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2023 annual Jazzfanz all time NBA draft

Picking the year is interesting to me. Would anyone’s opinion on a matchup ever be swayed because one player had some year picked over another year? That rule seems like it should just be ‘consider this player is at their peak’ which… is kind of just the default reasoning for this kind of exercise.

I know some players went through many different phases and it may be a very important distinction at some points. But having trouble thinking of any example where the year a person picked would actually sway my opinion.
That eliminates thinking about the totality of their career, which is just wrong in my opinion. Guys like Russell and Duncan never had a single year when they were amazing, what they had was absolute sustained excellence.
 
I mean if you were going to take the best attributes from all the greatest centers you’d pretty much have built a Hakeem clone. Aside from shooting threes he could do pretty much anything and seeing he came up in the mid 80’s and had he came up now he’d probably be a good to great 3pt shooter. He could hit 15-20 ft shots with ease.
He could’ve done the 3s but that’s not what centers did then.
 
It would sway mine. There has been a massive change in shot profiles starting in the 90’s.
Did that affect any particular player to an extreme degree though?

“I think your team is really good, I think they would win with 2017 LeBron but not 2014 LeBron so I’m picking the other team.” Does that happen? It’s not like we’re picking their lowest and best years any year someone chooses will be some version of a ‘prime’ year. LeBron has more versions of himself as a player in his prime than probably anyone. But for this exercise I’ll still just be thinking, “yep, LeBron” which exact year specifically won’t really enter my head or affect my choice.


That eliminates thinking about the totality of their career, which is just wrong in my opinion. Guys like Russell and Duncan never had a single year when they were amazing, what they had was absolute sustained excellence.

Aren’t you arguing against the point. We don’t have to think of a totality of a career when we are just picking a single year, right? I’m kind of more confused than ever now. Both Duncan and Russell have also both been picked already and had a year specified even though it seems even less relevant for those players since they were so consistent.
 
Did that affect any particular player to an extreme degree though?

“I think your team is really good, I think they would win with 2017 LeBron but not 2014 LeBron so I’m picking the other team.” Does that happen? It’s not like we’re picking their lowest and best years any year someone chooses will be some version of a ‘prime’ year. LeBron has more versions of himself as a player in his prime than probably anyone. But for this exercise I’ll still just be thinking, “yep, LeBron” which exact year specifically won’t really enter my head or affect my choice.




Aren’t you arguing against the point. We don’t have to think of a totality of a career when we are just picking a single year, right? I’m kind of more confused than ever now. Both Duncan and Russell have also both been picked already and had a year specified even though it seems even less relevant for those players since they were so consistent.
The years were picked because that's the rules. The reason they were picked is because people DON'T just want to follow the "pick a year" mentality, but, if we were to be technical about it, we have to in the end/voting.
 
Did that affect any particular player to an extreme degree though?

“I think your team is really good, I think they would win with 2017 LeBron but not 2014 LeBron so I’m picking the other team.” Does that happen? It’s not like we’re picking their lowest and best years any year someone chooses will be some version of a ‘prime’ year. LeBron has more versions of himself as a player in his prime than probably anyone. But for this exercise I’ll still just be thinking, “yep, LeBron” which exact year specifically won’t really enter my head or affect my choice.




Aren’t you arguing against the point. We don’t have to think of a totality of a career when we are just picking a single year, right? I’m kind of more confused than ever now. Both Duncan and Russell have also both been picked already and had a year specified even though it seems even less relevant for those players since they were so consistent.
Mostly applies to players between the 80’s and 00’s. Some of those differences are massive and spacing matters.

Also, “peak” or “prime” is subjective. Is the MJ that dunked on everyone and scored 36 points a game or whatever better than the 90’s one?

People can choose whether or not they care, but I care. I think it has massive ramifications on fit. Thee doesn’t need to hammer people about it at this stage of the thing because choosing the year takes precious time that gets everyone real upset. I don’t see what’s wrong with figuring that out later (but prior to competition).
 
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