Isiah v. Steph on Bad Boys

[Laimbeer]

In that era with those rules and that team, who's your pick?

[Spider156]

Isiah is so underrated it's ridiculous. Guy was so talented in so many ways. I'd like to see what happens if Jordan guarded Curry lol. Maybe Dumars guarding Curry? Curry is just a supertalent on the offensive side, best shooter the NBA has seen. In terms of defense, he's not one of the greater defenders in the league.

[flow]

Isiah was the heart & soul of that team. Sounds cliche, but it's true. Take him off, and they probably never become the Bad Boys. So I'd have to take Isiah.

.

[Notanoob]

Both Curry and Zeke were the worst defenders in their respective starting lineups, both were prone to turning the ball over, but Steph is super-efficient while Zeke was decidedly not. Curry will just avoid the hell out of the paint and stick to his ridiculous jumper and win the matchup that way.

Seriously, Steph is a 2x MVP and Zeke never did better than 5th place (and this was before everyone hated him, after that he has no case for MVP, even if he wasn't going up against Magic and Jordan every season).

[mercury]

The physical play would effect Curry... not gonna make any wild assumptions but I would pay good money to watch the matchup.

[RexRyan]

Great question as usual, Lambs. Because of the era, Steph would indirectly cause more brawls than any player in NBA history. He'd hit a couple thirty footers, the opponent would try to bloody him up, then Laimbeer, Mahorn and crew would retaliate.

Curry would cause the entire league to change how defense is played - there was very little defending the three point line back then, let alone Curry's range. My vote's Curry

[Dirtgrain]

Isiah was a scrappy, great defender when his team needed his leadership. They came back from so many double-digit gaps, and he would be the one to turn it on defensively, motivating his teammates to step it up. He got a bad rap as a defender maybe because there were so many great ones around him--and Magic Johnson (what point guard could cover him? Although we put other players on him, too). He driving, finishing, and dishing abilities were great. He was psycho about winning, throwing a number of hissy fits, but it revealed why he was able to lead the Bad Boys to championships. Curry, as great as he is, with his unanimous MVP, would not fit the Bad Boys nearly as well as Isiah.

[mattao313]

That team was build around Thomas and his strengths Curry is different player but better imo. Also idk if Coach would let Curry shoot so many 3s. This question would be better if it was Chris Paul v. Isiah Thomas.

[Cowology]

Hard to say because nobody really knows how tough Steph is. Might be that he's got some Zeke or Iverson in him; would take the hit, get up and go at you again. Or might be that he ends up in a wheel chair. Hard to tell a guys metal when he's never been through the crucible.

I go with Zeke simply because he's the known quantity in that era and I don't have to guess or speculate. No disprespect to Steph, but if we're gonna play the era game then is there anybody who could actually stop Zeke without handchecking or bodying him up?

[flow]

That team was build around Thomas and his strengths Curry is different player but better imo. Also idk if Coach would let Curry shoot so many 3s. This question would be better if it was Chris Paul v. Isiah Thomas.

My answer would be exactly the same. Chris Paul is Isiah 2.0, but minus everything that made Isiah the leader of the bad boys and a champion.

[DBC10]

Yeah have fun checking Curry as soon as he crosses half court for 40 mins a night. Literally no player back in the day did that like how some defense are guarding Curry now. He'd drop 50 on the first game if he played against Zeke because they wouldn't adapt on the fly well. Dumars or someone with length to bother would have to check him.

People also underrate Curry's finishing ability near the paint. The guy has one of the meanest high glass floaters in the game.

[bjones521]

Yeah have fun checking Curry as soon as he crosses half court for 40 mins a night. Literally no player back in the day did that like how some defense are guarding Curry now. He'd drop 50 on the first game if he played against Zeke because they wouldn't adapt on the fly well. Dumars or someone with length to bother would have to check him.

People also underrate Curry's finishing ability near the paint. The guy has one of the meanest high glass floaters in the game.

Wow I disagree with this 100% Hand checking was ok back then. You touch Curry its a foul call. The fact that Curry has such a fast release makes him deadly bc he can create space from screens ect. Curry won't be able to create that space back then. Players will just grab him, hold on to him. I think A, C, And D help GSW out A lot!

"2002: The following rules were implemented to limit defenses.

A. No contact with either hands or forearms by defenders except in the frontcourt below the free throw line extended in which case the defender may use his forearm only.
B. Neither the offensive player nor the defender will be allowed to dislodge or displace a player who has legally obtained a position. (They might as well have named this one "The Shaq Rule.")
C. Defender may not use his forearm, shoulder, hip or hand to reroute or hold-up an offensive player going from point A to Point B or one who is attempting to come around a legal screen set by another offensive player.
D. Slowing or impeding the progress of the screener by grabbing, clutching, holding “chucking” or “wrapping up” is prohibited."

[Canadafan]

^^glad you said it. Steph is half the player he is now, if he was playing on the bad boys. Isiah is damn near twice the player he was, if he played in this Era.

[Pharaoh]

Yeah have fun checking Curry as soon as he crosses half court for 40 mins a night. Literally no player back in the day did that like how some defense are guarding Curry now. He'd drop 50 on the first game if he played against Zeke because they wouldn't adapt on the fly well. Dumars or someone with length to bother would have to check him.

People also underrate Curry's finishing ability near the paint. The guy has one of the meanest high glass floaters in the game.

Wow I disagree with this 100% Hand checking was ok back then. You touch Curry its a foul call. The fact that Curry has such a fast release makes him deadly bc he can create space from screens ect. Curry won't be able to create that space back then. Players will just grab him, hold on to him. I think A, C, And D help GSW out A lot!

"2002: The following rules were implemented to limit defenses.

A. No contact with either hands or forearms by defenders except in the frontcourt below the free throw line extended in which case the defender may use his forearm only.
B. Neither the offensive player nor the defender will be allowed to dislodge or displace a player who has legally obtained a position. (They might as well have named this one "The Shaq Rule.")
C. Defender may not use his forearm, shoulder, hip or hand to reroute or hold-up an offensive player going from point A to Point B or one who is attempting to come around a legal screen set by another offensive player.
D. Slowing or impeding the progress of the screener by grabbing, clutching, holding “chucking” or “wrapping up” is prohibited."

A, C, D and the illegal defense changes are what has made the league what it is today...

In saying that we don't know what Curry would be if he grew up back then and played in that era...

So IMO you gotta take the known over the unknowable:

Zeke!

[Warspite]

No way Isiah plays as bad as Steph in this series.

[Manocad]

Steph developed his game around changes in defensive rules to create more offense. His game translates to this era only. Having a game that can tear through tough defense translates to any era.

Isiah gets my vote.

[MrBigShot]

Tough question honestly. Put Steph in 1990 and I think he would be every bit as good back then as he is now. Larry Bird was an unathletic white guy with a silky smooth stroke and he tore up defenses with regularity. Steph would have to adjust to dealing with the physicality, but ultimately he's so skilled I still think he'd dominate.

I think while defenses have made advances since the Bad Boys era, I think it is easier for perimeter players because of the lack of hand checking. It is so easy for quick perimeter players like Kyrie, Steph, Westbrook ect...to blow past their defenders. Realistically, there is nobody in the league that can consistently keep Westbrook in front of them. Drop Isiah into the present and I think his efficiency would skyrocket, as he'd incorporate the 3pointer into his game more (and put more time into improving it) and he'd get to the line at will.

The intangibles that Isiah brings are also crucial to take into account (something I think most stat heads would overlook). Wouldn't fault anyone for going with Steph, but at the end of the day the Bad Boys were a phantom foul away from threepeating. If it ain't broke don't fix it. isiah.

[Dirtgrain]

Larry Bird was an unathletic white guy with a silky smooth stroke and he tore up defenses with regularity.

I agree with most of what you said--but not this. He was a great athlete in some ways--quick-footed for his size (at least in that era). No, he did not explode off the ground like Dominique, but he could drive around a player as well as Lebron James, maybe.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVSI1_eVuhs[/youtube]