Hypothetical 1991 finals Pistons vs Lakers

[Phoenix]

Just thinking aloud, if the Pistons were somehow able to squeak past the Bulls once again, who you taking between them and the Lakers? Clearly both iterations of those teams were at the end of their respective ropes as contenders. Let's assume that the same ailments/injuries both teams were dealing with are still in effect.

[Mr Feeny]

I think Detroit would have. By that point , they were the dominant "dynasty" in the NBA. They should have beaten the Lakers in 88 when the Lakers were a much younger and better team but for Thomas' injury. They then swept a weakened Lakers team that had Magic injure himself. But it was really one sided.

By 1991, the Lakers would have had a tough time. Kareem had done. Worthy was a shell of himself and so was Magic, and the Lakers played half court sets more than transition basketball, which sould have suited Detroit even more.

Isiah, Rodman, and Dumars were all at their primes while the Lakers were slightly older. I would have picked Detroit.

[Phoenix]

I was thinking Detroit in 6 myself, Feeny. They would have used Dumars and Rodman alternatively for different defensive looks on Magic, he would have gotten his numbers but like you said, the Lakers were playing more half court and didn't have Kareem down low to dump the ball into. Magic could get into the post himself but I dont think he would have balanced the needed scoring and facilitating required with the tools he had around him. That obviously wasn't peak Detroit either but their half court would have worn the Lakers down at that point.

Either case, Isiah with the 3peat is a major legacy boost, or Magic with a 6th ring would pretty much lock him into a top 5 GOAT spot. There seems to be some malleability with his rankings in recent years as newer players entered top 10 discussions.

[Mr Feeny]

I thik that's the way I see it too. Long, strong defenders were better suited to handle that version of Magic who played in the post. Pippen, Rodman and players of their ilk would have atleast given him trouble. He would still get his numbers as you pointed out, but he wouldn't tbe the same efficient Magic of the mid 80s.

Regarding the second point, I don't think Isiah was ever as dominant as Magic, Bird, or Michael. Being the first man to lead his team to a 3peat since the merger would have been huge for his legacy but I always thought the Pistons were more about the collective than individual talent. Isiah wasn't a better player than Magic and in my opinion, even if Detroit had achieved the 3peat, it wouldn't have catapulted him into the discussion of the greatest ever.

Magic winning a 6th would have had him entrenched in the top 2 ever because he would have shifted the narrative from a situation wherein Magic needed Kareem (a better player in the beginning if their run and later on one of the best number 2's ever) to one in which he would have gotten all the credit for their previous titles.

If Magic had won in 91 without Kareem, people would have (unfairly in my opinion) engaged in revisionist history that Kareem was superfluous and that Magic was the driving force throughout all their championships. He would be ranked above Kareem on any al time list and the Magic-Bird comparisons would have been non-existent.

[Phoenix]

Yeah I agree, Isiah was never 'that' guy in the same vein we saw MJ/Magic/Bird but he may have gone from like a fringe top 25ish guy and be more widely looked at as a top 20 guy. Isiah could have dropped 25 in his sleep if he really wanted but as you said he moreso blended into the Pistons collective. He just seems like the forgotten man when you look at the 80s considering what he did in the later part of the decade against far more heralded adversaries.

As for Magic I don't know if people would have supplanted Kareem with him but I definitely think he would be looked at as a (to coin an ISH exclusive) top 3 GOAT, ar worst top 4( and some people still have him in that category nowadays) but a 6th ring and possibly 4th finals MVP definitely makes for a more interesting discussion in that top 5 range.