Forget about past teams time traveling - how would 2021 Nets do in say, 86 or 96?

[hiphopanonymous]

Modern 2021 Nets (let's assume healthy) or basically any of these prolific 3 point 130+ ppg superteams do if timewarped backwards into 1996 or 1986. Where would they rank if suddenly thrust into a Playoffs against the best of yesteryears teams? Would players of the 80's or 90's be stunned or shellshocked at the advanced product of modern nutrition and training and lights out 3 point shooting / team strategies? Would "3>2" ultimately still win the day even back then when they didn't utilize it as much? Or would we see something more along the lines of the past banned methods of fighting through screens and handchecking throwing these modern shooters more off balance and making the 2 become a debatable better shot even for the modern guys? I liked how the 1992 dream team hypothetical went let's see how this one goes.

[Airupthere]

Kyrie and Harden will have a ton of carry/dribbling/travel violations. Range will certainly surprise 86-96 teams. But if kyrie etc cant dribble like they usually do, and they get pummelled on the drive and hand checked on their jumpshots, fatigue will set in. Depending who they play against but I think the nets will win against most.

Kyrie and kd can be quite good at the post.

[Reggie43]

Would love to see the look in Harden's eyes when he waltzes into the paint expecting a call and is instead handchecked and blocked at the rim while the refs laugh at him for expecting a whistle on contact that he initiated and flopped with.

[Xiao Yao You]

they'd have no chance

[Airupthere]

Would love to see the look in Harden's eyes when he waltzes into the paint expecting a call and is instead handchecked and blocked at the rim while the refs laugh at him for expecting a whistle on contact that he initiated and flopped with.

To be fair the nets are a top team today so it's not unlikely that they would be a top team back then.

How would harden be able to undo the stepback three or carrying the ball to fake a shot only to continue dribble if much of his offense relies on it. It's hard unlearn things like that.

[Kiddlovesnets]

Let’s wait until we play a game in the postseason first, this team has unbelievably high ceiling as well as low floor, nothing is certain at this moment.

[Airupthere]

Let’s wait until we play a game in the postseason first, this team has unbelievably high ceiling as well as low floor, nothing is certain at this moment.

This is my take on the nets currently. The potential is obviously very high. But it has yet to be seen. How healthy is KD going to be long term? Griffin and aldridge are past it but they dont need to be prime to be in this team. How well do they fill the gaps? Im not ready to call this team the expected champs yet. The lakers are the defending champs, if anything they have upgraded their lineup this year. They are the favorites until we see the nets play full force consistently.

[Reggie43]

To be fair the nets are a top team today so it's not unlikely that they would be a top team back then.

How would harden be able to undo the stepback three or carrying the ball to fake a shot only to continue dribble if much of his offense relies on it. It's hard unlearn things like that.

They would still be a top team but their impact on offense would drop significantly if they are not able to drive at will in the paint like they are used to. The numbers and efficiency would surely drop on a more defensive minded slower paced era like 96.

[StrongLurk]

The Nets would destroy in 86 and 96 lol, what is up with so many people completely overrating past eras?

[Xiao Yao You]

The Nets would destroy in 86 and 96 lol, what is up with so many people completely overrating past eras?

Kyrie and Harden especially would have to completely change there games.

[StrongLurk]

Kyrie and Harden especially would have to completely change there games.

No they wouldn't at all, they are elite ISO scorers from all parts of the floor and great playmakers playmakers. What exactly would they have to change?

[Xiao Yao You]

No they wouldn't at all, they are elite ISO scorers from all parts of the floor and great playmakers playmakers. What exactly would they have to change?

They couldn't dribble like they do. Harden would have have to change almost everything. Throwing your arms into another player for a foul, double step backs or falling to ground flopping:roll:

Try ISO than with someone hand checking and front court players ready to knock you to the ground

[StrongLurk]

They couldn't dribble like they do. Harden would have have to change almost everything. Throwing your arms into another player for a foul or double step backs :roll:

Try ISO than with someone hand checking and front court players ready to knock you to the ground

Dude FAR less skilled players and shooters than Kyrie and Harden had success in the 80's and 90's. What the **** are you talking about?

Basketball has the dumbest fanbase in sports, I swear!

[Xiao Yao You]

Dude FAR less skilled players and shooters than Kyrie and Harden had success in the 80's and 90's. What the **** are you talking about?

Basketball has the dumbest fanbase in sports, I swear!

Far less skilled because they weren't allowed to palm the ball or throw themselves into other players for fouls?

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Dude FAR less skilled players and shooters than Kyrie and Harden had success in the 80's and 90's. What the **** are you talking about?

Basketball has the dumbest fanbase in sports, I swear!

Are you denying that scoring is MUCH easier today?

Obviously Harden and Kyrie would be good in any era, but to say they wouldn't have to adjust is ignorant. Late 90's DRTG for example was probably at its lowest with pace being slower.

And if you go back further, Harden/Kyrie would be called for traveling. A lot. Rules weren't as liberal with the carrying/palming players are now allotted.

[StrongLurk]

Are you denying that scoring is MUCH easier today?

Obviously Harden and Kyrie would be good in any era, but to say they wouldn't have to adjust is ignorant. Late 90's DRTG for example was probably at its lowest with pace being slower.

And if you go back further, Harden/Kyrie would be called for traveling. A lot. Rules weren't as liberal with the carrying/palming players are now allotted.

Scoring today is easier than it was in 96, but not any easier than 86. Obviously rules are a factor, but the biggest factor that makes scoring easier now is that the PLAYERS themselves can shoot at a high level (volume/percentage) from three and space the floor. So yeah, you have to give credit to the players, especially big men, who worked on their shooting skills so they aren't just huge, lumbering floor shrinkers.

I mean, this Nets team would shell-shock every single 80's teams on offense. Also giving them a shorter 3-point line in 96? Come on people. Also idk why every forgets that a BIG part of the playbook for MJ's bulls was literally just letting him ISO on one side of the floor and the other 4 bulls stand on the other. The Nets could literally do that for KD, Kyrie AND Harden. Seriously what the **** is up with basketball fandom ALWAYS downplaying whatever the current era is and overrating whatever the previous era were. I still remember all the really old school players/fans claiming MJ, the GOAT, wouldn't be successful in their era.

I can't wait until 2035 comes around and every shits on that current era but hypes up a guy like Monta Ellis as someone who would be the best player in the league in 2035.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Don't disagree with most of what you're saying.

What I took issue with was you saying they wouldn't have needed to adjust. Even though the rules and style of play would have forced them to. You admit that now though, so cool.

[Xiao Yao You]

Scoring today is easier than it was in 96, but not any easier than 86. Obviously rules are a factor, but the biggest factor that makes scoring easier now is that the PLAYERS themselves can shoot at a high level (volume/percentage) from three and space the floor. So yeah, you have to give credit to the players, especially big men, who worked on their shooting skills so they aren't just huge, lumbering floor shrinkers.

I mean, this Nets team would shell-shock every single 80's teams on offense. Also giving them a shorter 3-point line in 96? Come on people. Also idk why every forgets that a BIG part of the playbook for MJ's bulls was literally just letting him ISO on one side of the floor and the other 4 bulls stand on the other. The Nets could literally do that for KD, Kyrie AND Harden. Seriously what the **** is up with basketball fandom ALWAYS downplaying whatever the current era is and overrating whatever the previous era were. I still remember all the really old school players/fans claiming MJ, the GOAT, wouldn't be successful in their era.

I can't wait until 2035 comes around and every shits on that current era but hypes up a guy like Monta Ellis as someone who would be the best player in the league in 2035.

The biggest factor is that defensive players are at the mercy of offensive players because of the rules which give them very little chance. Don't think anyone is downplaying anyone. Harden and Kyrie couldn't play the way they do today in the 80's or 90's. It's a lot harder to shoot if someone is in your face which you can't do on Harden now because he'll throw his arms into you for a foul. Would have been a foul on him in previous decades

[light]

They would drown all of those teams in threes.

Any attempt to contest the threes would lead to wide open shots at the rim.

It's the same story for a lot of teams today. They shoot too well and too often. It's an alien game to the 80's and 90's. A guy like Harden pulling up from 35, 36 feet and making it? They would look like basketball gods to older generations. Inhuman.

[HoopsNY]

They would drown all of those teams in threes.

Any attempt to contest the threes would lead to wide open shots at the rim.

It's the same story for a lot of teams today. They shoot too well and too often. It's an alien game to the 80's and 90's. A guy like Harden pulling up from 35, 36 feet and making it? They would look like basketball gods to older generations. Inhuman.

Show me your top 10 of all time list :lol

[Mr. Woke]

The 2021 Nets would sodomize teams of the 80s and 90s.

Jordan would have continued being a baseball minor league bum if the 2021 Nets existed during his prime.

[HoopsNY]

The 2021 Nets would sodomize teams of the 80s and 90s.

Jordan would have continued being a baseball minor league bum if the 2021 Nets existed during his prime.

Yes because the Nets are an unstoppable defensive juggernaut. :lol

[tpols]

Kyrie and Harden especially would have to completely change there games.

Kyrie has a great midrange game and is one of the most creative and effective guard finishers ever. He's basically Kevin Johnson with an elite jumper. What exactly would he have to change?

[tpols]

The biggest factor is that defensive players are at the mercy of offensive players because of the rules which give them very little chance. Don't think anyone is downplaying anyone. Harden and Kyrie couldn't play the way they do today in the 80's or 90's. It's a lot harder to shoot if someone is in your face which you can't do on Harden now because he'll throw his arms into you for a foul. Would have been a foul on him in previous decades

I've watched a ton of tape on Reggie and he used to get tons of FTs with creative flopping. So that's not making any sense.

[hiphopanonymous]

They would drown all of those teams in threes.

Any attempt to contest the threes would lead to wide open shots at the rim.

It's the same story for a lot of teams today. They shoot too well and too often. It's an alien game to the 80's and 90's. A guy like Harden pulling up from 35, 36 feet and making it? They would look like basketball gods to older generations. Inhuman.
So you think that they literally just figured out the secrets to looking like inhuman basketball gods here in 2021 - even if they played a totally different brand and regulated game of basketball in 1986 or 1996?

Like you think the 1986 and 1996 guys didn't best know how to capitalize on the rules that existed at that time?

I kind of feel like the nets time travel would be interesting because Kyrie Durant and Harden are such great talents - perhaps more top heavy at talent than any team in 86 or 96 due to the modern superteaming trend but their chemistry in a different set of rules could hypothetically be their downfall as all 3 basically either travel or carry if they attempt anything fancy in Transition, PNR Ball Handling role, or ISO (...which is basically their offense). The past teams won't be so top heavy on talent but they'll be sharp as a tack about the rules and knowing the best plays of their era will they not?

[hiphopanonymous]

Btw, it was mentioned pulling up from 3 from 35 feet bringing the ball up court.

That's exactly the kind of play that would make less sense back then. It would happen once, maybe even twice in a game in the modern uncontested way we see today sure. The 3rd time Mo Cheeks or whomever would be told to simply full court press which was much more effective of a defensive strategy back then with hands on the hips to glue the defender to the offensive player and in such a way as to keep them off balance.

Harden isn't making a 35 footer with someone glue to his hip inside his personal space since the inbound at any percentage even in double digits and the ref won't call his (at that point terrible looking) 35 foot shot attempt a foul on the defender. This is exactly another area where I think defense and officiating today differs from defense of yesteryear and might require some adjustments from the nets in addition to the things like carrying and double step backs and delayed gather steps becoming traveling violations. But idk, maybe this is up for debate too.

[tpols]

Players actually used to get just as many FTs back in the day. For rim runners yea it would be tougher, but for shooters? You had 175 lb guys like John Stockton, Mark Price, and Reggie miller lighting it up, and none of them were as good at scoring as Durant, Kyrie, or Harden. Its a myth that every possession players picked up full court. That was reserved for the most important possessions. In the flow guys brought the ball up just jogging it up the court. And if the shot ended up in a miss and a rebound a full court press isn't even possible. That can only happen on an inbound. Watch the tape. You guys are lying.

[hiphopanonymous]

Players actually used to get just as many FTs back in the day. For rim runners yea it would be tougher, but for shooters? You had 175 lb guys like John Stockton, Mark Price, and Reggie miller lighting it up, and none of them were as good at scoring as Durant, Kyrie, or Harden. Its a myth that every possession players picked up full court. That was reserved for the most important possessions. In the flow guys brought the ball up just jogging it up the court. And if the shot ended up in a miss and a rebound a full court press isn't even possible. That can only happen on an inbound. Watch the tape. You guys are lying.
That's why I said on the 3rd time - if the other team figured out those guys can or will pull up from 35 and can hit it as if it were a practiced good shot - I'm pretty sure they'll defend it. You only let the other team casually jog it up if the act of them casually jogging it up isn't an obvious scoring threat. I could be wrong about this but I looked at it as a what would I do if I'm the guard on the opposing team kind of thing. Knowing I can get into the ball handler with contact as an option, I'd take that option if I noticed this was what the opponent will do if given to them. So I just would try not to give it to them. Today players have less effective options IMO - those games where a press would start in the 80's or 90's look like a pretty good option to try to stop a hot handed shooter from pulling up like that. Bother it once and maybe it makes them realize the defense can actually do something if it wants to unlike how the game seems to be today. Again I could be wrong but I'm only trying to think how I would treat it if it were my matchup.

[PistonsFan#21]

Kyrie and Harden will have a ton of carry/dribbling/travel violations. Range will certainly surprise 86-96 teams. But if kyrie etc cant dribble like they usually do, and they get pummelled on the drive and hand checked on their jumpshots, fatigue will set in. Depending who they play against but I think the nets will win against most.

Kyrie and kd can be quite good at the post.

How would Kyrie get called for carry/ travel violations when Iverson used to do even more flagrant carries starting back in his rookie year in 1996? Even his legendary iso 1v1 crossover against MJ was arguably a carry and ref didn't make anything of it.

[NBAGOAT]

All this talk about Kyrie and harden is true but kind of a deflection, they’re the best 2nd and 3rd guy in the league even with adjustments just because of the distribution of talent. Only bulls compare when Sonics have schrempf and jazz have hornacek and the rockets have old drexler etc. kd is pretty unguardable in the 90s besides pippen and doesn’t have to change scything, not enough tweeners out there to guard him. A bunch of starting pfs bang inside and would be bbq chicken. He be clearly the 2nd best player in league after 95(sorry Malone) and he still be clearly the most efficient scorer in league even with an efficiency drop due to era.

[Mr. Woke]

Yes because the Nets are an unstoppable defensive juggernaut. :lol

The other teams would not be able to keep up with them on offense.

[Xiao Yao You]

Kyrie has a great midrange game and is one of the most creative and effective guard finishers ever. He's basically Kevin Johnson with an elite jumper. What exactly would he have to change?

He'd have to stop palming the ball for sure. Watch a game from back then. They aren't less skilled as some here would like to believe. The rules restricted what they could do more

[Xiao Yao You]

Players actually used to get just as many FTs back in the day. For rim runners yea it would be tougher, but for shooters? You had 175 lb guys like John Stockton, Mark Price, and Reggie miller lighting it up, and none of them were as good at scoring as Durant, Kyrie, or Harden. Its a myth that every possession players picked up full court. That was reserved for the most important possessions. In the flow guys brought the ball up just jogging it up the court. And if the shot ended up in a miss and a rebound a full court press isn't even possible. That can only happen on an inbound. Watch the tape. You guys are lying.

sure they got FT's because it was physical not because a guy tries to get up and guard you and you throw your arms into hi or fall on the fall without being touched

[Xiao Yao You]

How would Kyrie get called for carry/ travel violations when Iverson used to do even more flagrant carries starting back in his rookie year in 1996? Even his legendary iso 1v1 crossover against MJ was arguably a carry and ref didn't make anything of it.

'96 with AI is when that shit really changed sadly

[And1AllDay]

90s was the weakest era in bball history and your asking how would kd, kyrie, harden, griffin, alrdidge, deandre do agianst them? :oldlol:

[Bronbron23]

Modern 2021 Nets (let's assume healthy) or basically any of these prolific 3 point 130+ ppg superteams do if timewarped backwards into 1996 or 1986. Where would they rank if suddenly thrust into a Playoffs against the best of yesteryears teams? Would players of the 80's or 90's be stunned or shellshocked at the advanced product of modern nutrition and training and lights out 3 point shooting / team strategies? Would "3>2" ultimately still win the day even back then when they didn't utilize it as much? Or would we see something more along the lines of the past banned methods of fighting through screens and handchecking throwing these modern shooters more off balance and making the 2 become a debatable better shot even for the modern guys? I liked how the 1992 dream team hypothetical went let's see how this one goes.

They'd struggle big time in the 90's. Defense wins championships and that couldn't be more true in the slowed down half court physical 90's.

They'd be a bit better in the more up tempo 80's but Defense still mattered. They'd lose just like they're gonna lose this year.

[StrongLurk]

They'd struggle big time in the 90's. Defense wins championships and that couldn't be more true in the slowed down half court physical 90's.

They'd be a bit better in the more up tempo 80's but Defense still mattered. They'd lose just like they're gonna lose this year.

You are thinking about this wrong. KD, Kyrie, and Harden are literally the best ISO/half court scorers in the league. They are MADE for how the game slows down in the playoffs and often the finals. Also, they would have the shortened 3 point line in 96 which they would bomb threes from. Also, Joe Harris is literally the best volume three point shooter in the league this year.

Yeah they don't have a good defense but it wouldn't matter.

I just can't believe how so many people romanticize/simplify the past NBA.

[Bronbron23]

You are thinking about this wrong. KD, Kyrie, and Harden are literally the best ISO/half court scorers in the league. They are MADE for how the game slows down in the playoffs and often the finals. Also, they would have the shortened 3 point line in 96 which they would bomb threes from. Also, Joe Harris is literally the best volume three point shooter in the league this year.

Yeah they don't have a good defense but it wouldn't matter.

I just can't believe how so many people romanticize/simplify the past NBA.

I'll give you kd. He'd do his thing regardless of the era. Only problem is this isn't the kd of old. He's coming off an Achilles and has barely been able to stay on the floor this year so we have no idea what version of kd were gonna get come playoff time especially in a more physical era.

As far as harden and kyrie. They both played the majority of their careers in the easiest scoring era ever. And even so we've seen many times where both have looked lackluster come playoff time. Shit harden couldn't even beat the warriors without the mighty steph curry in the lineup but i'm supposed to think he'd have no problems against better teams from years past?

As far as kyrie he's weird and a conundrum. He was a beast with bron by his side but that worked because he didn't have to do anything but score. Plus he knew his place and knew it was brons team so his weirdness stayed in check. On this nets team i'm not sure he knows his place. He probably thinks he's the best player on the team and i can see that becoming a problem at some point.

And at the end of the day there's still the defense problem. Please tell me all about who's gaurding mj on this nets team. Better yet who's gaurding shaq for them to even get to see mj.