1995-1996 Chicago Bulls vs 2015-2016 Golden State Warriors: Creating a hypothetical battle of the teams with the best records in NBA history
When a game was on the line, the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls were very reliable. With Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, greatness at its finest was expected. No other duo was better than these two legends.
If the teams with the two best records in history faced each other, what would that look like? Who would come out on top: the 72-10 Bulls of 1995-96 or the 73-9 Golden State Warriors of 2015-16?
It would be an interesting series between two great teams.
Even from a hypothetical perspective, this is an interesting matchup.
The 1996 Chicago Bulls' teamwork was a testament to their success in the 1990s
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen shouldered the offense for the Bulls, while Luc Longley and Ron Harper played their part on defense. For defense and rebounding, Dennis Rodman was a legend.
Jordan led the team in scoring with 30.4 points per game, followed by Scottie Pippen at 19.4 ppg. Dennis Rodman led the team in rebounds with 14.9 rebounds per game. Chicago won the 1996 championship averaging 105.2 ppg while holding their opponents to 92.9 ppg.
The 1990s was the Bulls' era, winning six championship rings, with three-peats in 1991-1993 and 1996-1998.
It would be interesting to see how the Bulls would defend the Warriors' outside game. Would the Bulls deny entry passes to Curry and Thompson? That way, they'd let Curry and Thompson play inside and make it hard for them to receive the ball behind the 3-point line.
The brilliance of the 2016 Golden State Warriors was almost flawless
The Golden State Warriors' prolific outside game stamped the identity of their dynasty. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson's remarkable 3-point shooting made them truly special.
The Warriors' 73-9 record in 2015-16 is the best in NBA history. The outside game played a huge part. They were razor sharp behind the 3-point line that season. Anywhere on the floor, they could drill it.
Curry led the Warriors with 30.1 ppg, followed by Thompson with 22.1 ppg. Green's 9.5 rpg led the team.
Golden State led the league with 114.9 ppg while limiting opponents to 104.1 ppg.
Despite their record, the Warriors did not win the championship.
The verdict
If the 1995-1996 Bulls faced the 2015-2016 Warriors in a best-of-seven series, the key would be how Chicago's defense played Golden State's outside game. Jordan and Ron Harper would guard Curry. Jordan and Harper are good defenders, very intelligent on that end. They could contain Curry and limit him from receiving the ball outside the 3-point line.
Pippen would guard Thompson, and Thompson would have no chance against Pippen with his long arms and ability to block the ball and quick lateral movement.
Green is a hard-working defensive player, but facing Rodman inside the paint is not an easy task. Rodman's size and power would ruin Green's game.
It looks like the 1995-1996 Bulls would beat the 2015-2016 Warriors in five games.