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The 2017 Golden State Warriors have consistently been on the list of greatest teams in NBA history. They are usually compared to other all-time great squads like the 1996 Chicago Bulls and the 1986 Boston Celtics.
On his podcast, Bill Simmons grudgingly conceded that one team is better than his beloved ‘86 Celtics. Here's what he said about the 2017 Golden State Warriors:
“The inside-outside game they have was ridiculous.”
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The 2017 Golden State Warriors were in the first year of Kevin Durant’s stay with the team after he departed the OKC Thunder. KD joined a team that just eclipsed the 72-10 Chicago Bulls by going 73-9 during the 2015-16 season.
Steve Kerr’s preferred lineup of Durant, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala was a nightmare to defend against. Kerr’s offense maximized everyone around two-time MVP Curry and Thompson, and got even more ridiculous with Durant in the lineup.
The supporting cast of that team included Matt Barnes, Shaun Livingston, Kevon Looney, Anderson Varejao and David West. They were loaded from top to bottom and looked beatable only when they were bored or when their shots simply didn’t fall.
Otherwise, there was no defensive strategy that could consistently bottle the firepower of the 2017 Golden State Warriors team. They didn’t have a traditional inside-out game like the 1986 Boston Celtics had, but the way they moved the ball was just as brutal.
Boston’s '86 squad was no slouch as they had Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge, Dennis Johnson and Robert Parish. Leading the bench was Sixth Man of the Year winner and former MVP Bill Walton, along with Scott Wedman and Jerry Sichting.
The ‘86 Celtics went 11-1 in the playoffs before beating Hakeem Olajuwon, Ralph Sampson and the Houston Rockets in six games. Before basketball fans dismiss that Rockets team, it should be noted that that team pulverized the Showtime Lakers 4-1 in the Western Conference Finals.
Bill Simmons must have been so thoroughly impressed with the 2017 Golden State Warriors for him to concede that it was the greatest team ever.
A matchup between the 1986 Boston Celtics and 2017 Golden State Warriors would have been mouthwatering
A hypothetical matchup between the two great teams would have been mesmerizing to see. However, the rules of the game could be a major point in deciding the winner between the two teams.
The Golden State Warriors would have had the edge in shooting and ball movement while the Boston Celtics would have likely dominated the interior. The team that imposes its will would have come out as the winner.
Regardless of who wins the matchup, it would have been an entertaining battle to watch. Imagine Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Steph Curry duking it out with Larry Bird. Think of Draymond Green jostling in the paint with the Celtics’ fearsome frontline of Robert Parish, Kevin McHale and Bill Walton.
Basketball would have been the unanimous and biggest winner when all was said and done.
