It’s way harder to get blocks today since there are more jumpers being taken than ever. 

I do think AD had a chance at top 10 if he was more healthy in his career, but otherwise it looks like Victor Wembanyama is the next candidate. Someone like Jaren Jackson might have an outside chance if he went back to his DPOY form and remained healthy for the rest of his career. 

The rebounding list is so hard to break into as well. Bron has the most of any active player and he isn’t even top 20. Drummond who is arguably the best rebounder of the modern era is a full thousand rebounds behind him and no longer getting enough minutes to meaningfully catch up. He and Bron may break into the top 20 in the next 1-2 seasons but that’s as far as they’ll go. Rudy as well is getting there. Jokic might be able to crack the top 10 in his career if he keeps averaging 10+ rebounds… plays most games a season… for the next 8 years or so. Sheesh. 

More 3s results in less shots at the rim, which means less blocks to be had, additionally as teams have become more efficient there are less rebounds to be had.

Rudy only being 24th is actually pretty surprising.

I suspect Wemby will enter this but aside from that with all the three pointers, and bigs guarding outside there are less shot blockers. For a good portion of NBA history, teams needed dedicated rim protectors. Now the game has gone outside in, it’s less valuable.

This might be because there are far less shots in the paint, and people don’t block threes very often.

It’s harder block when nobody takes the ball into the paint anymore. It seems like.

Just look at when high bpg fell off, and also look at 3pt leaders, and you’ll get why.

Shaq & Timmy get on the list because they overcame the change in the game with longevity. But 4-5 bpg used to be normal, until Starks & D3 changed the game.

Shout out to Mark Eaton.

This is even worse than it seems because blocks didn’t start getting counted until 1973. Wilt and Russell (and maybe a couple others) from before then would definitely be in the top 10 if the stat had been counted since the beginning (Wilt and Russell would be 1 and 2 in that order).

This league has changed tremendously into a jumpshooters league since Steph’s ascendance. Significantly less blocks now because teams take way less shots close to the basket

I’m surprised Dwight isn’t in this conversation

A lot of 3s and long range shots with less going into the paint area is the reason the center will get less & less block.

itd be even harder to break in if we tracked blocks before the 70s!

I don’t think any player has ever transitioned playstyles so dramatically.

This dude was a back to the basket post scorer that didn’t defend with the nets 

is it not also true of rebounds?

Part of it is players are playing fewer games. It’s difficult to move into the top 10 on that list if guys are only playing 65 games a year.

Is this all time blocks or BPG all time?

Wheres Camby on the list. He had a long career and was a block monster the whole time. 

It’s because of the changes to the 3-second, face guarding, and hand checking rules. Bigs used to be able to camp in the paint and on-ball defenders could absolutely drape themselves on the ball handler.

When defenders could put both hands on the offensive players chest or hips, the ball handler couldn’t get nearly as much separation or elevation to score.

That alone gave defenders a huge advantage in shot blocking, and caused the game to be very physical and low scoring.

Nowadays, there is almost no physicality to the defense. Blocks come down to good timing, and that’s brought the success rate way down.

The game has changed, its not easy to get blocks when most of the shots are coming from the perimeter and more 3s are being shot.

I think it’s really hard in the modern day NBA to accumulate blocks as the offenses are way more dynamic and perimeter oriented. A lot of times if there is a big defender on a smaller player he gets dragged out to the 3 point line and it requires a lot of quickness to get back to the paint and block a shot..on and off the ball.

The last time I can remember (before Victor obviously) when the sentiment was that a player could crack the top career block ranks, was in 2012 when Serge Ibaka had 3.7bpg. but unfortunately he could not keep up those numbers.

At this rythm how long will it take for Wemby to be in it ?

No one goes to rim

The 3 is bad enough for keeping guys out of paint but then the NBA protects jump shooters and allows ton of contact in paint.

So theres really no reason to go to rim anymore.

Its a flawed game they’ve created.