Advanced Analytics: Does Rodman ever make it to the league?

[R.I.P.]

Not shooting well enough to play SF.
Not big enough to play PF.
We need spacing.
Comes from a small college. Rebound numbers are a fluke.
Probably not enough vertical and wingspan at the draft combine.


27th pick 2nd round in 1986. No way he gets drafted in 2015.

We probably never see Rodman play in the NBA.

[avonbarksdale]

what if seinfeld still on tv?

[DonDadda59]

We probably never see Rodman play in the NBA.

No way. A guy like that would find his way to the league even without being drafted (assuming he stuck to playing ball). Guys like Ben Wallace, Brad Miller, John Starks were undrafted but ended up being all star, DPOY, etc level players on championship winners/contenders.

I feel like there's just too many options for guys who don't get drafted to show off their worth to NBA execs. Play in the D-League, Summer League, overseas. If you have the talent and you pursue opportunities outside the league, it's almost impossible not to get noticed. The NBA's scouting arm reaches as far as China (see: Mudiay, Emmanuel).

[Kobe_6/8]

No way. A guy like that would find his way to the league even without being drafted (assuming he stuck to playing ball). Guys like Ben Wallace, Brad Miller, John Starks were undrafted but ended up being all star, DPOY, etc level players on championship winners/contenders.

I feel like there's just too many options for guys who don't get drafted to show off their worth to NBA execs. Play in the D-League, Summer League, overseas. If you have the talent and you pursue opportunities outside the league, it's almost impossible not to get noticed. The NBA's scouting arm reaches as far as China (see: Mudiay, Emmanuel).


This. Even if Rodman went undrafted, he could play in the D-League/Summer League/etc. and prove he belongs in the NBA.

[SHAQisGOAT]

Dennis was clearly below average at shooting FT's but he wasn't an inept shooter, he could hit open mid-range jumpers if left totally open. He was also a pretty good finisher, had solid soft-touch around the rim, oh and if you didn't put a body on him he'd kill you (even more) on them boards.
Plus, Rodman DIDN'T come up with the 3pt-line, DIDN'T play in 3pt-era, yet still shot 32% on 1.2 3PA's per game for the '92 season, as a SF/PF... Imho, better than any Tony Allen (SG/SF) 3pt-shooting season.

And what he brings to the table easily outweighs his "deficits", call it.

He could defend PF's out of the gate (although he was better at it when he got bigger/stronger/less-mobile in his older years), dude was always very strong with horse legs, great defender in the perimeter or the post and ofc beast of a rebounder... Could easily play PF since early on, ESPECIALLY nowadays with all the small ball and so on...

Rebound numbers being a fluke is being ironic right???

You realize that Rodman was a great overall athlete, what'chu talking bout? :rolleyes:

Player like Dennis gets drafted in any era, becomes a very valuable player at any point... Especially due to GOAT-level rebounding and GOAT-level, extremely versatile m2m defense.

[ClipperRevival]

Not shooting well enough to play SF.
Not big enough to play PF.
We need spacing.
Comes from a small college. Rebound numbers are a fluke.
Probably not enough vertical and wingspan at the draft combine.


27th pick 2nd round in 1986. No way he gets drafted in 2015.

We probably never see Rodman play in the NBA.

Please. How do you think he became an all time great defender and rebounder? Effort only gets you so far at the NBA level. Rodman was an all time great athlete. Worthy called him the best athlete he ever played against. Kerr called him as good of an athlete as anyone.

As long as scouts are able to use their eyes and use the eye test, he would've made the NBA in any era. Scouts would've seen this amazingly fluid and agile athlete moving all over the court. They would've seen his ability to slide laterally like a guard and his potential to guard multiple positions. And once they saw the effort he gave, scouts would've paid even more attention.

[chips93]

Not shooting well enough to play SF.
Not big enough to play PF.
We need spacing.
Comes from a small college. Rebound numbers are a fluke.
Probably not enough vertical and wingspan at the draft combine.


27th pick 2nd round in 1986. No way he gets drafted in 2015.

We probably never see Rodman play in the NBA.

sounds exactly like kenneth farried pre draft, and he went in the first round

[SCdac]

Ben Wallace was undrafted, same for Bruce Bowen... so you never know

[Lebron23]

Dennis Rodman averaged 26 ppg on 63 FG%, 16 rpg, 1.4 spg, and 1.7 bpg in College. Although he only played in NAIA.

http://www.nba.com/bulls/sites/bulls/files/rodman_pippen2_110809.jpg

[Dr. Ice]

Ivan johnson fit all those categories and is worst than dennis in every way yet still made it into the nba without being drafted.

I'm sure there are tons of other examples.

[FireDavidKahn]

He obviously would. His defensive metrics would be off the charts.

[ralph_i_el]

Ivan johnson fit all those categories and is worst than dennis in every way yet still made it into the nba without being drafted.

I'm sure there are tons of other examples.

Ivan Johnson got banned from the South Korean league...which is funny, because Rodman is the greatest baller to step foot in North Korea