2005 Wizards Vs 2014 Wizards

[TheBomb81]

Who do you think was the better team and who would win in a seven game series?

[AFM]

2005 would win because Gil was better than anyone on our current roster.


Im sure Nivek will post some dumbass efficiency stat proving otherwise

[CobraCommander]

Wow this is a great thought experiment and thread. (It's like could the avengers beat the justice league- wait wrong board) I thing Gil was a legit top 5 player (at least on offense) and would be unguardable and would guard no one! I don't know which way I would vote but I will ponder this further before answering-

[jangles86]

Any team with Laron Profit on it is pretty much unguardable

[nate33]

I think the 2014 Wizards were better. They had 44 regular season wins versus the '95 team's 45 wins, but that win total was impacted by the lack of depth for much of the regular season, the growing pains of Beal, and Nene's health. All those issues were gone by the time the playoffs rolled around. The 2014 team played at a 52-win pace from the All-Star Break onward, and I think they performed like a 52-win team in the playoffs.

Conversely, the 2005 team benefited from a good start early (when EJ was actually named the All-Star coach) but fizzled late. They were a .500 team after the All-Star break, a 41-win pace.

Both teams beat talentless Chicago Bulls teams to get out of the first round, but I think the 2014 run was more difficult. Noah and Gibson were better than anybody on that 2005 team, yet the Wizards won in 5 (rather than the 6 games it took to be the 2005 Bulls); and they didn't need a fluke 30-point effort out of Dixon to get it done. The 2014 team also made a better showing in the 2nd round.

[pineappleheadindc]

Any team with Laron Profit on it is pretty much unguardable

Facts be damned. This, above, is all you need to read.

[Dark Faze]

Cuurrent frontcourt would eat

[nate33]

Any team with Laron Profit on it is pretty much unguardable

Facts be damned. This, above, is all you need to read.

I ignored Profit when making the comparison. Clearly, if Profit wanted to, he could have easily led us to a title. The problem is that he got bored during the playoff run of 2005 and decided to devote his superior talents to other pursuits like world peace and cold fusion.

[Higga]

I think the 2014 Wizards were better. They had 44 regular season wins versus the '95 team's 45 wins, but that win total was impacted by the lack of depth for much of the regular season, the growing pains of Beal, and Nene's health. All those issues were gone by the time the playoffs rolled around. The 2014 team played at a 52-win pace from the All-Star Break onward, and I think they performed like a 52-win team in the playoffs.

Conversely, the 2005 team benefited from a good start early (when EJ was actually named the All-Star coach) but fizzled late. They were a .500 team after the All-Star break, a 41-win pace.

Both teams beat talentless Chicago Bulls teams to get out of the first round, but I think the 2014 run was more difficult. Noah and Gibson were better than anybody on that 2005 team, yet the Wizards won in 5 (rather than the 6 games it took to be the 2005 Bulls); and they didn't need a fluke 30-point effort out of Dixon to get it done. The 2014 team also made a better showing in the 2nd round.

Agreed all around, although it wasn't the 05 team that had EJ as the All-Star coach. That was the 06-07 team, the year Gil had those insane scoring games(and subsequently got hurt).

I think this year's team was better all around. Streakier offense, but more dependable defense and better bench. And once Wall/Beal hit their potential we'll be even better. I think the 05 team was pretty much capped as a 1st/2nd round type team.

[Deivy202]

05 hands down. Tougher conference that year too im sure.

[queridiculo]

If I may point out, the 2005 version of the Eastern conference was only slightly more competitive than the field of contenders in the 2014 season.

Also, Grunfeld's best move right after the Kwame Brown for Caron Butler trade, not matching the absurd contract offer the Cavaliers made to Hughes.

[hands11]

I think the 2014 Wizards were better. They had 44 regular season wins versus the '95 team's 45 wins, but that win total was impacted by the lack of depth for much of the regular season, the growing pains of Beal, and Nene's health. All those issues were gone by the time the playoffs rolled around. The 2014 team played at a 52-win pace from the All-Star Break onward, and I think they performed like a 52-win team in the playoffs.

Conversely, the 2005 team benefited from a good start early (when EJ was actually named the All-Star coach) but fizzled late. They were a .500 team after the All-Star break, a 41-win pace.

Both teams beat talentless Chicago Bulls teams to get out of the first round, but I think the 2014 run was more difficult. Noah and Gibson were better than anybody on that 2005 team, yet the Wizards won in 5 (rather than the 6 games it took to be the 2005 Bulls); and they didn't need a fluke 30-point effort out of Dixon to get it done. The 2014 team also made a better showing in the 2nd round.

Agreed all around, although it wasn't the 05 team that had EJ as the All-Star coach. That was the 06-07 team, the year Gil had those insane scoring games(and subsequently got hurt).

I think this year's team was better all around. Streakier offense, but more dependable defense and better bench. And once Wall/Beal hit their potential we'll be even better. I think the 05 team was pretty much capped as a 1st/2nd round type team.

LOL

Wow did the NBA get it wrong that year.

EFJ was good at something. A good record going into the AS break.

As for which is the better team. No surprise I say this team since I have been my position for a while. This is the better designed team. Superior defense. True PG. Better character.

How would a series of head to head go ? I expect it would have been a battle but Gil and AJ were terrible defensively. They team would have been left to jacking threes and couldn't defend this teams offense. Nene would have a field day.

This team would win the series.

[Silvie Lysandra]

2014 team is better by a smidge, but replace Wall with 2005 Arenas and we're the best team in the East by far. Arenas was a SUPERSTAR. You need SUPERSTARS to win in the NBA. Arenas, for all his flaws, was a guy who scored on high volume AND high efficiency, and just as important, had the kind of mental makeup that the superstars possessed, at least on the court (off the court, well, guns and poop).

Arenas/Beal/Ariza/Nene/Gortat would go to the Finals and have a punchers chance of winning. You just need Arenas to explode for 4 out of 7 games, and while Wall is a much better defender than Arenas, you can get Arenas to be a "not bad" defender while Arenas, Beal and Nene carry the team defensively.

[nate33]

2014 team is better by a smidge, but replace Wall with 2005 Arenas and we're the best team in the East by far. Arenas was a SUPERSTAR. You need SUPERSTARS to win in the NBA. Arenas, for all his flaws, was a guy who scored on high volume AND high efficiency, and just as important, had the kind of mental makeup that the superstars possessed, at least on the court (off the court, well, guns and poop).

Arenas/Beal/Ariza/Nene/Gortat would go to the Finals and have a punchers chance of winning. You just need Arenas to explode for 4 out of 7 games, and while Wall is a much better defender than Arenas, you can get Arenas to be a "not bad" defender while Arenas, Beal and Nene carry the team defensively.

Agreed. And the chemistry would work great now that Beal has figured out how to run the pick-and-roll. Beal could keep Gortat and Nene engaged with good pick-and-roll play, and Arenas would do his 3-pointers and drive-and-dish thing. They'd probably be a bit more effective with Gooden starting to help open the floor for Arenas. Nene anchors the second unit.