The 2016 Warriors Would Beat the Showtime Lakers
By Jason McIntyre
Klay Thompson wasn’t wrong. He said the Warriors were better than the Showtime Lakers, and why would anyone disagree with him?
In the 80s, those Lakers were the team everyone wanted to emulate. They had the best point guard in the NBA (Magic), the leading scorer in NBA history (Jabbar) and one of the best small forwards of all-time (Worthy). For over 20 years, they were my favorite team in sports history.
But how different was that NBA than this one? I’m not even sure Jabbar (who was 39 years old in 1987) would play many minutes after the opening tap. The 2016 Warriors would pick-and-roll Jabbar to the bench. They’d spread the floor and uncork 3-pointers at an alarming rate. And they’d win.
In the 80s, the NBA didn’t value the 3-pointer like it does today. Magic Johnson made eight 3-pointers during the 1987 regular season. Michael Cooper led the Lakers with 89 three-pointers – that’s a month for Stephen Curry or Thompson. Byron Scott made 65. As a team, the Lakers made 164 three-pointers.
You know who made 65 3-pointers for the Warriors this season? Brandon Rush, a guy who can’t get off the bench in the Finals. Draymond Green made 100. Stephen Curry obliterated his own NBA record with 402 three-pointers.
Yes, it’s silly to compare eras, but the Warriors would pack the paint to slow Worthy’s gorgeous isolation moves, and at the other end they’d fire from deep. Based on how the Lakers played in 1987, and how the Warriors play in 2016, it’s the Warriors, and frankly, I don’t think it’s close. People still want to take shots at the Warriors as a jump-shooting team that doesn’t play defense (ahem, Mr. Barkley), but the reality is: 73 wins, just erased 3-1 deficit vs the Thunder, and now two wins away from going back-to-back. What do they need to do to earn respect?