Her is mine- No. 4: 1991-92 Chicago BullsRecord: 67-15 Offense: 109.9 ppg (4th in league) Defense: 99.5 ppg (3rd in league) This was the second consecutive Bulls championship under the direction of Phil Jackson. By then, all the players were familiar with, and accepted the necessity of, the triangle offense. This wasn't the case in the previous season, in which assistant coach Johnny Bach undermined Jackson's game plan, and Michael Jordan didn't embrace the offense until the championship series against the Lakers. M.J., of course, was the apex of the triangle, averaging 30.1 ppg (1st) and 2.28 spg (6th). He was at the top of his game, and at the top of the league. There was nothing he couldn't do on a basketball court.The Bulls' switching defense confounded most of their opponents. They were a hot-shooting bunch ? their .508 FG percentage led the league. They played with heart and precision ? and when in doubt, M.J. was there to air it out. No. 3: 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers Record: 69-13 Offense: 121.0 (1st) Defense: 108.7 (6th) This was easily the most versatile team ever. They wanted to run, and Wilt Chamberlain's board-control coupled with his accurate outlet passes to the likes of Jerry West and Gail Goodrich, make their fast break irresistible. If necessary, they could utilize Chamberlain's still formidable post-presence to play grind-it-out basketball. They could play small-ball and big-ball. They could load their lineup with defenders or with scorers. They stormed through the regular season, winning a record 33 games in succession. And their average point differential (+12.3) was another record. Jerry West (25.8 ppg [7th]; 9.7 apg [1st]) was the fail-safe scorer. His patented move was to dribble at full speed to his right and then instantaneously pull up and shoot. West was also an extraordinary finisher, and his leaping ability enabled him to snare more than a normal guard's share of rebounds. His defense was so good that opponents had specific instructions concerning what to do when they enjoyed a two-on-one fast break advantage where West as the sole defender: Because of West's long arms and quick hands, they were told to always take the ball straight to the rim and never risk passing it. He was a perfectionist who took full advantage every time his defender turned his head or made a misstep. Mr. Clutch and Mr. Logo. Sharman's full-speed-ahead game plan was a perfect blend of quickness and precision, of self-expression combined with responsibility. He paid attention to every detail and convinced his players to do the same. No. 2: 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers Record: 68-13 Offense: 125.1 (1st) Defense: 115.8 (3rd) Chet Walker (19.3 ppg [11th]; .561 FG% [6th]; 7.9 rpg) was a brawny 6-foot-7 small forward, whose favorite moves featured backing, banging, and leaning into his defender in order to create space for his jumper. He was relentless on either baseline (but preferred the left), and could also post with the same kind of blast-away maneuvers. Lucious Jackson (12.8 ppg; 8.9 rpg) was a combination of brute force and athleticism that was usually found on a football field. But Jackson happened to be 6-9, 250. He played hard, he fouled hard, and sometimes his shots were as heavy and hard as stones. With Jackson and Chamberlain assaulting the boards, opposing bigs were mostly reduced to spectators. (The exceptions being Bill Russell and Nate Thurmond.) And by the waning minutes of a game, the big guys wearing the wrong-colored jerseys would be too bruised and too exhausted to run, jump, and play hard.But it was Philly's dynamic sixth man who created the lop-sided matchup that made the team virtually unbeatable. Billy Cunningham (18.5 ppg; 7.5 rpg) was called "The Kangaroo Kid", but besides reaping the benefits of his exhilarating hops, he was a left-handed slasher who was seldom denied entrance into the paint. It mattered little that his jumpers (and his free throws) were brickish, because Billy C could always run, drive and/or jump his way into a host of easy buckets. He was the oomph in the offense. The pace-changer; the swift and lethal dagger that mortally wounded an opponents' chance to salvage a tight ball game. No. 1: 1995-96 Chicago Bulls Record: 72-12 Offense: 105.2 (1st) Defense: 92.9 (3rd) Michael Jordan (30.4 ppg [1st]; 2.6 spg [3rd]) was a better long-range shooter (42.7%) than he'd previously been. Also a better turnaround jump shooter from the low post. If he had to pick his spots to play all-out defense, he always picked the right spots. At age 33, he was still Mr. Wonderful. Scottie Pippen (19.4 ppg) still insisted on taking too many ill-advised shots, but he and M.J. were as comfortable in the triangle offense as Br'er Rabbit was in the briar patch. Luc Longley (9.1 ppg) was a gifted passer and was therefore a considerable upgrade over Cartwright. Luc had the bulk (7-2, 320) to clog the middle, and to bang with the other behemoths. But it was his ability to read defenses and make precise passes that helped make the triangle difficult to defend. Ron Harper (7.4 ppg) was a cagey veteran. Although he couldn't score points by the dozen as he once did, he saved his shots for clutch situations. His defense was remarkable as was his court awareness. Harper rarely made foolish moves.Dennis Rodman (5.5 ppg; 14.9 rpg [1st]) solved the mysteries of the triangle offense in a matter of weeks. He was smart and quick (vertically and horizontally). He willingly sacrificed his body, ran the court, and played madcap defense. Toni Kukoc (13.1 ppg) was defenseless, but, at 6-foot-10, he handled the ball like a guard and could create shots against almost anybody. If he also demonstrated sticky fingers, he was a dependable scorer whenever a game was on the line. Teammates were amazed whenever Steve Kerr missed an open shot (8.4 ppg; .515 3FG% [2nd]). A gutsy player whose decision-making ability was impeccable. Bill Wennington (5.3 ppg) was a seven-footer who could hit mid-range jumpers all day long. Jud Buechler (3.8 ppg) was another 3-point specialist (44.4%) who could sit on the bench for long stretches and still hit his mark. I put the bulls on both bezcause they were that dominating in the 90's and the sixers second of cource with wilt just a godd team. And i just dont think that anyone will ever get 70 wins in 1 seson again but they did it so beatifully.
