When Michael Jordan ranks someone as second-best, even after past disagreements, you know that player commands respect. That’s Isiah Thomas, right behind Magic Johnson, among guards. Thomas isn’t shy about speaking on today’s NBA defense. With offense and fast-paced play taking over the league, he feels frustrated when solid defensive efforts are often overlooked. Yet, for him, the problem isn’t the modern-day evolution of the game, but the players’ mentality on the court.

Isiah Thomas on Hoop Genius couldn’t stop repeating himself after witnessing Steph Curry dropping 42, Luka Dončić scoring 43, or even Wemby putting up 40: “I am an authority on defensive play. Right? Participation and observation… People don’t guard anymore because they don’t have good fundamental foot speed skills. They’re not taught defense. Most players spend When they go practice, they have spent 3 hours in the gym practicing offense.”

“Very few players, if any, will go in and practice defensive slides, hand movement, faking that, you know, getting that defender, getting that offensive player off balance, making him take tough shots, making him miss shots. What has changed? It’s not about hand-checking, it’s not about physicality, it’s about your mentality. Who takes the challenge and says, ‘I wanna guard that person, and I’m not going to let him score,’” Thomas further explained.

There’s some truth to what the NBA legend is saying, because he’s not the only one to make such an observation. Kevin Garnett has often criticized the errors young players make during their training. The modern NBA’s emphasis on offense and three-point shooting has also played a significant role in this shift.

“I was so humiliated, humiliated, with a guy scoring 30 or 40 points on me. It kept me up all night. That’s why we came up with the Jordan rules. I was like this guy, like he, Ron, he just got like 45 points on us. I’m walking the beach at night, trying to figure out how to stop this guy. There’s no shame, there’s no embarrassment when a guy gets 30 points on you. It’s like, ‘Yeah, he’s that good. He got 30 on me.’ I’m like, ‘Hell no, you’re not going to get 30 points on me,” Thomas said, reflecting on a comparison between the two generations of the league.

Perhaps that’s part of the reason the veteran guard, who averaged 1.9 steals per game over 13 years and delivered crucial interceptions and stops, played with the kind of aggression and intimidation almost synonymous with the ’90s NBA, something rarely seen in today’s game.

So much so that even Jaylen Brown has admitted, “The league has made an emphasis that they want to see more scoring, see more high performances.” The Celt added, “It’s better for the branding and marketing of our league.”

You see, the main issue here is the mentality. And recently, Lakers HC JJ Redick also echoed something similar. “I have always recognised this. Not everybody is wired like Kobe. I am not saying I am wired like Kobe, but not everybody is wired like Tom Brady or Kobe, you know? You gotta kinda meet guys where they are. That doesn’t change the standard or expectation for them, but having a little bit of empathy for them.”

We are all aware of the iconic Mamba Mentality, but it’s unrealistic to expect every player, especially the current generation, to embody it.

So what do today’s players often miss? For Shaquille O’Neal, it’s all about relentless competitiveness. In an interview with his future Inside the NBA co-host Ernie Johnson, young O’Neal said, “No matter who the opponent is, just go out and kill him. If he’s small, short, big, fat, tall, just go out and kill him…take no prisoners.” This mentality could be corrected, however, if addressed from a young age.

Kevin Garnett breaks down ‘modern’ NBA mentality

Kevin Garnett has been outspoken about the state of today’s NBA mindset. Recently, during the South East Melbourne Phoenix vs. New Orleans Pelicans broadcast, he highlighted that young players often struggle with mental toughness, discipline, and consistency, traits that were non-negotiable in his era.

“I got a couple of calls this summer from a couple of guys… a lot of these young kids are having problems with mindset. It takes some discipline and consistency. I don’t know if any of these young players today have been taught that. Young guys don’t wanna do something, they just quit,” Garnett said.

The NBA legend contrasted today’s shorter, less intense workouts with the demanding sessions of the ’90s, where coaches pushed players to finish every drill. While exceptions like LeBron James still embrace that old-school grind, KG feels the mentality across the league isn’t quite what it used to be. For Garnett, the root of the problem isn’t just the NBA culture; it starts long before players reach the league.

He believes the AAU system has done more harm than good, prioritizing wins and tournaments over teaching core fundamentals of the game and building character. “These kids are not being taught anything. They have intentions, and they want things, but the way they see it is not how our league works. You earn everything in this league. You’re not entitled to anything,” Garnett explained. 

This criticism isn’t unique to him; the late Kobe Bryant voiced similar concerns years ago, saying, “They’re killing the game… I hate AAU more than anything in the world. These kids aren’t getting good coaching. They’re playing too many games and not working on their game enough.”

The impact of this shift in mentality is already noticeable on the court, but Garnett also sees hope in younger players who take the lessons seriously. He praised Giannis Antetokounmpo for showing the kind of drive and determination that was expected in the old days. Anthony Edwards is probably not too far behind on that list as well. And maybe that mindset is paying off for the newest stars, too.

Victor Wembanyama, for example, reportedly focused heavily on his mental game during the offseason, and the results are already showing.