Can this year’s Warriors squad beat the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls?
With Golden State tied for the most wins in NBA history entering the last game of the season, it’s a debate that’s lingered since the Warriors’ astonishing 24-game winning streak to start the season.
It’s hard to argue against the Bulls. That lineup was simply stacked with three Hall of Famers in Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen — both in their prime — and the era’s best rebounder Dennis Rodman. The team had a strong veteran presence with an average age of 29 and a roster filled with players who understood their roles. And their coach, the “Zen Master” Phil Jackson, led from the bench.
“That Bulls team would kill this little team (the Warriors),” . “Come on, man. Who is going to guard Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan? What about Dennis Rodman?”
Golden State is younger with an average age of just more than 27. The Warriors have the most prolific 3-point attack in NBA history, led by Splash Brothers Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Curry is the best 3-point shooter of all-time, sinking 392 from beyond the arc (more than 100 more than the previous record owned by him) entering the final game. Thompson, who’s no slouch, has 272 — good enough for third all-time. The team has more than 1,000 in total. Only the 2014-15 Rockets (933) had more than 900.
But different eras dictate different styles of play. : “Going back to 1995-96, when zone defenses were still outlawed, would heavily favor the Bulls. … On the other hand, playing the series now would free up the Warriors to leave both Longley and Rodman mostly unguarded.”
So which team is better? Both are special in very different ways. I’d give a slight edge to Chicago simply on veteran presence (all their superstars were in their prime), a deeper bench and Jordan’s competitive nature .
Ask me again next year and my mind may change. The Warriors’ star trio of Stephen Curry (age 28), Klay Thompson (26) and Draymond Green (26) are just entering their prime years. And believe that they’ll be better next season.
Former Bulls sharpshooter and current Warriors head coach Steve Kerr had the best answer to this question: “First of all, it’s a really hard question to answer — not just because you’re comparing eras, but also because it’s literally tough for me to answer grammatically. I don’t know who ‘we’ is and who ‘they’ are.
“I’ll just say: ‘If the two teams played each other, there’s no question that we could beat us and they could beat them.’ “
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Joe Nguyen: jnguyen@denverpost.com or @joenguyen
