Charles Barkley: Warriors 'very small,' no match for Bulls of '95-96

The Golden State Warriors are thought by many to have a fighting chance to match the 1995-96Chicago Bulls' 72-win mark as they continue to roll through opponents.

Charles Barkley, who got two first-hand looks at those Bulls in the last of his four-season stint with the Phoenix Suns, says it's a moot point.

Barkley favors the San Antonio Spurs to win the NBA title.

"That Bulls team would kill this little team," Barkley said of the Warriors in an interview Thursday with ESPN Radio's Waddle & Silvy show in Chicago. "Come on, man. Who is going to guard Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan? What about Dennis Rodman?"

The Warriors improved to 25-1 on Wednesday night with a rout of the Suns, led byKlay Thompson's season-best 43 points and Stephen Curry's 25. Golden State was coming off its first loss, to Milwaukee on Saturday night, after an NBA-record 24-0 start.

"I still like the Spurs to win the championship this year," said Barkley, a Naismith Hall of Famer and Turner Sports analyst. "Just because these guys are beating up on inferior competition, don't overreact now."

With Jordan returning for his first full season since retiring in 1993, the Bulls of 1995-96 went 72-10 and won the fourth of Jordan's six NBA titles.

"Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman -- let me just start with those three," Barkley said. "First of all they would love playing the way the Warriors play. It's a much easier game now. Could you imagine how many points Michael would average if you couldn't touch him? Dennis would get so many rebounds against that team. They are a very small team."

Barkley has previously said Curry and the Warriors were "carrying the NBA" during an otherwise down season for the league.

"Thank God for the Golden State Warriors," Barkley said earlier this month on "The Rich Eisen Show." "They're keeping everybody involved. But it hasn't been great basketball."

According to the ESPN Basketball Power Index, the Warriors now have a 60.9 percent chance of winning 70 games, a 47.2 percent chance of winning 71 and a 33.3 percent chance of winning 72. They also have a 20.8 percent chance of winning 73 games and an 11.5 percent chance of winning 74.

"I know we live in the moment," Barkley said. "These guys haven't won the championship yet."

Information from ESPN's Stats & Information was used in this report.