ndthentherewasx
El Capitan
Olajuwon
KG
KD
Kawhi
Pippen
KG
KD
Kawhi
Pippen
Assemble a starting 5 that can defeat this lineup.
- Thread starter Elim Garak
- Start date
Gil Scott-Heroin
Veteran
And this is the ONLY method that'll have a realistic chance of winning. You're not beating that team trading 2s with 2s. On that note:
Curry
Allen (or Klay, Miller)
Miller (or Klay, Allen)
Durant
DRob (or AD)
If we can keep the possession count relatively even, and throw Shaq's ass in a black hole of PnRs over and over - we winning.
Last edited:
OfTheCross
Veteran
Gil Scott-Heroin
Veteran
Just put a scheme in place that minimizes ball movement, and forces long 2s, and just let both of them jack up as many as their egos will let them; on the other end, put Magic and Shaq in endless PnRs and let it rain from behind the arc.
He Who Posts Well
Veteran
Wade
fifth column
Superstar
Dream c
AD pf
KD sf
Prime Ray Allen sg
Wardell pg
We
AD pf
KD sf
Prime Ray Allen sg
Wardell pg
We
Gil Scott-Heroin
Veteran
olajuwon
tim duncan
bird
gary payton
wade
also bron ain't giving up small forward to kobe so this team is
moreover, this team is really easy to beat....just have good interior defense and force them to shoot from the outside
How the hell are you going to say that team is "really easy to beat", and then put forward a lineup with only ONE shooter?
If you don't have shooting at the 1, 2 and 3 (you'll most probably need shooting at 1-4), then you ain't beating shyt. There's no combination of perimeter players in history that can match MJ, Kobe and LeBron as a collective when it comes to 2s, that's why you need to counter with perimeter players who take and make 3s at a high-volume - it's your only hope.
Field Marshall Bradley
Veteran
Penny
G Hill
KD
Duncan
Wilt
G Hill
KD
Duncan
Wilt
The God Poster
LWO representa
Easily Worst poster of 2018 candidate
The God Poster
LWO representa
I was going to say the team was unbeatable, but I realized the weaknesses.
Detroit knew that in 2004. You gotta get the alphas grumpy at each other. Shaq and LeBron are the most efficient scorers on that team, so they should get their touches, but Jordan and Kobe are both high-volume shooters who hate deferring. Jordan never played alongside anyone getting even 17 shots/game, Kobe through his prime never had another perimeter scorer who put up more than 14 shots/game. They're gonna be wanting to get theirs bad.
The second weakness is the lack of three-point shooting. There ain't a single elite three-baller in the whole squad. 3s are worth more than 2s. If the other team is hitting 40+% of their threes, you have to make 60+% of your own shots to keep up. That's not easy, especially if Kobe is pressing to get his.
So taking a page from the 2004 Pistons' playbook on defense and running the 1995 Rockets' system on offense, here's what you do.
Steph
Klay
Pippen
Durant
Hakeem
Hakeem will handle Shaq, Durant/Pippen/Klay have to take turns on LeBron (cause you always want to be giving him different looks on defense), Klay and Pippen take turns guarding Jordan. The secret is covering Kobe with Steph. Kobe KNOWS he can own Steph, especially shooting over him. But Kobe shooting from deep is pretty much the lowest-percentage play a team like that could possibly run, especially since Kobe is very streaky on the three-ball. So whoever is guarding Magic on any particular play is always going to be ready to help off of him if Kobe begins to post Steph up down low, and Hakeem/Durant will protect the rim just fine. Kobe gonna eat Steph up but he's going to be doing it all from outside. So even if Kobe averages 35ppg on 45% shooting and 35% from three, he's actually hurting his team because Jordan/LeBron/Shaq would all be way more efficient than that if they were getting the shots.
Meanwhile on offense, you've set yourself up ideally because Steph and Hakeem are great alpha scorers, but they can work the inside/outside game well and they both are great passers who don't mind giving the ball up at all. Pippen gives you a second ballhandler who is comfortable in a beta role and doesn't need to score (but who can if they try to hide a weak defender like Magic on him), while Klay and Durant are ultra-elite beta shooters who don't mind working off-ball and getting the shots they get.
Jordan and Kobe have to guard Steph and Klay so you tire them running around screens all day (more so Jordan, you almost WANT Kobe to expend his energy on offense), and no matter who Magic is guarding you force switches to put him on Steph and then just have Steph abuse him. Hakeem showed in the 1995 Finals that he can put up big numbers on Shaq, but he doesn't even need to with all those three-ball shooters. Shaq can score on Hakeem too, but he won't get dominant touches with Jordan/Kobe/LeBron on the same team.
It's all about the chemistry. I think my lineup has better chemistry and fewer weaknesses to exploit, and the three is worth more than two.
That's the exact reason that team WOULD have a chance at getting beat.
Detroit knew that in 2004. You gotta get the alphas grumpy at each other. Shaq and LeBron are the most efficient scorers on that team, so they should get their touches, but Jordan and Kobe are both high-volume shooters who hate deferring. Jordan never played alongside anyone getting even 17 shots/game, Kobe through his prime never had another perimeter scorer who put up more than 14 shots/game. They're gonna be wanting to get theirs bad.
The second weakness is the lack of three-point shooting. There ain't a single elite three-baller in the whole squad. 3s are worth more than 2s. If the other team is hitting 40+% of their threes, you have to make 60+% of your own shots to keep up. That's not easy, especially if Kobe is pressing to get his.
So taking a page from the 2004 Pistons' playbook on defense and running the 1995 Rockets' system on offense, here's what you do.
Steph
Klay
Pippen
Durant
Hakeem
Hakeem will handle Shaq, Durant/Pippen/Klay have to take turns on LeBron (cause you always want to be giving him different looks on defense), Klay and Pippen take turns guarding Jordan. The secret is covering Kobe with Steph. Kobe KNOWS he can own Steph, especially shooting over him. But Kobe shooting from deep is pretty much the lowest-percentage play a team like that could possibly run, especially since Kobe is very streaky on the three-ball. So whoever is guarding Magic on any particular play is always going to be ready to help off of him if Kobe begins to post Steph up down low, and Hakeem/Durant will protect the rim just fine. Kobe gonna eat Steph up but he's going to be doing it all from outside. So even if Kobe averages 35ppg on 45% shooting and 35% from three, he's actually hurting his team because Jordan/LeBron/Shaq would all be way more efficient than that if they were getting the shots.
Meanwhile on offense, you've set yourself up ideally because Steph and Hakeem are great alpha scorers, but they can work the inside/outside game well and they both are great passers who don't mind giving the ball up at all. Pippen gives you a second ballhandler who is comfortable in a beta role and doesn't need to score (but who can if they try to hide a weak defender like Magic on him), while Klay and Durant are ultra-elite beta shooters who don't mind working off-ball and getting the shots they get.
Jordan and Kobe have to guard Steph and Klay so you tire them running around screens all day (more so Jordan, you almost WANT Kobe to expend his energy on offense), and no matter who Magic is guarding you force switches to put him on Steph and then just have Steph abuse him. Hakeem showed in the 1995 Finals that he can put up big numbers on Shaq, but he doesn't even need to with all those three-ball shooters. Shaq can score on Hakeem too, but he won't get dominant touches with Jordan/Kobe/LeBron on the same team.
It's all about the chemistry. I think my lineup has better chemistry and fewer weaknesses to exploit, and the three is worth more than two.
Imyremeshaw
كن التغير الذي تريد أن تراه في العالم
Easy...
Michael Ray Richardson or Gary Payton
Scottie Pippen
KD or Julius Erving
Tim Duncan or Akeem Olajuwan (80's Akeem)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
All these players in there prime are definitely beating that team, bar none, Michael Ray or GP are the wild card that will go off but also defend against 6'9 Magic or JOrdan, who is going to defend Kareem or Duncan 2 of the most dominant post players that know how to play the right way
Michael Ray Richardson or Gary Payton
Scottie Pippen
KD or Julius Erving
Tim Duncan or Akeem Olajuwan (80's Akeem)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
All these players in there prime are definitely beating that team, bar none, Michael Ray or GP are the wild card that will go off but also defend against 6'9 Magic or JOrdan, who is going to defend Kareem or Duncan 2 of the most dominant post players that know how to play the right way