Which team in history would best defend 2017 Golden State's offense?

[RCM88x]

Perhaps a healthy 2022 Celtics are an answer here? Part of me questions using older teams, its just too big of an adjustment to project I think.

I feel like some the older teams have great personnel for it though.

Like I think 04 Pistons have a bunch of long switchy defenders and Ben Wallace in the middle who was both an elite rim protector and super quick and mobile.

I mean obviously they’d need to make some strategic adjustments, but the players they have seem more than capable of it.

Now offense is a different question.

With old teams, perhaps in theory they can matchup. But I believe the simple shock value of their offensive style for any old team would be too hard to overcome. Guys would have to completely re learn how to play on the fly and completely change their approach and philosophy, hard to do.

With current teams that adjustment doesn't really exist.

[Im Your Father]

Perhaps a healthy 2022 Celtics are an answer here? Part of me questions using older teams, its just too big of an adjustment to project I think.

I feel like some the older teams have great personnel for it though.

Like I think 04 Pistons have a bunch of long switchy defenders and Ben Wallace in the middle who was both an elite rim protector and super quick and mobile.

I mean obviously they’d need to make some strategic adjustments, but the players they have seem more than capable of it.

Now offense is a different question.

With old teams, perhaps in theory they can matchup. But I believe the simple shock value of their offensive style for any old team would be too hard to overcome. Guys would have to completely re learn how to play on the fly and completely change their approach and philosophy, hard to do.

With current teams that adjustment doesn't really exist.

Isn’t that like the whole point of this board though?

[Warriors Analyst]

Current Bucks is a good call. Going super-big with any two of Giannis/Portis/Lopez is a good way to beat the Warriors up on the offensive glass and slow down their transition game. Unlike the 2015 Cavs, who crushed the Warriors on the offensive glass, that Bucks' team CAN space the floor enough to stay big.

[RCM88x]

I feel like some the older teams have great personnel for it though.

Like I think 04 Pistons have a bunch of long switchy defenders and Ben Wallace in the middle who was both an elite rim protector and super quick and mobile.

I mean obviously they’d need to make some strategic adjustments, but the players they have seem more than capable of it.

Now offense is a different question.

With old teams, perhaps in theory they can matchup. But I believe the simple shock value of their offensive style for any old team would be too hard to overcome. Guys would have to completely re learn how to play on the fly and completely change their approach and philosophy, hard to do.

With current teams that adjustment doesn't really exist.

Isn’t that like the whole point of this board though?

Okay, sure, to some extent. But like in any experiment the number of variables you can minimize is important. Picking up a player and putting him in a completely different era & style of play is a very big one. It's hard to really feel any confidence with that big a jump.

But taking people who we've already seen in similar or identical situations, that minimizes your variables considerably, so I feel much more comfortable putting a team like that forward here. Less of a jump, if you will.