these players getting the crap beaten out of them by Mahorn or Lambier bahahaha

  33. I won’t lie I’m definitely an average hooper and I’m way better than my pops ever was and he was also a pretty decent average player back in the day.

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