NBA / May 19, 2009 / 10:00 am

NBA Fantasy Finals: ’95 Magic vs. ’08 Lakers

Young Diesel

Young Diesel

No sports lends itself to the “If” game more than basketball. Because so much of one man’s success depends on his teammates, because different eras are so hard to compare, and because none of us really knows as much as we think we do, basketball arguments almost always break down into a series of “If this” (If Kobe was on the Cavs…) and “If that” (If Stockton didn’t have Mailman) and “What if?” (What if Mike hadn’t retired?)

Matching up different teams from different eras is the ultimate “If” exercise, but it’s also irresistible. As a kid I loved those NFL Films shows where they’d do stuff like pit the ’70s Steelers against the ’80s Niners, and try to make it look like a real game. What would happen if Mel Blount guarded Jerry Rice? What if Joe Montana had to face the Steel Curtain? Hypothetical arguments for days.

In that tradition, these Fantasy Finals have nothing to do with the stat-driven “fantasy basketball” played on the web. Instead, we’re taking various NBA Finals teams throughout history and pitting them against each other to see what you think would happen. (Assume both lineups are healthy, older team gets homecourt.) First up? It’s gotta be Shaq vs. Kobe…

1995 ORLANDO MAGIC (57-25)
G – Penny Hardaway (20.9 ppg, 7.2 apg)
G – Nick Anderson (15.8 ppg)
F – Dennis Scott (12.9 ppg)
F – Horace Grant (12.8 ppg, 9.7 rpg)
C – Shaquille O’Neal (29.3 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 2.4 bpg)
BenchBrian Shaw, Jeff Turner, Donald Royal, Anthony Bowie, Tree Rollins
CoachBrian Hill

2008 LOS ANGELES LAKERS (57-25)
G – Derek Fisher (11.7 ppg, 2.9 apg)
G – Kobe Bryant (28.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 5.8 apg)
F – Vladimir Radmanovic (8.4 ppg)
F – Pau Gasol (18.8 ppg, 7.8 rpg)
C – Andrew Bynum (13.1 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 2.1 bpg)
BenchLamar Odom, Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic, Trevor Ariza, Ronny Turiaf
CoachPhil Jackson

Who would win a best-of-seven series?

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  • svigi

    isotope says:
    “Wait you guys talking about Fisher couldnt hold Penny. Who held him in 95? Kenny Smith? Really. Kenny and Cassell are THAT much better than Fisher/Farmer? Y’all funny.”

    Actually they couldn’t guard Penny he was the only one who wasn’t hold by the rockets. Hakeem played with Shaq , Nick lost his confidence after the infamous freethrow accident,and Dennis was just tired overall.They were too young i guess and the Rockets wanted it better.Drexler and Olajuwon treated it like it was the last chance to win it all and they really fired up the team.In every game somebody else step up to Drexler and Hakeem.Cassel had a big game,Horry had big games,Elie and Kenny Smiths looked like they reborn and found some youth.Ok thats enough of the memories:P Magic in 5.Man it would be great to see this match happens.

  • Andi

    The ability of penny (in his prime) was a combination of michael jordan and magic johnson.

    The young shaq was a monster that could break records.

    Magic wins… no doubt!

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