How good would Chris Paul be without the rule changes?
Chris Paul (photo. Chad Griffith)Breaking down Chris Paul‘s 33-point, 10-rebound, 11-assist, 7-steal destruction of the Mavs last night, NBA TV’s Eric Snow brought up a good point: As incredible as CP has been as a pro, he has thrived off the fact that the League’s rule changes on perimeter defense allow players like him to get into the lane and wreak havoc almost untouched.
Snow, once a lock-down defender in his own right, wondered whether Paul would be as effective playing in the days before the rule changes — back when throwback PG’s like Derek Harper, Muggsy Bogues and Gary Payton could keep that hand on his hip and get a lot more physical if he tried to drive past them.
How good do you think Chris Paul would be if he’d come up in the more physical 1990′s version of the NBA?
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January 15th, 2009 at 8:33 am
Junio says:
GP would stop him.
January 15th, 2009 at 8:36 am
CJ says:
he’d still be a decent player given his skill, savvy and strength, but i don’t think he’d be as effective as he is today. i remember guys like derek harper although advanced in years and a step slower than most of the point guards was able to lock down anybody on the perimeter bc of the hand checking. i think nash would’ve had a harder time. tells you how great guys like isiah and stockton were.
January 15th, 2009 at 8:43 am
E$ says:
probably not, that little flop CP3 does when someone touches him wouldn’t get any luv in the “real NBA”
January 15th, 2009 at 8:45 am
the_don_mega says:
its the same old arguement… most of them superstars today do benefit from the L’s rule changes… no doubt ’bout that…
January 15th, 2009 at 8:55 am
bob says:
Nash wouldn’t have won those MVPs.
January 15th, 2009 at 8:56 am
knoc says:
i say bring the old rules back. anything to stop the countless free throws the superstars are getting
January 15th, 2009 at 9:20 am
doc says:
He’s great now he would’ve been great then.Old washed up motherfuckers always hating on the young beasts of the game.CP3 probaly wondering who knob E snow had to polish to be in the NBA and to be relevant enough to give the insight of a fucking scrub on a nightly basis.
January 15th, 2009 at 9:24 am
Sccob says:
Players always adjust to the rules. I’d see CP3 getting just as busy. Dude doesn’t back down…
January 15th, 2009 at 9:31 am
caeubona says:
oh he’d still be good, definitely. he won’t be as free as he is now, but he’ll definitely find ways to adjust to those rules – adjust his game to those rules. he’ll have more problems though, like going up against physical defenders like GP, who has maybe five inches on him.
January 15th, 2009 at 9:46 am
rell says:
The questions is how deadly the defenders like Artest, Shane Battier, and Bowens would be with the hand check rule. Man I want the old NBA back.
January 15th, 2009 at 9:53 am
Prof. TX says:
He’d still be good, just not AS good. The assists and steals would still be there.
The same goes for Wade, if he had to take more 3′s and fewer layups he’d still be good, but might not have a ring without all those extra free throws.
January 15th, 2009 at 10:02 am
Dragonyeuw says:
It’s impossible to predict how he would have played 15 years ago. His game is based on today’s rules, had he played in the 90′s it would be based on the play in that day. But there is no doubt,that the rules were changed to benefit the perimeter player. Attendence and ratings were down in the later 90′s due to the grindout style of basketball initally started by the Badboy Pistons, continued with the early 90′s Knicks and going on with the Pacers, Knicks, and Heat of the mid-late 90′s.
Kobe,Wade, Lebron, etc are all great players but they are a product of rules designed to allow their skills to shine. It’s no coincidence that the league is dominated by perimeter players nowadays….
January 15th, 2009 at 10:07 am
dapro says:
@ Prof. Tx
I see what your saying but you can’t make the same argument against Wade. He’s physically stronger than alot of players who guard him so he can handle the hand checking and still get to the bucket
@Dime
As for CP3, I think he’d still get his. He gets away with a lot of little tricks on both ends of the court, he pushes off more than anyone I’ve in the past few seasons. He’d still be a top tier pg no question
Plus superstars adjust to the game so if he’s playing in a different era he still would do his thing
January 15th, 2009 at 10:07 am
karizmatic says:
I think he would still be nice. There can be some debate about whether half these so-called stars would be as nice if the rules weren’t changed. Would Kobe have scored 81 without the rule changes? Would Dirk’s soft behind be considered anywhere near one of the best in the league? Would Gilbert Arenas have been as nice as he was? Would Wade be as nice as he is, being able to take it continuously to the rack like he does? All these are doubtful to me. But I think Paul’s skillset would be enough that he would be just as good. I think he would be every bit as good as John Stockton was.
January 15th, 2009 at 10:11 am
nola says:
a stupid argument. it’s always old mediocre people hating on the new superstars of the current era. we hear it all the time. “he would’ve been able to do that in my era” blahblahblah. there’s no right or wrong. there’s no clear answer. it’s just a dumb argument
January 15th, 2009 at 10:23 am
Ross says:
So there was a rule change? When did this happen? Still, I rarely see it called.
January 15th, 2009 at 10:39 am
NTstateOFmind says:
i think its both a case of an old-timer hating and the truth…regardless, cp3 would still put it work…he’d just have tougher nights on more occasions when going up against a bigger, stronger guard. i too hate the rule adjustment, but it is what it is…theres nothing we, or the players, can do anyhing about other than adjust to them. players adjusting (and taking advantage) of rules is what separates the cream of the crop. all the superstars in the league today continue to do what they do bc theyre smart enough to know that its “within” the rules of the game.
January 15th, 2009 at 10:40 am
JRav says:
Initially I thought he would manhandled due to his small size but Stockton was able to hold his own… Maybe he would be more like Stockton in that his assists would be high but his scoring would be lower
January 15th, 2009 at 10:44 am
LakeShow84 says:
Chris Paul pushes off all day.. And that is still illegal..
January 15th, 2009 at 10:53 am
Chaos says:
Paul would have adapted to the game. in think he has the skill to change his game if necessary but with young GP and Ron on him, it would have been been ugly. Nash definitely would have not won the mvps because he is too soft. he would have gotten worked. Wade would have adpted his game too because he was probably physically equal to those guys…
imagine Ron artest as a piston back in 88-89…he would have been a crowdcd favorite
January 15th, 2009 at 10:58 am
jnice says:
He wouldn’t of been half as effective back in the 80′s. I bet you could trade Zeke with CP3 in their respective eras and he’d raise all of his #’s easily.
January 15th, 2009 at 11:02 am
Drink the Haterade (KB24 Chip 09) says:
I think Deron Williams would be better due to his size and strength.
January 15th, 2009 at 11:14 am
Both Teams Played Hard says:
The question isn’t really how good CP3 would have been back then — he would have still been elite.
The question is how good guys like GP, Zeke and Tim Hardaway would be now.
January 15th, 2009 at 11:22 am
fallinup says:
Fuck the rule changes. You guys know how much I bitch about em. Every player today gets their stats padded by em. From Lebron on down.
January 15th, 2009 at 11:41 am
the rocket cat says:
On a related note, has anyone noticed that every time Paul catches a pass, he takes about four steps before dribbling, and he palms the ball on almost every move he makes. I still think he’s an excellent player, and I don’t think it would take him that long to adjust if they started calling those on him, but it just pains me every time I watch him play.
In terms of physical defence, I think Paul would be okay. He’s a pretty strong guy for his size and I can’t really picture him being pushed around that much. He might not be as dominant as he is now, but he’d still be a good player.
January 15th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
webbie352 says:
might have a little trouble in the beginning but i think he would bulk up. to accommodate the pushing he would receive from defenders
January 15th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
GEE...You can't see what I can see says:
His numbers may not be the same on the O end, but he still would be really good.
He is a tough dude. He would still be making stuff happen!
January 15th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
AY says:
forget chris paul, what about dwade, he would be affected the most with the old rules.
January 15th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
mwm says:
Paul would still be good, because he is good enough to adjust. The real difference would be in coaching. In the old NBA a coach had to run a system. Jackson, Sloan, Pop and the other old school coaches have a system that moves the ball to counter the physicality. Nowadays most coaches could not survive with the old rules, they just give the ball to their #1 guy and call iso plays. Most coaches now could be replaced with cardboard cutouts and the team record would be the same.
January 15th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
George W Kush Sr says:
Since the game was more physical I’m assuming that the numbers wouldn’t be as jaw dropping, but he would still be a premier PG.
There’s no denying his skill, what he does for his team, and his competitive instincts, he definitely would have still been a great PG. But, obviously, he’d be playing a lil different. Guys like GP were one hell of a headache those days for opposing PGs.
January 15th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Jeremy J says:
Rule changes or not, Paul has a sick feel for the game. He has a court sense out of this world and can hit shots in the clutch. He makes his teammates so much better because of how he gets them the ball and the way he finds them.
January 15th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
eddy says:
chris paul would still rape dem dudes….wat people dont understand is he plays with two speeds and if the rule came back he’ll just play at a faster pace where gp and all dem old ass dudes would get first hand experience on pauls sick handle.
January 15th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
LL says:
He would be fine cuz He got HEART! PERIOD! Duke could play in any era and I love the way they used to play, league is soft now but He is not. HEART is his true measure not size.
January 15th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
Mo says:
CP3 would still be good. People like using that “era” argument crap. He’d still be better than Eric Snow in any era. LMAO!
January 15th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Austin Burton says:
E-Snow wasn’t hating on CP, he was just asking a legit question. Just like we’ve all wondered how many point Jordan would average if he’d played in this era post-rule changes. He didn’t say CP wouldn’t be a start, but suggested that he wouldn’t be THIS good THIS early in his career.
January 16th, 2009 at 12:57 am
Mark says:
CP’s good at adapting to game conditions, but I admit he’d probably be less effective. With a good 4, I’d expect a stat mini-semblance to Stockton.
Which, obviously, is not a knock to Stockton, but rather only comparative example.
January 16th, 2009 at 8:12 am
rj says:
CP and D-Wade would be good players. but they wouldn’t be the superstars they are now.
January 27th, 2009 at 10:51 am
nocaca says:
I watch CP every game …..in person half the time……and maybe I am prejudiced…….but last night he took a pounding from the 76′s and posted his league leading triple double…..he would adjust his game to the rules………his court vision and unselfish control of the offense would overcome all rule changes…….he is tough as nails……he pushes off……everybody does……..he has a defender trying to get into his telephone booth on a nightly basis…….hey guys he is only in his 3rd season……….think about it