Do you think past great teams can contend today?

[iamgine]

Teams like 00 Lakers, 90s Bulls, 80s Lakers, Boston, Detroit.

Allow them to learn today's rules for 6 months. As they were constructed and not magically adding any player or skill that they didn't have, you think they will contend today?

[SouBeachTalents]

Lol.

[Baller234]

Teams like 00 Lakers, 90s Bulls, 80s Lakers, Boston, Detroit.

Allow them to learn today's rules for 6 months. As they were constructed and not magically adding any player or skill that they didn't have, you think they will contend today?

Jordan
Pippen
Rodman
Harper
Kukoc

That lineup can guard any team.

The question is could they spread the floor and play small ball. Rodman would be a non factor but I think the other 4 guys could easily develop a consistent enough 3 point shot.

Plus you throw in modern rules, and Jordan becomes that much harder to stop.

[Kblaze8855]

Teams in every era are built for the league they play. A lot of guys would be unrecognizable playing by another leagues rules. Magic backed down for more than 5 seconds 20 times a game. Harden travels 10 times a game by old standards. At what point are the players no longer what we know them as? We ask how good someone like Kyrie is in the old days….Kyrie playing by 1975 rules doesn’t play like the player we know. His handles would either get him 30 turnovers or he’d have to be something we have never seen. He would barely be similar.

They didn’t have flagrant fouls till 91 or 92. Meaning those evil ass elbows by Malone were just regular personal fouls. You think he lets Steph dance and shimmy around without splitting his lip when he gets a chance?

A lot of the players would be themselves in name only. Very few play a game suitable for 30 years later but the later guys don’t play a game for them either.

I don’t think Chicago triangles its way to the same success now. The league moves too fast to easily keep up with a slow developing offense built to get 2 pointers. And if they are just getting a new offense….is it the same team?

You kinda have to start making assumptions and building a narrative you desire because the teams are totally out of their element and missing key types of player and elements of the offenses and defenses needed.

And they should be.

They weren’t built for these teams.

[Axe]

Scrubs like lamelo ball, kyle kuzma, james wiseman, jr smith, thanasis antetokounmpo, etc. would probably thrive in the past eras.

[RRR3]

If you back before teams were shooting at a modern level no they could not keep up. It’s just math.

[Reggie43]

The real question is would teams today be able to contend with past great teams? Imagine a modern team having to face somebody like Shaq or Hakeem for the very first time and not having the personnel or knowledge on how to handle guys like that.

[Street Hunger]

This is a really good topic and I'm still thinking of how to respond.

[WhiteKyrie]

Teams in every era are built for the league they play. A lot of guys would be unrecognizable playing by another leagues rules.

Efficient and accurate answer

[j3lademaster]

The real question is would teams today be able to contend with past great teams? Imagine a modern team having to face somebody like Shaq or Hakeem for the very first time and not having the personnel or knowledge on how to handle guys like that.

Embiid is bigger than any superstar center of the 90’s other than Shaq and just as skilled as Hakeem if not more. Immobile bigs like Mutombo, Mureson, Smits etc will all get run off the floor.

[j3lademaster]

Teams like 00 Lakers, 90s Bulls, 80s Lakers, Boston, Detroit.

Allow them to learn today's rules for 6 months. As they were constructed and not magically adding any player or skill that they didn't have, you think they will contend today?

No. Their stars would be fine though, you would have to rebuild around them because role players from the past are awful compared to now. Pippen at the 4, Rodman at center with Jordan driving and kicking, mj would average 30 and 10 assists with the open 3’s he’d generate.