Dubs in-depth: Who wins between the 2016-17 Warriors and 1995-96 Bulls?

The 2016-17 Golden State Warriors are one of the best NBA teams ever assembled, but how would they stack up against the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls?

We will never get a definite answer to the question, but let’s have some fun with it anyway.

NBC Bay Area’s Monte Pool gave his breakdown of how he thinks the teams match up with one another.

Here are the reasons he believes the Dubs would win:

Star imbalance, the Durant dilemma, overall depth, the 3-ball.

Starting lineups:

Golden State: Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Zaza Pachulia.

Chicago: Ron Harper, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Luc Longley.

The obvious star-position here for both teams is center ... kidding.

I would give the Dubs the advantage here. Jordan is the GOAT, but the Warriors cumulative high-end talent outweighs the Bulls dynamic duo.

As Pool points out, the Bulls would be giving up a huge mismatch, depending on who Jordan and Pippen guard.

Assuming Durant is guarded by Pippen and Jordan goes on Steph, that leaves Klay Thompson to run around being chased by an aging Ron Harper.

Draymond and Rodman would be fun as heck to watch. The elbows, jersey grabbing and mind games would be at an all-time high. Green is a better defender than Rodman (at this point of his career,) and is the superior offensive player as well.

Sorry to Zaza and Longley. Just set screens, get some rebounds, give hard fouls and make layups whenever you get the opportunity.

Bench

Warriors: Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Ian Clark, David West, JaVale McGee, Patrick McCaw, Damian Jones, Matt Barnes, James Michael McAdoo.

Bulls: Toni Kukoc, Steve Kerr, Bill Wennington, Jud Buechler, Randy Brown, John Salley, John Edwards.

Iguodala, Livingston averaged the most minutes off the bench for the Dubs and contributed nicely throughout the playoffs. West played tough defense and Ian Clark was a nice rotational piece. Chicago had Kukoc, who could put up 15-20 points any given game and Warriors’ head coach, Kerr, was the team’s best deep threat.

Golden State is easily the superior shooting team, shooting almost double the amount of 3’s Chicago did on a per game basis.

The Bulls had the best defence in the league in 1995-96, but the pace of the game back then was slower than the high school level is now. The way the Warriors moved without the ball would definitely give Chicago fits.

I give the Bulls edge in the coaching department. Phil Jackson’s 11 rings speak for themselves.

Prediction: Warriors in 7.

Jordan would probably average 35-40 points per game in the series and him and Pippen were awesome defensively. As I mentioned above, whoever is the third scorer out of Durant, Steph and Klay would have a field day against whoever the Bulls had guarding them.

If you took the starters away from both teams, who wins? The Dubs bench unit would by 20.

Even though the closest we will ever get to see of this matchup is on NBA2K, how do you think a series would go between two of the best teams of all-time?

Onto some more Warriors links:

Former Warrior D’Angelo Russell included Steph Curry in his all-time NBA starting five (NBC Bay Area)

Former Warriors Mark Jackson says no one can blackball him from the NBA (B/R)

Do the Dubs take an international player at the 2020 NBA Draft? (Forbes)

From around the NBA

What are NBA players and staff up to during the quarantine? (B/R)

Michael Jordan thinks people will think he is a ‘horrible guy’ after watching the upcoming documentary ‘The Last Dance’ (CBS Sports)

A 2006 re-draft has the Warriors select P.J. Tucker at No. 9 (B/R)