The Durant Sweepstakes

[Covert Rain]

Yeah… as much as I think those Bulls teams were legendary, the 2017 Warriors club was easily the most talented roster of all time, with all of them in their prime.

Draymond v. Rodman’s crazy would have been wildly entertaining.

It would have been a foul and technical fest for sure. Either way, nobody is keeping Rodman off the boards. I mean nobody. I still take the peak Bulls team with Jordan. Golden State really has not faced off against anybody with Jordan's caliber in all the title wins. They couldn't stop Jordan. He would have drawn a ton of attention and guys like Pippen would have fed off that. Not to mention the 3 point shooters.

 

[Bufalay]

They happen just not very often. The vast majority of trades happen outside your own division.

The vast majority of teams are outside your own division.

 

[Phrazbit]

If the Warriors had to deal with the 1990s rule interpetations they'd get wrecked. All that off ball movement and penetration gets stymied by guys hand checking and flat out grabbing each other.

 

[Covert Rain]

The vast majority of teams are outside your own division.

Well...that too. LOL.

 

[Russ Smith]

If the Warriors had to deal with the 1990s rule interpetations they'd get wrecked. All that off ball movement and penetration gets stymied by guys hand checking and flat out grabbing each other.

Agreed the way the game was called then. The only advantage the Warriors get is all the moving screens become legal too.

 

[Phrazbit]

Agreed the way the game was called then. The only advantage the Warriors get is all the moving screens become legal too.

They're only illegal currently in theory. For every 20 I see in action it gets called once, especially the ones away from the ball.

 

[Russ Smith]

They're only illegal currently in theory. For every 20 I see in action it gets called once, especially the ones away from the ball.

It would have been a bigger deal if they had Bogut, neither Jones nor Pachulia were anywhere near the screener Bogut was. Both legal and illegal that guy was so good at it.

Still say Steven Adams is the best, he makes way too much money but you put him on the Warriors and they'd cakewalk to a title with all the open 3's Curry and Klay would get.

Of course the Durant years they didn't do as much screening, especially in the playoffs, they ran lots of clearouts for him when they needed a bucket.

 

[sdscard4]

No way the warriors even sniff 2 games cmon now. Rodman could almost out rebound an entire team lol
Don't even get me started on how he'd own Green mentally...Bulls in 4 and it ain't close

 

[GatorAZ]

No way the warriors even sniff 2 games cmon now. Rodman could almost out rebound an entire team lol
Don't even get me started on how he'd own Green mentally...Bulls in 4 and it ain't close

Draymond is a much better all around player than Rodman prime vs prime. The man had a triple double double in game 7 of the finals. Rodman obviously had the man-on-man defensive edge and he was more athletic but Draymond has the rim-protection/passing/ball-handling/scoring edge.

Im not sure what their plan of attack on defense is if two of Harper/Kerr or Kukoc/Longley are on the court together.

 

[Finito]

90s rules the Bulls would steam roll the Warriors.

Jordan 9x 1st team all defense
Pippen 8x 1st team all defense
Rodman 7x 1st team all defense

Steph, Klay and Durant have never been knocked on there ass and hand checking was an absolute game changer.

Pick and rolls? The Jazz are the greatest pick and roll team of all time with two hall of famers running it.

 

[GatorAZ]

90s rules the Bulls would steam roll the Warriors.

Jordan 9x 1st team all defense
Pippen 8x 1st team all defense
Rodman 7x 1st team all defense

Steph, Klay and Durant have never been knocked on there ass and hand checking was an absolute game changer.

Pick and rolls? The Jazz are the greatest pick and roll team of all time with two hall of famers running it.

The late 90’s Bulls we’re playing teams that couldn’t score/shoot so it goes both ways. The league had to add gimmick rules to increase scoring output. MJ is so good that they wouldn’t get swept.

 

[Cheesebeef]

The late 90’s Bulls we’re playing teams that couldn’t score/shoot so it goes both ways. The league had to add gimmick rules to increase scoring output. MJ is so good that they wouldn’t get swept.

I’ve always thought the early 90’s Bulls were superior to the late 90’s. Better competition too.

 

[Hoop Head]

I’ve always thought the early 90’s Bulls were superior to the late 90’s. Better competition too.

The early 90's Bulls had more talent on paper and played better competition but the mid to late 90's Bulls were driven like no one else. They played above their skill level, IMO. They never took a game off.

 

[GatorAZ]

Agree with both of y’all. MJ was a psycho after the battles with Detroit and Pip was the 2nd best athlete in the league back then. Their complimentary guys were also a tad better during the first 3-peat.

 

[Yuma]

IF (Big IF) DA plays more like Amare or Charles Barkley we don't need KD.
IF (Again IF) Bridges would average 18 points a game we don't need KD.
IF (Repeat) Cam Johnson averages 18 points a game we don't need KD.
IF (Once again) Cam Payne plays like two seasons ago we don't need a back up PG.
Any of the top three IFs happen we are good.
If Cam Payne would play like he's capable, we don't have to trade for another ball handler.
It's all about the guys we have stepping it up!

 

[Germz249]

Pippen and Rodman likely take turns.

Steph v. MJ would have been fascinating.

Agreed..

Ron Harper was pretty good also.. I think he would hold up against Klay.. That bulls team was stacked.. strong on both sides of the ball. Their only weak link I would think was their center.

Imagine if they were in the league today.. their small ball line up of Harper/Jordan/Pippen/Kukoc/Rodman.. scary..

 

[Cheesebeef]

Agreed..

Ron Harper was pretty good also.. I think he would hold up against Klay.. That bulls team was stacked.. strong on both sides of the ball. Their only weak link I would think was their center.

Imagine if they were in the league today.. their small ball line up of Harper/Jordan/Pippen/Kukoc/Rodman.. scary..

Issue with that lineup is not a great shooting one. There’s not one bullseye shooter (no pun intended). Get a Kerr in there to help spread the court and they’d be in better shape for todays game.

 

[Phrazbit]

IF (Big IF) DA plays more like Amare or Charles Barkley we don't need KD.
IF (Again IF) Bridges would average 18 points a game we don't need KD.
IF (Repeat) Cam Johnson averages 18 points a game we don't need KD.
IF (Once again) Cam Payne plays like two seasons ago we don't need a back up PG.
Any of the top three IFs happen we are good.
If Cam Payne would play like he's capable, we don't have to trade for another ball handler.
It's all about the guys we have stepping it up!

I've defended Ayton quite a bit and I am really glad he is back... but he's never going to be that type of player. You either have that level of aggression or you don't and he doesn't have it.

But I'd gladly settle for 20-10 and the defense he has played the last few years, which is very doable, the team just needs to remember he is on the court in the 2nd half of games.

 

[Phrazbit]

Issue with that lineup is not a great shooting one. There’s not one bullseye shooter (no pun intended). Get a Kerr in there to help spread the court and they’d be in better shape for todays game.

Kerr played in the wrong decade, even with his lack of foot speed, he'd probably average nearly 20 a game in the modern NBA. He and someone like TJ Warren need to switch eras.

 

[Mainstreet]

The Suns need this kind of defense from Ayton.

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[sdscard4]

Michael Jordan would have that face he had in the last dance when shown what the glove said about him reading this thread. GS is all about timing and rhythm. Steph wouldn't have time to showboat or chew on his stupid mouthpiece...it would be knocked down his throat by the 8 minute mark of the 1st. Draymond wouldn't even be able to average his single single and Pippen would just be yawning as he owns everyone on the court. Cmon man

 

[Big Al]

The Suns need this kind of defense from Ayton.

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Absolutely. Hope he brings it.

 

[Finito]

The late 90’s Bulls we’re playing teams that couldn’t score/shoot so it goes both ways. The league had to add gimmick rules to increase scoring output. MJ is so good that they wouldn’t get swept.

The scoring was down because of the defense and style of play. Hell Malone the guy Jordan was beating in 97 retired as #2 on the all time leading scorer list

Your really not giving credit to the defense. Go back and look at how physical that Malone/Rodman match up was. KD ain’t dealing with a Rodman who could literally throw him down, hand check him and elbow him in the face and not even get called for a foul

 

[Phrazbit]

The scoring was down because of the defense and style of play. Hell Malone the guy Jordan was beating in 97 retired as #2 on the all time leading scorer list

Your really not giving credit to the defense. Go back and look at how physical that Malone/Rodman match up was. KD ain’t dealing with a Rodman who could literally throw him down, hand check him and elbow him in the face and not even get called for a foul

For sure, you watch 90s basketball and it's virtually a different sport. It's not like humanity suddenly evolved in half a generation, the play style and rules changed dramatically. Hip checking alone, basically legal by 90s rules, would completely disrupt 3pt shooting, the allowance for grabbing off the ball prevented guys from getting free looks. The illegality of zone defense disallowed off ball double teaming, the reason why big men were so dominant in the era, you couldn't screen them from receiving the ball in the paint.

It's really hard to compare one dominant team from another decade to another... but that Bulls team, they were a different animal, especially Jordan. If he played in today's league where no one could touch him on his way to the rim, that guy probably averages 40 a game. He's the best ever.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

The scoring was down because of the defense and style of play. Hell Malone the guy Jordan was beating in 97 retired as #2 on the all time leading scorer list

Your really not giving credit to the defense. Go back and look at how physical that Malone/Rodman match up was. KD ain’t dealing with a Rodman who could literally throw him down, hand check him and elbow him in the face and not even get called for a foul

Agree. 90s rules bulls win a route. Current rules I think bulls struggle but could win. I say could struggle because as great as that bulls team was, it’s defense was predicated on the rules of the 90s. Physical play. Even pushing the envelope Rodman, Scottie, Jordan and Harper would threaten fouling out in todays nba. And without the ability to handcheck all of them would struggle with containing quicker players. Even Jordan. And todays defenses have become accustomed to just ignoring non-scorers like Harper and Rodman, leaving multiple defenders to hone in on Jordan and pippen.