1990 vs 2015: Make your best team

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by PtldPlatypus, Feb 13, 2015.

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  1. PtldPlatypus

    PtldPlatypus Let's go Baby Blazers! Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

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    I'm bored, so in advance of all-star weekend, let's compare the best of the eras. I realize that 1990 happens to fall right in between the end of Kareem's career and the beginning of Shaq's, but there were still 22 hall-of-famers active that season; I picked it because that's basically when I started becoming a fan of the game, and it's 25 years ago, so it's a nice difference.

    Premise--form your best 12-man squad based on the primes of the players active during those years. Sure, we don't know what the primes of some of the current active players will be like, but we can probably speculate.

    1990
    Stockton, Isaiah, Magic, Jordan, Clyde, Pippen, Bird, Barkley, K. Malone, M. Malone, Robinson, Olajuwon
    Basically the dream team, with Isaiah, Moses, and Hakeem replacing Mullin, Laettner, and Ewing. Probably have Phil coaching instead of Daly. Would prime 'Nique maybe belong, or perhaps Bernard King?

    2015
    Paul, Westbrook, Wade, Kobe, Pierce, Lebron, Durant, Dirk, Garnett, Howard, Duncan, Davis
    Pop would coach, of course. Wiggins is, I think the only active young player who might end up good enough to displace someone on this list. Or Lillard if I'm wearing my homer glasses. :)

    This actually looks pretty even to me. The 1990 PG's are better distributors, but the 2015 PG's are more athletic and are superior defenders. Jordan is better than Kobe, but prime Wade is probably better on both ends of the floor than prime Clyde, and he plays harder. The 90's bigs appear have the advantage, but the 2015 guys have more offensive versatility to their games.

    So...how might you alter the teams, and how would the game go?
     
    PtldPlatypus, Feb 13, 2015
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  2. magnifier661

    magnifier661 B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

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    Gary Payton, Jordan, Pippen, Larry Nance and Hakeem
     
    magnifier661, Feb 13, 2015
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  3. HomerLovesKoolAid

    HomerLovesKoolAid I have a well-known member.

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    God, Jesus, Buddha, Allah, Bill Walton
     
    HomerLovesKoolAid, Feb 13, 2015
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  4. speeds

    speeds $2.50 highball, $1.50 beer Staff Member Administrator GFX Team

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    1990 refs or 2015 refs?
     
    speeds, Feb 13, 2015
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  5. BlazerWookee

    BlazerWookee UNTILT THE DAMN PINWHEEL!

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    Playing in an All-Star exhibition, or really playing to win?
     
    BlazerWookee, Feb 13, 2015
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  6. PtldPlatypus

    PtldPlatypus Let's go Baby Blazers! Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

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    Payton's first season was 1990-91, so he doesn't qualify for my arbitrary cutoff.

    Larry Nance is several cuts below everyone else mentioned.
     
    PtldPlatypus, Feb 13, 2015
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  7. PtldPlatypus

    PtldPlatypus Let's go Baby Blazers! Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

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    $100 million tax free to the winning team.
     
    PtldPlatypus, Feb 13, 2015
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  8. OneLifeToLive

    OneLifeToLive Well-Known Member

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    1990

    PG Earvin 'Magic' Johnson

    SG Michael 'Air' Jordan

    C Hakeem Olajuwon

    SF Larry Bird

    PF The Mailman Karl Malone

    Coach Chuck Daly
     
    OneLifeToLive, Feb 13, 2015
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  9. BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94

    BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94 AWOL

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    2015

    Chris Paul / Steph Curry / Rajon Rondo

    Kobe Bryant / Vince Carter

    Kevin Durant / Paul Pierce

    LeBron James / Kevin Garnett / Anthony Davis

    Tim Duncan / DeMarcus Cousins
     
    BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94, Feb 13, 2015
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  10. PtldPlatypus

    PtldPlatypus Let's go Baby Blazers! Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

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    Looking at the three we disagreed on, you take prime Rondo/Curry/Boogie over prime Westbrook/Wade/Howard? Play them 3-on-3; my crew kills yours.
     
    PtldPlatypus, Feb 13, 2015
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  11. BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94

    BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94 AWOL

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    I just believe Rondo in his absolute prime was a great defender and distributor, curry and boogie have yet to hit their potential too so I'm speculating. Wade skipped my mind admittedly.
     
    BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94, Feb 13, 2015
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  12. PtldPlatypus

    PtldPlatypus Let's go Baby Blazers! Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

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    Fair enough. Same age Howard and Cousins are actually surprisingly comparable, although Howard was undeniably a cut above defensively. I'd still take Westbrook over Rondo.
     
    PtldPlatypus, Feb 13, 2015
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  13. H.C.

    H.C. Well-Known Member

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    CP3 / Nash
    Paul George / Ray Allen(if he isn't allowed b/c not on a roster at the moment then I go with Kobe)
    Durant / Lebron
    Kevin Garnett / Aldridge
    Tim Duncan / Drummond

    VS

    Magic / Stockton
    Jordan / Dominique Wilkins
    Pippin / Bird
    Barkley / Karl Malone
    Olajuwon / Patrick Ewing

    I blurred the lines with position because it's blurred in todays game.
    Going with Today's NBA and rules. The 2015 team would win running away I believe.
    If I go with 1990's rules I think it would be closer.

    CP3 may struggle vs hand checking/arm bar on the perimeter.. But I don't think he'd let it force him out of his game.
    PG is there to defend Jordan/Nique. Ray Allen is there to tire out Jordan/Nique by running them ragged.
    Pippin most likely would get the better of Durant in ISO situations... But in spot up shooting I don't think Pippin could really stop Durant.. Durant is just so long.
    KG would give Barkley and Malone all they could handle and more. Then go back for seconds.
    Tuncan could make things difficult on Olajuwon... Certainly wouldn't stop him.

    As for the backups? I picked the 2015 team for Lebron + Shooting + Drummond getting man-boards.
    Stockton/Malone would kill Nash/Aldridge on the P&R/POP... But I think Nash/Aldridge would kill Stockton/Malon on their own P&R/POP.
    Nique would get his, vs Ray Allen. But Nique might fall asleep against Allen a few too many times.
    LBJ would make Bird play both ends... That's all you can hope for vs someone like Bird.
    Drummond would do okay vs Ewing.

    2015 rules.
    2015 team 117, 1990 team 92

    1990 rules.
    2015 team 101, 1990 team 102
     
    H.C., Feb 13, 2015
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  14. blue9

    blue9 Well-Known Member

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    Win. Nobody beats this team. Ever.
     
    blue9, Feb 13, 2015
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  15. blue9

    blue9 Well-Known Member

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    The problem here is that if we're building super teams you want a great distributor to get the other 4 offensive threats involved. Westbrook would take away from his teammates while Rondo would average 28 assists per game. Sure, in a game of 1-on-1 Westbrook > Rondo. But in a game of 5-on-5 (especially on a super team) Rondo SLAYS Westbrook. Rondo is seriously underrated around here...
     
    blue9, Feb 13, 2015
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  16. BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94

    BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94 AWOL

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    I disagree, I think the guys from the past would have horrible times dealing with the athletes of today. Yeah they gave Jordan but prime LeBron, Kobe, etc are as good if not better athletes than Jordan.

    Could you imagine seeing Malone or Bird trying to defend LeBron 1 on 1? They'd get murdered while guys like LeBron and Kobe could definitely hold their own defensively against anyone from the 90s that isn't a center.
     
    BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94, Feb 13, 2015
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  17. OneLifeToLive

    OneLifeToLive Well-Known Member

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    I have an easy fix. Put Magic on him.

    I agree with Blue. As a matter of fact, I can put together a second and even third team back then that would and or beat today's best.
     
    OneLifeToLive, Feb 13, 2015
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  18. Sinobas

    Sinobas Banned User BANNED

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    2015: Going for the best team, not best individuals
    PG: Parker/Paul/Curry
    SG: Matthews /Ginobli
    SF: Gerald Wallace /Leonard
    PF: Duncan/Nowitski
    C: Anthony Davis / Noah/ Robin Lopez
     
    Sinobas, Feb 13, 2015
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  19. Sinobas

    Sinobas Banned User BANNED

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    1990:
    PG: Stockton / Magic / Porter
    SG: Jordan / Miller
    SF: Pippen / Drexler
    PF: Bird / Barkley
    C: Olajuwon /Robinson / Divac
     
    Sinobas, Feb 13, 2015
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  20. PtldPlatypus

    PtldPlatypus Let's go Baby Blazers! Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

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    In what world are Wesley Matthews and Gerald Wallace capable of providing contribution to any team that is greater than what prime Kobe or LeBron would provide in the same situation?
     
    PtldPlatypus, Feb 13, 2015
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