Three former NBA players who would be even better today.

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Dreaming of the Past: Examining three former NBA players who would have been even better today.

A Suspension in Boston: Ime Udoka is set to miss the entire season, but what does that mean for the contending Celtics?

Wall Shares his Struggle: John Wall's powerful Players Tribune piece gives some important lessons about mental health. 

Michael Cooper

A key member of the Showtime Lakers for the entirety of the 1980s, Michael Cooper is often regarded as one of the greatest bench players of all time, and for good reason.

At first glance his career numbers look rather pedestrian, around nine points, four assists, three rebounds, and a little over a steal per game. But what they don’t show is that Cooper was one of the single best perimeter defenders in NBA history. He made eight all-defensive teams, five first teams, and won the 1986-87 Defensive Player of the Year award as a bench player. The combination of his quick feet, wiry frame and length allowed him to guard anyone from small ball handlers like Isiah Thomas to bigger forwards like Larry Bird.  Bird himself even called him the best defender he ever had to go against in his career. 

As a passer, Cooper is often underrated. Although his primary position was at shooting guard, he played more as a hybrid guard, taking over playmaking duties when Magic Johnson was on the bench. During his prime, Cooper was good for at least five assists a night with limited turnovers.

Even though he was playing in an era where almost nobody was shooting three's, Cooper was one of the few players to make it a regular part of their arsenal. Three times each he finished in the top five in the league in three point percentage and three pointers made.

Cooper is remembered fondly today as an astounding defender and a cornerstone of the Showtime Lakers, but it's hard not to wonder what he could have been in the modern NBA. A world-class defender with the skills to be an elite off-ball shooter and quality secondary playmaker, the former third round pick would have thrived today as a do-it-all hybrid guard. 

Pete Maravich

In his own time, Pete Maravich was one of the greatest college players in history, a multiple time NBA All-Star and a bonafide basketball legend. 

And he did all that in an era that didn't exactly emphasize his best qualities. Pistol Pete was a world-renowned shooter before the three-point line became mainstream, and a dazzling dribbler back when even the most simple of today's moves would be called a travel. Magic Johnson himself even said he got most of his moves from him.

Maravich was one of basketballs true pioneers. Even without a three point line, he'd routinely shoot from 20, and even 30, feet, paving the way for generations of guards after him with free reign to fire away from long range. And while he wasn't the first player to get experimental as a dribbler, Maravich did a lot to normalize moves like behind the back dribbles and crossovers, staples of any modern guards arsenal. 

To put into perspective what a modern-day Pete Maravich might look like, take a look at any of today's high-volume outside scoring guards. A talented scorer in any era, Maravich would fit right in with the Trae Young's and Bradley Beals of the world, albeit a bit taller. With a green light to shoot from deep, it's easy to imagine a world where he becomes a 30ppg bucket-getter in the perimeter-centric environment of the modern NBA.

Clifford Robinson

The late Clifford Robinson had a more than successful career, despite playing in an era that was antithetical to and unappreciative of his unique skillset. 

Most well-known for his eight season stint with the Portland Trail Blazers, Uncle Cliffy was a one-time all-star, two-time all-defensive team selection, and the 1992-93 NBA Sixth Man of the Year. At 6'10", Robinson was on the taller side, but he certainly didn't play like it. 

Before the term 'stretch big' had even been invented, he was launching hundreds of three-pointers a season at a surprisingly healthy clip (career 35.6 3P%). In today's NBA that would have been considered an incredibly valuable skill but, at the time, it was actually considered a detriment to his game by many. He was often criticized for preferring to shoot from deep, and being unwilling to impose his will in the paint. 

Put Robinson in 2022, and that's an entirely different story. An all-defensive level forward with the versatility to guard 3 through 5 who could also shoot over 38% from deep at his peak on high volume? There's not a team in the league who wouldn't be clamoring over such a talented and versatile player. 

Let us know which of these three before-their-time players you'd rather have on your squad in the poll below.

Ime Udoka hit with season-long suspension

What happened: Celtics head coach Ime Udoka will be suspended for the entire 2022-23 season after violating the organizations workplace guidelines. 

Why it's important: From a strictly basketball standpoint, this is a brutal blow for Boston. Udoka oversaw an incredible run all the way to the NBA finals during his first season with the Celtics, molding them into the leagues fiercest defensive outfit in the process. It doesn't help that Udoka's top assistant, Will Hardy, left the team in June to become Head Coach of the Utah Jazz. Whether it's Joe Mazzulla, Damon Stoudamire, or another one of Boston's assistant coaches leading the charge, they'll have a big task ahead of them captaining a ship on course for a potential championship.

John Wall opens up on Mental Health

In Mondays newsletter, we mentioned John Wall's transparency concerning his mental health struggles following the death of his mother, and we thought it was too important of a message to not discuss further, especially with his powerful piece in the Players Tribune releasing on Thursday morning. 

If you don't have the time to read it yourself, we came away with two important lessons from Walls story. 

First, depression doesn't care about how successful you are. It doesn't care about much money you've made, how many promotions you got at work or the grades you got at school. Just because life may seem great to people on the outside doesn't mean there couldn't be mental turmoil behind the scenes. People too often hide the tough stuff they're going through, so make sure to check in on your friends and family mentally from time to time, even if they seem fine.

We'll let this quote from John tell you what the second lesson is.

Too many people walk around with a chip on their shoulder, carrying burdens they shouldn't have to carry alone. If you need help, never be afraid to ask for it. It will only benefit you in the long run.

We hope you take these lessons, and Wall's story, to heart.

Bojan Bogdanovic traded to Detroit

Utah Receives: Kelly Olynyk, Saben Lee

Detroit Receives: Bojan Bogdanovic

A veteran forward with plenty of playoff experience, you’d expect a player like Bojan Bogdanovic to be traded to any one of the myriad of contending teams in need of a bit of extra scoring punch. Actually take away the 'a bit', the man can flat-out score.

But instead of a contender, the 33-year-old Bosnian is heading to… Detroit?

The Pistons have a nice little squad next season, but they aren't quite at the level where they need to be trading for win-now veterans. So why trade for Bojan then? 

Well, the most logical explanation is that they’re hoping for a situation similar to Marcus Morris and the Knicks a few seasons ago. Morris dominated during his sixth month stint in New York, averaging a career high in points per game, before being flipped to the Clippers at the deadline for two first round picks. If Bojan can put up impressive results in Detroit, the Pistons would be in prime position to move him at the deadline for some extra draft capital.

Lucky 13: Raptors analytics department puts a number on Kawhi Leonard’s buzzer beater - Eric Koreen (The Athletic)

2023 NBA Draft: Preseason Top 5 Prospect Ranking at Every Position - Jonathan Wasserman (Bleacher Report)

Robert Sarver Will Soon Be Gone, but It’s Not Justice - Howard Beck (Sports Illustrated)

And that concludes another fun week of enjoying basketball. It's good to know we're only a few weeks away from getting out of the hypotheticals and back to discussing the action on the court. Can't wait to see you all there!

Until next time.

-Spencer Poole

Trivia Answer: The answer to Wednesdays trivia question is Amir Johnson! Johnson was the last high school player to be selected in the NBA draft, being selected with the 56th pick back in 2005.

Trivia Question: Who holds the record for the longest made basket in NBA history? (Hint: He's a former all-star)