Scottie Pippen Says 1995-96 Bulls Would Have Swept Warriors in 7-Game Series

In case you haven't paid attention to the NBA at all this year, the Golden State Warriors are on the verge of breaking the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls' single-season record of 72-10.

Through 76 games, Golden State is 68-8 and has to win five of its last six to break Chicago's mark. During the Warriors' quest for history, many have compared the teams and debated which one would win a seven-game series.

On Saturday, Bulls legend Scottie Pippen, who was a part of that 1995-96 squad, shed some light on who he thinks would come out on top when he spoke with Paul Pabst of The Dan Patrick Show (via producer Seton O'Connor), saying "Bulls in four":

Pippen and the legendary Michael Jordan would have been tasked with trying to shut down the Splash Brothers, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, a duo that is revolutionizing the game with its three-point shooting.

When Pabst asked him, Pippen disclosed who he thought would guard the two Golden State shooters

Pippen saying the Bulls would take four straight from a Warriors team that is on the verge of setting the new standard of single-season excellence could be viewed as disrespectful. 

Here's a look at how the teams match up on paper:

1995-96 Chicago Bulls vs. 2015-16 Golden State Warriors

Bulls	Stat	Warriors
72-10	Record	68-8
105.2	Points Per Game	115.0
92.9	Points Allowed Per Game	104.1
47.8	Field Goal Percentage	48.6
40.3	3-Point Field Goal Percentage	41.6
44.8	Opponents FG %	43.5
35.0	Opponents 3 Pt. FG %	33.1
1,405	Turnovers Forced	1,110

Golden State's high-powered offense would have to compete with Chicago's stingy defense, which was the best in the league in 1995-96. In comparison, the Warriors defense ranks fifth in the NBA this season.

But with Golden State's offense, giving up more than 104 points per 100 possessions is OK. It would be a different story if it played a team with several Hall of Famers, though, such as the Bulls featured. However, Pippen and Co. would probably not sweep this Warriors team.

Then again, we'll never know. Let the debate continue.

My Thoughts 

I predict that if the 2015-16 Warriors played the 95-96 bulls in a 7 game series the bulls would beat them in 4 games straight with the series of 4-0 in the finals. No one on the Golden State Warriors could stop Jordan or Pippen from scoring 30 points per game or out rebound Dennis Rodman. and the only way to shut the Warriors down is to prevent Curry from heating up and locking down the 3 point line. If the bulls do that their offence would not be able to withstand the Bulls physical defense in the paint. Jordan and Pippen would be at the top perimeter defending and that is how the bulls would beat the Warriors.