From: nates@ll.mit.edu ( Nate Smith)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.pro
Subject: Re: 86 Celtics v. 92 Bulls
Date: 21 Dec 92 18:53:48 GMT
Organization: MIT Lincoln Laboratory

In article <1992Dec21.035544.3680@seas.gwu.edu> kolli@seas.gwu.edu (Chakravarthy Kolli) writes:
>
>I am surprised with [the] analysis. I don't think the 1992 Bulls were as bad
>as you seem to put it.
>
>Jordan is basically 2 VERY GOOD offensive players and 2 VERY GOOD defensive 
>players put in one.
>
>At his prime Bird was 2 VERY GOOD offensive players and 1 GOOD defensive
>player put in one.

this is exaggeration on both parts.  the difference between the '86 bird
and '92 jordan probably does favor jordan, but not by that much.
>
>Eventhough Mchale was a good offensive player I think the chicago
>frontline defense could have reduced his effectiveness. Don't go
>by stats, as he could have done much better with other teams.

naw...grant is tough and would probably get the assignment, but nobody
could defend mchale 1-on-1.  cartwright comes over to help out and
mchale kicks it out to bird into parish - no i just dont see mchale's
effectiveness getting reduced that much.
>
>The rest cancel out and the benches weren't that far apart in talent

disagree...the 86 celtics would still have enormous trouble with pippen.
who do they put on him?  DJ has plenty of trouble with michael.  ainge
has to play paxson honestly.  bird?  sure in 86 he's faster, but not
capable to staying with pippen.  KC will probably put bird on grant and
do somekind of "zone" switching with mchale & ainge.  parish would be
a bit better than cartwright, i suspect.

benches:  wedman & sichting have the outside bomb, but BJ can drive
better.  scott williams in 92, cliff levingston, these guys will out-do
greg kite & david thirdkill...but kite & thirdkill & sudden sam vincent
will hardly see any time.  the outside shot will work enough for boston
so that the very good defense of the bulls will be spread out a bit.

>The Bulls have a clear advantage defensively and don't forget that defensively the
>chicago bench was much better than that of the 85-86 celtics.
>
i dont think think anyone has a full appreciation of the choking defense
that Walton's teams provide.  he is a huge defensive force inside.  it isnt
just the blocks and the rebounds that i'm talking about, its the breakdown of
the offensive sets the he was good at.  in addition to that, his rebounding was
textbook.  his quick-out, superb.  no offensive rebounds for grant when they
are on the floor at the same time.  not much better defensively.

>And don't forget this
>Sometime during those years ( i don't remember the exact year-- 87?) Jordan scored
>63 points in Boston. It clearly tells you that none of the Boston guards 
>could control him.

ah yes...this is a classic strategy the C's have used for years and made
into textbook form against the wilt teams - let the big fish score 100 but
shut down the others enough to win - as the game progresses that big fish
gets more of the plays run his way and the others start standing around.

boston won that game, so the defense was equal to the task.  they would
have won by a lot more, except that jordan was unconscious.  no defense
in the world stops someone who is unconscious.
>
>Clearly the 91-92 Bulls were a much better team and the difference could be 
>due to better defense
>
>chak kolli

i think the 100-game simulation is within the bounds of error.  i dont
think the 92 bulls are "much" better, just a bit better.

- nate
Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.pro