Championship Aside, the 2015-16 Warriors Weren’t As Good As the 1995-96 Bulls
Prior to this season, most debates about the best teams of all-time would begin and end with the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls. They held the previous record for wins in a season with 72 -- a feat that many people thought would never be broken -- and capped it off with a championship that was almost never in doubt.
Enter the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors.
Fresh off a 67-win season and a title, the Dubs had already proven that the current iteration of their team at least belonged in the conversation as one of the best teams ever coming into this year. Then, they stepped things up a notch by beating the Bulls' previously unbeatable win record by going 73-9.
As they chased that mark this year, the debate shifted from Golden State's potentially being one of the best teams of all time to potentially being the best.
Everyone weighed in: fans, pundits, current players, former players, coaches, general managers, even Steve Kerr himself, who was a player for the former and is now a coach for the latter.
Now that the Warriors' season and playoff run is officially over, we can compare the two teams in earnest.
Of course, the debate itself -- for most intents and purposes -- is settled. Try as you might, you'll have a hard time convincing anyone that this argument comes down to anything more than this one, simple statistic:
| Category | 1995-96 Chicago Bulls | 2015-16 Golden State Warriors |
|---|---|---|
| Championships Won | 1 | 0 |
But let's be honest, the Warriors were damn close.
If the last few minutes of Game 7 had just gone a little differently -- if LeBron hadn't pulled off "The Block" or if Kyrie's dagger three hadn't gone down -- the conversation today would be different. We'd be arguing over the 1995-96 Bulls versus the 2015-16 Warriors instead of Jordan versus LeBron.
But here we are.
The question of which of these two teams is the best of all time looks to be answered. The 1995-96 Bulls capped off a dominant seasons with a dominant championship, while the 2015-16 Warriors can only claim one and not the other.
Still, for the sake of putting it all into perspective now that all is said and done, here are the final numbers from both teams during their historic seasons and playoff runs:
Bulls vs. Warriors
| Category | 1995-96 Bulls | 2015-16 Warriors |
|---|---|---|
| Regular Season W-L Record | 72-10 | 73-9 |
| Regular Season W-L Percentage | 0.878 | 0.890 |
| Playoff W-L Record | 15-3 | 15-9 |
| Playoff W-L Percentage | 0.833 | 0.625 |
| Combined W-L Record | 87-13 | 88-18 |
| Combined W-L Percentage | 0.870 | 0.830 |
| Regular Season Margin of Victory | 12.24 | 10.76 |
| Playoff Margin of Victory | 10.56 | 4.38 |
| Longest Winning Streak | 18 | 24 |
| Offensive Rating | 115.2 | 114.5 |
| Relative Offensive Rating (vs. league average) |
7.6 | 8.1 |
| Defensive Rating | 101.8 | 103.8 |
| Relative Defensive Rating (vs. league average) |
-5.8 | -2.6 |
| Championships Won | 1 | 0 |
Offensive Four Factors
| Category | 1995-96 Bulls | 2015-16 Warriors |
|---|---|---|
| Effective Field Goal Percentage | 51.7% | 56.3% |
| Turnover Percentage | 13.1% | 13.5% |
| Offensive Rebound Percentage | 36.9% | 23.5% |
| Free Throw Attempt Rate | 0.217 | 0.191 |
Defensive Four Factors
| Category | 1995-96 Bulls | 2015-16 Warriors |
|---|---|---|
| Opp. Effective Field Goal Percentage | 48.2% | 47.9% |
| Opp. Turnover Percentage | 16.1% | 12.6% |
| Opp. Offensive Rebound Percentage | 28.9% | 24.0% |
| Opp. Free Throw Attempt Rate | 0.222 | 0.208 |
If it weren't for LeBron and the Cavs beating the Warriors, this actually would've been a close one. Instead, we've replaced what looked like it would be a long-debated question with a definitive answer.
And with that, one can't help but let Scottie Pippen -- who has publically argued for his Bulls all year long -- get the last word:
"The 1995-96 Bulls. We live on."
- Scottie Pippen has spoken (via @MikeAndMike) pic.twitter.com/SSd0Ba4ElM
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 20, 2016
