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Bulls in 4
NBA Fantasy Finals: 1998 Bulls vs. 2007 Spurs
By Austin Burton
Yesterday we posted our first NBA Fantasy Finals matchup, pitting the ‘95 Magic (Shaq and Penny) against the ‘08 Lakers (Kobe and Kobe).
In case you missed it the first time, this has nothing to do with the stat-driven “fantasy basketball” you play online. We’re taking NBA Finals teams throughout history and pitting them against each other to see what you think would happen. Assume both lineups are healthy, and the older team gets homecourt. Today it’s MJ vs. TD …
1998 CHICAGO BULLS (62-20)
G - Ron Harper (9.3 ppg)
G - Michael Jordan (28.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg)
F - Scottie Pippen (19.1 ppg, 5.8 apg)
F - Dennis Rodman (4.7 ppg, 15 rpg)
C - Luc Longley (11.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg)
Bench - Toni Kukoc, Steve Kerr, Jason Caffey, Scott Burrell, Randy Brown
Coach - Phil Jackson
2007 SAN ANTONIO SPURS (58-24)
G - Tony Parker (18.6 ppg, 5.5 apg)
G - Manu Ginobili (16.5 ppg)
F - Bruce Bowen (6.2 ppg)
F - Tim Duncan (20 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 2.4 bpg)
C - Fabricio Oberto (4.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg)
Bench - Robert Horry, Michael Finley, Brent Barry, Franciso Elson, Jacque Vaughn
Coach - Gregg Popovich
Who would win a best-of-seven series?
Bulls in 4
Bulls in 7
Anyone think the '05 Spurs would have had any chance?
They'd have no answer for Tim Duncan.
Bulls would win I think in 6. If a younger Timmy was available, like 03 Timmy then I like the Spurs chances.
05 Timmy had PF problems. If you could pick and choose the current Spurs roster, except from different seasons then I like the Spurs chances
PG: 08-09 Tony
SG 04-05 Manu (07-08 Manu had best statistical season)
SF: 02-03 Bowen
PF: 02-03 Tim Duncan
C: 04-05 Oberto
02-03 Robinson>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> any Oberto.
Well obviously, but I was choosing from the current Spurs roster.
So then why the 02-03 Bowen and Duncan and the 04-05 Oberto and Manu?
Just for the record, in '05 Duncan had the sprained ankles issue. In '05-'06 he had PF.
I guess I should be more clearer.
From the Spurs 06-07 championship roster I am picking the players that were on that roster but from different seasons that I think were their best.
04-05 Manu was a beast and Oberto is the most decent thing we have as a center in the 05-06 season. The C spot is debatable. I dont' really know about that.
02-03 Timmy his MVP season you could aruge his prior season as well, but any Tim before the 03-04 season is a beast.
02-03 Bowen was young and much more potent defensivley.
The 99 Spurs would have a decent shot at the 98 Bulls. No way in for the 07 team though.
Jordan could lock up Parker, Pippen could lock up Gino, Harper on Bruce, then Rodman/Longley on Tim.
Ahh.I guess I should be more clearer.
From the Spurs 06-07 championship roster I am picking the players that were on that roster but from different seasons that I think were their best.
04-05 Manu was a beast and Oberto is the most decent thing we have as a center in the 05-06 season. The C spot is debatable. I dont' really know about that.
02-03 Timmy his MVP season you could aruge his prior season as well, but any Tim before the 03-04 season is a beast.
02-03 Bowen was young and much more potent defensivley.
I would still pick 06-07 DRob over Oberto.
bulls in 4
The last two I could see. 07 Parker and Manu were much quicker than MJ and Pip. Manu would have kicked Pippen's ass. MJ, well...he's still MJ but he would have had to work to keep up with TP.
Harper was still a good defender as well, you could have switched him onto TP or Manu.
'05 Spurs would beat the '98 Bulls in 7...and I was a HUGE Jordan fan.
Against the hungry '96 Bulls the '07 Spurs would've had no chance, but by '98 the Bulls were playing on fumes. Pippen was battling back and knee injuries and could barely move out there, Rodman was just about shot and was becoming too much of a sideshow (unlike '96 when he was maybe the MVP of the Finals against Seattle), and all their bigmen were losing their effectiveness. That team barely beat Utah in the Finals and the Jazz weren't that good.
I don't think the '98 Pippen could keep up with the '07 Manu let alone the '07 Tony. The Bulls didn't have anyone who could guard Tony and I'm not sure there was a player like Parker around in '98. A young Iverson maybe. He would've given them fits.
Duncan would've been a big problem for them as well. He was too quick and athletic for Longley or Wennington, and too strong and smart for Rodman. Dennis was a smart defender, but nobody's more intelligent in the post than Duncan. He would've gotten Rodman into foul trouble easily or just scored on short bankers.
Jordan would've been tough to go up against and Bruce would've had his hands full with him, but he'd do as good a job as anyone could.
The only question I have really is who would guard Manu in the series. I'm guessing he and Pip would take turns but as long as Manu gets that bigman screen at the top of the key that he always gets, the first defender doesn't really matter all that much.
Ultimately I think the series would come down to three factors
1. How are the games refereed? Would the Spurs get a fair whistle or would David Stern's darlings get every call? How much punishment would they get away with on Duncan? Will they let Bruce play at all against MJ?
2. Even though it's a hypothetical matchup, it's still the Bulls and it's still Michael Jordan. Would our team be intimidated? Ginobili and Parker grew up with this guy's poster on their walls. Could they get over that and play their games?
3. Can Finley, Barry, Horry and Bruce hit their open shots? Jackson would put the game in the hands of our perimeter shooters. He'd clog the lane, double aggressively on Duncan, take away Parker and Manu's penetrations and make them kick out. Our role guys would have to hit a lot of open threes. If they make a decent percentage of them, I think we'd win.
So, taking all that into account, I'll say Bulls in 7, only because of the stupid 2-3-2 finals format. Bulls wouldn't lose a must win games at home. If the format was 2-2-1-1-1 like it is in the other rounds, I'd say Spurs in 6.
No, I think the 99 team would have a great series against any Bulls team
I'd bet on the '99 team to beat the last Bulls le team, and probably the 2nd last le team..
the prime Bulls team would kill us, just from matchups alone..Pippen's length on Parker, and Jordan would take Manu out..
Bulls would be favored. Now if you had a Spurs team with TD and DR in their prime surrounded by Parker, Manu and Bruce/Sean, that would be something else.
spurs in 5-6 games easy
no one in teh league today can stop parker, what makes you think harper can stop parker?
gino + bowen will share the defensive duties on jordan...
pippen him his not know to be a high volume scorer to win games....
lock down defense on the rest...
duncan is too much for them to handle....
Jordan > Manu by way more than Tim > Rodman. Harper / Jordan / Pippen is probably the greatest defensive PG/SG/SF combination to ever play the game. If you condition on Pippen badly injuring his back in game 6 then they might have a shot, but otherwise no way. The 99 team would have a great shot against the 98 and the 93 Bulls though; no chance against their other 4 Bulls le teams.
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