Getty Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving teamed up on the Nets.
The Bad Boys era Detroit Pistons were a force to be reckoned with.
Guided by head coach, Chuck Daly, Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Vinnie Johnson, Bill Laimbeer, John Salley and Dennis Rodman, the Pistons were a talented, rugged bunch and they had the hardware to prove it.
The Pistons started Johnson, Thomas and Dumars at positions one through three.
Thomas was listed at 6’1, Dumars at 6’3 and Johnson at 6’3. Some may consider that a three point guard lineup.
Comparatively, the Brooklyn Nets are looking to assemble a championship caliber team with two viable point guards in Spencer Dinwiddie and Kyrie Irving.
One might argue that the two could start together with Kevin Durant, Caris LeVert, DeAndre Jordan and Jarrett Allen filling out Brooklyn’s starting five.
The more I look at Brooklyn’s endless possibilities, the more I am enamored by how it could all work out.
On a recent episode of the Scoop B Radio Podcast, I checked in with hoops analyst and rising star, Rashad Phillips, a Detroit, Michigan native. We discussed Nets, Pistons comparisons.
Check out my notes from our dialogue below:
Rashad Phillips on whether he sees lineup comparisons to Kyrie Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie, Kevin Durant’s Nets and Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Vinny Johnson’s Pistons:
“I absolutely do! I think that you need three guys that can get you a basket at any given moment in order to get far and get to a Finals. And when you look at the three guys you named – Spencer, Kyrie and Kevin; those three guys can get you a basket on any given possession. But not only that, they’re terrific in clutch situations and they’re also unselfish. Now when you look at the Pistons guys with Isaiah, Joe Dumars and Vinnie Johnson, that threesome of guys were smaller in stature but, they were still able to get the job done. And Isaiah being the magician he was, Joe Dumars being the quiet but very efficient player, Vinnie Johnson being a player that hit numerous buzzer beaters to beat teams because of his clutchness. I see that same type of trio in the Brooklyn Nets with Spencer Dinwiddie, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.”
GettySpencer Dinwiddie #26 of the Brooklyn Nets reacts to his offensive foul with Caris LeVert #22
Rashad Phillips on how Spencer Dinwiddie and Kyrie Irving have on court balance together:
“Well, it’s a testament to both players first of all. When you look at Spencer – what Spencer brings to the table is versatility. He has the ability play the ball initiator and get guys involved or he can play off the ball and be a knockdown shooter. And the same could be said for Kyrie. Kyrie knows how to play off the ball or with the ball; when you have two guys that are as talented like that, it’ll always work because, they’re able to interchange. Like, they can take turns. You initiate the offense and I’ll play off the ball, now it’s your turn to initiate and I‘ll play off the ball. So when you have that type of dynamic, I look at it as the cup being half full instead of half empty. So I really like the Nets next season making it to the Finals if they can keep that core unit right there. I still believe that they need one more big to go with Jarrett Allen. I don’t know how they’re strapped salary-wise, so they may have to make a trade or two, but I really like the Brooklyn Nets in the Eastern Conference Finals next year. With those three guys with Spencer, Kyrie and KD I still think you can maybe get by but you know, playoff basketball you’re going to have to be able to go to your bench. You know, you gotta be able to dig into your bench when you play playoff basketball and Brooklyn may need to strengthen that second unit a little bit, but they’re very top heavy so that can get ‘em through.”
Rashad Phillips on whether he was a Pistons fan or a Jordan fan growing up:
“I was a Jordan fan. As a kid , I was a Jordan guy. I loved the Pistons, But I was more fixated on how Michael Jordan approached the game. You know, he just had a different flair about him. I loved his shoes, he was a scorer, I loved the dunks like, it was just something about Michael Jordan as an individual that attracted me to his game. But as far as a basketball person, I ALWAYS respected the Pistons as a unit. Even though I was an Isaiah Thomas fan and I still am and always will be, I think that he’s the greatest small man ever to touch a basketball. But there was just something about Michael Jordan that was just…mesmerizing. And so it was a tough battle as kid to be a Bulls fan living in Detroit, but loving Isaiah Thomas. It was weird.”