Who Would Win? : The 1972-1973 Knicks vs. The 1993-1994 Knicks.

Two Great Knick Teams. One Great Game.

If the battle between the 1972-1973 World Champion New York Knicks and the 1993-1994 Eastern Conference Champion Knicks took place, it would be an epic game.

Here are the rosters of both teams and then a projected starting five:

1972-1973 Knicks

·           Walt Frazier

·           Bill Bradley

·           Willis Reed

·           Earl Monroe

·           Dave DeBusschere

·           Jerry Lucas

·           Phil Jackson

·           Dick Barnett

·           Dean Meminger

·           Henry Bibby

·           Tom Riker

·           Luther Rackley

·           John Gianelli

·           Harthorne Wingo

Projected Starting Five

·           G - Walt Frazier

·           G - Earl Monroe

·           F - Bill Bradley

·           F - Dave DeBusschere

·           C - Willis Reed

1993-1994 Knicks

·           Patrick Ewing

·           Anthony Mason

·           John Starks

·           Charles Oakley

·           Hubert Davis

·           Greg Anthony

·           Derek Harper

·           Anthony Bonner

·           Charles Smith

·           Rolando Blackman

·           Herb Williams

·           Doc Rivers

·           Tony Campbell

·           Eric Anderson

·           Gerald Paddio

·           Corey Gaines

Projected Starting Five

·           G - John Starks

·           G - Greg Anthony

·           F - Charles Oakley

·           F - Anthony Mason

·           C - Patrick Ewing

Now I will do a breakdown of each position to decide the outcome of this historic game.

Guards

Both teams have very good guards in their starting line ups and also have great depth at the position.

Walt "Clyde" Frazier is one of the greatest guards in the history of basketball, while John Starks is one of the most under rated guards, yet was a premier player during his time.

Frazier was known for his great defensive play and also for his "swishin' and dishin'" where he made his teammates better players.

Starks was an all out, blue collar guy for the Knicks would make all the hustle plays and do all the little things to make the team win.

Earl "Pearl" Monroe was an excellent shooter who provided flash for the Knicks and always brought the Garden crowd to its feet.

Greg Anthony also provided a great shooting touch for the Knicks and would be a nice mid - range to three-point threat.

Both teams have very good guards coming off the bench. The '72-'73 team has Dick Barnett, whose No. 12 is retired by the Knicks and the '93-'94 have both Derek Harper and Hubert Davis who provided a good spark off the bench.

Forwards

The battle of the forward position would be two totally different games.

The 1972-1973 team had some great shooters, while the 1993-1994 team had rough and tough players under the boards.

Bill Bradley and Dave DeBusschere would shoot the 1972-1973 Knicks into becoming World Champions, while Charles Oakley and Anthony Mason would do the dirty work and grab rebounds for the 1993-1994 Eastern Conference Champions.

Although both forward tandems have two totally different styles, this would be a very unique match up.

Questions like: "How would Mason do out on the perimeter against Bradley?" and "How would DeBusschere do down low against Oakley?" would be answered.

Like the guard position, both teams have great depth at the forward position.

Jerry Lucas and Phil Jackson would substitute for the '72-'73 team, while Anthony Bonner and Charles Smith would come in for the '93-'94 team.

Centers

Yes, both teams have more then one center on their roster, but only two of them really mattered.

Patrick Ewing versus Willis Reed.

These two players could easily be the top two big men in the history of the National Basketball Association.

Willis Reed was, "The Captain" for the New York Knicks throughout the 1960s and 1970s. He was beloved by all Knick fans and was the face of the franchise.

Many people and fans say that he is the greatest Knick of all time, hands down.

Patrick Ewing was the savior of the Knick's organization. Before the Knicks drafted Ewing, they were an average team and needed that one great player to put them over the edge.

When he got their, he put them over that edge and changed the way the Knicks played basketball.

If these two great players got together, it would finally answer the question, "Who is the best center in Knick history? Reed or Ewing?"

I don't think that just one game can determine who is better considering that both have left such great legacies for the New York Knicks.

The Outcome

After it is all said and done, the 1972-1973 New York Knicks would defeat the 1993-1994 New York Knicks.

The '72-'73 team had just too much talent and too many super stars to handle.

The  '93-'94 team is still a great team, but I don't think they can handle the World Champions of 1973.

Even though it breaks my heart to say this, but the 1972-1973 finished it out and won the title, while Ewing and company lost Game seven of the Finals to the Houston Rockets.