Kevin Durant Warriors over Lakers and Bulls?: Unchecked
Shaquille O’Neal said his three-peat Lakers teams would have easily beaten Michael Jordan’s Bulls.
But you know what? I think at full strength the Kevin Durant Warriors would have beaten both of them. It’s just no one romanticizes them like that because of how they came together and then apart.
It’s really simple math...73 + KD. And there’s one other number that’s really important, three. For instance the 2016-2017 Warriors, Durant’s first season with the Dubs, hit 94 more threes than the '96 Bulls and 2000 Lakers title squads did combined.
Now I’m not saying the three-ball is the end all be all but if basketball evolves as I believe it does, that Warriors team was the game at its absolute peak.
They used the entire floor and versatile personnel in a way where at their best I’m not sure anyone could compete. Surely, Shaq would dominate them inside and ultimate respect for the late great Kobe Bryant but beyond those two would the Lakers be able to match that firepower? And how would O’Neal fare defensively?
As for the Bulls, they were probably as equipped as could be on D with MJ, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman but Golden State would have Andre Iguodala, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson to throw at Jordan and I’m really not sure there’s ever been anything like containing Durant and the Splash Brothers as far as a big three.
Injuries and animosity ruined the Warriors run, but there’s a reason we all said KD broke the NBA and he is still dealing with backlash for signing with them really to this very day.
Because in a league of dynasties, for a short time they felt truly unfair. Just ask LeBron James and the Cavaliers.
