<p>the 2 teams in the finals are not that impressive.</p>
<p>I think the teams in the 80’s and 90’s… The Lakers, Celtics, Pistons and Bulls would kill these teams. Just blow them off the court.</p>
<p>Is the talent in the NBA too dispersed among the teams.</p>
<p>And do we really need the 3 point line?</p>
<p>I watched some of the French Open matches in the last week and the guys playing today would blow the guys playing 20 and 30 years ago off the court. Back in the 1960s, the best players were in the 5’8" area. In the 1980s, it was 5’10". Later it was 6 ft and today it’s about 6’2". Physical athleticism and the changes in racquet and string technology have just changed the game to where you need to be taller to cover the court and to generate pace. If you watch the game 20 years ago and watch it today, you’ll find that it feels like the old guys were playing in slow-motion.</p>
<p>Yes, talent is dispersed in the NBA but that’s intentional. I think the idea is to maximize revenue for all teams instead of for just a few.</p>
<p>I agree BCEagle91, that the tennis players of today are better than the ones of 20 or 30 years ago.</p>
<p>I’m just shocked at the quality of play in this year’s NBA finals.</p>
<p>I did enjoy the finals last year but my location may have something to do with that. Were there a lot of injuries in the two teams this year?</p>
<p>I don’t follow it that closely. :)</p>
<p>I don’t think so.</p>
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Pure nostalgia. The teams now are bigger, stronger, faster, better conditioned…with the same quality coaches! I think shooting skills are roughly the same – the biggest difference would be play in the paint. The older teams simply could not hang at all.</p>
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<p>I agree that nostalgia definitely makes teams of the past seem better. And the teams of today are definitely more tattoo-ed!</p>
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<p>Actually, Orlando just got their 1st string point guard back from injury - Jameer Nelson. He has been out all through the playoffs and came back for the finals. He was a real spark when he came in the game. </p>
<p>Both teams have certainly been missing a lot of shots - that is something that could change at any time when someone gets hot. Lewis for Orlando started hitting some last night. It would be nice if JJ Redick would start to connect.</p>
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<p>Absolutely! (says the mom of the kid who makes his living beyond the arc 
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<p>I think the current Celtics, healthy (with Garnett and Powe), would blow either of these two teams out of the water.</p>
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Quite possible. I think the Lakers definitely fear the team that beat them last year more than either the Cavs/Magic.</p>
<p>It may be pure nostalgia but I don’t think so.</p>
<p>A front line of Jabbar, Worthy, Wilkes, and then 6 foot 9 Magic Johnson as a guard, I’m taking them over today’s Lakers.</p>
<p>Why does the NBA get a free pass on steroids? Do they have a meaningful testing program? Whenever I see Dwight Howard and Lebron James that’s all I see - steroids… whether they actually use or not.</p>
<p>Look at the size of the players on the LA Lakers today.</p>
<p>[LAKERS:</a> Lakers Roster](<a href=“http://www.nba.com/lakers/roster/]LAKERS:”>http://www.nba.com/lakers/roster/)</p>
<p>I think that Kobe would run rings around Magic.</p>
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I think you are looking about it the wrong way. It’s quite possible Showtime Lakers are better than the current Lakers. That’s a small sample size and impossible to judge.</p>
<p>My point is that the average team of 2009 would obliterate the average team of 1985. The strength of the league in terms of ability is far higher now than it was back then. True 7’ players are not the rarity that they once were (the Lakers have 3 on their roster!).</p>
<p>Let’s take the Lakers with Shaq and Kobe compared to one of the teams with Jabbar, Worthy, Wilkes and Magic.</p>
<p>I don’t know. The Bird/McHale/Parish/Johnson/Ainge team was pretty darn good. BUT, I think that, without injuries, this year’s Celtics would have been even better. I don’t think any team EVER had three game “finishers” better than Garnett/Pierce/Allen.</p>
<p>The shorts they wore in the 80s were def more impressive :)</p>
<p>Bird/McHale/Parish/Johnson/Ainge were pretty big back then. McHale and Parish and Bird were tall players back then. Today you can have a team with three 7-footers. Parish and McHale effectively used their height but how do you think they would have done against Shaq? I don’t think that either Ainge or DJ are in the same class of player that Kobe is in, especially when it comes to physical conditioning.</p>
<p>I think the two of them would do well against Shaq ;). Neither Ainge nor Johnson were Kobe. Bird, however, was a class by himself. </p>
<p>But Garnett used to handle Shaq surprisingly well.</p>
<p>Does anyone dispute that the .500 team now would steam roll the .500 team of 1985?</p>