'86 Celts (-Bird+'Bron) vs last years Warriors?

[Bobalob]

I'll make my stance easy, I'm favoring GS in any 7 game series vs any team not named 96 Bulls

[JordansBulls]

Celtics would destroy them as built already. Would be singing a different tune about these Warriors without the Kawhi injury.

[SinceGatlingWasARookie]

That team really lacked depth:

https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/BOS/1986.html

I'd still take the warriors if I had to put money on it.

It's an 8 player team with a coach that overplays his starters. OP says 1986 in the title and 1987 in the OP. 1987 had no depth.
The 8 guys in 1986 are good but Scott Wedman can't be getting injured in the finals.

The 1986 Celtics had 4 guys hitting 3s well enough to be given a green light from 3; but if you believe Bird's interview none of those 4 guys ever practiced 3 point shooting. The three point shooters were not shooting enough 3s to create modern floor spacing.

I have to pick the Warriors. 2017 Warriors team speed isn't all that good but 1986 Celtics team speed was down right bad. The Celtics were vulnerable to fast breaks.

Warriors 3 point shooting is so good and then the 3 point shooting combined with the passing creates so many easy drives to the rim in the half court offense. It is hard for any team to match the Warriors scoring.

LeBron for Bird helps the team speed but hurts the floor spacing. LeBron for Bird might make the team worse. Too bad DJ couldn't shoot. too bad Gerald Henderson was traded for the Len Bias pick or Henderson would have been on that team but my understanding is trading Henderson was as much about keeping payroll low as it was about getting a draft pick.

I pick the Warriors as the better team.

[SinceGatlingWasARookie]

Maybe I didn't really make my point clear here. It's not McHale against Draymond specifically, its McHale playing with today's rules which allow far more physical post defense today than in the mid 80's, and having to go up against Draymond on every possession.

McHale is a great player, but there is a reason no low post PFs exist in today's game, or rather look like NBA players against a team like GS. The rules are against it and the style of play most optimal in today's league advises against it.

Even if McHale still played well, unless he plays the greatest offensive series of his career I don't see how this even gets to 5-6 games.

Your point is wrong. The videos back up my assertion that your point is wrong. McHale would face weaker defense today then he faced in 1986 and 1990.

The 1986 Celtics were my home team. The 2017 Warriors are my home team. I moved. I know both these teams very well.

Good defense is not the reason there are no good low post scorers today. The paint is wide open today compared to 1986.

There are more touch fouls today. Look at how much contact the defenders make with McHale. LeBron would be begging for and ones on most of those shots. You say the defense is more physical today. You have it completely backwards. The defense is far less physical today.

The only change that favors post defense today is the legal zone. The 1986 help defenders were all arround McHale and had no fear of the illegal defense call because the refs never made the call. You would have to clear a side to get an illegal defense call and the 1986 Celtics never did that.

The modern three point shooting of the Cavaliers, Warriors, Rockets and most of the other NBA teams completely offsets whatever benefit the legal zone provides for help defenders.

The 1986 Celtics were more interested in getting the offensive rebound if McHale missed than the were interested in creating space for McHale. McHale did not need space. Just give McHale the ball in the post and let him do his thing.

Going up against Draymond all night...... I love Draymond but going up against Rodman, Salley, Mahorn and Laimbeer is a bigger challenge for McHale than going up against Draymond because those Pistons would physically beat on McHale in ways that are no longer legal. Draymond is great in a very Rodman like way. Rodman was no challenge to McHale. Rodman is too short and McHale can shoot over Rodman too easily. Draymond is slightly taller and is heavier than Rodman but Rodman is the better leaper. John Salley was a better choice to defend McHale than Rodman. For similar reasons I think Kevin Durant would have a better chance of defending McHale than Draymond would have. McHale would just shoot over Draymond. Durant has the potential to get a hand near McHale's release and that might disrupt McHale's rhythm. Draymond has been great at disrupting many players rhythm but he won't be able to bother McHale.

Post defense today is garbage because the help defenders are out guarding people at the 3 point line. Also the on the ball defensive fouls are called a little tighter today.

You and I agree that there is a reason why there are no great low post scorers today. You credit low post defense. I see crappy low post defense so I blame the developmental process of modern big men for the absense of quality low post scorers in the curren NBA.
In 1986 players did not practice 3 point shots and coaches did not encourage 3 point shooting and the 3 point shooting was bad. In 2017 players don't practice low post scoring and the coaches don't encourage low post scoring so the low post scoring is bad.

Your average 6' 10" guy today wants to play like LeBron or like Dirk or like Deandre Jordan and Blake Griffin. Nobody wants to be like Kevin McHale and Moses Malone.

Replace Tristan Thompson with McHale and the Cavaliers probably beat the 2017 Warriors.

[SinceGatlingWasARookie]

My Celtiliers Warriors killing no depth 8 man team from the 1986 Celtics and 2017 Cav
Nobody is allowed to get injured. Forget that wedman did get injured in 1986
Best qualities of each pair of players composite players

Parish and Channing Frye
Bill Walton and Kevin Love
McHale and Tristan Thompson
Bird and LeBron
Wedman and Kyle Korver
Ainge and Shumpert
Dennis Johnson and JR. Smith
Jerry Sichting and Kyrie Irving.

Jerry Sichting isn't a great player but he thinks like a point guard and is a pesky defender which is exactly what Kyrie is missing.

[70sFan]

To be fair, Durant is quite weak physicaly. He would have tough time against McHale. Then Draymond would have to guard Bird which isn't ideal either. Or Parish which is better but still far from perfect.