Why is there a common perception today that the NBA competition is weak? Given the time it has proliferated, now we have players who have been playing since they were 5. And they're absolute physical beasts - in size and athleticism.
"And then there's D'Angelo Russell, who, in short, is a valuable defensive player only when he isn't really tasked with guarding anybody. Last season, the Timberwolves were surprisingly effective defensively because they used Russell on the worst opposing perimeter player and allowed him to serve as a back-line communicator. That's a valuable role. The Lakers know this because that's how they use LeBron. Unless James is willing to take on a higher-effort defensive role with Russell easing his ball-handling burden, Russell is going to have to start playing some point-of-attack defense."
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/russell-westbrook-trade-g...
Basketball is popular world wide now, the talent pool is immensely larger than it was.