What does the team that beats GSW look like?

[Who]

If the 92 Bulls or 86 Celtics had to play with today’s rules and today’s refs, Golden State would beat them

This is precisely why I think a lot of the numbers today are artificial and inflated.   But I concur with your premise.

Completely agree. Cannot compare today's numbers to past years. The rule changes have created easier scoring opportunities (both volume and especially in efficiency) versus what we have seen in the past. Today's numbers need to stand alone relative to this era. Cannot be compared to past eras.

[konkmv]

Thomas fultz smart brown crowder griffin horford and zizic

[Surferdad]

Thomas fultz smart brown crowder griffin horford and zizic

In what season?  Certainly not 2017-2018 with 2 rookies.

I just read an opinion that adding P.George AND J.Butler may not be enough to beat the GSW.  There is some merit to that.
http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2017/5/17/15641058/markelle-fultz-boston-celtics-2017-nba-draft?yptr=yahoo

[bostonsportsforlife]

It will require a versatile, switchable lineup on defense, and a skilled two-way big like Karl-Anthony Towns (assuming he improves on defense in his 3rd season). The backcourt will need to be composed of rugged defenders (Marcus Smart, Roberson type players) that can rough up Curry and Thompson and get them off their games. An elite wing is a requirement for contenders, and then the frontcourt will need to outmuscle the Warriors down low.

[td450]

I have a hard time believing that the Warriors could beat the great 80's teams in Boston, Philly and LA. They were overwhelmingly huge teams with punishing, incredibly skilled high scoring big men that don't exist in today's NBA. They were also led by the smartest, most creative and most competitive players most of us have ever seen. Would GS ever get a rebound?

[hwangjini_1]

nm

[Sketch5]

If the 92 Bulls or 86 Celtics had to play with today’s rules and today’s refs, Golden State would beat them

This is precisely why I think a lot of the numbers today are artificial and inflated.   But I concur with your premise.

Completely agree. Cannot compare today's numbers to past years. The rule changes have created easier scoring opportunities (both volume and especially in efficiency) versus what we have seen in the past. Today's numbers need to stand alone relative to this era. Cannot be compared to past eras.

What about the 96' Bulls team? I mean Jordan avg 30pt, with todays rules how much easier would it be for him to sore. Pippen too.

You'd have Harper on Curry, so the out side shot would be tough. Jordan on Thompson, Pippen on KD, Rodman on Green(bets on how many nut punches goes down between the two of them) Longley on Zaza, this is a non factor.

They match up pretty good. Only problem is you have a mole in Kerr on both teams.

[adam8]

No team in NBA history could beat Golden State in a 7 game series. 

Even this year's 1st Team All-NBA team of Kawhi, LeBron, Anthony Davis, Harden and Westbrook would struggle to co-exist as well as the shooters on the Warriors.  Too many ball-hogs and not enough efficient shooting.  Harden and Westbrook are both 34% three point shooters.  They would each fight over the ball jacking up shots.  Even if they allowed LeBron to run the offense, they aren't good enough shooters off the ball to win a shootout against a team of superstar 42% three point shooters. 

The team is the culmination of decades of athletic evolution and perfection of the sport.  Their four superstars are scientifically engineered for the modern style of NBA basketball.  Steph Curry is the best shooter to ever live.  Kevin Durant is the greatest pure offensive player to ever play the game.  Klay Thompson is of the 5 best shooters of all time.  Draymond Green is an ideal glue-guy Superstar. 

Do you know how many players in NBA history have averaged at least 19 points, at least 1 three pointer per game, while shooting at least 37% from three? Six.  They have half of them.   The six players:  Durant, Curry, Klay, Dirk, Mitch Richmond and Michael Redd.

You wouldn't beat them with Richmond, Redd and Dirk.

Golden State is unbeatable.

Oh, get over them.  Any team can be beaten.  They are one weak last 3 minutes from Cleveland from being tied in this series.

You can pretend like that is true if it helps you sleep better at night, but this is the greatest team ever assembled.  My hat's off to LeBron James for winning a game.  I imagine the 96 Bulls and 86 Celtics would manage to win a single game against them too.  We all know Golden State is going to wipe the floor with them Monday, though.  No team in history can beat Golden State in a 7 game series.  Unstoppable.

Jvalin:  There is nothing our team can do to compete with Golden State.  We have to just keep doing what we are doing, though.  Keep the team interesting in the short term and try to build for the long term.

But if you believe that no matter what we do we can't beat them, what's the point in trying to compete? For instance, why not trade IT for a lotto pick this year? I could buy the argument that we need IT to sign Hayward. What if we miss on Hayward though? Should we take a step back then?

I agree with the approach, I don't think we can realistically compete with golden state but that doesn't mean you take a step back. Going through tough playoff battles at a young age will be huge for the development of fultz and brown, allow them to see what actually wins basketball and show them what areas of their games need improvement, and you never know about injuries so if you can keep the key young guys you should still try to win as many games and advance as far as possible.

Don't get me wrong, I don't believe we should tank. After all, we have the Nets doing all the tanking for us. What I am saying is we should start building for the future. Fultz is definitely our starting point guard moving forward. The way I see it, we should trade IT and start Fultz next year.

Problem is, many people believe that if we trade IT we won't sign Hayward. What if we miss on Hayward though? Should we trade IT then? That's what I'm asking.

Fultz - Smart
Bradley - Brown
Crowder - Brown - Isaac
JaMychal Green - Isaac (/Saric) - Yabu
Horford - Zizic

That's a playoff team in my book.

Playoff team and a team that goes through tough playoff battles is not the same thing. Also you do not hand over the keys to a kid that hasn't played a game in the NBA, you make brown and fultz earn every minute they get all season so there aren't any bad habits forming just to force feed minutes, let them develop like the spurs let kawhi develop by playing winning basketball.

[PaulAllen]

C- Incredible Hulk
PF - He-man
SF - Batman
SG - Captain America
PG - Spiderman

that should do it...

[timpiker]

4 guys with very reliable 3's that play tough D and Davis...and a good bench.

[RockinRyA]

If the 92 Bulls or 86 Celtics had to play with today’s rules and today’s refs, Golden State would beat them

This is precisely why I think a lot of the numbers today are artificial and inflated.   But I concur with your premise.

Completely agree. Cannot compare today's numbers to past years. The rule changes have created easier scoring opportunities (both volume and especially in efficiency) versus what we have seen in the past. Today's numbers need to stand alone relative to this era. Cannot be compared to past eras.

What about the 96' Bulls team? I mean Jordan avg 30pt, with todays rules how much easier would it be for him to sore. Pippen too.

You'd have Harper on Curry, so the out side shot would be tough. Jordan on Thompson, Pippen on KD, Rodman on Green(bets on how many nut punches goes down between the two of them) Longley on Zaza, this is a non factor.

They match up pretty good. Only problem is you have a mole in Kerr on both teams.

That 96 Bulls team matchup pretty well with GS small ball lineup. Put Kukoc in for Longley when GS plays with their all-stars+iggy

[Celtics4ever]

The league always hypes the latest as the greatest.   It is something I have seen them do for decades, and part of their modus operandi.  They do it with teams, players and generations of athletes.

A great example is how they tout Golden State as a dynasty.   They have won one title, lost one, look to be on the way to another.   I think the Bulls had a dynasty and we had a dynasty in the 60s.   Winning two titles is not a dynasty.  If they get a few more than they will be one.  But pay heed to them building up a false hype before they fulfill the requirements.  These are teams that many consider dynasties in the NBA:

Minneapolis Lakers 1948 to 1954 led by George Mikan. The Lakers officially won 5 NBA championships (in 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, and 1954) in 6 years between the 1948–49 BAA season and 1953–54 NBA season. Minneapolis also achieved the NBA's first set of three consecutive championships winning the 1952 NBA Finals, the 1953 NBA Finals, and the 1954 NBA Finals. Minneapolis also won the 1948 NBL Championship, which is not recognized by the NBA. When including the 1948 NBL title, the championship count rises to a spectacular 6 championships in 7 years and also gives the Lakers another three-peat as they won the 1948 NBL Title, the 1949 BAA Championship, and the 1950 NBA Championship.

Boston Celtics from 1956 to 1969 led by superstar Bill Russell Boston won 11 NBA championships (in 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969) in the 13-year span of 1957–1969. Boston won an unprecedented eight consecutive championships from 1959 to 1966. Boston also has the distinction of having played in 10 straight NBA Finals from 1957–1966.

Los Angeles Lakers of 1979 to 1991 led by Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy. They were known as Showtime Lakers for the highly entertaining flashy brand of basketball they played. The Lakers won 5 NBA championships (in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988) in 9 years, 10 Division titles, and advanced to the NBA Finals 9 times between 1980 and 1991 including 4 straight appearances from 1982–1985. In the 1988 NBA Finals the Lakers became the first team since the Boston Celtics of the 1960s to win back-to-back NBA titles, having beaten the Celtics the previous year.

Boston Celtics of 1980 to 1987 led by Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. The Celtics won 3 NBA Championships (in 1981, 1984, and 1986) in 6 years. The Celtics also advanced to the NBA Finals 5 times in between 1981 and 1987 (including 4 consecutive appearances from 1984–1987). The 1986 Boston Celtics also set the record for best home winning percentage going 40-1 (97.5%) while playing with home court advantage.

Chicago Bulls of 1990 to 1998 led by superstar Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and head coach Phil Jackson. Chicago won 6 NBA championships in 8 seasons, including 2 sets of three consecutive championships, winning championships in 1991, 1992, and 1993, then subsequently winning the 1996, 1997, and 1998 titles. Also won 6 division titles in 8 seasons.

San Antonio Spurs of 1999 to present. Led by Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and head coach Gregg Popovich. San Antonio has won 5 NBA championships (in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014) in 16 seasons, 6 Western Conference titles, 11 division championships, and 18 consecutive playoff appearances from 1998–2015. The Spurs have been able to sustain a high level of consistency in Duncan's tenure with the team. The Spurs won 50+ games every season from 1997–98 through 2015–16 (except the strike-shortened 1998–99 season), as well as a .707 win percentage during that span, the highest in any of the four major American sports). The Spurs, however, have never won NBA titles in consecutive years and thus have never successfully defended an NBA title.

Los Angeles Lakers of 2000 to 2004, led by superstars Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and head coach Phil Jackson. Won 4 Western Conference titles in 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2004, accomplishing a three-peat (winning three consecutive NBA titles) in the process by winning championships in 2000, 2001, and 2002. This Los Angeles team holds the best postseason record in NBA history (15–1) which was accomplished in 2001.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sports_dynasties#National_Basketball_Association

[LilRip]

To use the Celtics version of it:

AB/Butler/IT/George/Horford
vs.
Steph/Klay/Iggy/KD/Green

Iguodala is becoming less and less of a threat offensively so maybe we hide IT on him. AB and Butler are absolute beasts on defense. We'll have shooters and shot creators (except for AB) on every position too. And this team can compete on the boards against GSW.

How do we get this? I'm not entirely sure. Maybe like:
Crowder+Smart+2018 BKN+2019 unprotected C's+TPE for PG
Fultz+Rozier+TPE+2 first rounders (MEM and LAC?) for Butler

[tonydelk]

There are not many if any scenarios that can be GSW but I'll give it my best shot.

I might sound crazy but I think the C's are the closest thing as currently built that matches up with GSW.  You need elite guards that can switch off of Curry and Klay.  Marcus and Avery can't stop Curry and Klay but they can make them work and spend more energy trying to score.  Tiredness leads to heavy legs and missed shots.

You can't slow KD but you can muscle him.  Crowder helps there.  You need to be physical with KD in order to get him out of sync. 

Dray Green is a matchup nightmare.  He's not a lights out shooter but his D and 3 game at the PF spot is rare.

You need 2 Legit Big men.  This is the missing piece for the C's.  If the C's had Blake Griffen they could give the Warriors a run for their money.

I think in 2 years the C's will be able to contend if they keep 2 of IT, Bradley and Smart.  One has to go that will be replaced by Smart.  2018 will be all out the Big Men for the Celtics in the draft.  I know most on here want Hayward but for me it's Blake.  I think he gives the C's the best shot at contending against Cleveland and GSW. 

[gouki88]

No team in NBA history could beat Golden State in a 7 game series. 

Even this year's 1st Team All-NBA team of Kawhi, LeBron, Anthony Davis, Harden and Westbrook would struggle to co-exist as well as the shooters on the Warriors.  Too many ball-hogs and not enough efficient shooting.  Harden and Westbrook are both 34% three point shooters.  They would each fight over the ball jacking up shots.  Even if they allowed LeBron to run the offense, they aren't good enough shooters off the ball to win a shootout against a team of superstar 42% three point shooters. 

The team is the culmination of decades of athletic evolution and perfection of the sport.  Their four superstars are scientifically engineered for the modern style of NBA basketball.  Steph Curry is the best shooter to ever live.  Kevin Durant is the greatest pure offensive player to ever play the game.  Klay Thompson is of the 5 best shooters of all time.  Draymond Green is an ideal glue-guy Superstar. 

Do you know how many players in NBA history have averaged at least 19 points, at least 1 three pointer per game, while shooting at least 37% from three? Six.  They have half of them.   The six players:  Durant, Curry, Klay, Dirk, Mitch Richmond and Michael Redd.

You wouldn't beat them with Richmond, Redd and Dirk.

Golden State is unbeatable.

Seriously? Maybe if this team had actually won more than one (assuming they win this one) championship, you could say that. Let alone them getting past the Spurs only after Kawhi went down thanks to that ***hole Zaza - Spurs were playing them very well at that stage.

Give me a break from this insane hyperbole.