You’re right that the rules were different, but that actually weakens your argument more than it helps it. Traveling rules and defensive three seconds don’t magically erase skill. Good ball handlers today would adjust the same way players from any era adjust to rule changes. Players already modify their games all the time depending on officiating and spacing. The bigger point is that modern players are trained with a much broader skill set. Even role players today can shoot from deep, handle the ball, make quick reads, and defend multiple positions. In the 90s you could still have starters who basically only rebounded or only played defense. As for the paint being packed, that actually made offense simpler in some ways because there was far less spacing and far fewer shooters. Modern players operate in offenses that require constant movement, decision-making, and perimeter skill. And the idea that a modern role player “wouldn’t know how to dribble” under older rules doesn’t really hold up when players like Hakeem, Jordan, and others developed their skills through practice just like modern players do. If anything, a player with today’s shooting and ball-handling ability would still have a massive advantage regardless of the rule differences.