The Chicago Bulls were the team of the 1990s, thanks to Michael Jordan. The GOAT helped them win six championships in eight years before retiring in 1998. Fans were captivated by The Last Dance during the pandemic. It stirred up plenty of old feelings for those involved, but that was just one small part of MJ’s legacy.
Jordan was a star from the moment he entered the NBA, but it took seven seasons before he won his first championship. MJ won six of the next eight as his two three-peats were interrupted by a brief baseball career. Jordan made the Bulls an iconic franchise as he transformed into the greatest of all time.
MJ did not do it alone. He had some outstanding teammates during his 13 seasons in Chicago, but there were plenty of regrettable ones, especially in the early days. Here is a look at the Bulls’ worst starters that played next to Jordan.
Ranking worst Chicago Bulls starters of the Michael Jordan era
10. Rory Sparrow
Sparrow is best known for his charity work and his four-year run as the Knicks starting point guard in the mid-1980s, but he had a brief stint playing next to MJ in Chicago.
The Bulls traded a second-round pick to the Knicks for the 6’2 guard in November of 1987. Chicago had John Paxson as their starting point guard, and they hoped Sparrow could give them a boost after three straight first-round playoff exits.
They tried him in several different roles, including letting him start 25 games during the regular season, but the fit just was not there. Sparrow averaged 4.5 points and 2.9 assists in 18.0 minutes per game over his 55 contests with Chicago. His minutes and production dipped further in the playoffs, and the Bulls waived him before the start of the following season.
Rory Sparrow had a couple of quality years left in him, but he struggled mightily playing next to Michael Jordan. On talent, he does not belong on this list. His inclusion was solely based on fit and lack of production in Chicago.
9. Ennis Whatley
The Bulls acquired Whatley in a 1983 draft night trade for Mark Olberding. The 6’3 point guard was the 13th overall pick that year and had an outstanding rookie campaign. Whatley averaged 8.4 points, 8.3 assists, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals before Michael Jordan joined the team in the 1984 draft.
His production dipped mightily after MJ’s arrival. Whatley started 44 of his 70 games played during Jordan’s rookie campaign where he averaged 5.0 points, 5.4 assists, and 0.9 steals in 19.8 minutes per game. The 6’3 point guard did not play in the playoffs as the Bulls were knocked out by the Bucks in the first round.
Ennis Whatley admitted to being part of the “traveling cocaine circus” that was referred to in The Last Dance, and he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of a package for Charles Oakley in 1985.
Whatley played a decade in the NBA and multiple years overseas, but he never replicated the success he had as a rookie before MJ arrived in Chicago. He was the Wizards starting point guard in 1987 where he averaged 8.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.3 steals in 24.9 minutes per game. Washington was swept in the first round of the playoffs, and the 6’3 guard was a reserve for the remainder of his NBA career.
8. Jawann Oldham
Oldham was a second-round pick by the Nuggets in 1980 that was waived by two different teams before signing with the Bulls in 1983. Chicago was hoping the seven-footer could grow into a role player as he reached his prime.
Oldham’s playing time steadily increased over his four years with the Bulls with his best year coming in 1986 when the seven-footer averaged 7.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks in 24.5 minutes per game. He made 47 starts in his 52 appearances and helped the Bulls make the playoffs without Michael Jordan for the majority of the season.
Some are likely wondering why Oldham makes this list after he finished sixth in the NBA in blocks per game and tied for 11th in total swats in 1986. His defense was not impactful beyond the blocks and his offensive game was virtually non-existent. In his four years in Chicago, Oldham had a 0.0 value over replacement player (VORP) and a win shares per 48 minutes of 0.045 with 0.1 being the league average.
Jawann Oldham did not make an impact on the overall game, but the Chicago Bulls traded him to the Knicks for two draft picks in 1986. He played four more seasons in the league as his production and playing time dipped. Oldham was a forgettable starter of the MJ era, but not the worst.
7. Wes Matthews
Matthews is the father of current Hawks wing Wesley Matthews. He played nine years in the NBA after being the 14th overall pick in 1980. The elder Matthews was a 6’1 point guard that joined the Bulls during Michael Jordan’s rookie year. Chicago was his fourth team as he entered his fifth year in the NBA, and the Bulls were looking to snap a three-year playoff drought.
Matthews started 38 of his 78 games played during his lone season with the Bulls where he averaged 5.7 points, 4.5 assists, and 0.9 steals in 19.5 minutes per game. The 25-year-old was a strong distributor that started all four of the team’s playoff contests in 1985. His production decreased in the postseason, and Chicago waived him in July.
Wes Matthews finished his lone season on the Bulls with a negative box score plus-minus, a 0.3 VORP, and a well below league average win shares per 48 minutes. The advanced metrics paint the picture of a subpar starter next to the GOAT in the backcourt.
Matthews had arguably the best year of his career the following season in San Antonio and played four years in the NBA after leaving Chicago. He was a journeyman that has plenty of stories about his lone season playing next to Michael Jordan.
6. Brad Sellers
The Bulls drafted Sellers with the ninth overall pick in 1986. Jordan was limited to 18 games in his second NBA season by a broken foot. He returned for the stretch run, but Chicago was bounced in the first round of the playoffs by the Celtics.
They hoped Sellers would be a difference-maker, but that was not the case. The seven-foot forward had a promising rookie season where he averaged 8.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks in 21.9 minutes per game, but his production dipped in the playoffs as Chicago was swept by Boston for the second straight year.
Sellers got more minutes in year two and averaged a career-high 9.5 points per game, but he started to see the writing on the wall after the additions of Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant. The seven-footer requested a trade after his playing time dipped in year three, and Michael Jordan hilariously helped make it a reality.
Brad Sellers played just three seasons in the NBA after leaving the Chicago Bulls where he never got more than 12 minutes per game. He was Chicago’s primary starter during the 1987-1988 season, but the ninth-overall pick was a bit of a disappointment. Sellers had a long career playing overseas, and he eventually became mayor of his hometown of Warrenville Heights in Ohio.
5. Jason Caffey
The Bulls drafted Caffey with the 20th overall pick in 1995. Jordan had just returned from his baseball stint, and Chicago was gearing up for another run. They hoped the 6’8 forward could quickly make an impact after four years at the University of Alabama, but he did not even last through the three-peat.
Caffey mostly came off the bench, but he did make 27 starts over his two-plus years in Chicago. Over the 183-game sample, he averaged 5.5 points and 3.2 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per game. Caffey was not starting over Scottie Pippen or Dennis Rodman, but his production left plenty to be desired.
He finished with a negative 3.1 box score plus-minus and a negative 0.8 VORP over his time with the Bulls. Caffey did not play one second in the playoffs in 1996, and he was limited to mop-up duty in 1997, despite seeing action in 17 of the team’s 19 postseason contests.
Jason Caffey was traded to the Warriors for David Vaughn and two second-round picks at the 1998 trade deadline in a move that upset the Bulls stars. The 6’9 forward has his best season in Golden State, but he was mostly a reserve over the final five years of his NBA career. The first-round pick failed to live up to the hype on the Chicago Bulls, but he is not the worst starter of the Michael Jordan era.
4. Earl Cureton
Cureton joined the Bulls just before MJ’s third season. The 29-year-old big man had already played six years in the NBA and was coming off his best season where he averaged 8.6 points and 6.3 rebounds in 25.2 minutes per game for the Pistons. Detroit traded Cureton and a second-round draft pick to Chicago to get Sidney Green.
The 6’9 big man lasted just six months in the Windy City. He started 36 of his 43 games played, but the Bulls were 22-21 with him in the lineup. Cureton averaged 6.9 points and 5.3 rebounds in 25.7 minutes per game, but Chicago traded him to the Clippers for just a second-round pick near the deadline. Jerry Krause wanted to open up minutes for the other big men on the roster, which meant Cureton had to go.
Earl Cureton was released by LA following the 1988 season, but he did play parts of four more years in the NBA. The big man played for seven different teams in his 12 years in the league. He won two rings but only got spot postseason minutes on both teams.
It was a short and forgettable stint on the Chicago Bulls for Cureton, which puts him firmly on this list.
3. Mike Brown
The Bulls drafted Brown in the third round in 1985, but he played one year overseas before coming to Chicago. The 6’9 big man, not to be confused with the current Sacramento Kings head coach of the same name, was known for his energy and effort in the low post. He was a reserve throughout his 12-year career in the NBA with most of his best moments coming on the Utah Jazz with John Stockton and Karl Malone.
During his two seasons in Chicago, Brown averaged 4.2 points and 3.5 rebounds in 13.0 minutes per game. He made 30 starts in his 108 appearances and had a negative value over replacement player (VORP) in both years. The Bulls made the playoffs twice, but Brown played a total of seven postseason minutes.
There is a case to be made for Mike Brown as the worst starter of the Michael Jordan era, but he did play a dozen years in the league and improved after the Charlotte Hornets selected him in the 1988 expansion draft. The Hornets immediately traded him to the Jazz where Brown was a key contributor over the next five years.
After stints in Chicago, Utah, Minnesota, Philadelphia, and Phoenix, the 6’9 big man played four more years overseas before retiring in 2001 at the age of 37.
2. Caldwell Jones
Jones was an ABA All-Star in 1975 and one of the league’s premier centers. He averaged 4.0 blocks per game as a rookie along with being an all-around problem. The 6’11 big man translated that to the 76ers in 1976. He was not as dominant in the NBA, but Jones was still a force that spent eight years as a starter before arriving in Chicago in 1984.
Jordan was a rookie, and the Bulls were eager to snap a three-year playoff drought. Jones turned 34 years old just before training camp, but Chicago was hoping the veteran could make an impact on both ends of the floor. That did not happen as the big man averaged 3.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks in 21.1 minutes per game. He only played in 42 contests, but he started 32. The Bulls were hoping for more, but Jones was starting to decline.
Caldwell Jones played in just two of their four playoff games for a total of 18 minutes. He left in free agency following the summer, and the Chicago Bulls got a second-round compensatory pick from the Trail Blazers out of the deal. Jones played five more years in the league mostly as a backup big man before retiring in 1990.
He was past his prime before arriving in Chicago, which made him one of the worst starters of the Michael Jordan era.
1. Granville Waiters
Waiters was a second-round draft pick by the Trail Blazers in 1983 that was traded to the Pacers for a future second-round pick two months after the draft. The 6’11 big man was a backup for two years in Indiana before heading to Houston where he barely played. Chicago traded a second-round pick for Waiters in 1986 in search of center depth.
Waiters started 26 of his 44 games played during the 1986-87 season where he averaged 1.9 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks in 12.1 minutes per game. None of those stats are misprints. Waiters earned eight total minutes in the playoffs as his playing time declined throughout the year.
Waiters spent a second season in Chicago where his minutes and production dipped further. He headed overseas after the 1988 season where he spent two years in Europe before retiring in 1990.
Things did not work out for Granville Waiters on the Chicago Bulls, and he goes down as the worst starter of the Michael Jordan era. Plenty of players drew consideration for this list because the Bulls had plenty of struggles with the GOAT. Ultimately, the six championships are what people remember, but every era has some regrettable starters.
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