How a short 3 point line helped the Chicago Bulls win 72 games in 1995-96

[Rose'sACL]

http://i.imgur.com/Ia4KqIt.jpg

Jordan's 3pt. attempts per game: 3.2 (95-96) 3.6( 96-97) 1.5(97-98)



The 1995-96 Bulls are one of only three of the NBA's "All Time Great teams" who have a primarily perimeter oriented offense. The other teams were the 1989 the Detroit Pistons who won 63 regular season games & rolled through the '89 playoffs and the 1991-92 Bulls. Unlike the 96 Bulls the Pistons did not have a shortened 3 point line to help their outside shooting quartet of Joe Dumars, Vinnie Johnson, Mark Aguire and center Bill Laimbeer. The 1986 Celtics (Ainge, Bird & Wedman) would also have the potential to feast off a shortened 3 point line as would Byron Scott (1987 Lakers).


The truth in basketball is that if you give a team 2 or 3 extra points every night over the course of an 82 game season it will translate into at least 4 or 5 more wins. The Bulls used this boost to put them over the 70 win plateau in 1996. The shortened 3 point line also helped to inflate the Bulls win percentage in 1996-97.

This is yet another reason why the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls were a great team, but not the best team in NBA History.
http://pweb.netcom.com/~bjalas/basketball/bulls/3_point_line.htm

[OldSchoolBBall]

Err, every team was getting 2-3 points extra since they weer all shooting from the same line. Nice try, though.

[1987_Lakers]

No team benefited more from the short 3 point line more than Chicago.

Put that Chicago team in today's NBA and they would be ranked near the bottom in 3PT%.

[1987_Lakers]

Err, every team was getting 2-3 points extra since they weer all shooting from the same line. Nice try, though.

True, but I find it funny how Chicago was in the top 5 in 3pt% with the short 3 point line, once it went back to its original spot in 97-98 the Bulls didn't even crack top 20 in 3 pt%

[Showtime80']

I agree that the 1996 were NOT the greatest team ever but they would've raped the NBA at that time with the 3 point line at 27, 29, 32 or 35 feet, hell no 3 point line at all, it wouldn't have mattered.

Their only challenge at that time was fellow 80's counterparts Malone and Stockton, all the other guys from that era were older or retired. The league was already seeing a downturn in overall IQ and basic fundamentals and the veteran Bulls just feasted on that. The young Magic, Lakers, Sonics, Nets, Bullets and Heat of that period had the athleticism and youth but the Bulls had the most important component in basketball, BRAINS!

[sportjames23]

Err, every team was getting 2-3 points extra since they weer all shooting from the same line. Nice try, though.


/thread

[DonDadda59]

Seeing as how I don't think this is a troll thread, this just might be the most downright ridiculous thread I've seen in a very long time. First of all, how did the Bulls benefit from the shortened line more than any other team playing under the same conditions? I mean, did Chicago get to shoot with the shortened line while every other team was forced to shoot from the original 3 point line?

Secondly, the Bulls were 10th in 3s made and 15th attempted (out of 29), so it's not like they were a team that relied on 3s. They were middle of the pack in both categories throughout the 3-peat.

And maybe the most idiotic part of your post is you showing the team records like that's supposed to mean anything. You are aware that Scottie Pippen, the Bulls' second best player, missed roughly half that season after offseason back surgery right? The fact that Jordan at age 35 was able to lead them to 62 wins and another championship is a testament to his greatness... not an indication of the distance of the 3 point line :oldlol:

[Sarcastic]

ITT: Bran Stans scraping the bottom of the barrel trying to find ways to discredit Jordan, since Bran's chances of surpassing MJ are virtually nil at this point.

[kamil]

ITT: Bran Stans scraping the bottom of the barrel trying to find ways to discredit Jordan, since Bran's chances of surpassing MJ are virtually nil at this point.

That ship sailed in 2011. Lebron* fans just can't let it go. They've been insecure for the past 4 years.

[DCL]

didn't matter.

those bulls blew out opponents by an average margin of more than 12 points.

and how many 3's did they make per game? only 6.6

and like others pointed out, EVERY team benefited from the shortened line. there was no unique advantage.

not an intelligent thread.

[Nikola_]

f they had pippen whole season in 98 they win 66-70 easily

[Real14]

the way tha rules are today the 96 bulls would win at least 80 games.

[gts]

Troll thread

Title should read how the bulls took advantage of shorteneed three point line