Apples and oranges. People say they can’t be mixed. Well, they can if you put them in a blender.
The Golden State Warriors have captured the imagination not only of basketball fans but sports fans. The Warriors began the 2015-2016 campaign by winning their first 24 games before losing to the Milwaukee Bucks 108-95 on Dec. 11. Golden State’s 24-0 start broke the previous record of 15-0, which the 1948-1949 Washington Capitals and 1993-1994 Houston Rockets established.
The Warriors have won 28 consecutive regular season games dating back to last year. The 1971-1972 Los Angeles Lakers hold the record for 33 consecutive wins. The only difference being their winning streak came in the same season whereas the Warriors’ string spanned over the course of two seasons.
Golden State, which won its first NBA title since 1975 last June, is a serious candidate to surpass the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls’ regular season record of 72-10, best in NBA history. Matt Steinmetz, who is a broadcaster for Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area, is also featured several times per week on 95.7 The Game in San Francisco as well as hosting pre and post game shows during Warriors broadcasts. Steinmetz was a Warriors beat writer for the Contra Costa Times from 1996-2005.
In lieu of the Warriors’ historic run, Steinmetz posed the question on Twitter of “could the Warriors beat the 72-win Bulls team? Showtime Lakers? Bad Boys Pistons?” Though Steinmetz followed those questions up by saying it would depend on the era in which you are playing the games, the blowback was significant.
Former NBA All-Star turned TV analyst Charles Barkley has not made too many friends in the Bay Area within the past year. Throughout last season, Barkley proclaimed that a jumping shooting team would not win an NBA championship. All the Warriors did in 2014-2015 was go 67-15 on the way to their first NBA title since 1975. Yes, the Warriors are making 3-point shots at at historic pace led by reigning MVP Steph Curry and backcourt mate Klay Thompson. However, the team is on par with the likes of the San Antonio Spurs with their passing and defensive prowess.
Barkley hasn’t shown any inclination to say he was wrong about the Warriors either. In a recent interview on FS1 with Colin Cowherd, Barkley said, “We would have just mauled them. You're not gonna let guys come off those picks. They changed the rules—it's kind of like the NFL where you can't touch the wide receiver. The defense is at a disadvantage, all these cornerbacks in the NFL are really at a disadvantage. And a guy like Stephen Curry, who is amazing, you can't put your hands on him, you can't hand-check him. It's a totally different game.”
Let’s be honest, rules of the game have been made to benefit offenses from the 3-point shot to clear path fouls to no hand checking just to name a few. With that being said, before you declarative say that Team X from today would not beat Team Y from 20-40 years ago, the question asked should be “which era are we playing the game?
If I matched up the 1996 Bulls versus today’s Warriors in 1996, I’ll say “advantage Bulls.” Put that game in today’s era and I’ll say “all bets are off.” Put the Warriors today against the Bad Boys Pistons in 1988, I’ll say, “advantage Pistons” but if I put that game in 2015, I’ll say “advantage Warriors.”
You make the same argument for the NFL, where the rules have been made to benefit offenses. In today’s game, there are very few 21 personnel (two running backs, one tight end), 22 personnel (two running backs, two tight ends) or 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends). Football today is about shotgun offenses with three or four receivers and in many cases the tight end being in the slot formation. The era of tight ends being in-line blockers and occasional pass catchers are a thing of the past.
Not only is a defender not allowed to hit the quarterback too high or low, he cannot hit them too hard. If he lands on a quarterback, a penalty and fine are on their way for putting too much of his body weight upon the golden boy.
Defenses have been castrated beyond recognition. If a team wants to play defense as the way NFL Films often hails in historic clips, they will be fined and suspended without fail. Not only has the aura of a great defense been lessened drastically, but the personalities that go with them have been greatly tempered.
To that end, let’s say you matched up today’s New England Patriots against the 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers. Who wins? Again, it depends on the era the game is played. If you play the game in 1975, I’d say advantage Steelers. For openers, Tom Brady would not get the ridiculous protection he gets today from referees. Mean Joe Greene would tear his head off with no consequence. The likes of Mel Blount would mug Julian Edelman down the field.
If the game is played in 2015, however, I’d say advantage Patriots and a big reason for such is that the game has changed to where the Steelers would not be allowed to play the style of game that made them successful in the 1970s.
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