Spurs sweep the Bulls. They would have been all amped up for that matchup. Too bad it didn't happen. That would have been a cool transition of power from Jordan to the GOAT.
Then you didn't pay attention. To anything.. The Bulls got past the Pacers by the air on their asses.. Even trailed by 10 in Game 7 with Jordan struggling. They pulled it out with Reggie shying away from the moment. Then Malone playing like in crunch time as usual most of the finals.. Was Pippen going to be Pippen anymore? Nope.. He was mediocre at best from 99 on. Rodman disinterested in Basketball. Jordan is 36 by June of 99.. 99 Spurs has a nice mix of vets, and Duncan unstoppable. That team was special. 15-2 in the playoffs..
Spurs sweep the Bulls. They would have been all amped up for that matchup. Too bad it didn't happen. That would have been a cool transition of power from Jordan to the GOAT.
Destroyed the compe ion? They got pushed to 7 by Indiana and would have likely lost to Utah if Malone didn't let himself get picked by Jordan with like 16 seconds left in Game 6. Utah also got hosed by Bavetta that game on a Howard Eisley three that got waved off even though he shot it with almost a second to spare and. And then Bavetta counted a Ron Harper shot that should have been a shot clock violation. The Bulls were so lucky to escape that game with a win. And no way the 98 Jazz were better than the 99 Spurs, not when having to rely on Karl Malone to close games out.
Also yes, the Bulls would have fallen off very hard because
1. Pippen lost a lot of athleticsm when he had back surgery that summer, going from franchise guy to good starter. He was never the same player again.
2. Rodman looked like he let himself go during the lockout, which you should remember from his disastrous stint in LA.
3. Phil Jackson retired right after they won the 98 le and Krause was determined to hire Tim Floyd.
Tell me how those three things aren't enormous dropoffs. You think Kukoc was going to pick up the slack for all three of those?
To me it is a shame because that 99 Spurs team was one of the best ever IMO.. Largely forgotten.. The legacy of that team is different if they beat the Bulls.. Duncan could have began his legacy with beating Jordan.
The media would have said it's not the same Bulls team. And they would have been right.
Nah you're not going to sweep Jordan & even a lesser Pippen. I'd take the 99 Spurs in 6 over a hypothetical 99 Bulls with the lesser Pippen, washed up Rodman, and Tim Floyd. Maybe 5 if Rodman started being the he was in the 95 WCF when they got down in the series. Though if Pippen walked too, then yeah, sweep considering they would have been capped out and only able to offer $1.75 million MLE to find a Pippen replacement.
What you say about Malone is true. I watched the Jordan Sick Game Last Night.. Now this is the biggest game of the series for the Jazz. They played well the last 2 games tying it up 2-2. And Malone was lost out there.. He does not want the ball in the 4th qtr, and when he got it, he made terrible decisions one after another. At one point he rises up for a Jumper, then changes his mind last second throws the ball away.. He was just scared of the moment. You watch the 97 and 98 finals you see why the Jazz never won it all.. Malone put up the numbers, but Gut Check Time.. He didn't have it..
Maybe. But the series would have been highly rated. And would be great to have on Duncan's legacy..
Spurs went 15-2 that year in the playoffs, and that iteration of the Spurs was one of the nastiest defensive teams ever. Tim/David would be clogging the paint, and while Jordan is a great midrange shooter, I don't see him and another year older Bulls squad taking down Tim entering his prime and David at the end of his. Would have definitely been a more compe ive series versus Chicago rather than NY, but I think SA would prevail in 6
Its based off of what MJ said homie. Did you watch the doc? Phil would be coaching too.
the 98 Bulls team was probably the worst of their six ring teams, and were clearly running on fumes and biased calls.
Not only 15-2 in the playoffs, but they closed the regular season 12-1
Included in that stretch was 3 against Portland and 2 against Utah.
One of the most underrated teams ever. The shortened season, the lack of the Bulls and the team was not built for the long run has led people to forget about them. Spurs in 6, maybe 5.
They reminded me a lot like the '02 Lakers. A team that barely won on some clutch plays and bad calls. When you barely win it's always a sign to me that your time is up.
Spurs for many resons
We took the GOAT Steve Kerr from them
But more seriously :
- Bulls were burned out, Jordan was burned out.... MJ needed help from the refs against the mighty NJ Nets lmao
- Bulls were old and it was a very condensed 50 game calendar, and that's not good for old legs
- Jordan cut his hand with a cigare cutter and had a surgery which required a long recovery
- Pippen was starting to decline.... but I'm not sure he would have accepted a 1 year contract anyway, I don't care what Jordan said in his puff piece do entary
- Rodman wasn't giving a anymore
- Our backcourt wasn't great, but our frontline would have given them more trouble
- Pop wasn't senile yet
Payback against Spurs would be massive motivating factor for Rodman. Spurs biggest edge in the 1999 Finals was on the boards.
You can also say the same for David Robinson since he didn't like Rodman.
Late game in 1998 season
Bulls only 4 games better than SAS
No Sean Elliot or Luc Longley
Bulls have no answer for Robinson
Spurs have no answer for Kukoc or Jordan
Ron Harper dominated Avery Johnson
16 boards for Rodman operating alone in the paint
All those players were different in '99. You can also show videos of the Lakers dominating the Spurs during the '02 playoffs. We all saw a different team a year later when they met for the rematch.
Obvious troll post.
Anyway, the Spurs in 6. The Bulls were wore out physically & mentally by '99. Duncan was young, hungry plus him and big Dave were a interior duo never seen before by Chicago. They would have obliterated the group of Wennington, Longley (if retained) and Rodman.
Last edited by J_Paco; 05-20-2020 at 06:42 PM.
No I didn't watch the do entary. Did Jordan say he was retiring right after winning in 98 and is that why Phil Jackson resigned a week later? No matter what you still weren't getting franchise Pippen anymore after his back surgery. Sad everyone forgets how awesome Pippen was before that surgery because he got embarrassed by young Kobe in the 99 playoffs and was more a high end role player than star after that. Anyone who says a hypothetical 99 Bulls would have been anywhere near as good as the 98 team is completely discounting how great a player Pippen was in his prime.
Payback for trading him to the best possible situation after he pouted and acted like a got in the 95 WCF? Don't ever tell me Rodman badly wanted to win when he was just jacking up threes in the first quarter of a must win Game 2 of the 95 WCF.
For all the reasons that have probably been said, Spurs.
It likely would have been similar to the '04, '14 and '19 Finals, where the spent current or former champion probably gets through a weak conference (or in the case of '04, gets lucky thanks to a shot that should have never counted) only to get beaten soundly in the Finals.
Even though the media would inevitably make excuses for the Bulls (like '95), it would have robbed Jordan/them of some of their mystique and further elevated Duncan/the Spurs.
Not to mention Elliott was the team's only perimeter defender in 98 and he was out for the season by then.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)