50 Greatest Players vs Modern Superstars

[WillC]

Who would win in a game between a team of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players (announced in 1996) versus a team of Modern Superstars?

I have my own opinion, but I'm curious what others think.

Task: Create a team of 12 players from either the 50 Greatest Players list or the Modern Superstars list and explain why you think your team would win.

NBA 50 Greatest Players:

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Tiny Archibald
Paul Arizin
Charles Barkley
Rick Barry
Elgin Baylor
Dave Bing
Larry Bird
Wilt Chamberlain
Bob Cousy
Dave Cowens
Billy Cunningham
Dave DeBusschere
Clyde Drexler
Julius Erving
Patrick Ewing
Walt Frazier
George Gervin
Hal Greer
John Havlicek
Elvin Hayes
Magic Johnson
Sam Jones
Michael Jordan
Jerry Lucas
Karl Malone
Moses Malone
Pete Maravich
Kevin McHale
George Mikan
Earl Monroe
Shaquille O'Neal
Hakeem Olajuwon
Robert Parish
Bob Pettit
Scottie Pippen
Willis Reed
Oscar Robertson
David Robinson
Bill Russell
Dolph Schayes
Bill Sharman
John Stockton
Isiah Thomas
Nate Thurmond
Wes Unseld
Bill Walton
Jerry West
Lenny Wilkens
James Worthy

50 Modern Superstars:
Note: Players must have played 5+ seasons since 1996.

Ray Allen
Carmelo Anthony
Chauncey Billups
Chris Bosh
Kobe Bryant
Vince Carter
DeMarcus Cousins
Stephen Curry
Anthony Davis
Tim Duncan
Kevin Durant
Kevin Garnett
Marc Gasol
Pau Gasol
Emanuel Ginobili
Draymond Green
Blake Griffin
Anfernee Hardaway
Tim Hardaway
James Harden
Grant Hill
Dwight Howard
Allen Iverson
LeBron James
DeAndre Jordan
Shawn Kemp
Jason Kidd
Kawhi Leonard
Kevin Love
Shawn Marion
Tracy McGrady
Reggie Miller
Yao Ming
Alonzo Mourning
Dikembe Mutombo
Steve Nash
Dirk Nowitzki
Tony Parker
Chris Paul
Gary Payton
Paul Pierce
Glen Rice
Mitch Richmond
Derrick Rose
Amare Stoudemire
Klay Thompson
Dwyane Wade
Ben Wallace
Chris Webber
Russell Westbrook

[bizil]

Who would win in a game between a team of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players (announced in 1996) versus a team of Modern Superstars?

I have my own opinion, but I'm curious what others think.

Task: Create a team of 12 players from either the 50 Greatest Players list or the Modern Superstars list and explain why you think your team would win.

NBA 50 Greatest Players:

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Tiny Archibald
Paul Arizin
Charles Barkley
Rick Barry
Elgin Baylor
Dave Bing
Larry Bird
Wilt Chamberlain
Bob Cousy
Dave Cowens
Billy Cunningham
Dave DeBusschere
Clyde Drexler
Julius Erving
Patrick Ewing
Walt Frazier
George Gervin
Hal Greer
John Havlicek
Elvin Hayes
Magic Johnson
Sam Jones
Michael Jordan
Jerry Lucas
Karl Malone
Moses Malone
Pete Maravich
Kevin McHale
George Mikan
Earl Monroe
Shaquille O'Neal
Hakeem Olajuwon
Robert Parish
Bob Pettit
Scottie Pippen
Willis Reed
Oscar Robertson
David Robinson
Bill Russell
Dolph Schayes
Bill Sharman
John Stockton
Isiah Thomas
Nate Thurmond
Wes Unseld
Bill Walton
Jerry West
Lenny Wilkens
James Worthy

50 Modern Superstars:
Note: Players must have played 5+ seasons since 1996.

Ray Allen
Carmelo Anthony
Chauncey Billups
Chris Bosh
Kobe Bryant
Vince Carter
DeMarcus Cousins
Stephen Curry
Anthony Davis
Tim Duncan
Kevin Durant
Kevin Garnett
Marc Gasol
Pau Gasol
Emanuel Ginobili
Draymond Green
Blake Griffin
Anfernee Hardaway
Tim Hardaway
James Harden
Grant Hill
Dwight Howard
Allen Iverson
LeBron James
DeAndre Jordan
Shawn Kemp
Jason Kidd
Kawhi Leonard
Kevin Love
Shawn Marion
Tracy McGrady
Reggie Miller
Yao Ming
Alonzo Mourning
Dikembe Mutombo
Steve Nash
Dirk Nowitzki
Tony Parker
Chris Paul
Gary Payton
Paul Pierce
Glen Rice
Mitch Richmond
Derrick Rose
Amare Stoudemire
Klay Thompson
Dwyane Wade
Ben Wallace
Chris Webber
Russell Westbrook


To spread it out among positions, my team would be

PG- Magic, Big O
SG- MJ, West
SF- Bird, Doc
PF- Malone, Barkley
C- Kareem, Wilt

Wild Card- Dream, Pippen (for my team I want another big wing defender to go with MJ in that regard. I don't think Pip is a top 12 player of all time in general)

This team would win BECAUSE the modern superstars couldn't match this team's blend of inside dominance AND perimeter versatility. BUT what hurts the modern superstars in not having Shaq. Shaq was put on the 50 greatest team prematurely in my opinion. If Shaq was on a team with the modern guys, that would make things VERY INTERESTING:

C: Shaq, Zo
PF: Duncan, KG
SF: Bron, Durant
SG: Kobe, Wade
PG: Curry, Westbrook

Wild Card: Dirk. And from choose either Kidd, CP3 or Payton (flip a coin)

[WillC]

To spread it out among positions, my team would be

PG- Magic, Big O
SG- MJ, West
SF- Bird, Doc
PF- Malone, Barkley
C- Kareem, Wilt

Wild Card- Dream, Pippen (for my team I want another big wing defender to go with MJ in that regard. I don't think Pip is a top 12 player of all time in general)

This team would win BECAUSE the modern superstars couldn't match this team's blend of inside dominance AND perimeter versatility. BUT what hurts the modern superstars in not having Shaq. Shaq was put on the 50 greatest team prematurely in my opinion. If Shaq was on a team with the modern guys, that would make things VERY INTERESTING:

C: Shaq, Zo
PF: Duncan, KG
SF: Bron, Durant
SG: Kobe, Wade
PG: Curry, Westbrook

Wild Card: Dirk, Kidd or Payton (flip a coin)

Pretty much spot on analysis, in my opinion.

I like how you've stuck to players' true positions.

That said, if there is more flexibility, you could have Duncan at C and Garnett at PF.

It definitely hurts that Shaq is on the 1996 list. They don't need him: they have Wilt, Kareem, Russell, Moses, Dream, etc. :pimp:

[bizil]

Pretty much spot on analysis, in my opinion.

I like how you've stuck to players' true positions.

That said, if there is more flexibility, you could have Duncan at C and Garnett at PF.

It definitely hurts that Shaq is on the 1996 list. They don't need him: they have Wilt, Kareem, Russell, Moses, Dream, etc. :pimp:

I agree about Duncan! In a perfect world with Shaq and Duncan on the same team, there's a GOOD CHANCE I would possibly bring Duncan off the bench as a backup center. And from there, start KG or Dirk at PF for more floor spacing and versatility. But u can't go wrong with Shaq and Timmy together either! LOL