Jordan's return in the 94-95 season

[SpecialQue]

I need a Bulls or Jordan fan to clear this up for me, because my memory's hazy from when all this was going on. During the 93-94 season, the Pippen-led Bulls were doing a fantastic job and had a 55-win season. The next season I keep reading that they were actually struggling for a playoff spot until Jordan returned in March. What happened to the team between those two seasons that caused such a drop in wins?

Also, whenever the Rocket's back-to-back championships get mentioned, it's like there's an asterix next to it because of Jordan's retirement. Why do people disregard Jordan's return?

[OldSchoolBBall]

What happened to the team between those two seasons that caused such a drop in wins?

A combination of Grant leaving and the team coming back down to their actual level (their SRS in '94 would put them at around 48-50 wins; essentially, they overachieved in '94).

Why do people disregard Jordan's return?

Because 20 games if not enough to get back in basketball shape (much less back to being on top of your game) after a 21 month layoff.

[D.J.]

Horace Grant leaving really hurt Chicago. He was a 15/11 player that played solid post defense and his jumpshot was underrated. Had Horace stayed in Chicago, they probably would have beaten Orlando.

[Kblaze8855]

I never understood why its disredarded either. Players come back shaky from being injured....being out beyond their control....nobody acts like their failures didnt happen. Wilt returned from a knee injury that ended careers back then. Came back early and lost in the finals and people mention his performance and hate on him. MJ just walked away and came back perfectly healthy and in good shape and people act like it never happened. Not like he came back 260 pounds having eaten ice cream for a year and change. He was still an athlete. Was playing sports. Just quit basketball on the pro level for a while. But he always played. By the 95 playoffs he was better than most HOF guards were at their peaks.

[SpecialQue]

By the way, because I've seen so many threads go in this direction, this is NOT a thread to bash Jordan or Pippen or any other crap like that. I can't believe I'd even have to add this, but there you go.

[SpecialQue]

I never understood why its disredarded either. Players come back shaky from being injured....being out beyond their control....nobody acts like their failures didnt happen. Wilt returned from a knee injury that ended careers back then. Came back early and lost in the finals and people mention his performance and hate on him. MJ just walked away and came back perfectly healthy and in good shape and people act like it never happened. Not like he came back 260 pounds having eaten ice cream for a year and change. He was still an athlete. Was playing sports. Just quit basketball on the pro level for a while. But he always played. By the 95 playoffs he was better than most HOF guards were at their peaks.

I might have misread this somewhere, but didn't he have a 55 point game during his return year?

[Smoke117]

They lost their 2nd best defender, 2nd leading scorer, and leading rebounder. The 95 Bulls were only even above .500 because of the job Scottie managed to do defensively. A common theme that season was for them to lose leads in the 4th and lose a lot of close games. A common commentary was that Scottie was too exhausted to finish teams off offensively because of how much effort he had to put forth on the defensive end. The 94 bulls were not a great offensive team in the first place so they could ill afford to lose anyone who was a main contributor in that aspect. When you replace Jordan (a super star) and Grant (a fantastic role player) with Toni Kukoc and Pete Myers what do you expect is going to happen?

[puppychili]

That Bulls team was at the end of their rope too before Jordan came back. Pippen and Phil had one foot out the door and were just waiting for the season to end. Jordan coming back gave them a reason to stick around.

And I think the reason why most people disregard Jordans play in the 95 season is because of the 96 season. Jordan certainly had highlights during the 95 season and playoffs but didn't play up to his standards. Once he got a full off-season in and got into basketball shape he dominated the league in 96.

[Da_Realist]

That Bulls team was at the end of their rope too before Jordan came back. Pippen and Phil had one foot out the door and were just waiting for the season to end. Jordan coming back gave them a reason to stick around.

And I think the reason why most people disregard Jordans play in the 95 season is because of the 96 season. Jordan certainly had highlights during the 95 season and playoffs but didn't play up to his standards. Once he got a full off-season in and got into basketball shape he dominated the league in 96.

In other words, he was great but he wasn't Jordan. That's why people place an asterisk there.

By the way, count me in the camp that doesn't think anything should be taken away from what the Rockets accomplished those 2 years. You can always find a way to discredit someone's accomplishments if you look hard enough.

[guy]

In other words, he was great but he wasn't Jordan. That's why people place an asterisk there.

By the way, count me in the camp that doesn't think anything should be taken away from what the Rockets accomplished those 2 years. You can always find a way to discredit someone's accomplishments if you look hard enough.

Agree with this. If Jordan never came back, does that somehow make the Rockets accomplishments worth more, so now they don't deserve the asterisk? Even though nothing really changes at all on their road to the championship? The league was what it was at the time so they don't deserve any discredit.

[AlphaWolf24]

That Bulls team was at the end of their rope too before Jordan came back. Pippen and Phil had one foot out the door and were just waiting for the season to end. Jordan coming back gave them a reason to stick around.

And I think the reason why most people disregard Jordans play in the 95 season is because of the 96 season. Jordan certainly had highlights during the 95 season and playoffs but didn't play up to his standards. Once he got a full off-season in and got into basketball shape he dominated the league in 96.

huh??....they won 11 outta 13 games right before MJ came back....in other words they were getting hot right before the playoff's.


the whole once he got a full season he dominated is bogus also....

He dominated in 95' also..he dropped 55 in the Garden, He dominated in 86' after missing nearly the same amount of games , he dropped 63 in the Garden ...remember?......why wasn't he Rusty in 86'?....in fact in 1995 he wasn't even coming off an injury and he was still keeping in shape with his trainer, Grover , in fact the rest and time off most likely helped his basketball legs...

and why do Jordan stans need to always give him an excuse for Losing???...the Bull's had "0" interior defense and rebounding (Grant was gone to Orlando) and in 1996 they replaced Grant's void with Rodman (the greatest defensive player/rebounder of his generation)..that's why the Bull's improved so much....not because MJ was Rusty then all of a sudden over a couple months wasn't rusty...


jeez.....Rodman>Grant that's why 70 wins......if it wasn'tthe case then why weren't the Bull's winning 70 games before?? with better teams..

[StarJordan]

^nope jordan shot 50% in 96 and averaged 30+, in 1995 he was well below 50% and 26-27ppg...he was down to kobe levels in 1995....but in 1996 he was back to the jordan level..30ppg on 50%, result championship, they could have won championship without rodman too...just needed a solid power forward to go up in the post against shaq as kukoc was more of an offensive threat

[puppychili]

I agree. The Rockets should get 100% credit for their two titles. Would Jordan and the Bulls have won 1 or 2 of those titles if he never quit? Maybe. But he did quit for 1 3/4 years so who cares about shoulda coulda woulda.

[Kblaze8855]

Jrodan played bettwe in the 95 playoffs than he did in several series in 96, 97, and 98. If you watched those playoffs you know he whored everyone put in front of him. He came out and first game of the playoffs dropped like 50. He was working Penny in the post. Blowing by Anderson. finishing at the rim. Locking guys up...blocking shots. Ripping people straight up.

nobody can say they lost because he wasnt good enough. He was better than he was in several victories.

[nnn123]

Jrodan played bettwe in the 95 playoffs than he did in several series in 96, 97, and 98. If you watched those playoffs you know he whored everyone put in front of him. He came out and first game of the playoffs dropped like 50. He was working Penny in the post. Blowing by Anderson. finishing at the rim. Locking guys up...blocking shots. Ripping people straight up.

nobody can say they lost because he wasnt good enough. He was better than he was in several victories.

Big difference between Jordan in 95 and 96-98...he CHOKED like a Biznatch during that Orlando series. Bulls shoulda won two of those games if Jordan didn't blow it at the end. And I'm not talking about "blowing it" as in missing a shot or something, I'm talking about straight up giving up the lead due to boneheaded plays.

There's no way 95 Jordan wins any titles, he had no endurance