I'm watching game one of the 2001 NBA Finals and it's a blast watching AI take on the Lakers. That game 1 was such a classic.
Anyways, I'm curious as to how people think the peak Lakers would fair against the Golden State Warriors under modern rules? I would expect a 7 game series. We all know the Warriors have the star power but Shaq would absolutely destroy their entire team. Shaq had significantly more competition at the Center spot than he would have had against the Warriors. I think 35 PPG on 60% shooting is a guarantee. 40 PPG isn't unrealistic. Kobe also showed quite a bit of defensive versatility during the playoffs that season.
Another strength of that Lakers squad is the amount of role players that defended at a high level and had the ability to hit clutch shots. Fisher, Horry, Fox, Grant, and Harper would have all helped to slow down the Warriors attack. The 2001 Lakers were an elite defensive unit when everyone was dialed in and focused.
The biggest argument against LA is pointing to the 2001-2002 Kings that should have beaten them the next season. However, I think the final group during the LA 3-peat was unfocused and inferior to the first 2.
On a side note, it would be interesting to see how the 2001 Kings would fare in today's NBA. That team was so deep and balanced. They were built to play today's game.