Tag: Jerry Sloan

All-Time Chicago Bulls vs. All-Time Detroit Pistons

Our next match features two of the greatest rivals in NBA history. They met in four straight playoffs from 1988 to 1991, with three of those matches occurring in the Eastern Conference Finals. They represented the East in six straight NBA finals from 1988 to 1993, winning five championships between them. They also feature two of the biggest names from a golden age of NBA basketball – Michael Jordan, the most marketable athlete in NBA history, and Isiah Thomas, the baby-faced assassin who was Jordan’s chief adversary in his early career. The battle between the All-Time Chicago Bulls vs. All-Time Detroit Pistons is steeped in tradition, and features a number of players who harbor ill will from this contemptuous rivalry.

All-Time Chicago Bulls vs. All-Time Detroit Pistons

Key Matchups

Isiah Thomas vs. Chicago’s backcourt: Coach Phil Jackson values length in his starting backcourt, and earlier in the tournament, he eschewed starting a traditional point guard in favor of having Scottie Pippen serve as his primary ballhandler. While Pippen and Jordan make up the best defensive backcourt combination in the tournament, they are vulnerable to lightning-quick smaller guards who can penetrate. How will Jackson guard Isiah Thomas? He can stick with his starting lineup, and have Jordan chase around Thomas, or he can play the matchups and start Norm Van Lier, an eight-time all-NBA defensive selection who had the same listed height as Thomas (6’1”). If he starts Van Lier, Pippen would move to his natural small forward slot, and Chet Walker would slide into the sixth man role. This would create a bigger rebounding burden on the Bulls frontcourt, however, where they are already over matched, as described below.

Dominant defenses: These are two of the best defensive teams in the tournament. Combined, their players made 56 all-NBA defensive teams, and earned eight Defensive Player of the Year awards. Despite the plethora of scoring threats on each side, this series could feature a surprisingly high number of low-scoring games.

Advanced statistics vs. The Eye Test: Although Detroit features a slew of Hall-of-Famers, the advanced statistics of their superstars are not overwhelming, particularly Thomas, as described here. Despite this, their team members should complement each other well, with a nice mix of penetrators (Thomas and Dave Bing), shooters (George Yardley, Chauncey Billups, Joe Dumars, and even Bill Laimbeer), all-around dynamos (Grant Hill), low post scorers/rebounders (Bob Lanier, Bailey Howell, and Larry Foust), and dominant rebounders/defenders (Dennis Rodman and Ben Wallace). Chicago, meanwhile, features Michael Jordan, who is not only regarded by experts as one of the greatest players of all time, but who is the GOAT of advanced statistics, standing as the all-time leader in PER and WS/48. He’s surrounded by a mix of Hall-of-Fame and all-star level competitors, who don’t appear to fit as well with one another as the Detroit club. The Bulls lack outside shooting, which will make it easier for Detroit to employ a modified version of The Jordan Rules. Artis Gilmore, their best center, will also have a difficult time, since he will have to find a way to avoid clogging the lane for Chicago’s penetrators while working as their best low-post scoring option.

Biggest Mismatches

Chicago’s perimeter length: The long arms of Jordan and Pippen will loom large in this series, particularly when they share backcourt duties. Jerry Sloan and Luol Deng provide additional perimeter options who can use their length for defensive and rebounding advantages. Detroit’s perimeter options are not as long or athletic as Chicago’s (outside of Grant Hill, who will match up with Pippen frequently), which will help the Bulls make up for their lack of dominant frontcourt rebounding. Speaking of which…

Detroit’s rebounding advantage: Detroit should control the glass in this series. They feature four players who led the league in total rebounds for at least one year as a Piston (Foust, Laimbeer, Rodman, and Wallace), and two others who averaged in double figures in their time in Detroit (Howell and Lanier). While Chicago’s wings will try to help mitigate this advantage, Rodman, in particular, could go off in this series. The Bulls may again have to adjust their starting lineup for matchup purposes, with Horace Grant taking the place of Bob Love. However, benching Love and Chet Walker in favor of Grant and Norm Van Lier will put a much greater scoring burden on Jordan, and Chicago’s offense may stall without multiple shot creators against Detroit’s dominant defense.

X-Factor

Chicago’s spacing: The Bulls face several lineup dilemmas, as outlined above. If Phil Jackson starts Van Lier, Jordan, Pippen, Grant, and Gilmore, Detroit will pack the paint and force Chicago’s mediocre shooters to beat them from long-range. Chicago doesn’t have much shooting coming off the bench, either. Deng and Toni Kukoc were pedestrian three point shooters during their times in Chicago (shooting 33.1 percent and 32.7 percent, respectively), while Derrick Rose was below average, particularly for a guard. Phil Jackson’s triangle offense will help to create space for the Bulls scorers, but Detroit features a number of smart defenders who will try to cut off Chicago’s strengths.

"Go to hell." "You too!" Copyright © Lipofsky Basketballphoto.com
“Go to hell.”
“You too!”
Copyright © Lipofsky Basketballphoto.com

Results

Recently, the good folks at the Over & Back Podcast asked what the third greatest rivalry in NBA history was, conceding that the first two were Wilt vs. Russell and Magic vs. Bird. A good argument could be made for Isiah vs. Jordan, especially considering how impactful their teams were to the championship chase in the late 80s and early 90s. Neither of these stone-cold competitors would want to lose this historic matchup, which should be closely contested. Despite Jordan’s brilliance, the flaws of the Bulls roster are too much for him to overcome, and he suffers another heartbreaking defeat to his nemesis.

Detroit wins, four games to three.

Next Round

Detroit faces the All-Time Lakers.

All-Time Chicago Bulls vs. All-Time Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks have had a pedestrian existence in the modern-day NBA. In 2015, they made their first conference finals appearance since 1970. Their rich history in St. Louis, where they made four finals appearances in five seasons (winning one), is often discounted. The Chicago Bulls, meanwhile, are one of the glamour teams of the modern NBA. In the 1990s, they won six titles in eight seasons, behind the most marketable athlete in basketball history. Their pedestrian history beyond that run is often overlooked, as they’ve never made the NBA Finals before or since. While some may assume the match between the All-Time Chicago Bulls vs. All-Time Atlanta Hawks is one-sided, a deeper look into their respective histories shows that this series could be one of the most competitive of our tournament.

All-Time Chicago Bulls vs. All-Time Atlanta Hawks

Key Matchups

Chicago’s perimeter defense vs. Atlanta’s firepower: Atlanta’s high-scoring perimeter options (namely, Lou Hudson, Dominique Wilkins, and Pete Maravich) will have to overcome the greatest collection of perimeter defensive talent in this tournament. Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan, Norm Van Lier, Jerry Sloan, and Luol Deng were all plus defenders, combining for 30 appearances on all-NBA defensive teams. This group will also disrupt Atlanta’s ballhandlers (Lenny Wilkens and Mookie Blaylock), who will struggle to find open passing lanes, and who will also have to avoid turnovers when Chicago utilizes a full-court press.

Bob Pettit vs. Chicago’s forwards: Bob Pettit, who averaged over 26 PPG and 16 RPG throughout his career, will be a load for Chicago’s forwards to handle. Bob Love, Chicago’s nominal starting power forward, will initially match up with him, but will struggle to contend on the boards with the relentless legend. On the other side of the court, expect Love to use his quickness advantage to make Pettit work on defense. Chicago will also allot minutes to Horace Grant, who can better contend on the boards (especially on the offensive side, where he ranked in the top six of the league in offensive rebound percentage three years in a row), and Toni Kukoc, who has no chance of defending Pettit but will give him problems on defense with his all-court offensive game. Chicago’s best chance to contend with Pettit will be throwing these three distinct looks at him throughout the series, and making him work on the defensive end of the court.

Biggest Mismatches

The athleticism of Chicago’s starting backcourt vs. Atlanta’s guard rotation: In addition to their defensive brilliance, the Bulls feature perhaps the most athletic starting backcourt pairing in the tournament. Jordan and Pippen have a chance to overwhelm Atlanta’s smaller, less athletic defenders. Mookie Blaylock, Atlanta’s perimeter defensive ace, stood at only 6’0”, and will be more effective guarding Derrick Rose than either of these two wings. Atlanta’s ability to mitigate the damage that these two inflict may be the deciding factor in the series.

Atlanta’s three point shooting advantage: As great as Lou Hudson and Pete Maravich were, they would have been even more dominant with a three-point line, which was not in the league during their tenures with the Hawks. Expect them to take full advantage of this rule during this series. Chicago’s main weakness is their lack of three-point shooting. Because of their potential spacing issue, Coach Phil Jackson may give Toni Kukoc more minutes than anticipated, to open up space for Jordan, Pippen, Chet Walker, and Artis Gilmore inside. This may not work perfectly, however, since Kukoc was a mediocre three-point shooter in his time with the Bulls (.327 percent).

X-Factor

Can Atlanta overcome Chicago’s defensive onslaught? The Hawks have a well-balanced team, that may be deeper than Chicago’s. However, down the stretch of close games, can Atlanta find room to score? Expect Chicago to utilize a closing defensive lineup of Van Lier or Sloan, Jordan, Pippen, Horace Grant, and Joakim Noah. Atlanta will have to rely on the greatness of Pettit and their perimeter stars to overcome this unit.

Results

These two teams go back and forth in a seven game classic. Chicago’s defense is suffocating, but Atlanta proves resilient behind the great Pettit. In the closing game, Jordan and Pettit go mano a mano in a close encounter. The Bulls are able to shut down Atlanta’s other options, and pull away in the end.

All-Time Chicago Bulls vs. All-Time Atlanta Hawks
Pippen and Jordan help the Bulls pull away in game seven. Copyright © Lipofsky Basketballphoto.com

Chicago wins, four games to three.

Next Round

Chicago faces the winner of the All-Time Pistons vs. All-Time Clippers.

All-Time Miami Heat vs. All-Time Utah Jazz

It’s easy to look at our next first round match up as a contrast of styles. The athleticism of the All-Time Heat vs. the precision of the All-Time Jazz. Wade and LeBron vs. Stockton and Malone. Alley-oop vs. pick-and-roll. However, both teams have strengths that go well beyond these stylistic differences. During the latter part of LeBron James’s tenure with the team, Miami mastered a beautiful offense based on ball movement and spacing. Expect their all-time team to implement this, especially when they play James at power forward and surround him with shooters. Jerry Sloan’s flex offense was ahead of its time, and will maximize the offensive talent of the high scoring team he leads in this tournament. These tactics and several key advantages held by each side will help determine the outcome of this series.

Miami’s Advantages

Perimeter athleticism: Utah doesn’t have a good option to defend Dwyane Wade. Pete Maravich and Jeff Hornacek are outclassed athletically. John Stockton will be busy guarding Tim Hardaway. The Wade and James combination can overwhelm people on both ends of the court, and Utah doesn’t have many rangy wings who can slow them down. Speaking of James…

Jack of all trades: LeBron James should dominate in this series. Adrian Dantley has no chance of slowing him down. Expect Utah to use Karl Malone on him at times, and to play Andrei Kirilenko big minutes as the primary LeBron defender. Neither is an ideal option; Malone isn’t quick enough to defend him on the perimeter, and Kirilenko doesn’t have the bulk to contend with the brilliant post-up game James developed with the Heat.

Battle of the big men: Alonzo Mourning and (an older) Shaquille O’Neal vs. Mark Eaton and Mehmet Okur. Enough said.

Utah’s Advantages

Offensive efficiency: Dantley, Stockton, and Malone are not only three of the great offensive players of all-time, but also three of the most efficient (ranking fifth, ninth, and 56th ever in true shooting percentage). No defense will be able to completely shut down this trio. Add in Maravich’s playmaking ability, and the long-range shooting of Hornacek, and this offense has the potential to be deadly.

X-Factor

Jazz’s pick-and-roll vs. Heat’s aggressive, blitzing defense: Can Miami’s aggressive approach disrupt one of the greatest orchestrators in NBA history?

Results

Despite the brilliance of Utah’s offensive playmakers, the two-way dominance of the Heat overwhelms the Jazz over the course of the series. How do you feel about that LeBron?

LeBron celebration pose

Miami wins, four games to two.

Next Round

Miami faces the All-Time Orlando Magic.

All-Time Utah Jazz Team

All-Time Utah Jazz Team Infographic

The all-time Utah Jazz team is…interesting. They should have no trouble scoring, with two former scoring champions (Pistol Pete Maravich and Adrian Dantley), the second leading scorer in NBA history (Karl Malone), and the all-time leader in assists (John Stockton) leading the offense. The question becomes, how well do the pieces fit together? The 24th seed in our tournament, they face a difficult first round match up against the all-time Miami Heat.

John Stockton is the starting point guard, an all-time great legend who had few weaknesses and made everyone around him better. In his 19 seasons, he was incredibly efficient, with a .515 career field goal percentage, and a .608 career true shooting percentage, which currently ranks ninth in NBA history. Pete Maravich, the starting two, was an incredible showman, who had the misfortune of playing on miserable Jazz teams in the 1970s. In his five full seasons with the franchise, the team averaged only 32 wins per season. While some may ascribe blame to Maravich for these failings, the talent around him was nonexistent (see this team, for example), and he was never put in position to carry the team on a deep playoff run. Maravich averaged 25.2 points per game for Utah (New Orleans at the time) without the benefit of a three-point line. It’s questionable whether his freewheeling style fits into Jerry Sloan’s structured offense, however, and it’s hard to imagine two more different players sharing the same backcourt.

The starting forwards should be able to score with any duo in this tournament. Adrian Dantley was a mid-range and low post wizard who used his rare foul-drawing ability (currently eighth all-time in free throws made) to become one of the most efficient scorers in NBA history (currently fifth all-time in true shooting percentage). Dantley averaged over 30 points per game for four straight seasons with the Jazz, and won two scoring championships in 1981 and 1984. Karl Malone was a two-time Most Valuable Player, and the fulcrum for Jerry Sloan’s offense. Having Dantley and Maravich as the starting wings is less than ideal defensively, so their minutes will have to be staggered to maximize their effectiveness.

The starting center, 7’4” Mark Eaton, was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year who averaged 5.6 blocked shots per game in the 1985 season. Eaton was not much of an offensive player, but his presence will help make up for the team’s lack of wing defense.

This team has a solid yet unspectacular bench. Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer were the poor man’s Stockton-to-Malone in the 2000s. Jeff Hornacek was a great shooter who will get plenty of minutes behind Maravich. Andrei Kirilenko might be the bench’s most important player; he’s by far this team’s best perimeter defender, and their only other rim protector besides Eaton. Mehmet Okur was a rare stretch-five who will serve as Eaton’s primary backup. Unfortunately, he offered little resistance defensively, and he’ll have to be paired up with Kirilenko whenever he enters a game.

Expect this team to use different looks around their core players. Stockton should get plenty of minutes alongside Maravich, Hornacek, and even Deron Williams in two point guard sets, while Malone will be surrounded by both the Dantley-Eaton and Kirilenko-Okur pairings. Rickey Green and Paul Millsap will play sparingly as solid third string point guard and power forward options. Down the stretch of close games, Kirilenko, Malone, and Eaton will be a very solid defensive frontcourt pairing, and Stockton, the all-time leader in steals, will provide good resistance against opposing ball handlers.

Coach: Jerry Sloan

All-Time Franchise Winning Percentage (through 2014-15): .536

All-Time Chicago Bulls Team

All-Time Chicago Bulls Team Infographic

Due to Shaquille O’Neal’s recent Instagram post, I’m starting with a profile of the All-Time Chicago Bulls Team. With six NBA championships, the Bulls are seeded third in our tournament.

Michael Jordan is such a dominant player that it’s somewhat difficult to construct a team around him. I cheated a bit here, and listed Scottie Pippen as the primary ball-handler, since he was so versatile and often filled this role. The other guards that made the cut are a mix of dynamic scorers (Derrick Rose) and lockdown defenders (Norm Van Lier, Jerry Sloan). With a few more solid seasons, Rose certainly has a chance to start, though his fit with Jordan and Pippen (who would slide to his natural small forward position) would be awkward.

The starting forwards are used to playing with each other from the excellent Bulls teams in the 1970s. Both Chet the Jet Walker and Bob Love were excellent scorers, though Love wasn’t as efficient as his other teammates in the starting lineup. The forwards off the bench provide versatility (Luol Deng and Toni Kukoc) plus rebounding and defense (Horace Grant). One of the bigger conflicts I had was whether to include Reggie Theus on this team, instead of Kukoc. Despite being a two-time all-star on the Bulls, Theus’s advanced stats were far inferior to Kukoc’s, so I went with Toni.

There are two very different centers on this team: Artis Gilmore, a traditional big man with the size to rebound, protect the paint, and score down low, and Joakim Noah, a smaller player who relies more on quickness, energy, and will. Noah’s passing skills will be helpful for a team that will play long stretches without a traditional point guard.

This team should shine on the defensive end of the court. Pippen, Jordan, Van Lier, Sloan, Noah, Grant, Deng, and Love constitute one of the best collective defensive units in this tournament. Offensively, they have a nice mix of scorers, but spacing will be a big issue. The best players in franchise history simply were not great three-point shooters, and I could not justify selecting a three-point specialist (like John Paxson) ahead of a superior all-around player (like Norm Van Lier). This is one of the most interesting teams to project, with many versatile pieces, but clear flaws.

Coach – Phil Jackson

All-Time Franchise Winning Percentage (through 2014-15): .522