The thing about the '96 Bulls was their perimeter defense. Jordan himself didn't really have that great of a Finals that year, but defensively, they took NO nights off, which is extremely hard to do. MJ, Pippen & Rodman all made the First Defensive Team, the first and I think last time that's ever happened. Dennis grabbed 11 offensive rebounds TWICE in just the Finals series itself, which is just ridiculous. And with the lack of premier perimeter talent during that time, in terms of athletic ability, it was almost impossible to get a good shot off.
That same focus was only somewhat repeated by what the '01 Lakers did in the postseason, albeit after coasting throughout the whole regular season lol. That team, when engaged, was completely unstoppable. Shaq was dominating "big" men who didn't have the size to really compete, while Kobe, at his most relentless, came with the offensive onslaught & constant defensive pressure from the perimeter. Add in defensive minded players like Fox, Grant, Lue & Harper, and it's easy to see why they swept just about everyone they faced. This team vs the '96 Bulls would be a titanic clash
That same focus was only somewhat repeated by what the '01 Lakers did in the postseason, albeit after coasting throughout the whole regular season lol. That team, when engaged, was completely unstoppable. Shaq was dominating "big" men who didn't have the size to really compete, while Kobe, at his most relentless, came with the offensive onslaught & constant defensive pressure from the perimeter. Add in defensive minded players like Fox, Grant, Lue & Harper, and it's easy to see why they swept just about everyone they faced. This team vs the '96 Bulls would be a titanic clash
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