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Why the Golden State Warriors would still beat the 95-96 Bulls

By Carlos Murillo

May 30, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30, right) celebrates with forward Draymond Green (23) during the fourth quarter in game seven of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Thunder 96-88. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
May 30, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30, right) celebrates with forward Draymond Green (23) during the fourth quarter in game seven of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Thunder 96-88. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 30, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30, right) celebrates with forward Draymond Green (23) during the fourth quarter in game seven of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Thunder 96-88. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

The Golden State Warriors may have lost the Finals after winning 73 games, but they would still beat the consensus “greatest team of all-time.”

As the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors embarked on their quest for history, the title of “greatest team of all-time” hung in the balance. With every win, the conversation shifted from “last year was a fluke” to “could they beat the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls?” It grew from small chatter to a full blown debate, one that nearly everyone participated in.

The Warriors broke the Bulls’ seemingly unbeatable mark of 72 regular season wins, by beating the Memphis Grizzlies at Oracle Arena on the last day of the year for their 73rd victory. It was historic and a big step in snatching away that “best ever” title from Michael Jordan’s Bulls. They just needed to win the championship–a feat that seemed like a formality at that point.

But basketball is a cruel game and anything can happen. Stephen Curry went down with different injuries throughout the postseason. Andre Iguodala and Andrew Bogut got hurt in the Finals. Draymond Green got himself suspended. Harrison Barnes forgot he’s an NBA player.

LeBron James had the best Finals series in NBA history and Kyrie Irving played the best three game stretch of his career. The Warriors built a 3-1 lead then suffered their first three game losing streak in two years. It was the first time anyone has ever dropped such a lead in the Finals.

As soon as the buzzer went off and the Cleveland Cavaliers stormed the court, the Warriors’ 73 wins meant nothing to the large majority. The title of “greatest team” remained in the rafters in Chicago. Golden State’s hard work was erased by a superhuman James block and incredible Irving three-pointer.

But the fact that a hobbled Warriors team was outscored by 4 points in the NBA Finals to a legendary LeBron James performance doesn’t change what the team was at its best. Saying Golden State cannot claim to be the greatest team of all-time is fair; they weren’t the last team standing. They didn’t hoist the Larry O’Brien at the end of the season.

But in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup, the Golden State Warriors would still have beaten those Chicago Bulls. To make this take even hotter, we’re putting the ’15-16 Warriors in our time machine and taking them back to the Bulls’ era. Here’s why they would still win.

Next: Pace and versatility

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