The 1995-96 Chicago Bulls and the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors will always be mentioned on the list of greatest teams of all time in the NBA. The Bulls had set the record for most wins in a season with a 72-10 finish in ’96, which stayed intact until Stephen Curry’s Warriors broke it with a 73-9 record 20 years later.
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Now, a great debate has erupted since then regarding which side would have won if these two teams went against each other hypothetically. Ron Harper, who was a member of the ’96 Bulls, believes that the Michael Jordan-led team would dominate because of obvious reasons.
It’s difficult to accurately assess who’d be a better team because of how much the game’s rules have changed in two decades. However, the Bulls legend said on Stacey King’s Gimme The Hot Sauce Podcast that his team would dominate because they can adapt to the new rules better.
The Warriors couldn’t complete the season run with a championship like the Bulls, so Harper believes that takes away from the impact of the season. The 60-year-old also believes that Stephen Curry’s defense will be a liability for his team in the matchup.
He said, “Just answer me this, who is Steph Curry gonna guard? I’m running him to the post.”
The five-time NBA Champion boasted about the physicality of his era and how they would run the Dubs out of the arena in the 90s. However, things would a bit different in 2015-16.
Harper said, “I mean, if they playing these modern-day rules where you can’t breathe on a guy. Well, if you’re talking about our rules, it’s too physical.”
But he still thinks that the Bulls would win because they just have bigger and smarter players. Labeling the three-point heavy game as “sissy”, Harper said that his team of powerful guards would tackle the Dubs’ small ball by bringing the game to the two-point line. He said that while the three-point shooters will miss 50% of the shots they take in a game, his team will easily score more efficiently from the paint, racking up points.
Another handicap for the Dubs would be Draymond Green’s short temper. Harper thinks Dennis Rodman would get under his skin in a few minutes and get the Warriors star ejected from the game. That would put more pressure on Curry’s defensive woes.
Stephen Curry is not the best on defense
Steph is credited for revolutionizing the game by making the three-point shot the most dominant form of scoring. Although he developed this strength to make up for his lack of physicality at just 6’2, it’s undeniable that his height and length has made him a defensive liability.
While this doesn’t take away anything from his greatness, it’s tough to imagine Steph being an effective defensive player, especially in the Jordan era. At 6’2, he’d fail to match up with players like Harper (6’6), Michael Jordan (6’6), Scottie Pippen (6’8), and others.
Even though his three-point shooting will provide him an edge over the others from the 90s, if they play according to the old rules, he’ll have a hard time surviving on the floor.
But if they play by modern rules, Curry can make up with his fast court movements and quick release. He is also proficient in stealing the ball from players. The Bulls would certainly struggle to keep up with the Warriors’ pace and ball movement if they play in the modern era.
So things won’t be as easy as Harper makes it out to be.
