Greatest Team to Never Win a Ring: '07 Suns vs. '00 Blazers

[pandrade83]

This is a voting based tournament to determine who was the GOAT team to not win a title. The original thread for this is

here

Each player will be considered to be as dominant against his opponents as he was the year that he played (ie. if you are just going to say the more modern team wins, don't bother to participate). And EACH MATCHUP WILL FEATURE THE RULES, REFEREES, AND EQUIPMENT OF THE OLDER TEAM. This doesn't mean that Steph Curry will be called for carrying each time he tries to dribble, just assume that his handle is proportionately as good relative to the era as it is relative to his own. So, in 65, if you think he has the best handle in today's league, you can assume he has the best handle of that era; if he's roughly average for starting PGs of today's league in terms of that one aspect, you can assume he is roughly average for starting PGs of that era. This hopefully will eliminate a bit of the recency bias. Health is as it was at the close of the Regular Season; perhaps a team didn't win because of injury.

One last thing. Voting without any reason listed at all will not be counted. Each thread will be open until it slips to page 2 of the board.

'07 Suns (HCA) 61-21, +7.3 SRS, +7.4 Offense, -0.1 DRTG

Stoudemire
Diaw
Marion
Bell
Nash

L. Barbosa
K. Thomas
J. Jones

'00 Blazers +6.4 SRS, +3.8 Offense, -3.3 DRTG

Sabonis
R. Wallace
S. Pippen
S. Smith
D. Stoudamire

D. Schrempf
G. Anthony
B. Grant
B. Wells

[pandrade83]

I'm taking the Suns here rather easily. The names on Portland look impressive but Sheed & Stoudamire are really the only ones in their prime, & I wouldn't say that this was the best Wallace year.

I view the '98-'02 era as somewhat of a weak one for the league from a talent standpoint - a bit of a transition era where very few of the elite players (aside from Shaq) hit their peak.

By '07 the league was starting to bounce back some & Phoenix was just better relative to the league at large. Phoenix isn't as bad defensively as the rep they get from Nash/Amare - they were league average buoyed by Marion & Bell off-setting Nash & Amare as well as most of the bench being + defenders.

I think for where everyone was at in their careers, the Suns have the two best players here (Nash & Marion) and think they take it in 5.

[OdomFan]

Taking the 2000 Blazers but it would be a really fun competitive series. I just see it coming down to the Blazers having the more experienced overall line up and bench.

[rrravenred]

Perimeter defence rules are key here. 2000 was an ugly basketball era and the Blazers were built for it. Barbosa, Nash and Marion would find their lives considerably more difficult than their 2007 selves are used to.

Blazers also have a solid enough meat rotation to slow Stat inside and wear him down on the defensive end.

Suns do have significant outside shooting and full court advantages, though, which Nash is clearly talented enough to identify and exploit. If the Suns can get the teams moving fast enough and generating enough turnovers (especially against older bodies like Sabonis and Pip) then I can see the Suns wearing them down over the cost of a series.

Portland benefit from more successive play, though, and I think they have the discipline to prevail in 5 or 6.

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[TheProfessor]

Very close, but again very era dependent. That 05-07 era Post-Larry Brown Pistons Pre-Big 3 heat was an odd era, where guys were posting video game numbers like Kobe/Arenas/Lebron. The new 3 second, hand checking rules really ramped up offense and Phoneix and Nash took advantage if it. The D'antoni offense is all about the pick and roll and Phoneix with Nash and Amare ran it to perfection. Unfortunately, we are playing pre 2004-5 rolls and defensive 3 seconds wasn't really called plus the lack of handchecking calls making it alot easier to defend the pick and roll.
With 2000's basketball being the way it was, I trust Iso guys like stodamire/Pippen/Wallace than I do stodamire going up against Sabonis/Wallace on the post or nash/marion iso'ing.
I think the Suns are not suited for the era, and in any season after 04-05 I think Phx sweeps in 4 or wins in 5. However, in an era of Iso, defense, more physicality Portland take it in 5 or 6.

[pandrade83]

I'm surprised it's 3-1 Blazers. Nash is revered (to the point of overrated imho) on this board & '07 is noted as his peak. We have evidence of Marion thriving under this rule setting & Nash was good but not great during this era - D'Antoni & Phoenix's trainers/healthier living helped extract the most out of him. Portland is a skilled, big deep team but only Sheed is in his prime. . . I mean it's not like Phoenix is going to be physically getting their ass kicked by the '90's Knicks or something.