80's MVP's vs 00's MVP's

[Rekindled]

Agreed...

Magic Johnson
Michael Jordan
Julius Erving
Larry Bird/Moses Malone
Kareem/Moses Malone

vs

LeBron James/Steve Nash
Kobe Bryant
Kevin Garnett/Dirk Nowitski
Tim Duncan
Shaquille O'Neal

The 00's still win, but in a more competitive series.

wtf is this.

it should be

Magic
Jordan
Bird
Moses
Kareem

[Champ]

Switch the lineup:

Move Malone to PF, Bird to SF, and bring the Doctor off the bench and the 80s squad mops the floor - especially on the offensive end.

1 - Magic > Lebron
2 - MJ > Kobe
3 - Bird > Nowitski
4 - Moses = Duncan
5 - KAJ (post-prime) < Shaq


You can have all the brawn in the world, but most things being equal, skill and IQ trumps brute strength on the court -- this is basketball, not weightlifting.

[MaxFly]

Switch the lineup:

Move Malone to PF, Bird to SF, and bring the Doctor off the bench and the 80s squad mops the floor - especially on the offensive end.

1 - Magic > Lebron
2 - MJ > Kobe
3 - Bird > Nowitski
4 - Moses = Duncan
5 - KAJ (post-prime) < Shaq


You can have all the brawn in the world, but most things being equal, skill and IQ trumps brute strength on the court -- this is basketball, not weightlifting.

I wouldn't start Dirk. I'd start KG with Dirk coming off the bench. A front court of KG, Duncan and Shaq is simply too much. Magic can't guard LeBron, but I can see Lebron doing a decent job on Magic. 80s Jordan vs Bryant is negligible. This isn't 90s Jordan. The 00's take this.

Incidentally, we're leaving out Iverson... SMH @ the OP including Nash and omitting Iverson.

[Sarcastic]

00s have no way to stop Magic, Jordan, and Bird, let alone Kareem's skyhook. If you want to make it a running game, the 80s with Magic on the break and Jordan on the wing would be unstoppable. Trying to use Lebron as the PG would be a fail as well for the 00s. It would just turn into Lebron-ball and everyone just standing around.

[jalbert009]

Incidentally, we're leaving out Iverson... SMH @ the OP including Nash and omitting Iverson.

Fixed Roster. My bad! I still believe 80's win this. Kareem would be unstoppable with his skyhook!

[pauk]

@ thinking that dirk could guard Dr.J

@ thinking that Dr.J could guard Dirk.... he would be either posting him up all the way down to the basket and laying it in or simply just facing up and doing practice jumpshots or even freethrow type of shots right over him.... Dr. J would be blowing by him offensively tho... so its a tie there...

[Sarcastic]

80s have 4 players who are arguably top 6 all time. 00s have only 1 guy that can make top 6 all time. And no one is even discussing how much of an advantage it is to have peak 1980s Jordan on the team. He was unstoppable in those days.

[Champ]

I wouldn't start Dirk. I'd start KG with Dirk coming off the bench. A front court of KG, Duncan and Shaq is simply too much. Magic can't guard LeBron, but I can see Lebron doing a decent job on Magic. 80s Jordan vs Bryant is negligible. This isn't 90s Jordan. The 00's take this.

Incidentally, we're leaving out Iverson... SMH @ the OP including Nash and omitting Iverson.

KG, Duncan, and Shaq "simply too much" for Bird, Moses and Kareem?

Bullocks.

And a late-80s, MVP-caliber Jordan would handle Kobe just fine.

But you summed up the real problem with this comparison in you sentence about Magic and Lebron. Your right, Magic would have his hands full guarding Lebron, while Lebron may be able to limit Magic's scoring.

But you can't compare these two in a linear, one-on-one fashion when discussing the better team. Magic wouldn't have to score here (or Bird, for that matter) to still dominate offensively against his particular match up.

Essentially, this comparison places two of the best playmakers in the history of the game setting up the game's greatest player on the same team, not to mention your bail out guy is the game's all-time leading scoring with the game's all-time unstoppable shot. Then you add in one of greatest offensive rebounders/inside bangers in history to clean up the mess.

The 80s team is more skilled, more team-oriented, and more clutch - enough so to offset slight deficiencies in strength and athleticism.

[pauk]

The biggest mismatch in 00s teams favor would be Shaq-Kareem and Lebron-Magic... Shaq would humiliate Kareem... and Lebron would do the same to Magic... Magic has absolutely zero chance against defending Lebron, with that bad defense and lankier/less athletic body Lebron would be able to just troll Magic...... and we all know how well Lebrons defense is, Magic would be no trouble whatsoever... infact i think Lebron would be the best defensive matchup on Magic in NBA history, he is bigger, stronger, faster, quicker and the defensive IQ is marvelous....

[Champ]

80s have 3 players who are arguably top 6 all time. 00s have only 1 guy that can make top 6 all time. And no one is even discussing how much of an advantage it is to have peak 1980s Jordan on the team. He was unstoppable in those days.

You can argue the 80s team has 4 of the top 6 all-time.

[Whoah10115]

The 80's three best players are the best players on the court. And they could compliment each other well enough. So, regardless of how anyone wants to look at this, the 80's would win.




And when doing a decade, it really should be from 0-1. I don't think it should be 79-80 and 99-00.



Either way, Kareem and Shaq are close to a wash and Duncan takes Moses (they match up either at PF or if Shaq and Kareem don't make the teams).


If no Shaq:


C: Duncan
PF: Garnett
SF: Lebron
SG: Kobe
PG: Nash


No Kareem:


C: Malone
PF: Bird
SF: Erving
SG: Michael
PG: Magic




The 80's would have no depth, as those are the only guys who won (and Kareem if you count 79-80, in which case Malone and Bird move down and Erving comes off).


The advantage the 00's have is that no one is out of position, whereas the 80's will play Bird at the 4. But he did enough of that. The real advantage for the 00's is that they're much better defensively.




But the 80's have this.

[Sarcastic]

You can argue the 80s team has 4 of the top 6 all-time.

Correct. I fixed it.

[Champ]

The biggest mismatch in 00s teams favor would be Shaq-Kareem and Lebron-Magic... Shaq would humiliate Kareem... and Lebron would do the same to Magic... Magic has absolutely zero chance against defending Lebron, with that bad defense and smaller/less athletic body Lebron would be able to just troll Magic...... and we all know how well Lebrons defense is, Magic would be no trouble whatsoever... infact i think Lebron would be the best defensive matchup on Magic in NBA history, he is bigger, stronger, faster, quicker and the defensive IQ is marvelous....

Yes, given his marvelous defensive IQ, I'm sure Lebron is a good enough defender to limit Magic's playmaking ability.

[Sarcastic]

The biggest mismatch in 00s teams favor would be Shaq-Kareem and Lebron-Magic... Shaq would humiliate Kareem... and Lebron would do the same to Magic... Magic has absolutely zero chance against defending Lebron, with that bad defense and lankier/less athletic body Lebron would be able to just troll Magic...... and we all know how well Lebrons defense is, Magic would be no trouble whatsoever... infact i think Lebron would be the best defensive matchup on Magic in NBA history, he is bigger, stronger, faster, quicker and the defensive IQ is marvelous....

You've never watched Magic play.

[pauk]

i am honestly trying my very best not to be biased here or something...

Lebron is 6'9-260 and jumps higher, is faster, is stronger, is quicker... can shut down anybody from Derrick Rose to Gasol/Dwight Howard.....

Magic would be more limited by Lebron than anybody could have limited Magic in NBA history....

Think about it... you would just lie to yourself if you think Lebron would not be able to just... sorry but, TOY with Magic... Magic has not EVER faced such a unique specimen in his career....

and yes.. i have watched Magic play...