I think I saw this on the best damn sports show: 1987: Hakeem Barkley Bird MJ Magic 2002 all nba: Shaq Duncan T-mac Kobe Kidd Who would win? Salley picked the 2002, I'll go with the 1987 team.
1987- On Bird and Magic shoulder's. Keep in mind though, that the 1987 incarnations of Hakeem, Barkley, and MJ are actually less experienced than their 2002 counterparts. But Bird and Magic on the same team is just too much to handle, especially with all of that raw talent surrounding them.
1987 all the way, the only position where I feel 2002 is better is at the 4 but thats because of Duncans height, Barkley would still hold his own though
I don't know which way to go on this, maybe I should break it down. Magic vs Kidd: Kidd is basically a smaller version of Magic who can't score as well. So definately advantage Magic at the PG position. Jordan vs Kobe: At this point in his career, MJ avg 37 ppg. Duh, of course MJ has Bryant beat. Though, I don't think MJ could avg 37 points if he had played against the athletes of today. Bird vs T-mac: Bird will always go down as one of the greatest players ever, but do you really believe he could hang with T-mac? Bird is definately a better shooter, but I think T-mac would wear him out at the other end to the point where Bird might not have to energy to be effective on offense. Advantage T-mac Barkley vs Duncan: I think this is a stale mate. Duncan clearly has the height advantage and would be able to take Chuck in the Post, but Sir Charles was a master of the fast break at this point and would probably score plenty of points by leaving Duncan in his dust. Dream vs Shaq: This is the match up that would decide who wins in my opinion. 87 Dream was a better rebounder and defender than Shaq, but not as potent a scorer. Now, most of you are thinking, come on, Dream destroyed him in 95. Well, this isn't that Dream, this Dream is more like Shaq now. He didn't have the inside outside game that we recognize as being distintly Hakeem's. So, this match would also be a stalemate. Well, with 2 advantages to 1, I have to go with the 87 team. Though I still believe that the players in the league now are better than the ones in 1987, so there's no way of knowing how they would compete in this day and age.
I can agree more or less with the other ones, but T-Mac 2002 can't even hold Bird 1987's jockstrap - at least not yet. Ask me again in a few years if T-Mac has led his team to a few championships like Bird has.
Do you think Bird would be succesful if he was playing in today's league? Imagine T-mac of today playing in 1987. It's hard to compare players from different eras, but you can't tell me that the players of today aren't bigger, faster, and stronger than the ones of the 80's. My point is that even though T-mac won't win as many titles as Bird, that in this fantasy matchup, do you really think Bird could succesfully shut him down? I think T-mac could easily take Bird one on one and on the other end, Bird would be forced to take lots of 3's. The only 3 point shooting and his superior passing skills. Birds basketball IQ is obviosly better, but we aren't talking about who would make a better coach.
In a one-on-one game, T-mac may well beat Bird, I don't know. But, in a team game, I'll go with Bird. Allegedly, Omar Sneed regularly embarasses Rashard Lewis in one-on-one. Guess which one is in the nba though?
Basketball IQ helps on the court as well, not only as a coach. And I agree with what gr8-1 said, MAYBE T-Mac 2002 would beat Bird 1987 in a one-on-one game, but as a team player, give me Bird over T-Mac (so far) anytime.
Yeah he will just average 24 on a bad pair of legs when he is 38 Jordan would dominate the same today as he did in 87. I would say it was harder for jordan to score back then, the leauge was not as watered down as it is today, due to expansion
jordan would dominate, but he wouldn't score 37. coaches and defenses simply would not allow that it today's game. first, people actually play defense nowadays and anyone who dominates like jordan did would see too many double teams to get to 37. remember vince carter against the knicks last year, he NEVER wasn't double teamed, same thing would pretty much happen to jordan. he could've led the league, but he wouldn't have 37, the game is just too different.
Yeah the double team was just created; that revolutionary D would have stopped Jordan. What do you think the Jordan Rules are? D was played in 87, the pistons come to mind. How many points a game did Jordan average in 97-98 this is Jordan at 36 years old, not 26 when he was reaching his peak physically. the game has not changed that much, the way some people are talking here you would think In 87 basketball had just been invented and that in the last 15 years amazing new developments have happened in the game. Its pretty much the same thing. the triangle is based on an offense from the 50's for crying out loud.
They are better, but not the superhuman athletes you are insinuating they are. 1987 wasn't that long ago. Teams and athletes knew of the benefits of maintaining their condition, then there is the fact that we are talking about Larry freaking Bird. He defines the word gamer. T-Mac would get his, but Bird would tear McGuarantee a new a-hole.
Great point Rocketblast. I think people are ovverreacting to the athleticism of Todays superstars compared to the ones in the 80's because everybody remembes the highlights from recent years... but i you look at some highlights there were some crazy athleticism shown from guys like Jordan,Wilkins,Drexlers,Pippen, and yes even Barkley when he was leaner and wore the short shorts from Philly. These are only the handful of guys that were just as athletic if not more then the stars of today but these players also had a very high basketball IQ and knew how to get the job done.
I still said that the 87 team would win. Think about this, in 87, if you were 6 foot 9 or taller, you were probably a PF or a C. Nowadays, we've got 7 footers like Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Garnett playing SF. I don't know, maybe athleticism wasn't the term I was looking for, but there is something about today's athletes that is different than the ones from 15 years ago. Before Raef and Dirk, how many big men did you see hitting 3's. Bigger guys are playing with more skill. They have better balance and body control and they don't look akward. We're talking about drafting Quintel Woods to be a SF/SG for this team. A 6 foot 9 shooting guard! And don't tell me that athletes today aren't that much better. Technology has definately aided people in becoming better athletes. Don't believe me, check how many world records keep being broken in the Olympics every time they have them. How is it possible that just a few years after breaking the 61 HR record by hitting 70, Big Mac's record is broken by Bonds who hits 73? Don't be surprised if in a few years Sosa, A-Rod, Griffey(if healthy), or maybe even our own Lance Berkman break that record and go for 75 or maybe even 80.
Johnson and Bird would win this game for the 1987 team. Shaq and Duncan would score almost at will down low, but 2002 has no one that wouldn't get just destroyed in a matchup with Johnson or Bird on both ends of the court. Now, if you moved that to a full team of 12 players, playing say a seven game series, then things might get closer, but 87 would still win, because of Bird and Johnson.
Bird had to guard Dominique Wilkins, Alex English, Bernard King, etc. All of them could light anyone up. All of them are among the best scorers ever. Wilkins was a better, more explosive dunker than McGrady, too (in case this debate comes to that... hehe). Bird played against guys who were better than McGrady. Bird wasn't a great defensive player, but it's not like he never saw anybody that could score or run him in circles. And guess what? Bird was always there at the end to drive a nail through their hearts... Hakeem would either foul out or get T'd up and ejected for fighting by the 2nd quarter.
