The other wing players weren't nearly as good. I think Pippen, Jordan, and Harper would have shut down Maxwell, Cassell, and Kenny. They would have just allowed Hakeem to get his.
@Rob, no one could handle a young Shaq. He was the most dominant force we've ever seen since Wilt. Hakeem, Robinson, and Ewing, all outstanding and elite defenders would get bullied by Shaq.
They'd just make Shaq work extra hard and try to wear them down on the other end, but defensively, they were at his mercy too.
What Phil did, and had, was three 7 feet centers. His philosophy was put Shaq on the line, or let him get his and shut everyone else down.
Hakeem himself wouldn't have beaten the Bulls IMO because he lacked that dynamic wing player. Although Thorpe might have given them some issues before they got Rodman.
When they got Clyde, he was on the tail spin of his career. Still very good, but Jordan was soundly better than Clyde. The second Rockets teams would have made it tougher. That team might have beaten the Bulls, hard to say. They were kinda a hot mess that year, but got hot at the right time and won it all.
The first one would have had no chance IMO.
EDIT: I completely didn't read the thread. Me multiple tasking while making dinner.
If the answer is would Jordan's Bulls, when he came back from baseball, that '95 team beat the Rockets?
The answers is a definite no. Jordan wasn't Jordan.. He came back from baseball, virtually not playing any meaningful basketball in a year and half. If Jordan were Jordan, and never retired, that's an entirely different scenario.
Although I do the Magic in general matched up much better against the Bulls than the Rockets would, but they would have lost against Hakeem's Rockets too.
