Pick a pre 2010 team that didn’t win a title to win in 2023 without any changes.

[Kblaze8855]

And to be clear….I mean a core that never won. So say….a Showtime laker team that didn’t win that year? Doesn’t count. 06 Spurs? Nope. That core won. Let’s not just pick dynasties who had an injury or whatever.

I want a team that never got over the hump you believe would win the title dropped into this league with no player or coach changes. They can alter their style as much as the players and coaches will allow but they can’t come in and do any trades or hire new coaches.


Who you got?





Shaq/Penny Magic maybe? They had a lot of size and shooting.

Plenty of options. Who immediately came to mind?

[ImKobe]

2008 Lakers with Bynum and Ariza healthy

[ShawkFactory]

Damn came in to say 06 Spurs :lol

Maybe 07 Suns with all the spacing now. 93 Suns as well.

[TheMan]

Damn came in to say 06 Spurs :lol

Maybe 07 Suns with all the spacing now. 93 Suns as well.

Beat me to it with the Nash Suns, they were ahead of their time.

[highwhey]

2007 suns

first off, they laid the blueprint to the high pace offense that would smash the warriors. draymond wouldn't know what to do with amar'e. nash could keep up with curry. raja bell would obliterate klay. marion would tire out iggy(curry's savior). really the mismatch would be diaw and amar'e. barbosa would smoke tf out of anyone.

[FultzNationRISE]

Realistically probably none.

If they never won a finals in their own era it means they werent even an elite team in their own time, now youre asking them to win a finals over the elite teams in an era they werent constructed for?

It’s not very plausible.

But if I had to pick one Id say the 07 Cavs because Lebron always gives you a chance.

[jlip]

Webber, Bibby, Divac, Stojakavic (sp.) Kings

[highwhey]

there's nothing dray or anyone on the warriors that could contain amare. shit, if Duncan couldn't slow him down, the donkey wouldn't do shit against an ultra athletic forward. draymond is lucky he's playing in a weak era of bigs. amare would smash his reality on a nightly basis.


http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/291343/amare1_2_.jpg

[SouBeachTalents]

Of teams not mentioned yet

1996 Sonics
2003 Mavs

[post]

assuming the answer is no team

the next step would be pick a pre-2010 team and add one player from their current team

so for example add gobert to the stockton/malone jazz given gobert spent his career there till like yesterday

[Kblaze8855]

Early 2000s Kings and Mavs are interesting though I think they would alter their lineups. 96 Sonics too. I feel like they would bench Johnson and play Kemp at the 5 even though Perkins could easily be a modern stretch 5 with no adjustment. People would immediately realize how good Detlef was. He’d be at least what Sabonis is now level wise. Pretty great #3. He’d be one of the better all purpose(offensively) bigs in the league. Payton and Nate would be elite defenders outside. Hawkins could shoot and so could Detlef…Kemp could easily take an extra step back for 3s. Perkins already out there. They’d be fine on day one.

[Sulico]

Nobody. Teams are getting better and better. The better question would be, what pre 2010 championship team would loose in the second round in 2023.

[DMAVS41]

93 Suns
96 Sonics
97 / 98 Jazz
02 Kings
03 Mavericks

[RRR3]

93 Suns
96 Sonics
97 / 98 Jazz
02 Kings
03 Mavericks
97-98 Jazz would get wrecked playing two non shooting bigs.

[PeroAntic]

97 Heat. Hardaway, Mourning, Mashburn and Majerle coached by Pat Riley. Great shooting and gritty defence plus inside presence.

[gonzaldo]

97-98 Pacers? Reggie and Mullin will certainly benefit from playing in the current era, then you have mark jackson and jalen rose who also can shoot, with Larry Bird as a coach why not?

[iamgine]

I'd love to see how teams nowadays would handle that Hakeem/Sampson team. They beat Magic's Lakers in 5.

[hold this L]

2007 suns

first off, they laid the blueprint to the high pace offense that would smash the warriors. draymond wouldn't know what to do with amar'e. nash could keep up with curry. raja bell would obliterate klay. marion would tire out iggy(curry's savior). really the mismatch would be diaw and amar'e. barbosa would smoke tf out of anyone.
No he wouldn't. That's the shitty made in Taiwan Warriors. It would look as nothing more than a cheap imitation in today's age. Series wouldn't last more than 5.

[ShawkFactory]

No he wouldn't. That's the shitty made in Taiwan Warriors. It would look as nothing more than a cheap imitation in today's age. Series wouldn't last more than 5.

He most certainly would.

[DMAVS41]

97-98 Jazz would get wrecked playing two non shooting bigs.

Greg wasn’t playing big minutes anyway iirc and are you arguing that the Jazz couldn’t beat the Celtics from last year?

[NBAGOAT]

00 blazers but I really want to substitute a different coach lol. The veteran talent, 2 way play, and depth is all there

[Round Mound]

2008 Lakers with Bynum and Ariza healthy

This

[Toizumi]

00 blazers but I really want to substitute a different coach lol. The veteran talent, 2 way play, and depth is all there

My pick as well. As you can tell by my av I'm slightly biased.
The team could run the floor and had a bunch of guys that would shoot more threes in this era.
A solid defensive team and Pip was still able to lock down most wing players (second team all defense). I think Sabas would fit this era too, playing like an old, slow Jokic.

[Wally450]

2009 Celtics with healthy KG. They were better than the 2008 Celtics up until KG went down.

[dankok8]

2002 Kings and 2005/2007 Suns

[RRR3]

Greg wasn’t playing big minutes anyway iirc and are you arguing that the Jazz couldn’t beat the Celtics from last year?
Yes? Their backup centers weren’t shooters either. It’s just math.

[2much_knowledge]

First thought was 07 Suns.

Ill add 2003 pacers if they keep it together

[Gohan]

01 sixers

[Phoenix]

This is basiscally '07 Suns' the thread.

Nash
Amare
Marion
Bell
Barbosa
Diaw

[rawimpact]

Early 2000 Blazers