The Ultimate 7-Game Finals - Who Wins?
This question came up at work and thought it an interesting proposition. Let's say you had two teams made up of the NBA's best-ever players (all in their prime) divided between players once coached in the regular season by Phil Jackson and those whom were not coached in the regular season by Phil Jackson. Which team would win?
On the Jackson team (in no particular order): Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Karl Malone, Pau Gasol, Scottie Pippen, Gary Payton, Dennis Rodman, Bill Cartwright, Derek Fisher, Robert Horry, Toni Kukoc
On the non-Jackson team (in no particular order): Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Julius Erving, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon, John Stockton, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Dominique Wilkins, Clyde Drexler, Moses Malone
Pick whatever head coach you want opposite Jackson. Who wins the series and in how many games? Explain your decision. Think Kobe and Jordan would be unstoppable? Think defense ultimately wins? Think any one position is weak enough to be exploited?
Not an easy proposition, is it?
I miss the old Mile High Stadium.