Re: 3rd Greatest Team in NBA History according to Insidehoops
I have a hard time choosing between the '67 Sixers & the '87 Lakers, but I think I will go with the '67 Sixers, they had the better frontcourt by a good margin, Hal Greer is better than any of the Lakers' guards not named Magic, Cunningham > Cooper. For the Lakers to have a chance is for Magic to have an insane series which is very possible, but in the end I think the '67 Sixers have more balance.
There is no doubt in my mind the '67 Sixers would take the '72 Lakers and I would take the '87 Lakers over them as well because the '72 Lakers lack depth, you have Cooper to slow down West & Wilt wasn't the offensive player he use to be at that point to truly expose Kareem.
Re: 3rd Greatest Team in NBA History according to Insidehoops
My vote is for the '67 Sixers.
Same reasons as listed before, but also note their 37-3 start. The previous record, held by the '62 Celtics was 27 wins before their fourth loss. Also impressive is that the Sixers never won more than 11 games in a row.
As for the '87 Lakers, too early to consider them IMO. Here is my take on the team from my not yet finished (on here) greatest 25 teams thread. I ranked them 10th all-time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by G.O.A.T
Why #10? - Their resume simply doesn't measure up. The Showtime Lakers dominated the 1980's as a whole but never dominated a single season. 1986-87 was as close as they came, but it was not their most talented roster, nor did their competition elevate themselves they way they had in years past. The Lakers played by far the fewest and won by far the fewest percentage of their games against elite competition (among top ten teams). They did not play a single team with a .600+ winning percentage in the Western Conference Playoffs, the only team that gave them trouble, Dallas, who won the season series vs. LA was upset in the first round. Also a disappointment were the Rockets who had over powered the Lakers in the 1986 playoffs.
Magic was at his all-time best yes, but Jabbar had finally found age catching up with him and took by far his most limited role as a Laker. The Lakers acquired Mychal Thompson from San Antonio to split time with Kareem, but he hardly had time to become acclimated to the Lakers and was much better the next year. Even with Thompson in the fold, they were just eight deep and didn't have anyone beyond that eight they were comfortable using.
The two of other three teams from the decade in the top ten swept the Lakers in the Finals during the decade. That was sort of their M.O. during the decade. If no one else was great during a season, the Lakers would win the title. Most of all I think these other nine teams beat them in a seven game series. The '86 Celtics were in such better shape than the '87 team that extended LA to six games. The '89 Pistons beat the same core of players with Orlando Woolridge replacing Rambis. The '67 Sixers front line would greatly overwhelm the Lakers, the '65 Celtics did everything the '87 Lakers did just a little better. The '71 Bucks and '72 Lakers simply have better resumes and had great 1-2 punches at the top and the Lakers didn't have the depth to exploit them. The '83 Sixers, likewise were too big and physical for the Lakers, and the Bulls '92 and '96 teams were even greater than the '91 team that blitzed the older, favored Lakers in those NBA Finals.
There is no question in my mind that this is one of the greatest teams of all-time. However as I looked deeper and deeper into these teams and their special seasons, I didn't see the '87 Lakers jumping off the page the way a lot of these other ball clubs did. The thing that frustrates me the most is that the '85 or '82 Lakers should be in this spot, but those teams never had the clear leader like what magic had become in 1987 to keep them focused and motivated at the level you need to maintain greatness over the 100+ games of an NBA season and playoffs.
Re: 3rd Greatest Team in NBA History according to Insidehoops
I'll go with the 67 Sixers. I agree with what GOAT says about the 87 Lakers, excluding the last paragraph, though honestly I think the same things could be said about the 86 Celtics. Both the 87 Lakers and 86 Celtics are very over rated to me.
3rd Greatest Team in NBA History according to Insidehoops
