All time pre 2000s team vs all time post 2000s team

[nbhadja]

I think the all time 2000s and beyond team is much better than the pre-2000s all time team, especially since shooting was bad back then because zone defense was illegal. Athleticism and versatility is much better also. The pre 2000s team has a lack of shooting that would easily be exploited by the post 2000s team and also the pre 2000s couldn't defend the post 2000s that well, especially from the 3 line .

This is an unpopular opinion, but I think the NBA is much better today than it was back then just like the NFL teams of today would easily destroy teams from 20 years ago and before. The talent pool is simply much larger today. Strategies are much better today also like relying less on inefficient post up and midrange offense. I think people confuse greatest vs best. The 1985 bears and 2000 ravens are considered all time GOAT defenses, but both would easily be the worst defenses in the NFL today.

Post 2000s team:

Shaq
Duncan
Jokic
Embiid
KG
Dirk
Giannis
Lebron
Durant
Luka
Kobe
Wade
Kawhi
Curry
CP3
Nash

Not to mention Wembanyama is about to be added to this list in the new few years, maybe even next year.

Compare this to the all time NBA team of pre 2000s players (your choice).

[IdolW0rm]

I think the all time 2000s and beyond team is much better than the pre-2000s all time team, especially since shooting was bad back then because zone defense was illegal. Athleticism and versatility is much better also.

Post 2000s team:

Shaq
Duncan
Jokic
Embiid
KG
Dirk
Giannis
Lebron
Durant
Luka
Kobe
Wade
Kawhi
Curry
CP3
Nash

Not to mention Wembanyama is about to be added to this list in the new few years, maybe even next year.

Compare this to the all time NBA team of pre 2000s players (your choice).

How is athleticism "much better"?

Shaq - 90's Shaq
Duncan - Karl Malone
Jokic - Moses
Embiid - DRob
KG - KAJ
Dirk - Hakeem
Giannis - Wilt
Lebron - Bird
Durant - Russell
Luka - Erving
Kobe - Magic
Wade - MJ
Kawhi - Pippen
Curry - West
CP3 - Stockton
Nash - Oscar

[OdomFan]

This is an unpopular opinion, but I think the NBA is much better today than it was back then just like the NFL teams of today would easily destroy teams from 20 years ago and before. .

I disagree. Athleticism is better now, but it doesn't mean on court basketball skill today is better now than everyone in history. Also coaching strategy isn't automatically better. So if you have a past team at their best take on a current team head to head, with both teams coaching styles at play. It can go either way. Also players being more athletic doesn't mean they're just going to blow by a past player like speedy Gonzalez speeding by that cat. Those guys will still realistically be able to guard modern players. It'll just be more challenging, but not unrealistic for them to be able to adjust.

[penbeast0]

Use pre-2000 referees and it would be interesting.

(a)Today's players have the advantage of superior training, nutrition, health care plus a much greater international pool so on the average, today's players should have the advantage. However, that gets a bit less powerful the further out on the curve you get and the players on this team are going to be all outliers.

(b)If you believe today's 4 out/5 out offenses are more efficient than pre-2000 offenses rather than a response to refereeing and rule changes then that's another strong advantage for the modern players.

(c) However, if you us pre-2000 rules and referees that's a strong advantage for players who played in that era as different things are more likely to be called and certain areas of refereeing have gotten very lax even since 2000. So that would cut back again the modern advantage.

(d) If seems, though I haven't done the work to be certain, that modern players are more likely to sit out games or play reduced minutes. The reduced games would only matter if you make the two teams play an 82 game schedule plus 3 playoff rounds which should be the rule since that is the league as it exists. The reduced minutes wouldn't be a major factor unless you limited it to 5 players and mandate that benches could only be filled with players who came off the bench for the majority of their career (and that still gives the 2000s an advantage as Manu is the greatest bench dog in history by a healthy margin). So, that is unlikely to be the deciding factor either.

Overall, I have the modern team having a decided edge; giving the prior team the rules and refereeing is the only way I see to mitigate the advantages for modern teams I listed above and I am not sure how strong an advantage that would be though it would definitely be an advantage.