Just how weak were the late 90's?

[dankok8]

There is about 10-15 HOF players in their primes playing in the entire 29-team league from 1997-1999.



HOF Players in Their Primes from 1996-1997 to 1998-1999 (Three Seasons)

Point Guards: Jason Kidd, Gary Payton

John Stockton was still playing but he averaged 13/9 and made 1 All-Star game. Basically a good role player and nothing more.

Shooting Guards: Michael Jordan, Reggie Miller, Mitch Richmond

Joe Dumars was also playing in the league but was a total shell. The new generation of guards was way too young.

Small Forwards: Scottie Pippen

Dominique Wilkins and Chris Millin still played but were totally washed up.

Power Forwards: Karl Malone, Tim Duncan

Charles Barkley was still a quality player but way past his best years. He averaged 17/12 on 48% shooting and made 1 All-Star game.

Centers: Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo

Hakeem Olajuwon averaged 20/9 in this stretch and made 1 All-Star game. Shell after 1997.

Patrick Ewing put up decent numbers and made 1 All-Star game when healthy but missed almost one entire season's worth to injury. He too was past his prime on both ends.

David Robinson missed one entire season to injury, had one really good season in 1998, then became a good role player in 1999.

Shaq missed more than a season's worth of games to injuries and Alonzo almost a season's worth but they played on a high level when healthy.





If the whole picture isn't bad enough, the entire Eastern Conference had Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Reggie Miller, Dikembe Mutombo, and Alonzo Mourning that were HOF players playing in their primes. And of course MJ and Scottie played on the same team. That is an absolutely atrocious showing and you won't find anything that weak in NBA History. Not to mention that Reggie, Dikembe, and Alonzo weren't exactly superstar caliber players at any point in their careers.





Let us see who some of the guys that made All-NBA Teams are in these 3 seasons.

Grant Hill -- 1x 1st Team, 2x 2nd Team
Tim Hardaway - 1x 1st Team, 2x 2nd Team
Glen Rice - 1x 2nd Team, 1x 3rd Team
Vin Baker - 1x 2nd Team, 1x 3rd Team
Anthony Mason - 1x 3rd Team
Rod Strickland - 1x 2nd Team
Antonio McDyess - 1x 3rd Team



And now some of the All-Stars in that span in addition to the guys above. Mind you there was no contest in 1999 because of the lockout so we may be missing on a few megastars.

Steve Smith
Rik Smits
Antoine Walker
Jayson Williams
Eddie Jones
Nick Van Exel
Terrell Brandon
Christian Laettner
Chris Gatling
Tom Gugliotta
Detlef Schrempf
Latrell Sprewell



So is this the weakest 3-year stretch ever?

[ballinhun8]

99-02 pretty bad.


04-07? Teams barely scoring so I doubt any HOFers were out there except for the obvious ones.

[mehyaM24]

pretty weak

although the rules implemented ATT kind of balanced some of that out.

handchecking & physical play weren't looked down upon - or banned, plus you got to see some of the best defenses ever (the heat and knicks were atrocious on offense, but slowed the game down to a crawl).

i generally agree though - there was a serious talent drought those 3 years

[Donkey4trading]

1999 was the worst season of NBA basketball since the merger.

[Showtime80']

The effects of the underwhelming first wave of the "hip hop" generation are still felt to THIS DAY and is the reason why the NBA had to go through a rule changing binge like they went through from the mid 90's onward.

That time period featured the continued failure of the much hyped 90's generation (Shaq, Penny, LJ, Kemp, Payton, Mourning, Marbury, Iverson, KG, Webber, Hill, Robinson, Kidd etc..) to take the torch away from the remnants of the 80's Golden Age generation (Jordan, Pippen, Ewing, Stockton, Malone, Olajuwon, Drexler, Rodman, Barkley etc...)

The league hoped those new players would become the face of the league, begging winning titles and creating rivalries like those players from the 80's did, NEVER HAPPENED!!! Aside from a few odd years, the 80's guys took turns whipping on the 90's hip hoppers!

Thus what was left from 1997 to 1999?, 5 original dream teamers in the downside of their careers (Jordan, Pippen, Malone, Stockton and Robinson) dominating the league while winning more than they ever did before.

Once the 80's guys started fading away, the blemishes of the league that had been accumulating since the mid 90's were magnified BIG TIME!!! And to this day, even with a little recovery from mid the 2000's onward, the league is STILL suffering from the decrease in fundamentals and selfish attitudes that started during the 90's.

[Sarcastic]

Do you see the guys who make All NBA now? Joachim Noah, Dwight Howard, Marc Gasol. These guys couldn't hold a candle to some of the guys you mentioned. Deandre Jordan made 3rd team, and has 0 moves and can only catch alley-oops.

[feyki]

1999 was the worst season of NBA basketball since the merger.

+764864644

And 94-01 era damn weak .

[Showtime80']

I agree sarcastic!

At least in the late 90's you still had guys like Jordan, Malone, Pippen, Barkley, Ewing, Stockton, Robinson and Olajuwon still doing work while guys like Shaq, Penny, Mourning, Kemp, Payton and Miller presenting a solid second tear of stars!

In 2015 it is absolutely pathetic!!! It's basically the 2/6 in the Finals more beta than alpha LeBron James and circus shooting midget Steph Curry as the protagonist and then everyone else including manufactured stars like Harden and Dumbrook!

[Sarcastic]

Amare Stoudemire made 1st team All NBA in 06-07 with 20.4/9.6 and awful defense.

Let that sink in for a second.

[tmacattack33]

There is about 10-15 HOF players in their primes playing in the entire 29-team league from 1997-1999.



HOF Players in Their Primes from 1996-1997 to 1998-1999 (Three Seasons)

Point Guards: Jason Kidd, Gary Payton

John Stockton was still playing but he averaged 13/9 and made 1 All-Star game. Basically a good role player and nothing more.

Shooting Guards: Michael Jordan, Reggie Miller, Mitch Richmond

Joe Dumars was also playing in the league but was a total shell. The new generation of guards was way too young.

Small Forwards: Scottie Pippen

Dominique Wilkins and Chris Millin still played but were totally washed up.

Power Forwards: Karl Malone, Tim Duncan

Charles Barkley was still a quality player but way past his best years. He averaged 17/12 on 48% shooting and made 1 All-Star game.

Centers: Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo

Hakeem Olajuwon averaged 20/9 in this stretch and made 1 All-Star game. Shell after 1997.

Patrick Ewing put up decent numbers and made 1 All-Star game when healthy but missed almost one entire season's worth to injury. He too was past his prime on both ends.

David Robinson missed one entire season to injury, had one really good season in 1998, then became a good role player in 1999.

Shaq missed more than a season's worth of games to injuries and Alonzo almost a season's worth but they played on a high level when healthy.





If the whole picture isn't bad enough, the entire Eastern Conference had Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Reggie Miller, Dikembe Mutombo, and Alonzo Mourning that were HOF players playing in their primes. And of course MJ and Scottie played on the same team. That is an absolutely atrocious showing and you won't find anything that weak in NBA History. Not to mention that Reggie, Dikembe, and Alonzo weren't exactly superstar caliber players at any point in their careers.





Let us see who some of the guys that made All-NBA Teams are in these 3 seasons.

Grant Hill -- 1x 1st Team, 2x 2nd Team
Tim Hardaway - 1x 1st Team, 2x 2nd Team
Glen Rice - 1x 2nd Team, 1x 3rd Team
Vin Baker - 1x 2nd Team, 1x 3rd Team
Anthony Mason - 1x 3rd Team
Rod Strickland - 1x 2nd Team
Antonio McDyess - 1x 3rd Team



And now some of the All-Stars in that span in addition to the guys above. Mind you there was no contest in 1999 because of the lockout so we may be missing on a few megastars.

Steve Smith
Rik Smits
Antoine Walker
Jayson Williams
Eddie Jones
Nick Van Exel
Terrell Brandon
Christian Laettner
Chris Gatling
Tom Gugliotta
Detlef Schrempf
Latrell Sprewell



So is this the weakest 3-year stretch ever?

Wtf?

A top 5 of MJ/Shaq/Pippen/Payton/Malone isn't bad.

We just now had a stretch much worse than this. Before Steph Curry, Antonio Davis, and Westbrook turned into super-stars the past year or so, Lebron and Durant were really the only super-stars out there.

James Harden mighta been the third best player in 2014. Really. I'm serious.

[dankok8]

Wtf?

A top 5 of MJ/Shaq/Pippen/Payton/Malone isn't bad.

We just now had a stretch much worse than this. Before Steph Curry, Antonio Davis, and Westbrook turned into super-stars the past year or so, Lebron and Durant were really the only super-stars out there.

James Harden mighta been the third best player in 2014. Really. I'm serious.

Shaq missed more than a season's worth of games to injuries. Pippen was on a decline as well. Jordan was still great but not on the level of peak Lebron or this season's Curry.

It's not a great top 5 at all.

[Showtime80']

Want to see a real top 10 list, check out the 1987 MVP voting:

Magic, Jordan, Bird, McHale, Wilkins, Barkley, Olajuwon, Thomas, Moses!!!

Puts last year's or probably ANY of the last 25+ years top ten MVP voting list to absolute shame!

[TaLvsCuaL]

No agenda at all

[tmacattack33]

Shaq missed more than a season's worth of games to injuries. Pippen was on a decline as well. Jordan was still great but not on the level of peak Lebron or this season's Curry.

It's not a great top 5 at all.

Shaq played in 60 games and the playoffs in 1998...with a great PER of 28.8.

And you had good honorable mentions for the top 5 in 1998.

Honorable mentions in 1998: Grant Hill, Tim Duncan, Alonzo Mourning, David Robinson

Honorable mentions in 2013: Dirk, Paul George, Westbrook, Blake Griffin




Not sure what your point is anyway, but I'm guessing you have some kind of agenda here.

[DoctorP]

This is the reason the league mandated rules changes and it worked.