RealGM

Source: LAtimes

The Chicago Bulls' record-setting 72-10 campaign won't be topped this season.

At least that's what Phil Jackson said Wednesday, and he'd probably know a thing or two about such success. He was the Bulls' coach when they set the NBA standard for victories in 1995-96.

It didn't even seem like he was inspiring the team with a publicly delivered "us-against-them" tactic. He might have just been telling the truth, at least from his perspective.

"I don't think there's any chance that we're going to get anywhere close to 70 wins," he said. "I'm not going to say that we can't win 60, but I don't think that there's a chance [at 70] -- and that's if everything goes well health-wise. Traveling in the West is just too difficult. Changing time zones, it just makes it very difficult to be consistent night in and night out on the road."

"Chicago is smack-dab in the middle, so the travel time isn't as big as going from the West Coast all the way to the East Coast. It's a three-hour trip either way you look at it," Bryant said Wednesday. "Those players are more well-rested, have more energy, better legs. It'll be extremely difficult for any team to do that now, particularly a team that's on the West Coast."

For what it's worth, Jackson also didn't think Boston (18-2) or Cleveland (15-3) would hit 70 victories.

"That would be a pretty difficult task," he said.

I partly agree with the time zone, but I disagree with the part where it says the Bulls would be more well-rested, have more energy and better legs. We were the oldest team in the league that year, so I don't see how we would have been more rested. Also we had nagging injuries all year and even suspensions.

Is it safe?

I could see it happening eventually, but not this Lakers team after they lost to the Pacers the other night. Not that the Pacers are bad, but their best player only shot what? 35 percent?

Celtics of the past 2 seasons and the Lakers this year have the best chance of any team since Shaq/Kobe though, I'd say.

At 15-2 and 18-2 the Lakers and Celtics are still technically on pace for the Bulls 72 win benchmark, but with only approximately 20-25% of the games played.

In order to remain on pace, neither can lose more than one game apiece between now and the end of January.

Yeah, that Bulls team pulled off something special.

It betta not be beat! And he betta make sure of it!

That record is why nothing the current team does will ever be good enough. Five years from now they could win 63 games and the championship, and fans would be thinking "This reminds me of the 90's."

Lakers schedule difficulty is 20th, compared to Bulls #1 at this point.

Lakers schedule will get hrder

73-9? no one will ever lose less than ten games no one. If a team with Shaq and Kobe couldnt, a team with KG, Peirce, and Allen couldnt than no one.

The Lakers look more likely to do it imo. The Zen master is just trying to set up a smoke screen.

TB#1 wrote:At 15-2 and 18-2 the Lakers and Celtics are still technically on pace for the Bulls 72 win benchmark, but with only approximately 20-25% of the games played.

In order to remain on pace, neither can lose more than one game apiece between now and the end of January.

Yeah, that Bulls team pulled off something special.

Funny that the Bulls could have easily been 73-9 had they not started limiting minutes at the end of the season and had that 1 point loss to Indy turned into a win which it almost certainly would have been if we played Rodman, Jordan and Pippen normal minutes.

Either way, that's one record that will probably fall eventually, but until a team gets to about 20 games left in the season it's not worth talking about. It was like the NFL record the Dolphins have. Until a team actually gets to 16-0, it's probably not worth thinking about whether they can make it through the whole season and the playoffs because even at 16-0, you now have 3 games left against great teams.

Just trying to motivate his team...

Flight 23 wrote:That record is why nothing the current team does will ever be good enough. Five years from now they could win 63 games and the championship, and fans would be thinking "This reminds me of the 90's."

If we win a title I'll be too busy crying tears of joy to think of the 90s.

many of those Bulls losses were by less than 3 points

Then there was the case of the Timberwolves telling Jordan that his brother called to say his mom had a heart attack

it was all bogus - but their plan worked. Jordan was so upset that he couldnt play well & the T-Wolves got their victory

Tommy Udo 6 wrote:many of those Bulls losses were by less than 3 points

Then there was the case of the Timberwolves telling Jordan that his brother called to say his mom had a heart attack

it was all bogus - but their plan worked. Jordan was so upset that he couldnt play well & the T-Wolves got their victory

I don't recall that story, but I don't understand how that could have been pulled off in any kind of believable way.

Jordan's brother called the Timberwolves, not the Bulls, not Jordan's cell, or agent, or anyone else, but the Timberwolves, who then don't notify the Bulls, but notify their players, so they can taunt him on the court?

Tommy Udo 6 wrote:many of those Bulls losses were by less than 3 points

Then there was the case of the Timberwolves telling Jordan that his brother called to say his mom had a heart attack

it was all bogus - but their plan worked. Jordan was so upset that he couldnt play well & the T-Wolves got their victory

That was in 1998.

Also what was interesting about 1996 was that half of our 10 losses came to teams that were 42-40 and below.

We Should have been 75-7 that year. We had won 44 in a row at home (still the most games won in a row at home) counting back to 1995 which was the record. We were like 37-0 at home up until April 8th. We had blown out Charlotte in Charlotte like on the 5th of April by like 34 points and then we play them at home and we freaking lose by 1 point after a no call when someone ran into Kerr.

We lost both our home games that year by 1 point and both were in April and we also lost by 1 point to the freaking Raptors.


Bulls Teams
Longest Home Winning Streak
44 by the Chicago Bulls at the United Center over the course of two regular seasons from March 30, 1995 to April 8, 1996

Best Home Record (Playoffs)
37-7 by the Chicago Bulls at the United Center

Best Home Record over
3 Seasons: 115-8 by the Chicago Bulls from 1995-96 through 1997-98 seasons; 115-8 by the Boston Celtics from 1984-85 through 1986-87 seasons

Best Road Record over
2 Seasons: 63-19 by the Chicago Bulls during 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons
3 Seasons: 88-35 by the Chicago Bulls from 1995-96 through 1997-98 seasons

Best Record over
2 Seasons: 141-23 by the Chicago Bulls during 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons
3 Seasons: 203-43 by the Chicago Bulls from 1995-96 through 1997-98 seasons

If it comes close someone from this board is going to have to take one for the team and fly to LA and take a crowbar to Kobe.

Kind of a lame excuse imo. Time zones...it's not like it's a Europe like trip where your sleep schedule is getting messed up. Is a couple extra hours on a plane in first class to a pro athlete really a big deal? I mean, I saw Kobe come straight from a plane during his rape thing and light it up on the court. And if anything that's just a bigger home court advantage then a midwest team would have (when playing against @ home against the East, IF it was really a factor like he claims)

BullSoxChicago'sFinest wrote:Kind of a lame excuse imo. Time zones...it's not like it's a Europe like trip where your sleep schedule is getting messed up. Is a couple extra hours on a plane in first class to a pro athlete really a big deal? I mean, I saw Kobe come straight from a plane during his rape thing and light it up on the court. And if anything that's just a bigger home court advantage then a midwest team would have (when playing against @ home against the East, IF it was really a factor like he claims)

the planes are ultra roomy for the athletes & they can easily relax & sleep

Phil is just making excuses - but the Lakers do have a real shot at it. I do not think they'll make it since their schedule will get tougher

Tommy Udo 6 wrote:many of those Bulls losses were by less than 3 points

Then there was the case of the Timberwolves telling Jordan that his brother called to say his mom had a heart attack

it was all bogus - but their plan worked. Jordan was so upset that he couldnt play well & the T-Wolves got their victory

ah so that's the bad karma that got them mchale as gm. wow, life IS fair!