Chicago Bulls: How Does This Roster Stack Up Against Best Bulls Teams?
The Chicago Bulls have passed the 30-win mark before the All-Star break for the first time since the Jordan era, which has people wondering, "How does this roster stack up against Bulls teams ever?
For the purpose of this top ten list I took into account both winning percentages and how far the team went into ย the postseason. I also am reviewing the top "rosters" not the top seasons. Mostly this is to avoid having the list dominated by the Jordan championship teams.
The Jordan teams were broken up into the two basic roster structures which won. The same rule was applied throughout, which worked out well as there were basically ten rosters which have made postseason appearances. In some cases there is some overlap, but in each case there were some significant differences to the roster. The best season from each basic roster structure was chosen as representative.
Honorable Mention:1967-1969—The Beginning
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Coach: Redd Kerr
Best Year:1966-67, 33-48, Western Division Semifinalsย
Key Players: Bob Boozer, Jerry Sloan, Guy Rodgers
I can't put a team with a record that is 15 games below .500 on a "top 10" list but ย they were a team that made the playoffs their first two years of existence.ย
Of course only two teams in the NBA failed to make the playoffs those years, but we'll pretend that doesn't matter.ย
Jerry Sloan was the team's first All-Star, in 1967. He was also the first player the franchise ever signed, selecting him number one in the expansion draft. He then went on to become the first Bull to have his Jersey retired.ย
Bob Boozer, pictured above, was no relation to the present Bull, Carlos Boozer. He was however, one of the stars of the early team, and made the All-Star game in 1968.ย
10: 2008-10—The Del Negro Years (and The Series)
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Coach: Vinny Del Negro
Best Year: 2008-09, 41-41, Eastern Conference First Round
Best Players: Ben Gordon, Kirk Hinrich, Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Luol Deng
This team wasn't a threat to win it all, but they gave us the most exciting first round playoff series in the history of the NBA. The series featured seven overtimes in seven games with only one blowout. Virtually every game swung back and forth and featured buzzer beaters, hard fouls and inordinate intensity. It gave Bulls fans hopes for a 2010 team that threatened. Instead, the Bulls finished with the exact same record.ย
The team kept its core young stars in Rose, Noah, Deng and 2009 draft pick Taj Gibson, but gutted the rest in a failed attempt to land free agent LeBron James. It also waved goodbye to Coach Del Negro.
9: 1976-1977—Ed Badger's Bicentennial Bulls
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Coach:ย Ed Badger
Best Year:ย 1976-1977, 44-38, Western Conference First round
Best Players: Norm Van Lier, Artis Gilmore, Mickey Johnson, Tom Boerwinkle
The team started off 2-14 but pulled it together, winning 42 of their last 66 to earn a postseason birth. There they lost two of three to the Portland Trail Blazers, the eventual NBA champions. Mickey Johnson scored an impressive 27.3 points per game during the playoff series.ย
8: 1980-81—Sloan's Lone Bone
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Coach: Jerry Sloan
Best Year: 1980-81, 45-37, Eastern Conference Semifinalsย
Best Players: Reggie Theus, Artis Gilmore
Reggie Theus and Artis Gilmore both made the All-Star game for the team that interrupted the longest stretch of futility for the Bulls before the post-Jordan era. The Bulls knocked out the Knicks in two games before getting swept by the Celitcs themselves in the next round.ย
Jerry Sloan was replaced as the coach midway through the following season. He has since gone on to achieve a high level of consistent success with the Utah Jazz.ย
7: 2006-07—The Baby Bulls
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Coach: Scott Skiles
Best Year: 2006-07, 49-33, Eastern Conference Semifinals
Best Players: Ben Gordon, Kirk Hinrich, Luol Deng, Andres Nocioni
When the Baby Bulls started off 3-9 it wasn't looking great for their expectations for the year. Mastering Scott Skiles defense though, they turned things around and went on to feature the best defensive rating in the team, and won 46 of their last 73 to recover.ย
The Bulls swept the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs before going on to lose 4-2 to the Pistons in the semifinals.ย
Much hope for the future was pinned on the young 21 year old Sudanese-Britishย wingman, Luol Deng. Perhaps it was too much. Between the pressure to lead and an injury history, he failed to become the next superstar that the Bulls were hoping he would be. He's found a niche of late though dependable defensive player and third scoring option.ย
6: 1987-88—Michael Jordan's Early Years
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Coach: Todd Collins
Best Year: 1987-88, 50-32, Eastern Conference Semifinals
Best Players: Michael Jordan, Charles Oakley
In many ways this was like the LeBron teams of the last couple of years in Cleveland. One spectacular player carrying an otherwise outmatched roster almost single-handedly through the regular season only to reach the postseason to get beaten by a better team.ย
Jordan received his first of six MVP awards this year, scoring 35 points per game. He also posted a PER of 31.7 that season, the highest single season PER by anyone other than the Wilt Chamberlain, and the the third highest in NBA history.ย
5: 1994— Pippen's Piece Of Pie
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Coach: Phil Jackson
Best Year: 1993-94, 55-27, Eastern Conference Semifinals
Best Players: Scottie Pippen, Toni Kukoc
After Jordan's first retirement there were a lot of people who predicted that the Bulls would fall apart. Scottie Pippen had other ideas. He responded with the best year of his career, averaging career highs in points per game, (22) and rebounds per game, (8.7) while still dishing out 5.2 assists.ย
The Bulls went to the Eastern Conference finals which featured a highlight dunk for the ages that ended with Pippen stranding victoriously over Patrick Ewing like aย conqueredย foe. It also featured a play where Toni Kukoc made a game-winning buzzer-beating shot much to the chagrin of Pippen who felt the play should have been drawn up for him. Pippen sat out the play in protest. The Knicks would go on to win the series.
4: 2011-?—The Blossoming Rose
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Coach: Tom Thibodeau
Best Year: 56-26 (Projected), Eastern Conference Semifinals (or ย more?)
Best Players: ย Derrick Rose, Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah, Luol Deng
Easily the best teams since Jordan retired, the 2009 rookie of the year has launched himself into the very real possibility of becoming the league's MVP. In spite of playing without key players for much of the season the Bulls are on pace to win the most games since they last won a championship to culminate the Jordan years. While it remains to be seen how good they can be once the starting five is together, this is a conservative placement based on where they are right now.ย
If they make it to the Conference Finals or beyond, or win 60 games then it's placement would be one higher. For now though, we'll place them right here, where the reasonable expectations are.ย
3: 1969-76—The Gotta Love The Motta Years
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Coach: Dick Motta
Best Year: 1973-74, 54-28, Western Conference Finals
Best Players: Bob Love, Chet ย Walker, Jerry Sloan, Tom Boerwinkle
When the Bulls hired a little known, but highly successful coach, Dick Motta, out of Webber State, few could have expected the years of success that would follow. It seems the Bulls have had some success giving rookie Head Coaches their first jobs doesn't it?
Essentially the key components to this roster were the players listed above, and they would stay together. They would make it to the Western Conference Finals twice, in '73 and '74, and set a club record of 57 wins in '72. Before the Jordan years, this was the best roster the Bulls had ever assembled.ย
2: 1990-1993—The Jordan Three-Peat Part One
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Coach: Phil Jackson
Best Year: 1991-92, 67-15, NBA Champions
Best Players: Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant
When Phil Jackson arrived he famously told Michael Jordan he could win scoring titles or championships. Apparently Jordan chose the latter...sort of. He still won the scoring titles, but his scoring did come down a bit as he got his teammates more involved and the team, after one failed attempt, finally got past the Bad Boys of Detroit.ย
It didn't hurt that they got the perfect compliment to Jordan, nearly matching him in pureย athleticism, Scottie Pippen. Of late Pippen's role on the team has been mocked by some, even using it as a derisive chant against LeBron James. People need to realize, Scottie Pippen is one of the 50 greatest players in the history of the game and a Hall of Famer for a reason.ย
1: 1996-98: The Second Three-Peat
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Coach: Phil Jackson
Best Year: 1996-98, 72-10, NBA Champions
Best Players: Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Toni Kukoc, Dennis Rodman
This roster gets the nod for two reasons. First, the 72 win season stands on its own. The single best roster in the history of the NBA sort of means the best roster in the history of the franchise doesn't it?ย
The other reason is that while Rodman and Grant, might be considered a wash, this is a roster that had Kukoc. The 96-98 team was just deeper and more complete than the 91-93 team. Still it would be interesting to see them match up and see if Jordan could guard Jordan.ย
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