If the 96 Bulls played the 2015 Warriors tomorrow, what would the score be?

[Tinseltown]

Assuming everyone was healthy and you had a time machine to transport the 96 Bulls to 2015 and the game was played under modern rules. The Bulls get to read the updated rule book but otherwise are the same team

[colts18]

Warriors win. Bulls would have a tough time with the modern 3 pointer.

[Dr Positivity]

If the Bulls get no training to adapt to the modern game, Warriors by double digits, I think the Bulls wouldn't know enough about 2015 offense and defense and would build both sides strategy around the midrange shot too much

[JeepCSC]

The ball still goes in the hoop. As long as the Bulls remember that much, they should be fine.

[ThaRegul8r]

This will be an interesting test of "dropping past players into the modern game, one different from the one they played, to compete." Usually, the past players' unaccustomedness to the way the current game is played hurts them in hypotheticals.

[magicmerl]

Man, rodman wouldn't get to play his game for sure. The Bulls relative lack of 3pt shooting would definitely hurt them.

[Frosty]

Lets see GS actually win something before declaring them superior to one of the best teams ever. I mean they are currently 1-1 with a Memphis team that isn't a great 3 point shooting team and doesn't have the perimeter defenders that Chicago was loaded with. They have good defenders but Chicago had some of the best ever. Chicago was known for fast rotations and had the personel to do it. The only thing that slowed Chicago down that season was Payton's physical defense which isn't allowed today.

[te887848]

It's doubtful the Warriors beat teams like the 96 Sonics or 97 Jazz. They would stand zero chance against the 96 Bulls.

[Stadium5]

Who would win

2015 Warriors or lineup of

Magic
Jordan
LBJ
Duncan
Shaq

[tsherkin]

So the 96 Bulls were a 115.2 ORTG team in their own time. That'd dip with the longer 3, but they'd still be deadly regardless, and consequently a top level team. They were very good defensively as well. The new rules wouldn't hinderthat much. On both ends, some decline, and they wouldn't be 72-wins dominant, butthey'd give anyone a rough time.

Golden State is excellent, but the Bulls wouldn't be thaat different in this era and could stand with anyone.

[Krodis]

If the Bulls have basically no time to prep for modern rules, I think the Warriors win rather easily. The illegal defense change alone would really screw with the Bulls. Rodman would be... significantly less useful than he was. Jordan would see defenses he basically never saw before and the Bulls' offense in its entirety was built around combating entirely different types of defenses.

[etopn23]

This is '96. Not '66.

Bulls win. It won't be a destruction, but we'll know who the better team was.

Yep, this is the bulls to me in five. Yeah, I'm sure the Bulls from a recent era wouldn't be capable of dealing with the three point shooting.

[Shot Clock]

If the Bulls have basically no time to prep for modern rules, I think the Warriors win rather easily. The illegal defense change alone would really screw with the Bulls. Rodman would be... significantly less useful than he was. Jordan would see defenses he basically never saw before and the Bulls' offense in its entirety was built around combating entirely different types of defenses.

Why would Rodman be significantly less useful? A smart, hard working, mobile player, who rotated real well, played great defense and rebounded. He's pretty much exactly what you want in a reactive defense. This just makes no sense. Other that not being a stretch 4 but Toni played that role often.

The Bulls offense was built on the triangle. An offense built to counter zones in the college game.

And Jordan facing a new defense? One that gives players exactly like him more freedom to penetrate? Seriously you think he'd be at a disadvantage?

[Krodis]

Why would Rodman be significantly less useful? A smart, hard working, mobile player, who rotated real well, played great defense and rebounded. He's pretty much exactly what you want in a reactive defense. This just makes no sense.

Well, his primary skill is offensive rebounding, which teams have increasingly moved away from to get back in transition. Furthermore, his complete inability to score would be punished more in a league where teams weren't literally forced to guard him on the perimeter by illegal defense rules. Lastly, I think a younger Rodman was an elite defender and would perhaps be even more so in the modern NBA, I don't think Bulls' Rodman is quite that guy.

The Bulls offense was built on the triangle. An offense built to counter zones in the college game.

There's still quite a difference between a college zone and the modern NBA man defenses that use zone principles.

And Jordan facing a new defense? One that gives players exactly like him more freedom to penetrate? Seriously you think he'd be at a disadvantage?

Jordan would have more freedom to penetrate... in theory. In practice, the elimination of the illegal defense rules and the development of defenses over the last 7 years or so has made it increasingly hard for star players to get one on one situations to score. Jordan was used to: single teams, hard doubles (or triples), or being helped on as he drove. He's not used to the sort of soft doubles and overloads and pre-emptive help that modern NBA defenses (especially the Warriors) thrive on. There's a reason scoring by star players has gone down and team-ball has become more emphasized in the last few years.

I mean, that said the '96 Bulls were obviously an immensely talented team and possibly the greatest team ever, so they'd get the hang of it. But if you just drop them in with no prep time? I don't see how they adjust that quickly.

[Greatness]

Jordan hounds Curry, Pippen hounds Klay. Pretty simple, Bulls win.

[Shot Clock]

Why would Rodman be significantly less useful? A smart, hard working, mobile player, who rotated real well, played great defense and rebounded. He's pretty much exactly what you want in a reactive defense. This just makes no sense.

Well, his primary skill is offensive rebounding, which teams have increasingly moved away from to get back in transition. Furthermore, his complete inability to score would be punished more in a league where teams weren't literally forced to guard him on the perimeter by illegal defense rules. Lastly, I think a younger Rodman was an elite defender and would perhaps be even more so in the modern NBA, I don't think Bulls' Rodman is quite that guy.

His primary skills were rebounding and defense.
Offensively he grabbed them at a 19.% (Drummond managed 18.3 % this year so it hasn't gone away)
As for defense he was first team all defense in a year that was maybe the best all defense team of all time.

The Bulls offense was built on the triangle. An offense built to counter zones in the college game.

There's still quite a difference between a college zone and the modern NBA man defenses that use zone principles.

The triangle was built to cause defenses to react, it doesn't matter what principal you implement once the reaction takes place the triangle has opened up an opportunity. It certainly would work today. But players seem to find it too complex these days.

And Jordan facing a new defense? One that gives players exactly like him more freedom to penetrate? Seriously you think he'd be at a disadvantage?

Jordan would have more freedom to penetrate... in theory. In practice, the elimination of the illegal defense rules and the development of defenses over the last 7 years or so has made it increasingly hard for star players to get one on one situations to score. Jordan was used to: single teams, hard doubles (or triples), or being helped on as he drove. He's not used to the sort of soft doubles and overloads and pre-emptive help that modern NBA defenses (especially the Warriors) thrive on. There's a reason scoring by star players has gone down and team-ball has become more emphasized in the last few years.
.

No it hasn't made it any harder. In fact we now can't avoid tripping over quick players that can score at will. The only thing hiding big scoring seasons has been the rise of the superteams that shared the ball among big scorers.

In 1996 there were 5 guys that scored. More than 24 ppg. Jordan and 4 centers. This year we had 7 and 5 of them were perimeter players. This myth that scoring is more difficult is just that. They opened up the key with 3 second limitations, put in the no charge circle and eliminated hand checking. You'd dtill see plenty of penetration by MJ and Pip with kickouts to Kerr and Kukoc.

Jordan saw every type of defense imaginable. Both the Sonics and Bad Boys defenses were based on zone principals.

[colts18]

I think MJ would have a tough time with Green hounding him.

[Winsome Gerbil]

Warriors win. Bulls would have a tough time with the modern 3 pointer.

I think MJ would have a tough time with Green hounding him.

Green font! Green font!

[Krodis]

The Defensive 3 second violation is just the last remaining remnant of the illegal defense rule. That didn't open up the key, because it was already open.

[ThunderDan9]

Jordan hounds Curry, Pippen hounds Klay. Pretty simple, Bulls win.

Yeah, that's my feeling as well, generally speaking.

Anyway, can we just wait some more weeks, please, with these kind of comparisons?
Just imagine, if the Grizzlies might manage the upset...