What would be the outcome of a game between the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls and todays Golden State Warriors? Average simulations come up with the score of 104-105 in the Bulls’ favor but what would really happen? Would Stephen Curry and his Warriors be able to take on Michael Jordan and the Bulls, or would the Bulls be able to defend their spot as the best team of all time?

First off, let’s look at the position matchups… I’ll begin with the point guards, you have Stephen Curry, the 3 point phenomenon of the Warriors, versus Ron Harper of the Bulls. Stephen Curry gives his Warriors the advantage in this matchup; he would be constantly moving and giving Harper a hard time keeping up with him. Curry could easily get some screens from his big men and then get the small amount of room he needs to hit jump shot after jump shot. Harper would be able to take advantage of Curry down low in the post, but Curry would eventually take over the game with his three pointers.

Now to the shooting guard position; Klay Thompson of the Warriors, versus the legend Michael Jordan from the Bulls. Klay Thompson has been one of the best defenders at the shooting guard position for the last couple of years but defending the best player of all time is a totally different story. Jordan would go to work on Thompson, taking advantage of his strength and ability to play lockdown defense. Thompson would be able to score on him quite easily in the first part of the game, (as Jordan primarily focused on getting his offensive rhythm going early in the game) but as the game progressed, and Jordan got his offense flowing, he would be able to play a lot more, lock down, aggressive defense against Klay.

Next up are the small forwards, Scottie Pippen of the Bulls, and Harrison Barnes of the Warriors. Scottie Pippen and Harrison Barnes are very much alike. Harrison Barnes could be just as good as Pippen was but he just hasn’t reached his full potential yet. As of right now, Pippen would definitely come out on top in this matchup. He has great offense, defense, and rebounding. He was just an all-around great player that played an important role on the Bulls’ team. Although he was a great defender, he might be forced sometimes to go and guard either Curry or Thompson, leaving either Jordan or Harper on Harrison Barnes; if it ends up to be Harper on Barnes, he could have a huge impact on the game, taking advantage of the defensive switch.

Now to the power forwards, Draymond Green of the Warriors and Dennis Rodman of the Bulls. This would probably be the most exciting matchup of the game. We’re talking two of the most emotional athletes ever to play in the NBA. While Draymond Green is one of the best offensive players in the game, Dennis Rodman has the potential to shut him down because of his great defensive ability. As a result, the Bulls again have the advantage.

Last but not least, we have the centers, Luc Longley of the Bulls, matched up against Andrew Bogut of the Warriors. I think that Andrew Bogut has a huge advantage in this matchup because Luc Longley hardly played any role on that Bulls team at all. He was pretty much there to take up space on defense and to make his wide open layups. When given the opportunity, Andrew Bogut can score, defend, and rebound giving his team what they need from him. 

Some may say that the Warriors would win this matchup because of Stephen Curry and his success from the 3 point line, and his ability to drive, but they are not considering the fact that he is guarded by Ron Harper. Of course he is going to shine when he is matched up against a less than average point guard! They need to consider that, even though Stephen Curry could have a 30 or 40 point game, he is the only one that they would be able to rely on for their offense because the Bulls have three other great defenders, Dennis Rodman, Scottie Pippen, and Michael Jordan who would be able to shut the rest of the team down. 

Based on my evaluation of the 5 starters, the Bulls have the advantage at the shooting guard, small forward and power forward position, while the Warriors only have the advantage in two positions, Curry at point guard, and Bogut at center. In the end the Bulls come out on top with the advantage of 3 against 2. The Warriors could make history this season, and that would be very impressive. While the Warriors are the best team currently, I believe that the 1995-96 Bulls will continue to be known as the best team of all time.