Assemble a starting 5 that can defeat this lineup.
- Thread starter Elim Garak
- Start date
Gil Scott-Heroin
Veteran
That's because you're working under the false premise of the defenses of the 70s/80s, when "illegal defense" wasn't in play, defensive schemes and players were ABC-123 level compared to now, and Magic's offense largely came from scoring on the break due to the pace they played at. I can tell you're just generalizing about how those Showtime Lakers teams functioned, and haven't seen enough tape to form a valid opinion. Magic will be standing out on the perimeter, because if he's down by the low-block he just shrinks the floor space even more, with his man shadowing on Shaq, or Shaq's man shadowing on him (especially with Jordan and Kobe needing to go to down low too).
Sharing space will most definitely be an issue with this team.
My team can live with Magic in the mid-post or on the perimeter with a shadow defender, against Curry, because we'll just be trading that possession (Magic was a below-average jump-shooter) with a 3 on the other end. I'll gladly take a large quantity of Magic post-ups and jump-shots, in exchange for threes on the other end.
Again, it's not about having success all night - it's just stopping them from shooting 60%+ from the field, which is quite achievable, given that we've already seen Allen hold Kobe to low-40%, and Miller or Klay would just need to stick to the system (let Jordan shoot long 2s), while DRob was there as secondary-paint cover for whenever Jordan would drive.
That team would need to shoot 60+% from the field, four out of possible seven games to win. Anything less and they'd most probably lose.
And Durant would negate his production.
This logic doesn't make any sense, since they'll be trading 2s with 3s, and Shaq will tire out and become ineffective long before any player in my lineup.
They don't need to be the #s of the 1v1 match-ups, because they're the looks they're getting during the series both players are involved in. You don't need to take the percentages in the literal sense, you just have to take them as what they were able to make in a series. Now, most, if not all of those players were the main shooting/scoring threats in those respective series, so they received more defensive attention than the rest of their teammates, it only stands to reason if they were capable of shooting at that rate being the main option, that they would be able to replicate that with less defensive attention, since they're playing next to shooters who're equal to them.
Reggie hit 43.6% of his 3-pt shots (5.6 per game) against the '98 Bulls, and the only other legitimate shooting threat was Mark Jackson - now imagine the looks he'd get playing next to Curry, Durant, and Allen or Klay.
Allen hit 52% of his 3-pt shots (7.0 per game) against the '08 Lakers, and the only other legitimate shooting threat was Paul Pierce - now imagine the looks he'd get playing next to Curry, Durant, and Reggie or Klay.
Durant's, Curry's and Klay's shooting is self-explanatory since they're all on the same team, and we've seen the looks they get together - now imagine the looks they'd get playing next to Reggie or Allen (instead of Draymond).
Just imagine all the [open] looks they'd be getting playing next to each other. It's inconceivable to think Kobe-MJ-LeBron-Magic would be "just fine" trying to deal with all FOUR of them. It's inconceivable any four defenders throughout history would be "just fine" trying to deal with all four of them. Nevermind the fact that, none of Kobe, MJ or LeBron were ever defenders who'd chase perimeter players, around screens, all game long - that donkey work was typically given to defensive role players.
Even if that were true, it's still not in the 60%s, the mark they'd need to meet in order to match my team shooting 40+% from behind the arc. Go figure.
The fact you're resorting to arguing about semantics tells me you've already conceded the debate. The OP states -
"There is $1 billion cash on the table. This team of 5 at their peak show up. Choose your 5 to beat this team."
It doesn't say anything about a STARTING 5, it just says pick five players, not a starting five and bench players - just FIVE players, therefore, we're working on the premise it's simply 5v5, and no other players for substitutions.
1-3 defensive weaknesses?Your entire 1-3 are defensive weaknesses stop it
Klay is obviously much better than Reggie defensively but you have him on the back burner twice as if you prefer both Reggie and Ray over him.
This is how I know you either don't know what you're talking about, or you're intentionally disregarding factual evidence because it goes against your argument.
That is NOT the sign of a "defensive weakness".
Furthermore, I have Klay on equal terms to Reggie and Allen, all three of them are interchangeable, I don't know why you'd keep dismissing that, by focussing on Reggie's defense, as if I hadn't already mentioned a perceived 'capable' defender in Klay to cover my bases. It shouldn't be a point of contention, if you don't think Reggie is up to it defensively, then just take him out for Klay; again, that fact you're centering a large part of your argument around minutiae speaks volumes.
I must say too, it doesn't sound like you've seen enough tape of Reggie and are just going off popular opinion; during the first third of his career he typically guarded the best perimeter player: he had great discipline (due to knowing shooting tendencies), great conditioning, and length, where he'd regularly hold his own and have success - he was by no means a pushover. Not to mention, his offense was his best defense, if Kobe or MJ have to chase him around screens constantly their offense would suffer.
In fact, the effectiveness of all those players' respective offenses would take a hit chasing around Curry, Allen, Reggie (or Klay) for an entire game. Kobe actually spoke on this, stating that he found it a lot easier defending ISO players, because he could save his legs for the offensive end, as opposed to defending off-ball players who'd be in constant motion.
Why are you constantly taking what I say out of context - you're throwing up nothing but straw men at this point.
Curry
Allen (or Klay, Miller)
Miller (or Klay, Allen)
Durant
DRob (or AD)
is more effective than
Steph
Klay
Pippen
Durant
Hakeem
Since Steph, Klay and Durant cancel themselves out, it comes down to Allen and DRob v. Pippen and Hakeem - DRob was a better defender than Hakeem at his peak, especially in this context, where he'd need to defend all five positions, because while Hakeem was good at defending on the perimeter, he didn't have the lateral quickness and athleticism of DRob to successively defend all positions to the same degree. DRob was also a much better help defender. While Pippen was most certainly a better defender, Allen was no slouch on that end and was considerably the better offensive player, especially in this context, given that his shooting ability trumps whatever Pippen brings to the table.
Imagine having to deal with that level of shooting, while simultaneously trying to stop Curry, Durant and Reggie (or Klay) from getting open. It ain't happening.
Columbo
Lieutenant
Ray Allen defended Kobe well at times, but for the most part Kobe was clearly the better player
Kobe was often guarding Rondo and roaming off him to double in the paint in the Finals
Kobe was often guarding Rondo and roaming off him to double in the paint in the Finals
Gil Scott-Heroin
Veteran
Which is why I don't understand how @Shadow King and @Rhakim are acting like he was a "defensive weakness".
Trojan 24
Veteran
Yeah he went out with the Wizards
Have to watch your favorite player be on multiple teams bruhs
Kobe's a more complete player than Ray, but we ain't just forming teams by one-on-one "who is the better player." Kobe's volume shooting on 2s isn't something the OPs team needs, because MJ and LeBron already both do that better than Kobe does. Kobe's a better ballhandler/distributor than Ray, but do you really want to pull the ball out of Magic and LeBron's hands? Kobe has to fill the "shooter" role, and he doesn't do that nearly as well as Ray. His only advantage is being a better defender, but even that doesn't matter if you force him to guard an elite three-point shooter, cause as I pointed out before he hasn't shown that he can shut down elite shooters any better than anyone else does, if they get daylight they're making it.
I don't have Ray on my team because with Klay out there I don't need him either, but I can see how he could outplay Kobe in this scenario with the right guys around him.
Kobe wasn't guarding young Rondo and doubling off out of necessity, he was doing that cause he was lazy and trying to conserve energy for offense. A team with Gasol/Odom already had all the resources they needed to guard Garnett at that stage, they were easily the best pair of tall and mobile big men defenders the Celtics had faced that entire postseason. Kobe would have been much better used shutting down Ray Allen or Pierce, but he wasn't stopping them when he was on them either, he was playing off too far trying to save energy and hoping to poach passing lanes. Like I said before, it's not just Ray and Pierce, look at Reggie and Jalen, or Rip and Chauncey, or Steve Smith or Bruce Bowen or Raja Bell. Kobe wasn't the guy you call on to shut down a three-point shooter.
Gil Scott-Heroin
Veteran
That's because you're working under the false premise of the defenses of the 70s/80s, when "illegal defense" wasn't in play, defensive schemes and players were ABC-123 level compared to now, and Magic's offense largely came from scoring on the break due to the pace they played at. I can tell you're just generalizing about how those Showtime Lakers teams functioned, and haven't seen enough tape to form a valid opinion. Magic will be standing out on the perimeter, because if he's down by the low-block he just shrinks the floor space even more, with his man shadowing on Shaq, or Shaq's man shadowing on him (especially with Jordan and Kobe needing to go to down low too).
Sharing space will most definitely be an issue with this team.
My team can live with Magic in the mid-post or on the perimeter with a shadow defender, against Curry, because we'll just be trading that possession (Magic was a below-average jump-shooter) with a 3 on the other end. I'll gladly take a large quantity of Magic post-ups and jump-shots, in exchange for threes on the other end.
Again, it's not about having success all night - it's just stopping them from shooting 60%+ from the field, which is quite achievable, given that we've already seen Allen hold Kobe to low-40%, and Miller or Klay would just need to stick to the system (let Jordan shoot long 2s), while DRob was there as secondary-paint cover for whenever Jordan would drive.
That team would need to shoot 60+% from the field, four out of possible seven games to win. Anything less and they'd most probably lose.
And Durant would negate his production.
This logic doesn't make any sense, since they'll be trading 2s with 3s, and Shaq will tire out and become ineffective long before any player in my lineup.
They don't need to be the #s of the 1v1 match-ups, because they're the looks they're getting during the series both players are involved in. You don't need to take the percentages in the literal sense, you just have to take them as what they were able to make in a series. Now, most, if not all of those players were the main shooting/scoring threats in those respective series, so they received more defensive attention than the rest of their teammates, it only stands to reason if they were capable of shooting at that rate being the main option, that they would be able to replicate that with less defensive attention, since they're playing next to shooters who're equal to them.
Reggie hit 43.6% of his 3-pt shots (5.6 per game) against the '98 Bulls, and the only other legitimate shooting threat was Mark Jackson - now imagine the looks he'd get playing next to Curry, Durant, and Allen or Klay.
Allen hit 52% of his 3-pt shots (7.0 per game) against the '08 Lakers, and the only other legitimate shooting threat was Paul Pierce - now imagine the looks he'd get playing next to Curry, Durant, and Reggie or Klay.
Durant's, Curry's and Klay's shooting is self-explanatory since they're all on the same team, and we've seen the looks they get together - now imagine the looks they'd get playing next to Reggie or Allen (instead of Draymond).
Just imagine all the [open] looks they'd be getting playing next to each other. It's inconceivable to think Kobe-MJ-LeBron-Magic would be "just fine" trying to deal with all FOUR of them. It's inconceivable any four defenders throughout history would be "just fine" trying to deal with all four of them. Nevermind the fact that, none of Kobe, MJ or LeBron were ever defenders who'd chase perimeter players, around screens, all game long - that donkey work was typically given to defensive role players.
Even if that were true, it's still not in the 60%s, the mark they'd need to meet in order to match my team shooting 40+% from behind the arc. Go figure.
The fact you're resorting to arguing about semantics tells me you've already conceded the debate. The OP states -
"There is $1 billion cash on the table. This team of 5 at their peak show up. Choose your 5 to beat this team."
It doesn't say anything about a STARTING 5, it just says pick five players, not a starting five and bench players - just FIVE players, therefore, we're working on the premise it's simply 5v5, and no other players for substitutions.
1-3 defensive weaknesses?
This is how I know you either don't know what you're talking about, or you're intentionally disregarding factual evidence because it goes against your argument.
That is NOT the sign of a "defensive weakness".
Furthermore, I have Klay on equal terms to Reggie and Allen, all three of them are interchangeable, I don't know why you'd keep dismissing that, by focussing on Reggie's defense, as if I hadn't already mentioned a perceived 'capable' defender in Klay to cover my bases. It shouldn't be a point of contention, if you don't think Reggie is up to it defensively, then just take him out for Klay; again, that fact you're centering a large part of your argument around minutiae speaks volumes.
I must say too, it doesn't sound like you've seen enough tape of Reggie and are just going off popular opinion; during the first third of his career he typically guarded the best perimeter player: he had great discipline (due to knowing shooting tendencies), great conditioning, and length, where he'd regularly hold his own and have success - he was by no means a pushover. Not to mention, his offense was his best defense, if Kobe or MJ have to chase him around screens constantly their offense would suffer.
In fact, the effectiveness of all those players' respective offenses would take a hit chasing around Curry, Allen, Reggie (or Klay) for an entire game. Kobe actually spoke on this, stating that he found it a lot easier defending ISO players, because he could save his legs for the offensive end, as opposed to defending off-ball players who'd be in constant motion.
Why are you constantly taking what I say out of context - you're throwing up nothing but straw men at this point.
Curry
Allen (or Klay, Miller)
Miller (or Klay, Allen)
Durant
DRob (or AD)
is more effective than
Steph
Klay
Pippen
Durant
Hakeem
Since Steph, Klay and Durant cancel themselves out, it comes down to Allen and DRob v. Pippen and Hakeem - DRob was a better defender than Hakeem at his peak, especially in this context, where he'd need to defend all five positions, because while Hakeem was good at defending on the perimeter, he didn't have the lateral quickness and athleticism of DRob to successively defend all positions to the same degree. DRob was also a much better help defender. While Pippen was most certainly a better defender, Allen was no slouch on that end and was considerably the better offensive player, especially in this context, given that his shooting ability trumps whatever Pippen brings to the table.
Imagine having to deal with that level of shooting, while simultaneously trying to stop Curry, Durant and Reggie (or Klay) from getting open. It ain't happening.
You're overrating Ray and Reggie defensively and it's spoiling your entire argument. You're assuming that somehow those 3 together will be better defensively together than a Bron-Jordan-Kobe trio will be offensively which no one in here would believe but you. You did not provide any info on what Ray or Reggie shot with Kobe or Jordan guarding them, you want me to assume every 3 they took had those two players on them. You're saying I don't "need those numbers" because you can't find them or they don't fit your narrative. You love numbers any other times. These astounding percentages come from various looks that pin them exclusively to their SG-to-SG matchups so using them to explain why they'll torch Bron Jordan and Kobe isn't truly pointing to the matchup problem you swear will be present.
Since Reggie is such a good defender, what did he hold Jordan or Kobe to in the playoffs since we're rattling off his percentages against Jordan?
Why is Jordan - Kobe - Bron losing effectiveness chasing them around but Curry - Ray - Reggie doesn't lose effectiveness from all those players being able to physically bully them outside of Kobe v. Ray? Kobe was held to 40% when his next best perimeter player was who? Odom if he even counts as that? Artest? You're giving your perimeter 3 every chemistry/game boost off feeding off of each other while assuming the team in OP cannot or won't despite the fact they along with Magic have some the highest IQs combined with natural talent in basketball history. The same attention the perimeter 3 on your squad take off each other, the OP's perimeter 3 take off each other.
I'm not arguing minutae when you clearly placed Ray and Reggie over Klay. I'm not taking anything out of context either since these players have such great percentages from 3 against Jordan and Kobe's teams, and because you think they'll be ever better together, you clearly think they'll shoot a ridiculous percentage from 3.
Starting 5 is now semantics when the thread title states "starting 5" and doesn't allow your hack a Shaq rule to play.
Along as Ray and Reggie are great defenders in you really have nothing for me
your team not beating them in my eyes and isn't really close Jordan-Kobe-Bron taking attention off each other is not something I see Curry-Allen-Miller handling...or if you switch one wing for Klay either.
Yeah he went out with the Wizards
Have to watch your favorite player be on multiple teams bruhs
The Devil's Advocate
Call me Dad
Kareem on shaq. They both can’t shoot so I don’t need to space shyt. They just gonna battle all game.
Dream at the 4. Sorry Duncan. But Shaq can’t play both. And nobody on that team can stop Kareem and dream besides shaq.
3. KD. We already know what he gonna do to bron. Who else gonna stick him?
4. Prime Dr J..... ABA Doctor J
5. Chef curry to twist all them old timers ankles. They never seen these and 1 crosses they got now. Nor do they have any 3 point shooters. And I got 2 of the best of all time.
Matter of fact. Switch out J and give me klay for more shooting and height and D
So Steph dribbles up, he can pull up, dribble up or throw in the hole. Got maybe 1 and 2 of all time, down low in the paint. With top 1-3 shooters of all time, waiting for the lockout.
Defense is where we lose. But they can’t shoot 3s and we can double shaq in the paint and stretch the wings
Dream at the 4. Sorry Duncan. But Shaq can’t play both. And nobody on that team can stop Kareem and dream besides shaq.
3. KD. We already know what he gonna do to bron. Who else gonna stick him?
4. Prime Dr J..... ABA Doctor J
5. Chef curry to twist all them old timers ankles. They never seen these and 1 crosses they got now. Nor do they have any 3 point shooters. And I got 2 of the best of all time.
Matter of fact. Switch out J and give me klay for more shooting and height and D
So Steph dribbles up, he can pull up, dribble up or throw in the hole. Got maybe 1 and 2 of all time, down low in the paint. With top 1-3 shooters of all time, waiting for the lockout.
Defense is where we lose. But they can’t shoot 3s and we can double shaq in the paint and stretch the wings
Smokin Rider
I been official
Nobody is winning but I'd go
Curry
AI
Durant
Bird
Kareem
Curry
AI
Durant
Bird
Kareem
Gil Scott-Heroin
Veteran
There's no point contesting this, I've already shown you evidence of Ray's defense on Kobe (both players near their peaks), where he's holding his own. To call him a "defensive weakness" is drenching your argument in revisionism and doubling-down on being blatantly wrong. The fact you aren't willing to concede this point tells me, once again, that you've already subconsciously conceded the argument but don't want to admit so, which is why you're arguing nonsense that has already proven to be untrue.
He was always one of the most conditioned, disciplined players due to his military background, and he knew how to navigate his way around screens/read player tendencies; he was never a defensive game-changer, but he ranged from average-to-good during his prime, before he started to deteriorate and the bone spurs slowed him down.
You called him a "defensive weakness" - that is WRONG (especially in this context given that I've provided proof of him holding his own, defensively, against Kobe), no amount of juelz'ng is gonna take away from that fact.
If I thought the straw man bullshyt was bad in your previous post, you've surely outdone yourself here.
The fact you think I'm "assuming" this only reinforces my belief that you really have conceded this debate. In no part of any of my posts have I stated or even so much as insinuated that those three would be better defensively than Jordan-Kobe-LeBron offensively - how in the hell could you possibly take that out of what I said?
My argument is simply - Allen, Reggie (or Klay), and Durant would limit them from shooting above 60 FG% as a collective from the field (a mark they'd need to reach to equalize the production from 40% 3-pt shooting); I'm not saying they couldn't shoot above 40 FG%, and I'm not saying they couldn't shoot above 50 FG% (although they probably wouldn't given the scheme).
That is NOT saying they'd be better defensively than their respective counterparts would be offensively. In production terms, being better defensively would be holding them to under 40 FG% - yet I'm not arguing that.
I already told you in my previous post, you're not supposed to take those percentages, literally, they're just a mark of what they managed to shoot. There is no matchup #s dating back that far, the only way to get the 1v1 #s is to go through the tape of all the games. The point in referencing their general 3pt %s from those series', is to let you know they managed to shoot high volume on high percentages as the main option, against Kobe's and MJ's respective teams - Kobe nor MJ were able to stop them from achieving those percentages, regardless if they were guarding them every possession or not. Both of them were predominately the main outside scoring threats, now if you were to put them on a team and they weren't the main outside scoring threats, how do you think they'd go with more open looks?
Allen was a 40% 3-pt shooter in the postseason (171 games)
Reggie was a 40% 3-pt shooter in the postseason (144 games)
You're telling me it's not reasonable to think they couldn't replicate those #s (even do better), playing at their peaks, with more floor-spacing, and open looks (due to playing next to each other, Curry and Durant), than at any point of their respective careers?
This is where common sense comes into play.
Kobe, MJ, LeBron, Magic are NOT chasing around all of Curry, Ray, Reggie (or Klay), and Durant around the halfcourt - that's the point. The amount and variety of screens that they'd set for themselves and the open looks they'd get would make it nearly impossible to defend. All those players regularly found openings and open looks to get their shots off, as individuals (with heavy defensive attention), imagine the open looks they'd get if they were all on the court at the same time, with less defensive attention? You have arguably the greatest 3-4 off-ball players and shooters all on the court at once, moving at the same time, setting and running around screens in a constant state of chaos, how could you possibly think any team could stop them from getting open looks (let alone a team with two perimeter defensive weaknesses in Magic and Shaq)?
At least ONE of them is going to be open every single possession.
Oh look, another straw man argument that isn't relevant and isn't even worth addressing. But since you brought it up:
Jordan v. '98 Pacers - 46.7 FG%
Kobe v. '00 Pacers - 36.7 FG%
Oh look, percentages that aren't even close to 60%.
Who said they wouldn't?
The problem here is, the team of Jordan-Kobe-LeBron-Magic-Shaq would fatigue as a unit, chasing my team around (long before my lineup would on defense), simply because they'd be exerting more energy constantly running around, especially trying to cover for Shaq. The OP Dream Team would predominately score in ISO (well, certainly to a much greater degree than my lineup), meaning not every player on my team would be exerting energy on every defensive trip, especially since in the scheme where all they'd need to focus on is keeping them out of the paint and force jump shots.
My team on defense = staying in front and funneling to help, sticking to their zones, forcing jump-shots, and providing resistance in 1v1s
OP Dream Team on defense = running around screens, endlessly, all the way out to the 3-pt line, and having to deal with constant ball and player movement
Now tell me, which team is going to need to cover more distance and exert more energy on the defensive end?
Now your statements are getting nonsensical. Can you please stop saying I'm assuming shyt that I'm not? It's one straw man after another with you.
There's one thing you must remember here, that is pivotal in weighing up the chemistry, performance, and effectiveness of both of these teams in an isolated series - every single player on my team doesn't need the ball to be effective, in fact, 3-4 of my players are arguably more effective without it. While MJ, Kobe, and LeBron (can't really include Magic in this equation since he wasn't really effective without it) could play without the ball, they weren't nearly as effective without it, compared to their counterparts.
Now this matters because there's obviously only one ball - what are MJ, Kobe, Magic, and Shaq doing when LeBron has the ball: Shaq would typically be down by the low-post, Magic would be drifting from the mid-post to the perimeter, and MJ and Kobe would either be cutting to the rim, or simply hanging out by the perimeter waiting for their turn to handle the ball - all with minimal floor spacing. You then replace LeBron, with all the other players having the ball and you get similar scenarios - players hanging around their usual spots, aimlessly, all with a lack of floor spacing. Now while they're all great individual players in their own right, their effectiveness decreases when they don't have the ball, whereas almost every player on my team's effectiveness stays at an even keel regardless if they have the ball or not; constantly running around until they get open.
No amount of BBIQ is going to change that. All those players are who they are, and their style of play isn't going to change suddenly because they're on the same team together.
You are because I already clarified I listed Klay in parentheses because I feel he's interchangeable with Ray and Reggie. It shouldn't be a point of contention, yet you're framing most of your argument around Reggie's defense, but at the same time acknowledging Klay is a capable defender. shyt, take Reggie out and we'll replace him with Klay, and my argument still stays exactly the same.
Except the OP says pick five players, it doesn't say pick five players and a bench too. There's a reason why Magic, Shaq, Kobe, LeBron and MJ are the only five players listed, and no others. How could you possibly believe we're picking bench players too, when there's absolutely nothing that suggests so?
How in the fukk are you even debating this point? Why? You're just embarrassing yourself now.
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Gil Scott-Heroin
Veteran
It's a simple equation here -
Curry's best postseason from behind the arc - 11 attempts at 42% across 17 games
Allen's best postseason from behind the arc - 6.6 attempts at 48% across 18 games
Reggie's best postseason from behind the arc - 7.5 attempts at 42% across 17 games
Or
Klay's best postseason from behind the arc - 9.6 attempts at 42% across 24 games
Durant's best postseason from behind the arc - 5.7 attempts at 44% across 15 games
Now that's around 31-33 three-point attempts between them (that's less than half of the last season's league field-goal attempts - 86 per game) and they're hitting them at roughly 43%, you don't think at their peaks, and playing next to each other (with less defensive attention, and more open looks than they've either had before) that they couldn't replicate those type of percentages, or even have similar percentages on greater volume?
Not only would the OP Dream Team be up against it trying to equalize their 3-pt production by having to make around 63% of their 2-pt shots, but they'd need to equalize all the high-percentage looks my lineup would be getting at the rim/in the paint due to the floor spacing. Because it only stands to reason that at least ONE of my players would be open on every possession, and it wouldn't always be behind the 3-pt line, it could be right at the rim (especially when Shaq is defending out on the perimeter).
Curry's best postseason from behind the arc - 11 attempts at 42% across 17 games
Allen's best postseason from behind the arc - 6.6 attempts at 48% across 18 games
Reggie's best postseason from behind the arc - 7.5 attempts at 42% across 17 games
Or
Klay's best postseason from behind the arc - 9.6 attempts at 42% across 24 games
Durant's best postseason from behind the arc - 5.7 attempts at 44% across 15 games
Now that's around 31-33 three-point attempts between them (that's less than half of the last season's league field-goal attempts - 86 per game) and they're hitting them at roughly 43%, you don't think at their peaks, and playing next to each other (with less defensive attention, and more open looks than they've either had before) that they couldn't replicate those type of percentages, or even have similar percentages on greater volume?
Not only would the OP Dream Team be up against it trying to equalize their 3-pt production by having to make around 63% of their 2-pt shots, but they'd need to equalize all the high-percentage looks my lineup would be getting at the rim/in the paint due to the floor spacing. Because it only stands to reason that at least ONE of my players would be open on every possession, and it wouldn't always be behind the 3-pt line, it could be right at the rim (especially when Shaq is defending out on the perimeter).
sportscribe
Superstar
Olajuwon
Duncan
Durant
Harden
Curry
Might be able to take that team to 7 games. Each of those guys are capable one on one scorers. If you double any of them, then Curry/KD/Harden will get open looks from three. Timmy D and Hakeem will have Bron thinking twice about driving to the paint. On paper the Jordan team is better, but I think they will struggle with spacing. Unlike the team I mentioned above, most of the players in the first post need the ball in their hands to be effective (with the exception of maybe Jordan). LeBron for sure isn't great at playing off the ball, and you're not going to turn Kobe into a spot up shooter. Magic definitely also needs touches to be a facilitator. That would limit LeBron's effectiveness on the floor. Shaq is the most dominant player in any era and will cause lots of problems of course, but you definitely wouldn't mind giving Magic Johnson and LeBron open looks from three. You can't say the same about KD and Curry.
Just my opinion.
Duncan
Durant
Harden
Curry
Might be able to take that team to 7 games. Each of those guys are capable one on one scorers. If you double any of them, then Curry/KD/Harden will get open looks from three. Timmy D and Hakeem will have Bron thinking twice about driving to the paint. On paper the Jordan team is better, but I think they will struggle with spacing. Unlike the team I mentioned above, most of the players in the first post need the ball in their hands to be effective (with the exception of maybe Jordan). LeBron for sure isn't great at playing off the ball, and you're not going to turn Kobe into a spot up shooter. Magic definitely also needs touches to be a facilitator. That would limit LeBron's effectiveness on the floor. Shaq is the most dominant player in any era and will cause lots of problems of course, but you definitely wouldn't mind giving Magic Johnson and LeBron open looks from three. You can't say the same about KD and Curry.
Just my opinion.