- Gilbert Arenas goes on another rant about old-school players
- He praises Grant Hill’s unique abilities and crossover moves during his era
- Arenas criticizes the misconception of defense in the past decades
The NBA has witnessed a massive transformation over the last few decades. The game evolved from a rough and aggressive style in the 80s and 90s to a more finesse-driven, ball-handling, and shooting-oriented approach today. And this has attracted criticism from old-school players. Many legends have come out and said they would destroy this generation’s stars.
But Gilbert Arenas doesn’t think that’s the case. In an interview with Vladimir Lyubovny at VladTV, he shed light on how today’s players have advanced their skills beyond what the best defenders of the 80s and 90s were accustomed to.
“I saw what happened when the prototype number 1 came into the league, and you didn’t know what to do with it, which was Grant Hill. A two-guard, three-guard who actually went left or right. Y’all didn’t know what the fu*k was going on when he crossed over.”
“He was barbecuing, you know, Pippen, Jordan, and Rodman with a fu*king crossover, and he couldn’t shoot a lick. A younger Hill couldn’t shoot very well, but he got to the basket like no other.”
“If you couldn’t deal with prototype one, what makes you think you can deal with the 2010-20 prototype of guard? You can’t. The moves that they do now you’ve never seen in your life.”
Grant Hill showcased a unique blend of skills rarely seen before in the league. A two-guard, three-guard hybrid, he possessed exceptional ball-handling abilities, able to maneuver effortlessly from left to right, leaving defenders in the dust with his crossover moves. Hill averaged 16.7 PPG, 6.0 RPG, and 4.7 APG during his 17-year career. He did suffer major injuries throughout his career and missed a lot of games because of that.
Gilbert Arenas Says Old School Players Didn’t Know Actual Defense
Arenas questioned the defensive tactics in the 80s, where physicality and fouling were a major part. He believes that relying on rough tactics to disrupt opponents is not a true defense but merely a way to impede their progress. He added that this was not a skill but rather a scare tactic used to intimidate players.
Players like Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen were known for their aggressive tactics, resorting to hard fouls and wrestling opponents to hinder their progress. However, Arenas dismissed this approach as mere fouling rather than actual defense. He argued that such tactics could not make up for the lack of skill required to defend modern NBA superstars.
In Today’s NBA, the rules are much stricter, and players have to be extremely skilled to stop opponents. Stars are adept at creating their own shots, utilizing speed, agility, and exceptional ball-handling skills. And Arenas believes that old-school players have no shot against this generation’s superstars.
Michael Jordan vs. Grant Hill Head-To-Head Stats
Let’s have a look if Gilbert Arenas is right or wrong in this case by looking at their head-to-head battles. Michael Jordan and Grant Hill played 15 games against each other in the regular season, and they never played in the playoffs. Jordan beat him 12-3, and stats will show who played better in this duel.
Jordan averaged 26.3 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 5.7 APG, 1.8 SPG, and 0.5 BPG against Hill. Meanwhile, Hill averaged 19.9 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 6.7 APG, 1.6 SPG, and 0.5 BPG against Jordan.
So it seems like Arenas is wrong in this case, but it must be noted that Jordan was playing on a far superior team. When Hill came into the league, Jordan was already a 3-time NBA Champion and a 3-time MVP award winner, and Hill was just a young rising star.
Their most iconic matchup came in 1998, when Hill had risen to become an All-Star, and Jordan was in his final season with the Bulls. Hill exploded for 37 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists while destroying Scottie Pippen.
But it was Jordan who got the last laugh as he ended with 26 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists. He also had a game-saving stop at the end of regulation.
The stats show that Jordan outplayed Hill effectively during their head-to-head matchups. It’s hard to say what could have happened if both these players met at their primes. But for now, we can say that Michael Jordan outperformed Grant Hill in their head-to-head battles.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
