Golden State Warriors

Byron Scott says the 'Showtime' Lakers would 'absolutely' beat the Warriors

Published Nov. 24, 2015 5:53 p.m. ET

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The 2-11 Los Angeles Lakers don't stand much of a chance against the 15-0 Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night, when the Warriors try to make history and become the first team to start a season 16-0.

Golden State has established itself as an all-time great team with dynasty potential. The odds of these Lakers giving the Dubs any type of challenge is certainly low.

But what about the '80s "Showtime" Lakers? How would they fare against Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green & Co.?

According to Lakers coach Byron Scott, who played on those "Showtime" teams, the "Showtime" Lakers would "absolutely" beat these Warriors, according to ESPN:

Pitting one franchise's best team against another's is a futile exercise. We'll never know how this matchup would've played out, and it's challenging to compare statistics across eras given rule changes, medical advancements and varying styles of play (3-pointers were a lot less popular in the '80s, for example).

But give Green more credit than that -- he's held his own against LeBron James, who was a much more explosive and versatile offensive threat than James Worthy ever was. That doesn't mean Green would've shut down Worthy or Magic Johnson -- and surely not the 7-foor-2 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar -- but he shouldn't be dismissed as incapable of stopping an all-time scorer.

That said, this would be one of the most fun hypothetical matchups possible.

The cross-matchups defensively would be fascinating -- Magic would most likely not be guarding Curry, and vice versa -- as would the contrasting styles of play. Would the Warriors have to go big because of Kareem? Could the "Showtime" Lakers actually thrive in a smaller lineup, given their versatile personnel? How would L.A. fare against a team that shoots so many 3-pointers -- something they never faced in that era?

Nonetheless, the fact that both teams play up-tempo, selfless styles of basketball would ensure a legendary series.

"It would be interesting," Scott admitted after the team’s morning shoot-around at a local club here in advance of the game in Oakland.

"The one thing I think this [Golden State Warriors] team couldn’t do on a daily basis against us that they’re doing against everybody else is go small. You have Magic [Johnson] and James [Worthy] and Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar] as post-up players that demand a double-team. It would be a whole lot harder [for the Warriors]. [Warriors forward] Draymond [Green] is a great defender and I have a lot of respect for him, but guarding James Worthy? Or guarding Kareem? That wouldn’t happen. It would be interesting. It would be very interesting."