OT: 2016 Warriors vs. 1996 Bulls

Submitted by JeepinBen on

So, we've had bad basketball discussed quite a bit on here. How about chatting about good basketball? The 1996 Bulls are widely seen as one of (if not the) best NBA teams ever, going 72-10 in the regular season and winning the title, only losing 3 playoff games. The Bulls were the #1 offensive team in the league and #1 defensive team in the league, ourscoring teams by about 12 ppg.

The Warriors are ridiculous, winning their first 23 games of the season, and outscoring teams by a ton.

My question is, which team wins a 7 game series? Let's do some stupid talk and get your Stephen A Smith voice out. The Warriors play small ball better than anyone, shoot 3s and dunks in a way that 90s teams didn't do. The Bulls went on a revenge tour and had Michael Jordan ready to kill fools.

PG: Curry vs. Ron Harper (Backup Steve Kerr)

SG: Klay Thompson vs. MJ

SF: Harrison Barnes/Andre Iguodala vs. Scottie Pippen

PF: Draymond Green vs. Dennis Rodman

C: Andrew Bogut vs. Luc Longley/Bill Wennington/John Salley

I think the Warriors (obviously) have an offensive advantage, especially at the 3 point line. The Bulls have more size and depth, plus the legitimately crazy MJ. Draymond Vs. The Worm might explode the world. The Bulls could probably run with the small ball warriors, putting Rodman on Green at the 5 and rolling with Kukoc as a proto-stretch-4. Who you got?

 

EDIT - Rules - your choice of 1990s rules (no hand checking, etc.) or today's. Also, no one has thrown a "HOWEVA" yet, your S-A-S voices need practice.

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JeepinBen

December 10th, 2015 at 10:51 AM ^

They definitely would "guard down". Imagining MJ on Curry just sounds awesome.

And the rules are an excellent question... Can you imagine MJ if hand checking weren't legal? Those rule changes actually make this a lot harder... I don't know if MJ and Pippen could give the Warriors the Kucoc Olympics treatment if the tickytack calls were made..

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ijohnb

December 10th, 2015 at 10:56 AM ^

Was good enough and versatile enough to adapt though. They could play "finesse" if the circumstances required and often did. The composition of the Warriors makes it literally impossible for them to play "physical." Bulls in 6, rules be damned

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BursleysFinest

December 10th, 2015 at 11:10 AM ^

Harper was a pretty good defender though. Put Jordan on Curry, Harper on Klay.   Pippen was the type of defender that could play off his man and still recover, so having him on that SF allows him to wreak havoc on GS's whole offense... Rodman vs. Draymond is close to even and would be just fun to watch.   

 

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amaizenblue402

December 10th, 2015 at 10:51 AM ^

The way the game was played in the 90s is waaay different than today's NBA.  I think the Bulls would win if the game was played with 90s rules, 4-2.  Warriors would win if game was played with today's rules, 4-2.

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1464

December 10th, 2015 at 10:55 AM ^

Would the Bulls still win if the Warriors were wearing proper shoes?

Also, your general premise is off.  We've had "96 BULLS" beaten into our head enough to reinforce their inherent dominance.  I don't think it's as uneven as you assume.

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ijohnb

December 10th, 2015 at 10:57 AM ^

in 6. Michael Jordan imposed his will on basketball games to such an extent that you can't simply break it down by "matchups." It was also the most self aware and fundamentally sound team i have ever seen. The Bulls would have slowed it down, executed the triangle with painstaking precision and patience and limited the Warriors in transition. Additionally, Kukoc off the bench would have overwhelmed the Warriors size and the Bulls would have killed them on the offensive glass. Bulls in 6.

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Blue2000

December 10th, 2015 at 10:53 AM ^

I grew up in the Chicago suburbs and was in grade/high school mid-90s, so I'm obviously biased and think the Bulls would win, but it would be an awesome series.  Remember that the '95-'96 season was also some of the best basketball that Pippen ever played.  Though FWIW, I think the '91-'92 team was the best of the Bulls' championship teams.  

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Blue2000

December 10th, 2015 at 11:18 AM ^

Yup the comparison to the '95-'96 team makes perfect sense given the win totals.  And yes, I'm a bit older than you - '96 high school grad.  Funnily enough, my 7-year old son is obsessed with Steph Curry (though he's been well-indoctrinated (by both me and "Space Jam") that Michael Jordan is the greatest player of all time).

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BursleysFinest

December 10th, 2015 at 11:01 AM ^

You have 3 All-Defense type players on that Bulls team. Noone's beating these Warriors by 20+, but the Bulls are winning.  Also, imagine Jordan and Pippen driving to the hole in today's NBA.  So many And-1s.  

Bulls 4-1 in 90's rules, 4-2 in today's NBA.

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Duval Wolverine

December 10th, 2015 at 11:01 AM ^

As a huge basketball fan and watching that season and playoff run by the bulls I would say the Bulls would win in 6, Nobody on the Warriors would be able to stop Jordan and he could score with anyone in the NBA past or present.  The Key matchups in this game would be MJ versus Thompson and Rodman vs Green.  Rodman would own the boards, limit second chance shots for the warriors, and extend possession for the Bulls.  Thompson would have no chance at slowing down Jordan, and Pippen and Jordan could take turns at guarding Curry since they both were top defenders in their prime!

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mGrowOld

December 10th, 2015 at 11:11 AM ^

Game #3 of last year's finals.

And on Christmas day they wil DEFINITELY get loss #1 if they havent already as Kyrie & Shump will be back (allegedly) which will give my Cavs our full starting five for the first time all year.  Right now we start our 3rd string PG, our back-up small forward and our starting center is still recovering from off-season surgery and is playing like shit.  And to date the Warriors have lost NO players to injuries.

Come playoffs it's a completely different animal (which is why the Cavs won two games), should've won three (the opener) and kicked the Warriors ASS last March.

I'll still take the Cavs over the Warriors when we get the players back.

 

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mGrowOld

December 10th, 2015 at 12:23 PM ^

Seriously though - go back and look at the first three games of the series.  We lost game one in OT where we had a shot to win in regulation and then lost.  That's the game we lost Kyrie who's still out.  Then we win games two & three playing the physical basketball the Warriors did not like and were not used to.  Then they flipped to small ball and we ran out of gas with no K-Love, no Kyrie and Delly having to play 40 minutes a game.  Hell, he got freaking hospitalized after game three with exhaustion and cramps so he was functionally worthless for the balance of the sereies leaving us with no PG at all.

This year we have depth or at least we will once we start getting healthy again in the next 7-10 days.  And at some point the  Warriors will actually have someone get injured.  You cant flip a coin and have it come heads forever.

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lilpenny1316

December 10th, 2015 at 11:11 AM ^

Bulls in six or seven playing by todays rules.  You can't hand check these days and you can play zone and other relaxed defenses.  Plus there's no way Steph and Klay are getting open looks with Jordan and Pippen guarding them.  

Warriors probably win 45-50 games if they were playing this style 20 years ago.  Bulls would win 55-65 games running their triangle offense today.

 

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vinegar strokes

December 10th, 2015 at 11:18 AM ^

If it's played in 1996, Bulls win. If it's played in 2016, warriors win. The game has changed so much and this is why it's difficult to compare generations. However, you can compare which team is/was more dominate in their time. Obviously the Warriors are on pace to be more dominate than the 96 Bulls-there's a lot of games still to be played though.

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taistreetsmyhero

December 10th, 2015 at 11:33 AM ^

I'd take Warriors in 7. Warriors offense doesn't care about your 1v1 defensive abilities. They are running advanced plays that 90s basketball simply didn't have, and they are getting open looks. Even if they don't get open looks, curry and klay could win 4 games taking stupid shots. They're just at a different level right now. The Bulls also wouldn't have an answer for green. When did rodman ever guard a 4/5 that far from the paint?



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pdgoblue25

December 10th, 2015 at 11:51 AM ^

Ron Harper never got enough credit for his outstanding defense, and he's also 6'6", I'm putting him on Curry, and Jordan on Klay Thompson.  I'll take my chances that Harrison Barnes isn't beating me.

Also, nobody on the Warriors is shutting down Pippen and Jordan on defense.  Against the Cavs they had to worry about shutting down LeBron, and the combination of a 1 armed Shumpert/Dellavedova/and a PF who can't make anything outside of a layup.  And they STILL lost 2 games to that shell of a basektball team.

With how versatile Pippen is they could also do what Detroit did to the Lakers.  Let Kobe and Shaq do whatever they want, make sure the other 3 guys do absolutely nothing.  Even if Thompson and Curry put up 40 pts per game, that's only 80 pts.

Also, I'm going to mention Michael Jordan again, because he's Michael Jordan.....Michael Jordan.

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taistreetsmyhero

December 10th, 2015 at 11:52 AM ^

I'd take barnes and bogut and green over mj and pippens supporting cast all day. There's nobody on the Bulls to stop Barnes. Bogut if he's relatively healthy is miles better than the bull's center brigade. Kukoc would be the X factor and may swing the game. If he played like a dirty Hedo then they would probably win.



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taistreetsmyhero

December 10th, 2015 at 11:39 AM ^

Also, r.e. what type of rules you're going by: it's a lot easier to play rougher defense than you're used to than to play softer D. No way any of the Bulls, even all mighty Jordan, could keep Curry in front of them without copious hand checking. If you call those, the entire roster is fouling out by the 3rd quarter. If you don't, then the Warriors would have a much easier time adjusting and playing way rougher. (Granted, curry would be a huge liability out there on D. But I would take old ass Iguadala to play lock down D and Green's violent ass would thrive.)



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HonoluluBlue

December 10th, 2015 at 11:40 AM ^

Considering this is a MICHIGAN blog take your Chicago bias and get lost. If you want to compare this Warriors team to the Bad Boys of 1989 then go ahead. I will take the Pistons in 4. No explanation needed.

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gmoney41

December 10th, 2015 at 1:31 PM ^

Good lord, Jordan got away with just as much "gooning" than he recieved, and he also was the benificiary of EVERY call.  He also travelled a ton, not like that matters in the NBA.  Plus the league made it all about Jordan, the guy got away with everything.  Sorry, the league made Jordan into what he was.  Go watch the Bird/Magic doc, they flat out say it.  I can't deny Jordan's greatness, but you guys say that noone would be able to gaurd MJ, but I would say Jordan wouldn't have been nearly as effective defensively.  He wouldn't be able to stay with Curry, as his hand checking would get him called for a lot.  I would take Curry efficiency over Jordan any day of the week.  Jordan would shoot 35 times a game to get 35+, Curry needs 10 less shots to be that effective.

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SFBlue

December 10th, 2015 at 12:05 PM ^

If they play with the Warriors healthy, Dubs win in six or seven. There is no Chicago answer to Steph Curry, and Iguodala limits Jordan, to the extent that's possible.

The 1995-1996 NBA had a stronger field than today's NBA, however.  

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MgoReader1986

December 10th, 2015 at 12:15 PM ^

Honestly this is a horrible match up for the the Warriors. Out of all the 90s teams, the Bulls could adjust to small ball and the way the game is played right now. Curry will get his for sure, but that's about the only real threat. 

Keep in mind that this is the best defensive team of all time, with the greatest player of all time, with the greatest coach of all time, the highest 3 point shooter % (kerr) of all time. Add in Rodman who made the Hall of Fame just on rebounding and defense. For those of you 23 and younger, you really undersestimate Scottie Pippen. He was a monster on defense, could slash, dribble and pass with the best of them and the 3rd best SF in the history of the game behinde LeBron and Bird. 

If the Bulls played small the line up would look like this, and it would be scary good in todays game: 

Harper (defense)/ Kerr (shooting, spacing) 

Jordan 

Pippen 

Kukoc 

Rodman 

With all that said I think this Warriors team will get to 73 wins this season. I think that record means a lot to them. 

 

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gmoney41

December 10th, 2015 at 1:43 PM ^

If we play the games today I would say Warriors in 7.  The Bulls wouldn't be allowed to play the d that they played in the 90's.  If we went back and played this game in the 90's, I think the Bulls win in 4.  The difference in the league is night and day.  Back in the Bulls heyday, the league was awful offensively.  Teams were barely if at all cracking 100.  To me the 90's had great marketing, but watching some of those games again now, the basketball was more bruiser-ball than basketball.

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