Style of play in NBA Finals

[Bayside44]

Kevin Durant would be out of play for 3 months if this happened to him.

 

[Newhouser]

Remember Michael Jordan 1988 was allowed to be hand checked by defenses.
Today's players can't be hand checked if you unleashed 1988 Michael Jordan into today's NBA he's probably averaging close to 40 game and he had 35 per game that year.

Kwahi and LeBron would have to guard Jordan.

Magic vs. Curry would be a mismatch.

Durant would expose Bird on the other end.

I would also like to see today superstars play one game against the bad boy pistons with their tactics they used.

I think the ability to shoot the 3 negates the thug stuff of the Pistons. John Salley was considered athletic but he couldn't chase KD on the perimeter if the warriors went small. Rodman in his prime vs KD would be interesting.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I think so too, but I didn't want to push it too much, so to speak. Only 13 guys have won more than 1 MVP. Of those, setting Steph aside, the only 2 I wouldn't consider in this group are Nash and Bob Pettit, and Pettit is more because he played so long ago.

It's insane Shaq has just 1 MVP.

Shaq never took the regular season seriously. How many years did he take entire months off for mysterious ailments?

 

[jordoo]

Kevin Durant would be out of play for 3 months if this happened to him.

He would have already shot the ball 3 different times in that sequence. The game has changed so much since then. They had 6 guys all standing in the lane under the hoop for half of that set.

 

[Arangeman]

This is the single most accurate sentence of this thread.

It looked like the Spurs would have been able to put up a good fight vs GSW if they had Kawhai and Parker. Could the Lakers and Celtics beat the '17 Spurs?

 

[Alsacs]

I think the ability to shoot the 3 negates the thug stuff of the Pistons. John Salley was considered athletic but he couldn't chase KD on the perimeter if the warriors went small. Rodman in his prime vs KD would be interesting.

If LeBron drove the ball to the hoop which he does better than any player in the league and Rick Mahorn/Bill Laimbeer were defending we would have the Malice at the Palace part 2.

They would have committed dirty fouls galore on LeBron. Bird/Magic/Jordan all had to deal with these dirty fouls against the Pistons.

 

[Bayside44]

He would have already shot the ball 3 different times in that sequence. The game has changed so much since then. They had 6 guys all standing in the lane under the hoop for half of that set.

The defense would also press up on the shooter because the lane wouldn't be a free pass. Just a different game.

 

[jordoo]

The defense would also press up on the shooter because the lane wouldn't be a free pass. Just a different game.

Completely and watching even that little bit reminds me that I don't remember it as accurately as I thought I did. I could stand to watch a couple games from the 80's this weekend. I mean even Bird a great shooter and offensive player looked to see what was going on rather than shoot immediately when he had an opening. Guys to day shoot or drive right away if there is daylight.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Who had a handle as good as Steph in the 80s/90's. Isaiah? I guess that's who his comparison would be. I think those big guards would have a hard time checking him just like Isaiah was hard to check.

 

[Newhouser]

If LeBron drove the ball to the hoop which he does better than any player in the league and Rick Mahorn/Bill Laimbeer were defending we would have the Malice at the Palace part 2.

They would have committed dirty fouls galore on LeBron. Bird/Magic/Jordan all had to deal with these dirty fouls against the Pistons.

Not saying they wouldn't commit the dirty fouls. I would suggest that there wouldn't be as many opportunities because people shoot from farther out more often. As for LeBron - I think he would have been able to handle the physicality of the Pistons better than any player that has ever played.

 

[Bayside44]

Completely and watching even that little bit reminds me that I don't remember it as accurately as I thought I did. I could stand to watch a couple games from the 80's this weekend. I mean even Bird a great shooter and offensive player looked to see what was going on rather than shoot immediately when he had an opening. Guys to day shoot or drive right away if there is daylight.

The Warriors are a fun watch with their skill, but I don't mind teams being allowed to play a more physical brand of defense. The scoring spurts in NBA games, even late on games, are nuts.

 

[Bayside44]

Who had a handle as good as Steph in the 80s/90's. Isaiah? I guess that's who his comparison would be. I think those big guards would have a hard time checking him just like Isaiah was hard to check.

80s / 90s guys didn't carry it on every single dribble.

 

[Alsacs]

Who had a handle as good as Steph in the 80s/90's. Isaiah? I guess that's who his comparison would be. I think those big guards would have a hard time checking him just like Isaiah was hard to check.

Sleepy Floyd, Isiah Thomas, John Stockton, Mark Price were the small quick PGs.

 

[Knicks411]

Shaq never took the regular season seriously. How many years did he take entire months off for mysterious ailments?

I'm not even saying he necessarily deserved more thna 1, just hard to fathom.

He won in 2000, was 2nd in 95 and 05, and third in 01 and 02. In 05, he did play 73 games, shot 60% from the field, averaged 23-10. Nash won it that year, you could probably make a pretty good case for him that year. 95 he missed 3 games all year, averaged a 29-11. Admiral was 28-11 in 81 games

 

[OrangeDW]

Who had a handle as good as Steph in the 80s/90's. Isaiah? I guess that's who his comparison would be. I think those big guards would have a hard time checking him just like Isaiah was hard to check.

Isiah Thomas, Kenny Anderson, Nick Van Exel, and Tim Hardaway are a few that come to mind for best handles in the 80s and 90s.

 

[sufandu]

To my friends (and there are many of them) who think Magic's Lakers, Bird's Celtics or Jordan's Bulls are better than this Warrior group: I respect your opinion, but you're being unreasonable.

Maybe. We'll never get to see those teams play with the lack of contact these guys enjoy. The 80's weren't as physical as the 90's but you could still hand check. Jordan got to the rim whenever he wanted in the bruiser era. What would he do today? What would Curry have done in that era?

 

[Melancer46]

Isiah Thomas, Kenny Anderson, Nick Van Exel, and Tim Hardaway are a few that come to mind for best handles in the 80s and 90s.

A little before my time, but just from what I've read/seen of him, I feel like Kevin Johnson could probably be thrown in that mix as well?

 

[Alsacs]

What would the NBA do if we got another crop of big men like Ewing, Hakeem, Robinson, Shaq, Mourning entered the league in a 5 year span.

 

[realorange]

Things I'd like to be able to see:

LeBron going to a basket guarded by Moses Malone or Wilt or even Laimbeer.

 

[Melancer46]

What would the NBA do if we got another crop of big men like Ewing, Hakeem, Robinson, Shaq, Mourning entered the league in a 5 year span.

Hard to really imagine a world in which this happens due to the way young players are coached today. It's more likely that 5 years from now, all the centers play like Porzingis/Thon Maker.

 

[Knicks411]

What would the NBA do if we got another crop of big men like Ewing, Hakeem, Robinson, Shaq, Mourning entered the league in a 5 year span.

There are a lot of good big men now I think, more than in a while, but obviously not at that level. Cousins, Davis, Towns (now I'll pick a different school) KP, Jokic, Gobert, Whiteside, Embiid, Drummond.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

To my friends (and there are many of them) who think Magic's Lakers, Bird's Celtics or Jordan's Bulls are better than this Warrior group: I respect your opinion, but you're being unreasonable.

The emphasis on the 3 is the difference, but Green on Jabbar just wouldn't work for GS, so not sure they could go small.

Celts and Bulls would not stand a chance.

I LOVE watching the Warriors.