Just an offseason thread for thoughtful arguments and polite discussion (ha). The term "Golden Era" can be interpreted differently, but in this context I see this question as asking, at what time were there the most transcendent, hall-of-fame level players at each given position? Obviously, the level of talent in the league fluctuates greatly, there's often an overlap of eras, and there's talent we have yet to see. But within reason, at what time was talent the greatest at each position? For centers, would you consider it to be the days of Wilt, Russell, Willis Reed, and Nate Thurmond, or the days of Kareem, Moses, Hakeem, and Ewing, or Hakeem, Shaq, Ewing, and Robinson? For power forwards, would it be the time of Elvin Hayes, Bob Pettit, and Jerry Lucas, or the Mailman, Sir Charles, Shawn Kemp, and Rodman, or Duncan, KG, Dirk, and Webber? With small forwards, was it the time of Bird, Dr J, Dominique Wilkins, and James Worthy, or the time of LeBron, Pierce, TMac, and Melo, or the current group of LeBron, KD, Leonard, and PG13? As for shooting guards, was it the crop of Jordan, Drexler, Reggie Miller, Mitch Richmond, and Chris Mullin? or Kobe, Iverson, Ray Allen, Wade, Carter, and Ginobili? And finally, point guards, was it the legends of the Big O, the Logo, Bob Cousy, and Clyde Frazier, or Magic, Stockton, IT, and Payton, or Kidd, Paul, Nash, and Tony Parker, or today with Westbrook, Curry, Paul, and John Wall? (Considering Harden a SG, don't kill me)
Thanks. I love these posts. Just an offseason thread for thoughtful arguments and polite discussion (ha). The term "Golden Era" can be interpreted differently, but in this context I see this question as asking, at what time were there the most transcendent, hall-of-fame level players at each given position? Obviously, the level of talent in the league fluctuates greatly, there's often an overlap of eras, and there's talent we have yet to see. But within reason, at what time was talent the greatest at each position? For centers, would you consider it to be the days of Wilt, Russell, Willis Reed, and Nate Thurmond, or the days of Kareem, Moses, Hakeem, and Ewing, or Hakeem, Shaq, Ewing, and Robinson? For power forwards, would it be the time of Elvin Hayes, Bob Pettit, and Jerry Lucas, or the Mailman, Sir Charles, Shawn Kemp, and Rodman, or Duncan, KG, Dirk, and Webber? With small forwards, was it the time of Bird, Dr J, Dominique Wilkins, and James Worthy, or the time of LeBron, Pierce, TMac, and Melo, or the current group of LeBron, KD, Leonard, and PG13? As for shooting guards, was it the crop of Jordan, Drexler, Reggie Miller, Mitch Richmond, and Chris Mullin? or Kobe, Iverson, Ray Allen, Wade, Carter, and Ginobili? And finally, point guards, was it the legends of the Big O, the Logo, Bob Cousy, and Clyde Frazier, or Magic, Stockton, IT, and Payton, or Kidd, Paul, Nash, and Tony Parker, or today with Westbrook, Curry, Paul, and John Wall? (Considering Harden a SG, don't kill me)
Pretty sure Mullin was a Small Forward And pretty sure Magic and IT were pretty much near done when Payton was getting started. Today is the golden girl era for PG. Curry isn't even in top 5 for PG in today's NBA with so many other great PG.
Hakeem/ Robinson/ Shaq/ Ewing era for centres - just for the depth was insane. Guys like Daugherty/ Sabonis/ Divac and more were about and very serviceable. Power forwards had to be a long era from Mailman/ Sir Charles and Kemp through to Duncan/ KG/ Dirk etc (Webber really sat between those eras in a way) Small forward is the tail of the current era. Lebron/ KD/ Melo/ Pierce Shooting guard simply must be MJ/ Drexler/ Miller PG is current era from Paul onwards to Curry etc
Mourning and Dikembe. For me, I feel forced to say SG had any Golden Era . Somewhat the same with SF. I lean towards a definition of Golden Era as at least meaning no two positions share an era. That's just my opinion, and it seems that's how media discussed it too. So 90s was Center 00s was PF Now is PG or the Positionless Era I'm also willing to say now is becoming the Positionless Era. Lebron, Durant, Giannis, Harden, Kashi, WB, Curry and Green, etc maybe Porzingis too. Remember the talk of scoring PGs era with Francis, AI, Marburg and Baron Davis. Non-traditional PGs playing like SGs. Seems that is continuing into this Positiinaless era with many PGs being primary scorers and JH and Curry leading the way in floating between the two positions. Isaiah also plays with a PG a lot. Positions of the superstars are getting fuzzy wrt traditional definitiions and roles on the court.
Also TMac and Paul Pierce were shooting guards in that early 2000s era. 1990s also had Dumars and for a little while Grant Hill and Iverson. Both were insane decades when it comes to shooting guards. I might pick the Jordan era. Centers - 90s had the most talent. But 50-60s was when the centers dominated the most. You had no chance to win a title without an all time great center, except for a few years between Mikan and Russell/Wilt. PFs - Duncan/KG/Garnett/Amar'e/Webber/Pau Gasol/ Jermaine O'Neal period. Webber doesn't fully fit into that period. Elton Brand played at a HOF level before injury. Shawn Marion was also there. PGs - today. SFs - probably today, LeBron, Durant, Kawhi, George, Melo, Butler, Draymond Green could all make the Hall. 80s were loaded as well though - not just the ones you mentioned, but also Dantley, King, English were HOF level talents.
How could I miss Zo and Deke?? It felt like a lot of guys were just so serviceable in that day - Rik Smits, Marcus Camby, even Rony Seikaly averaged 15 and 10 on his career.
