If MJ is doubled and Pippen is being guarded by Lebron? Let me think...about every single damn time? Like what the other posters said you must have never have played pickup basketball before. Even a 60 year old man can dribble a ball and put it in the bucket if unmolested. What makes you think Rodman couldn't do the same? It doesn't even matter if Rodman somehow flubs the layup, he can get his rebound back Love style and Bosh will still be too far away to pester him.
double teaming works in a 5 on 5 game, but not 3 on 3. if you actually played 3 one 3 games before, you would realize that the minute you double team = free layups. and its not like jordan and pippen are bad passers either (they are actually very good passers). plus if you let rodman roam around, even if they don't pass to him for the free layup, jordan/pippen can chuck contested jumpers over double teams without worry because rodman WILL get every single miss...
OMG, it's not like I'm talking about doubling MJ 25 feet out and leaving Rodman wide open under the hoop. Christ, is this basketball 101? When a player has limited range (as Rodman does), it is much easier for his defender to play off him. For example, posting up is a big part of MJ's half-court game. But Rodman is only an offensive factor in the paint so MJ would have much less room to operate. If Rodman were to roam out of the paint, Bosh could double the interior. Even with four players around MJ in the post, Bosh could do a soft double because it would be difficult for MJ to make that pass to Rodman. On offense, Bosh could pull Rodman away from his forte (rebounding) by sticking to the perimeter. This would also give Lebron & Wade free reign to penetrate. Because of Rodman's offensive limitations, this is not an option the other way around.
forgot to add that i actually watched a lot of the bulls games in the 90s because i lived in chicago... and yes rodman doesn't have the best offense, but he always had at least one body on him when the bulls are on offense because he's so relentless on the boards its not even funny. he's not like one of the other no offense players where you can leave alone because he will make you pay if you don't body him up every possession. seems like you guys covered pippen/jordan well enough, but you aren't giving rodman enough credit here with all that "oh you can just leave him alone" bs.
If you've ever played 3 on 3 against a mismatch (for instance, when you are facing a much taller player), you'd realize that your only chance to win is to double and exploit limitations.
on d (first of all you have to realize the bulls big 3 are probably one of the best set of defenders in nba history, and their specialty is perimeter defense) you guys are worrying about offense too much, but you realize the heat would get shut down and jordan alone will eventually score enough to win. you can post jordan on the block, and you have to double him (as you said, otherwise he'd abuse wade so bad on the block). if pippen's man is the doubler he can kick it out for the open j, if rodman's man doubles (which is what everyone is indicating) he can either pass it or jack it. either way its a open shot for rodman, a made jumper for jordan (he does decent against double teams), or he will miss and rodman is going to get the board because bosh left to double jordan. and they can repeat until they make the basket.
I think Olajuwon-Drexler-Cassell or Olajuwon-Maxwell-Cassell would also have their way with the Miami trio.
Clippy, MJ doesn't even have to be 25 feet from the basket. He can post up on the left side of the paint, Rodman can post up on the right side of the paint and Pippen can chill on the 3 pt line along with Lebron. If Bosh sticks to Rodman MJ will just abuse Wade down low. If Bosh comes up to help MJ will pass to Rodman who will now be open. Unless Bosh can travel the length of the paint faster than the ball that was just thrown that is a gimme for Rodman. Of course there is also that other option you're talking about, where MJ will camp up at the 3 pt line and then drive to the hoop. I highly doubt Wade can cover MJ in single coverage at all, and if they switch it up and LBJ guards MJ, Pippen will have a field day with the much shorter Wade. Basically Bosh WILL have to double MJ, and that will free up Rodman in the paint.
Have you ever watched a Bulls game when Rodman was playing there? Rodman could hit the three better than many of the current Rockets players, fyi.
You have been posting stupid things about the Bulls players. Where have you been getting your info? From playing video games. Stop conjuring up fantastic tales about those Bulls which you obviously have zero knowledge about.
I got my info from watching the Bulls. 31 year old Pippen was not an offensive machine who needed to be doubled. If you really think so, then there's really no point discussing further.
Perhaps you should have watched him play. The guy was a hall of fame player in my book. What would Chris Bosh do against him?
In which imaginary world did he do this? He hit 12/69 (17%) of his threes with the Bulls. And this was back when the NBA shortened the 3pt line. And I'd be shocked if all of them weren't wide open.
This. These newbies and those who have not really followed the Bulls closely just have no idea what they are talking about. Pippen being shut down by James? Are these people serious? What you folks here in Houston saw and had was Pippen with a serious chronic back injury and a Pippen who was disgusted with playing alongside Barkley who he disdained for not working out and preparing himself for games seriously. Pippen was also not a fit for Rudy T's system of dropping the ball to Dream and stand around at the three pt. line. The Miami boys, even with five full players, will not even be able to shut down Jordan by himself. Just ask Bird, McHale, Parish, D. Johnson and Ainge. These Celts belonged to the team that many considered the best of all time, and yet Jordan singlehandedly scored on them at will during the playoffs. As for Rodman, many of the posters here are right about him making a p***y out of Bosh and making him cry. Rodman gave Shaq fits when he was with the Bulls. He was one, if there ever was any other, of those who could handle Shaq defensively in the post, at 6'8". Rodman may be a braggart and a thug but he talked the talk and walked the walk, unlike James, who is already considered a basketball god even if he has nothing to show for it.
Absolutely he's an HOF player, and one of my all-time favorites. He's the ultimate team player. But 5-on-5 is a much different game, because it's easier to hide defeciences on either end of the floor. Bosh would hang out around 18 feet to pull Dennis away from the hoop and hit the occasional jumper over him.
It wouldn't even be funny because not one of Miami's big 3 can guard the post. Can you imagine Bosh trying to D up on Dream or Barkley. He would get abused constantly.
