The Phoenix Suns and Chicago Bulls meet for a 7-game series in an elite matchup of all-time lineups.

The Phoenix Suns and the Chicago Bulls are two of the most talented and gifted teams in NBA history in terms of the level of s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 the players who have donned their jerseys possessed. In both the past and present, the Suns and Bulls have been home to some of the NBA’s greatest scorers, passers, playmakers, and overall defenders. Today, each armed with their altered all-time lineups, they go head-to-head for ultimate bragging rights.

On the Phoenix side, we insert Devin Booker and Kevin Durant into the mix for a more modern spin on their all-time starting lineup. For the Bulls, we have seen this lineup before headlined by the GOAT Michael Jordan along with his running mates for their second three-peat, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman. With the rest of each lineup filled with franchise legends who present the perfect small-ball matchup against each other, the only thing left to do is break it all down and declare a winner.

In one of the greatest all-time matchups we have ever presented, this is the Phoenix Suns all-time team vs. the Chicago Bulls all-time team in a seven-game series.

Steve Nash vs. Derrick Rose

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The point guard matchup for these two teams features a clash of two completely different play styles up against one another. On one hand, with the Suns, you have Steve Nash, one of the greatest playmakers in NBA history who won MVP awards on the back of the way he could run an offense. Nash’s finesse and control of the tempo will be crucial for a Suns team capable of being far more offensively gifted than the one Nash played with in the 2000s.

With this lineup, Nash’s strengths will be multiplied times infinity with offensive weapons such as Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Charles Barkley to work with. Not to mention, he also gets his favorite running-mate Amar’e Stoudemire to work with as well. For Chicago, the point guard position will be played by Derrick Rose at his peak form who was an athletic and s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ed freak of nature.

With Rose’s speed, control, and change of direction, the Suns will have their work cut out for them defensively. Chances are that Booker or Durant will have to help Nash keep Rose at bay while also trying to pin down Michael Jordan on the perimeter on every possession. Rose can really do some damage if he stays in attack mode, whether it be as a second scorer next to Jordan or as a playmaker utilizing the weapons he has around him by blowing past the defense.

Devin Booker vs. Michael Jordan

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At the shooting guard position will be another high-octane matchup between two of the great shooting guards of their era. Devin Booker has emerged as a superstar in the NBA, capable of knocking down shots from any spot he so chooses and getting to the rim with minimal effort. Booker has the unique ability to step in and take over point guard duties as a talented passer and playmaker when he is called upon to do so.

Unfortunately for Booker, the man across from him is vastly superior to him in every aspect of the game. That is because his opponent is Michael Jordan, the greatest player in NBA history and a two-way machine on the court. Jordan will benefit from his style of play against Booker, using his strength and physicality to overwhelm him on both sides of the ball.

On offense, Jordan needs to just stay in attack mode and get right at Booker’s chest in the mid-range and to the rim. On defense, Jordan will use his body to keep Booker at bay and push him further away from the basket. The only chance Booker has at staying afloat in this matchup is working away from Jordan, coming off screens away from the ball, and trying to gain an advantage on his first step off the dribble.

Kevin Durant vs. Jimmy Butler

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The next matchup we have features our small forwards and another one that heavily favors one side. Kevin Durant is one of the most efficient and deadly scorers in NBA history who uses the entire court to his advantage and gets to his spots on a regular basis. Durant is particularly deadly as a mid-range shooter and creator from the perimeter where his 7’0’’ build and guard-like handles make him nearly impossible to slow down.

With Durant as the clear No. 1 option on the Suns, the defensive assignments may switch back-and-forth between Butler, Jordan, and Pippen on Durant. This isn’t to say that Jimmy Butler can not hold his own against Durant but the height difference will end up being a bigger factor as the series wears on.

Where Butler will be successful is his on-ball defensive effort. Butler’s disruption and stamina may be enough to throw Durant off just enough to force the scoring into someone else’s hands. If Durant struggles to create for himself thanks to Butler’s active hands and feet, He will rely on Booker and Nash to help set up some plays to get him going. If you ask me, that isn’t a bad alternative anyway.

Charles Barkley vs. Scottie Pippen

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As we get into our frontcourt matchup, small ball becomes the more active term for the matchup we have before us. Charles Barkley was an undersized power forward as it is but remember, this is the MVP version of Barkley who went toe-to-toe with Scottie Pippen on many occasions and got the best of him.

Barkley will inevitably want to force Pippen into a traditional power forward matchup allowing him to use his body and superior post-game to gain an advantage on offense. While Pippen is a talented perimeter defender, and maybe even the best on the court, Barkley’s size and s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 in the paint may be something that we see a heavy dose of as the series wears on.

Pippen’s biggest contributions are going to look like most of his career playing next to Michael Jordan. When things seem like they are getting grim defensively for Butler, we will see Pippen take on the challenge of helping defend Durant and other perimeter threats. Pippen’s playmaking and passing on fast breaks and in transition will be the best work he does on offense with so much of it being dominated by Rose and Jordan but make no mistake, Pippen will be a contributing factor in any series win for Chicago.

Amar’e Stoudemire vs. Dennis Rodman

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Other than the headliners, the matchup to watch most is going to be between Phoenix’s Amar’e Stoudemire and Chicago’s Dennis Rodman. With Stoudemire, you have one of the more talented big-man transition threats of the last 20 seasons with great speed and rim-rocking finishing ability. The pace of Phoenix may be too much for Chicago if they have all five players in their lineup consistently pushing the opaque which favors Stoudemire.

Opposing him, however, is one of the greatest defensive forwards in NBA history, Dennis Rodman. Rodman will easily be able to keep up with the pace of Stoudemire as well as use his consistent and pesky physical brand of basketball to get in his head. With zero offensive game on most nights, Rodman’s sole focus will be Stoudemire, Barkley, and rebounds. Rodman’s rebounding against Barkley and Stoudemire could be the factor that swings this series one way or the other.

Phoenix Suns All-Time Team Advantages

While this matchup may seem to heavily favor one side or the other to the nɑƙeɗ eye, each team has some select advantages that will be essential to victory in a seven-game series. For the Suns, their first advantage is going to be their playmaking. Steve Nash is the head of the snake so to speak of this but Booker, Durant, and Barkley are all superbly underrated passers and playmakers at their position. The willingness and selflessness of this Suns lineup may be exactly what leads them to victory.

Another advantage for the Suns in their matchup with the Bulls is going to be their perimeter shooting. With Nash, Booker, Durant, and even Barkley, the Suns are clearly the superior long-distance shooting team by a wide margin. Instead of playing right into Chicago’s defensive strengths, Phoenix will look to create as many open opportunities as possible for these four to get into a rhythm and shoot Chicago out of the gym.

Chicago Bulls All-Time Team Advantages

The Chicago Bulls also have a few distinct advantages they can use on a path to victory over the Phoenix Suns. The first of these advantages is going to be their overall team defense. Everywhere you look up and down this lineup, there are accomplished defenders who can shut down their opponents in more ways than one. Michael Jordan, Jimmy Butler, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman would be one of the greatest defensive units to ever take the court if assembled and Derrick Rose is no cone on that end either. If any team defense could slow down a potent offense like Phoenix has, it would be this one.

Chicago’s second distinct advantage over the Suns in this matchup is a pretty simple one. It is the mere presence of a prime Michael Jordan. As great as Phoenix is up and down their lineup, no player has the two-way impact Jordan does or brings the level of scoring, defense, playmaking, and will to win that he does on a nightly basis. Any way you want to slice it, having the greatest overall player on the court on one side is always going to be a major factor in any series and an advantage for that team.

Who Would Win This Matchup In A 7-Game Series?

In a matchup of two teams with equally elite units on both sides of the ball, the series gets underway with some fireworks in Game 1. It started out with Michael Jordan fired up to be back in front of his home crowd and started the series with an all-time performance of 51 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 steals. However, the rest of the Bulls struggled while Kevin Durant and Devin Booker each went off for 30-plus points on 50.0% or better shooting. Steve Nash dished out 15 assists as well and the Suns pulled off the upset in Game 1, 115-108.

Game 2 would be a different story all around. After a demoralizing defeat on defense in Game 1, the Bulls banded together the following night to fight back in the series. While the frontcourt duo of Derrick Rose and Michael Jordan took care of things offensively with 35 and 25 points respectively, Jimmy Butler had the defensive game of his life against Kevin Durant, hounding his every move. The frontcourt took Amar’e Stoudemire completely out of play as well leaving Booker to fend for himself against Jordan. This left Phoenix disheveled and the series back to even as the Bulls won 109-99.

The momentum-shifting Game 3 in Phoenix would be an all-time playoff contest yet again. Kevin Durant, completely embarrassed by the job he did in Game 2, would come out on fire for the Suns in Game 3. Jimmy Butler got involved offensively for Chicago as once again Michael Jordan led all scorers with 43 points. The difference in this one would be Charles Barkley for the Suns who finally utilized his post game and took care of Pippen in the post. Barkley finished with 31 points and 13 rebounds as the Suns squeaked out Game 3 and a 2-1 series advantage, 105-96.

After another shocking loss in Game 3, Michael Jordan took it upon himself to rally his teammates in Game 4. Jordan led the way on both ends of the court as the great ones usually do, and his team followed suit. After Jordan’s remarkable 45 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists, Rose followed with 26 points and 11 assists of his own. Butler added a solid 16 points while Pippen added 15 in a series-tying victory, 114-104.

The series was now down to a best-of-3 between these juggernauts and it would be all about momentum. Using their performance from Game 4, the Bulls continued their defensive onslaught in Game 5. Pippen made the switch to Durant which ultimately changed the series altogether. Pippen’s length and instincts allowed him to disrupt Durant’s rhythm just enough for the Bulls to take advantage. The Suns fought back using a heavy dose of Barkley and Booker as well but once again, Michael Jordan and Derrick Rose delivered. Jordan finished with 36 points while Rose added 27 and dished out 9 assists for a 3-2 series lead in Chicago’s favor.

With everything on the line in Game 6, the Suns came out swinging as fierce as they had been in the entire series. With Durant struggling a bit, Booker stepped up with a godly mid-range performance with 34 points on 60.0% shooting. Amar’e Stoudemire decided to show up when it was most critical, finding the better of Dennis Rodman for 20 points and 10 rebounds of his own. With a chance to put things away, the Bulls let it slip and the Suns forced a Game & sure to be filled with excitement.

With the stakes at their highest and the temperature at its hottest, the Bulls and Suns would take the court in a decisive Game 7. After a back-and-forth first half, both teams; stars traded blows during the third quarter. Kevin Durant began to heat up once again to the tune of 40 points on 56.5% shooting from the field. The fourth quarter, and the series overall, really belonged to one man the entire way, and that is Michael Jordan. With no way he would possibly allow his team to lose, Jordan had himself a double nickel 55-point game with 10 rebounds and 3 steals to seal the series in favor of the Bulls.

Final Result: Phoenix Suns All-Time Team vs. Chicago Bulls All-Time Team 3-4

Series MVP: Michael Jordan