[AdamJCallejaParticipant]

 One of the best things about this forum is that i get to ask older users about players I was too young to watch. From time to time I just kind of trip out on the career Muggsy Bogues had given his size, so can some of the older users give me a breakdown on his game. How legit was he? Would he survive in today’s league? Was his listed height generous? 

 

[whiteflashParticipant]

 Not sure if he was, but he played like a coaches son. Gritty, tough, defensive minded, never played outside himself, could hit the open j from foul line extended, etc…

Today would be tough for him with the lack of physicality and his inability to shoot the long ball, but make no mistake, Muggsy Bogues had game.

 

[r377Participant]

 He was a starter but prob would/should be a bench/energy guy on a good contending team.

Although he was fast and used to get steals he was a liability on defense due to his size.  I remember numerous times they would pick on him in defense.

He had no 3 point shot, but thats not unusual for that era.  If he played today of course he would have some three point shot but due to his height and lack of strength it would prob wouldn’t be that good anyway.  Would prob be like us in our first year of high school strenght wise.

Because of his size he obviously couldnt finish around the rim so if he did drive defenses would back off and look for his pass.  He did have a good mid range game, i always remember him pulling up around or just behind the foul line for a jumper.

MASSIVE RESPECT for making it in the league. He was a fan favourite, he knew his limitations and had a good IQ and feel for the game.  His energy, hustle and passion kept him in the NBA for so long when so many used to write him off

 

 

 

 

[EndlessknightParticipant]

I remember one game when he was guarding 6’7″ Anfernee Hardaway, it was insane. The refs were letting him get away with murder. No doubt because they felt sorry for him. It got so bad that at one point,as Hardaway was bringing the ball up, Bogues was clutching and grabbing so much he nearly pulled Hardaway’s shorts down. Hardaway just stopped at half court and gave the ref an ice cold stare and still no call.

Bogues was a great story and an interesting novelty but he held back those Hornets teams in the playoffs.

[cohenbc1Participant]

I remember he could make it absolute hell for opposing players to simply dribble the ball up the court. If you were a typical-sized guard and tried to dribble, when the ball was in between the court and your hand Muggsy was right there, almost eye-level with it! Of course you could post him up, but you couldn’t pound the ball while you did because he’d swipe it. 

On offense he was maybe the fastest guy in the league with the ball. He was a great passer, creative but fundamentally sound. In his prime he usually was among the league leaders in assists. He wasn’t a good shooter and almost never attempted threes (although here’s an odd thing: for one season, 1996-97, he attempted 144 3s and made 42% of them. Other than that one season he never attempted more than 50.)

He was a lot like Rondo, come to think of it, except he seemed happy all the time.

 

 

 

 

[whiteflashParticipant]

 That was the era of the 94 foot lockdown. Guy’s like Bogues, Payton, Mookie Blaylock, Lindsay Hunter, Derek Harper, etc… would hound you all the way up the floor. Bogues was great at that, but once in the paint he was just too little. That was also the era of hand checking, jersey grabbing, holding, just straight up physical ball. That also gave Bogues a chance to compete. That would be completely gone today, and he’d really struggle without it.

[SeattleSuperChronicsParticipant]

 Mugsy couldnt start a game for an average D1 school. 

A lot of people dont know but Randy Newman’s "Short People" is about Mugsy Bogues.

[The GoatParticipant]

 He was a terror for ball handlers on a full court press but a serious liability in the half court. Apparently though there was something about posting him up.. people wouldn’t do it. I heard a reason, I don’t necessarily believe it or want to be a rumour monger but the word is he used to grab guys by the nuts. I mean, I don’t know why else you wouldn’t post up a guy that was 5’3"…

His range was free throws line extended. He could run the offense, was seriously fast and could pass, but he’d be Tyler Ulis without a 3 ball at best in today’s NBA. 

I think he got drafted higher than he would have ordinarily because of the commercial thing with the Bullets drafting the NBA’s shortest and tallest at the same time (Manute Bol).

 

 

 

[mowestenParticipant]

In my opinion, he was a marginal starter in his era and would be a back-up in today’s game. I think you have to take into account the NBA is arguably in the golden age of point guards. Not that there weren’t some good ones back in Bogues’ day. but the bar was a lot lower overall. The second half of today’s PGs would be in the upper half in the mid 80s to mid 90s when Bogues played. And I say that as someone who things the two eras are comparable in quality — just different in concept and style.

I think the hand check rule would hurt him defensively, but probably help him some at the offensive end, along with the better court spacing in the modern game. He was exceptionally quick, a good passer, a pest on defense, but didn’t shoot or score a lot.

 

 

He was also an exceptional free throw shooter in the second half of his career — in the 88-90 percent range.

 

 

[khoss76Participant]

He was a legit starter for a playoff team. Unselfish player, a lot of assists, of course he was small but he was a beast and contrary to a lot of players now, he would take pride in defending

[Bad DogParticipant]

 Every time I hear someone bringing up Muggsy, it reminds me of a story involving Michael Jordan. It was the playoffs in 95 when the Bulls were up against the Hornets. It was the final moments of an elimination game for the Hornets who were down by one and had possession. Bogues gets the ball and is being covered by MJ and then MJ steps back and says to Muggsy, "shoot the ball you f##king midget". Muggsy throws up the shot and misses horribly and the game is over. After that, Muggsy was never the same player. 

[whiteflashParticipant]

 This story has been proven to be an urban legend. Never really happened.

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

 Not sure if the modern game would help him or HURT him.  The guy was a blur.  Crafty and tough.  Yeah, guys would post him up, but not that many guys can post up now, plus you can do a zone defense…

In the 3 Ball or Dunk Ball Era, maybe Muggsy Bogues gets tons of open looks from mid-range.

What would be a comparable for him?  

Maybe a 5’3 Russell Westbrook with better intangibles and leadership.

Now, where does he go?

Put him on a bad team and he will be destroyed.

BUT, what about as the nominal point guard on LeBron’s New Look Cavs?  He would get a lot of open looks.  LeBron would get more dunks, so would Larry Nance, Jr.  

He would have some dud games (like everybody) but would also give you those 14 points, 15 assists, and 7 rebound games.  

In the current SPEED BALL era maybe he really surprises.  What if he backs up Harden and CP3 in Houston?  IDEAL third ball handler/bench point guard, one of their top defensive pests, and a guy who could get plenty of open 15 footers. Can also get you layups/floaters and free throw attempts.  Probably gets you more rebounds than Eric Gordon or Ryan Anderson.  Might even outrebound CP3 if that is what the particular game strategy warrants.

Might actually be THE guy you wanna throw at a finesse volume 3 point shooter like Steph Curry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dazzling Dunks and Basketball BloopersParticipant]

Muggsy was incredibly inspirational story. Not only did he get drafted and manage to play 15 years in the nba despite being 5-3, he also survived an incredibly tough upbringing in baltimore (he was shot when he was 5).

With all due respect, I think he’d have a very hard time cutting it in today’s nba though. Point guards have gotten much bigger and more athletic since the 90s and his size disadvantage would be exploited even more. Your also talking about a pg who wasn’t really adept at creating out of the pick and roll and didn’t have much ability to space the floor ( both skills that are absolutely essential in today’s league). Of course, if he had come up in this era, he probably would’ve developed those skills more but at 5-3 I just think there would be too much of a limit on his ceiling.

 

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