Which trio: 1987 vs 2001 vs 2016 vs 2022

[rand]

In a four team tournament against each other with modern refs/rules, which trio would you take? Assume the rest of each roster is filled out with random roleplayers and that all teams will have the benefit of a training camp and exhibition season to get acclimated to their rotations and the modern game.

1987: Magic/Jordan/Bird
2001: Kobe/Duncan/Shaq
2016: Curry/Kawhi/LeBron
2022: Curry/Giannis/Jokic

[70sFan]

I think 1986 doesn't belong, given that Jordan missed most of the season.

[rand]

I think 1986 doesn't belong, given that Jordan missed most of the season.

Good idea, I'll make it 1987.

Assume everyone is healthy for the balance of the season and all of the tournament.

[70sFan]

I think 1986 doesn't belong, given that Jordan missed most of the season.

Good idea, I'll make it 1987.

Assume everyone is healthy for the balance of the season and all of the tournament.

Now that makes everything significantly harder. To be honest, I just can't pick one trio here. I can't even choose the weakest one either.

[AdagioPace]

I think 1986 doesn't belong, given that Jordan missed most of the season.

Good idea, I'll make it 1987.

Assume everyone is healthy for the balance of the season and all of the tournament.

Now that makes everything significantly harder. To be honest, I just can't pick one trio here. I can't even choose the weakest one either.

I think 16 Kawhi is a tad (or more) weaker than all the other players here, even though peak Curry and peak Lebron balance things out

[rand]

Good idea, I'll make it 1987.

Assume everyone is healthy for the balance of the season and all of the tournament.

Now that makes everything significantly harder. To be honest, I just can't pick one trio here. I can't even choose the weakest one either.

I think 16 Kawhi is a tad (or more) weaker than all the other players here, even though peak Curry and peak Lebron balance things out

In a vacuum I agree but he's a perfect fit between Curry and LeBron. He works better between those two than 2001 Kobe for instance. But perhaps KD would have been a better selection.

[trelos6]

Why is Curry twice? Maybe change 2022 to Luka?

[rand]

Why is Curry twice? Maybe change 2022 to Luka?

They're such different formulations, plus Curry himself has changed a bit over these years. I wanted to see what others thought of this Curry alongside the two best 2022 players against a formidable 2016 combination.

[OdomFan]

Why fill the rest of the roster with role players? I'd imagine that it would be more fun for the leading trio picks to draft their own roster of guys from their own respective year to fill out the rest of the 12 man roster. Giving each of them 1 pick in 3 rounds.

Here's how I'd imagine it going down.

Team 1987
Round 1
Magic Johnson drafts Charles Barkley
Michael Jordan drafts Hakeem Olajuwon
Larry Bird drafts Isiah Thomas

Round 2
Magic Johnson drafts Karl Malone
Michael Jordan drafts Clyde Drexler
Larry Bird drafts John Stockton

Round 3
Magic Johnson drafts Dr J
Michael Jordan drafts Dominque Wilkins
Larry Bird drafts Kareem Abdul Jabbar

Team 2001
Round 1
Shaquille Oneal drafts Allen Iverson
Kobe Bryant drafts Kevin Garnett
Tim Duncan drafts Jason Kidd

Round 2
Shaquille Oneal drafts Dirk Nowitzki
Kobe Bryant drafts Vince Carter
Tim Duncan drafts Chris Webber

Round 3
Shaquille Oneal drafts Steve Nash
Kobe Bryant drafts Grant Hill
Tim Duncan drafts Dikembe Mutumbo

Team 2016
Round 1
Steph Curry drafts James Harden
Lebron drafts Kevin Durant
Kawhi drafts Paul George

Round 2
Steph Curry drafts Damarcus Cousins
Lebron drafts Carmelo Anthony
Kawhi drafts Chris Paul

Round 3
Steph Curry drafts Klay Thompson
Lebron drafts Jimmy Butler
Kawhi drafts Karl Anthony Towns

Team 2022
Round 1
Steph Curry drafts Dame Lillard
Giannis Antetokounmpo drafts Devin Booker
Nikola Jokic drafts Joel Embiid

Round 2
Steph Curry drafts Jayson Tatum
Giannis Antetokounmpo drafts Zion Williamson
Nikola Jokic drafts Luka Dončić

Round 3
Steph Curry drafts Lebron James
Giannis Antetokounmpo drafts Jimmy Butler
Nikola Jokic drafts Rudy Gobert

I'm choosing Team 1987

[Stan]

They’re talented enough to make it work, but I’ve never been a fan of a Magic/Jordan backcourt pairing.

[Colbinii]

Why fill the rest of the roster with role players? I'd imagine that it would be more fun for the leading trio picks to draft their own roster of guys from their own respective year to fill out the rest of the 12 man roster. Giving each of them 1 pick in 3 rounds.

Here's how I'd imagine it going down.

Team 1987
Round 1
Magic Johnson drafts Charles Barkley
Michael Jordan drafts Hakeem Olajuwon
Larry Bird drafts Isiah Thomas

Round 2
Magic Johnson drafts Karl Malone
Michael Jordan drafts Clyde Drexler
Larry Bird drafts John Stockton

Round 3
Magic Johnson drafts Dr J
Michael Jordan drafts Dominque Wilkins
Larry Bird drafts Kareem Abdul Jabbar

Team 2001
Round 1
Shaquille Oneal drafts Allen Iverson
Kobe Bryant drafts Kevin Garnett
Tim Duncan drafts Jason Kidd

Round 2
Shaquille Oneal drafts Dirk Nowitzki
Kobe Bryant drafts Vince Carter
Tim Duncan drafts Chris Webber

Round 3
Shaquille Oneal drafts Steve Nash
Kobe Bryant drafts Grant Hill
Tim Duncan drafts Dikembe Mutumbo

Team 2016
Round 1
Steph Curry drafts James Harden
Lebron drafts Kevin Durant
Kawhi drafts Paul George

Round 2
Steph Curry drafts Damarcus Cousins
Lebron drafts Carmelo Anthony
Kawhi drafts Chris Paul

Round 3
Steph Curry drafts Klay Thompson
Lebron drafts Jimmy Butler
Kawhi drafts Karl Anthony Towns

Team 2022
Round 1
Steph Curry drafts Dame Lillard
Giannis Antetokounmpo drafts Devin Booker
Nikola Jokic drafts Joel Embiid

Round 2
Steph Curry drafts Jayson Tatum
Giannis Antetokounmpo drafts Zion Williamson
Nikola Jokic drafts Luka Dončić

Round 3
Steph Curry drafts Lebron James
Giannis Antetokounmpo drafts Jimmy Butler
Nikola Jokic drafts Rudy Gobert

I'm choosing Team 1987

Team 2016 simply shoots 1987 out of the Gym.

You are also turning this into a "Which season fields the best team" which is very much not what this threads intent is.

[Colbinii]

I would go 2016.

The synergy between Curry and LeBron is the best out of all other duos. Then, on top of it, their 3rd option is a legitimate 3rd option and a dynamite fit offensively and defensively.

[OdomFan]

Why fill the rest of the roster with role players? I'd imagine that it would be more fun for the leading trio picks to draft their own roster of guys from their own respective year to fill out the rest of the 12 man roster. Giving each of them 1 pick in 3 rounds.

Here's how I'd imagine it going down.

Team 1987
Round 1
Magic Johnson drafts Charles Barkley
Michael Jordan drafts Hakeem Olajuwon
Larry Bird drafts Isiah Thomas

Round 2
Magic Johnson drafts Karl Malone
Michael Jordan drafts Clyde Drexler
Larry Bird drafts John Stockton

Round 3
Magic Johnson drafts Dr J
Michael Jordan drafts Dominque Wilkins
Larry Bird drafts Kareem Abdul Jabbar

Team 2001
Round 1
Shaquille Oneal drafts Allen Iverson
Kobe Bryant drafts Kevin Garnett
Tim Duncan drafts Jason Kidd

Round 2
Shaquille Oneal drafts Dirk Nowitzki
Kobe Bryant drafts Vince Carter
Tim Duncan drafts Chris Webber

Round 3
Shaquille Oneal drafts Steve Nash
Kobe Bryant drafts Grant Hill
Tim Duncan drafts Dikembe Mutumbo

Team 2016
Round 1
Steph Curry drafts James Harden
Lebron drafts Kevin Durant
Kawhi drafts Paul George

Round 2
Steph Curry drafts Damarcus Cousins
Lebron drafts Carmelo Anthony
Kawhi drafts Chris Paul

Round 3
Steph Curry drafts Klay Thompson
Lebron drafts Jimmy Butler
Kawhi drafts Karl Anthony Towns

Team 2022
Round 1
Steph Curry drafts Dame Lillard
Giannis Antetokounmpo drafts Devin Booker
Nikola Jokic drafts Joel Embiid

Round 2
Steph Curry drafts Jayson Tatum
Giannis Antetokounmpo drafts Zion Williamson
Nikola Jokic drafts Luka Dončić

Round 3
Steph Curry drafts Lebron James
Giannis Antetokounmpo drafts Jimmy Butler
Nikola Jokic drafts Rudy Gobert

I'm choosing Team 1987

Team 2016 simply shoots 1987 out of the Gym.

You are also turning this into a "Which season fields the best team" which is very much not what this threads intent is.

Well I was more so setting it up to how I think such a thing would look if it aired on Television. Each team representing their respective year but hey. Just my 2 cents.

[Colbinii]

Why fill the rest of the roster with role players? I'd imagine that it would be more fun for the leading trio picks to draft their own roster of guys from their own respective year to fill out the rest of the 12 man roster. Giving each of them 1 pick in 3 rounds.

Here's how I'd imagine it going down.

Team 1987
Round 1
Magic Johnson drafts Charles Barkley
Michael Jordan drafts Hakeem Olajuwon
Larry Bird drafts Isiah Thomas

Round 2
Magic Johnson drafts Karl Malone
Michael Jordan drafts Clyde Drexler
Larry Bird drafts John Stockton

Round 3
Magic Johnson drafts Dr J
Michael Jordan drafts Dominque Wilkins
Larry Bird drafts Kareem Abdul Jabbar

Team 2001
Round 1
Shaquille Oneal drafts Allen Iverson
Kobe Bryant drafts Kevin Garnett
Tim Duncan drafts Jason Kidd

Round 2
Shaquille Oneal drafts Dirk Nowitzki
Kobe Bryant drafts Vince Carter
Tim Duncan drafts Chris Webber

Round 3
Shaquille Oneal drafts Steve Nash
Kobe Bryant drafts Grant Hill
Tim Duncan drafts Dikembe Mutumbo

Team 2016
Round 1
Steph Curry drafts James Harden
Lebron drafts Kevin Durant
Kawhi drafts Paul George

Round 2
Steph Curry drafts Damarcus Cousins
Lebron drafts Carmelo Anthony
Kawhi drafts Chris Paul

Round 3
Steph Curry drafts Klay Thompson
Lebron drafts Jimmy Butler
Kawhi drafts Karl Anthony Towns

Team 2022
Round 1
Steph Curry drafts Dame Lillard
Giannis Antetokounmpo drafts Devin Booker
Nikola Jokic drafts Joel Embiid

Round 2
Steph Curry drafts Jayson Tatum
Giannis Antetokounmpo drafts Zion Williamson
Nikola Jokic drafts Luka Dončić

Round 3
Steph Curry drafts Lebron James
Giannis Antetokounmpo drafts Jimmy Butler
Nikola Jokic drafts Rudy Gobert

I'm choosing Team 1987

Team 2016 simply shoots 1987 out of the Gym.

You are also turning this into a "Which season fields the best team" which is very much not what this threads intent is.

Well I was more so setting it up to how I think such a thing would look if it aired on Television. Each team representing their respective year but hey. Just my 2 cents.

Air on television? How is that possible?

[OdomFan]

Team 2016 simply shoots 1987 out of the Gym.

You are also turning this into a "Which season fields the best team" which is very much not what this threads intent is.

Well I was more so setting it up to how I think such a thing would look if it aired on Television. Each team representing their respective year but hey. Just my 2 cents.

Air on television? How is that possible?

using my imagination.

[Cavsfansince84]

Good idea, I'll make it 1987.

Assume everyone is healthy for the balance of the season and all of the tournament.

Now that makes everything significantly harder. To be honest, I just can't pick one trio here. I can't even choose the weakest one either.

I think 16 Kawhi is a tad (or more) weaker than all the other players here, even though peak Curry and peak Lebron balance things out

I think in terms of being the #1 on a team I definitely agree but in terms of being the #3 he's really good. That was his best year as a 3pt shooter(which he'd be getting tons of shots with Curry/LeBron setting him up) and he's be arguably the best defender out of everyone outside of Duncan and maybe Giannis and he already had a working mid range game by then. Kawhi/LeBron defensively would be so hard for the other teams to deal with.

[Cavsfansince84]

I like the 2016 team slightly ahead of the 2022 team. It has no real holes with great 3 pt shooting, great attacking, great ball handling/playmaking and great defense. No other trio can quite match all of that. I think people might not realize how good of a 3 pt shooter Kawhi was that year either(44.3% on 4.0 attempts per game) while also being near his peak defensively.