How many games would the 99 Spurs win without Duncan?

[jkvonny]

Spurs won the ship when MJ retired, it should have been Bulls vs Spurs.

Or maybe Spurs vs Pacers.

Bulls/MJ were running on fumes.

[ChipotleWest]

Spurs won the ship when MJ retired, it should have been Bulls vs Spurs.

Or maybe Spurs vs Pacers.

Bulls/MJ were running on fumes.

Based off what they had literally just won? And it was a shortened season, the Pacers were in tact and didn't make it the Knicks did as an #8 seed. It should have been Bulls vs Spurs. The 50 game season was perfect for the Bulls.

[One_and_Done]

If healthy, we'd still be a playoff team, over .500

Still had the same core players that were winning a lot (minus the injury ridden 1997 season) during the '90s.

1) that's not entirely true. There had been player turnover
2) alot of those old vets look visibly degraded, including D.Rob, Elliot and Avery.

We had Mario Ellie, Jackson, Rose, Kersey, Daniels, Perdue, Kerr, etc as well!

I'm watching film right now. These guys are mostly playing like trash. Ellie had a nice move earlier, but mostly they are pretty poor.

[MavsDirk41]

Spurs won the ship when MJ retired, it should have been Bulls vs Spurs.

Or maybe Spurs vs Pacers.

Bulls/MJ were running on fumes.

Yea Rodman was done after the 98 season and Pippen was never the same after his back issues. He was a shell of himself in Portland.

[FuShengTHEGreat]

Spurs won the ship when MJ retired, it should have been Bulls vs Spurs.

You make it sound like Jordan won a NBA title every year of his career. And quite frankly I don't see the correlation of Duncan/SA winning and Jordan retiring given that aside from 2 regular season games they had never crossed paths on a court.

So everyone that has managed to win a title since Jordan retired from the Bulls benefitted from not facing him. Lemme ask you this.....what titles that have been won since the 1998 Finals actually count according to you? Was the league supposed to just close up shop after the 98 Finals?

You downplay/outright slander the accomplishments of Duncan/SA and then have the audacity to bring up in another thread about there being Jordan haters?

Carry on.

[ChipotleWest]

Spurs won the ship when MJ retired, it should have been Bulls vs Spurs.

You make it sound like Jordan won a NBA title every year of his career. And quite frankly I don't see the correlation of Duncan/SA winning and Jordan retiring given that aside from 2 regular season games they had never crossed paths on a court.

So everyone that has managed to win a title since Jordan retired from the Bulls benefitted from not facing him. Lemme ask you this.....what titles that have been won since the 1998 Finals actually count according to you? Was the league supposed to just close up shop after the 98 Finals?

You downplay/outright slander the accomplishments of Duncan/SA and then have the audacity to bring up in another thread about there being Jordan haters?

Carry on.

Sounds like you just cry at the idea of Jordan possibly winning more rings. I never rooted for Jordan in a basketball game I'm a Mavs fan but honestly since the Mavs sucked in the 90's I rooted for the Spurs until the Mavs won a playoff series with Dirk. In fact I got sick of Jordan winning. But It was the #8 seed Knicks that made the Finals. The Bulls would have made the FInals if Jordan played in 99 I didn't say 2005 or 2010 or 2020 just 99 they would have made the Finals. I didn't even pick a winner between Bulls/Spurs, but the freaking #8 seed Knicks made it if Jordan played there should be no doubt the Bulls were going to be there again I don't care if they didn't have Rodman.

[jkvonny]

1) that's not entirely true. There had been player turnover
2) alot of those old vets look visibly degraded, including D.Rob, Elliot and Avery.

We had Mario Ellie, Jackson, Rose, Kersey, Daniels, Perdue, Kerr, etc as well!

I'm watching film right now. These guys are mostly playing like trash. Ellie had a nice move earlier, but mostly they are pretty poor.

Boo hoo, you opinion. lol

[jkvonny]

Spurs won the ship when MJ retired, it should have been Bulls vs Spurs.

Or maybe Spurs vs Pacers.

Bulls/MJ were running on fumes.

Based off what they had literally just won? And it was a shortened season, the Pacers were in tact and didn't make it the Knicks did as an #8 seed. It should have been Bulls vs Spurs. The 50 game season was perfect for the Bulls.

Yup, true.
Pacers lost a tuff ECF vs Knicks in 6 games.
However, Indiana was starting to mature a bit and gave the MJ/Bulls fits in the latter years (lost game 7 1998 ECF) and during the regular seasons. Same division, familiarity (Central Division).
Did make it to the 2000 NBA Finals tho, lost a tuff one to the Lakers in 6.

The Bulll were aging out and gettin banged up during that '98 title run.

[jkvonny]

Spurs won the ship when MJ retired, it should have been Bulls vs Spurs.

Or maybe Spurs vs Pacers.

Bulls/MJ were running on fumes.

Yea Rodman was done after the 98 season and Pippen was never the same after his back issues. He was a shell of himself in Portland.

True.

[One_and_Done]

Duncan was definitely robbed of the 99 MVP.

[SportsGuru08]

If David Robinson were still in his prime, they're a 50-win team. But since he wasn't, they'd get somwhere between 35-40.

[Bornstellar]

The Spurs went 15-2 in the playoffs that year. That's "unimpressive?"

[One_and_Done]

The Spurs went 15-2 in the playoffs that year. That's "unimpressive?"

The parts of the team not named Duncan sure weren't.

[NZB2323]

Spurs won the ship when MJ retired, it should have been Bulls vs Spurs.

Or maybe Spurs vs Pacers.

Bulls/MJ were running on fumes.

Based off what they had literally just won? And it was a shortened season, the Pacers were in tact and didn't make it the Knicks did as an #8 seed. It should have been Bulls vs Spurs. The 50 game season was perfect for the Bulls.

The 50 game season actually had a bunch of 4 games in 5 nights. A 22 year old Duncan led the Spurs to a championship and a 27 year old Allan Houston and 28 year old Latrell Spreewell carried the Knicks to the Finals.

The same thing happened in 2012. Harden was 22 and Durant and Westbrook were 23. Lebron and Bosh were 27 and Wade was 30.

In 1999 Jordan was 35, Pippen 33, Rodman 37, Harper 35, Kerr 33, Longley 30, Kukoc 30. The 1998 Chicago Bulls are the oldest team to ever win a championship. Are you trusting a 37 year old alcoholic Rodman who washed out of the league to stop a 22 year old Duncan?

For the 2020 shortened season the league wasn’t having 4 games in 5 nights anymore, and there was no travel. But we did see how difficult it is for an old team to win the championship with the 2022 Lakers where Lebron deleted this tweet and the Lakers missed the playoffs:

Read on Twitter

[ChipotleWest]

The reason I say nevermind about Bulls/Spurs in 99 is because Scottie's back went out that summer and he was never the same player. It was the last dance for a reason it was over.

[tsherkin]

Sub-30.

[The Hypnotoad]

You have a lot of time on your hands.....

But, just to partake in this.
Utah Jazz (back to back defending WCF champs, ran into the Bulls) probably wins the NBA title that season (Jazz owned the Spurs during the '90s, playoffs and regular season). Gets the 1 seed in the West, instead of 2nd seed. Returns back to the NBA Finals, 3rd times a charm. Beats NYKs in the NBA Finals.

Spurs would still win about 30 plus games (strike season). And the "soft" Spurs and Robinson/Keith Van Horn gets pushed around in the paint by the bigs in the playoffs again. We don't win our 1st NBA title until the 2003 (welcome aboard Manu and Parker!). Along with Van Horn as the backup Center/PF (who we got in the 1997 draft 2nd pick). Robinson's final season.

In the meantime, Philly Sixers won the lottery (instead of 2nd pick, Van Horn) drafts Duncan, and builds an elite team with Iverson/Duncan combo. And this time, Philly beats the Lakers in the 2001 NBA Finals. Duncan NBA Finals MVP.

No you never win the finals without Duncan.

[jkvonny]

You have a lot of time on your hands.....

But, just to partake in this.
Utah Jazz (back to back defending WCF champs, ran into the Bulls) probably wins the NBA title that season (Jazz owned the Spurs during the '90s, playoffs and regular season). Gets the 1 seed in the West, instead of 2nd seed. Returns back to the NBA Finals, 3rd times a charm. Beats NYKs in the NBA Finals.

Spurs would still win about 30 plus games (strike season). And the "soft" Spurs and Robinson/Keith Van Horn gets pushed around in the paint by the bigs in the playoffs again. We don't win our 1st NBA title until the 2003 (welcome aboard Manu and Parker!). Along with Van Horn as the backup Center/PF (who we got in the 1997 draft 2nd pick). Robinson's final season.

In the meantime, Philly Sixers won the lottery (instead of 2nd pick, Van Horn) drafts Duncan, and builds an elite team with Iverson/Duncan combo. And this time, Philly beats the Lakers in the 2001 NBA Finals. Duncan NBA Finals MVP.

No you never win the finals without Duncan.

Sure we did!!

[FuShengTHEGreat]

Spurs won the ship when MJ retired, it should have been Bulls vs Spurs.

You make it sound like Jordan won a NBA title every year of his career. And quite frankly I don't see the correlation of Duncan/SA winning and Jordan retiring given that aside from 2 regular season games they had never crossed paths on a court.

So everyone that has managed to win a title since Jordan retired from the Bulls benefitted from not facing him. Lemme ask you this.....what titles that have been won since the 1998 Finals actually count according to you? Was the league supposed to just close up shop after the 98 Finals?

You downplay/outright slander the accomplishments of Duncan/SA and then have the audacity to bring up in another thread about there being Jordan haters?

Carry on.

Sounds like you just cry at the idea of Jordan possibly winning more rings. I never rooted for Jordan in a basketball game I'm a Mavs fan but honestly since the Mavs sucked in the 90's I rooted for the Spurs until the Mavs won a playoff series with Dirk. In fact I got sick of Jordan winning. But It was the #8 seed Knicks that made the Finals. The Bulls would have made the FInals if Jordan played in 99 I didn't say 2005 or 2010 or 2020 just 99 they would have made the Finals. I didn't even pick a winner between Bulls/Spurs, but the freaking #8 seed Knicks made it if Jordan played there should be no doubt the Bulls were going to be there again I don't care if they didn't have Rodman.

Yeah and if a cat could bark it'd be a dog. Woulda, coulda & shoulda. Instead all there is to see is what actually happened and not hypotheticals between the 8th seeded Knicks and the Bulls. Or the Bulls vs the Spurs.

He was retired and the league had moved on.