Battle of Texas:Best Nba champion

[JMarkJohns]

Dream in 94-95 was unguardable. No one could handle his dominance.

The '95 Rockets had a much harder run than any of the others. A 60 win Jazz team, a 59 win Suns team, a 62 win Spurs team, and finally a 57 win Magic team, with homecourt in no series. They went through Stockton, Malone, Barkley, KJ, Robinson, Rodman, Shaq, and Hardaway, every one them in his prime, in likely the most difficult playoff run in the history of the league.

Yep. It's a damn shame so few appreciate just how dominant a force Hakeem was on offense, or even remember how good his defense was. In an era of dominant big men, his prime stands atop 'em all. His shot-blocking was game-changing, his rebounding very strong, his post defense neutralizing, and his offense was so versatile, very knew what to do with any of it, let alone all of it. He destroyed hall of famers series after series...

That 94-95 run was the most impressive I have ever seen and I saw every game. He averaged nearly 33 ppg and 5 apg on 53% FG on offense and 10 rpg, 3 bpg and 1 spg on defense vs. those teams and players listed above. He faced a former or eventual MVP every series, all of whom were in their prime, and vs. that season's David Robinson, he scored 36 ppg, 12.5 rpg and 4 bpg, while holding Robinson to 24 ppg on 45%, which was 4 ppg and 8% lower than Robinson's seasonal averages.

Lastly, Ellie...

[#41 Shoot Em Up]

2011 Mavs by far. the only team that even comes close is one of the mid 90's Rockets teams. the problem for the Spurs is the fact that they have never faced a legit Eastern Conference champion and 1999 doesn't count. Detroit was about the best team the Spurs ever had to face and Detroit made choking an art form back in those days.

the 2011 Mavs went thru to get to the finals and had to take down the media darling and NBA favorite Miami Heat. they deserve the le of the best NBA championship team in Texas history. period.

My Willie spitting the real .

[#41 Shoot Em Up]

Mavs choking in the Finals in 2006. Getting swept in the 1st round after winning the ring the previous year.

le defense

1>3.
50-16
10-0 to begin the playoffs
10-4 to end the playoffs
"This team is legendary"
re ed mother ers

[mavs>spurs]

once miami takes down everyone's savior, the oklahoma city thunder, it will be apparent that there was ever only 1 team strong enough to take down a prime heat team

[#41 Shoot Em Up]

once miami takes down everyone's savior, the oklahoma city thunder, it will be apparent that there was ever only 1 team strong enough to take down a prime heat team

My

[Kai]

Lastly, Ellie...

[baseline bum]

once miami takes down everyone's savior, the oklahoma city thunder, it will be apparent that there was ever only 1 team strong enough to take down a prime heat team

Miami likely wins that series last year if they have Battier averaging 17 ppg.

[mavs>spurs]

i can play the "if" game too, Battier wouldn't score 17 ppg against dallas defense

[JMarkJohns]

My hate for he and Horry overruled my love for the Suns in the seasons they played for Phoenix. Damn fine shot, but he could die in a car crash tomorrow, leave me an inheritance of $1,000,000 and all I'd do burn the money and piss on his grave.

That shot destroyed my youth...

[Kai]

Miami likely wins that series last year if they have Battier averaging 17 ppg.

And Lebron averaging 30

[mavs>spurs]

And Lebron averaging 30

lebron couldn't get it done against marion, it's history, already happened, been proven, etc.

[tesseractive]

Yep. It's a damn shame so few appreciate just how dominant a force Hakeem was on offense, or even remember how good his defense was. In an era of dominant big men, his prime stands atop 'em all. His shot-blocking was game-changing, his rebounding very strong, his post defense neutralizing, and his offense was so versatile, very knew what to do with any of it, let alone all of it. He destroyed hall of famers series after series...

That 94-95 run was the most impressive I have ever seen and I saw every game. He averaged nearly 33 ppg and 5 apg on 53% FG on offense and 10 rpg, 3 bpg and 1 spg on defense vs. those teams and players listed above. He faced a former or eventual MVP every series, all of whom were in their prime, and vs. that season's David Robinson, he scored 36 ppg, 12.5 rpg and 4 bpg, while holding Robinson to 24 ppg on 45%, which was 4 ppg and 8% lower than Robinson's seasonal averages.

Lastly, Ellie...

Not to say that you're wrong, but why was his prime only 2 years? Shouldn't he have been ripping up the league for 5 years straight if he was that good?

[Kai]

Not to say that you're wrong, but why was his prime only 2 years? Shouldn't he have been ripping up the league for 5 years straight if he was that good?

Akeem/Hakeem played at an elite level for most of his career but there was a 2-3 year stretch where he was just going bonkers. It's inexplicable, but it is what it is.

[DUNCANownsKOBE]

I would easily take the 99 Spurs over the 05 Spurs. The 05 Spurs had the best roster in franchise history, but Duncan was playing on two bad ankles after the Seattle series and had a lot of trouble in fourth quarters because of it (especially game 5 of the Finals). It wasn't TOSB kicking in, because he was strong again in fourth quarters the next two playoffs.

I remember those ankle injuries which shows how good that team was. If Duncan was playing on two bad ankles in 99 the 99 Spurs probably don't make it out of the West.

[baseline bum]

Yeah, he had some monster playoff performances in the late 80s after Sampson's career went bust. Olajuwon was an MVP level player from about 86-96.

[baseline bum]

I remember those ankle injuries which shows how good that team was. If Duncan was playing on two bad ankles in 99 the 99 Spurs probably don't make it out of the West.

True, but he wasn't hurt and thus the 99 Spurs would have badly beaten that 05 team under the same cir stances.

[tesseractive]

Yeah, he had some monster playoff performances in the late 80s after Sampson's career went bust. Olajuwon was an MVP level player from about 86-96.

No, I do remember he was a terrific player for that whole stretch.

I didn't follow basketball as closely back then, but my impression was that he was kind of in the pack of elite centers along with Ewing, Robinson, Shaq (in later years) and maybe a couple of others. Then in '94 and '95 he broke out of the pack and took things to a whole different level.

Is that right, or was he basically better than the rest all along, and it was only those years when he had a supporting cast that was up to the challenge?

[eyeh8u]

i love this revisionist history of the mavs 2011 run.

[ViceCity86]

I voted for 2005 Spurs.The Pistons were defending champions,no joke.Most of their starting 5 was in their prime,Wallace a little passed his and they had a sick defense.

2005 Spurs>>>>>2011 Mavs
Finals opponent: 2005 Pistons>>>>>2011 Heat

[Monostradamus]

The '95 Rockets had a much harder run than any of the others. A 60 win Jazz team, a 59 win Suns team, a 62 win Spurs team, and finally a 57 win Magic team, with homecourt in no series. They went through Stockton, Malone, Barkley, KJ, Robinson, Rodman, Shaq, and Hardaway, every one them in his prime, in likely the most difficult playoff run in the history of the league.

And Jordan was playing baseball. Weak le run.

[ViceCity86]

2011 Mavs easily had the toughest road to a le and beat better compe ion. 05 Spurs are a close second. Bottom three are clearly the asterisk Spurs and both Rockets teams who won while Jordan was striking out in Birmingham.

I think 2003 spurs had tougher compe ion
A tough Suns team with Marion,Joe Johnson,Stat,Marbury
Lakers-3 time defending champs...Prime Kobe and Shaq...nuff said
A talented 60 win Mavs team with 4 lethal scorer's in Nash,finley,Dirk and NVE
Nets team that was underrated.A prime Kidd and Martin and a great defensive team.

[Monostradamus]

"nets team was underrated"

[Kai]

And Jordan was playing baseball. Weak le run.

Only weak thing here is your argument. Dream's Rockets routinely bukkaked Jordan, he's lucky he didn't meet us in the finals.

[Monostradamus]

Only weak thing here is your argument. Dream's Rockets routinely bukkaked Jordan, he's lucky he didn't meet us in the finals.

"we beat him in the regular season "

[ViceCity86]

2003 Spurs team was stacked

Raw talent with Manu and Parker best years ahead,but a strong,strong 8-man rotation

Starters-Parker Jax Bowen D-Rob and Duncan at his peak
Killah bench-Claxton and best 6th&7th man Manu and Rose

The only weakness on this team was kid time.They were too young and raw.