RealGM

Who wins in 7?

The Blazers were the better team. The only argument for the Knicks is basically just that they took an extra game off the Bulls, but that’s not a reliable measure of teams’ strength since it’s a small sample size of games and the same team doesn’t play equally well in all series. That said, this is a question for which the answer is always going to be one of probabilities, and I wouldn’t say the Knicks would have a 0% chance. It’s possible they could force a really slow tempo, highly defensive series and manage to pull out a series win. But the chances that the Blazers would win is much higher IMO.

If we’re assuming Portland gets homecourt, then probably Portland. The teams were actually pretty evenly matched up in the games they played against each other with a lot coming down to how many 15-18 footers Ewing could make. Neither team is any type of juggernaut, so this would be close.

homecourtloss wrote:If we’re assuming Portland gets homecourt, then probably Portland. The teams were actually pretty evenly matched up in the games they played against each other with a lot coming down to how many 15-18 footers Ewing could make. Neither team is any type of juggernaut, so this would be close.

This would depend on the time frame chosen.

If one chooses 90-92 whilst Drexler was prime and healthy, before Williams declines and whilst that team was circa their 1992 level (SRSes of 6.48, 8.47, 6.94 [down to 2.92 in 1993]) the Blazers win 5 of the 6 games scoring 671 points to New York's 632 (39 points difference or 6.5 per game).

It's a very small sample but then matchup data, especially cross conference in the modern era, is going to be. Still, I don't see anything there that contradicts the general data that the Blazers were just a better team at that time.

Edit: Granted the Knicks are weaker in 90 and 91 than 92, they don't have Riley those years, Starks and Mason aren't in the rotation (Mason isn't there yet) ... maybe there isn't a perfect window. I just felt there's a clear break after '92 where Portland go from being a team that could realistically, plausibly win titles to one where that's very unlikely.