COMMENTARY : Don’t Compare Jordan’s Bulls to All-Time Greats

Move over Bill Russell, here comes . . .

Bill Cartwright?

Something’s getting lost in translation if the three-time NBA champion Chicago Bulls are to be installed among the elite teams, like the ‘60s Boston Celtics of Russell, Tom Heinsohn, Frank Ramsey, Bob Cousy, Sam Jones and John Havlicek.

Scott Williams against Billy Cunningham? I don’t think so. The ‘66-67 Philadelphia 76ers started Wilt Chamberlain, Luke Jackson and Chet Walker up front and brought Cunningham, a Hall of Famer, off the bench.

The Bulls bring Williams in and hope for an occasional rebound and layup. At that, he’s superior to Stacey King, the universe’s leader in getting shots blocked. On Sunday, the Suns’ Oliver Miller almost knocked one of his over the Chicago bench.

Then there’s Will (the Thrill) Perdue.

“They think this team is better than those 76ers?” ESPN’s Jack Ramsay asked incredulously after Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant played hot potato before finding a teammate who would take the game-winning shot.

Great teams, pre-Michael Jordan, were made up of several good players. The Bulls are Jordan and 11 elves. They play good defense for three quarters and turn the case over to Mike.

They were lucky enough to come of age as the ‘80s dynasties--the Lakers, Celtics and Detroit Pistons--were dying and expansion was diluting the league.

No other power existed to confront them. The Bulls have beaten three different East teams in the conference finals, three different West teams in the title round.

They may be the worst great team ever, but everyone has to be measured against his own time.

In 12 series over three postseason playoffs, the Bulls have been to one Game 7.

They are 45-13 overall, 19-8 on the road. They are 8-1 on the road in the finals.

And who says they’re done?

This figured to be their hardest season, with Jordan and Pippen obliged to give up their summer last year to serve with the Dream Team, with New York rising in the East, with history reminding them no one had won three in a row in 27 years.

Who do you think will be favored next season?

The Bulls are the only top power certain to add a significant player, Toni Kukoc, already working out in secret at their bunker in suburban Chicago, without giving up anything. They have won three titles without bringing a 10-point scorer off the bench, so what might they do if Kukoc can make the jump?

The Bulls’ accession coincides with the NBA’s, another development attributable more to Jordan than the elves.

His array of endorsements gives the league an incredible dovetail promotion. When he bumped into another glamorous, highly marketed opponent, Charles Barkley, the result was the top-rated finals of all time.

Of course, there was one more awkward moment Sunday when NBC’s Bob Costas pressed David Stern on Jordan’s million-dollar non-casino gambling.

Stern, still trying to sell his notion of the United States as a great gaming nation, under God, indivisible, again suggested that NBC, which pays the league $150 million per year, shouldn’t have covered this story so fully.

Someone doesn’t get it, whether it’s the commish or the world.

There are unresolved questions about the threat to the integrity of the game, but the big question is, what’s going on with Jordan? He always seems to be trying to find his limits and finding none.

Of course, he’s larger than life now. But he got through the finals without any more friends ratting him out, so maybe things are looking up.

This was the bi-polar series. Jordan was focused. Charlie was Charlie.

When Barkley joked that God was on the Suns’ side, he almost started a new pop religion in Phoenix. The Arizona Republic took calls from a fan pointing out that Deuteronomy 4:41 has a reference about Jordan and the sun rising and in Chronicles 29:22, one to bulls being slaughtered.

This proves Scripture is indeed a versatile tool and you can get away with anything as long as you win.

It was a great series with epic sweep: Jordan won’t talk, Jordan talks to Ahmad Rashad, Barkley rips Sun fans for booing Kevin Johnson, Barkley devours Chicago, the Suns save the city from burning, the Suns are about to rally from 1-3 to force Game 7, unheralded John Paxson drops the bomb on them, Rashad pours champagne over Jordan’s head.

The season ended like the last two, with Jordan on the victory stand and a familiar refrain.

“What’s next?” someone asked.

“Golf,” he said, smiling like a child at dessert time. “Got to golf.”

All you Air Jordanaires, cross your fingers.