spurs_fan_in_exile
07-11-2005, 03:06 PM
I'm sure this thread has had many incarnations, but it crossed my mind. The talk on the "Will Tim catch Jordan?" thread got me thinking back to the '99 season. I will always remember with anger listening to Bob "MJ's Bitch" Costas blithering on about how this years finals lost a little bit of luster not just because of the lock-out, but because there was no Jordan's Bulls this year. My San Antonio pride was hurt, and I quickly yelled back at the screen that the 99 Spurs could have beaten those Bulls. And as time wore on I actually thought about it and it seems like a good possibility.
With each passing year the Bulls were looking less and less invincible IMO and the Spurs of that year were absolutely rolling when they hit the playoffs. The Bulls, and really the entire league, had never seen anything like the Twin Towers. The worst MJ had to deal with when he got to the paint during his run in the finals was the imposing combo of Malone and Ostertag. Likewise, the Bulls had never faced a PF/C tandem that could offensively do what the Spurs could do. Don't get me wrong, any team with MJ on it would be as tough as any out there but I think the Spurs could have done it. What say you?
P.S.-Since the matchup is essentially the '98 Bulls vs. '99 Spurs we'll assume that Steve Kerr stayed with the Bulls, and the Spurs found some kind of worthwhile backup PG. IIRC Kerr wasn't much of a factor for the Spurs most of that year anyway.
With each passing year the Bulls were looking less and less invincible IMO and the Spurs of that year were absolutely rolling when they hit the playoffs. The Bulls, and really the entire league, had never seen anything like the Twin Towers. The worst MJ had to deal with when he got to the paint during his run in the finals was the imposing combo of Malone and Ostertag. Likewise, the Bulls had never faced a PF/C tandem that could offensively do what the Spurs could do. Don't get me wrong, any team with MJ on it would be as tough as any out there but I think the Spurs could have done it. What say you?
P.S.-Since the matchup is essentially the '98 Bulls vs. '99 Spurs we'll assume that Steve Kerr stayed with the Bulls, and the Spurs found some kind of worthwhile backup PG. IIRC Kerr wasn't much of a factor for the Spurs most of that year anyway.