***2021 NBA PLAYOFFS THREAD***

Originally posted by 4ML:
Lol this.

Pippen was the better player than Ewing. Why would he leave him? Pippen was the leader of that team and Rodman was the enforcer. Jordan had perfect teammates where he can just go out there and focus on scoring and play good 1 on 1 defense. Jordan didn't need to be THE Leader, the playmaker, the best defensive player etc etc.

He's still the best, or second best player, in NBA history according to you. So not sure what you're trying to prove here… other than showing a bit of insecurity about Lebron James. Not trying to be an a hole, but the relentless bashing of a guy who has been retired for 20 years is pointless. No matter how much you try and diminish him, you admitted he's the goat, or goat 1B

Originally posted by sacniner:

Originally posted by 4ML:
Lol this.

Pippen was the better player than Ewing. Why would he leave him? Pippen was the leader of that team and Rodman was the enforcer. Jordan had perfect teammates where he can just go out there and focus on scoring and play good 1 on 1 defense. Jordan didn't need to be THE Leader, the playmaker, the best defensive player etc etc.

He's still the best, or second best player, in NBA history according to you. So not sure what you're trying to prove here… other than showing a bit of insecurity about Lebron James. Not trying to be an a hole, but the relentless bashing of a guy who has been retired for 20 years is pointless. No matter how much you try and diminish him, you admitted he's the goat, or goat 1B

I think once again you're being overly sensitive. It's ok to have an honest conversation about Jordan and still think he's one of the 3 greatest players of all time. It's not bashing or trying to diminish him. None of the stuff I said is an opinion or untrue. This is straight from Phil Jackson's mouth that Pippen was the leader of the team and ran the offense and defense. I am making a simple point that Jordan had no reason to leave bc he had a top 7 player of the decade on the roster with him.

Also - you're kinda being an ahole and you have a choice to not respond or not continue this debate if you don't like it.

Originally posted by 4ML:
Lol this.

Pippen was the better player than Ewing. Why would he leave him? Pippen was the leader of that team and Rodman was the enforcer. Jordan had perfect teammates where he can just go out there and focus on scoring and play good 1 on 1 defense. Jordan didn't need to be THE Leader, the playmaker, the best defensive player etc etc.

Who said Pippen had to leave? LBJ teamed up with Wade and Bosh. Love and Irving. Durant went to Curry and Thompson. Now has Harden and Irving. In today's era it can be a 3 man superstar team.

And Pippen was no leader. The guy walked off the court when Phil had Kukoc take a shot for him.

Originally posted by TheGore49er:
Pippen and Rodman were white on the inside

Yes, because I said every player on the Bulls was white. But remind who hit the game winners against Utah and Phoenix. Chicago had those same white boys. Or was Jud Bueschler an inside out Oreo cookie.

Originally posted by 4ML:
I think once again you're being overly sensitive. It's ok to have an honest conversation about Jordan and still think he's one of the 3 greatest players of all time. It's not bashing or trying to diminish him. None of the stuff I said is an opinion or untrue. This is straight from Phil Jackson's mouth that Pippen was the leader of the team and ran the offense and defense. I am making a simple point that Jordan had no reason to leave bc he had a top 7 player of the decade on the roster with him.

Also - you're kinda being an ahole and you have a choice to not respond or not continue this debate if you don't like it.

You want to have an honest conversation and are saying you don't try and bash MJ? Come on bro

how am I being an a hole? You poke this convo all the time, so you must want to continue the convo. We can drop it for now

Originally posted by tjd808185:

Originally posted by 4ML:
Lol this.

Pippen was the better player than Ewing. Why would he leave him? Pippen was the leader of that team and Rodman was the enforcer. Jordan had perfect teammates where he can just go out there and focus on scoring and play good 1 on 1 defense. Jordan didn't need to be THE Leader, the playmaker, the best defensive player etc etc.

And Pippen was no leader. The guy walked off the court when Phil had Kukoc take a shot for him.

Well, I think I'll go with what Phil Jackson said since he was the coach and he'd kinda know:

Phil Jackson, who coached Pippen ever since he came to the NBA, immediately saw in which ways Pippen could help the team. There is a perception that Jordan did all the talking during Bulls practice, but according to Jackson, Pippen was the voice of the team in every way possible. Because of his high basketball IQ, especially on defense, Pippen took care that all of his teammates knew where they need to be in certain situations during the game. You could easily say he was the team's captain when it came to defense.

"His greatest strength was his knowledge of how things worked on the defensive end of the floor. Scottie was the voice of our team—figuratively and literally, as he did a lot of the talking and kept our team on the same page. When he wasn't at the top of the key harassing a guard as a special assignment, he was on the backside of our defense, talking his teammates through different situations, whether it was a double team, trap, or some other important aspect. Because of that, he was very vital to the run that we made."

"Scottie was our team leader. He was the guy that directed our offense, and he was the guy that took on a lot of big challenges defensively. He brought out the best in players and communicated the best."

- Phil Jackson, via NBA.com

Originally posted by tjd808185:
Who said Pippen had to leave? LBJ teamed up with Wade and Bosh. Love and Irving. Durant went to Curry and Thompson. Now has Harden and Irving. In today's era it can be a 3 man superstar team.

Well, when your team can win 55 games without you - you don't really need to do that. Also, today your competition usually have 3 stars. In the 90s - after the league expanded so much - most good teams had 1 or 2 stars. Bulls identity was defense and they did add 2 elite elite star defenders in Rodman and Ron Harper before their 2nd 3peat.

Anyways - onto the best player in the World.



Keep attacking my dood. They can put 6 in front of you - they can't stop you!

Originally posted by 4ML:

Originally posted by tjd808185:

Originally posted by 4ML:
Lol this.

Pippen was the better player than Ewing. Why would he leave him? Pippen was the leader of that team and Rodman was the enforcer. Jordan had perfect teammates where he can just go out there and focus on scoring and play good 1 on 1 defense. Jordan didn't need to be THE Leader, the playmaker, the best defensive player etc etc.

And Pippen was no leader. The guy walked off the court when Phil had Kukoc take a shot for him.

Well, I think I'll go with what Phil Jackson said since he was the coach and he'd kinda know:

Phil Jackson, who coached Pippen ever since he came to the NBA, immediately saw in which ways Pippen could help the team. There is a perception that Jordan did all the talking during Bulls practice, but according to Jackson, Pippen was the voice of the team in every way possible. Because of his high basketball IQ, especially on defense, Pippen took care that all of his teammates knew where they need to be in certain situations during the game. You could easily say he was the team's captain when it came to defense.

"His greatest strength was his knowledge of how things worked on the defensive end of the floor. Scottie was the voice of our team—figuratively and literally, as he did a lot of the talking and kept our team on the same page. When he wasn't at the top of the key harassing a guard as a special assignment, he was on the backside of our defense, talking his teammates through different situations, whether it was a double team, trap, or some other important aspect. Because of that, he was very vital to the run that we made."

"Scottie was our team leader. He was the guy that directed our offense, and he was the guy that took on a lot of big challenges defensively. He brought out the best in players and communicated the best."

- Phil Jackson, via NBA.com

Wrong. tjd says it was MJ, so Phil can EAD.

Originally posted by 4ML:
Anyways - onto the best player in the World.



Keep attacking my dood. They can put 6 in front of you - they can't stop you!

So he's better than LBJ right now?

I think I would give KD and LBJ the nod over him at this point… but definitely an argument to be made

Originally posted by 4ML:
Well, I think I'll go with what Phil Jackson said since he was the coach and he'd kinda know:

Phil Jackson, who coached Pippen ever since he came to the NBA, immediately saw in which ways Pippen could help the team. There is a perception that Jordan did all the talking during Bulls practice, but according to Jackson, Pippen was the voice of the team in every way possible. Because of his high basketball IQ, especially on defense, Pippen took care that all of his teammates knew where they need to be in certain situations during the game. You could easily say he was the team's captain when it came to defense.

"His greatest strength was his knowledge of how things worked on the defensive end of the floor. Scottie was the voice of our team—figuratively and literally, as he did a lot of the talking and kept our team on the same page. When he wasn't at the top of the key harassing a guard as a special assignment, he was on the backside of our defense, talking his teammates through different situations, whether it was a double team, trap, or some other important aspect. Because of that, he was very vital to the run that we made."

"Scottie was our team leader. He was the guy that directed our offense, and he was the guy that took on a lot of big challenges defensively. He brought out the best in players and communicated the best."

- Phil Jackson, via NBA.com

So MJ wasn't the team leader? Lol. Someone missed the documentary

The whole "The Bulls won 55 games without Jordan" argument is so tired.

Originally posted by SteveWallacesHelmet:
The whole "The Bulls won 55 games without Jordan" argument is so tired.

It's funny that a couple of these guys are saying Jordan wasn't the team leader… yes, Scottie was a leader, but Jordan was the leader. When you're an alpha and an all time great, how would you not be the leader. Every alpha, all time great is the team leader. This ain't the chess club.

Originally posted by 4ML:
Well, when your team can win 55 games without you - you don't really need to do that. Also, today your competition usually have 3 stars. In the 90s - after the league expanded so much - most good teams had 1 or 2 stars. Bulls identity was defense and they did add 2 elite elite star defenders in Rodman and Ron Harper before their 2nd 3peat.

They got to the second round. Whoopity do. A healthy Bosh and Wade or Irving and Love would do the same.

And not really on the 3 stars thing. Who are Milwaukee and Phoenix's 3 stars? Jrue Holiday is a superstar now? LeBron has taken the easiest path and unless another top 3 superstar like Durant also plays that game he should win.

Gotta get Ayton in foul trouble again if he's on Giannis too much. Gotta punish everyone else. Must win game for Giannis.