Would he be given a chance today? Yes I believe so. The guard that most resembles Stockton is Steve Nash who just barely retired. So we aren't that far removed from a guy very similar to John. I believe he would be drafted later, show his value and earn his place.

That being said, he probably wouldn't be as good today just as he probably wouldn't have been as good if he landed on a different team 30+ years ago. Why?

First off, a 6'1" white point guard was much more common in 1984 than it is today. In college, John was a very good player on a very average team. His Gonzaga team finished 17-11 and 4th in a pedestrian WCC. Do you think that type of player would be drafted in the 1st round today? Neither do I. So as we said, he would start a little farther back.

He was put into an era where there were a lot of possessions in the NBA and a ton of assists. He averaged an amazing 14.54 assists per game in 1989-90. There was only 1 team that year that averaged under 100 points per game with 8 averaging 110 or more. The game was more up and down then than it is now and there were more assists available (not taking away from 14.54 apg which is remarkable). Furthermore, Stockton played 18 years on a team with a top 20 player (not going to argue where in the top 20, but I think almost everyone will agree he is in the top 20) that helped his assist totals. Would he have had as many assists playing for the late 90's Knicks? Of course not.

Stockton was an efficient shooter. He shot .384 from 3-point land which is solid. His true shooting percentage is high because he took good shots (the mark of an intelligent player). Over 80% from the line is solid as well. Had he been forced to take more shots his points per game would have definitely increased while his efficiency would have gone down. He was blessed to play with Malone who took over so much of the scoring.

Stockton was a good defender. He was named 2nd team All-NBA 5 times. His defensive rating is similar to Magic Johnson and much better than a guy like Steve Nash.

John was put onto a decent roster and wasn't asked to come in and start. John didn't become the full-time starter until year 4. He was able to learn the NBA game and adjust before being asked to do to much. So he was 25 years old when he became a full-time starter. Today teams are simply not that patient. Guys like John Wall are expected to start when they are 19 or 20. I can only imagine how much Mr. Stockton learned while not having to carry the load.

Basically, John was put into a perfect storm to achieve the incredible numbers that he did. But, and this is a big but, John would be good in any age on any team. He knew how to play the game and had the physical attributes and capability to play it well.