If '50s Russell time travelled today, would he be a top pick?

[bdreason]

He would be the best Center in the league... so I'm guessing he would be a pretty high draft pick.

[Asukal]

He would show bran how to win without dominating the ball.

[MiseryCityTexas]

Hell yeah......

[PsychoBe]

he would be the consensus greatest hot-dog stand director in the history of boston garden

[MiseryCityTexas]

He would be a rich man's Ben Wallace

I was thinking the same exact thing.

[Harison]

If GMs would know whom he becomes - 1st pick, absolutely.

[Collie]

I think he'd be a smarter, better rebounding, better passing Anthony Davis with less scoring. Athletic big men with genius basketball IQ will always be stars in this league. Give him one season and one full offseason and he'll quickly adjust as needed.

[r0drig0lac]

D-rob with more bbQI, defense and less scoring

[stanlove1111]

The real question:

Give Bill Russell modern technology, all the modern sports science, modern shoes, and a watered down league. Do 29 or 30 teams tank to try and get him?

But we are talking about Russell from the 50s without modern technology. 50s Russell could not play in the NBA. I consider him the GOAT but if you put him from the 50s in the game today he could not play. The game has evolved and he would have been left behind.

And lets save the arguments where old timers match him up with centers of today and try to act like Russell would kill them. The problem would be not only are centers from today more skilled and bigger but Russell sure would not be intimidating players like Rose and Westbrook from going to the basket, and Russell has a lot more problems rebounding with todays guards and forwards.

[Spurs5Rings2014]

You do realize that Bill Russell led his college team in scoring and rebounds his senior year en route to a championship. Right? He was also the Final Four MOP of the previous season. So what you're asking is, would the Final Four MOP and leading scorer from the NCAA Championship team be a top pick?

To put things in perspective, as someone just mentioned, Anthony Davis was the top pick in the 2012 NBA draft. He avg. 14ppg in college and shot 1-10 in the NCAA Championship game.

Why did this thread not end here?



Dubeta should be banned for trolling.

[Psileas]

But we are talking about Russell from the 50s without modern technology. 50s Russell could not play in the NBA. I consider him the GOAT but if you put him from the 50s in the game today he could not play. The game has evolved and he would have been left behind.

And lets save the arguments where old timers match him up with centers of today and try to act like Russell would kill them. The problem would be not only are centers from today more skilled and bigger but Russell sure would not be intimidating players like Rose and Westbrook from going to the basket, and Russell has a lot more problems rebounding with todays guards and forwards.

Does this unfavorable situation also include Russell not getting to know his own teammates and his own opponents and not training with his own team? Does this situation assume that Russell is going to be present only in games and in the middle time he goes and lives inside a cave with no exposure to 2014 civilization? And is this supposed to be a long lasting experiment (because, after all, it did take a while even for a few all-time greats to start dominating - e.g, Jerry West wasn't a superstar from Day 1 and neither did rookie Russell himself provide as consistent domination as he would in the following years)? If yes, take into account my other questions and consider the realism factor. If no, there's no value to the experiment in the first place.

[pudman13]

Anthony Davis was a #1 pick; why wouldn't Russell be?

Anyone who argues that his game wouldn't adapt to today's changes is out of their minds. This is the guy with the highest basketball IQ in the history of the game, and he was also the most psychologically powerful defensive player the game has seen. You don't think someone that smart couldn't adapt to any change the game makes? You don't think he'd benefit from rule changes, from modern conditioning and equipment?

40 years from now people will be asking if Greg Maddux could pitch in that generation's MLB. geez.

[Genaro]

What was DeAndre Jordan pick again?

[CavaliersFTW]

What was DeAndre Jordan pick again?

What was DeAndre Jordan resume prior to NBA again?

Was it 55 game win streak with b2b NCAA titles and an undefeated Gold Medal run in the Olympics while leading both the NCAA and Olympic team in scoring and rebounding while shooting over 50% from the field?

[NumberSix]

50s Russell DID time travel to today. His name is Joakim Noah.