Playoff Series you Wish had Happened

[LALifer49]

I always liked the 09 Nuggets team (they gave the Lakers a good fight), 09 Nuggets vs. Magic is a series I always wanted to see. What does a title as the man do for Dwight's legacy, where does it put him among centers like Ewing? What does a title do for melo, and a 2nd title for Billups?

09 LAL Cle also has to be up there for me

What's a PO matchup you always wanted to see?

[Statlanta]

Isn't it funny that guys like Dwight and Melo and maybe even D-Will got better supporting casts than a GOAT-level prospect like LeBron? There's gotta be some street cred for being the team to not allow LeBron v. Kobe in the Finals. Anyway both teams are deep and the key matchups would be Rashard/Martin and Billups/Alston or Jameer. If half injured Jameer plays it's another train wreck but I think both teams are deep not to sweep each other. Depends on who catches on fire more: Melo on Turkoglu or Dwight on Nene.

Bonus: All healthy 2015 LAC v. GSW, 2009 HOU v. LAL, 2007 DAL v. SAS,

[KobesScarf]

Nuggets in 6

I would of loved to have seen the 98 Bulls vs Lakers

[LALifer49]

Isn't it funny that guys like Dwight and Melo and maybe even D-Will got better supporting casts than a GOAT-level prospect like LeBron? There's gotta be some street cred for being the team to not allow LeBron v. Kobe in the Finals. Anyway both teams are deep and the key matchups would be Rashard/Martin and Billups/Alston or Jameer. If half injured Jameer plays it's another train wreck but I think both teams are deep not to sweep each other. Depends on who catches on fire more: Melo on Turkoglu or Dwight on Nene.

Bonus: All healthy 2015 LAC v. GSW, 2009 HOU v. LAL, 2007 DAL v. SAS,

Yeah I woulda liked to see LAC vs GSW 2015, really thought clips could win after they beat Spurs and were up 3-1 on rockets. 2009 Hou vs LAL did happen. Altho if you mean healthy rockets with healthy tmac and yao then yeah playing the tmac yao artest(he was still artest back then) trio would have been a classic series. Shame we never got Kobe vs Tmac and Bron vs Wade playoff series.

[70sFan]

1962 Warriors vs Lakers - imagine Baylor vs Wilt stats battle (remember, Baylor averaged 40 ppg against Celtics in finals that year).

1995 Spurs vs Magic (both Shaq and David near their peaks, would be great battle).

1993 Rockets vs Bulls - I think Rockets could beat Bulls and Hakeem would outplay Jordan

2008 Spurs vs Celtics - would be epic to watch Garnett vs Duncan duel, as well as Gino vs Ray, Parker vs Rondo.

[Side beard]

09 Lakers v Lebrons

[rich316]

Pistons v. Pacers, 2005 Eastern Conference Finals. It would have been an epic series, too bad the Malice in the Palace happened. The Pacers looked like the best team in the league before the brawl, I think they would have beaten the Pistons in a close, extremely competitive series.

[Quotatious]

1962 Warriors vs Lakers - imagine Baylor vs Wilt stats battle (remember, Baylor averaged 40 ppg against Celtics in finals that year).

1995 Spurs vs Magic (both Shaq and David near their peaks, would be great battle).

1993 Rockets vs Bulls - I think Rockets could beat Bulls and Hakeem would outplay Jordan

2008 Spurs vs Celtics - would be epic to watch Garnett vs Duncan duel, as well as Gino vs Ray, Parker vs Rondo.

Agree about all of those. I also believe the Rockets would've had a great chance to beat the Bulls in 1993. Hakeem was a matchup nightmare for Chicago, I actually think Vernon Maxwell would have more success against MJ (he was one of just a few guys capable of getting into Michael's head), than Cartwright, Williams, King or Perdue against Olajuwon, and it's arguable that 1993 Hakeem and Jordan would be the best pair of players ever to meet in the NBA finals in the same season. If there's anybody talented enough and tough enough mentally to beat prime Jordan in a playoff series, it's Hakeem.

Watch on YouTube

It's just a RS game, but it shows exactly why Hakeem was able to dominate the Bulls that year.

Bulls vs Rockets in 1997 would be very fun, too. Jordan/Pippen/Rodman vs Drexler/Barkley/Hakeem, ridiculous amount of star players. Basketball is a game of matchups, and to be honest, I think the Rockets could be just as much of a challenge for the Bulls as the Jazz were. Hakeem was great in '97 playoffs, still had his way against the Bulls that year in RS. I think Jordan definitely outplays Drexler and Rodman does a very good job against Barkley, but Hakeem's dominance over the Bulls bigs would've made up for a lot of that.

Celtics vs Spurs would've been a lot of fun, too. Pierce vs Bowen would be another great matchup. Even in 2012, it would still be a great series, with older versions of both teams.

[FuShengTHEGreat]

The Sacramento Kings vs the Nets in 2002. That Kings team deserved a title. They're somewhat like the 90-92 Blazers.....wildly entertaining well balanced teams that just couldn't overcome GOATs in the playoffs. Although imo they were jobbed by the refs.....it didn't help that Webber reverted to his Michigan vs UNC 93 Finals form or that Peja choked. Once Kobe was put on Bibby it was curtains.


I'd say even the Spurs as well could've beaten those 02 Nets in the Finals.

[JulesWinnfield]

I grew up a 90s Knicks fan so I'm biased, but 1997 Knicks vs Bulls. Knicks got screwed by the bench suspensions vs Miami in the round prior. It would have been a way better ECF than heat-Bulls was. Knicks always played the Bulls tough, that season they split 2-2 with them and their 2 losses were by a combined 3 points. Knicks beat them at the end of the season in game 82 that year at the United Center to stop them from winning 70 games back to back. The Bulls were motivated big time to play that game which was televised nationally on nbc, and the Knicks spoiled their 70 win party on their floor

The Bulls would have surely been favored but I give the Knicks a punchers chance. Before the bench suspensions in the Miami series I felt the Knicks were gelling into the best team they had in the Ewing era. Even better than 93 or 94 with the way Allan Houston had been coming into his own as a 2nd scorer to Patrick after a slower start to the year adjusting to new surroundings..(19.2 ppg on .583 ts% that postseason). Ewing was still in his prime and now had a sidekick who could be relied upon offensively, the team was still great on defense. That was the last season of prime Ewing as he broke his wrist the next year.

[Zasterror]

Wade vs. LeBron, nuff said

[JordansBulls]

1962 Warriors vs Lakers - imagine Baylor vs Wilt stats battle (remember, Baylor averaged 40 ppg against Celtics in finals that year).

1995 Spurs vs Magic (both Shaq and David near their peaks, would be great battle).

1993 Rockets vs Bulls - I think Rockets could beat Bulls and Hakeem would outplay Jordan

2008 Spurs vs Celtics - would be epic to watch Garnett vs Duncan duel, as well as Gino vs Ray, Parker vs Rondo.

Hakeem in no shape or form would outplay Jordan, get real. Jordan was better statistically than Hakeem in the season and playoffs that year as well and then averaged 35 ppg for the playoffs.

[JordansBulls]

Wade vs. LeBron, nuff said

Yep in 2007 for sure

[BenoUdrihFTL]

'93 Bulls vs Rockets
'05 Spurs vs Heat

[Texas Chuck]

Personally I wish Dirk vs KG had happened more than once.
Spurs v Warriors this past season

[RightToCensor]

I really wanted to see the Kobe Bryant LA Lakers vs. The Lob City Clippers

[JustNBATingz]

Orlando v Toronto 01 (Tmac Vs Carter)
Lakers v Clev 09 (Kobe v LBJ)
OKC V Clev 16 (Durant v LBJ 2)