Toni Kukoc 30 points vs. Utah Jazz in the Game 5 of the 1998 NBA Finals

[Lebron23]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AjtlpKnHzk

Kukoc was on fire in that game.

[TheGoatest]

This is who the Bulls had as their distant 4th best player.
That's how stacked they were.

[julizaver]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AjtlpKnHzk

Kukoc was on fire in that game.

Yes, he was - I have watched it live on TV (I am from Europe), Kukoc was my favorite bball player. Although he was on fire the Bulls lost that game as I remember, and Kukoc should have made more than 13 FGA, as he was hitting every shot. The Bulls were indeed stacked - and Kukoc was their 6th man, sometimes PJ used him as a starter to the expense of Rodman.
To be honest Kukoc's best position is not PF the one Bulls used him the most. Anyway one of the greatest European players ever. Better than Pippen on offense, but Pippen far better defensively.

[3ba11]

Yes, he was - I have watched it live on TV (I am from Europe), Kukoc was my favorite bball player. Although he was on fire the Bulls lost that game as I remember, and Kukoc should have made more than 13 FGA, as he was hitting every shot. The Bulls were indeed stacked - and Kukoc was their 6th man, sometimes PJ used him as a starter to the expense of Rodman.
To be honest Kukoc's best position is not PF the one Bulls used him the most. Anyway one of the greatest European players ever. Better than Pippen on offense, but Pippen far better defensively.


Wow MJ won with a sidekick whose offense was worse than Kukoc

goat gonna goat

Only MJ won multiple chips without a go-to teammate

Only MJ was on the scouting report (https://i.makeagif.com/media/3-27-2022/qrDm8n.gif), so only MJ had to defeat maximum defensive attention (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4UF6Xx3F2Lo&t=01m54s) in every series (carry scoring load in every series).

[julizaver]

Wow MJ won with a sidekick whose offense was worse than Kukoc

goat gonna goat

Only MJ won multiple chips without a go-to teammate

Only MJ was on the scouting report (https://i.makeagif.com/media/3-27-2022/qrDm8n.gif), so only MJ had to defeat maximum defensive attention (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4UF6Xx3F2Lo&t=01m54s) in every series (carry scoring load in every series).

To clarify I considered Kukoc as more talanted offensive player then Pippen, but he played less minutes than Pippen, because Pippen was far better deffensive player and already established star in NBA. And with Pippen Bulls aready 3 peated before arrival of Kukoc. Kukoc with limited minutes and coming from bench playing out of his natural playing position (pointguard) and not a first or second option was detrimental to his stats/numbers. In his second year after the first 20 games he became starter for the Bulls and prior to MJ' return he was 17 ppg, 6 rpg and 5 assist, not far from Pippens 22 ppg, 9 rpg, 6 rpg, who was the star in the team and played more minutes per game. And even PJ trusted more Kukoc for the last seconds shots, evidently by Kukoc making several winning shots in his rookie season.

[3ba11]

To clarify I considered Kukoc as more talanted offensive player then Pippen, but he played less minutes than Pippen, because Pippen was far better deffensive player and already established star in NBA. And with Pippen Bulls aready 3 peated before arrival of Kukoc. Kukoc with limited minutes and coming from bench playing out of his natural playing position (pointguard) and not a first or second option was detrimental to his stats/numbers. In his second year after the first 20 games he became starter for the Bulls and prior to MJ' return he was 17 ppg, 6 rpg and 5 assist, not far from Pippens 22 ppg, 9 rpg, 6 rpg, who was the star in the team and played more minutes per game. And even PJ trusted more Kukoc for the last seconds shots, evidently by Kukoc making several winning shots in his rookie season.


The point is that Kukoc wasn't that good and just a role player... Detlef Schrempf, Sean Elliott or Michael Finley destroy him.. Horry or Thorpe destroy him.. Any solid to good player.

Only dynasty systems can win titles with these kind of workman-like rosters that lack a 1b player or elite producers

Other than Pippen, every other sidekick in the 90's was infact a 1b that could dominate series and achieve elite production.

Terry Porter carried the Blazers to the 92' Finals with 26/4/8 on 53% threes (6 attempts) in the WCF... He similarly dominated the 90' Finals run.

KJ was dominant in upsetting Magic's 1-seeded Lakers to make the 90' WCF for 2 straight years and he dominated Hakeem in 2 seven-game wars during the 94' and 94' Playoffs.

Stockton is a goat playmaker that dominated the 97' WCF to carry the Jazz to the Finals, including the historic walk-off in Barkley's face.

Worthy led the Lakers in scoring for the 87' and 88' titles runs, including 30 on 62% in the 87' WCF and 88' FMVP..

Shaq/Penny and Kemp/Payton also took over series with elite stats.

So Pippen was the only sidekick that wasn't a 1b - he's the only sidekick that was a transition/hustle player that couldn't achieve elite stats or dominate.. The winning spotlight inflated him to all-time status, but he's actually a Wiggins-caliber performer, except worse because he's a system player - a 14 ppg nobody outside the triangle and dynasty chemistry that he grew up in

[bison]

To clarify I considered Kukoc as more talanted offensive player then Pippen, but he played less minutes than Pippen, because Pippen was far better deffensive player and already established star in NBA. And with Pippen Bulls aready 3 peated before arrival of Kukoc. Kukoc with limited minutes and coming from bench playing out of his natural playing position (pointguard) and not a first or second option was detrimental to his stats/numbers. In his second year after the first 20 games he became starter for the Bulls and prior to MJ' return he was 17 ppg, 6 rpg and 5 assist, not far from Pippens 22 ppg, 9 rpg, 6 rpg, who was the star in the team and played more minutes per game. And even PJ trusted more Kukoc for the last seconds shots, evidently by Kukoc making several winning shots in his rookie season.

In the 90s, European players weren’t used to their full potential in the nba, often assigned as role players. How many seasons petrovic wasted being benched in Portland before he was finally allowed to become a star in New Jersey

[3ba11]

In the 90s, European players weren’t used to their full potential in the nba, often assigned as role players. How many seasons petrovic wasted being benched in Portland before he was finally allowed to become a star in New Jersey


Kukoc averaged 19/7 on 42% FG (49.0 TS) in 99"
as 1st option (last place team)

So he wasn't a star because he was a horrific 1st option whose bad efficiency and losing confirms that he couldn't handle the load and was infact most impactful in a role player capacity




In the 90s, European players weren’t used to their full potential in the nba, often assigned as role players. How many seasons petrovic wasted being benched in Portland before he was finally allowed to become a star in New Jersey


Other than Pippen, every other sidekick in the 90's was infact a 1b that could dominate series and achieve elite production.

Terry Porter carried the Blazers to the 92' Finals with 26/4/8 on 53% threes (6 attempts) in the WCF... He similarly dominated the 90' Finals run.

KJ was dominant in upsetting Magic's 1-seeded Lakers to make the 90' WCF for 2 straight years and he dominated Hakeem in 2 seven-game wars during the 94' and 94' Playoffs.

Stockton is a goat playmaker that dominated the 97' WCF to carry the Jazz to the Finals, including the historic walk-off in Barkley's face.

Worthy led the Lakers in scoring for the 87' and 88' titles runs, including 30 on 62% in the 87' WCF and 88' FMVP..

Shaq/Penny and Kemp/Payton also took over series with elite stats.

So Pippen was the only sidekick that wasn't a 1b - he's the only sidekick that was a transition/hustle player that couldn't achieve elite stats or dominate.. The winning spotlight inflated him to all-time status, but he's actually a Wiggins-caliber performer, except worse because he's a system player - a 14 ppg nobody outside the triangle and dynasty chemistry that he grew up in