Steph Curry: "2017 Warriors would win in 6 against the 96 Bulls"

[Jkam31]

The Bulls would be completely flummoxed by the amount of 3s the Warriors were shooting. And would have no idea how to guard it.

If you gave the Bulls more time to prepare it would be more of a series. But even then they would I don't think the talent would be on par.

Why wouldn’t they know about the 3pt nonsense that goes on now?

[LarsV8]

Those Warrior teams would crush the Bulls.

[jman3134]

While I don't believe anyone can guard Durant, Pippen is the closest player to challenging Durant from a defensive perspective. Rodman would manhandle Draymond and the Bulls would dominate the glass. Would the Bulls have an answer for Steph and Klay from 3? I don't believe so, but with Harper and Jordan covering these two, they could at least limit them. Offensively, Jordan would score on almost every possession or get fouled. GS could win, but would need to shoot lights out and the margin for error would be slim. I would give it to the Bulls because I don't see how the Warriors stop MJ. MJ with modern rules is a cheat code.

[Hoopstar23]

some of the 96 Bulls bench players wouldn't be able to make the NBA today, the 96 Bulls would need a year to adapt to how to guard the modern teams of the NBA today and they might need some roster reconstruction... having Ron Harper and Dennis Rodman in the game for 30-40 mins of the game is terrible against any modern NBA team... not a lot of spacing and you need a lot of spacing and scoring if you want to play with the Warriors... you need to score 110-115 points to hang around with the Warriors... a lot of people don't understand... schemes that the Bulls would run wouldn't work against the Warriors...let this sink, Shaun Livingston would be the starting point guard of the Chicago Bulls... Iggy would be the Bulls 4th best player maybe 3rd... Warriors win this in 5

[righterwriter]

MJ would be matched up on Klay. Even if he can neutralize him, that still leaves KD. Who is guarding him? As good as Pippen is, he could at best slow down KD at times, no one has ever stopped this 7' freak. Then of course there's Curry... who's guarding him, Steve Kerr? I'm pretty sure coach Kerr could give you an indication of how that would go.

The 2017 Warriors are basically unstoppable.I will say that I'd love to see that match up, largely to see Rodman and Draymond lock horns.

[ibraheim718]

39. MJ is the GOAT, I watched every chip, there is just more talent on the 2017 Warriors w/ KD.

In a vacuum maybe but that's too simplistic an argument to make for them beating Chicago in a seven game series.

I've already made a longer argument. You've made ZERO argument to back yourself, none. How old are you?

Was that my only post in the thread? Just your little mouse and scroll backwards and you can read all of them. This isn't a one on one conversation.. it's a free form debate that everyone takes part in.

[Hoopstar23]

While I don't believe anyone can guard Durant, Pippen is the closest player to challenging Durant from a defensive perspective. Rodman would manhandle Draymond and the Bulls would dominate the glass. Would the Bulls have an answer for Steph and Klay from 3? I don't believe so, but with Harper and Jordan covering these two, they could at least limit them. Offensively, Jordan would score on almost every possession or get fouled. GS could win, but would need to shoot lights out and the margin for error would be slim. I would give it to the Bulls because I don't see how the Warriors stop MJ. MJ with modern rules is a cheat code.

I can see Jordan averaging 40-45 points per game but he would have to be on the floor the entire game and he has to be chasing around either one of the splash bros all game and you know he has to rest he would be fatigued... and the moment Jordan goes to the bench one of Steph Klay with/or Durant will still be on the floor... it would be similar to when the Warriors played Lebron in the 2017 Finals... when Bron was on the floor they Cavs were competitive but when he went on the bench one of Steph Klay and Durant was on the floor and the Cavs lost the lead easily... will 96 Scottie Pippen give you 20-25 points every night? I don't think so... Where are the other points coming from on a consistent basis from the Bulls? that's a legitimate question!?

[dk1115]

With which rules?

[jman3134]

While I don't believe anyone can guard Durant, Pippen is the closest player to challenging Durant from a defensive perspective. Rodman would manhandle Draymond and the Bulls would dominate the glass. Would the Bulls have an answer for Steph and Klay from 3? I don't believe so, but with Harper and Jordan covering these two, they could at least limit them. Offensively, Jordan would score on almost every possession or get fouled. GS could win, but would need to shoot lights out and the margin for error would be slim. I would give it to the Bulls because I don't see how the Warriors stop MJ. MJ with modern rules is a cheat code.

I can see Jordan averaging 40-45 points per game but he would have to be on the floor the entire game and he has to be chasing around either one of the splash bros all game and you know he has to rest he would be fatigued... and the moment Jordan goes to the bench one of Steph Klay with/or Durant will still be on the floor... it would be similar to when the Warriors played Lebron in the 2017 Finals... when Bron was on the floor they Cavs were competitive but when he went on the bench one of Steph Klay and Durant was on the floor and the Cavs lost the lead easily... will 96 Scottie Pippen give you 20-25 points every night? I don't think so... Where are the other points coming from on a consistent basis from the Bulls? that's a legitimate question!?

Ok, so Pippen stays in when Durant is on. You have Kukoc shooting a Bulls career best from 3 and Kerr at 50%+ off the ball. I don't understand why Jordan being off the court (I don't know why he would be for a significant amount of time b/c he was playing 37.7mpg in 95-96) is a necessity. You are severely underrating Scottie Pippen.

I also don't understand why you are neglecting the fact that freedom of motion rules would render Jordan largely unguardable. It also assumes that the Bulls would have to play their 95-96 play style and could not adapt to the modern game. I don't see that as an obvious conclusion.

Basketball is a game of matchups and the 95-96 Bulls would be one of the worst possible matchups for the Warriors. They wouldn't even have to use Longley/Wennington/Salley because Rodman could have his way with Draymond on the glass. In fact, it is a fair assumption to say that the Bulls would be even more efficient in the modern game.

[ibraheim718]

While I don't believe anyone can guard Durant, Pippen is the closest player to challenging Durant from a defensive perspective. Rodman would manhandle Draymond and the Bulls would dominate the glass. Would the Bulls have an answer for Steph and Klay from 3? I don't believe so, but with Harper and Jordan covering these two, they could at least limit them. Offensively, Jordan would score on almost every possession or get fouled. GS could win, but would need to shoot lights out and the margin for error would be slim. I would give it to the Bulls because I don't see how the Warriors stop MJ. MJ with modern rules is a cheat code.

Also, take into account just the sheer physicality of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Jordan alone would dole out so much physical punishment on golden state that many of them would tap out only Igoudala would be able to withstand the physical punishment for a short period of time. Jordans strength is so underrated.. fans don't remember players saying that when they got done going against him in a game it felt like they were in a ten round fight.

Mike was also double and triple teamed regularly.. teams ran box and one zones.. 1-2-2 traps.. anything they could do to desperately get the ball out of his hands.. nothing worked because of his will and drive to win and the perfect physical profile to carry it out.

So now you have the best perimeter defender of all time and the best scorer in NBA history with a drive and competitive spirit that was unmatched and people want to talk about these stick figures shooting jump shots and percentages...

Their arguments just severely lack context and read more like paper arguments.

[jman3134]

The main assumptions underlying the pro-Warriors posters' arguments in this thread are that the 95-96 Bulls team could not adapt to the modern play style, when the team composition suggests the exact opposite.

After all, Ron Harper was only shooting 27% from 3. Wait, but he was only taking 6 FGA per game.

To play matchups, the Bulls would remove the lumbering second big man Longley/Wennington and field a lineup of
Kerr/Harper
Jordan
Pippen
Kukoc
Rodman

I believe that team would be remarkably more efficient than 95-96 stats would indicate. Their roster was built for small ball.

[ibraheim718]

While I don't believe anyone can guard Durant, Pippen is the closest player to challenging Durant from a defensive perspective. Rodman would manhandle Draymond and the Bulls would dominate the glass. Would the Bulls have an answer for Steph and Klay from 3? I don't believe so, but with Harper and Jordan covering these two, they could at least limit them. Offensively, Jordan would score on almost every possession or get fouled. GS could win, but would need to shoot lights out and the margin for error would be slim. I would give it to the Bulls because I don't see how the Warriors stop MJ. MJ with modern rules is a cheat code.

I can see Jordan averaging 40-45 points per game but he would have to be on the floor the entire game and he has to be chasing around either one of the splash bros all game and you know he has to rest he would be fatigued... and the moment Jordan goes to the bench one of Steph Klay with/or Durant will still be on the floor... it would be similar to when the Warriors played Lebron in the 2017 Finals... when Bron was on the floor they Cavs were competitive but when he went on the bench one of Steph Klay and Durant was on the floor and the Cavs lost the lead easily... will 96 Scottie Pippen give you 20-25 points every night? I don't think so... Where are the other points coming from on a consistent basis from the Bulls? that's a legitimate question!?

You guys are making me laugh.

Fatigued? The guy faced double and triple teams All game long and he never fatigued and for a six year stretch played more basketball than anyone on the planet. You think chasing Steph curry and Klay Thompson around a bunch of phantom screens is going to tire him? kukoc easily could run the offense while he or Scottie took a rest.

[yellowknifer]

While I don't believe anyone can guard Durant, Pippen is the closest player to challenging Durant from a defensive perspective. Rodman would manhandle Draymond and the Bulls would dominate the glass. Would the Bulls have an answer for Steph and Klay from 3? I don't believe so, but with Harper and Jordan covering these two, they could at least limit them. Offensively, Jordan would score on almost every possession or get fouled. GS could win, but would need to shoot lights out and the margin for error would be slim. I would give it to the Bulls because I don't see how the Warriors stop MJ. MJ with modern rules is a cheat code.

I can see Jordan averaging 40-45 points per game but he would have to be on the floor the entire game and he has to be chasing around either one of the splash bros all game and you know he has to rest he would be fatigued... and the moment Jordan goes to the bench one of Steph Klay with/or Durant will still be on the floor... it would be similar to when the Warriors played Lebron in the 2017 Finals... when Bron was on the floor they Cavs were competitive but when he went on the bench one of Steph Klay and Durant was on the floor and the Cavs lost the lead easily... will 96 Scottie Pippen give you 20-25 points every night? I don't think so... Where are the other points coming from on a consistent basis from the Bulls? that's a legitimate question!?

I think Steve Kerr is a big X factor. He's hyper competitive. IMO a big reason why he shifted to a 3pt offense was his own career. Guy is one of the greatest shooters of all time but only averaged 6 pts a game. He would be used far more often. I think this would be an amazing series to watch IMO. It's too bad the Bulls don't have Horry. I realize the analytics suggest it too but there have always been many of us who knew this and I bet Kerr always knew it. I always thought the Raptros should have used Dell more on offense when we had him. He was like a walking bucket. Also when team Canada had Nash. They should have let him shoot a 3 every time down the court. Sun's too. Oh well.

Also the Bulls are so diverse defensively. Likely Rodman covers KD. I can see him doing as good a job as anyone possibly could. Pippen on Curry. Jordan on Klay. Their defense is as good as it gets. Might not get better. All 3. This cannot be underestimated. You might even start Kerr purely for the shooting. Hide him on Green or Looney and force them to beat you on offense, play some unconventional defense... use your size and length to protect the interior on the perimeter, they could do it. His offense can pay off that sacrifice.

If I'm the Bulls I start a small lineup. Rodman plays C. Kerr PG. Pippen plays PF. Jordan SG. Kukoc SF. Or maybe Harper at SG and Jordan SF. Kerr could average 20 ppg in the series IMO.

[HEAT33]

90s rules, Bulls in 4

Todays rules Warriors in 7 but wouldn’t be surprised if bulls won in 7.

Harp, MJ, Pippen, Rodman in a full court press with hand checking was no joke. But without it, they would not be as effective today

[Lalouie]

honestly...who gives a flying frog

[michaelm]

Ji

While I don't believe anyone can guard Durant, Pippen is the closest player to challenging Durant from a defensive perspective. Rodman would manhandle Draymond and the Bulls would dominate the glass. Would the Bulls have an answer for Steph and Klay from 3? I don't believe so, but with Harper and Jordan covering these two, they could at least limit them. Offensively, Jordan would score on almost every possession or get fouled. GS could win, but would need to shoot lights out and the margin for error would be slim. I would give it to the Bulls because I don't see how the Warriors stop MJ. MJ with modern rules is a cheat code.

I can see Jordan averaging 40-45 points per game but he would have to be on the floor the entire game and he has to be chasing around either one of the splash bros all game and you know he has to rest he would be fatigued... and the moment Jordan goes to the bench one of Steph Klay with/or Durant will still be on the floor... it would be similar to when the Warriors played Lebron in the 2017 Finals... when Bron was on the floor they Cavs were competitive but when he went on the bench one of Steph Klay and Durant was on the floor and the Cavs lost the lead easily... will 96 Scottie Pippen give you 20-25 points every night? I don't think so... Where are the other points coming from on a consistent basis from the Bulls? that's a legitimate question!?

I think Steve Kerr is a big X factor. He's hyper competitive. IMO a big reason why he shifted to a 3pt offense was his own career. Guy is one of the greatest shooters of all time but only averaged 6 pts a game. He would be used far more often. I think this would be an amazing series to watch IMO. It's too bad the Bulls don't have Horry. I realize the analytics suggest it too but there have always been many of us who knew this and I bet Kerr always knew it. I always thought the Raptros should have used Dell more on offense when we had him. He was like a walking bucket. Also when team Canada had Nash. They should have let him shoot a 3 every time down the court. Sun's too. Oh well.

Also the Bulls are so diverse defensively. Likely Rodman covers KD. I can see him doing as good a job as anyone possibly could. Pippen on Curry. Jordan on Klay. Their defense is as good as it gets. Might not get better. All 3. This cannot be underestimated. You might even start Kerr purely for the shooting. Hide him on Green or Looney and force them to beat you on offense, play some unconventional defense... use your size and length to protect the interior on the perimeter, they could do it. His offense can pay off that sacrifice.

If I'm the Bulls I start a small lineup. Rodman plays C. Kerr PG. Pippen plays PF. Jordan SG. Kukoc SF. Or maybe Harper at SG and Jordan SF. Kerr could average 20 ppg in the series IMO.

Not buying into the debate of who would win, but I might have it 60:40 the Bulls way even as a GSW fan.

Looney wasn’t the Center in 2017 though, it was the three headed Center, ZaZa, McGee and David West, so GSW wouldn’t have had to rely on Green for rebounding or physicality, although Rodman no doubt would have remained the best rebounder of all time regardless of his opponents, and there was some scoring threat, both from David West and from McGee as a lob threat. As you said the centers could be taken out of the game and the Bulls could have a great small ball line up, quite possibly better than the renowned GSW small ball squad. Green was a better scorer earlier in his career as well, although still mediocre, but couldn’t be completely ignored; when the Cavs decided to let him beat them if he could in game 7 of the 2016 finals he didn’t manage to do so, but still scored 32 points.

[Jables]

I don’t think the bulls have the personnel to be able to shoot a high volume of 3s at a decent percentage and I just don’t think you can be successful playing non optimal ball against a team playing to the analytics. You’re not winning 2s vs 3s against competent competitor.

I’ll take it a step further and say they wouldn’t stand a chance. They’d get pummelled by the 2017 cavs who shot like 30 3s a game too

I would certainly pay a lot of money to see a team whos biggest impact players are the likes of Smith, Love and Kyrie try to "pummel" any version of the 90's Bulls, soft is the most overused word in sports but they just don't have what it takes mentally, not even in the ball park. The Warriors would at least make it a game.

[Raps in 4]

Bulls have the best player of all time though. MJ is equivalent in value to KD plus Steph. So it comes down to the rest of the roster which is close

Sent from my SM-G950W using RealGM mobile app

That's a comical take. Jordan wasn't some god. Curry and KD together ran circles around Lebron. The gap between MJ/Lebron and Curry/KD isn't large. We're talking top-2 all-time player vs. top-10 all-time player. They're in the same tier of impact.

Well, I remember in game one the following year when LeBron made Curry and KD look like college players compared to him.

With George Hill, JR Smith, Clarkson.

So if MJ is at least as good as LeBron - or better - and you add Pippen and Rodman. And best of all - Phil? Yea I'll take the Bulls.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using RealGM mobile app

What on earth?

Lebron faced the Steph + KD Warriors 9 times in the playoffs. He beat them once.

[HEAT33]

I don’t think the bulls have the personnel to be able to shoot a high volume of 3s at a decent percentage and I just don’t think you can be successful playing non optimal ball against a team playing to the analytics. You’re not winning 2s vs 3s against competent competitor.

I’ll take it a step further and say they wouldn’t stand a chance. They’d get pummelled by the 2017 cavs who shot like 30 3s a game too

I would certainly pay a lot of money to see a team whos biggest impact players are the likes of Smith, Love and Kyrie try to "pummel" any version of the 90's Bulls, soft is the most overused word in sports but they just don't have what it takes mentally, not even in the ball park. The Warriors would at least make it a game.

Couldn’t imagine Rodman on Love lol. If Rodman knows about his mental issues, Love will not play after game 1 of the series lol.

[queridiculo]

I'd love to see Draymond vs. Rodman.