Sorry, Draymond Green. Yeah, you sure will have the upper hand if you will play using today’s rules and style.
Here’s Green via his Instagram account on July 25, 2022: “Ï’m watching the ’98 Bulls vs Utah in the Finals… I can’t help but notice our 2017 team would’ve beaten these Bulls buy a dub and these Jazz by 40 if they’re going to play these brands of basketball. That’s why it’s dumb to compare Era’s”
Since Green brought to light this fantasy match-up and a predicted result if today’s rules are used, I imagined the opposite side.
If 1998 NBA rules are used, Green’s team is gonna get killed.
Green better be prepared to see a bunch of “triple-singles” cause he has to score against and defend a 7-footer and a defensive rebounding demon under the triangle offense.
Let’s roll out the tale of the tape, shall we?
2017 Warriors
Starters: Stephen Curry (6’2”, point guard); Klay Thompson (6’6”, shooting guard); Andre Iguodala (6’6”, small forward), Kevin Durant (6’10”, power forward), and Draymond Green (6’6” Center). Reserves: Zaza Pachulia (6’11” Center/forward), Matt Barnes (6’7” small forward/shooting guard), Shaun Livingston (6’7” combo guard); Patrick McCaw (6’7” small forward/shooting guard); and David West (6’9” center/power forward)
1998 Bulls
Starters: Ron Harper (6’6”, point guard); Michael Jordan (6’6”, shooting guard); Scottie Pippen (6’6”, small forward); Dennis Rodman (6’7”, power forward); Luc Longley (7’2”, center). Reserves: Toni Kukoc (6’10”, combo forward); Steve Kerr (6’3”, point guard); Scott Burrell (6’7”, small forward); Randy Brown (6’2”, point guard), Jason Caffey (6’8”, power forward)
Key rules
1. The illegal defense is in effect – A player is prohibited to play in between his man and the ball beyond 3 seconds. He has to either fully commit to a double team or stick to his man.
If the Bulls dumped the ball to Jordan and isolates him, the Warriors has to decide whether to double leaving a man open or let him go one-on-one. The second infraction of this rule results to a technical free-throw plus ball possession.
2. The hand check is allowed – A defender can place or hold an opponent’s hand but must not impede his movements in speed, rhythm, and balance.
Placing a small part of the arm against the body of an offensive player will make it difficult for him to move or score.
This gives the bigger Ron Harper another weapon to cool a hot-shooting Curry.
3. The illegal offense is in effect – A prohibition of parking three men on the top of the key, clearing a two-man game nearer to the basket. Longley, Rodman, and Pippen could not stay in three-point area to allow Jordan or Harper to go one-on-one against Thompson or Curry near the basket.
In reverse, this also disallows Curry, Thompson and Durant to all stay in three-point range on top of the key. Some of them has go nearer the basket or at the corners.
These set of rules heavily favor teams with giants, players who excel in creating their own shots, use of isolation offense, and one-on-one defensive alignment.
This forces the outside-shooting Warriors to mix attacks near the basket. They cannot just jack up three’s like they do today.
The match-up: 1998 Bulls vs 2017 Warriors
Let’s see the positional match-up and why the Bulls should bag this series.
1. Longley will dominate Green in the paint. He will have unmolested easy baskets due to his 8-inch height advantage. Remember, the Bulls are using the triangle offense which allows scoring options from multiple positions.
2. If the Warriors go with Pachulia, they not only lose valuable outside shot from the position, the Bulls also have the perfect antidote. Pippen, Kukoc, and Rodman match very well against Durant, Iguodala and Green/Pachulia. All three Bulls do not need help in containing their counterparts on a one-on-one basis. Warriors will not be scoring at will against these nasty, long defenders. It will be safe to say they will even out when both ends of the floor are taken in consideration.
3. The Jordan-Harper tandem obliterates the Curry-Thompson tandem in both sides of the floor due to size and athleticism advantage. Both should have a heyday producing points from the paint on isolation plays.
Predicted result
The Warriors’ lack of inside presence and rim protection spell their doom. Bulls win 4-0, all by routs.
Jordan averages 35+ a game while Harper nets 15+ a game, mostly coming from the paint. Both men cause Curry and Thompson to be in serious foul trouble, forcing the Warriors to give almost half of the playing time to Livingston and Barnes, losing a lot of scoring option in the process.
Longley will likely add about 10+ more a game.
With the three-point shooters riding the bench most of the time and Durant shackled by Pippen or Rodman, the Warriors’ will have trouble finding another source of scoring.
There will be lesser fastbreaks and the games will be slow and methodical. They will be low scoring as usual in the 90’s with the Bulls easily reaching 100 while limiting the Warriors to about 80+.
20-point margins are big routs during those times.
By Armando M. Bolislis
