I know I busted on all the speculative talk in this forum in the past, but fuck it, let's figure out who would win between these two teams.

In today's NBA, who do you think wins a 7 game series? I say Pistons, 4-3 (5-2 if given home court advantage).

Starting lineups:

Pistons starters:

G – Billups
G – Hamilton
C – B. Wallace
F – R. Wallace
F – Prince

Bench:

G – Arroyo
G - Hunter
C/F – McDyess
F – Evans
F – Delfino


Bulls starters:

G – Harper
G – Jordan
C – Longley
F – Pippen
F – Rodman

Bench:

G – Kerr
G - Randy Brown
F – Kukoc
C - Wennington

Pistons offense, individual matchups:

Billups v. Harper. Edge: Billups. Chauncey will be able to get his shot off often and penetrate with regularity, either taking the shot or kicking it out for the open three.

Hamilton v. Rodman. Edge: Rodman. Worm was one of the game’s best defenders, and he had the wheels to keep up with Rip throughout the entire game. Rodman is the only guy the Bulls can realistically put on Rip, freeing Sheed to have his way with Pippen.

B. Wallace v. Longely. Edge: Longely. This is not the matchup that will make/break the series, for sure. Big Ben’s quickness will be too much for Longely, but he wouldn’t be considered an offensive option.

R. Wallace v. Pippen. Edge: Sheed. Although Pippen’s defensive game was great, there’s no way he could handle Sheed’s post game. Sheed also has the ability to step out and take the jumper. I think Sheed would give the Bulls fits the whole series.

Prince v. Jordan. Edge: Prince, barely. This is today’s NBA, remember, so no hand-checking is allowed. I think Prince’s game can exploit Jordan’s D. I can see Prince running Jordan all over the court and losing him regularly. Jordan will definitely get the better of Prince at times, but overall I think Prince can score on Jordan.

Bulls offense, individual matchups:

Harper v. Billups. Edge: Billups. Since Harper is mainly a distributor of the ball in this offense, I don’t see Chauncey having too much of a problem keeping Harper in check.

Jordan v. Prince. Edge: Jordan. MJ will get his, of course, but Prince will give him more problems than what he’s used to.

Longely v. B. Wallace. Edge: B. Wallace. Big Ben owns Longely underneath.

Pippen v. Hamilton. Edge: Pippen. Pippen’s length is too much for Rip to deal with. The Pistons will have to switch out Hamilton with Prince quite a few times, allowing Jordan to continue to have his way.

Rodman v. R. Wallace. Edge: Sheed. Rodman had no offensive game to speak of, which works to the Pistons advantage. Sheed is free to roam the middle and help out up top.

Bench: advantage: Pistons. Although the Bulls bench is formidable, it’s not as deep or diverse as the Piston’s bench.


Just my thoughts. Discuss.

I like your thought for this and I like your trust in the Pistons, but I just couldn't see the Pistons winning this series. We're talking about the 72 win Bulls here.

I don't ever compare Kobe to Jordan, because that's just silly, but I will in this case. If Kobe can put up 39 on the Pistons, so could Jordan. However, Jordan's game was much more all-around than Kobe's is. He was a better defender, a much better leader, and a better floor general. He could put up that many points and get the other players in his offense involved much more. (Again, I'm sorry for bringing Kobe into the discussion)

I think Ben would be much better than Longly, but I think you're underestimating how good Harper and Longly were in Phil's system. That team came together like nothing else.

I don't think it would be a blowout by any means, but I think the Bulls would win the series 4-2.

LMFAO!

Rodman on Hamilton and Prince having the edge on Jordan on the offensive end. Classic.

Why wouldn't the Bulls put Harper on Rip (letting Rip get his), Jordan on Billups (taking away Billup's size advantage and drive in general), Pippen on Tay (Tay = owned) and Rodman on Sheed?

Thats how I'd match them up if I were Big Chief Triangle.

[See Diddy understands.]

LMFAO!

Rodman on Hamilton and Prince having the edge on Jordan on the offensive end. Classic.

I was just putting something up there for discussion's sake, fucker!!@#

In retrospect, Harper on Rip would make more sense.

i still say 4-3 stones

I like your thought for this and I like your trust in the Pistons, but I just couldn't see the Pistons winning this series. We're talking about the 72 win Bulls here.

I don't ever compare Kobe to Jordan, because that's just silly, but I will in this case. If Kobe can put up 39 on the Pistons, so could Jordan. However, Jordan's game was much more all-around than Kobe's is. He was a better defender, a much better leader, and a better floor general. He could put up that many points and get the other players in his offense involved much more. (Again, I'm sorry for bringing Kobe into the discussion)

I think Ben would be much better than Longly, but I think you're underestimating how good Harper and Longly were in Phil's system. That team came together like nothing else.

I don't think it would be a blowout by any means, but I think the Bulls would win the series 4-2.

I think we wouldn't see the same dominant Bulls team that we did in '96. Greg Anthony made a good point last night - hand checking is no longer allowed in today's NBA, which forces defenders to more rely on athleticism and footwork, which gives the Pistons the edge.

Thought it was interesting.

LMFAO!

Rodman on Hamilton and Prince having the edge on Jordan on the offensive end. Classic.

I stopped reading after that too. Rodman was a PF. Pippen and MJ were considered pretty good defenders, so one of them (probably Pippen) would chase RIP for sure.

I would love to see that series. Could you imagine Rodman and Sheed going at it? Longley is too slow to guard Sheed, so it would be those two battling in the post. I have a hard time believing they'd both last a game.

Bill Wennington > Darko

even today

Only chance I think the Pistons would have is with Rodman on Rasheed, because he'd piss off Rasheed to no end and a pissed off Rasheed is a dominant Rasheed.

Or an ejected one.

Only chance I think the Pistons would have is with Rodman on Rasheed, because he'd piss off Rasheed to no end and a pissed off Rasheed is a dominant Rasheed.

^That and Billups. He would have to be very aggressive taking the ball to the hole and draw fouls. The Bulls didn't have any shot blocking big men, so you'd have to attack them off the dribble.

Prince would get killed by Jordan though, and Pippen could post up RIP too. We'd be in trouble on the wings for sure, so we'd have to really milk our advantages (Sheed and Billups) to compensate.

Even though the pistons are the class of the league right now I would take the 96 Bulls over Detroit in a series in today's NBA or yesterday's. The rule differences would be a wash just like they were for the pistons once they got used to them last year. The sideshow matchups of sheed v pippen and ben v rodman would be compelling but not decisive.

Jordan could turn gatorade to wine and walk on water. In the final analysis he'd be the only matchup that mattered and at the peak of his championship form the man could simply not be denied. Like the pistons, the bulls defense was more than capable of generating a stop when they needed one and in crunch time Jordan takes the mr. big shot title away from Chauncey and slaps him with it.

MJ > Chuck Norris > Pistons.

Pippen and MJ were considered pretty good defenders

They were GREAT defenders, both were on All NBA Defensive first team numerous times. I gotta believe Pippen woulda been on Rip...

Pistons in 7.

Oh man would I just fucking love to see a series between these 2 teams. 2 superheavyweights going at it.

While I see our Wings having trouble keeping up, I do think Big Ben and Rasheed in the paint would ease a little bit of that trouble.

Gentlemen, we haven't even won the Championship this year, let alone last year. Let's talk about this in June.

Gentlemen, we haven't even won the Championship this year, let alone last year. Let's talk about this in June.

Hey, worked for USC when ESPN pitted this year's team against all the other best college teams ever.....





oh wait

Gentlemen, we haven't even won the Championship this year, let alone last year. Let's talk about this in June.

That's a tired old bit. People have been saying that since pre-season... don't talk about this, it's too early to talk about that... hell, don't talk about anything except how worried we are that everything will go horribly wrong... until june.

Thanks, but no thanks. I think I can manage this discussion without letting it affect my play on the court or my focus in practice or taking my opponents lightly. Oh, wait, that's right, we're not players... you almost made me forget.

Let's not get too far. That team back then was unbelievable, and they played unreal basketball for 48 minutes (unlike these Pistons).

And Jordan would burn anyone we put on him, sorry.

The different hand checking rules would have turned Jordan into Wilt.

If Kobe can go for 40 on the regular Jordan (from back then) would get 50.

There is no doubt in my mind we could give them some trouble, but winning a 7 game series?

Those Bulls swept stormed through the playoffs and it took Shawn Kemp being on some other worldly drugs (and injuries) to make the Finals interesting.

We went 7 games against Miami with Shaq and Wade and a bunch of scrubs.

Those Bulls swept Orlando with Shaq and Penny and a bunch of scrubs.

Gentlemen, we haven't even won the Championship this year, let alone last year. Let's talk about this in June.

That's a tired old bit. People have been saying that since pre-season... don't talk about this, it's too early to talk about that... hell, don't talk about anything except how worried we are that everything will go horribly wrong... until june.

Thanks, but no thanks. I think I can manage this discussion without letting it affect my play on the court or my focus in practice or taking my opponents lightly. Oh, wait, that's right, we're not players... you almost made me forget.

OR instead of being an asshole and thinking that I'm playing the jinx card, you could say that I don't even think the Pistons should be held as one of the elite teams until they actually WIN the championship.

This has nothing to do with "jinxing" the Pistons into losing. It has everything to do with the fact that they aren't accomplished enough be in talks with the greatest team ever.

I don't even think the Pistons should be held as one of the elite teams until they actually WIN the championship.


Great point. After all, this team hasn't proven it can win anything. If this current group had won a title or at least been to the finals a couple times, they might get the benefit of the doubt.

And you make a great point as well. This team not only rattled off 6 out of 8 championships, they also only lost 3 games in the entire 1996 playoffs.

Are the Pistons capable of doing that? Sure. But guess what? It's January. Last I checked the playoffs don't start until May. And I think the playoffs usually determine the NBA Champion, not a record of 37-5 at this mid-way point through the season.


I mean, while we're at it, we could also compare this years Duke team to the UCLA team from the 60s and 70s. Duke could win it this year!

But guess what? It's January. Last I checked the playoffs don't start until May.

...and you're back to the same old tired bit you started with. Guess what, everyone knows what month it is and when the playoffs start. That's not news... but there's always one designated chicken little in every thread with his "it's too early, don't talk about that... or anything else until june" routine.

And again you missed the point. This isn't about thinking that the Pistons can't win it, especially if we...gulp... talk about it. We can't even begin to compare a team that: was the best team two years ago, was the second best team last year, and could be the best team this year, to a team that went 72-10, 15-3 in the playoffs, and won 3 championships in a row.

If the Pistons do win it this year, which I firmly believe they will, then winning it two out of three years and, depending if they continue with their incredible record, we might be able to mention them in the same breath as the Chicago Bulls.