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There are countless debates in the NBA that are nearly impossible to find an answer to. One of them is picking out the greatest team of all time. While analysts and stat nerds can each bring up a solid case as to why the 1996 Chicago Bulls or Kevin Durant joining a 73-9 Golden State Warriors team would be the most impossible to stop, the reality is the game today compared to 20 years ago is way too different. But that doesn't mean artificial intelligence (AI) can't find the answer to it.
We've already settled multiple pressing debates through AI that are nearly impossible to answer. We asked it to create the greatest NBA player of all time, the most average NBA player of all time, and even predict who'll win the 2023 Super Bowl. This time, we've asked it to simulate who'd win a game if the 2017 Warriors faced off against the 1996 Bulls. But this comes with a twist; it won't be just one game. This simulation will be 1,000 games between the two teams, and since ChatGPT doesn't do predictions, this will only be simulated through Google’s AI, Bard.
Who would win in a 7-game series: the 2017 Warriors or 1996 Bulls?
Bard's prediction for a single game between the two teams saw the Warriors defeating the Bulls 115-110. Stephen Curry catches fire in the 3rd finishing with 35 points which was enough to overcome Michael Jordan dropping a 50-burger. But what would happen if we asked Bard to simulate a 7-game series between the two teams? The answer: Warriors in 7.
Bard predicts that the series will be a back-and-forth affair, with the Warriors winning Games 1, 3, and 5, and the Bulls winning Games 2, 4, and 6. Similar to the first simulation, Bard thinks Game 7 will end in a 5-point victory for the Warriors with Curry winning Finals MVP. Since the series was nip and tuck, let's create a simulation that settles the debate for good. First, we asked Bard who'd win after 100 games, and for good measure, we'll see who'd win after 1000 games.
Who would have a better record after playing each other 1,000 times?
By the 100 game mark, Bard has the Warriors beating the Bulls 55 times. In Bard's opinion, the Warriors have a more balanced team despite the best player being on the other team.
When you simulate 900 more games, the Warriors will go on to win 529 times while the Bulls win 471 matchups. Bard explained that in the 471 wins from the Bulls, those were games where Jordan was impossible to stop. So it seems like AI believes that the 2017 Warriors are the greatest NBA team of all time over the 1996 Bulls, but there's not much of a margin between the two as these simulations show.
