Pippen Ain't Easy
Fansided

Chicago Bulls: 5 best Michael Jordan teammates on ‘The Last Dance’ team

By Andrew Miller

Chicago Bulls (Photo credit should read JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images)
Chicago Bulls (Photo credit should read JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images) /
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1 Nov 1997: Forward Toni Kukoc of the Chicago Bulls raises his arms into the air during the presentation of championship rings prior to a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls won the game 94-74. Mandat
1 Nov 1997: Forward Toni Kukoc of the Chicago Bulls raises his arms into the air during the presentation of championship rings prior to a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls won the game 94-74. Mandat /

3. Toni Kukoc, Forward

The third member of the three-headed monster that the Bulls had in the fold even beyond Jordan during the 1997-98 season was the Croatian 6-foot-10 forward and former second round pick in the 1990 NBA Draft Toni Kukoc. The three-time NBA Champion, 1993-94 All-Rookie Team selection, and 1995-96 Sixth Man of the Year was very valuable to the Bulls.

The fit between Kukoc and the Bulls was great in the playoffs right away. Kukoc was a perfect sixth man for the Bulls while another two of the players on this list would be manning the starting five. Kukoc would also stick around beyond the Jordan years in the Windy City to try and help Jerry Krause on his next rendition of a rebuild.

But that last rebuild for Krause in Chicago didn’t work out as well as the first few.

During that solid 1997-98 season for Kukoc and the Bulls, he averaged 13.3 points per game, 4.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.5 blocks, while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 36.2 percent from beyond the arc. That amounted to a 3.3 box plus/minus rating, 3.0 value over replacement player rating, and seven win shares.

Kukoc also had a good playoff run with the Bulls in 1998. He averaged 13.1 points per game, 3.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.2 steals, while shooting 48.6 percent from the field and 37.7 percent from beyond the arc. This was easily one of the top three playoff runs that Kukoc ever had during his dozen years in the NBA.

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