Who would have won these NBA Finals (that didn't happen)

[G.O.A.T]

Because in my of these instances injuries were a part of why they didn't happen, assume all players for both teams that were healthy most of the season are healthy for the finals. Pick as many as you know enough about to have an opinion.


2009 Celtics versus Lakers

2007 Pistons versus Suns

2002 Kings versus Nets

1999 Spurs versus Heat

1997 Rockets versus Bulls

1995 Rockets versus Bulls

1994 Suns versus Knicks

1987 Pistons versus Lakers

1981 Sixers versus Rockets

1979 Spurs versus Suns

[HurricaneKid]

2009 Celtics versus Lakers - (assuming healthy KG)

2007 Pistons versus Suns - Silly question

2002 Kings versus Nets - Sillier question

1999 Spurs versus Heat

1997 Rockets versus Bulls

1995 Rockets versus Bulls - Unless you are talking about Jordan being back at 100%...

1994 Suns versus Knicks

1987 Pistons versus Lakers

1981 Sixers versus Rockets - Silliest one yet

1979 Spurs versus Suns - Don't know enough to say with any real certainty.


09 would probably have been the closest, and it depends if Bynum is fully healthy too. Quite a few of these were fairly simple.

[fpliii]

Only commenting on the teams I've watched live, haven't seen enough of the last three...

2009 Celtics versus Lakers

2007 Pistons versus Suns

2002 Kings versus Nets

1999 Spurs versus Heat

1997 Rockets versus Bulls

1995 Rockets versus Bulls

1994 Suns versus Knicks

[G.O.A.T]

2009 Celtics versus Lakers - (assuming healthy KG)

2007 Pistons versus Suns - Silly question

2002 Kings versus Nets - Sillier question

1999 Spurs versus Heat

1997 Rockets versus Bulls

1995 Rockets versus Bulls - Unless you are talking about Jordan being back at 100%...

1994 Suns versus Knicks

1987 Pistons versus Lakers

1981 Sixers versus Rockets - Silliest one yet

1979 Spurs versus Suns - Don't know enough to say with any real certainty.


09 would probably have been the closest, and it depends if Bynum is fully healthy too. Quite a few of these were fairly simple.


Why are you so confident the '07 Suns would beat the Pistons. The Billups Pistons owned the Nash Suns, winning like 7 of 8 I believe.

Similarly, Moses and the Rockets did okay against the Sixers, Moses had particular success.

In 2002 the Nets beat the Kings by 34 in NJ and lost by one in Sacramento when the Kings shot 21 more free throws.

[toooo]

The Lakers would have won them all.

[JohnFreeman]

Kings would have swept the Nets. The 2002 WCF was the ring decider

[Gotterdammerung]

2009 Celtics versus Lakers

The Lakers have homecourt, winning 65 games. I make two assumptions here: either Kevin Garnett did get injured in the second half of the regular season, and the Celtics survived two extra playoff rounds to make it back to the NBA Finals. I'd have to pick the Lakers in 5 games over that decimated version of the Celtics.

If KG was healthy OTOH, which makes for a more plausible scenario where Boston successfully makes it back to the Finals, I'm not sure. The Lakers were much more cohesive than the 2008 version, and healthier.
Lakers in 7


2007 Pistons versus Suns
The 2007 Suns were actually more well-rounded than the high octane version in 2005 and the A'mare-less version in 2006: they had a younger and focused Boris Diaw. Plus they played the best defense in the D'Antoni era. By 2007, the Pistons no longer were as ferocious as they had initially been in 2004. 3 years of wear and tear sapped their legs, and Flip Saunders' obsession with offensive plays probably had to do with that.
2007 Suns in 6


2002 Kings versus Nets

Cakewalk. Kings in 4, 5 if the Kings came in over-confident or entitled, or Peja Stojakovic was injured like he was in the 2002 West Finals.

1999 Spurs versus Heat
The 1999 Miami Heat would have put up more of a fight vs the Twin Towers than the upstart Knicks ever did, but I'm not sure they had enough to neutralize Duncan - Mourning played better defense off the ball than on it. P.J. Brown couldn't handle Robinson, and there wasn't enough off the bench to serve as change-up to speed up the tempo beyond the Spurs' liking.
Spurs in 6

1997 Rockets versus Bulls
The Rockets could've pushed the Bulls somewhat, given the unique presence of both Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley up front, but I'm afraid the Rockets' lack of depth and athleticism would doom them against the superior Bulls' defense.
Bulls in 6.

1995 Rockets versus Bulls
The Bulls could've stolen a game or 2, cuz of Jordan's presence, but that Bulls team was undersized up front. That spells instant death against Hakeem Olajuwon, who they would have had to double-team, and their rotations wouldn't be fast enough to cover the 3 point barrage.
Rockets in 6

1994 Suns versus Knicks
Tough call.
If Barkley didn't injure his groin in the semi-finals vs the Rockets, the Suns could've make it back to the Finals and faced a dominant Knicks defense. I think the Suns had homecourt, and that would be enough to outscore the Knicks' terrific bully-boy defense.
Suns in 7

1987 Pistons versus Lakers
1981 Sixers versus Rockets
1979 Spurs versus Suns
Before my time.
:whatever:

[ProfessorMurder]

2009 Celtics versus Lakers

The Lakers have homecourt, winning 65 games. I make two assumptions here: either Kevin Garnett did get injured in the second half of the regular season, and the Celtics survived two extra playoff rounds to make it back to the NBA Finals. I'd have to pick the Lakers in 5 games over that decimated version of the Celtics.

If KG was healthy OTOH, which makes for a more plausible scenario where Boston successfully makes it back to the Finals, I'm not sure. The Lakers were much more cohesive than the 2008 version, and healthier.
Lakers in 7


Celtics were better in 2009 before KG's knee injury. They'd have repeated for sure.

[ProfessorMurder]

What about 93 Suns vs Knicks?

[Young X]

What about the '89 Finals when Magic and Scott were injured? Lakers were undefeated in the playoffs before that. Wonder who would've won.

[Megabox!]

2001 Bucks vs Lakers?
2009 Cavs vs Lakers?
2014 Heat vs Thunder?
2011 Bulls vs Thunder?
I've always wondered how those series would have went.