Comparing the 95-96 Bulls and 15-16 Warriors

Posted this in the other thread but thought it deserves a separate one:



95-96 Bulls Roster

0 Randy Brown PG
30 Jud Buechler SF
35 Jason Caffey PF
53 James Edwards C
54 Jack Haley C
9 Ron Harper PG
23 Michael Jordan SG
25 Steve Kerr PG
7 Toni Kukoc SF
13 Luc Longley C
33 Scottie Pippen SF
91 Dennis Rodman PF
22 John Salley PF
8 Dickey Simpkins PF
34 Bill Wennington C

Averages

Jordan 30.4pts 6.6.reb 4.3ast 2.2stl
Pippen 19.4pts 6.4reb 5.9ast
Rodman 5.5pts 14.9reb 2.4ast
Longley 9.1pts 5.1reb 1.4blk
Kukoc 14.1pts 4reb 3.5ast

Started season 18-2
42-5 at the all-star break I think

Losses

Orlando 94-88
Sonics 97-92
Pacers 103-97
Nuggets 105-99
Suns 106-96
Heat 113-104
Knicks 104-72
Raptors 109-108 (30pts 11ast Damon Stoudamire, 23pts 12reb Tracy Murray - crowd 36,131)
Hornets 98-97 (MJ 40pts 11reb 5ast)
Pacers 100-99


Salaries

1 Michael Jordan $3,850,000
2 Toni Kukoc $3,560,000
3 Ron Harper $3,120,000
4 Scottie Pippen $2,925,000
5 Dennis Rodman $2,500,000
6 Luc Longley $2,300,000
7 Bill Wennington $1,000,000
8 Randy Brown $900,000
9 Dickey Simpkins $845,000
10 Steve Kerr $800,000
11 Jason Caffey $627,000
12 Jud Buechler $300,000
13 James Edwards $225,000
14 Jack Haley $225,000

2015-16 Warriors Roster

12 Andrew Bogut C
30 Stephen Curry PG
4 Brandon Rush SG
40 Harrison Barnes SF
11 Klay Thompson SG
31 Festus Ezeli C
1 Jason Thompson C
9 Andre Iguodala SG
34 Shaun Livingston PG
5 Marreese Speights PF
20 James Michael McAdoo PF
36 Kevon Looney F
23 Draymond Green PF
19 Leandro Barbosa SG
21 Ian Clark SG


Averages

Curry 32pts 5.1reb 6ast 2.4stl
Draymond 12.7pts 8.3reb 7.2ast
Klay 16.5pts 3.4reb 2.4ast
Barnes 13.4pts 5reb 1.4ast
Iguodala 8.4pts 4.4reb 3.8ast

Started season 20-0


Salaries

1 Klay Thompson $15,500,000
2 Draymond Green $14,300,000
3 Andrew Bogut $12,000,000
4 Andre Iguodala $11,710,456
5 Stephen Curry $11,370,786
6 Jason Thompson $6,431,250
7 Shaun Livingston $5,543,725
8 Harrison Barnes $3,873,398
9 Marreese Speights $3,815,000
10 Leandro Barbosa $2,500,000
11 Festus Ezeli $2,008,748
12 Brandon Rush $1,270,964
13 Kevon Looney $1,131,960
14 Ian Clark $947,276
15 James Michael McAdoo $845,059

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/1...olden-state-warriors-vs-1995-96-chicago-bulls


Steve Kerr :


Kerr: My initial thoughts are that it is literally impossible to even compare, because the rules are so different and the eras are so different. We would overload the strong side on [Michael] Jordan, and they would call illegal defense; and they would put their hands all over [Stephen] Curry, and the refs would call a foul. That make sense?

It makes sense. So let us do a compromise. We keep handchecks and take away illegal defense. How do you, as an analyst, see it going?

Kerr: Ah, well that's interesting. The only thing I know for sure is I had no chance to guard Steph. So I would say, we would probably have had to put a combination of Scottie [Pippen] and Harp [Ron Harper] on Steph.

You didn't expect this to be hard, did you?

Kerr: No. I do think that we would have -- when I say "we," I'm saying from a playing standpoint. I mean, this is hard to even know whether I'm saying "we" or "they."

This is ridiculous.

Kerr: It is ridiculous. I do think the game would have gone small, because the Bulls' bigs at the time were not offensive enough to stay on the floor. I'm going to have to say, 'the Bulls" and "the Warriors." I can't say "we" and "they" because nobody will know what the hell I'm talking about. So, the Bulls' bigs would have had to exit. So, you would have had an epic [Dennis] Rodman versus Draymond Green matchup.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/basketb...96-chicago-bulls/story-fnp51js4-1227622611665

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KLAY THOMPSON vs SCOTTIE PIPPEN



Stephen Curry has his wingman in Klay Thompson. He’s someone the reigning MVP can count on when his own shot isn’t falling. Michael Jordan had a wingman of his own in the great Scottie Pippen.



Of course, even comparing Thompson to Pippen is a stretch, but their ability to take a step back and play second-fiddle to their respective stars is an impressive trait, and something both players should — and will — be admired for.



DENNIS RODMAN vs DRAYMOND GREEN



Both teams also had a scrapper. That one player who did the dirty work. Whether it’s diving for the loose ball, taking the hard foul, or making the simple pass, both teams managed to get the most out of their respective scrappers.



Draymond Green’s start to the season has been amazing, with the forward improving his game as each year passes. His ability to affect the game on both ends of the floor is a big reason why the Warriors are on this winning streak, and why every team he’s ever been on as had success.
Dennis Rodman played a similar role on the Bulls. Nothing he did was ever flashy, nor did it make highlight reels, but it certainly got the job done. Green’s skillset has different elements to Rodman’s, but their willingness to compete is what makes them invaluable pieces for their respective teams.



AUSSIE CONNECTION



The final piece for both teams is possibly the biggest coincidence of all: the Australian seven-footer.



Andrew Bogut’s impact on the Warriors can’t be understated. He may only play 15 or 20 minutes is some games, but his ability to patrol the paint on the defensive end, as well a create out of the high-post on offence, gives the Warriors much-needed balance.



The Chicago Bulls had an Australian big-man of their own in Luc Longley. Longley’s role was similar to Bogut’s: a reliable inside presence on both ends of the floor, and although his contributions didn’t match those of his star teammates, his role on the team was just as important.



Those who know Longley are aware of his outspoken and sarcastic nature, so he made sure to take note of the Australian connection between the two teams.



“The other similarity that’s quite glaring is the outrageously handsome seven-foot Australian centre. Both teams have that, and everyone doesn’t have the chance to have that. So that’s a real plus.”



These two centres may only get to match up against each other during Australian national team trainings — where Longley is an assistant coach — but in the hypothetical that is the 2015/16 Warriors vs the 1995/96 Chicago Bulls, there’s no telling who would win that battle.
With nearly 20 years separating the two teams, it’s easy to see why so many are finding it difficult to predict how a head-to-head matchup would go.



“It’s hard to say who would win,” Longley said.



“Different games, different eras and different generations. My ego says that we’d match up pretty favourably to them, but who knows. We’ll have to get the video game out.”



Of course, the tangible thing connecting the two teams is one man: Steve Kerr.



VOTING POLL on foxsports.com.au currently has 1,985 votes for Bulls, 509 votes for Warriors.

http://pippenainteasy.com/2015/11/23/breaking-down-the-95-96-bulls-vs-15-16-warriors-debate/




It’s a fairly frustrating topic. There’s no doubting how great the ’95-96 Bulls were in their day. I mean, they were 42-5 at the 1996 All-Star Weekend in San Antonio and had three(!) win streaks of 13+ games in the first half alone during that season.

But, what these current Warriors are doing is pretty historic in their own right as well. The disrespect shown towards the Warriors at times is almost laughable. Including last year’s postseason, the Golden State Warriors are 98-20 to their current point of this season.

What?

“Lucky” wouldn’t be a word to describe them.

In a seven-game series, would the Bulls win? With Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Toni Kukoc and Dennis Rodman on the same roster, it would be tough for the Warriors to overcome. That part’s clear.

But, it certainly wouldn’t be a sweep like Ron Harper’s personal projection had it. This Warriors team is the real deal and has a legitimate shot to join the ’95-96 Bulls and reach the 70-win plateau this season.

http://www.bullsnation.net/steve-kerr-answers-95-96-bulls-15-16-warriors/




He would also begin to geek out about other savory match ups the Warriors could have exploited:

What about Ron Harper, who’s been very vocal. Do you give him the treatment where — I know he wasn’t the best 3-point shooter — Andrew Bogut guards him?

Kerr: Oh. Yeah. There’s a good chance Bogut gets the Ron Harper assignment. That’s where the triangle offense comes into play. I will give my salute to the triangle here. It was very difficult to do that sort of thing to the triangle because of the constant movement and the actions. You had a lot of ability to move people around, and you had a lot of back cuts. It would have been very difficult to do that sort of thing to the triangle.

While the role players on each team are quite different in their style of play, Kerr would expand his thought by saying that there are actually a lot of similarities he sees in both squads.

Do you see Michael Jordan guarding Steph for long stretches? Do you see Scottie Pippen guarding Klay Thompson for long stretches?

Kerr: Well, I think the biggest similarity between the two teams is the versatility defensively. The Bulls teams, [former college and Warriors coach] Johnny Bach used to call Scottie and Michael “Dobermans.” And Scottie, Michael, Dennis and Ron Harper, those guys would switch everything. That was the first team I was ever part of or that I ever saw that would just switch 1 through 4. And we could even switch 1 through 5 when we had [Toni] Kukoc out there. So in some ways, that team was like a precursor to the Warriors. So with the right matchups out there, you could have seen 10 players all switching on each other.

At the end of the interview, Ethan –and I likewise — was just waiting to hear who Kerr thought would win if the Bulls and Warriors both decided to get out their flex capacitors and duke it out 2k Play Now Style. We’ve heard Ron Harper, everyone at SportsCenter, and even LeBron James chime in, now it was surely Steve Kerr’s turn to give us us his two cents.

Kerr: Yeah. I refuse to comment on the score of this hypothetical game that would never happen.

But what if it takes place on Pluto?

Kerr: Oh, well if it takes place on Pluto, then I believe it would hinge on a step-back Steph Curry 3 over Michael Jordan at the buzzer. And we’ll never know if it goes in or not.

I've read some of the BO threads and they're brutal as usual. I must say that it would suck if you hated Curry, Klay, Green and couldn't watch the Warriors with any form of neutrality. If you hate things changing so much - hate witnessing (possibly) history? wow, then I feel bad for you. Actually no I don't.