What Would Wilt Chamberlain's Stat Line Be if He Played Today?

[BoutPractice]

If we're talking about prime Wilt, probably around 18 rebounds and 5 blocks, essentially the upper limit of what I think can be achieved in today's league... scoring and assists would depend on how he wants to play and how he's used. It would at least be 18 ppg but it could be much, much more than that if he was in scoring mode.

[Psileas]

I'd type bout 13ppg 15rpg 3bpg.

What makes you think Wilt would be playing single halves?

[USABall]

I can't tell if these 16ppg type responses are trolling or not..

[Bless Mathews]

OVERALL the league today is bigger stronger faster than back then. Wilt dominated because he was a physical abnormality. His SKILLS were not all that. He couldn't shoot his way out of a wet paper bag. Going against centers that were garbage.

And no I'm not trolling

[dr.hee]

OVERALL the league today is bigger stronger faster than back then. Wilt dominated because he was a physical abnormality. His SKILLS were not all that. He couldn't shoot his way out of a wet paper bag. Going against centers that were garbage.

And no I'm not trolling

Absolutely. Wilt wouldn't be a physical abnormality today. Look at all these genetic freaks. How is Wilt supposed to score against them? By powering his way to the basket? No way...

[fpliii]

Not a Wilt guy by any means, but it's astounding how big of a target he is on this site. Guess it's thanks to some of the shit jlauber has said, lol.

Mankind has not evolved in 50 years, that's a fact. Medical science and training have improved, sure. Thing is, the second you drop Wilt (or any other guy) into today's game, he's privy to those advances. If you give him more time, game over. You can say the talent pool was smaller, but there were fewer than 1/3 as many teams back then (meaning they were more top heavy and deeper than teams after rapid expansion), and the pool has unquestionably NOT more than tripled. Like it or not, stars from any era since integration/the shotclock's introduction would still be stars today.

Wilt would put up any numbers he wanted (wouldn't necessarily be for the best, but Wilt figured this out on his own eventually). He would still be arguably the worst in league history at the line, and because of stupidity like not taking a shot in the second half in the close out game in 68 would still cost himself some rings. He wouldn't be going against the best big man ever though, unless Russell is stepping in that time machine too.

I know jlauber has brought this upon himself, but threads like this and most of the posts here are completely asinine. SMH

[TheGreatDeraj]

Never seen him play live but I have watches some Wilt games on youtbube and a bunch of highlights. From the Footage I've seen even past his prime Laker Wilt was better than Dwight Howard.

A prime Wilt would lead the league in scoring and rebounds, and maybe blocks as well imo

[Psileas]

Not a Wilt guy by any means, but it's astounding how big of a target he is on this site. Guess it's thanks to some of the shit jlauber has said, lol.

Mankind has not evolved in 50 years, that's a fact. Medical science and training have improved, sure. Thing is, the second you drop Wilt (or any other guy) into today's game, he's privy to those advances. If you give him more time, game over. You can say the talent pool was smaller, but there were fewer than 1/3 as many teams back then (meaning they were more top heavy and deeper than teams after rapid expansion), and the pool has unquestionably NOT more than tripled. Like it or not, stars from any era since integration/the shotclock's introduction would still be stars today.

Wilt would put up any numbers he wanted (wouldn't necessarily be for the best, but Wilt figured this out on his own eventually). He would still be arguably the worst in league history at the line, and because of stupidity like not taking a shot in the second half in the close out game in 68 would still cost himself some rings. He wouldn't be going against the best big man ever though, unless Russell is stepping in that time machine too.

I know jlauber has brought this upon himself, but threads like this and most of the posts here are completely asinine. SMH

Not really, it had always been this way, it's just that since Jlauber and some others appeared and started arguing for things that people had not been used to arguing before, it made it tougher for trolls and haters (=the categories of people who, among else, never admit being mistaken and are the hardest to change) to find good anti-Wilt arguments, which enraged them and made their presense felt more.
Wilt fans' arguments aren't always correct, sometimes they tend to exaggerate, like the man himself used to, but it's one thing to exaggerate the facts and another to state pretty much the opposite of facts.

And just to make this last thing clearer, an example: Case 1: "Wilt was the GOAT playoff performer". Case 2: "Wilt sucked as a playoff performer". Neither is correct, but the 1st statement is much closer to the truth than the 2nd.

[Psileas]

BTW, Vucevic was a non-factor in the athletically inferior Eurobasket tournament. Yet, he's still a double-double machine in the NBA.
Another link in the endless chain of evidence against arguments like the one used in the OP.

[LAZERUSS]

OVERALL the league today is bigger stronger faster than back then. Wilt dominated because he was a physical abnormality. His SKILLS were not all that. He couldn't shoot his way out of a wet paper bag. Going against centers that were garbage.

And no I'm not trolling

Yep. What chance would Chamberlain have of getting a rebound in this era against a 6-9 Dwight Howard, or the physical specimen that is the 6-8 Kevin Love?

[fpliii]

Not really, it had always been this way, it's just that since Jlauber and some others appeared and started arguing for things that people had not been used to arguing before, it made it tougher for trolls and haters (=the categories of people who, among else, never admit being mistaken and are the hardest to change) to find good anti-Wilt arguments, which enraged them and made their presense felt more.
Wilt fans' arguments aren't always correct, sometimes they tend to exaggerate, like the man himself used to, but it's one thing to exaggerate the facts and another to state pretty much the opposite of facts.

And just to make this last thing clearer, an example: Case 1: "Wilt was the GOAT playoff performer". Case 2: "Wilt sucked as a playoff performer". Neither is correct, but the 1st statement is much closer to the truth than the 2nd.

Not so much what he says as how he says it that seems to make him a target. I disagree with jlauber about some of the finer points of the era but don't have a problem with him. But his dedication seems to draw the ire of posters.

[jlip]

OVERALL the league today is bigger stronger faster than back then. Wilt dominated because he was a physical abnormality. His SKILLS were not all that. He couldn't shoot his way out of a wet paper bag. Going against centers that were garbage.

And no I'm not trolling

The fact that you're serious and not trolling is was makes this even sadder. One of Wilt's favorite moves was the fadeaway jump shot. This is visually documented.

[LAZERUSS]

OVERALL the league today is bigger stronger faster than back then. Wilt dominated because he was a physical abnormality. His SKILLS were not all that. He couldn't shoot his way out of a wet paper bag. Going against centers that were garbage.

And no I'm not trolling

Chamberlain led the NBA in FG% NINE times in his career. And had he not been injured in '69-70, he would probably have led the league that season, as well (same with rebounding...it would have been his 12th title in his 14 seasons.) He holds the TWO highest FG% seasons in NBA history. And his margins over the next best player in those seasons, or league average in those seasons, are MILES ahead of any other all-time great.

[fpliii]

The fact that you're serious and not trolling is was makes this even sadder. One of Wilt's favorite moves was the fadeaway jump shot. This is visually documented.

The sentence after that is facepalm worthy as well.

[Genaro]

I think he would average something like 27 ppg 15 rpg 5 bpg 4 apg 2 spg while leading the league in FG.