namepeace said:

phunkdaddy said:

namepeace said:

Mr. Sixer was about to clear that up for you. The Lakers beat the Sixers in those 2 finals because Magic was just that good and Kareem was a matchup nightmare. That's why Philly got big Moses and that season Moses was the best player in the league and he wouldn't let Philly lose.

Of course Cap was the featured player in those early runs. But they don't get there without Magic.

The lakers dealt with injuries in the Finals against Philly with rookie Worthy going down and Bob McAdoo if iirc but the Sixers were just strong that year and would have still won this series in 6 at the most.

From top to bottom, the 83 Sixers were loaded and their title is not tainted by any stretch, because they were the best wire-to-wire that season.

But LA wasn't at full strength, which basically ended the series before it truly got started. We'll never truly know but it would have gone 6 at least with both teams at full strength.

An injured Magic hurt them more against the Pistons in 88.

My turn.

LA beat the Pistons in 88 (after winning 3 straight Game 7s). Injuries cost them a threepeat in the 89 Finals.

Magic went down midway through Game 2, and Byron Scott was lost in the last practice before the Finals started (hard foul by David Rivers took him out, I believe). Without their starting backcourt they got swept.

U right Peace about the Finals in 88 and 89. I just got the years mixed up.

The Sixers unfortunately played bridesmaids to either the Celtics and Lakers in

the early 80's. All 3 had great teams. The Lakers 82 championship team was probably

the best i've seen in my lifetime from top to bottom.

namepeace said:

In terms of quality of competition, Magic stands above MJ, and both stand above LBJ. But LBJ has beaten and been beaten by HOF competition.

Magic AND Larry faced better competition Jordan. But I will say the '97 & '98 Jazz comes close.

phunkdaddy said:

The Lakers 82 championship team was probably

the best i've seen in my lifetime from top to bottom.

But they were better defensively and a more physical team from '85 on. They had to be, because Boston smacked them around in '84.

uPtoWnNY said:

phunkdaddy said:

The Lakers 82 championship team was probably

the best i've seen in my lifetime from top to bottom.

But they were better defensively and a more physical team from '85 on. They had to be, because Boston smacked them around in '84.

phunk: my vote goes to the '87 team.

Magic's 1st MVP season, Kareem's 2d-to-last All-Star-type season, Worthy entering his prime, A.C. Green and Byron Scott bringing athleticism and youth, Michael Cooper's last DPOY season (IIRC), as well as Rambis coming off the bench.

Of course, the move that won the title was made by Jerry West in-season when he traded for Mychal Thompson, McHale's teammate in Minnesota and the only guy in the league that could consistently defend him. I still remember he'd just been acquired the day before the last regular season game v. the C's in LA. Wearing a 0 jersey, with no name on it, he got a double-double, D'd up McHale (the best post player I've seen) and helped the Lakers win that game. BOS knew it was in trouble then.

Plus they beat the C's, who put one of the best teams of all time on the floor in 1986, due in part to Magic's signature "junior-junior" skyhook.

phunkdaddy said:

U right Peace about the Finals in 88 and 89. I just got the years mixed up.

The Sixers unfortunately played bridesmaids to either the Celtics and Lakers in

the early 80's. All 3 had great teams. The Lakers 82 championship team was probably

the best i've seen in my lifetime from top to bottom.

That's why the 80's were the true golden age of the NBA. Not just because of Magic, Bird and MJ and the popular renaissance. But because at least 3 of the greatest teams of all time battled every year for the title. All-time great ROSTERS v. All-time great ROSTERS. And each beat the other for titles.

BOS v. LA in the 60s was a great matchup but no real rivalry because the Lakers never got over the hump. MJ had no rivals in the 90s.

To me, there is no shame in the Sixers playing bridesmaid those years. Because in the 80s the Lakers, Celtics and Pistons also had to wear those ugly dresses at least once (in LA's case, 3 times ), with MJ's Bulls rounding into shape at the end of the decade.

uPtoWnNY said:

namepeace said:

Magic AND Larry faced better competition Jordan. But I will say the '97 & '98 Jazz comes close.

Absolutely. That was one of the best teams in the post-Magic/Larry era never to win a title.

uPtoWnNY said:

namepeace said:

Magic AND Larry faced better competition Jordan. But I will say the '97 & '98 Jazz comes close.

Magic''s Lakers face no competition in the West for an entire decade.They were like only 3 good teams back then.Yhe Lakers,Celtics and 76ers.The and Bulls got good late 80s.This fallacy that Nba was so good in the 80s.

I love Nba now better than ever.The sheer athleticism,dunks and 3 point shot makes it entertaining and teams can pass,go watch the Spurs,for sheer talent,watch the Heat.

The 87 Lakers were best team of 80s because they had forwards(Green Thompson)

Knicks draft Tim Hardaway Jr. They must not think J.R. will resign.

Garnett, Pierce & Jason Terry to Brooklyn. Wonder how much those cats have left?

uPtoWnNY said:

Knicks draft Tim Hardaway Jr. They must not think J.R. will resign.

Garnett, Pierce & Jason Terry to Brooklyn. Wonder how much those cats have left?

1 decent season.

iaminparties said:

uPtoWnNY said:

Magic AND Larry faced better competition Jordan. But I will say the '97 & '98 Jazz comes close.

Magic''s Lakers face no competition in the West for an entire decade.They were like only 3 good teams back then.Yhe Lakers,Celtics and 76ers.The and Bulls got good late 80s.This fallacy that Nba was so good in the 80s.

I love Nba now better than ever.The sheer athleticism,dunks and 3 point shot makes it entertaining and teams can pass,go watch the Spurs,for sheer talent,watch the Heat.

Team PPG averages were higher in the 80s than the 90s and most of the 00s. Teams were deeper in the 80s because there were SEVEN LESS FRANCHISES around. The Rockets, Bucks, Hawks, Pistons, Mavs, Jazz and Bulls were deep, talented playoff contenders at different times in the decade. Some of those teams unseated the Sixers, Lakers and Celtics in the playoffs in given years, and a few of them took those great teams to 7 games at times.


If your issue with the 80s was a lack of great teams, take a look around the league now. From 2000 to 2013, the Spurs and Lakers combined to win 8 Finals, and 10 conference titles. The West has won 9 of those titles, and the Heat have won 3 of the 5 Finals the East has taken.

There were at least as many solid playoff contenders in the 80s as there have been recently. Today's game has no real advantage there.


The athleticism of today's players is amazing. But the overall skill level is debatable. Don't overestimate this era as you underestimate the 80s.

*CAVEAT: If the league were the same size now as it was in the 80s, then the potential for deeper superteams or playoff contenders would be big. The teams that drafted D12, Wade, CP3, et al. didn't exist in the 80s. Expansion has weakened the league, IMO.

[Edited 6/28/13 11:41am]

iaminparties said:

uPtoWnNY said:

Magic AND Larry faced better competition Jordan. But I will say the '97 & '98 Jazz comes close.

Magic''s Lakers face no competition in the West for an entire decade.They were like only 3 good teams back then.Yhe Lakers,Celtics and 76ers.The and Bulls got good late 80s.This fallacy that Nba was so good in the 80s.

I love Nba now better than ever.The sheer athleticism,dunks and 3 point shot makes it entertaining and teams can pass,go watch the Spurs,for sheer talent,watch the Heat.

You certainly forgot about the Milwaukee Bucks with Bob Lanier, Marques Johnson, and Sidney Moncrief. They would have been Eastern Conference champs on a few occasions if it weren't for the Sixers and Celtics. The Knicks didn't field too bad of a team then either. Truth is the West wasn't as strong then but Magic and company made it look that way. The Nuggets weren't bad those years they just couldn't play defense. The Spurs weren't bad those years either with Artis Gilmore, George Gervin, Mike Mitchell, and Johnny Moore. The Lakers were just better.

Co-sign x 1000 with phunkdaddy & namepeace.

Hate, hate, hate the Bargnani trade. Knicks give up draft picks for a 7 footer who shoots threes, can't rebound or defend. A soft team just got softer. Pacers, Heat & Bulls are laughing at us.

Looks like J.R Smith will stay in NY. I heard the Knicks are looking at Elton Brand.

Totally shocked at Brad Stevens leaving Butler to coach the Celtics. Wow......

Dwight Howard is taking his skills to Houston.

uPtoWnNY said:

Dwight Howard is taking his skills to Houston.

Dwight Howard is the biggest disappointment of his generation

unless he and Harden make something big, then I'll swallow my words

JoeTyler said:

uPtoWnNY said:

Dwight Howard is taking his skills to Houston.

Dwight Howard is the biggest disappointment of his generation

unless he and Harden make something big, then I'll swallow my words

And with Dwight Howard coming to Houston, Omer Asik wants out. Also Josh Smith just agreed to sign with the Detroit Pistons, though none of these deals can be made until July 10th. Wednesday is going to be a very busy day in the NBA.

Pistons overpaid for Josh Smith, IMO. Igoudala should be a good fit with the Warriors.