Imaginary Classic: The 2017 Warriors vs the 1947 Toronto Huskies (Could Mean Tweets Ensure a Huskies Victory?)
It’s one of those debates every hardcore hoops fan has had. Probably argued about in a bar. Spent the night in jail after things got out of hand. Then maybe even did hard time.
It may not be safe to talk to about this. But I’m asking it anyway: Who would win a best of 7? The 2017 Golden State Warriors? Or the 1947 Toronto Huskies?
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, the 2017 Golden State Warriors have to be considered one of the greatest basketball teams of all time. They were stacked with shooting and versatile defenders. If there’s a criticism of them, it’s that they were a little soft.
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, The 1947 Toronto Huskies have to be considered one of the top 6 teams in the Basketball Association of America’s Eastern Division. If there’s a criticism of them, it’s that they didn’t win much and disbanded after one season. If there’s another criticism of them, it’s that they sometimes forgot to take their mittens and snow boots off before games.
Hardcore fans on either side ain’t gonna budge. But for those of us in the middle, here are the questions you have to consider.
When teams from different seasons play each other in an imaginary matchup, do we allow any room for the team from the distant past to adapt to the style of the team from the more recent past? To be clear, I’m not talking about the Huskies learning the step-back, drinking recovery shakes, or napping in cryotherapy chambers. What I want to know is: Would the Huskies be able to learn Twitter enough to troll Kevin Durant? For me, it’s a definite yes. I don’t think their tweets even have to be particularly inspired. If they can just figure out how to get enough retweets that say Durant will never mean as much to basketball as Kleggie Hermsen or Hank Biasatti, I don’t think KD sleeps a wink all series. Meanwhile, Leo Mogus sleeps like a baby.
In an imaginary matchup, can we ever assume that a player might revert to characteristics they displayed in a previous season? Or is the player just the version from the specific season in question? If we’re saying a player can revert, then there’s always the chance Draymond Green will go back to being 2015-2016 Draymond and goes on a nut-punching-and-kicking rampage. Day-Day could wind up getting kicked out of every game. If so, It’s great news for Huskies fans. Bad news for the Huskies’ nuts.
Would even the more even-tempered Warriors players would be tempted to punch the 1947 ref? There’s a lot to unpack in this video, but focus on the ref at about the 25 second mark. What the hell is he doing?! He looks like he’s calling a foul on himself for screwing your wife and then giving you the finger. I’m guessing players in the 40s were used to that sort of thing. But that type of provocative reffing could lead to a lot of Warrior ejections.
If your best player quits 10 games into the season, does he get to play in the imaginary series? Let’s set a dangerous precedent and let future Celtic all-star Ed Sadowski give it a go.
The Coaching Matchup-—It's Steve Kerr vs The 4 headed hydra of Sadowski, Hayman, Fitzgerald, and Rolfe. Sure, we could talk '47 X's vs 2017 O's, but the coaching matchup could come down to this: Did Steve Kerr enjoy his 15 win 2020 season more than S, H, F, & R enjoyed their 22 win '47?
Advanced 1940s Stats? Somehow there are advanced stats for the not-so-advanced Toronto Huskies. You think I'm scared to use them? Just because I have no advanced degree? Pffff. Here’s my futuristic breakdown of how Golden State will have to matchup with the Huskies on D. Now that 6’5” center Sadowski is playing, the Warriors will have to double-team his 2.3 win shares and they’ll also have to double Leo Mogus’s 5.1 win shares. Which leaves Andre Iguodala guarding three guys and all their win shares. Could be a lot to ask.
The Magic 8 Ball Super Speed Round (Brought to you by Olde English 800)
Here are 5 questions I came up with while drinking malt liquor and rapid fire answers provided by one of our finest analytics tools.
1. Q: Would the teams have to play in the shoes they wore in their respective seasons? A: Without a doubt
2. Q: So the Huskies have to play wearing pre-industrial low-top work boots? A: Signs point to yes.
3. Q: Would Steph’s nursing shoes make him the logical choice to administer first aid to any Huskie players on the wrong end of a Draymond nutpunch? A: As I see it, yes.
4. Q: Would the Huskies backcourt of MIke McCarorn and Gino Sorvan be able to shut down Klay and Steph’s 3 point game? A: Don’t count on it.
5. Q: Would a Huskies bench of Leo Mogus, Red Wallace, and Frank Fucarino be able to match buckets with Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, and David West? A: Outlook not so good.
Setting aside the Magic 8 Ball for a moment, here’s the one big question left: Can a Warriors squad beat a team from Canada in a 7 game series? We have no evidence that they can. Plus, it's hard not to be persuaded by the image below.
The Huskies taking time off from Tweeting for a scrimmage. The pick: Warriors in 5 (minutes).