98 Pacers were the only legitimate threat to the 90s Bulls

[boskey]

96 Sonics easily

If The Sonics coach wasn't a dumbass and put Gary Payton on Jordan earlier, they could have beaten the Bulls

 

[dagodmcizme]

'93 Suns. Bulls lose that game 6 and we see a game 7 in a series where they had no answer for Charles. Bulls would probably win game 7 but 1 game scenario can be difficult

I think the Suns would of won if Cedric Ceballos played in that series.

 

[jwinfield]

The jazz in 98 were a legit threat as well. They had home court and went 2-0 vs the bulls that year and beat us pretty handedly those 2 reg season games. On top of the fact pippen was a no show that playoffs run. That was a series Jordan legit carried the bulls to a title

I think either the SunTimes or Tribune predicted the Jazz to win the series and I had the

 

[mbewane]

That Pacers team was tough.

What is interesting is that not a single Bulls Finals opponent would win a championship today.

For all the talk of how good and deep that era was, every 90s championship runner up would get waxed in 2022 by this year’s Warriors. The worst iteration of the championship Warriors, mind you. The game has come a long way.

They didn't win back then either, so what's your point

The 2022 Warriors are literally the best team in the NBA today (meaning : The NBA Champion) so it makes sense they would beat teams that didn't win back then, just as they beat other teams today.

 

[FunkDoc1112]

Truth. That was a classic series, gets forgotten how close it was because it only went 6, but games 2, 3, 4 and 6 were classics that came down to one or two plays being the difference. Chicago went 3-1 in those and Phoenix really gave game 6 away in the final minute. Game 7 would've been crazy if they held on

Both teams literally scored the same amount of total points that series (640)...that's how close it was.

 

[Remote]

They didn't win back then either, so what's your point

The 2022 Warriors are literally the best team in the NBA today (meaning : The NBA Champion) so it makes sense they would beat teams that didn't win back then, just as they beat other teams today.

I thought I explained it clearly.

There are people who insist that the talent and league was better and deeper in years past. The implication being that even the secondary teams of that era would run circles against the best teams today. And it’s simply not true.

 

[Don Homer]

perfect usage

 

[mbewane]

I thought I explained it clearly.

There are people who insist that the talent and league was better and deeper in years past. The implication being that even the secondary teams of that era would run circles against the best teams today. And it’s simply not true.

I'm not sure that's the implication at all, that teams back then would "run circles" around the best teams today. I don't think anyone thinks that anyone is "running circles" around any era's best team. Just like I don't think anyone thinks the secondary teams today such as Boston, Phoenix or Miami (the past three finals losers) would "run circles" around the best team back then, which would be the Bulls, even though there's tons of people who insist that today's era is "the best" in NBA history.

 

[mbewane]

I think the Suns would of won if Cedric Ceballos played in that series.

Still such a pity he was injured. One can't be sure of anything but it would've made for an even better series.

 

[nieman]

MJ only said that to annoy his competitors.

But like others said, Knicks in '92 & '93 (blame Charles Smith for that one), Suns '93 were well equipped (KJ stunk it up though, and no Mr. Flow On). I always thought Tom Chambers should've played more in that series. Sonics in '96 (they could run and grind it out) and '98 Jazz.

 

[Malcolmxxx_23]

98 bulls on fumes

 

[HandyWithTheSteel]

Get pushed to 7 games against a team who’s best player is an emaciated Klay Thompson brehs.

Trash era.

 

[Primetime]

It's just funny that Pippen bricked those freethrows in the final seconds that would've put the Bulls up 3-1 in that series vs the '98 Pacers. The difference between another ho-hum 5 game series and what became a 7 gamer. Ironically Rodman went on to hit his clutch freethrows to give the Bulls a 3-1 series edge vs the '98 Jazz.

We all have our own perspectives but personally i didn't consider the Pacers any better than some of those other teams the Bulls faced. It's just that the Bulls didn't often choke multiple times on the road in a single series when it was time to take a commanding series lead (Pippen bricking the freethrows) or to close out a team period (Jordan slipping on the final possession in game 6). Felt like age, slippage, or whatever was catching up to them. The Jazz series just as easily could've gone 7 but unlike vs the Pacers, MJ didn't slip in game 6 (but still needed to be flawless for 3 consecutive possessions with under a minute to go) + again those underrated Rodman freethrows to secure an earlier game.

 

[Primetime]

IMO their toughest opponent should've been Orlando... but the year ORL beat them, Bulls didn't have Rodman and so Shaq/HGrant dogwalked Chicago's frontline tho everyone just focused on it being MJ's baseball season. The next year in which the Bulls swept Orlando, HGrant had a season ending injury in game 1 which allowed Rodman to be a terror on the glass, unimpeded. Not to mention half of Orlando's key supporting cast was injured by game 3. We never got to see an ideal series between the Bulls and Magic.

Chi won 72 games in '96... but Orlando won 60 with Shaq missing 28 games. It's a damn shame that so much shyt luck hit Orlando. The Anderson freethrows vs HOU, the major injuries the next year leading up to and through the Bulls series... including the Penny knee injury vs Detroit that basically was going to close their chapter even if Shaq hadn't left. But those are the breaks.

 

[Ku$h Parker]

The Knick Team that got in that Scrap wit Miami(97?)woulda gave em Hell too wit no Charles Smith to fukk it all up tok