Would the Bulls have won in 1999?
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- čas přidán 26. 05. 2024
- A breakdown of the obstacles that the Bulls would have faced in the 98-99 season if they returned for a run at a 7th title.
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Where would these Bulls have ended up in 1999?
In my front lawn
You forgot to mention that Pippen was the third option behind Hakeem and Charles, so his points would have decreased by a significant amount anyway. If Pippen stayed on the Bulls with Michael Jordan, he wouldn't average the same 19 points per game, but he for sure averages more than 14.5 points per game. That's my opinion.
@@ainoseibhahe5463 no doubt about it.
@Ainose Ibhahe Excellent point. You may just be right. Historically, the 3rd option guy always takes the biggest hit to his numbers.
You’re wrong about the lockouts hurting the bulls I think
Jordan can use what Tim Duncan thought about him as motivation in the finals match up 😂. That'll definitely be personal
Tim Duncan is lucky he didn't get personal'd, still got dunked on by MJ in the AS game, he would be eating his words, Jordan wouldn't be a no show trash talker like KG.
@@kristijanEX an all star game dunk? thats your ammo? lmfaooo
@@crazydr1 Hey just because they don't play in the ASG now doesn't mean they didn't back then, back then players took pride in competing against other All Stars.
Also it's just a little taste of what would have happened to Timmy if he kept yapping his mouth in MJ's prime.
@@kristijanEX idc, im taking a chip over a ASG dunk. And what are u talking about “yapping his mouth about jordan” all he said was he was never a fan of jordan. Players say that about lebron today, dont be mad an all time great said it about jordan. He said hes not a fan of jordan and all of you got your panties in a bunch lmfao , so everyone has to be a fan of mj? Smh
@@crazydr1 Tim Duncan actually said he doesn't like Jordan which is different from just not being a fan, btw Timmy never won a ring over Jordan, so that doesn't matter to the conversation at hand.
Funny thing about an MJ vs Spurs finals is that he probably would’ve gotten offended that Tim Duncan wouldn’t talk shit but cook in silence 😂
He would have taken that personal
MJ has actually been a fan of Duncan since he was in college, one of the few young guys he respected
MJ said himself in an interview that don’t sleep on Tim Duncan. He called that from early!
@@bigheartproductions5603 this must’ve been during MJ’s days with the bulls since Duncan was elite immediately. That’s dope!
@@KDRusha Actually it might have been just after he retired or with the wizards but either way still early in Duncan’s amazing career.
if Jordan really did win in the 1999 season.. im pretty sure that would be the greatest championship in history. 4 peat on an insanely tired and older team against an even better finals opponent that was strong where the bulls were weak
Yeah, the 1998 team was old and injured so it's surprising they played so well and won a championship. But Pippen was never the same, in 1999 and after he was much slower. The injuries from the 1998 season were just too much. Jordan also hit a physical wall in 98 at age 34/35. he slowed down considerably and lost lots of vertical compared to 97 season. Show me a a few plays from 1998 playoffs and show me a few plays from the 97 playoffs and just by how Jordan moves, I can tell you which one is from 97 & which from 98.
@@Homer-OJ-Simpson Pippen almost led Portland to championship 2000
@@nataliapaembonan785 That's highly exagerated. Pippen did great in 2000 in the first 2 rounds, but did not play well at all in the WCF, mainly in the last 2 games. Rasheed was the best player on the team in that series. On paper that Blazers had arguably the best roster in the league and I think they would have been too much for the Pacers to handle.
@@nataliapaembonan785 Pippen in 99-00 season was 12pts 6reb 5ast and was 60% of what Pippen was in 1997-98. His BPM in 2000 was 3.6 compared to 6.0 BPM from 1991-1998. That Blazers team was loaded with solid talent but not true all star player. Rasheed Wallace was the only one to make the all-star but he was just 16pts 7reb.
@@davidschmidt227 Well put. Pippen was 12.5pts 6reb 5ast and was just a 'good' defensive player, no longer a great defensive player. At his peak, he was easily top 2 defensive player not including centers most years. By 2000, he was probably closer 7-10th best defensive (outside of centers). Very valuable but certainly his defense and offense were not as good as his Bulls years.
But that Blazers team was loaded with a lot of 'sub-all star players' with great veteran leadership. The problem is they didn't have a true star and that became important when they blew a 15pt 4th quarter lead in game 7 in western conf against Lakers, outscored 31-13. No one to take over the offense when the team was struggling. Lakers got 9pts on 3-3fg (3-4 ft) from Shaq and 9pts from Kobe 3-7fg (3-6fg) from Kobe
This is why they say a team needs at least one big star to win because of situations like that. Blazers would have easily beat the pacers in the finals.
As a historian, I must tell you that the problem with alternative history is you can add always more possible changes on the timeline, producing whatever you want as an outcome. In the case of 1999 Bulls, one can say that since they knew better than anyone their weaknesses, they would find remedies, bringing role players who could fill the gaps. First of all a strong power forward. So the whole set of the storyline changes again.
Hypotheticals are essentially fantasies. In my fantasy Jordan doesn't retire until 2002. The Bulls win one against the Rockets in 94 but lose to them in 95. Jordan 4-peats by beating San Antonio in 7 games in 99. He stays in Chicago until 2000-2001 when he goes to Washington. He never tears his meniscus and the Wizards make the #2 seed in the East. Jordan retired with 8 rings and 7 Finals MVPs
@@K.B.Williams Exactly. On your story I'd say that if the Rockets lose in 1994 there is no "heart of the champion" in 1995, so their amazing run from no6 seed never happens and they are eliminated by Phoenix in the 2nd round. The rejuvenated Suns pass over the Spurs and there is an epic remake of the '93 finals. Hungry to win the ring and get vengeance, Sir Charles makes the best series of his life, yet Jordan is too much, plus Horace Grant never left and the Bulls are even stronger thanks to Toni Kukoc. Chicago 5-peats and chases the 60s Celtics record. But the 70 wins season never happens in 1996. We are in the playoffs and we can't wait to watch the ECF between the Bulls dynasty and the rising power of Orlando's young superstars. It will be awesome.
@@sotiriosdrokalos 5-peat!? Geez. I mean, what if Jordan never retired the first time and they actually beat Houston in 94 and 95. That's an 8-peat! The crazy part is, it's not too unrealistic to imagine. Still, I can't take Hakeem's back to back away like he didn't deserve it. The only thing I'd take away is that 1996 Finals. The Sonics should have won that chip and Shawn Kemp needs far more props than he gets for being the best player in those 96 Finals. Sorry Jordan but Kemp was better. Facts!
In my fantasy timeline, Pippen will be in the GOAT conversation. He will be recruited by Phil Jackson and will be a big contributor to winning 4 more titles with Shaq and Kobe, retiring with 10 rings with 3x3 peat.
This series guaranteed wouldve had multiple games scored in the 70s, maybe 60s. The defense from both these teams combined with the pace of play in 1999 wouldve been crazy to watch, even crazier than the Spurs vs Pistons 2005 match.
Would’ve been slug fest, would’ve been NyQuil and Benadryl combine
even the finals clinching game 5 the score was in the 70s
@@isaiahjamal6024 lol
Load management would been used. The Bulls would have been fine.
Jordan’s making it to the Finals, and when he gets there, I’m not betting against him
He would’ve lost against the Warriors if he played them tho
Facts
I'm sorry but that right there is delusion at its finest. That twin tower Spurs team in 99 could have realistically beaten any Bulls team from 96-98 with how much size they lacked. A hypothetical 99 Bulls team would get stepped on in that kind of matchup
@Beery yea I do, sorry but Jordan wouldn’t have done shit against the warriors shooting 43% from mid range
@Beery no delusion is believing some mystical fairy tale which says it's impossible for MJ to lose a Finals series under any circumstances instead of making an argument based on the presented facts. You're free to disagree with me, I never said my own theory was any more than a theory, but I don't see a reason to respect your argument if its nothing more than "6-0 in the finals means 7-0 in 1999"
Either way, this would have been one hell of a series. This would feature two dynasty teams representing their respective eras, and two of the best dynamic duos ever in Jordan/Pippen and Duncan/Robinson.
Great video as always, Jonny!
I personally think the Spurs would have stomped them at that point and it wouldn't be a good series at all
Spurs weren't a dynasty back then good team but was there quite yet
@@jameskern5077 The end of the Bull Dynasty, the start of the Spurs dynasty. I'm pretty sure that's what he meant.
Duncan Robinson still currently playing for Miami Heat. Amazing longevity.
Duncan and Robinson wasn't a best dynamic duo at all, Robinson was basically washed up by then
😂😂😂😂 “maybe someone would have offended him”. That took me out. Brilliant work @Johnny!
In reality.... Jordan to a degree could score at will.. as evidenced by the final game in 98. But... I honestly think he was greatly diminished in performance in 98, but not giving it a shot was something fans lost.
There has got to be some psychological advantage for the bulls in the finals, I mean he wasn't trying to win as much as he was trying to establish dominance over people and break them mentally before the game even starts, glimpses of this would be kinda like how Chicago beat the pacers in 7 games when Reggie Miller himself admitted that to this day he was sure they were the better team but somehow Chicago still won and in the 98 finals game 3 the bulls not only did they beat Utah, they held them to like 54 points in total, which is just insane and i bet playing Jordan, in the finals, in Chicago must have been the biggest challenge anyone in basketball could face.
jordan has also said that the pacers was the bulls greatest challenge and the pacers back then played similar to the warriors now (minus KD)
@@juggernaut44bruh
You must remember that Robinson was also half the player he used to be.
In the finals, only 16.6 ppg on 42% shooting. He and Tim played good defense but let's not pretend like Latrell Sprewell and Allan Houston are the same as Jordan and Pippen, even at an old age. Also, Latrell and Allan averaged 26 and 22 respectively on 44% shooting, the Knicks managed to snag one game, and 3 out of 5 games were close, so that vaunted defense wasn't as good as we remember.
@@defiantlytrill losing Ewing was big time. I think they could've pushed the series to 6 or 7 games
Knicks defense wasn't the same cuz they gave up their key guys like Mason and Harper etc. There was a feud between JVG and the front office about what style should the team play at and they had a slow start earlier
Yeah but the next year when Duncan was out in playoffs Robinson had outstanding stats. Robinson intentionally took a backseat role and dominated only when he had to.
@@defiantlytrill Not at all a slouch; I wasn't saying that. But playing like that against an Ewing-free Knicks team isn't impressive. So Sprewell would have been more of a problem than Jordan? That's absurd.
@@defiantlytrill 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Rodman asking for a vacation in a 50 game season is funny asf
I think it was more of a mental thing
With the defense of these two teams the final score would have been looking like before the shot clock era 😂
You don't know ball prior to shot clock era was high scoring games
In 1998 they had one game end at 73-73 in regulation...took 2 OTs to get 87-83 Bulls....then again the second matchup had a normal score.
I disagree with the take on Pippen.
I m sure team chemistry had to do something about him being inconsistent. After all, he was in the Bulls for 11 years and had to go to a new team with already established stars.
Agreed. He was in Phils system for the past 10 years at that point, and with MJ for the majority of that time. It would definitely lead to a difference in production. Age played a role, but the system change is huge.
Exactly. He was more polished too by 1999.
He still played well. His rebounds, assists, steals and blocks were still on par with the season prior. He was made to be a spot up shooter on the rockets. That was never his role. Ever. Had he been given more freedom to run plays and do his style of play, his ppg would have reflected that there is no reason why he couldn’t run at his usual 18ppg easy enough. Especially if the bulls were still together.
Exactly that Houston team had like 3 other all star level scoring threats. Drexler Barkley and Olajuwon I believe were all on that team at the same time. With the bulls he was the clear option 2 for scoring cuz the next best guys were kukoc Harper and longley.
I don't like to think that chemistry was the focal point here. He was the second option on the Bulls, just the third in the Rockets. He complained about the offense in the Rockets with way less movement than in the Bulls. On the other hand, he was stricky and his offensive stats in the playoffs were usually a bit lower than what he had in the regular season and he fell a lot in the 99-2000 season (but again, lesser role in the offense of the Blazers than in the Bulls).
As a spurs fan I always thought we would have had a good chance against the bulls because they had no answer for the twin towers. The spurs were really damn good too. But its hard to bet against the bulls. Either way it would have been a great series
It would have been a great series that's for sure. But never bet against MJ
Rodman would of took out which ever tower he guarded ......
Bulls were barely holding it together in 98. Rodman was already miserable compared to his prime, Pippen is a bit of wild card, but the lack of size on the Bulls only tells me that 99 Spurs team would eviscerate a hypothetical 99 Bulls team. I think the Bulls magic absolutely wears off at that point
@Freeze Biggs yeah honestly...think about what he did to Karl who was a monster physically
@KingDavid barely holding on but only lost 20 games that year regular season
I like the idea of them struggling because of the shortened season but my counter argument would have been, they had a months added to their vacation so they would have been even MORE rested going into it.
I mean, I get what you're saying, but heres my analogy... If I'm working construction, and I work 5 days of 8 hours a week, Im gonna be exhausted, no doubt. Now give me a few days of extra rest for my 2 days of 20 hour shifts, Im still gonna be dying at the end of those 2 shifts 😂
@@jonnyarnettit's not a few days tho... If u look at the schedule, from 5th of february till 18th if april they played 33 games, in 98, the season ended that day, in 99 they played 41 that's 8 more games in 10 weeks .. 1 more game per week isn't gonna make them worse when they played 32 less games and had 3 extra months off.. it's like workin 6 days a week not 2 days 20h... And shaq Said he was the worst teammate because he was jealous of him.
Because he could show up 5min earlier eatin chicken and still perform at that level after partying All night and would still have the energy to go to the Mill for 2-3h after the game... And nobody would say anything to him.... U becoming like the mainstream BS media
.....
@@jonnyarnett very fair point my friend
the months off would be analogous to the months off in the bubble for Lebron and AD.
@@jonnyarnett but with the watered down East, do they need to play 50 games? my bet is 40 is the most MJ. pip and Rod would have seen, maybe even less... combine that with their longer then normal break and i think they maybe even be better!
Hey Jonny, I just want to thank you for your videos. I have not missed one video of yours in three years.
You really neglected Tony Kukoc as the Bulls' X-factor. he would have eaten but time against the Spurs with his outside J and mid-range. This would've opened up the middle for the Bulls'superior guard play. Plus, I think the front office would have brought in another all-star to fill in for Dennis. I could see Barkley or Mourning coming on for one season
From what I remember, Barkley did take less that season to open up room for Pippen to sign with the Rockets.
How are they getting Mourning?
@@edmondlau511 Yeah, if Pippen stayed maybe Barkley would have left Houston since Drexler retired...
Barkley was retiring, and Mourning had a serious kidney or liver problem
@@fszron Barkley didn't retire until the following year. He actually played a season with Pippen.
I just wanted to say I like that you got straight to the point and stayed that way. So many big sports channels clickbait a given topic and then cover so much unnecessary shit that supposedly relates to it. Never at any point in this video did I think you went on a tangent about or gave details about something that was off topic. I appreciate that. Subscribed
Your content has been great recently from a qualitative and quantitative perspective.
Never underestimate the grit of a battle-hardened veteran team led by the win-at-all costs MJ.
I liked your perspective and how set the stage. Very well done video!
Great video, but I still have Chicago in 7. Would be just as great if you did the same analysis against the 94 and 95 Rockets!
Yea but Houston smoking them in 94 and win in 6 in 95
Cap
Your smoking some good stuff bro😂. Bulls and air Jordan would have won 9 in a row 1991-1999 ask the dream who the best player ever was he says MJ all the time. Plus Houston lost a championship before. MJ never even played a game 7 in the finals.
@@MichaelSnyder-im3mm rooting for a man who was 2-6 in the decade is smart betting
@MichaelSnyder-im3mm Hakeem lost a championship in 86 against what was considered one of the greatest teams assembled in the Celtics.
There is reason to believe the Rockets would have beaten the Bulls.
Rockets was on a tear against Chicago in 91, 92, and 93.
They blowed out Chicago badly about every matchup for 3 straight yrs.
Even when Jordan took it to heart, they still got massacred.
They whipped the Bulls 91, 92, and 93 until they won the title in 94 and 95.
There is belief that even the Bulls would not have gotten in the Rockets way from winning
I just wish we got to see him and Hakeem go against each other. Two players from the same draft and best players of their respective positions at that time.
But had they played the Spurs that year that would have been very interesting.
If MJ didn't retire prior to the 1993-94 season I truly believe we would of seen that matchup in June 1994. No doubt about it.
@@ryandonato550should have happened in 1995…. No excuses
Awesome video as usual Johnny Arnett. You never disappoint. Keep up the 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥videos
Thank you Jonny for this video! I always wanted to hear from your perspective on the 98 Bulls if they would have won in 99 together ever since the Last Dance documentary.
I've always wondered this, MJ had so much left at 35, i mean look at him at 38 before the knee injury, he had the Wizards in the playoffs and was consistently upping his game as the season went on... AFTER 3 FULL YEARS OFF not working out and training like a full time pro athlete... if he came back in 99 after the lock out, fresh and over his injuries from the last season... he would've been a beast... would they win? depends on the teammates around him. He's an easy 28 at night at 35-36.
Facts
It's kinda the same in wondering if the Bulls would've won 8 straight. Would they have beaten the Rockets in 94 and 95?I highly doubt that but who knows? If only Jordan retired just 9nce in 2002 he may have had 8-9 or even 10 rings! We'll never know
@@K.B.WilliamsI tend to believe they would've won 94, 95 rather than 99.
@@jclemons121384 I'm not sure they'd beat that Rockets team twice. Of all the dangerous teams the Bulls could've ever faced it's safe to say those Rockets were the worst (..or best) to give them a run in the Finals
Even though the schedule was brutal once the season started, the players still had a lot more time to recharge and take time off the game to get new focus. I don't think that it would have hurt the Bulls a lot more than other teams. It's also very difficult to judge a player's performance when moving to a different team with different players and a different play and coaching style for the first time in his entire career (Pippen).
My biggest question would be how mentally drained everyone would have been. After winning three titles in a row again there is only so much you can do to not kind of feel like you have done it all and that it's getting a bit old. But if they had decided to run it back one more time Jackson and Jordan would have made sure that everybody is on their A game when it really matters.
A point that you didn't address in the video, which would have been interesting as well in my opinion, is the question of what kind of changes would have been made to the team. Maybe Krause and Jackson would have identified some weak spots that they would have wanted to address by bringing in a new player or replacing a player. What kind of trades would have been good for the Bulls if they would have gone for the 4th title in a row?
Exactly! Lebron gets a new team every year and MJ would have run it back with the same old players again?
Imagine they replaced rodman with a young Ben Wallace
Agreed. I was thinking this same thing. They likely would have made some off season moves to get some new fresh legs on the team while keeping the core players like Mj, Pippen, Rodman, Kukoc, Harper and Kerr. I think they would have traded Longley.
@@LutherBuilds I am not sure they would have traded Longley, they had some role players in the squad that were clearly way below their team average standard. Nonetheless, I always wanted to see Hakeem play with Jordan. Could you imagine how insane that team would have been? Unbelievable.
Boss, I truly enjoy your outlook, educated opinions & overall approach to your topics on your channel. This is a beautifully presented opinion. Awesome!!!!
Great video. I was hoping someone would do a video on this. Hard to say if the Bulls would have won, but it would have been awesome to watch.
Also note that with bulls age combined with years playing into June that takes a toll. Plus the bulls have had issues with teams that had skilled big men. In 99 Duncan had a dominant post season run.
Also the Bulls had a tough time with Indiana the year before and they took them to 7 games.
@@dariog36th You can't use the Indiana series. If you watched the series you'd know the officiating was aiming to stretch the series out. The Bulls should have taken that series in 5 games. Games 4 and 6 were scattered with pro-Pacers calls.
This is not like 1992 vs the Knicks who had a much more legit claim to taking the Bulls 7 (and actually you know what happened? The Bulls handled them in 6 the next season after giving them a 2 win handicap.).
Bulls didn't struggle with any team during this era, they just gave up more wins to teams with big men than without which is no surprise since this was a big man era....possibly the strongest big man era top to bottom in the league's history (you could count a good big man on 75% of the teams in the league back then).
Although the Bulls were in the Finals in 98, because of the lockout they would've had 4 extra months to recuperate plus there a championship team who already had the chemistry together. Those back to back backs games would helped them get into a groove. Bulls in 6!
Great Analysis So Far
It’s honestly surprising how little Jordan choose to play considering how much more he could’ve accomplished with his team
I think that’s just a testament to how much work he put into the game. Dude needed a break, and who are we to blame him for taking It? He was the most dedicated athlete in the world and It showed.
He should’ve let Krause trade Pippen for T-Mac and the future 1st round pick that ended up being Vince Carter. Two really young guys would’ve helped Jordan with the load. Jordan would’ve been able to play til he was 40 without having to retire in 98.
Rodman meeting his old team, the Spurs, in the finals, would have been motivation enough for him to show them that when things in the team are right, he is a HOF teammate.
Didn't Rodman stop Shaq? If he can guard Shaq, I don't see why he couldn't guard Tim Duncan.
Rodman went to the spurs after
@@ymarley1180 Wrong.
@@mlai2546a big part of defending big guys was that he frustrated them with his antics and trash talking. Nobody ever got under Tim Duncan’s skin. That’s why Rodman had a breakdown in 95 in the WCF against Houston because he couldn’t get under Hakeem’s skin either.
@@dariog36th Rodman wasn't on Hakeem that much in that series, partially because Bob Hill suspended him like an idiot but also because they had the Admiral who was a better defender than even Dennis.
That said, Dennis absolutely PANTS'd the Spurs in 1998. He averaged just under 20 boards a game and almost 10 ORPG. Duncan also didn't score a ton in the two 1998 matchups...that might be because Robinson had his way but regardless, he averaged 16.5 those 2 games.
Great job as usual my man.
Great video bro!
Great video. You should do another one on if the Bulls could have won the 94 and 95 years championships. I think if the Bulls have Grant or Rodman they win those championships in 7 games but without them they lose.
dennis rodman would 37-38
Grant was over-rated in 1993. Despite the issues, Rodman filled the role better since the Bull's centers were cream puffs).
Remember this is an 50 game season. This is 98-99, The 98 Bulls If they stayed together could have made a great run to the Finals with a 50 Game season. It's very possible they win and age and rust wouldn't show, Granted if they stayed active during the lockout (most did)
Agreed. This is a major argument for why they would have won in 1999. I think 1999 would have been their last title though. I think by 2000 Jordan and especially the others would start to decline. But in 1998 which is just 1 year prior to 1999 Jordan was STILL the best player in the league. They were the defending champions who just won the last 3 titles. Phil Jackson would have remained. They were the best defensive team in the league. And I think Pippen and Rodman would have had one last go in them, especially in a shortened season. Past 1999 I can't say with any certainty the Bulls would have won more titles, but I am 90% sure they would have won it in 1999. If they didn't it would have been considered a massive upset.
Pippen wanted out no matter what. He hated being on the Bulls and was pushing for a trade since 1995. Rodman was too distracted with partying and that’s why he quit on the lakers in 99. It was going to be very hard to keep that Bulls team together.
@@avikellerman453950 goes in 90 days though for an aging team would not have been an advantage. I believe Jordan would have to play in all the games as well to get into the playoffs. So hebwiuldvenbeen tired in the post season.
@@dariog36th Rodman would have been just fine, Phil knew how to manage him...and if the Last Dance documentary was any indication...when he was depended on more he was more engaged and interested. The Lakers tenure isn't a great indication since he clashed with a management style that was more like the Spurs than the Pistons/Bulls where he flourished.
That said, if Pippen really did force a trade (which I find hard to fathom with the championship winning) the Bulls could have gotten a younger, healthier star in return to make winning easier in a way. If it was young T-Mac they might have gotten a scorer to alleviate Jordan and Kukoc.
@@samuelmunoz1464 It absolutely would have been an advantage. Fatigue is accrued over length of time. The reason Jordan was tired in 1998 was he was playing 40 minutes over 100+ games and having to bear most of the burden offensively. Yes back to backs are difficult but I'll address that in the next paragraph, just know all the other teams have that issue too.
That said, Phil could have rolled back his minutes some AND possibly sat him out a few games (like a few back to backs)...The Bulls only needed to win 60% of their games to be a top seed....instead of the normal 80%. The Knicks were the 8th seed at almost a .500 record. 30 wins got you 5th seed, 34-16 got you 1st seed in the East. That is not NEARLY an "every game you play" burden like you suggest. The Bulls were 62-20 in 1998, they had to win half that many games and lose about the same amount to be a decent seed in the playoffs, the Bulls could have cruised to that record and been in shape to go deep into the playoffs.
Congratulations on 150k Subscribers!
OMG OMG OMG OMG!!! I have just seen that you reached 150k subscribers!!! Congratulations!!! Best basketball channel!!!
Lol. Thanks 🥲 :) 150 questions video will be dropping soon 👍
@@jonnyarnett You have done a fantastic job, thanks!
I mean you're talking about how Rodman and Pippin lost a step but not how David Robinson lost a big ass step
Robinson still average 20 and 10 that year
Robinson was still the best defensive player on the Spurs until 2001. Yes offensively Robinson lost a step but defensively he was still a monster on the paint. Jordan, Pippen and Rodman clearly lost a step defensively and it would be hard for them to stop Duncan. You got to remember that Duncan from 1998 to 2000 was extremely athletic until his knee injury at the end of the 2000 season so I don't see a weaker Rodman stopping him.
it's really sad that we lost basically 2 years of Jordan because of his fathers' death/baseball and then at least 1 more year with the Bulls because their GM was an idiot and pushed out Phil Jackson. maybe the 2nd 3-peat wouldn't have happened if he didn't retire the first time but it would've still been nice to see those 3 extra years of Jordan playing either way.
You make some good points that are often overlooked. Missed a couple key points as well.
I think the biggest factor… and you touched on it… was the crazy condensed schedule of 1999.
Look at the Utah Jazz… who seriously tested the Bulls in both 1997 and 1998. Remember…in both of those Finals… 5 of the 6 games went down to the last possession.
I lived in Vegas in 1999. With the Bulls broken up… the general consensus among Vegas oddsmakers in 1999 was that it was the Utah Jazz season to lose.
Sure enough… they start the season 9-1 with John Stockton and Karl Malone dominating as usual. But the Jazz are old (just like the Bulls would have been). During the final stretch of the condensed season, they played a brutal 10 games in 14 nights. They went 5-5 and loss ed the #1 seed to the Spurs. That condensed schedule was brutal on older legs. Serendipitously… the Spurs started the season 5-5 and went 9-1 during those final 10 games to snag the #1 seed with a young Tim Duncan leading the way.
Key points missed:
Jordan terribly injured his finger with a cigar cutter. The injured severed a tendon. No question he would have missed some of the 1999 season. Some have even stated that Jerry Reinsdorf considered this when he chose to break up the team. It’s not clear… but remember… there’s already a precedent of Jordan missing most of the year then joining a team just before the playoffs (1995). Didn’t go particularly well.
Last of all… what about Steve Kerr? He went straight from the Bulls to the Spurs and played a significant role in both teams. In any hypothetical match up… you have deduct his contribution from either the Bulls or the Spurs. No real way to make sense if it all.
You forgot to mention the roster changes. They could have added much more youth to the team as well, which would have allowed them to have more rest to be spelled. The secondary players would have made a huge difference.
agree, this vid is just for non basketball fans
They had Keith Booth the next MJ 😂😂😂😂
Could you also do this for the KD Warriors if they stayed through the 2019-20 season?
He was out the whole season
20-21 season*
@@TeddyandFroggyshow that’d be interesting. Guess it just depends on how you view kd and his impact on those warrior teams. They’re definitely making the playoffs but I can’t see them winning it without klay and with a declining draymond
@@TeddyandFroggyshow klay is also out and got re injured again. Missing the whole 2020-21 season. Their healthy the following season
@@tj5180 you don’t think Steph and KD that season would make the finals and then beat the Milwaukee Bucks on route to an NBA championship. Without Klay that would be a pretty impressive ring that nobody could take away from both Steph & KD.
That being said, I think it would the first time the Bulls win a championship in 7 games.
Tim duncan isn't enough to to force jodan into 7 games
@@funfun4807 Especially a very young and not yet in his prime Tim Duncan. That Spurs team was the worst of Duncan's championship sides imo. Him and Robinson were great but the rest of the players weren't. Players like Avery Johnson and Sean Elliott would have been totally shut down by the Bull's backcourt. Steve Kerr probably wouldn't have joined, but even if he did it wouldn't have made a difference as he would too would have been absolutely shut down by Harper, Jordan and Pippen. This was also before Pop teams really started to move the ball well, use spacing, great off ball movement, great passing and team play, and everything we associate with the other Spurs championship teams. Bulls would have won in 6. Jerry Kraus dismantled the team too soon. They had 1 more title in them. Especially in a shortened lockout season.
@@avikellerman4539 lol the spurs was a powerhouse back in 1999 remember how they swept Lakers and shaq in his prime the bulls will have a hard time maybe lose to spurs if that happen
@@electrocreep Maybe. It's all just guessing at this point, we'll never truly know. But for me I think the Bulls would have won. I watched during the 90s and those Bulls teams were generational. They were on another level to the rest of the league. That 1999 Spurs team was just your average NBA champions. They were like the Raptors of 2019 or Dallas of 2011. Nothing special, nothing generational. And in 1999 the Lakers were not in their prime yet, Kobe was still a baby and they were still figuring stuff out. That's my view on it.
Great video
Wow, really makes you appreciate the 98 MJ more recalling he was basically carrying them to and through the Playoffs.
the 1999 Regular season is definitely a worst nightmare season for Kawhi Leonard
Dude takes off 2 days for load management purposes, and misses like 14 games 🤣
I think this series would still be talked about til this day
That was cool. What a run the bulls had.
But definitely a cool video
Love your vids jonny.
I still think the Bulls would have won in 99 though but it would probably have been the first game 7 in their historic dynasty. The rest from the lockout just would have been too good for a team thats been to the finals 3 straight seasons. I dont really see the amount of games being played with a shorter schedule hurting them.
Watching the 99 finals, and having some of those games as competitive as they were without the knicks best player im pretty sure the bulls would have put up a better fight. A healthier scottie would do wonders for the bulls and having a stretch big like kukoc against timmy and admiral, man that would have been a really great matchup. As good as spree and houston was at the time, mj and pip was still lightyears ahead of them in terms of skill level. As far as rodman, you hit the nail on the head on your analysis because if rodman still had phil mj and scottie he wouldnt have been a problem.
This is bizarre. My friend and I were talking about this literally last weekend
Although our starting point was "what if John Stockton had made that shot in Game 6?" Very good chance they would have lost Game 7 in Salt Lake City with a hobbled Scottie Pippen (my friend's a big Bulls fan, and even he admits a good chance they would have lost). And if they had, no way MJ would have retired. We agreed that Finals would have been an all-time great matchup
What could have been . . .
The Spurs that season were a force. MJ would have been MJ of course and he’d keep his team in it but the Spurs had the perfect combination of youth with Duncan and vets with Robinson and Elliot to beat the Bulls. As good as Rodman and pippen were defensively they were no match for prime Duncan and Robinson. The spurs biggest weakness at that time was shooting so they could be exposed but the bulls wouldn’t be able to expose it due to the Spurs size advantage. It’s just to much for the Bulls to overcome at that period. In 2000 I don’t believe the bulls beat the Spurs, Lakers or Kings. MJ would still be good but his team wouldn’t be able to hold its own anymore. The bulls 3 headed monster was always really one big head (MJ) and two smaller less formidable heads in Rodman and Pippen. Mikes best chance at winning #7 would have been during his first retirement.
The Spurs were not a force. Robinson and Duncan were. Elie, Johnson and Elliott didn't even average 30 pts combined against the knicks and only Johnson offered anything meaningful beyond that with 7 apg. The Bulls shut those 3 down and Robinson and Duncan have to score 60 each game instead of 43-45 per game.
Let's also not forget that Rodman clowned the Spurs on the boards in 1998 (20 per game and almost 10 ORPG) and the Bulls swept the Spurs every year from 1996-1998....so even with Duncan (and no pippen) the Bulls were sweeping them. The Bulls were the best rebounding team of the time and that's the true ingredient to their success, if the tiny Avery Johnson and the small/weak rebounding Elie and Elliott couldn't keep Jordan, Harper and Pippen off the glass the Spurs stood no chance.
Bingo. Personally, I believe most of the people claiming the Spurs would have won are zoomers and Lebron Stans reaching and trying to justify why Jordan wouldn't have won that 1999 title. Trying to diminish his greatness and dominance and downplay just how dominant he was so they can elevate Lebron or whatever modern player is their favorite.
I'm a Spurs fan so I have every reason to try to craft excuses for why the Spurs would have won against the Bulls in 1999. But I'm not going to do that because I also try to be honest and objective in my opinions. These Jordan haters love to point out the Spurs advantage in the paint with Duncan and Robinson...But they fail to apply this same logic to the Bulls and point out their advantages. Of which there were far more.
- The Bulls had a GIGANTIC advantage in terms of backcourt. People ask "What would Chicago do about Duncan and Robinson" but the same can be said of "What would the Spurs do about Chicago's backcourt of MJ, Pippen and Harper?"
The Spurs backcourt in 1999 might be the weakest NBA title winning backcourt of all-time. They would be absolutely primed for destruction by the likes of Jordan, Pippen, Harper and either Steve Kerr or Brent Barry (depending on if Kerr joined the Spurs or stayed on the Bulls). Jordan would have a field day with the likes of Avery Johnson, Mario Ellie or Sean Elliot.'
-The Bulls were the best defensive side in the league during their title years. Jordan, Harper and Pippen is likely the best defensive backcourt ever. All 3 of them were shut down defenders. Especially Jordan and Pippen. Teams would have trouble setting up their offense or even making it out of their own half because they were constantly harassed and pressed by that trio. Then add Rodman into the mix who is one of the best post defenders and rebounders in league history. So not only would Chicago get a lot more offensive production out of their backcourt but they would also totally shut down San Antonio's backcourt. As you said the Spurs backcourt trio of Johnson, Ellie and Elliot didn't even average 30 ppg in the finals COMBINED. And that was against a much easier to face Knicks' backcourt. Against Chicago they would average even less. Jordan alone would have had more ppg than San Antonio's entire starting backcourt combined. Then add in whatever Pippen and Harper give you which is probably 25 combined and already Chicago has a massive points advantage.
-Chicago's front court would have scored less than Duncan and Robinson for sure. But the Bulls always played elite bigs because elite bigs were a dime a dozen in the league at the time. It was probably the best era for bigs. Shaq, Olajuwon, Malone, Ewing, Kemp, Mourning, Divac, Barkley, Horace Grant, Oakley, David Robinson, Rasheed Wallace, and a young Duncan, KG and Dirk. And the list goes on. Yet the Bulls dominated that era regardless despite having to go up against elite bigs on what was almost a nightly basis.
- The Bulls had a better and deeper bench with guys like Kukoc and Kerr. They were also far more experienced and had that fear factor. Especially in close games. Other teams simply wilted under the pressure and feared Jordan.
The fact some people are questioning the quality and pedigree of a 2 time 3-peat winner is ludicrous. This wasn't a one off team that had 1 great run to a title like the 04 Pistons, 2011 Mavs or the Kahwi's Raptors. They were a legitimate juggernaut and head and shoulders above the rest of the league. The idea that a baby Duncan and Robinson (who was already declining) playing with a bunch of forgettable role players could defeat THAT Bulls team is simply comical and delusional. And again, I say all this as a Spurs fan. Of course it's all hypotheticals and anything could have happened. But the objective reality is the Bulls have to be given the benefit of the doubt because of everything I just listed above. They didn't win 6 titles by coincidence or a lucky run. They were the toast of the NBA for a reason. @@scottb3034
@@avikellerman4539 Thank you and agree with your post. Kudos for the honesty even though a Spurs fan.
Let me add that Admiral was my favorite big man of the era and while a bulls fan i was beyond thrilled that he got a title after the bulls dynasty ended...i would have preferred it continue but David was my favorite non-Bull so i minded the spurs winning the least.
This was a really cool what if deep dive. I do think the Pacers would have played a part in the east. Great content.
Great great vid
Awesome speculative video. No way the Knicks would have beat the Bulls even with Ewing. Indiana would have been the greater challenge as they were just coming onto their own. Plus this is assuming the Bulls remain the same team. David Robinson was starting to lose some steps by this time as well; his back was becoming more of an issue. Duncan would have driven Longley and Wennington nuts; they wouldn't be able to contain him, and neither would Dennis. Dennis would had to strategize more, maybe play a little more off the boards.
I don't recall who rodman was on in 1998 but he was grabbing almost 20 and 10 on TRB and ORBs per game and Duncan only averaged 16 ppg (Admiral dropped 28 per game so I guess you could just swap them either way). The problem with the two towers strategy is that almost invariably one slows down the other and so the defense doesn't have to work to stop both....Rodman also showed he could grab boards on them like he could on the rest of the league.
I find it hard to believe a players body dealing with that much basketball and the mental pressure of keeping a streak going and losing the competitiveness after winning 6 rings
Great video. Would’ve been nice to see the outcome
I think Phil Jackson would have compensated to both the shortened season and aging of his players. He would have brought in role players to help the team as he always did
Yes the Bulls would have won there seventh NBA world championship in 1999 short season !.🌇💵🏀🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆👍🌃
Thank you for your share and analysis.That’s one of the what if issue in NBA history(raising team vs near falling dynasty)As a Spurs fan,thank you for your honor to Spurs.If Spurs with TP and Ginobili,I go for Spurs,otherwise questionable😃
2 hours ago I was literally talking about this then I come on CZcams and Jonny has the answer for me 👍
Who's gonna cover mj?😊
You make some good points about that 99 Spurs team vs The 98 Bulls. The Spurs were younger, bigger, and stronger than Chicago. I think they also would have won in 6 games.
also take into account that the spurs were taken to 5 very close games by the 8th seeded barely .500 new york knicks without their best player
@Someone but that NY team Basically like Chicago and weak inside
@@Bigedub101 Weak inside without Ewing but I don't think an old busted up Ewing would have been enough to stop Duncan and Robinson.
@@GloriousKev didnt say he wouldve been, but it sure wouldve helped
@@Bigedub101 except a lot worse
DAMN what a great what if video
Great video
As for the question of would the bulls have won a 7th title
Keeping players involved healthy without any injuries
Jordan would not have been able to attack the rim, but he would’ve made them have to adjust for his outside game
Jordan in the finals, he is going to find a way to win!
The defense between the Spurs and Bulls would’ve lead to some insane final game scores. I still got the Spurs winning the title but it could be likely the bulls win with the Spurs being the first team to push them to 7
I always wondered if they would have won eight straight if MJ never played baseball
well in 94 they would win but 95 im not sure about.
@@markmac2206 Key factor is whether Horace Grant still leaves in this alternate universe. That's like a dual gain for the Bulls. You keep him, but also deprive the Orlando Magic of him. Ironically 93-95 were Pip and Grant's best seasons, and MJ would still be in his prime. Add Kukoc, and those hypothetical Bulls teams could have been the best out of all of them.
I don't think so. MJ was just tired and unmotivated after three straight years of June basketball with barely a break (plus Olympics). Baseball recharged his batteries and taught him how to be a better team player. I think without baseball, there's not only not eight but maybe not even another three peat at all. I think Bulls win maybe one more and caps Jordan at 4. Maybe he even moves to the Knicks and gets a ring there.
If Horace left and it's only Pippen and Jordan then I don't think they win vs the Rockets. We pretty much got our answer when MJ came back for 17 games and they lost to the Magic without Horace they definitely wouldn't of beaten the Rockets that year. Who knows what Krause could of done though cause he was an amazing GM and I'm sure he would of either resigned Horace or brought someone else in who was just as good If not better.
no.
The Joker instrumental always hits in your videos 🔥
This would have been a wild boost for Duncan's GOAT case icl.
Also about making it personally, Pop's Spurs is like the most non-offensive (personality wise), so it might be difficult.
Short season would have been advantage to the bulls if they stayed
I’m a hardcore Bulls fan, especially in the 90’s. But I don’t think the Bulls would have got to the finals in ‘99. However if he never retired I feel the Bulls would’ve won 8 in a row. I’m tired of hearing, butt Horace was on his way out. Well the Bulls would’ve grabbed a big man just like when they grabbed Rodman. And I’d say if Jordan came back from first retirement a month earlier, he would been in good enough basketball shape and fully out of baseball shape. And they would’ve DEFINITELY won. But in ‘99 Jordan was older and Pippen, tho he might’ve stayed if they tried to keep team together, he would’ve been discouraged to play due to his situations. But 8 in a row is a high PROBABILITY
DR was built like a freaking Sherman tank
What a great analysis! As a Bulls and Michael Jordan fan I’d love to think about a 7th ring in 99 for them, but your argument about the Spurs in the finals is realistic, so I don’t know. The only one thing you missed on this video, and that we will never know, is the identity of possible new acquisition from the bench for Chicago. I believe the same 1998 team would struggle in the finals with San Antonio but who knows maybe they would’ve gotten some help and get to win in seven games. Or maybe Duncan being still young and Dennis Rodman may be deciding to play harder would make a difference I don’t know. The other what if is injuries because nobody can predict what would happen in terms of injury maybe to Michael himself. Anyway, really great video. I enjoyed it.
Jordan timed all his retirements cleverly keeping his no finals losses record alive
He retired in 94" after his dad died
And retired 98" cause bulls management broke the team up and wasn't keeping them together
In 94, he straight up gave away a ring lol. No way do those rockets cheat MJ. 95 was way tougher. Jordan and the bulls would’ve had winning fatigue. They probably wouldn’t lost that one. But again it’s Jordan so…
@@BattleTruthnobody forced him to retire in 98. He could’ve stayed if he wanted. If he still had a fighting spirit he should’ve gone out there and play with a bunch of scrubs if he had to. That’s like Kobe retiring in 2004 after the lakers got rid of Shaq and Jackson.
@@dariog36th Management broke the team up
@@BattleTruth only thing that was broken up was Jackson getting fired and Pippen finally getting the trade he always wanted. Rodman was gotten rid of after they saw he was unfocused and that was prove when he gave up on the lakers the next year. And Reinsdorf offered Jackson the job back and he declined. Jordan should’ve came back and played with what he still had left which was Kukoc who actually had a better season in 99 than Pippen did.
They would have got a 5 peat for sure
Bruh what?
???
They are not beating LA in 2000 lmao
As a fellow documentary creator and 90s Bulls fan i enjoyed this video very much. You hit the nail in the head on the physical ability of the Spurs. The biggest issue in Chciago was management, i see a 7th Championship going south IN game 7 for some reason, and i say this as a Jordan fan. The Spurs did lack the personality and character of other winning teams, while muscle and hustle i believe they are forgotten like the 1990 Pistons in a way. The common denominator in Jordan's 2 retirements is avoiding Two Formidable Centers from Texas....strange right? The East in 1999 was weak and Chicago needed a tougher competition but never understimate the Reggie Miller factor....he got into Jordan's mind, i believe he was the biggest threat of 1999.
Nice take
The 2 toughest finals MJ never played were: ‘95 vs Olajuwon & Clyde, and ‘99 vs Duncan & Robinson. Both series would likely have gone to game 7.
Why stop here? The toughest finals MJ never played should have been 2000 vs Shaq/Kobe, 2001 vs Shaq/Kobe, 2002 vs Shaq/Kobe, 2003 vs Duncan (a monstrous MVP)/Parker/Ginobilli, 2004 vs Shaq/Kobe/Malone/Payton, 2005 vs Duncan/Parker/Ginobilli...
As many of the posters here stated: never bet against Jordan in the finals, he never lost a final, he's 6-0 in the finals, etc. With that kind of garbage reasoning, the Bulls should looking at an 10-peat. I don't see why not...
@@kel9855 …😂😂😂 You must be a LeBron lover
@@timmyg831 Nope, my favorite Laker was Magic, the 2nd favorite was Kareem, the 3rd favorite was Shaq...
The interior of Robinson and Duncan would be too much for the Bulls, especially when the 2nd 3-peat Bulls interior wasn't that great. Seriously, Luc Longley and Dennis Rodman against Robinson & Duncan?
Rodman is great and all, it's Luc Longley is gotta suffer.
Even back then before any of it became public knowledge, it just seemed like it their dynasty was ending. I can't explain how or why, but my thoughts were they were truly a team for the ages and had nothing left to prove
Very fair assessment. I do think that there was the likelihood that the Bulls would have tried to move Pippen (who was very unhappy with his contract). While Jordan has made Pippen to sound like it was not negotiable, I think if Jackson stayed on, Jordan would have been willing to budge on Pippen and they may have picked up some size or scoring with that. Kraus, for all of his faults did make some good acquisitions to build around Jordan in the past so it was possible he would have reloaded in some form. Unfortunately, we didn’t get an opportunity to see how it would play out. Good video!
the tried tried to trade him for tmac before 97-98
@@ektran4205 Yeah, I think that they made the right move in holding onto him at that point if they wanted to go for another title (which they of course did). If you are looking at long term value and just player for player though, mid 30's Pippen for a 20 year old T Mac would have been an absolute steal!
If Jazz won the 98 championship (which is something that was closer to occur than most people recognize):
- Jordan would be so pissed off, he wouldn't retire.
- The pre season would be extremely good, they would be very well prepared.
- I see them winning 99 championship ONLY if they lost 98.
LeBron could beat the 99 Spurs. Not MJ tho
He couldn't beat them in 2014 and he also shit the bed in 2011 while playing on a super team. Keep dick riding tho.
You’re just coping because LeSwept is in Cancun now.
Oh ya cuz LeBron in his 20th season is the same as Jordan in his 13th. FOH
@@Invictus-Solarisyou guys both sound like idiots 😭
@@fortnitejake850 Not about season it's about age. Michael Jordan played 4 years in college and retired for a year in between seasons. Michael Jordan at 35 was significantly better than Lebron at 35.
MJ’s 98 season is interesting so far as the regular and post season numbers go. The rs was a downturn for him due largely to a cracked finger joint (I believe) which hurt his play early on. If you look at his stats towards the upward trend of the 2nd half of the season, you’ll see the numbers improve as the injury heals/MJ adapts to the injury so it doesn’t hurt his play. The 98 postseason was his best of the 2nd 3-peat, which is crazy considering his insane usage and age being 35. He absolutely would have been a MVP caliber player the following year, but the real question I think lies with resigning Scottie. From the documentary and the reports I’ve read, it seems Scottie was done with Bulls management and wanted out asap. Without Scottie, I’m not sure how far the Bulls go as he was an integral piece to the culture there as both a facilitator and as a “sympathetic” leader that could contrast to MJ’s “aggressive” and dictator-like role.
It's hard to say for sure would've. But, it's a series I wish I would've gotten to see. Maybe the Bulls could've added a piece or 2 that team to help them. Impossible to know who that would've been. Maybe I'll play this scenario out on 2K. LOL
One problem with your analysis: If Chicago were trying to win in 1999, they would have made a move to strengthen their team in the paint: You can't just take 1999 Spurs against an unchanged 1998 Bulls when Chicago would have been just as aware as you of their new vulnerabilities.
This is insane, I was just thinking this question the other day.
The answer is NO. The Spurs would've won that match up. People are forgetting that Bulls teams was aging FAST. They beat Utah in 1998 but it took everything they had to win that chip.
Duncan, Robinson, Elliot, Johnson, Steve Kerr, Mario Elie, Malik Rose. That San Antonio team was no joke.
This video you made shows how great the Bulls dynasty truly was that I didn't even get to see
That lockout shortened season was brutal. Phil Jackson saying there should be an asterisk on that championship is absurd. He should know all about managing fatigue and injury, and 50 games in 90 days is insane. I would dare say that the Spurs won because they did a better job of managing fatigue and injury than anyone else.
From 5th FEB to 18th april, they played 41 games, just 8 more than in 98... That's less than 1 game per week more....
Phil was salty about Pop but the Spurs was the one who invented Load Management and as much as we fans hate it, it was one of the reasons why the Spurs had such a long dynasty as they are. They kept their stars healthy and fresh and only played them hard during the playoff
50 game season
With more resting time in offseason
Phil Jackson believes to this day that the '98 Bulls were on their last legs. Now I'm as as big of a Bulls fan as it gets and I thought at the time if they stayed together, they would. But looking back at how Pippen & Rodman finished up, I think that Phil was probably right.
I said the same thing and I'm a Bulls fan.. That schedule would be. Brutal and we know how Rodman likes to disappear. Plus if met Spurs, Even an older Robinson still better than Bulls bigs and we know Duncan
the biggest issue would be Pippen's contract. They had him for the price of a role player but that contract was expired and he obviously would ask much more money for another year, so Jordan, Rodman, Kukoc, Harper etc would have to accept to reduce their pay to make it happen.
Bird Rights were a thing back then and the NBA's never had a hard cap to stay under. So everyone could have been paid the same and still paid Pippen more...the rub comes in the fact that the bulls would then have no real ability to really improve their team outside exceptions and their terrible, often few draft picks.
You’re assuming that Chicago would have just stood pat with the team that they had. While it is unknowable, it’s likely that Chicago would have understood that Rodman was in decline and tried to address it.
What would be interesting would be to see who the big free agent bigs were that offseason. I could definitely see a quality PF or C taking a pay cut to chase a ring.
Edit: I looked it up, and there were guys like Vlade Divac, Antonio McDyess, and Joe Smith who were free agents. You never know, right? Divac was a quality C and had an existing relationship with Kukoc.
Good research! I actually quite like Vlade on that team if they could make it work. He’s way more offensively skilled than Longley or Wennington, and he can hold his own on defense. Underrated passer too.
Well never know, I'll leave it at that.. I'm exhausted with hypotheticals when it comes to basketball. It could've been a good skilled, well coached series, I'll tell you that.
That's an interesting idea/question. Like you said, we can't know because it didn't happen, but I think if we crunch some numbers we can at least get an idea of how things would have gone (assuming no injuries of course).
I know PER (Player Efficiency Rating) isn't everything, but if you take a look at the Season to Season PER movement of all the 4 starters (I'll talk about Jordan after) and 2 most minutes off the bench it looks like this:
Scottie Pippen went from 20.4 -> 16.8 (33 years old in 99)
Dennis Rodman went from 16.8 -> 11.2 (37 years old in 99)
Luc Longley went from 13.5 = 13.5 (30 Years old in 99)
Toni Kukoc went from 17.3 -> 18.6 (30 years old in 99)
Ron Harper went from 14.7 = 14.7 (35 years old in 99)
Steve Kerr went from 12.9 -> 9.9 (33 years old in 99) * was actually on the Spurs team in 99
Jordan was undoubtedly waning as the years went on:
In 96-98 his PER was as follows: 29.7 -> 27.8 -> 25.2
He would have also been 35-36 years old in 99.
So I mean, to put it plainly they were all just getting very old (read: noticeably past their primes). I still think that with some trades here and there they could have pulled off the win though. And who knows if they could have put in one last gusto and just summoned it up one last time. Unlikely, but possible. Realistically, I think they would have needed to get rid of Rodman for someone 'like' Charles Barkely (who went from 21.6 PER to 23.1 from 98 to 99 and fills the same high rebound roll).
The Spurs team in 99 (without Kerr, because he would have stayed on the Bulls in our hypothetical) were as follows:
Tim Duncan's PER = 23.2 (22 years old)
Avery Johnson PER = 14.0 (33 years old)
David Robinson PER = 24.9 (33 years old)
Sean Elliott PER = 12.6 (30 years old)
Mario Ellie PER = 14.5 (30 years old)
Jaren Jackson PER = 12.5 (31 years old and yes, the father of Jaren Jackson Jr.)
Jerome Kersey PER = 7.4 (36 yeras old)
The 99 Bulls had an 84.7 average season accumulated PER without Jordan, so assuming Jordan would have stayed around 25 PER like he was in 98, that would boost them to 109.7 accumulated PER going all 5 starters + 2 deep. Whereas, the 99 Spurs had a 109.1 average season accumulated PER with their 5 starters + 2 deep (2 deep being the 2 bench players with the most minutes). Which does give some idea of how strong the Bulls actually were in their prime considering they had PER's like this as they were falling out of their primes.
So I mean, after just looking at the numbers (and yes I know, the numbers aren't always everything, but they do give us a good idea of how things tend to pan out) I would have to say that I think the Bulls would have been able to pull off the win in a close 7 games. However, if they would have traded out Rodman for someone, as in any player with a PER over 12 and had high rebounding with decent defense, it probably would have been in 6. Or heaven forbid if Barkley, or Sabonis, or Hakeem had tried to go along for the ride. To put things in perspective on how special Dennis Rodman was though, in 1998 He led the league in Rebounds and was #3 in Defensive Win Shares.
Really cool video, thanks for sharing.
Good story,thanks.
In short context = YES. The Chicago Bulls could very likley have won a 4th straight championship of the Bulls core was intact and healthy. Reasons to why:
1. The Bulls was THE juggernaut of the NBA. They had all pieces of playmakers needed and they still had the hunger to win and on top.
2. It was a shortened season with only 50 games = a lot of more time to recover there bodies and prepeare for taking off where they left. That lock-out would have been a blessing
the aging Bulls more then for any other team in the league.
3. Michael Jordan. As long as he is hungry and oand on fire - so is the team around him.
But there are some strikes to look at as possible No as well;
1. The Bulls advancing age and worn bodies could been to worn down and lasted to Eastern Finals, but ended there.
But since the aging Knicks made it, I believe the Bulls could dod it again still.
2. If the shortened season had been a to much lay-off time with poor training and preperations, Bulls could have been ended up as a tired tiger reacting to late.
3. Dennis Rodman. There is no doubts that Rodman was an elite rebounder and the champ for many years. But if he could not be on the needed level for 1 more season,
the Bulls would be in dire need of a good rebounder, and there would be little chanses of getting back there old teammate Horace Grant to take back his former role and
aquiring another top level PF could be difficult.