MJ was great, but primarily at one on one lockdown and occasionally playing passing lanes. Pippen was an amazing all around help and team defender. Neither ever led the league in defensive win shares - in that era of fewer 3s, the center was always the most important defender. Hakeem led the league in every defensive statistic the year Jordan got DPOY … he should have won every year. And when he didn’t, Robinson should have.
Pippen was great defender, natural tools - length and lateral agility. MJ had similar tools. And MJ had to be one of best ever defense>offense. But difference was their mentality. MJ was an absolute dog on defense his entire career. He was maniacal about it. MJ helped Pippen become a dog on defense too, but Jordan had the obvious mental edge.
