All-Time San Antonio Spurs vs. All-Time Golden State Warriors

Our next match features two powerhouse franchises who have won the past two NBA championships. They’ve taken different approaches in earning their nine combined rings: Golden State has had intermittent periods of success spread out over 70 years of franchise history, while San Antonio has had one sustained run of dominance, where they secured five championships over 16 seasons. Who has the advantage in the highly anticipated matchup between the All-Time San Antonio Spurs vs. All-Time Golden State Warriors?

All-Time San Antonio Spurs vs. All-Time Golden State Warriors

Key Matchups

Golden State’s firepower vs. San Antonio’s defensive might: Golden State is one of the most explosive teams in our tournament, with ALL FIVE STARTERS having led the league in scoring at some point in their Warriors career, along with a sixth scoring champion off the bench from the league’s earliest days (Joe Fulks). They feature perhaps the greatest shooter in NBA history (Stephen Curry), along with arguably the greatest inside scorer ever (Wilt Chamberlain, who averaged 41.5 PPG in his six seasons with the franchise). They have a wealth of shooting depth beyond Curry (Paul Arizin, Rick Barry, Chris Mullin), and a Hall-of-Fame offensive (Neil Johnston) and defensive (Nate Thurmond) big man to support Chamberlain. They also have perimeter playmakers (Curry, Barry, Tim Hardaway, Guy Rodgers) who will facilitate ball movement and offensive flow. No team can contain this group, but San Antonio is better equipped than most to withstand a potential offensive onslaught. Tim Duncan and David Robinson are two of the greatest defensive big men in NBA history; in their six seasons together, the Spurs ranked first (2 times), second (3 times), and third (one time) in defensive rating. Kawhi Leonard has developed into the best defender in the current NBA, and will see time on all of Golden State’s perimeter options. Alvin Robertson was the greatest thief in modern NBA history, standing as the all-time leader in steals per game and steals percentage, which will cause problems for Curry and his sometimes loose ball protection. Even though the Spurs have two former scoring champions on their team (Robinson and George Gervin), they must slow the games down to have a chance to win this series.

Battle of the Big Men: Duncan and Robinson were perhaps the greatest ‘Twin Towers’ duo in NBA history, capturing two titles together and dominating opponents defensively. While those two are used to playing with one another, Chamberlain and Johnston will have to adjust to each other’s tendencies. Chamberlain will also have to adjust to playing with a team with so much perimeter firepower; his later days with the 76ers and the Lakers proved he could take a back seat, but the Warriors version of Wilt was a one-man wrecking crew who was the most dominant offensive force in league history. He won’t get the ball on as many possessions as he’s used to, and will have to help set up his teammates for easier baskets.

Tim  Duncan and David  Robinson
The Admiral faces The Big Dipper – two of the most athletic centers ever
Copyright © Lipofsky Basketballphoto.com

Biggest Mismatches

Golden State’s three-point shooting advantage: The Warriors have the ability to blow opponents away from long range. Curry, Arizin, Barry, Hardaway, Jeff Mullins, and Chris Mullin have the ability to spread the floor like the modern-day Warriors team. San Antonio will be forced to play Chamberlain straight up without double-teaming, to avoid leaving these shooters open, though they are better equipped to deal with him than most teams. The Spurs have Manu Ginobili and Leonard as their best outside threats, but their other perimeter stars were more comfortable with penetrating and breaking down opposing defenses (especially Tony Parker and James Silas).

San Antonio’s coaching: Gregg Popovich has ascended to the top of the all-time coaching ranks. He has continually remade San Antonio’s offense over a nineteen year period, and kept them in contention throughout. Al Attles experienced great success with Golden State, but Popovich has a proven ability to maximize talent and get the most out of his players.

X-Factor

Pace: Though San Antonio can play different styles, they don’t want to run-and-gun with the Warriors. While Golden State will start two big men, expect them to utilize a few lineups where Chamberlain is surrounded by four perimeter players. Barry and Tom Gola can both initiate the offense from the forward position, and they have a slew of guards and wings to space the floor. Will San Antonio stick with their Twin Towers lineup when Golden State goes small? Who would Duncan or Robinson guard in this scenario? How would Golden State guard San Antonio in this setup? Speaking of which…

Golden State’s defense: While the Warriors are known for their offensive exploits, their defense will play a key factor in this series. Chamberlain, Nate Thurmond, and Gola are their best defenders, and they’ll be tasked with slowing down San Antonio’s explosive frontcourt. San Antonio’s perimeter players will face less resistance, however, as Golden State’s guards weren’t known for their work on the defensive end of the floor.

Results

This series lives up to the hype. The teams go back and forth as both coaches make adjustments to their rotations. Kawhi Leonard and Nate Thurmond are both inserted into the starting lineups for defensive purposes as the series progresses. The seventh and final game goes into overtime, as these two teams prove to be dead even. Although the Spurs have one of the best defensive units in the tournament, the Warriors have too many weapons to contain. Golden State advances.

Golden State wins, four games to three.

Next Round

Golden State faces the All-Time Celtics.

All-Time Golden State Warriors Team

All-Time Golden State Warriors Team Infographic

Our next franchise is the reigning champion of the NBA, who, interestingly enough, won a championship in their first year of existence as well (1947, in the Basketball Association of America). They were a powerhouse in the league’s nascent years, winning a second championship in 1956, and employing some of the greatest players in league history. Despite a long period of failure after their third championship run in 1975, their rich history makes them ideally suited for a tournament of this nature. Now riding a new wave of franchise success, the all-time Golden State Warriors team features a mix of legendary play makers from different eras of time.

Stephen Curry, the only active player on the team, is the starting point guard. Already, Curry has established himself as one of the greatest shooters in league history, and he has a debilitating effect on opposing defenses. Hall-of-Famer ‘Pitchin’ Paul Arizin, a pioneer who also was one of the league’s great shooters, is the starting two guard. Arizin was a two-time scoring champion who went to the all-star game every year of his career, and was one of the 10 players selected to the league’s 25th Anniversary Team. This may be the best shooting starting backcourt in the tournament, and they’re backed up by two premier playmakers (Tim Hardaway and Guy Rodgers), a high-scoring shooter (Jeff Mullins), and a versatile, defensive-minded swingman who John Wooden once called “the greatest all-around basketball player” ever (Tom Gola).

The starting frontcourt is as prolific as any in the tournament. Rick Barry, a brilliant all-around offensive talent who led the team to their third championship, is the small forward. He’s joined by two of the great big men in NBA history. Neil Johnston used a devastating sweeping hook shot to lead the league in scoring three straight years. He was also efficient, leading the league in field percentage three times, true shooting percentage twice, and PER once. Unfortunately, he hasn’t received the accolades that other legends have; he was left off of the league’s 10-man Silver Anniversary team because only two centers were up for selection (George Mikan and Bill Russell received those honors), and he was left off the league’s 50-man Golden Anniversary team because, well, he got screwed. Wilt Chamberlain, the starting center, put up the cartoonish averages of 41.5 PPG and 25.1 RPG as a Warrior. He led the league in scoring every year he was with the franchise. In his five full seasons as a Warrior, he led the league in win shares per 48 minutes each year, and in rebounding and PER four times. He somehow averaged 47.2 minutes a game with the team, and may have been the greatest athlete to ever play his position. There’s no denying that the Golden State (Philadelphia and San Francisco at the time) version of Wilt was polarizing; in his five full seasons with the franchise, they never won 50 or more games, and had a cumulative .566 winning percentage (the equivalent of 46 wins in an 82 game season). He was traded for an embarrassing haul to save money, and was famously obsessed with his personal accomplishments. Regardless, he was an unstoppable force, and, paired with the rest of this starting lineup, will help the team contend for highest scoring honors in this tournament.

Off the bench, the frontcourt has more firepower in sweet shooting Chris Mullin, an original Dream Team player who averaged over 25 PPG for five straight seasons in his prime. Joe Fulks was a two-time scoring champion who led the team to the title in their inaugural season. It’s very difficult to tell how his game would translate to other eras (he was a 6’5” power forward who shot 30.5% and 25.9% in his two league-leading scoring seasons), but he was highly regarded, named as one of four forwards on the league’s Silver Anniversary team. Nate Thurmond, a rebounding and defensive star who was named to the league’s Golden Anniversary team, rounds out the bench.

Explosiveness. Brilliant play making. Exceptional shooting. Young Wilt. The number five seed in our tournament, the Warriors may be our most entertaining team, and will be impossible for opponents to defend.

Coach: Al Attles

All-Time Franchise Winning Percentage (through 2014-15): .467