2023 Nuggets vs 2001 Lakers

[rand]

With modern coaching/rules/refs which team wins in a 7 game series, the 2023 Nuggets or the 2001 Lakers. The Lakers get a full offseason, preseason and regular season through which to adjust to the modern game.

2023 Nuggets
Jamal Murray / Reggie Jackson
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope / Bruce Brown
Michael Porter Jr / Christian Braun
Aaron Gordon / Jeff Green
Nikola Jokic / DeAndre Jordan

2001 Lakers
Derek Fisher / Ron Harper
Kobe Bryant / Tyronn Lue
Rick Fox / Brian Shaw
Robert Horry / Devean George
Shaquille O'Neal / Horace Grant

[One_and_Done]

Shaq would match up well with Jokic, but Kobe and the inefficient style of the team generally would hold them back against a modern opponent. Nuggets in 4.

[bigboi]

Lmao

[Wallace_Wallace]

O'Neal and Jokic would be must see TV, and I believe they would feature DeAndre Jordan more in order to preserve Jokic's energy. The Jamal Murray/Nikola Jokic pick and roll would be a problem due Shaq's tendency to go under, Murray and Jokic would have open looks from midrange (Jokic shoots an extremely accurate floater around the foul line). The best way to defend Shaq is to make him defend so it compromises his stamina. He was never in the best shape, playing in Denver would absolutely make a dent on his physical condition especially if the series were to drag on to 6 or 7 games.

Out of respect for Shaq and Kobe, I would say Nuggets in 6

[f4p]

well, the entire story of the 2001 lakers is their utter dominance in the playoffs, where basically everybody was firing on all cylinders, shaq putting up 30/15, kobe having his best playoffs ever, fisher shooting like 70+% on 3's in some series, everybody on the team is basically a +11 when on the court. so if "2001 lakers" means the team that shredded everybody in the playoffs and not just a random tuesday from february, then they are easily handling the nuggets and probably most any team ever. just like random 0.500 teams can go on 8 game winning streaks during the season, stylistic differences aren't making up for just plain playing as well as possible. they beat an 8 SRS spurs team by 22 points per game. the nuggets set what may be an unbreakable record in the 16-team playoff era by only beating a combined 2.3 SRS in their playoff run. and unless the nuggets plan on getting jokic in foul trouble, they have no one remotely of shaq's size to guard him competently (DAJ at his age isn't getting it done). so no, shaq having trouble guarding the PnR isn't going to make up for a 2-superstar team playing with both stars at their peaks and the role players being on fire.

[PaulieWal]

Shaq would match up well with Jokic, but Kobe and the inefficient style of the team generally would hold them back against a modern opponent. Nuggets in 4.

Even if you think Nuggets win this match-up, I'd say saying Nuggets in 4 is clearly meant to elicit a negative response from other posters since it's so outside the realm of a reasonable take or analysis.

[Narigo]

Lakers in 5 or 6. Lakers has two top 15 players all-time on their team with better depth with Harper and Grant

[An Unbiased Fan]

2001 76ers vs 2023 Nuggets is a better matchup, especially Iverson in today's type of league

[Matt15]

Lakers in 6

[One_and_Done]

Shaq would match up well with Jokic, but Kobe and the inefficient style of the team generally would hold them back against a modern opponent. Nuggets in 4.

Even if you think Nuggets win this match-up, I'd say saying Nuggets in 4 is clearly meant to elicit a negative response from other posters since it's so outside the realm of a reasonable take or analysis.

It's not only reasonable, it's a foregone conclusion. How many 3s did the 01 Lakers shoot? At what %? That sort of answers your question right there. I'd take Shsq over Jokic, but the Lakers are getting blown out.

[An Unbiased Fan]

Shaq would match up well with Jokic, but Kobe and the inefficient style of the team generally would hold them back against a modern opponent. Nuggets in 4.

Even if you think Nuggets win this match-up, I'd say saying Nuggets in 4 is clearly meant to elicit a negative response from other posters since it's so outside the realm of a reasonable take or analysis.

It's not only reasonable, it's a foregone conclusion. How many 3s did the 01 Lakers shoot? At what %? That sort of answers your question right there. I'd take Shsq over Jokic, but the Lakers are getting blown out.

2001 Lakers shot 38.6% from 3pt in the playoffs.......2023 Nuggets shot 37.5% from 3pt. So even by that metric the Lakers are better

[Colbinii]

Even if you think Nuggets win this match-up, I'd say saying Nuggets in 4 is clearly meant to elicit a negative response from other posters since it's so outside the realm of a reasonable take or analysis.

It's not only reasonable, it's a foregone conclusion. How many 3s did the 01 Lakers shoot? At what %? That sort of answers your question right there. I'd take Shsq over Jokic, but the Lakers are getting blown out.

2001 Lakers shot 38.6% from 3pt in the playoffs.......2023 Nuggets shot 37.5% from 3pt. So even by that metric the Lakers are better

Lakers shot 16 3PA/G in the post-season.

The Nuggets shot 30 3PA/G in the post-season.

I doubt the Lakers are better when shooting twice as many 3PA

[Dr Positivity]

I'll take the team that went 16-1

[One_and_Done]

Even if you think Nuggets win this match-up, I'd say saying Nuggets in 4 is clearly meant to elicit a negative response from other posters since it's so outside the realm of a reasonable take or analysis.

It's not only reasonable, it's a foregone conclusion. How many 3s did the 01 Lakers shoot? At what %? That sort of answers your question right there. I'd take Shsq over Jokic, but the Lakers are getting blown out.

2001 Lakers shot 38.6% from 3pt in the playoffs.......2023 Nuggets shot 37.5% from 3pt. So even by that metric the Lakers are better

On what volume? On what degree of difficulty? How bout the RS? I'll wait.

[Cavsfansince84]

I'd lean Lakers mainly because of the Kobe v Murray match up. I think Kobe keeps Murray from going off while Kobe likely has a strong series. Plus the Lakers had some other good defenders to match up with Gordon and MPJ.

[An Unbiased Fan]

It's not only reasonable, it's a foregone conclusion. How many 3s did the 01 Lakers shoot? At what %? That sort of answers your question right there. I'd take Shsq over Jokic, but the Lakers are getting blown out.

2001 Lakers shot 38.6% from 3pt in the playoffs.......2023 Nuggets shot 37.5% from 3pt. So even by that metric the Lakers are better

On what volume? On what degree of difficulty? How bout the RS? I'll wait.

Well, the degree of difficulty shooting in 2001 was much tougher than the current level of defense we see

[One_and_Done]

2001 Lakers shot 38.6% from 3pt in the playoffs.......2023 Nuggets shot 37.5% from 3pt. So even by that metric the Lakers are better

On what volume? On what degree of difficulty? How bout the RS? I'll wait.

Well, the degree of difficulty shooting in 2001 was much tougher than the current level of defense we see

The degree of difficulty shooting 3s was much easier in 01, because nobody guarded them properly. The quality of perimeter defenders was considerably worse too.

[xb3at band1tx]

give me the 2nd greatest team of all time over denver

[An Unbiased Fan]

On what volume? On what degree of difficulty? How bout the RS? I'll wait.

Well, the degree of difficulty shooting in 2001 was much tougher than the current level of defense we see

The degree of difficulty shooting 3s was much easier in 01, because nobody guarded them properly. The quality of perimeter defenders was considerably worse too.

I can't tell if you're being serious right now, or too young to have watch the NBA in that era. Perimeter defense was >>>>>> than the current era.

[One_and_Done]

Well, the degree of difficulty shooting in 2001 was much tougher than the current level of defense we see

The degree of difficulty shooting 3s was much easier in 01, because nobody guarded them properly. The quality of perimeter defenders was considerably worse too.

I can't tell if you're being serious right now, or too young to have watch the NBA in that era. Perimeter defense was >>>>>> than the current era.

Every serious analyst or coach, from SVG to Nate Duncan, would laugh at you for thinking perimeter D was tougher in 2001. These days your four is what used to be a three in 01. 2001 fours would be slow as molasses compared to today's 3s. Big, slow 5s have also mostly vanished. There are a few left, but they play more limited roles mostly, and tend to get played off the court deeper in the playoffs. The quality of players on average is much higher too. KG is just one of many players to speak eloquently about it, but it's the logic that shows it, not what ex-players think.