Wilson Sting
Years ago
http://www.nba.com/2015/news/11/19/bridging-the-gap-similarities-between-1996-bulls-2016-warriors/index.html?ls=nbahpsplit1?cid=EMA_NBA_Weekly_top5
Good article comparing the current Warriors with Jordan's Bulls. I especially like the 'mirror images' table noting the Aussie centre.
Except the Warriors don't have any players comparable to Jordan or Pippen.
Indominous-Rex
Years ago
You could easily compare Curry to Pippen. Not because they have similar games but they're both super stars...
KingJames
Years ago
You can compare Curry's abilities to Jordan this season and will continue it in a similar fashion for the rest of his career (perhaps not as many points). 34ppg, 6apg, 5rpg = Credit where credit is deserved
Curry is doing great, credit to him , but he is no Jordan,
Many reasons why Jordan is better, but 1 is Jordan was an elite defender too.
Pippen is also better than any Warrior imo, he played both ends at a high level, he coulda scored more too if he was the #1 guy on offense.
Indominous-Rex
Years ago
Anon Above /
I agree completely with your Jordan statement. But saying Pippen is better than Curry is laughable. While Curry is no one near the defender Pippen was, he's much better offensively, and there's a reason why Curry is the MVP. No way is Pippen better than Steph.
Pippens defense is as good as currys defense imo
Pippens offense is way better than currys defense imo
People may laugh and disagree but im taking Pippen every time
He plays BOTH ends, is voted one of the best players of all time!!
In Pippens best scoring year in 94 he averaged 22 ppg, 6 apg, 9 rpg + elite defense, to me thats better than Currys 30 pts with less assists and rebounds and way lesser defence
Phil Jackson's Ring
Years ago
Pippen played second fiddle to arguably the greatest player of all time. In any other team or era - without Jordan, Pippen would have been arguably the greatest player of all time.
I'd select Pippen over Curry all day, every day.
Please child, "Warriors win it comfortably."
Just as the Warriors can switch most screens so could the Bulls do the same. The Warriors are no chance in the previous ruleset/Bulls era where higher tolerance for aggressive defense was tolerated. Curry doesn't get to waltz to the rim with the red carpet rolled out for him, plus he has to get passed man defenses that tolerated a heck of lot more hand checking. It would be interesting to see Jordan & Pippen play against defenses completely reliant on good footwork and in turn be expected to do the same.
KingJames
Years ago
"Pippen played second fiddle to arguably the greatest player of all time. In any other team or era - without Jordan, Pippen would have been arguably the greatest player of all time."
oh really? and how did Pippen go when Jordan wasn't there? Did he even come close to winning an MVP when Jordan wasn't there? How did he go in Houston and Portland?
three points
Years ago
Pippen went to Houston and he was exposed without Jordan. Jordan made him.Samething in Portland. Curry can carry a team to a title something Pipp could only dream of.
In Pippens best scoring year in 94 he averaged 22 ppg, 6 apg, 9 rpg + elite defense, to me thats better than Currys 30 pts with less assists and rebounds and way lesser defence
Wasnt 94 a season when Jordan wasnt there??
Pippen was awesome with/without Jordan, he was older by the time he went to Houston and Portland so wasnt in his prime.
Curry has done awesome for 1 season and like 1 month, Pippen and Jordan dominated close to a decade, lets hold off thikning Curry and the Warriors are anywhere near as good,
LeBron by himself took the Warriors to 6, do they win if he had Love and Irving???
Curry is doing great, Warriors are doing great, but we are a month in, lets not comapre to the great great teams just yet. Let them win 65-70 games and another championship first imo.
three points
Years ago
Pipp was 32 went to Houston and granted he was coming off a back surgery, but he was terrible.
^ I agree some of the comparisons are premature, but they're also unsurprising and fun. Until these Warriors win 70 games and a title, the Bulls win the argument. But I disagree with the implication in the question about the Cavs having Love and Kyrie. Putting Kyrie on the floor takes the ball out of Lebron's hands, which isn't good for Cleveland. And Love, especially the way he was playing/being used last season, wasn't really better for them than Thompson. I think that series went to 6 with any configuration of Cleveland's players available.
#890 I think the question about era and officiating is spot on. Curry would have struggled in the league 15-20 years ago, and Pippen would be less effective now than then. I think both teams suit - and to an extent, have defined - their eras, and the Bulls would win a 90's style series while the Dubs would probably win one under 2015 officiating.
565910
#890 I think the question about era and officiating is spot on. Curry would have struggled in the league 15-20 years ago.
In 1996 they played with the short 3pt line, I can't see how he would have struggled unless the likes of Charles Oakley were allowed to punch him as soon as he got past half court.
I'd take curry over pippen any day. Pippen I think is very overrated as a player. Cannot say no to having possibly the best shooter in Nba history on your team. Warriors have their defensive studs to back up curry.
Indominous-Rex
Years ago
I think, when comparing the two teams (which are really incomparable) you have to ask your self, which refs would we have?
The 96' refs or the 2015 refs? If it was the 2015 refs, the whole Bulls team would be out of here in a second, however the other way around and we got a ball game.
Going back to the Curry vs Pippen statement, personally I would take Curry over Pippen in the blink of an eye. Why? Because he led his team to a championship while winning MVP, something that Pippen never did.
And yes Pippen had the chance, when Jordan was away for 1 1/2 years, if he was so amazing he could've easily won the award, right? Also Pippen would've in no way been the greatest player if Jordan wasn't there. What about Kareem, Walt, Shaq, Magic, Bird, Russell?
Those players were all much better than Pippen would've ever been.
I know it's only been a month like KingJames said Curry is averaging 34ppg, 6apg, 5rpg.
Now I do expect the points to drop, but I expect the assists to go up, to atleast 7 by the season ends.
The difference is, Curry could carry his team to a championship, Pippen couldn't.
The years Jordan took off from memory he wasnt really replaced by anything significant which obviously left the bulls short handed.
Had they replaced him with a klay thompson level running mate for pippen like curry has had who knows what the team could've acheived they made ecsf without replacing jordan
Refs wouldn't hurt the bulls they would adjust if anything jordan and pippen would score more.
Dwayne Pipe
Years ago
The argument seems to be being made with GS best player and Chicago's second best. Not sure why.
Jordan over curry. Pippin over Thompson(?). You go down the list and Chicago has the majority of stronger match ups. Even on the bench, as good as Kerr has been, you take a guy that's one 11 rings every time.
Bulls win. No question.
NBA 2K16 simulation - The Warriors, despite playing in Chicago, cruised to a 131-105 victory
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/25377879/bulls-vs-2015-warriors-2k-simulation-new-age-trumps-old-school
Actual sportsline simulation models
A 52.4% winning percentage by the Bulls with the average simulation score of 105-104 in Bulls' favor.
http://www.sportsline.com/insiders/25378236/the-2015-16-warriors-vs-the-1995-96-bulls/
Just shows you how good Duncan is when you compare him to Jordan and pippen at the same age. Jordan and pip when not surrounded by all star teammates were very average.
Chewie
Years ago
@939
When mj played baseball, the Bulls finally signed Toni Kukoc, who as a rookie averaged 11pts a game, and knocked down that shot in the playoffs over New York when pip had a tantrum.
From memory, Kukoc averaged 16pts a game in his second season.
So, while not klay Thompson, the Bulls certainly got a pretty good player, with a freakish ability to play multiple positions.
I love pip. To the point I have signed gear, but curry has already moved past him.
Kind of getting sick of the old hand check cliches getting bandied around as well. While this is true, they had no zone D then either. That help defence had to come and get there quick or the illegal was getting called, so there were way more open lanes. Plenty of interviews on this. I think this has had a far greater impact than hand checking.....
I miss oak hitting people.
I love lamp.
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