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Those are tall tales
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- Thread starter Fedor5723
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Ali and Tyson wouldn't crack the top 20 in today's HW division. I suspect Big Frank would beat them too.
They beat the athletes put in front of them in their era, that is the only thing you can expect from someone. 80's and 90's Jordan would struggle with today's athletes, but give him the nutrion, training, and horsemeat of today's athletes and then the turntables.....
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When I saw Hakeem and Kawhi buried on the list, I was thinking nobody else would think that was a dangerous duo. Peak Hakeem was unbelievable, the best Center play the league has ever seen and maybe the best flat out player.
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Giannis and Dirk sound like pretty good compliments. You get shooting with Dirk and Giannis is a best attacking the paint.
Hard to say without naming who the scrubs are. Are we talking defenders who can't shoot or shooters who can't defend?
Hard to say without naming who the scrubs are. Are we talking defenders who can't shoot or shooters who can't defend?
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Hakeem/Khawi, easily. An interior and perimeter presence, and can dominate both ends of the floor. Given that all these squads have comparable supporting casts/coaching/etc, I don't see anyone beating them in a 7-game series.
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Diaz 1,2, and 5
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4. Hakeem 1994 and Kawhi 2019
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2. Lebron James 2008 and Jimmy Butler 2020
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6. Giannis 2021 and Dirk 2011
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1. MJ 1988 AND Steve Nash 2005
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5. Wade 2009 and Dwight Howard 2009
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3. Kobe 2006 and Jason Kidd 2003
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7. Westbrook 2017 and A.I 2001
View attachment 871135[/QUOTE]
Only reason I have MJ way down at #4 is because I don't think he and Nash mesh well, while the only reason I have any tandem with Butler so high is I think he and Lebron would complement each other very well.
View attachment 871132
2. Lebron James 2008 and Jimmy Butler 2020
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6. Giannis 2021 and Dirk 2011
View attachment 871134
1. MJ 1988 AND Steve Nash 2005
View attachment 871129
5. Wade 2009 and Dwight Howard 2009
View attachment 871133
3. Kobe 2006 and Jason Kidd 2003
View attachment 871131
7. Westbrook 2017 and A.I 2001
View attachment 871135[/QUOTE]
Only reason I have MJ way down at #4 is because I don't think he and Nash mesh well, while the only reason I have any tandem with Butler so high is I think he and Lebron would complement each other very well.
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Jordan and Nash. On the break, shooters around them. Then Hakeem/Kawhi, cuz Kawhi Raptors performance was MJ-like. Then defense and no big guys to guard Hakeem today. Those two pairings against each other would make for a great final. Luc Longley guarding Hakeem.
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Only reason I have MJ way down at #4 is because I don't think he and Nash mesh well, while the only reason I have any tandem with Butler so high is I think he and Lebron would complement each other very well.[/QUOTE]
Lebron and Jimmy don't mesh well. This is 08 Lebron so he still isn't a consistent shooter and Jimmy hasn't been able to shoot at all in Miami. They're both slashers that need the ball. Defensively it would work but Lebron wasn't an elite defender yet in the 08 season.
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The notion that Lebron wasn't yet an elite defender is misguided. He was at the peak of his athleticism. You can just glance at more advanced metrics to see this is true.
- #6 DBPM
- #9 Defensive Win Shares
- #87 DRtg
Additionally, the notion that there was some sort of sea change in his shooting prowess (rather than his 3PT shooting volume) is true, but perhaps exaggerated. Chiefly he improved his midrange shooting. He shot 31.5% from the 3PT line in 2008. His career percentage is just 34.5%. He's won 2x championships with 3PT shooting seasons below 35% including his 2016 upset against the Warriors where Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love were his primary co-contributors. Kyrie shot 32.1% from deep that year, and Love shot almost not at all. Yet the Cavs made the #2 most 3PTers in the league that year. This speaks to the more salient truth. You can always round out a team with sharpshooting role players. Easy to find. On the other hand, finding players who can self-create and collapse defenses (like Lebron or Butler) is NOT easy, and it isn't difficult to create offensive schemes to enmesh them.
Too many slashers is a problem when your so-called slashers are really just volume scorers who aren't actually that great at finishing at the rim, and offer no outside threat whatsoever. Neither Butler nor Lebron are this kind of player. After all, Lebron's FG% was still well above 50% that season (because he was above 70% at the rim). You're thinking of putting together players like D'Aaron Fox with DeMarcus DeRozan. You know, the kind of brilliant shit my Kings would dream up.
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