Hakeem Olajuwon/Draymond Green vs. David Robinson/Bill Russell

[AStark1991]

With all of them at their respective peaks, which frontcourt duo would you prefer to build a team around in the current league?

[70sFan]

You should always take the GOAT.

[Modulate]

You should always take the GOAT.

Exactly. It doesn't matter who his teammate is...

you gotta go with Draymond.

[Basileus777]

I like the Hakeem/Green duo better on offense, Drob is going to have to be the volume scorer here and he struggled to do that in the postseason.

[70sFan]

I like the Hakeem/Green duo better on offense, Drob is going to have to be the volume scorer here and he struggled to do that in the postseason.

Yeah, the offensive fit is clunky for Russell and Robinson. That's the main problem here, although I wouldn't call Green and Hakeem offensive fit particularly good either.

[One_and_Done]

D.Rob is shackled to a duplicative player who wouldn't be a star today, so this is easily Hakeem/Green.

[trex_8063]

I like the Hakeem/Green duo better on offense, Drob is going to have to be the volume scorer here and he struggled to do that in the postseason.

Yeah, the offensive fit is clunky for Russell and Robinson. That's the main problem here, although I wouldn't call Green and Hakeem offensive fit particularly good either.

wrt the bolded, I'm not sure if your meaning is that Hakeem does better with a PF who can space the floor better [true, imo]. But OP does stipulate at their peaks......

At his peak ['16], Draymond was 38.8% on 3.2 3PA/game in the rs, then 36.5% on 4.5 3PA/game in the ps; so he IS a consistent and effective floor spacer at his peak.

I suppose it depends on all the ancillary pieces put around them, but in a vacuum I suppose I go with Hakeem/Draymond for the better offensive fit and more playoff resilient offensive centerpiece. Close though.

[70sFan]

I like the Hakeem/Green duo better on offense, Drob is going to have to be the volume scorer here and he struggled to do that in the postseason.

Yeah, the offensive fit is clunky for Russell and Robinson. That's the main problem here, although I wouldn't call Green and Hakeem offensive fit particularly good either.

wrt the bolded, I'm not sure if your meaning is that Hakeem does better with a PF who can space the floor better [true, imo]. But OP does stipulate at their peaks......

At his peak ['16], Draymond was 38.8% on 3.2 3PA/game in the rs, then 36.5% on 4.5 3PA/game in the ps; so he IS a consistent and effective floor spacer at his peak.

I suppose it depends on all the ancillary pieces put around them, but in a vacuum I suppose I go with Hakeem/Draymond for the better offensive fit and more playoff resilient offensive centerpiece. Close though.

I am aware that Green was a very nice open 3P shooter, but that's where their fit ends. Green doesn't play the best as a spacer, but as a secondary passer, screener etc. That wouldn't fit Hakeem's style well.

[parsnips33]

Yeah, the offensive fit is clunky for Russell and Robinson. That's the main problem here, although I wouldn't call Green and Hakeem offensive fit particularly good either.

wrt the bolded, I'm not sure if your meaning is that Hakeem does better with a PF who can space the floor better [true, imo]. But OP does stipulate at their peaks......

At his peak ['16], Draymond was 38.8% on 3.2 3PA/game in the rs, then 36.5% on 4.5 3PA/game in the ps; so he IS a consistent and effective floor spacer at his peak.

I suppose it depends on all the ancillary pieces put around them, but in a vacuum I suppose I go with Hakeem/Draymond for the better offensive fit and more playoff resilient offensive centerpiece. Close though.

I am aware that Green was a very nice open 3P shooter, but that's where their fit ends. Green doesn't play the best as a spacer, but as a secondary passer, screener etc. That wouldn't fit Hakeem's style well.

You don't think there's some degree of synergy with Draymond's interior passing? It's certainly not Steph/Draymond level fit, but I feel like there'd likely be more benefit than just floor spacing

[jdzimme3]

One of these things is not like the others. Give me Robinson and Russell for sure. I continue to be surprised by how underrated Robinson is on this board.

[Outside]

One of these things is not like the others. Give me Robinson and Russell for sure. I continue to be surprised by how underrated Robinson is on this board.

I'd say Russell is the one who is underappreciated, mostly because few here actually saw him play and there's so little video from that era. There is of course era bias, but I think it's mostly unfamiliarity.

[jdzimme3]

One of these things is not like the others. Give me Robinson and Russell for sure. I continue to be surprised by how underrated Robinson is on this board.

I'd say Russell is the one who is underappreciated, mostly because few here actually saw him play and there's so little video from that era. There is of course era bias, but I think it's mostly unfamiliarity.

Agree with that as well. My comment was confusing, I didn't mean that just one was underappreciated. Meant to point out that you have 3 franchise cornerstones and Draymond is the outlier.

[Ol Roy]

I like the Hakeem/Green duo better on offense, Drob is going to have to be the volume scorer here and he struggled to do that in the postseason.

Given that it stipulates that this takes place in the current league, I think the relevance of the advantage Hakeem had over David in post-up isolations diminishes.

[70sFan]

wrt the bolded, I'm not sure if your meaning is that Hakeem does better with a PF who can space the floor better [true, imo]. But OP does stipulate at their peaks......

At his peak ['16], Draymond was 38.8% on 3.2 3PA/game in the rs, then 36.5% on 4.5 3PA/game in the ps; so he IS a consistent and effective floor spacer at his peak.

I suppose it depends on all the ancillary pieces put around them, but in a vacuum I suppose I go with Hakeem/Draymond for the better offensive fit and more playoff resilient offensive centerpiece. Close though.

I am aware that Green was a very nice open 3P shooter, but that's where their fit ends. Green doesn't play the best as a spacer, but as a secondary passer, screener etc. That wouldn't fit Hakeem's style well.

You don't think there's some degree of synergy with Draymond's interior passing? It's certainly not Steph/Draymond level fit, but I feel like there'd likely be more benefit than just floor spacing

I mean, smart players can work it out but I don't see Green skillset fitting well to Hakeem's style.

[jalengreen]

Russell's offense probably biggest concern here for me. I feel safer going with Hakeem (who I think would translate remarkably well to the current era) and Draymond (worst but most recent player here)

[penbeast0]

Russell was an excellent connective passer and had the hops to be a decent finisher. His shooting and foul shooting will be a major problem. If you can design the offense to him to use his strengths and avoid his weaknesses, Russell is the most dominant of the 4 on the defensive end and the boards. You don't need two interior scorers in the modern NBA, just one with a bunch of 3 point shooters.

At the other end, Russell, despite his size and the defense of his era, is probably the quickest of the four as well. The Goat in terms of flashing out on shooters then recovering to his man. In terms of switching and defense, there was a series where Chet Walker was eating Havlicek's lunch and Russell subbed in Wayne Embry to take center and switched himself onto Walker to shut him down so there's actual evidence of Russell being switchable onto wings. Dray is the only one with true forward skills and size so I can see people making the case but, as said, he's just not the dominant force that the other three were.

[East Bay Sports]

One of these things is not like the others. Give me Robinson and Russell for sure. I continue to be surprised by how underrated Robinson is on this board.

I'd say Russell is the one who is underappreciated, mostly because few here actually saw him play and there's so little video from that era. There is of course era bias, but I think it's mostly unfamiliarity.

Wilt >>>

[theonlyclutch]

Russell was an excellent connective passer and had the hops to be a decent finisher. His shooting and foul shooting will be a major problem. If you can design the offense to him to use his strengths and avoid his weaknesses, Russell is the most dominant of the 4 on the defensive end and the boards. You don't need two interior scorers in the modern NBA, just one with a bunch of 3 point shooters.

At the other end, Russell, despite his size and the defense of his era, is probably the quickest of the four as well. The Goat in terms of flashing out on shooters then recovering to his man. In terms of switching and defense, there was a series where Chet Walker was eating Havlicek's lunch and Russell subbed in Wayne Embry to take center and switched himself onto Walker to shut him down so there's actual evidence of Russell being switchable onto wings. Dray is the only one with true forward skills and size so I can see people making the case but, as said, he's just not the dominant force that the other three were.

There's mountains of evidence on how essential Draymond has been to the warriors, the closest thing to a modern dynasty but somehow he's not 'dominant'? Or is dominant force just code for runs fast and jumps high?

[The Explorer]

No chance Green would mesh with Olajuwon personality-wise. Green gets away with everything because Curry and Kerr are passive. Even the younger, more fiery version of Olajuwon would clash with Green.
I'm taking Robinson & Russell.

[Outside]

Russell was an excellent connective passer and had the hops to be a decent finisher. His shooting and foul shooting will be a major problem. If you can design the offense to him to use his strengths and avoid his weaknesses, Russell is the most dominant of the 4 on the defensive end and the boards. You don't need two interior scorers in the modern NBA, just one with a bunch of 3 point shooters.

At the other end, Russell, despite his size and the defense of his era, is probably the quickest of the four as well. The Goat in terms of flashing out on shooters then recovering to his man. In terms of switching and defense, there was a series where Chet Walker was eating Havlicek's lunch and Russell subbed in Wayne Embry to take center and switched himself onto Walker to shut him down so there's actual evidence of Russell being switchable onto wings. Dray is the only one with true forward skills and size so I can see people making the case but, as said, he's just not the dominant force that the other three were.

There's mountains of evidence on how essential Draymond has been to the warriors, the closest thing to a modern dynasty but somehow he's not 'dominant'? Or is dominant force just code for runs fast and jumps high?

As great as Draymond is defensively, Russell's BBIQ is just as good (if not better), and he is much taller and longer, quicker, and can jump out of the building. Perhaps Draymond is stronger, but that's about it. Russell's rim protection and rebounding alone make him easily more dominant.