How good would the 80s Warriors have been without JBC?

Post #1 » by **penbeast0** » Wed Oct 9, 2019 2:08 pm

If Red Auerbach hadn't fleeced the Warriors for Robert Parish and Kevin McHale for the defenseless Joe Barry Carroll, how good could they have been through the 80s.

In the 81-85 period alone, they would have had lineups that included:

Parish (Lorenzo Brown)
McHale/Larry Smith
Bernard King/Sam Williams
Purvis Short/World B Free
Sleepy Floyd/Lester Connor (Lorenzo Romar)

Is that enough to beat the Showtime Lakers in the playoffs? Consistently? At least once?

wojoaderge · Post #2 » by **wojoaderge** » Wed Oct 9, 2019 4:00 pm

penbeast0 wrote:If Red Auerbach hadn't fleeced the Warriors for Robert Parish and Kevin McHale for the defenseless Joe Barry Carroll, how good could they have been through the 80s.

In the 81-85 period alone, they would have had lineups that included:

Parish (Lorenzo Brown)
McHale/Larry Smith
Bernard King/Sam Williams
Purvis Short/World B Free
Sleepy Floyd/Lester Connor (Lorenzo Romar)

Is that enough to beat the Showtime Lakers in the playoffs? Consistently? At least once?

Bernard King and Sleepy Floyd couldn't have been on the same team as they were basically traded for each other. Also, you might as well make Jeff Ruland the backup center instead of Rickey Brown if we're playing what if. Sam Williams was a PF. No way Short starts over World.

Owly · Post #3 » by **Owly** » Wed Oct 9, 2019 4:31 pm

wojoaderge wrote:
penbeast0 wrote:If Red Auerbach hadn't fleeced the Warriors for Robert Parish and Kevin McHale for the defenseless Joe Barry Carroll, how good could they have been through the 80s.

In the 81-85 period alone, they would have had lineups that included:

Parish (Lorenzo Brown)
McHale/Larry Smith
Bernard King/Sam Williams
Purvis Short/World B Free
Sleepy Floyd/Lester Connor (Lorenzo Romar)

Is that enough to beat the Showtime Lakers in the playoffs? Consistently? At least once?

Bernard King and Sleepy Floyd couldn't have been on the same team as they were basically traded for each other. Also, you might as well make Jeff Ruland the backup center instead of Rickey Brown if we're playing what if. Sam Williams was a PF. No way Short starts over World.

To make it clear, King was traded for Michael Ray Richardson who was in turn traded for Floyd and Mickey Johnson. Obviously you can only have one generation of those trade pieces.

Post #4 » by **penbeast0** » Wed Oct 9, 2019 6:48 pm

No worries, different iterations are fine. And, with that many good scorers, I'd take Purvis and his rainbow jumper over World and his great foul draw for the defense and off ball movement. If all are healthy, I'd use King, Short, and Free as the wing rotation with Sam Williams providing an offense/defense combo off the bench for the bigs though he was a combo forward who could play SF if needed.

You are right about the King/MRR/Floyd deals, so ignore Floyd and use Lester Conners, with Romar (and Free) as backups. Free will get a chance to score more without 3 other primary scorers in the starting lineup with him so I prefer him as instant offense off the bench considering the talent on the team.

wojoaderge · Post #5 » by **wojoaderge** » Wed Oct 9, 2019 7:03 pm

In this fantastical scenario, I would restore Mr. Mean to the starting lineup and bring McHale off the bench and a la the Celtics. There's not enough room inside with King and Parish there

Post #6 » by **penbeast0** » Wed Oct 9, 2019 7:07 pm

wojoaderge wrote:In this fantastical scenario, I would restore Mr. Mean to the starting lineup and bring McHale off the bench and a la the Celtics. There's not enough room inside with King and Parish there

Was out in the Bay Area during those years. Loved Larry Smith (and Purvis Short). But McHale is just too good to come off the bench for long. He's not Manu or Bobby Jones; no one else of that caliber has stayed a bench player once they establish their level.

wojoaderge · Post #7 » by **wojoaderge** » Wed Oct 9, 2019 7:13 pm

penbeast0 wrote:
wojoaderge wrote:In this fantastical scenario, I would restore Mr. Mean to the starting lineup and bring McHale off the bench and a la the Celtics. There's not enough room inside with King and Parish there

Was out in the Bay Area during those years. Loved Larry Smith (and Purvis Short). But McHale is just too good to come off the bench for long. He's not Manu or Bobby Jones; no one else of that caliber has stayed a bench player once they establish their level.

Sure, but he didn't become a full-time starter until 85-86. Put him in starting lineup when King tears up his knee.