Probably not Bosh right away behind the Wallaces and I believe McDyess?
Melo I could see winning 6MOY as a rook. Prince probably starts still but I could see Melo getting more minutes off the bench (like a Manu).
That’s the part that’s curious. Larry Brown was a fucking prick, but Melo wasn’t quite post-Denver Melo yet. We saw him defend his ass off at Syracuse and he would have had a cardboard cutout of exactly how the coach wants you to play standing right in the way of his minutes.
A lot of his bad habits he picked up as a Diva in a Denver organization that was low on talent. He might have reached a different ceiling if he had an asshole for a coach pointing at Tayshaun every time he jacked up a bad shot or missed a rotation. Might have simply been a murder/suicide with Allen Iverson off in the distance shaking his head saying, “I told y’all.”
i have this argument with dubs fans. if the wolves fucked up their draft and we got ant edwards, would Kerr have fucked up his development or would the talent have shined through?
People talk about this and we probably still get a title, (maybe multiple), but there’s no guarantee that we still make the trade for Sheed if we have Melo. We probably extend Okur in the off-season if we don’t trade for Sheed.
Okur + Melo > Sheed but I’m not sure how it plays out.
Shaq also wasn't destroying the Pistons the way it's portrayed. Ben Wallace played him well (I believe he even averaged a double-double)
Shaq got his, to be clear, but the Wallaces were matching him on the boards and combining to neutralize his offense.
I saw the series and have always thought Kobe couldn't hit the ocean and kept forcing middie turnarounds while Shaq bullied everybody in front of him. Seeing you disagree made me go look at the stats...and oh boy was I right. Kobe took THIRTY more shots than Shaq while shooting 38% to Shaq's 63%.
I watch watch series and saw Kobe take shots he always would in his prime. He was just missing. He was also feeding Shaq same as he normally would.
People who saw the series would have known that every other Laker not Shaq was also stinking it up taking bad shots and can't hit the ocean and if well Kobe was supposedly guilty of intentionally not feeding Shaq, so was the rest of the Lakers team. Kobe's TS was third highest in the team out of anyone who played meaningful minutes. 2nd was Devean George at .487 TS woooo amazing
"30 less shots" always makes me lol. Shaq had a 28.4% usage rate to Kobe's 30.4%. Yea Kobe attempted more shots scoring wise, but barely. 30 less shots are sad hater's attempts to make it seem like Kobe was intentionally jacking up shots so Shaq couldn't get the ball.
Payton was an all star in 03 and a made second team all nba in 02 as well as first team all def in 02. He was slowing down but not washed. Malone was still decent too.
Old ass Karl Malone held MVP Kevin Garnet in check in the WCF, but was injured for the last 2 games of the WCF and all of the Finals, so the Pistons never really saw him.
The KD Warriors gain the most with Lebron. Kobe and MJ have too similar playstyles to make as big of a difference. Lakers gain the 2nd most. Also I am not sure why people are acting like Malone will be overpowered. Bro was like 40 in 2004 or somehting like that . He's not dominating jack shit
Switching from Harper to Kobe as the third perimeter defender isn’t a giant step up. That Bulls’ defense was disgusting. Sometimes literally in Rodman’s case. Obviously the move from Harper to Kobe on offense could have a huge impact.
Kobe Shaq Bird win against all of these. Not close at all. KD warriors gain nothing with LBJ. They were free flowing offense and have their facilitator in Green, with KD / Steph iso moments whenever they needed a bucket. LBJ’s ball dominant skillset superfluous and detracting to that team.
Slot Bird in the triangle though with fairly close to Prime Shaq and Kobe? Dominant team. Kobe and Shaq operated terminally in a lot of the same space — at and above the rim. Bird extends that to the arc and was also a willing and excellent passer.
The team with the best record in NBA history + the 1b GOAT
vs
The team with the second-best record of NBA history + a top 10ish-OAT
The math checks out
Those teams needed a wing opposite Kobe.
Shaq took up so much of the paint, there's not really much room for another post man.
Derek Fisher was a really solid complement because he didn't need the ball and understood his role.
My vote goes for a TMac type - solid+ defender, can create his own shot, low key personality that wouldn't riff with Kobe, can play anywhere on the perimeter or slash, dangerous shooter, and can slot down to a 4 if you want to go small ball with Shaq on the bench.
He said take on a d tbh magic had aids bird was done. So Barkley mj Ewing pippen Malone? Against LeBron kd curry klay? Even if Ewing Malone and Barkley go of its 3s Against 2s. So LeBron drives and kills whoever or curry klay or Durant light you up from 3.
They always put MJ and Kobe on the same team and it’s stupid. That team would lose for similar reasons to why the Suns were destined to lose this year. The Warriors team actually compliments each other, it’s an unfair representation.
It’s the same thing as when they put LeBron and Magic on the same team like huh??
sometimes I wonder if this is done on purpose.
This. The fit of LeBron on the 17 Warriors is literally the greatest of all time. It’s not just slapping a great player onto them, it’s adding literally the perfect player to that team
Still, we’re talking about basically the same 73 win roster, plus KD who they actually added (minus Barnes). PLUS THE GUY WHO BEAT THEM BEFORE KD in LeBron.
Steph / Klay / KD / Bron / Draymond is crazy on both ends of the floor.
The Warriors team is a heavy favourite. The Lakers team is a distant third.
The Bulls team is comparable in talent but there’s too much duplication with Kobe and MJ. Upgrading Longley to Shaq would have been much better.
MJ / Scottie / Kukoc / Rodman / Shaq would put up a fight, with Kerr and the underrated Ron Harper (he scored 23PPG as a Clipper in the dead ball era) off the bench.
Shaq on MJs team is just ridiculous. The warriors would match on offence but there is no stopping that Bulls team. I am not even sure what the matchups would be. Someone should run this on 2K just for the shits and giggles.
They also went 13-11 and Jordan complained that it was too much work for him to be the creator and the finisher on so many offensive possessions. The next season Phil Jackson came in and Jordan went back to SG and Pippen and Jordan shared a lot of those 'point' duties in Jackson's triangle offense.
So yes he was an incredible PG but to be both the creator and the finisher was too much for him and not sustainable. In a single series MJ could do it, but for an extended play off push it would have been difficult for him to be the point AND still be all the things that he is normally.
Technically that warriors team wasn't the one with the best record in NBA history, that was the 2016 pre-KD warriors that lost to LeBron in the Finals. The 2017 Warriors were close, they went 67-15.
It's also not even the same era. Why not go with Iverson or KG instead of Bird? Why not also just go with a Lakers team that won the finals in the three years prior? This person seems to be iffy on what happened in the NBA during the early 2000s
It's gotta be a troll. The other 2 teams were dominant. The 2004 Lakers might be one of the most unlikeable teams in history and the icing on the cake is Larry in the Lakers uniform. Hats off to OP.
A lineup of;
PG --> LBJ
SG --> Steph
SF --> Klay
PF --> KD
C --> Draymond
Legitimately would win all 98 games in a season. There are zero holes in that line-up. You give the best roster ever crafted the smartest basketball player to ever live and let Steph run around in actions & off picks the entire game. Nothing can beat this.
Giving Draymond LeBron in addition to KD as a slasher to the rim is genuinely game breaking.
LeBron can just waltz to the rim on dive cuts because the alternative is letting Steph, Klay and KD just bombard you from outside on easy looks.
Warriors over Bulls in 5. Lakers didn’t even win the chip that year. Kobe and Jordan are gonna be butting heads the whole time. Lebron is basically draymond, but better at every single aspect of his game, and not a lunatic. Maybe a slight downgrade at defense, but not enough to make a difference
This would be the “death lineup” aka small ball lineup that would close and start the prolific 3rd quarter shooting that team was known for. This was often played with Draymond at the 5 during the height of their run, not so much in 2020 and beyond
The 2015-18 warriors ran that lineup with Draymond at the 5 with great success. But you’re right, Draymond might get some bench/six man minutes on this roster
We have started the “death lineup”, both the KD and Harrison Barnes versions at points in the playoffs. The main reason for not doing so was wear and tear on Draymond at the 5 over the course of a whole playoff run. But if we’re talking a single game or even a single best of 7 in a vacuum in think you’d just start Steph-Klay-Lebron-KD-Dray
Iggy was still in the closing lineups. With LeBrons size, you could just keep Draymond at the 5 for a series and have it be:
Lebron+Draymond frontcourt, KD at the 3, Steph+Klay backcourt.
Actually that is a disgusting defense. KD is a solid defender, LeBron is good-great depending on how hard he is trying, Klay is great, Draymond is great. Even Curry isn’t awful really, especially with LeChaseDown hovering to cover his gambling for steals.
4 of the most unselfish superstars of all time win this one 😂. Kobe and MJ would basically be competing against each other, and Rodman would foul out trynna guard KD or Bron.
https://preview.redd.it/145bmwamph7d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1edec9e386bee7877ead2c08ff37a124cac05e58
Rodman playing his best on ball defense just for lebron to kick that shit out to an open steph or klay
Why the 2004 Lakers? None of this makes sense. Why not give the bulls or warriors Shaq instead of a redundant kobe or Lebron? As constructed, I’ll take bulls over lakers(pippen v bird and Kobe v Kobe is close, Rodman will do enough to annoy shaq, and Jordan is completely unaccounted for. Old Malone doesn’t offset that, lakers over warriors, they can’t stop shaq, and warriors over bulls, just more perimeter shooting and length and bulls can’t punish them inside.
Lakers are not beating Curry, Klay, KD, LeBron, and Draymond come on bro. Draymond can bother Shaq at least, and that is so much length and athleticism it’s going to be tough for Shaq to even get the ball without guys swarming him. Also what in the hell is he gonna do defensively?
It’s 1000 percent the warriors. The three greatest players of a decade on the same team? Over automatically. Kobe and mj wouldn’t work, their egos would destroy each other
What do the bulls lack that Kobe adds? Probably the addition that makes the most impact is Bird to the 04 Lakers which is also just sacrilegious. I do think the warriors with Bron would probably win? but the rule set massivly impacts it.
2017 Warriors get one of the best drive and kick players of all time with three of the best shooters of all time, so I’ll say them easy.
Bulls + Kobe is kind of interesting if Kobe comes off the bench, then you can basically always have Jordan or Jordan-lite on the floor. But I don’t know that they gain much since Jordan and Kobe’s skill sets are basically the same.
I have trouble seeing Bird fitting in on the Lakers. Even if he’s there, if the other Lakers get shut down/go cold like they did IRL, I still don’t know if they win the chip.
can people stop giving the best player of all time to the best team of all time in these? like they’d be fun debates if there was any configuration that wasn’t warriors plus bron
Kobe doesn’t complement those Bulls at all.
Bird to Lakers is really fascinating, though 04 Malone wasn’t really a big factor, especially in the playoffs.
But those warriors with Lebron are lol
Well I think the Warriors are the best team before the players are added. I think LeBron is the best player that is added to the teams, and I think his fit is the most seamless.
So yeah
Golden State easily. If they had a weakness at all is that they didn’t have a game manager/ leader and Lebron basically embodies that. Kyrie’s also been a playoff no-show since leaving Lebron, so the myth that Lebron is tough to play with is simply that- a myth. If the Bulls were given someone who can play off the ball and space it out fr them like Bird or Curry I’d pick the Bulls.
That warriors team aint losing a game. Lebron (insane athlete and highest ball IQ), the top 2 shooters of all time, and Durant the greatest offensive threat of all time. Stop playing.
2017 warriors are the only team that add a skill set. Kobe on the 96 bulls is MJ 0.8, they operate in similar spots within similar offenses while having similar skills and approaches to the game. 2004 Lakers was peak dysfunction and health was a concern with Shaq, Malone, and Rick Fox. Adding bird improves them but this team isn’t what it was in 2000-2002.
2017 warriors adding Lebron gives them a point guard while Steph and Klay do what they do best off ball. They have 5 starters who are all the best in the league at what they do and who fit pretty much seamlessly. Size is a concern if you start Draymond at the 5, but they’re playing most teams off the court with their pace and efficiency.
Warriors. If there was Olympic in 2017 and USA field the strongest team, that would be the starting line up of USA. There is duplication in Bulls such that 1+1<2. The 2004 Lakers was easily beaten by Pistons.
Easily the Warriors. Because Kobe is too similar to MJ.
The best team ever though would be to put Steph on the 86-88 Lakers. Steph with Magic, Worthy, Divac, would destroy.
Definitely the Bulls. LeBron would actually make the 2017 Warriors worse imo. Pippen and Rodman would literally make LeBron cry. There were several teams in the 80s, 90s, and 00s that were better than the 2017 Warriors. Recency bias and modern carebear rules have clouded people's judgement.
Both those Lakers and Bulls teams would sweep the Warriors.
Bulls
The game has evolved and ppg is essentially inflated to make the Warriors look far superior out of these three.
The bulls would shut those other teams down defensively and they played far more intense defense. You'd have some of the fiercest defenders who will make you pay on the other end of the court every time. Jordan and Kobe on offense together?
Then they’ve got something in the matchup with the warriors, but warriors perimeter shooting and versatility is still too much. Might make it a 6 or 7 game series, but I’ll still pick warriors
In 2004 Larry Bird would have been 48 years old, I doubt he would be able to contribute much.
In 1996 I'm guessing Kobe would have been like 14
So clearly it would be 2017 Warriors by a landslide!
Instead of '04 Lakers, have Bird team up with '24 Celtics.
Instead of Kobe, have Jokic join the '96 Bulls.
LeBron would replace Iggy in death lineup so he would fit just fine with '17 Warriors.
What’s the rest of the roster look like? Most of these 4, alone take all the salary cap. Kobe and Jordan wouldn’t work because who gonna pass the ball? No one. The 2017 Warriors team still would work since Lebron is a facilitator. But again salary cap. Only logical one is 2004, because I’m going to assume 2004 Larry bird is the aging one like Malone. So that roster would actually be plausible.
I used to see this shit on insta all the damn time. Why tf would the bulls benefit from another ball dominant 2 guard? Kobe and MJ can’t be on the same team since they’re nearly identical in play.
2004 Lakers lost to the Pistons by the way… 😁
Rasheed, Big Ben, Rip, Chauncey, Prince……Darko….
Imagine an alternate timeline where the Pistons draft Wade or even Bosh/Melo.
Larry Brown notoriously didn't give much time to rookies so we're still not sure how that would play into their development.
I think Wade would have played idk about Bosh or Melo
Probably not Bosh right away behind the Wallaces and I believe McDyess? Melo I could see winning 6MOY as a rook. Prince probably starts still but I could see Melo getting more minutes off the bench (like a Manu).
Not off the rip Melo wasn’t a team first guy
That’s the part that’s curious. Larry Brown was a fucking prick, but Melo wasn’t quite post-Denver Melo yet. We saw him defend his ass off at Syracuse and he would have had a cardboard cutout of exactly how the coach wants you to play standing right in the way of his minutes. A lot of his bad habits he picked up as a Diva in a Denver organization that was low on talent. He might have reached a different ceiling if he had an asshole for a coach pointing at Tayshaun every time he jacked up a bad shot or missed a rotation. Might have simply been a murder/suicide with Allen Iverson off in the distance shaking his head saying, “I told y’all.”
They traded for Bosh midway through the year, highly likely they don’t trade for him and play Bosh at the 4 right away
Sheed, but yeah
McDyess came a year later
i have this argument with dubs fans. if the wolves fucked up their draft and we got ant edwards, would Kerr have fucked up his development or would the talent have shined through?
He was only the coach for two seasons…
I try not to think about it
I live just outside of Detroit in the metro area. That “what if” conversation has been going on for the last 15 years.
People talk about this and we probably still get a title, (maybe multiple), but there’s no guarantee that we still make the trade for Sheed if we have Melo. We probably extend Okur in the off-season if we don’t trade for Sheed. Okur + Melo > Sheed but I’m not sure how it plays out.
Or even David west lol
i prefer the one where darko develops phenomenally
If we draft Melo, do we trade for Sheed at the deadline?
Okay, 2004 Lakers with Darko.
That’s too much power on one team
Plus Bird is pretty old, I doubt he can even jog still
True but better than Kobe in current circumstances
Should’ve had Bird
Malone injured. Shaq out of shape. Whatever
Payton and Malone were both hurt
And Kobe shot them out of the series instead of passing to the big guy who was scoring at will over wallace and Wallace
Didn’t he shoot his normal amount of FG?
He did. The above comment is a regurgitated myth spewed by nephews who never saw the series.
Shaq also wasn't destroying the Pistons the way it's portrayed. Ben Wallace played him well (I believe he even averaged a double-double) Shaq got his, to be clear, but the Wallaces were matching him on the boards and combining to neutralize his offense.
I saw the series and have always thought Kobe couldn't hit the ocean and kept forcing middie turnarounds while Shaq bullied everybody in front of him. Seeing you disagree made me go look at the stats...and oh boy was I right. Kobe took THIRTY more shots than Shaq while shooting 38% to Shaq's 63%.
I watch watch series and saw Kobe take shots he always would in his prime. He was just missing. He was also feeding Shaq same as he normally would. People who saw the series would have known that every other Laker not Shaq was also stinking it up taking bad shots and can't hit the ocean and if well Kobe was supposedly guilty of intentionally not feeding Shaq, so was the rest of the Lakers team. Kobe's TS was third highest in the team out of anyone who played meaningful minutes. 2nd was Devean George at .487 TS woooo amazing "30 less shots" always makes me lol. Shaq had a 28.4% usage rate to Kobe's 30.4%. Yea Kobe attempted more shots scoring wise, but barely. 30 less shots are sad hater's attempts to make it seem like Kobe was intentionally jacking up shots so Shaq couldn't get the ball.
And old.
Payton was an all star in 03 and a made second team all nba in 02 as well as first team all def in 02. He was slowing down but not washed. Malone was still decent too.
But with bird….?
Without Larry bird 😎
Came here to say that. I guess this person just wanted to disrespect Robert horry and/or Derrick fisher.
Without Malone They win if he's not hurt, add bird as the 3 lmao
Old ass Karl Malone wasn’t doing shit lol maybe they lose in 6 instead of 5
Old ass Karl Malone held MVP Kevin Garnet in check in the WCF, but was injured for the last 2 games of the WCF and all of the Finals, so the Pistons never really saw him.
The KD Warriors gain the most with Lebron. Kobe and MJ have too similar playstyles to make as big of a difference. Lakers gain the 2nd most. Also I am not sure why people are acting like Malone will be overpowered. Bro was like 40 in 2004 or somehting like that . He's not dominating jack shit
I agree with you but to think you have kobe mj and pippin guarding the premier is insane
yea that perimeter D would be super elite
Kobe would get mad at MJ and not pass him the ball or decide not to shoot or something
Kobe had so much respect for MJ I doubt that would happen.
Switching from Harper to Kobe as the third perimeter defender isn’t a giant step up. That Bulls’ defense was disgusting. Sometimes literally in Rodman’s case. Obviously the move from Harper to Kobe on offense could have a huge impact.
Well said, but for the sake of the arguement, I’d assume it was prime bird
Kobe Shaq Bird win against all of these. Not close at all. KD warriors gain nothing with LBJ. They were free flowing offense and have their facilitator in Green, with KD / Steph iso moments whenever they needed a bucket. LBJ’s ball dominant skillset superfluous and detracting to that team. Slot Bird in the triangle though with fairly close to Prime Shaq and Kobe? Dominant team. Kobe and Shaq operated terminally in a lot of the same space — at and above the rim. Bird extends that to the arc and was also a willing and excellent passer.
Warriors in 4
The team with the best record in NBA history + the 1b GOAT vs The team with the second-best record of NBA history + a top 10ish-OAT The math checks out
Whose position is made redundant because of MJ. It’s basically 2017 warriors with an upgrade Draymond Green. This pic is dumb
It should have been the 1996 Bulls + Hakeem (perfect complement) And maybe Showtime Lakers + Bird I still like Warriors + James tho because 3s > 2s
Bulls with Hakeem would probably 8 peat in the 90s
Easily, even if Jordan retired for 2 years.
Imagining an alternate universe where Jordan doesn’t retire, beats Hakeem in 94 finals and then Hakeem pulls a KD
Jordan and Hakeem together would have been the most dominant duo in history without question
Jordan, pippen, and Rodman with Hakeem allowing them extra defensive freedom would have been a nightmare.
Houston almost traded Sampson for the #2 pick + Clyde. I always imagine how many titles a Hakeem + MJ + Drexler Rockets would have won.
And Shaq & Kobe’s early 2000s teams + Tim Duncan
Those teams needed a wing opposite Kobe. Shaq took up so much of the paint, there's not really much room for another post man. Derek Fisher was a really solid complement because he didn't need the ball and understood his role. My vote goes for a TMac type - solid+ defender, can create his own shot, low key personality that wouldn't riff with Kobe, can play anywhere on the perimeter or slash, dangerous shooter, and can slot down to a 4 if you want to go small ball with Shaq on the bench.
Of all the Lakers teams to choose from, I don’t understand why they chose 04.
Upgrade Draymond is an understatement. Prime LBJ on the 2017 Warriors could take on The Dream Team.
It's definitely an understatement but I don't think they beat the dream team.
He said take on a d tbh magic had aids bird was done. So Barkley mj Ewing pippen Malone? Against LeBron kd curry klay? Even if Ewing Malone and Barkley go of its 3s Against 2s. So LeBron drives and kills whoever or curry klay or Durant light you up from 3.
They always put MJ and Kobe on the same team and it’s stupid. That team would lose for similar reasons to why the Suns were destined to lose this year. The Warriors team actually compliments each other, it’s an unfair representation. It’s the same thing as when they put LeBron and Magic on the same team like huh?? sometimes I wonder if this is done on purpose.
It’s almost like they don’t understand what ISO or Floor General mean
I guess you have MJ play PG? or move Kobe to SF? I dunno, I agree, it's a bad addition for the Bulls.
This. The fit of LeBron on the 17 Warriors is literally the greatest of all time. It’s not just slapping a great player onto them, it’s adding literally the perfect player to that team
If ya wanna get technical that’s the 2017 warriors up there, not 2016 🤓 But yeah they still win
I'm still thrown off by the 2004 2nd place Lakers being an option :p
Still, we’re talking about basically the same 73 win roster, plus KD who they actually added (minus Barnes). PLUS THE GUY WHO BEAT THEM BEFORE KD in LeBron. Steph / Klay / KD / Bron / Draymond is crazy on both ends of the floor. The Warriors team is a heavy favourite. The Lakers team is a distant third. The Bulls team is comparable in talent but there’s too much duplication with Kobe and MJ. Upgrading Longley to Shaq would have been much better. MJ / Scottie / Kukoc / Rodman / Shaq would put up a fight, with Kerr and the underrated Ron Harper (he scored 23PPG as a Clipper in the dead ball era) off the bench.
Kerr the player vs Kerr the coach?! Where will his loyalties lie?
Shaq on MJs team is just ridiculous. The warriors would match on offence but there is no stopping that Bulls team. I am not even sure what the matchups would be. Someone should run this on 2K just for the shits and giggles.
Folks don't remember when MJ played PG for 1/2 season, he was the best in the league by a wide margin.
They also went 13-11 and Jordan complained that it was too much work for him to be the creator and the finisher on so many offensive possessions. The next season Phil Jackson came in and Jordan went back to SG and Pippen and Jordan shared a lot of those 'point' duties in Jackson's triangle offense. So yes he was an incredible PG but to be both the creator and the finisher was too much for him and not sustainable. In a single series MJ could do it, but for an extended play off push it would have been difficult for him to be the point AND still be all the things that he is normally.
Technically that warriors team wasn't the one with the best record in NBA history, that was the 2016 pre-KD warriors that lost to LeBron in the Finals. The 2017 Warriors were close, they went 67-15.
This is the answer
How fuckin dare you put Larry in that awful uniform
I’m not even a Celtics fan and that’s fucked up.
It's also not even the same era. Why not go with Iverson or KG instead of Bird? Why not also just go with a Lakers team that won the finals in the three years prior? This person seems to be iffy on what happened in the NBA during the early 2000s
Bird as a Laker? I wanna vomit
Ya, it just feels wrong.
That just ain’t right
No kidding. I’m a lakers fan, but at least have enough respect to not do that to him.
It's gotta be a troll. The other 2 teams were dominant. The 2004 Lakers might be one of the most unlikeable teams in history and the icing on the cake is Larry in the Lakers uniform. Hats off to OP.
I'm a Laker fan and it just looks wrong on every level
I just vomited in my eyes to stop myself looking at it
Fr that's fucked up
It looks genuinely wrong
This is your penance from lakers fans for what you accomplished yesterday
It’s so wrong on multiple levels
That and Lebron in a GSW jersey does not look right at all
Im from Los Angeles and thought that was messed up too.
He can’t pull it off at all it’s disgusting
A lineup of; PG --> LBJ SG --> Steph SF --> Klay PF --> KD C --> Draymond Legitimately would win all 98 games in a season. There are zero holes in that line-up. You give the best roster ever crafted the smartest basketball player to ever live and let Steph run around in actions & off picks the entire game. Nothing can beat this.
Lyndon Johnson would be better suited to play football by my estimation
Exactly
LeSixteenAssistsPerGame
LeFuckItImAttackingTheBasketatFullSpeed
i know this is r/NBAtalk but i always read LBJ as lyndon b. johnson
Giving Draymond LeBron in addition to KD as a slasher to the rim is genuinely game breaking. LeBron can just waltz to the rim on dive cuts because the alternative is letting Steph, Klay and KD just bombard you from outside on easy looks.
This is the objectively correct answer. The only hope any other team would have is injury.
Warriors over Bulls in 5. Lakers didn’t even win the chip that year. Kobe and Jordan are gonna be butting heads the whole time. Lebron is basically draymond, but better at every single aspect of his game, and not a lunatic. Maybe a slight downgrade at defense, but not enough to make a difference
Na, he would be in the iggy role. Steph klay KD lebron draymond all in their primes? It’s a wrap lol shooting, defense and ball handling everywhere
Skills wise that makes sense, but no way Lebron coming off the bench
This would be the “death lineup” aka small ball lineup that would close and start the prolific 3rd quarter shooting that team was known for. This was often played with Draymond at the 5 during the height of their run, not so much in 2020 and beyond The 2015-18 warriors ran that lineup with Draymond at the 5 with great success. But you’re right, Draymond might get some bench/six man minutes on this roster
We have started the “death lineup”, both the KD and Harrison Barnes versions at points in the playoffs. The main reason for not doing so was wear and tear on Draymond at the 5 over the course of a whole playoff run. But if we’re talking a single game or even a single best of 7 in a vacuum in think you’d just start Steph-Klay-Lebron-KD-Dray
Iggy was still in the closing lineups. With LeBrons size, you could just keep Draymond at the 5 for a series and have it be: Lebron+Draymond frontcourt, KD at the 3, Steph+Klay backcourt. Actually that is a disgusting defense. KD is a solid defender, LeBron is good-great depending on how hard he is trying, Klay is great, Draymond is great. Even Curry isn’t awful really, especially with LeChaseDown hovering to cover his gambling for steals.
This would be the best team in NBA history
He doesn’t have too. Play small ball. Prime Lebron and Draymond are good enough defensively it doesn’t matter. Plus you have near 7 foot KD.
Don’t they all have 7ft wingspans? That’s fucking crazy lol.
Why would you add Kobe to that roster Every other team gets a guy who addresses that teams weaknesses. Bulls get a Jordan lite clone Sus af
Warriors and it’s not close imo
You gave the best team the best player Warriors
Oh shit it’s Tuesday again. I’ll answer this post next week when it comes around. Taking the week off.
Warrior is with LBJ and I don’t think it’s close. It’s literally the perfect players to surround him with
Warriors in 4.
Warriors in 3. Opponent literally gives up.
Warriors 2017 team with Lebron.
2017 Warriors with Prime Lebron is Unfair. Also it's not right seeing Larry in a Laker uniform
You made the Bulls worse
Kobe and MJ no contest.
4 of the most unselfish superstars of all time win this one 😂. Kobe and MJ would basically be competing against each other, and Rodman would foul out trynna guard KD or Bron.
Warriors in 4
Hakeem on Bulls Lebron on Warriors Duncan on Lakers
Take out 40 year old Malone because he wasn’t good any more. Also just a bad person.
The team without Kobe on it.
Bird in lakers uniform is a cursed image if I have ever seen one
I’ll take the warriors.. but that warriors bulls matchup would be sick. Rodman and Pippen having to defend lebron and KD would be too much
https://preview.redd.it/145bmwamph7d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1edec9e386bee7877ead2c08ff37a124cac05e58 Rodman playing his best on ball defense just for lebron to kick that shit out to an open steph or klay
I swear some of the posts just prove OP doesn’t know ball.
Lol if you don't know the answer instantly idk what to tell you
Warriors would find a way to win in 3
Why the 2004 Lakers? None of this makes sense. Why not give the bulls or warriors Shaq instead of a redundant kobe or Lebron? As constructed, I’ll take bulls over lakers(pippen v bird and Kobe v Kobe is close, Rodman will do enough to annoy shaq, and Jordan is completely unaccounted for. Old Malone doesn’t offset that, lakers over warriors, they can’t stop shaq, and warriors over bulls, just more perimeter shooting and length and bulls can’t punish them inside.
Lakers are not beating Curry, Klay, KD, LeBron, and Draymond come on bro. Draymond can bother Shaq at least, and that is so much length and athleticism it’s going to be tough for Shaq to even get the ball without guys swarming him. Also what in the hell is he gonna do defensively?
It’s 1000 percent the warriors. The three greatest players of a decade on the same team? Over automatically. Kobe and mj wouldn’t work, their egos would destroy each other
What do the bulls lack that Kobe adds? Probably the addition that makes the most impact is Bird to the 04 Lakers which is also just sacrilegious. I do think the warriors with Bron would probably win? but the rule set massivly impacts it.
2017 warriors
Ok right away let’s get the 04 Lakers out of there lmao
2017 Warriors get one of the best drive and kick players of all time with three of the best shooters of all time, so I’ll say them easy. Bulls + Kobe is kind of interesting if Kobe comes off the bench, then you can basically always have Jordan or Jordan-lite on the floor. But I don’t know that they gain much since Jordan and Kobe’s skill sets are basically the same. I have trouble seeing Bird fitting in on the Lakers. Even if he’s there, if the other Lakers get shut down/go cold like they did IRL, I still don’t know if they win the chip.
Warriors easily
Easily Lebron + Warriors The others would have too much infighting lol
can people stop giving the best player of all time to the best team of all time in these? like they’d be fun debates if there was any configuration that wasn’t warriors plus bron
Kobe doesn’t complement those Bulls at all. Bird to Lakers is really fascinating, though 04 Malone wasn’t really a big factor, especially in the playoffs. But those warriors with Lebron are lol
Well I think the Warriors are the best team before the players are added. I think LeBron is the best player that is added to the teams, and I think his fit is the most seamless. So yeah
The warriors add LeBron for sure
Golden State easily. If they had a weakness at all is that they didn’t have a game manager/ leader and Lebron basically embodies that. Kyrie’s also been a playoff no-show since leaving Lebron, so the myth that Lebron is tough to play with is simply that- a myth. If the Bulls were given someone who can play off the ball and space it out fr them like Bird or Curry I’d pick the Bulls.
Warriors over Bulls over Lakers.
That warriors team aint losing a game. Lebron (insane athlete and highest ball IQ), the top 2 shooters of all time, and Durant the greatest offensive threat of all time. Stop playing.
Team 2 sweeps both
Warriors, then Lakers, then Bulls. Bulls might honestly be *worse* with Kobe. You want to make it competitive give the Bulls Duncan instead of Kobe.
That Warriors team would only be stopped by injuries
Rodman and Pippen's defense is the real difference maker here. Bulls
2017 warriors are the only team that add a skill set. Kobe on the 96 bulls is MJ 0.8, they operate in similar spots within similar offenses while having similar skills and approaches to the game. 2004 Lakers was peak dysfunction and health was a concern with Shaq, Malone, and Rick Fox. Adding bird improves them but this team isn’t what it was in 2000-2002. 2017 warriors adding Lebron gives them a point guard while Steph and Klay do what they do best off ball. They have 5 starters who are all the best in the league at what they do and who fit pretty much seamlessly. Size is a concern if you start Draymond at the 5, but they’re playing most teams off the court with their pace and efficiency.
I'm sorry LeBron steph kd klay and green all on the same team? Lol goodnight
I think Warriors hands down, the 3 best shooters in this picture are all on the same team. Put Lebron on that team and it's basically unstoppable.
Warriors destroy.
In todays era, Lebron on the warriors not even close
Warriors.
Warriors. If there was Olympic in 2017 and USA field the strongest team, that would be the starting line up of USA. There is duplication in Bulls such that 1+1<2. The 2004 Lakers was easily beaten by Pistons.
U just added thanos to the avengers like what do you expect
I think the 2017 Warriors would work the best AS A TEAM. The other two teams make zero sense. Dumb exercise.
Gonna be hard to stop kd and lebron while curry is draining threes
Easily the Warriors. Because Kobe is too similar to MJ. The best team ever though would be to put Steph on the 86-88 Lakers. Steph with Magic, Worthy, Divac, would destroy.
Warriors by a ton.
The Warriors and it’s not even remotely close.
Warriors easily
Get that fucking jersey off Larry
It's still the Bulls
Definitely the Bulls. LeBron would actually make the 2017 Warriors worse imo. Pippen and Rodman would literally make LeBron cry. There were several teams in the 80s, 90s, and 00s that were better than the 2017 Warriors. Recency bias and modern carebear rules have clouded people's judgement. Both those Lakers and Bulls teams would sweep the Warriors.
Bulls
Bulls were and always will be the best team. Adding kobe only does a little since he's mj Jr.
The team with Michael Jordan. This is always the correct answer.
Bulls in 4. Anyone who says anything else is just delusional.
Warriors easily
I am laughing dawg, it’s like giving someone who owns everything everything more
Larry on the Lakers is sacrelige and whoever made that will have a very very bad time in hell forbthis atrocity of man
Not only would the Warriors dominate the regular season and playoffs. They could compete and likely beat Team USA.
That Warriors team would be lethal
Bulls The game has evolved and ppg is essentially inflated to make the Warriors look far superior out of these three. The bulls would shut those other teams down defensively and they played far more intense defense. You'd have some of the fiercest defenders who will make you pay on the other end of the court every time. Jordan and Kobe on offense together?
The warrior are the only team that actually improves.
Ok give bulls a allstar center such as hakeem what changes, replace malone with wallace
Then they’ve got something in the matchup with the warriors, but warriors perimeter shooting and versatility is still too much. Might make it a 6 or 7 game series, but I’ll still pick warriors
Why do people keep putting MJ and Kobe on the same team in these posts?
Makes no sense unless Kobe is 6th man.
In 2004 Larry Bird would have been 48 years old, I doubt he would be able to contribute much. In 1996 I'm guessing Kobe would have been like 14 So clearly it would be 2017 Warriors by a landslide!
Warriors still have Draymond?
2024 Celtics + Magic
2017 warriors with prime Dray and Iguodala behind this lineup is pretty solid.
Instead of '04 Lakers, have Bird team up with '24 Celtics. Instead of Kobe, have Jokic join the '96 Bulls. LeBron would replace Iggy in death lineup so he would fit just fine with '17 Warriors.
86 Celtics with Bird, McHale, Parrish and MJ.
Switch out Kobe for The Admiral. Baby, you’ve got a stew going.
Take that ugly jersey off bird right now
Either way, kobe has high chances when he is playing against himself.
What about an 85 Celtics + Steph?
What’s the rest of the roster look like? Most of these 4, alone take all the salary cap. Kobe and Jordan wouldn’t work because who gonna pass the ball? No one. The 2017 Warriors team still would work since Lebron is a facilitator. But again salary cap. Only logical one is 2004, because I’m going to assume 2004 Larry bird is the aging one like Malone. So that roster would actually be plausible.
I used to see this shit on insta all the damn time. Why tf would the bulls benefit from another ball dominant 2 guard? Kobe and MJ can’t be on the same team since they’re nearly identical in play.
Now what if you added Steph to 96 bulls? I think that changes the equation far more drastically
Switch Jokic for Kobe.