In case you haven't been paying attention to the NBA, sports in general, or, well, anything, the Golden State Warriors are taking over the Internet. Every sports article is about reigning MVP Stephen Curry, or how good the Warriors have been playing this season, or whether they're going to break the 95-96 Bulls record of 72 wins in a season.
Woah, hold on there.
Did I say the 95-96 Bulls? The Michael Jordan Bulls? Yeah.
People have been comparing Stephen Curry to MJ and the Warriors to the Bulls this whole season. However, let's have a closer look. (All stats are powered by http://www.basketball-reference.com/)
Scoring
Let's begin by looking at the scoring stats.
The Golden State Warriors have been scoring 115 points a game, while the Bulls scored 105 a game.
The Warriors have a field goal percentage of 48.7%, while the Bulls had a percentage of 47.8%.
The centerpiece of the Warriors, Stephen Curry, averages 29.8 points a game this season, while Michael Jordan had 30.4 points a game.
The Warriors have a strength of schedule of -0.48, while the Bulls had a strength of schedule of -0.44.
The Warriors have a 3-point field goal percentage of 41.6%, while the Bulls had one of 40.3%.
These stats tell us that both teams went through nearly equally hard schedules, and both had almost equal results, with the Warriors doing better, by just a little.
Rebounding
The Warriors are averaging 45.6 rebounds a game, and the Bulls averaged 44.6 rebounds a game.
However, the Bulls had 15.2 offensive rebounds a game, compared to the Warriors, who have 9.8 offensive boards a game.
When it came to defensive rebounding, the Bulls averaged 29.4 a game, while the Warriors averaged 35.8 a game.
Dennis Rodman, the Bulls's best rebounder, averaged 16.4 rebounds a game, while the Warriors Draymond Green averaged 9.5 a game.
Looking at the rebounding numbers, the Bulls seem to be a more aggressive team centered around a few players. In contrast, the Warriors players all contributed a little, and were more well-rounded on offensive and defensive rebounds.
Passing
When it comes to assists, the Warriors have averaged 28.9 assists a game, while the Bulls averaged 24.8 a game.
The Bulls's best player when it came to assists, Scottie Pippen, averaged 5.9 assists a game in contrast to the Warriors's Draymond Green, who has averaged 7.4 assists a game.
The passing stats show us how the Warriors are a team more focused on moving the ball to create quality shots, while the Bulls were a team more focused around a scoring centerpiece, Michael Jordan.
Defense
In the 1995-96 season, the Bulls averaged 9.1 steals a game, while the Warriors have averaged 8.3 a game.
The Bulls averaged 4.2 blocks a game, while the Warriors average 6.0 a game.
The Bulls held their opponents to 92.9 points a game, while the Warriors' opponents have averaged 104.1 points a game.
One of the Bulls' best defenders, Michael Jordan, averaged 2.2 steals and 0.5 blocks a game. Draymond Green, one of the Warriors' best defenders, has averaged 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks a game.
The Bulls were a tough defense which contested their opponents inside and on the perimeter, while the Warriors are skilled interior defenders.
Who's Better?
Looking at all of the statistics, the Bulls are a team which have players who play special roles within the team. For example, Rodman is the star rebounder, Jordan is the star scorer, and Pippen is a playmaker for the team. The Warriors, in contrast, seem to be more well-rounded, with each player being able to play defense, or hit a three when they get a ball.
However, comparing the two teams cannot be measured by stats. We cannot say who would win in a game or a 7-game series based on statistics, or anything for that matter. The teams played in different eras, had different opponents, different playing styles. The only true way to determine a winner would be if the two teams decided to play each other. And that, for now, is impossible.
