if pop duncan,manu,tony and coached by pop have played in the 90's..

[snipes12]

Would have they stop the bulls?

[imnew09]

95 and 96. easily

[pastis]

imagine duncan with jordans stacked team... omg 10 titles in a row:applause:

[SamuraiSWISH]

They'd struggle in their own conference with:

Barkley and KJ's Suns
Hakeem's Rockets
Drexler's Blazers
Payton and Kemp's Sonics
Stockton and Malone's Jazz

Before even getting to the 2x headed monster of a true Dynasty that was MJ, and Pip's Chicago Bulls.

[MiseryCityTexas]

They'd struggle in their own conference with:

Barkley and KJ's Suns
Hakeem's Rockets
Drexler's Blazers
Payton and Kemp's Sonics
Stockton and Malone's Jazz

Before even getting to the 2x headed monster of a true Dynasty that was MJ, and Pip's Chicago Bulls.

I honestly think the prime early 2000s Spurs could easily hang with the 90s teams, and this is coming from a 90s Rockets stan. 2003 Spurs could make it far in the 90s play-offs off of prime Duncan alone. I don't think they'll win a chip in the 90s though, but they'll make it far.

[SamuraiSWISH]

I honestly think the prime early 2000s Spurs could easily hang with the 90s teams
I didn't say they couldn't hang. Of course they would. In most cases, especially in terms of longevity they'd be the best of the bunch in terms of the teams I'm comparing them to ... but all those teams would give them stiff competition.

[ImKobe]

I honestly think the prime early 2000s Spurs could easily hang with the 90s teams, and this is coming from a 90s Rockets stan. 2003 Spurs could make it far in the 90s play-offs off of prime Duncan alone. I don't think they'll win a chip in the 90s though, but they'll make it far.

Kobe holds a 4 - 2 lead in the Playoffs over the Spurs for his career, I think the Bulls would destroy the Spurs in the Finals because Duncan would be the only player scoring on that defense, which is not enough by any means. Mike & Scotty shut down Manu & Parker easily. And if Duncan's Spurs go up against 2nd 3-peat Bulls? They have Rodman to throw at Duncan, who will at least keep him somewhere around his averages, Bulls win easily in 5-6 games.

[Sarcastic]

Jordan was never stopped in a season after he won his first title, and played an entire year. It's silly to think that the Spurs would even have a chance to do something no other team ever did.


I mean they almost lost to the 8th seed Mavs. They are really overrated if anyone thinks that they could stop a prime Jordan led team.

[FKAri]

Ofcourse. They didn't really understand how to play ball in those primitive times.

[deja vu]

They'd win 2 titles in 94 and 95.

[SupermanOnSteroids]

No!!!

[chris02jammers]

Would have they stop the bulls?
they won a title in 99 right? that is still part of 90s or your calendar is different?

[Soundwave]

To be honest the Pop worship is getting out of control.

Pop's teams have choked away multiple chances at repeating and lost their fair share of times. They came dangerously close to losing to the 8th seeded, washed up Dallas Mavericks.

He's a great coach, maybe the greatest ever, but at the end of the day, the players on the court decide the game.

Real basketball isn't a Hollywood movie where the coach gives some epic speech at half time that pumps the team up and leads them to victory.

Beating the Heat wasn't really that great of an achievement, he just exposed how phony of a "team" they were ... LeBron/Wade/Bosh were never a great fit together, they just won off pure talent, but LeBron's game meant Wade/Bosh had to dramatically neuter their own games, San Antonio simply just took advantage of that.

[robert_shaww]

prime tim, tony and manu with pop against this 90 teams:

jazz: spurs in 5
rockets: spurs in 5
suns: spurs in 5
sonics: spurs in 5
blazers: spurs in 5
knicks: spurs in 6
pacers: spurs in 6
magic: spurs in 6

91-93 bulls: bulls in 5/6

96-97 bulls: bulls in 6/7

1998 bulls: spurs in 7

[robert_shaww]

If the 98 Jazz was so close to play a game 7 vs those bulls, then prime spurs should win...

manu is waaaay better than hornacek, prime tony is better than 98 stockton and prime duncan is waaay better than 98 malone. (also better bench, and coach, and leonard / bowen could contain jordan)

[Reggie43]

If the 98 Jazz was so close to play a game 7 vs those bulls, then prime spurs should win...

manu is waaaay better than hornacek, prime tony is better than 98 stockton and prime duncan is waaay better than 98 malone. (also better bench, and coach, and leonard / bowen could contain jordan)

How about mentioning a specific Spurs team?

[robert_shaww]

How about mentioning a specific Spurs team?

2005 spurs.

if manu was killing one of the best defensive teams ever in 05....he is beasting against the jazz (hornacek or russell on him) suns (majerle) pacers (reggie) or sonics (hawkins)

[Reggie43]

2005 spurs.

if manu was killing one of the best defensive teams ever in 05....he is beasting against the jazz (hornacek or russell on him) suns (majerle) pacers (reggie) or sonics (hawkins)

Would love to see Manu go up against the Ewing/Oakley/Starks Knicks, what are your thoughts on that matchup?

[Angel Face]

Would have they stop the bulls?

No!

[Myth]

If the 98 Jazz was so close to play a game 7 vs those bulls, then prime spurs should win...

manu is waaaay better than hornacek, prime tony is better than 98 stockton and prime duncan is waaay better than 98 malone. (also better bench, and coach, and leonard / bowen could contain jordan)

I also think the best Spurs teams are better than the 98 Pacers that almost beat the Bulls. I think the Spurs win 2 championships in the 90s.

[Boarder Patrol]

The 2014 Spurs were their best version, regardless of whether or not Duncan and co. were in their primes.

The league wasn't advanced enough defensively to handle that kind of offense from the Spurs. They'd have won a couple. The 99-08 "Dump it to Duncan" Spurs don't win though, probably WCF or maybe a finals loss.

[DonDadda59]

The 2014 Spurs were their best version, regardless of whether or not Duncan and co. were in their primes.

And they were taken to 7 by the 8th seeded Mavericks.


The league wasn't advanced enough defensively to handle that kind of offense from the Spurs.

:oldlol:

'14 Spurs wouldn't even be the best offensive team the Bulls faced (and beat) during the 90s. And if they're playing by the 'advanced' defensive rules of today, Jordan averages 45 PPG in the series, easily.

[T_L_P]

The 2014 Spurs were their best version, regardless of whether or not Duncan and co. were in their primes.

The league wasn't advanced enough defensively to handle that kind of offense from the Spurs. They'd have won a couple. The 99-08 "Dump it to Duncan" Spurs don't win though, probably WCF or maybe a finals loss.

A lot of those "Dump it down to Duncan" teams were better than those Rockets teams that won though.

02-03 Duncan and 94-95 Hakeem weren't far off each other either way, but the parts around him in certain years were a lot better than Hakeem's. The 05 Spurs probably win in 95, for example. :confusedshrug:

[Reggie43]

A lot of those "Dump it down to Duncan" teams were better than those Rockets teams that won though.

02-03 Duncan and 94-95 Hakeem weren't far off each other either way, but the parts around him in certain years were a lot better than Hakeem's. The 05 Spurs probably win in 95, for example. :confusedshrug:

Sure the 05 Spurs "could" beat the 95 Rockets but could they have beaten a 57, 59, 60 and 62 win teams enroute to the title in 95?

[Big#50]

05 Spurs and 07 Spurs beat any 90's team.
08 Celtics
01 Lakers
04 Pistons
These two teams beat any team in the 90's too. Jordan's Bulls only beat the Suns and Jazz because they had Jordan and the other two teams had two of the biggest basketball losers ever in Barkley amd Malone. Those two played on one side of the ball only. Malone was a good defender but only on post up situations.

[ninephive]

Duncan's reign has lasted 15 years and counting. Jordan's was 8 and was sandwiched by multiple losing seasons on the front and back of his career, something Duncan's never even come close to doing even once.

Duncan's record against Lebron in the Finals is 11-5. Now, I know that Jordan never played anyone in the Finals that much, but I find it hard to believe Jordan would have a record like that against the best players of his generation. (I'm talking proven Champions like Bird or Isaiah, not the times he got to play Malone or Barkley or Drexler or Payton, most of whom became glorified ring-chasers).

Of course the Spurs could have beat the Bulls. Not every year, but some of course.

[DonDadda59]

Duncan's reign has lasted 15 years and counting. Jordan's was 8 and was sandwiched by multiple losing seasons on the front and back of his career, something Duncan's never even come close to doing even once.

Duncan's record against Lebron in the Finals is 11-5. Now, I know that Jordan never played anyone in the Finals that much, but I find it hard to believe Jordan would have a record like that against the best players of his generation. (I'm talking proven Champions like Bird or Isaiah, not the times he got to play Malone or Barkley or Drexler or Payton, most of whom became glorified ring-chasers).

Of course the Spurs could have beat the Bulls. Not every year, but some of course.

Your biggest issue is you're equating a guy who was outscored in a finals series by a bench player to the GOAT.

[scm5]

The Bulls would be so confused as to why the Spurs were shooting so many 3's.

[ninephive]

AND consider how bad Jordan was in the playoffs his first 5 years:

Jordan (first 5 playoff runs): 13-23, 0 Finals APPEARANCES.
Duncan (first 5 playoff runs): 46-27, 2 NBA Championships, 2 FMVPs.

During those years, the best team Jordan played was the Bird Celtics (1 top 10 player)
During those years, the best team Duncan played was the Kobe/Shaq Lakers (2 top 10 GOATS and the GOAT coach on the SAME TEAM)

And unlike Jordan, Duncan actually ended up beating the toughest teams he faced.

[ninephive]

Your biggest issue is you're equating a guy who was outscored in a finals series by a bench player to the GOAT.
Who would that be?

[Reggie43]

AND consider how bad Jordan was in the playoffs his first 5 years:

Jordan (first 5 playoff runs): 13-23, 0 Finals APPEARANCES.
Duncan (first 5 playoff runs): 46-27, 2 NBA Championships, 2 FMVPs.

During those years, the best team Jordan played was the Bird Celtics (1 top 10 player)
During those years, the best team Duncan played was the Kobe/Shaq Lakers (2 top 10 GOATS and the GOAT coach on the SAME TEAM)

And unlike Jordan, Duncan actually ended up beating the toughest teams he faced.

You ever heard of the word "context"?

[ninephive]

You ever heard of the word "context"?
I have and I gave some in my post.

[Reggie43]

I have and I gave some in my post.

Then how could you compare them in those years when they never played with the same level of teammates and even the same level of coaching?

[ninephive]

Then how could you compare them in those years when they never played with the same level of teammates and even the same level of coaching?
First 7 years of their careers:

Jordan's 16+ PPG teammates:
Woolridge '85, Dailey '85, Woolridge '86, Dailey '86, Gervin '86, Pippen '90, Pippen '91

Duncan's 16+ PPG teammates:
Robinson '98, Robinson '00

[Reggie43]

First 7 years of their careers:

Jordan's 16+ PPG teammates:
Woolridge '85, Dailey '85, Woolridge '86, Dailey '86, Gervin '86, Pippen '90, Pippen '91

Duncan's 16+ PPG teammates:
Robinson '98, Robinson '00

So your metric for measuring who had the better level of teammates is for them to score 16+ppg. Now I understand it better, thanks for the replies.

[ninephive]

So your metric for measuring who had the better level of teammates is for them to score 16+ppg. Now I understand it better, thanks for the replies.
Just one piece of the puzzle. Jordan had better scoring help anyway.

[comerb]

No. The Spurs aren't good enough defensively and would have struggled to keep the Bulls from scoring. Meanwhile, the 95-98 bulls had the best defensive players in the league at 3 of 5 starting positions.

[Big#50]

No. The Spurs aren't good enough defensively and would have struggled to keep the Bulls from scoring. Meanwhile, the 95-98 bulls had the best defensive players in the league at 3 of 5 starting positions.
LOL :facepalm

[robert_shaww]

No. The Spurs aren't good enough defensively and would have struggled to keep the Bulls from scoring. Meanwhile, the 95-98 bulls had the best defensive players in the league at 3 of 5 starting positions.

:facepalm

[HurricaneKid]

If the Spurs played in the 90s every single defensive strategy they have employed would be illegal and the Bulls would have beaten them. But if you are asking if the 90s Bulls, ANY OF THEM, played against the Spurs last year, well thats different. They would have gotten crushed. Even the 72-10 squad.

Its impossible to compare eras in this fashion. The rules were just SO different.

[Reggie43]

If the Spurs played in the 90s every single defensive strategy they have employed would be illegal and the Bulls would have beaten them. But if you are asking if the 90s Bulls, ANY OF THEM, played against the Spurs last year, well thats different. They would have gotten crushed. Even the 72-10 squad.

Its impossible to compare eras in this fashion. The rules were just SO different.

Would you care to explain how that would happen :confusedshrug:

[Sarcastic]

First 7 years of their careers:

Jordan's 16+ PPG teammates:
Woolridge '85, Dailey '85, Woolridge '86, Dailey '86, Gervin '86, Pippen '90, Pippen '91

Duncan's 16+ PPG teammates:
Robinson '98, Robinson '00


Jordan played 18 games in 1986, and only started 7. Including the players who scored 16+ in that year, is disingenuous.

It's also pretty cute that you cherry picked 16ppg as some magic number, while also not rounding up Derek Anderson and Tony Parker, who both put up 15.5 ppg seasons in that time frame.

[HurricaneKid]

Would you care to explain how that would happen :confusedshrug:

Do you want me to explain all the nuances of current NBA defenses? In the 90s you couldn't defend the PnR and you couldn't defend ISO without creating enormous advantages for offenses. It was SIMPLE basketball. Now the best ISO player in the league (Melo) avg ~.86ppp. This is ~15 points a game worse than bad offensive teams. So yeah, the MJ ISO and the high PnR are defended enormously better today that they were then.

[dubeta]

In all honesty unless Pop can adapt his coaching style to the 90's era where there wasn't much 3 point shooting, they would probably end up 2/7

[Reggie43]

Do you want me to explain all the nuances of current NBA defenses? In the 90s you couldn't defend the PnR and you couldn't defend ISO without creating enormous advantages for offenses. It was SIMPLE basketball. Now the best ISO player in the league (Melo) avg ~.86ppp. This is ~15 points a game worse than bad offensive teams. So yeah, the MJ ISO and the high PnR are defended enormously better today that they were then.

So its safe to say that you think that players back then could never adapt to the current "defense" you speak off?

[DonDadda59]

So its safe to say that you think that players back then could never adapt to the current "defense" you speak off?

Yeah people here have some bizarre 'logic'. The defensive rules now were created to bolster perimeter scoring (guys like Harden and Curry wouldn't even sniff the top 10 scoring list in the 90s)... but the greatest perimeter scorer of all time will somehow be hindered by this? Not to mention the Bulls were loaded with perimeter talent, especially the second 3-peat version. But for some unknown reason they would struggle in an era where their coach Phil Jackson led a team with lesser talent and a poor man's version of Jordan to 3 straight finals, winning 2?

How does that even begin to make any sense? :confusedshrug:

[Reggie43]

Yeah people here have some bizarre 'logic'. The defensive rules now were created to bolster perimeter scoring (guys like Harden and Curry wouldn't even sniff the top 10 scoring list in the 90s)... but the greatest perimeter scorer of all time will somehow be hindered by this? Not to mention the Bulls were loaded with perimeter talent, especially the second 3-peat version. But for some unknown reason they would struggle in an era where their coach Phil Jackson led a team with lesser talent and a poor man's version of Jordan to 3 straight finals, winning 2?

How does that even begin to make any sense? :confusedshrug:

yeah, it was even clearly stated by the league they were changing the rules to open up the game for perimeter players.