The best European players versus the best NBA champs (Part II)?

Question

A few days ago, I posed a question [Part I] on who will win a serious game of basketball between the best European players (past & present) IN THEIR PRIME versus the consensus #1 NBA champs of all time which is the 90's Chicago Bulls.

Surprisingly, there are people who really thought that the Europeans can beat the 90's Bulls (the line-up of the ' 91-'93 Bulls & the '96-'98 Bulls).

As for me, I felt the Europeans have chance too since their team is very deep up to the 12th man eventhough I'm a big Bulls fan.

The reason is - the 90's Bulls really only had 3 All-Stars in MJ, Scottie, & Dennis while the rest of the reserves for both '91-'93 & '96-'98 Bulls were quite mediocrely. (Please see Part I to see how the Bulls reserves match up against the European reserves. The Bulls reserves won't stand a chance.)

But if we match the best Europeans with another top tier NBA champions (a selection of the championship Lakers throughout the NBA history), then almost everyone will conclude that the Euros won't stand a chance.

And so, without further adiue, here's the matchup & decide for yourself if the Euros won' stand a chance against the best L.A. has to offer unlike against the best of the Bulls championship teams where the Euros can definitely win.

Euro players (in their prime) versus the best of the Lakers.
C - Arvidas Sabonis [7"4'] versus Kareem [7"2'].
PF - Pau Gasol [7"0'] versus Wilt [7"1].
SF - Dirk Nowitzki [7"0'] versus James Worthy [6"10'].
SG - Drazen Petrovic [6"5'] versus Kobe [6"6'].
PG- Tony Parker [6"2'] versus Magic [6"9'].

Reserves
C - Zydrunas Ilguaskas [7"3'] versus Shaq [7"1'].
PF - Detlef Shrempf [6"10'] versus Horace Grant [6"10'].
SF - Toni Kukoc [6"11'] versus Glenn Rice [6"7']
SG - Hedo Torkuglu [6"10'] versus Jerry West [6"4'].
PG - Sarunas Marciuolanis [6"5'] versus Byron Scott [6"4'].

11th & 12th man
Peja Stojakavic [6"9'] versus Michael Cooper [6"7'].
Rik Smits [7"4'] versus Goerge Mikan [6"10' ].
Andrei Kirilenko [6"9'] versus Sam Perkins [6"9].

*The young generation nowadays doesn't know how really good Arvydas & Zydrunas were during their prime. But these 2 big guys are perhaps the best big men to come out of Europe that even Pau Gasol put Arvydas in his top 5. Unfortunately, both Vidas & the big Z are/were merely a shell of their old self in most of their NBA years due to injuries typical of big men. But during their best years (20-25 years old), both would be decent enough to play against Kareem, Wilt , & Shaq.

**Scott is not really a PG though at times he did play it decently back in the "Showtime" days. At the same token, Wilt is no PF but he will be in this dream [hypothetical] match-up.

***Eventhough AC Green & Rambis played with the Lakers longer than Grant & Perkins, there's no denying that AC & Kurt are no better than the other 2.

The analysis:
It's obvious the Euros won't stand a chance unlike against the 90's Bulls. The question then is, will the championship Bulls win against these championship Lakers? If not, then why the hell are my Bulls considered the #1 championship team by most people?

Of course, the 2000-2003 Lakers nor the 70's Lakers of Wilt & West won't win aganst the '90's Bulls. (Don't even consider the Minneapolis Lakers of the 50's starring Mikan.)

But I seriously think that the Showtime Lakers is of equal-footing with the championship Bulls because they can play 3 outstanding guards (Magic, Scott, & Coop) which will give MJ & Scottie a very hard time. Rodman too will have a hard time against the super quick Worthy with all his variety of moves but the real clincher is Kareem who will eat Bill Cartwright or Luc Longley alive.

Answer 1

I also believe not only the Showtime Lakers but the Celtics 80s teams could also give the Bulls a fit. The Bulls of the 90s were a finesse team, with Jordan at the helm leading the way. Meanwhile, Boston was a brut team down low with Parrish/McHale, and even Walton off the bench. The Bulls couldn't match that, not to mention they'd have Dennis Johnson (one of the best defenders man-to-man of that era) on Jordan. Bird who himself was no slouch on defense on Pippen; vice versa. I think the Lakers/Celtics of the 80s ultimately cancelled each other out, by playing against each other. The only other two teams really on the map in the 80s were the Pistons in the late 80s, and the Sixers once Moses Malone arrived - even that only bore one title.

As for the Euros vs the Best of the Lakers - you figure, a storied franchise of the Lakers is loaded with Hall Of Famers,(not even just HOF'ers but some of the greatest HOF'ers) so it wouldn't be a match-up. I'd like to see a 'lesser' NBA franchise, or one not loaded with an incredible player at each position. Let's for instance use the Portland TrailBlazers All-Time Roster, a franchise who for the most part has enjoyed decent success, even winning one title, and competing for several.

Euros
PG - Tony Parker
SG - Drazen Petrovic
SF - Dirk Nowitzki
PF - Pau Gasol
C - Arvydas Sabonis

Blazers
PG - Terry Porter
SG - Clyde Drexler
SF - Jerome Kersey
PF - Maurice Lucas
C - Bill Walton

You still have two Hall Of Famers in Drexler and Walton, and two All-Stars in Lucas and Porter, but based on the pace the majority of the current Euro roster I've listed, I feel this would be a better matchup in terms for the Euro's having a chance at winning, but I'll leave that to you.

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Answer 2

euro players play together really well....but as for overall talent the euro are highly out matched i know the size might be the same...or shorter but the talent is far better...They best euro players in prime might have a chance against the bulls but none whats so ever against united states prime players

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