With Curry currently destroying the league.....

[PP34]

it got me thinking, how good would Larry Bird be in today's NBA?

This was a guy like Curry who had ridiculous range, brilliant passing ability, and could get his shots on anyone anywhere on the court. Didn't rely on athletic prowess either like Curry.

In the 80s he was obviously brilliant, but shooting wise he was restricted by the lack of three pointers taken in that era, and defences that absolutely mauled him.

Would he be doing similar things shooting wise and offensively to Steph?

 

[peternorth]

currys quick release enables him to get his shot away.

bird has basketball IQ, that alone probably lets him score say 25ppg

 

[moistie]

Bird would abuse 80 to 95% of the league in the low post and those that he couldn't he would abuse from mid range to the 3 point line. He would thrive under modern day refereeing without being mugged in the lane (admittedly my Pistons were a prime culprit in this).

Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk

 

[PP34]

currys quick release enables him to get his shot away.

bird has basketball IQ, that alone probably lets him score say 25ppg

Well Bird certainly wouldn't have any issues getting a shot off being 6'9-6'10ish

 

[Sydney Kicker]

First play in this clip where he gets his own rebound and shoots it from midair. Holy cow. And some claim he'd not be agile enough in todays game. I think his game would translate pretty well.

 

[Santoz]

Like others have said, Bird got mauled week to week whereas Steph gets away scott free.

I'd snatch his ******* mouthguard from his gob & chuck it 20 rows deep into the crowd as I tell him if he makes his next shot it's his teeth that he loses next.

Then after he drains his next shot I'd have a dilemma ...

 

[PP34]

Curry would still be a great player in any era, however he's very lucky with the timing in which he entered the league.

In the 80s coaches wouldn't have stood for the way he plays, and he would've probably found himself playing a totally different way.

 

[silk]

First play in this clip where he gets his own rebound and shoots it from midair. Holy cow. And some claim he'd not be agile enough in todays game. I think his game would translate pretty well.

Some of those passes are just ridiculous.

 

[Santoz]

Some of those passes are just ridiculous.

Some of those shots are ridiculous.

 

[Lethality]

Basketball translates pretty well across eras compared to other sports.

 

[Superstar swan]

Curry is being overrated to an extent. Most skilled player and best shooter ever however he is purely offensive. I would not like his chances if he went defended lebron down the stretch. He is very lucky he is at golden state where he is surrounded by great shooters which spread the floor.

If warriors had the injuries that cavs had last year and curry was their only star, he would have been swept out

 

[PP34]

Curry is being overrated to an extent. Most skilled player and best shooter ever however he is purely offensive. I would not like his chances if he went defended lebron down the stretch. He is very lucky he is at golden state where he is surrounded by great shooters which spread the floor.

If warriors had the injuries that cavs had last year and curry was their only star, he would have been swept out

He's a ridiculous offensive player and decent on the defensive end.

There's no way to guard him. The theory that length can stop him has been shown to be wrong multiple times.

 

[calyam]

Bird and Curry are very different players so I'm not sure that Curry's recent play is meaningful in that sense. That said, if Bird had debuted this century then there's little doubt that he'd attempt 6 to 8 three pointers a game. I'm sure he would have been one of the big beneficiaries of the pace and space nature of the game today (plus now that the league is less physical perhaps he wouldn't have had as many problems with his back).

End of the day Bird was a high-skilled, high-IQ player and they are going to dominate in any generation. Curry going back to the 80s is actually the more interesting proposition because it largely eliminates his main strength.

 

[Damon_3388]

Bird in today's game would probably play similarly to prime Dirk, I'd imagine. Working out of the post and off the elbows more, and relied upon more to score than create for others.

 

[kozi]

Bird would abuse 80 to 95% of the league in the low post and those that he couldn't he would abuse from mid range to the 3 point line.

This. Almost exactly what I came here to say

 

[fidstar]

He wouldn't be doing the same things as Steph, because he's not the same type of player. He would be among the top few players every season (like he was in the 80s) and I would think play a similar game to Dirk (with a little more inside stuff).

He would almost definitely be a 4 though in today's game.

 

[picko]

He would almost definitely be a 4 though in today's game.

In today's game he would probably also have to play silly minutes as a stretch 5

 

[Lethality]

Curry is being overrated to an extent. Most skilled player and best shooter ever however he is purely offensive.

He's good at steals, probably in the top 5 in the league.