I know some of you have no love for melo because of his contract, but take a look at these so called all stars, how many actually deserve max contracts, how many of them can truly carry a team.

knicks1248 wrote:I'm looking at these so called ALL STARS, and it's so obvious that the league is not producing the talent it use to back 10 yrs ago. A guy like melo, who is a all star no doubt, would be coming off the bench in the 90's. He is playing on a team which currently has the worst record in the NBA, not to mention the knicks national televise games have been getting deleted like a bad email.. The hawks who currently have the best record in the east, have 4 role players as all stars.

I know some of you have no love for melo because of his contract, but take a look at these so called all stars, how many actually deserve max contracts, how many of them can truly carry a team.

There used to be a much larger gap between the stars and role players in the 90s. Today, everyone in the league can really play. I loved the 90s ball as much as anyone, but don't underrate today's players. Melo coming off the bench in the 90s is laughable. He is a star in a league with more talent than any other generation. The stars were really good in the 90s don't get me wrong, but you can't look at the nba as a whole back than and tell me it even compares from a pure athletic standpoint to today. Guys coming off the bench deep in the 90s rosters would not be nba players today.

And for the record, saying that Melo isn't good enough to start in the 80's or 90's is a ridiculous statement especially when you realize guys like Mike Saunders, Mario Elie, Johnny Newman, Richard Dumas and Laphonso Ellis to name a few were starting SF's in the league during the 80's and 90's

Uptown wrote:I get your point but its not so much that the talent of the elite players of today isn't as good as the elite players of the past, its just the game is so watered down with expansion, etc. There are 30 teams today, whereas there were only 23 teams in 1988....that's close to 84 more roster spots!!!

More teams, but many more sources for good players from outside the U.S. than back in the 80s/90s. That is was that group did for the sport, in many ways- gave the sport worldwide popularity as certain superstars got exposure worldwide. Allowing NBA stars to play in the Olympics helped too, as did the money being paid to players.

EnySpree wrote:

TPercy wrote:the all star game is beyond terrible. Just chucking up shots and competing to see who can do the fanciest pass. I pray for the day where they actually try and play some defense

You watch the all star game to see defense? That's like watching porn for the cinematography

knicks1248 wrote:

StarksEwing1 wrote:

TPercy wrote:the all star game is beyond terrible. Just chucking up shots and competing to see who can do the fanciest pass. I pray for the day where they actually try and play some defense

i dont even watch all star weekend anymore, however the dunk contest was a good one finally

That was good, LAVINE won that in a lnad slide.

I'm still trying to figure how the league has became the 3 ball league, if you can't shoot a 3 you mind as well forget about it.

EnySpree wrote:

nixluva wrote:

Knixkik wrote:Today's players are just so much more athletic. How do some of the non elite PGs in the 90s even get the ball up the court against Westbrook, wall, Paul, rondo, etc?

Those same players were going against guys like AI, Kenny Anderson, Francis n Steph. Guards weren't all slow back then.

Tim Hardaway, rod Strickland, nick van exel, Kevin johnson, Gary Payton.....

I mean cone on..... stop the bull****