All-Time Los Angeles Lakers vs. All-Time Philadelphia 76ers

Our next match features two of the most storied franchises in NBA history. They’ve met in the championship round six times, with legendary competitors deciding each outcome (from George Mikan vs. Dolph Schayes, to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson vs. Julius Erving and Moses Malone, to Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant vs. Allen Iverson). Though they’ve both fallen on tough times in recent years, each has a chance to prevail in the NBA Franchise Tournament. The battle between the All-Time Los Angeles Lakers vs. All-Time Philadelphia 76ers has the most collective star power of any match up to date, and promises to be a classic.

All-Time Los Angeles Lakers vs. All-Time Philadelphia 76ers

Key Matchups

Lakers’ firepower vs. Philadelphia’s defensive versatility: The Lakers feature six of the top 28 scorers in NBA history, four of whom spent the prime years of their career with the franchise (a fifth, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, may not have reached the heights that he did with Milwaukee but still won three MVP awards in Los Angeles). Sixers player/coach Billy Cunningham has several options: he can try to outscore L.A. with his own Hall-of-Fame offensive weapons, or play his defensive lineup, featuring Maurice Cheeks, Andre Iguodala, and Bobby Jones, in hopes of slowing the Lakers’ offense down. Cunningham will likely mix and match his offensive playmakers with his defensive stoppers. The Sixers will also have to figure out how they guard 6’9” Magic Johnson; Allen Iverson, who stood almost a foot shorter, seems ill-suited for this role, so they may have to start Cheeks or Iguodala in his place.

All-Time Philadelphia 76ers
Maurice Cheeks (#10) will get plenty of minutes alongside Philly’s Hall-of-Fame frontcourt
Copyright © Lipofsky Basketballphoto.com

Battle of the Boards: The Lakers do not start a traditional power forward, relying on the versatility of Elgin Baylor and Magic Johnson to help Abdul-Jabbar on the glass. Abdul-Jabbar will also have his hands full trying to keep Philly’s Wilt Chamberlain off the glass, as Baylor and Johnson will with the irrepressible Charles Barkley. Philly’s ability to seize an advantage on the glass will be an important indicator of their ability to win this series. The Lakers have behemoths George Mikan, Shaquille O’Neal, and their own version of Wilt Chamberlain coming off the bench, but they would be awkward fits alongside each other or Jabbar, so they will likely play one at a time. Philly’s Dolph Schayes and Billy Cunningham can take advantage of the Lakers forwards, and give the Sixers a rebounding advantage off the bench, assuming Moses Malone can hold his own against L.A.’s fleet of backup big men.

Biggest Mismatch

Los Angeles’s backcourt advantage: The Lakers have the best starting backcourt in our tournament, with three MVP-level performers in Magic Johnson, Jerry West, and Kobe Bryant (who will masquerade as a small forward at the beginning of the each half). Philly features former MVP Allen Iverson, along with Hall-of-Famer Hal Greer and versatile defensive stoppers Maurice Cheeks and Andre Iguodala. While the Sixers’ backcourt is excellent, none of these players can match the accomplishments of the Lakers’ trio. Magic Johnson will create tons of matchup issues, and West and Bryant have the ability to take over any game they play in.

X-Factor

Defensive matchups: If Philadelphia starts Cheeks or Iguodala, then Magic Johnson has a logical resting place on defense. If they start Allen Iverson, the cross-matches will be fascinating. Expect Pat Riley to have Jerry West guard Iverson, with Magic either checking Hal Greer or Charles Barkley (while the latter suggestion seems bizarre, it creates logical matchups for Elgin Baylor (Julius Erving), Kobe Bryant (Greer) and West). On the other end of the court, Philly would have the 6’2” Greer guarding Johnson, and likely offering him little resistance. The 6’6” Iguodala is best suited to guard Magic, and will see a large increase in minutes from the previous series.

Results

While the Sixers have championship-worthy talent, they drew a brutal matchup in the Elite Eight. Even though they’re one of the best teams in our tournament, they struggle to contain L.A.’s backcourt, particularly Magic Johnson. The Lakers struggle with Philadelphia’s deep and talented frontcourt, but they finish out Philadelphia in six competitive games.

Lakers win, four games to two.

Next Round

Los Angeles faces the winner of the All-Time Bulls vs. All-Time Pistons.

All-Time Philadelphia 76ers vs. All-Time New York Knicks

Our next matchup features two teams who have played in the same division for the past 67 seasons, and who’ve had 440 regular season battles as of this posting. They’ve also met 10 times in the playoffs, though only two of those series have had a deciding, winner-takes-all game (both in the early 1950s). Considering their proximity to each other (in location), and the frequency of their matches, this should be a celebrated NBA rivalry. Though their real-life matches have failed to live up to these expectations, the battle between the All-Time Philadelphia 76ers vs. All-Time New York Knicks is highly anticipated, and should ignite the two franchises’ fan bases.

76ers vs. Knicks

Key Matchups

Battle of Hall-of-Fame frontcourts: These two teams feature a number of Hall-of-Fame and all-star level performers in their frontcourts. Philadelphia starts perhaps the greatest frontcourt in this tournament, with three legends who were all MVP-level performers (Julius Erving, Charles Barkley, and Wilt Chamberlain). They also feature one of the deepest frontcourt benches, with four Hall-of-Famers coming off the bench along with Bobby Jones, one of the greatest defensive players in NBA history. New York’s frontcourt is also impressive, featuring two former scoring champions splitting time at small forward (Bernard King and Carmelo Anthony), a two-time NBA Finals MVP (Willis Reed), and a member of the 50 Greatest Players list (Patrick Ewing). They also have three Hall-of-Fame frontcourt players coming off their bench, and in total have a whopping six players on their roster who averaged a double-double (scoring and rebounding) with the franchise.

Defensive stalwarts: With so much offensive talent on each team’s roster, the defensive aces on both sides will see big minutes in this series. Walt Frazier, arguably New York’s best all-around player, will have to chase around the lightning-quick Allen Iverson. Dave DeBusschere, one of the NBA’s greatest defensive forwards, will see plenty of minutes against Charles Barkley, Dolph Schayes, and Billy Cunningham. Philadelphia’s Maurice Cheeks will play alongside both Iverson and Hal Greer, and will take turns defending New York’s high-scoring guards (Frazier, Richie Guerin, and Earl Monroe). Bobby Jones will see time against the Knicks’ small forwards (King and Anthony) and their bruising power players (including Reed and Harry Gallatin).

Biggest Mismatches

Philadelphia’s athleticism advantage: The Sixers have one of the most athletic teams in the tournament. Erving, Chamberlain, Barkley, and Iverson were all exceptional athletes in the starting lineup, in addition to Andre Iguodala, Chet Walker, and Billy Cunningham off the bench. New York does not have the same assortment of athletes, and will need to slow down the tempo of the games to compete.

X-Factor

The Answer: can Allen Iverson become a pass-first distributor? Iverson is one of the most ball-dominant players in NBA history, with the third highest career usage percentage since this statistic has been tracked (starting in 1978). While he was used to playing with non-offensive threats in his days in Philly, he’s now on a team that features some of the biggest names in NBA history. How will he adjust to being a secondary option? Will he get their dominant frontcourt players enough shots for their liking as the de facto point guard in the starting lineup?

The question: Who is Philly's wild card? The Answer: Allen Iverson Copyright © Lipofsky Basketballphoto.com
The question: Who is Philly’s wild card? The Answer: Allen Iverson
Copyright © Lipofsky Basketballphoto.com

Results

New York keeps the series close against Philadelphia, and Walt Frazier harasses Iverson into a few horrendous shooting nights. With the series tied at two, player-coach Billy Cunningham replaces Iverson in the starting lineup with Mo Cheeks, and the offense runs smoothly through their Hall-of-Fame frontcourt. Iverson proves to be terrific in the sixth man role, and the Sixers clinch in six.

Philadelphia wins, four games to two.

Next Round

The Sixers battle the All-Time Lakers Team.

All-Time Philadelphia 76ers Team

All-Time Philadelphia 76ers Team Infographic

The All-Time Philadelphia 76ers team is…explosive. They have explosive play makers, hall-of-famers, and MVPs littered throughout their roster. They also have explosive personalities (namely, Charles Barkley and Allen Iverson) who will make for an interesting mix alongside their controversial center. With three championships, they are the seventh-seeded team in our tournament, and have one of the most talented overall rosters.

Starting is a sign of respect in the NBA. The starting backcourt for this team may not fit perfectly alongside each other and the high scoring frontcourt, but they deserve recognition for their Hall-of-Fame caliber careers. Allen Iverson, a four-time scoring champion, will be the primary ballhandler. Iverson’s score-first mentality isn’t ideal for a team this loaded, so expect him to play plenty of shooting guard as well. Hal Greer, the starting two guard, is the franchise’s all-time leader in games played, field goals, and points. He’ll get plenty of minutes as the team’s best long-range shooting threat. Although he’ll come off the bench, Mo Cheeks will operate almost as the third starting guard, since he’s a good fit alongside either starter. Cheeks was an excellent defender, efficient scorer, and solid play maker, and has a legitimate Hall-of-Fame case. Andre Iguodala, the team’s fourth guard, is one of the most versatile players in today’s game. Although miscast as a primary offensive option in Philly (the “second A.I.”), Iguodala is much better suited for the role he’ll play on this team as a defensive stopper who can lead the break and facilitate on the offensive end.

The starting frontcourt is as accomplished as any in the tournament. Julius Erving is one of the game’s greatest ambassadors, and may have been the most exciting player to ever step on a court. He’s also one of the greatest forwards ever, and was a prolific winner who led the team to an average of 55 wins per year and four NBA Finals appearances. Barkley is one of the greatest power forwards ever, and had the greatest offensive efficiency rating among players who used as many possessions as he did. One could argue that the great Wilt Chamberlain experienced his peak years with the Sixers. He led the league in field goal percentage and rebounds every year he was on the team. In his three full seasons with the team, he won MVP each year. He led the league in PER and WS/48 in those three years as well. He led the league in total assists in 1968, just because he could. Although he once again was traded for an embarrassing haul, this version of Wilt has a legitimate argument as the best center in the tournament.

The bench is filled with impact frontcourt players. Hall-of-Famer Chet Walker will back up Erving. Although he wasn’t as efficient in Philly as he was with the Bulls, he was still a wonderful player who made three all-star teams. Billy Cunningham is one of seven players on the roster who was named as one of the league’s 50 greatest players in 1996. Cunningham was a relentless competitor who could play either forward position, and will also serve as the team’s head coach (where he amassed a remarkable .698 career winning percentage). The legendary Dolph Schayes, who made 12 all-star game and All-NBA appearances in his illustrious career, led the franchise to its first title in 1955. He’ll provide a different look as a dangerous outside shooter who can play as a ‘stretch-four.’ Bobby Jones was one of the greatest defenders of all time, and Moses Malone, who led the team to its last championship in 1983, will back up Chamberlain.

This team’s frontcourt is absolutely loaded, and player-coach Cunningham will have to find a way to spread the minutes around. They can trot out a great defensive lineup featuring Chamberlain, Jones, Cheeks, and Iguodala, and will be unstoppable on the other end of the court.

Coach: Billy Cunningham

All-Time Franchise Winning Percentage (through 2014-15): .520