Tracy McGrady has been making headlines with his controversial takes off-late. Taking to Instagram, the Rockets legend went on to discuss all things basketball. In a video now posted to McGrady’s Instagram, the Rockets legend was asked to weigh in on a hypothetical showdown between the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors, and the 1995-98 Chicago Bulls.
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McGrady was quick with his answer, as he sided with Michael Jordan and the Bulls. In fact, McGrady believes that it wouldn’t even be close between the two. Talking about his take further, McGrady said,
” Out of respect for that team, Golden State team, I’ll give them six games. Jordan played for 7 games. Look at the pieces to that Bulls team, Jordan, Pip[ Scottie Pippen, Ron Harper.. Kukoc and Rodman…Who is guarding Jordan? Klay Thompson is not guarding MJ. Steph is not guarding MJ.”
The 2016-17 Warriors certainly did lack defensive depth. Leaving Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green, the Warriors didn’t really boast any real defensive stoppers. On the flip side, The Bulls possessed two of the greatest two-way wings of all time in Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan. Not only would Jordan cause problems for the Warriors, but Pippen would have an easy time guarding positions 2 to 4 on the Warriors squad as well.
That being said, The Bulls would also have a tough time containing Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Durant, all at the same time. McGrady believes that Pippen would cause serious problems for Durant, but looking at Durant’s track record, the outcome doesn’t seem as obvious as McGrady believes it would be. Turning to the guards, it is the Bulls with the upper hand on the Warriors. Not only is Jordan bigger and stronger than the Splash brothers, but completely wipes the floor with them on defense.
In the end, this is a hypothetical matchup. So, whether or not Tracy McGrady is accurate with his verdict, fans will never know.
Gilbert Arenas selects the Bulls as well
In an attempt to determine the best squad in NBA history, most fans often land on either the 2016-17 Warriors or the 1995-96 Bulls. Even Wizards legend Gilbert Arenas weighed in on the debate during an appearance on Fubo Sports.
While weighing in on the debate, Agent Zero seemed to slightly favor the Bulls over the KD-led Warriors. Talking about his pick, The Hibachi reasoned that,
“I’ll give them one, maybe two. I mean, like, depending on how mad Michael is. You gotta remember, that KD is just a different beast. He can carry a team because he’s gonna put Pippen in foul trouble, he’ll put those guys in foul trouble but nobody is stopping Michael from getting to the basket. But I don’t think Golden State wins this series.”
Arenas may be more qualified than most to answer the Warriors-Bulls debate. Arenas played a very similar style of basketball to Curry and the bunch. One can even argue that Arenas laid the groundwork for high-volume three-point shooting. Further adding to his credibility, Arenas also played alongside Jordan in Washington. During their few seasons together, Arenas got to witness his Airness up and close. Though we might never know who will win, it’s fair to say that the showdown would be one for the ages.
