[Assani Fisher]

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It simply confirms how watered down the league is compared to the 80's and 90's era.

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I simply don't get how you can think this with the internationals adding so much talent to the pool.

Here are Smush's numbers the past 2 years:

11.5 points, 44.7% shooting, 52.4% eFG%, 3.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds, 1.7 steals

11.1 points, 43.6% shooting, 50.6% eFG%, 2.8 assists, 3.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals



You say that him starting shows the league isn't as deep as it was in the 80s. Well in the 1985 and 1986 seasons a guy by the name of Jay Humphries started all 82 games for the Phoenix Suns. His numbers those years:

11.0 points, 47.9% shooting, 48.2% eFG%, 6.4 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 1.6 steals

11.3 points, 47.7% shooting, 48.0% eFG%, 7.7 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 1.4 steals


Other than assists he seems like a very very similar player to Parker. And I think Smush Parker's assist numbers are clearly kept down by playing in the Triangle Offense where PGs usually don't put up big assist numbers(take a look at Phil Jackson's Chicago teams for similar results). I think its very fair to assume that Smush could add 3 more assists in a traditional offense.

How about the 90s, you ask? In 1994 and 1995 Derek Harper started 80 and 82 games. Here were his numbers from those years:

11.5 points, 44.6% shooting, 51.6% eFG%, 5.7 assists, 2.4 rebounds, 1.0 steals

14.0 points, 46.4% shooting, 52.9% eFG%, 4.3 assists, 2.5 rebounds, 1.6 steals

Again other than assists the numbers are right in the same ballpark.


There were plenty of bad players and teams in the 80s and 90s, and there were plenty bad players that started for a limited time on some of those teams. I don't know why we romantisize those eras so much and conveniently only remember the great players.