96 Bulls with Prime Hakeem vs 2001 Lakers

piston1423 · Post #1 » by **piston1423** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 9:38 am

Ron Harper
Michael Jordan
Scottie Pippen
Dennis Rodman
Hakeem Olajuwon

vs

Derek Fisher
Kobe Bryant
Rick Fox
Horace Grant
Shaq

Matt15 · Post #2 » by **Matt15** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 9:46 am

Bulls probably sweep, make it fair and give the Lakers Prime Magic or Bird.

Gregoire · Post #3 » by **Gregoire** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 10:21 am

Bullls 96 were stronger than 2001 lakers even without Hakeem.

lukekarts · Post #4 » by **lukekarts** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 11:19 am

Gregoire wrote:Bullls 96 were stronger than 2001 lakers even without Hakeem.

That's what I was thinking. Sure, LA would put up a good fight but giving Chicago Hakeem and it'd just be unfair on LA.

Hawk · Post #5 » by **Hawk** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 11:32 am

If the signing of Hakeem doesn't happen to be a double-edged weapon (ego issues maybe? I'm not sure if they would mesh well as a TEAM), I don't see Chicago losing. 4-0

Post #6 » by **Quotatious** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 1:00 pm

No offense, but it's just a joke thread. 96 Bulls are good enough to beat the 01 Lakers as they actually were, let alone giving them another top 10 player of all-time...It would've likely gone 7 games, and I have the Bulls taking it in the game 7. Toni Kukoc could be the key to that series - Lakers just didn't have anyone like him off their bench. Even though Shaq would've likely averaged 30-35 PPG on 55+% TS, and probably be the best player in the series, with all due respect to 2001 Kobe, who was fantastic, I'd take '96 Mike over him. Sure, even 1998 Kobe went toe to toe with MJ in the All-Star game, but playoff series would be totally different, even with a vastly superior version of Bryant. Kobe was AWESOME in the '01 playoffs, and even though he faced a great defender like Doug Christie, and still owned him, Christie challenged him on just one side of the court - defensively. He wasn't much of a threat for Kobe on offense. MJ would've obviously make him work at his absolute hardest on both ends, and the Bulls had the luxury to put Pippen, or even Harper, on Kobe, and give MJ an easy assignment, which would've maade him deadly on offense, with all of the energy that he'd conserve, not having to work that hard on defense.

Like Matt15 said - give the 01' Lakers Magic or Bird, to make it fair. I'd actually take Bird, as weird as it would be to see him in a Laker jersey, because he'd probably be a great fit to both Shaq and Kobe with his ability to wreak havoc moving off the ball. Magic would be pretty far from ideal with Shaq and Kobe, with his post up-oriented offensive game.

Post #7 » by **trex_8063** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 2:50 pm

Seriously? Not sure what the point of this thread is. If there's much doubt in your mind as to the outcome, I suspect you're not considering things accurately.

'96 Bulls WITHOUT Hakeem probably win this in 6 or 7 games. Give them Hakeem and ---unless that completely unglues their chemistry (is that the hidden implication/question?)---this becomes a rout, imo.

nikomCH · Post #8 » by **nikomCH** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 7:28 pm

The 96 Bulls are not beating the 01 Lakers in a 7 game series, but giving them Hakeem is absurd. They really only need some tough defensive bigs who can slow Shaq down.

KyletheDingbat · Post #9 » by **KyletheDingbat** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 8:14 pm

Naw bro, you gotta give em Hakeem and Lebron to have a chance. 4-0 Lakers.

Post #10 » by **trex_8063** » Tue Apr 1, 2014 12:53 am

KyletheDingbat wrote:Naw bro, you gotta give em Hakeem and Lebron to have a chance. 4-0 Lakers.

Uh, green font intended, yes?

DK-All Day · Post #11 » by **DK-All Day** » Tue Apr 1, 2014 1:11 am

Giving the 96 Bulls Hakeem is just excessive and overkill.

Chicago in 4.

nonjokegetter · Post #12 » by **nonjokegetter** » Tue Apr 1, 2014 1:23 am

Give Superman the Incredible Hulk and Batman, could he beat Aquaman?

ballzboyee · Post #13 » by **ballzboyee** » Mon Jan 8, 2024 6:30 pm

Gregoire wrote:Bullls 96 were stronger than 2001 lakers even without Hakeem.

I would say I am taking peak Jordan in any era over any player ever. In second place, I would go with 2012 Lebron in today's current era. However, if any other era where 3's are not as much of a factor I am taking Shaq and then Hakeem one or the other second overall. Hard to pick over Lebron in any era, but if you take out 3's then Shaq and Hakeem are two of the best post players ever, and I'll go with the specialist instead of the generalist like Lebron if you are just talking about winning a PO series. It's so close between them in terms of a peak player that it's almost as if you could draw a name randomly out of hat and the result in terms of a hypothetical PO would be similar. If you were designing the perfect basketball player in a lab, 1992 Jordan would be it in my opinion. In 1992 he had all of the technique, experience, and veteran savvy, but he still possessed all of his elite athleticism to go over and around people.

Post #14 » by **tsherkin** » Wed Jan 10, 2024 10:19 pm

Yeah, I struggle to see how this is a serious thread, for sure.

96 Bulls might take 01 Lakers just straight-up. Rodman got into Shaq pretty well and the Bulls were an EVIL help defense team with their length and athleticism across MJ and Scottie that aside. Shaq would no doubt still look pretty good, but I don't see him popping off in that series, and then it becomes 96 Jordan vs Kobe, and that's always going to be Jordan. Plus, Chicago had a superior supporting cast.

Now you ALSO add in Olajuwon in his prime? No way, Lakers get swept.

pancakes3 · Post #15 » by **pancakes3** » Thu Jan 11, 2024 2:38 pm

You gotta add like... Lebron or KD to the 01 Lakers to make them favorites.

Pivot, who would be the least talented guy you could add to the Lakers to make them favorites? Kidd? Bosh?

OhayoKD · Post #16 » by **OhayoKD** » Thu Jan 11, 2024 5:43 pm

tsherkin wrote:Yeah, I struggle to see how this is a serious thread, for sure.

96 Bulls might take 01 Lakers just straight-up. Rodman got into Shaq pretty well and the Bulls were an EVIL help defense team with their length and athleticism across MJ and Scottie that aside. Shaq would no doubt still look pretty good, but I don't see him popping off in that series, and then it becomes 96 Jordan vs Kobe, and that's always going to be Jordan. Plus, Chicago had a superior supporting cast.

Now you ALSO add in Olajuwon in his prime? No way, Lakers get swept.

No Hakeem I'd say if Kobe plays like MJ as he did in 2001 the Lakers win. If he plays like his usual self the Bulls win. The Lakers shot twice as many 3's and the triangle as an offensive system becomes substantially less effective without illegal D. Jordan

Hakeem is an excellent defensive counter to the triangle with either set of rules so he completely breaks the balance of this matchup

Post #17 » by **tsherkin** » Thu Jan 11, 2024 5:45 pm

OhayoKD wrote:Hakeem is an excellent defensive counter to the triangle with either set of rules so he completely breaks the balance of this matchup

Oh yeah, he's the part which makes this ridiculous. Without Hakeem, you can at least entertain the conversation. I still side with Chicago on that one, but it would be a far more compelling and close series, no question.