Who defended Jordan the best?

[blasian]

Starks?

[mongePR(kb24)]

kobe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhqMuo12ex4

:D

[Zak]

the more important person is who did jordan **** on the least?

[L.Kizzle]

Sidney Moncrief

[DinoRadja40]

reggie miller


http://cdub.driscocity.com/images/reggiejordan.jpg



http://cache.viewimages.com/xc/382982.jpg?v=1&c=ViewImages&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF193B3EA2C03450C94865DA3E24CC974EC63 284831B75F48EF45


http://www2.indystar.com/library/factfiles/people/m/miller_reggie/1998_0517.jpg


http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1017/1417299001_b3a1cc9acd.jpg

[Thorpesaurous]

Joe D is the most frequent answer.

[GOBB]

Hersey Hawkins

[west]

GP or joe d maybe:confusedshrug:

[mlh1981]

I'm not saying that he's the best Jordan defender, and I obviously know what happened in the end, but I don't think Byron Russell was all THAT bad on MJ.

[Indian guy]

Even the guys who guarded him best had plenty of help. But if I had to choose I'd go with Dumars, Starks and Payton. All 3 had excellent defensive fundamentals and since they were all around 6'4, they had the lateral quickness to hang with MJ AFTER handchecking him hard. They'd never be able to guard him effectively under today's rules though.

[1987_Lakers]

http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2004/pr/subs/siexclusive/06/15/pistons.flashback/p1_dumars_all.jpg

[Loki]

In relative terms (since no one ever really gave him trouble), Jordan had more trouble with smaller defenders (6'4"ish), since they stood a better chance of being able to stay in front of him. These guys like Dumars and Starks and Alvin Robertson used to defend PG's pretty regularly, and it's a testament to Jordan's insane quickness that he was able to get by these guys like they were standing still many times despite being 2+" taller and being handchecked severely. I don't feel that Jordan gets enough credit for this. Some detractors talk about how some of his defenders were shorter than him (forgetting that these guys were tremendous defenders; JKidd guards swingmen too), but they neglect to mention that he was beating them off the dribble routinely, which you shouldn't be able to do as regularly to shorter defenders. Jordan in his prime never had trouble with any defender his size or better.

[Scott Pippen]

Scottie, in practice:applause:

[Chicago76]

Earlier in his career: Moncrief and a team effort by Boston were the two best.

As he started approaching titles: the Pistons

During the first three-peat: believe it or not, but the Clippers defended him better than anyone else. Ron Harper usually picked him up with some mid-range help from guys like Ken Norman or a healthy Danny Manning. It wasn't an accident that Harper ended up on the Bulls for the second run.

[silencespeak]

starks handsdown. the knicks in the early nineties were one of the best defensive teams of all time, arguably the best one that never one a championship.

[hoopaddict08]

http://c.myspace.com/Groups/00004/32/79/4059723_l.jpg

Plus Dumars :bowdown:

[Se]

I'll toss Mitch Richmond's name in there.
But........
I vote Gary Payton as the number 1 Jordan defender. He beat his ass down in the 96 finals. Rodman outplayed Jordan for that MVP trophy.

[blasian]

I still think that some of the best defense ever played on Jordan was Starks during the first 2 games of the 93 ECF. The guy shut down and outplayed Jordan in his prime.

[kobelamarjackson]

dan majerle

[Scott Pippen]

dan majerle
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ihOmTU4c5KE

[Emeka Okafor xD]

reggie miller hands down. great rivalries :applause:

[Jasper]

NO one

The closest that would be in Isolation would be Starks, and his A$$ was still whipped.
I am a fan of Moncrief , but - Nope .
And no one on Detroit .

/thread

[Emeka Okafor xD]

Who defended Jordan the best?\
Thats the question, ready next time? :confusedshrug:
no /endthread

[blasian]

Who defended Jordan the best?\
Thats the question, ready next time? :confusedshrug:
no /endthread

huh??????

[DuMa]

father time.

[Emeka Okafor xD]

huh??????

He thought the topic was about if anybody stopped jordan, but it wasnt.

[blasian]

He thought the topic was about if anybody stopped jordan, but it wasnt.

oh

[allball]

Joe Dumars (always good to have a great defensive frontline behind you)
Vernon Maxwell (a couple of times)
Gary Payton (96 Finals)
John Starks (but Jordan would always come back and destroy him)
Craig Ehlo (ha ha. just kidding)
Byron?/Bryan? Russell (okay that's enough)

probably the best defender in the league for Jordan was on his own team and I'm sure Jordan knew that.

[Revelation]

1. Gary Payton
2. Joe Dumars
3. John Starks

[plowking]

This guy:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=C5oc5usG2TA

[Sonic R]

Gerald Wilkins.

He did such a great job in the 1992 playoffs

[juju151111]

I still think that some of the best defense ever played on Jordan was Starks during the first 2 games of the 93 ECF. The guy shut down and outplayed Jordan in his prime.
lol go watch the gms on youtube MJ had a injured wrist in the 93 ecf.

[dynasty1978]

The media. :D

[pethuel03]

payton and jumars. They make jordan pist off hahaha

[Loki]

[QUOTE=Se

[plowking]

:oldlol:

Guess you didn't actually watch the series, but just looked at the numbers. LOL @ Rodman outplaying Jordan, btw. Rodman played great, but no.

Gary frustrated Jordan so bad that Jordan was having a hissy fit on the court. Rodman was overrated that series, Kemp got the better of him.

[Se]

:oldlol:

Guess you didn't actually watch the series, but just looked at the numbers. LOL @ Rodman outplaying Jordan, btw. Rodman played great, but no.

I was 14 at the time, and watched every game. Rodman did outplay Jordan. Without him, they would've been screwed.

Payton didn't play great offensively, but his defense was key on Jordan until the 3rd game I believe. I think it was game 5 when Payton shut down Jordan, if I'm not mistaken.

[Loki]

Gary frustrated Jordan so bad that Jordan was having a hissy fit on the court. Rodman was overrated that series, Kemp got the better of him.

You're crazy. LOL @ "hissy fit." Jordan got upset because of a foul that was called and bit his jersey to keep from saying anything to the ref. What a joke. :oldlol:

[plowking]

[QUOTE=Se

[plowking]

You're crazy. LOL @ "hissy fit." Jordan got upset because of a foul that was called and bit his jersey to keep from saying anything to the ref. What a joke. :oldlol:

So you're saying he didn't defend him well at all? Get off it. He defended him amazingly, and he was the best player, I am not arguing that, Rodman was no where near Jordan that series. He got completely outplayed.

[Loki]

[QUOTE=Se

[plowking]

No question, but that doesn't mean that he outplayed Jordan. Jordan drew the bulk of Seattle's defense and still shot better (~42%) than his 2nd through 4th options (Pippen 34%, Kerr 30%, Harper 37%, Kukoc 42%) despite averaging many more ppg and seeing much more defensive pressure. How badly would these guys have fared if Jordan wasn't even there?

Rodman's rebounding (especially his offensive rebounding) was crucial, but not as crucial as Jordan's production at or better than his team's efficiency while drawing the bulk of the defense and creating opportunities for others.



Neither Payton nor anyone else "shut down" Jordan. This is why I said that you must have not watched the series (or at least not recently). I want you to watch all 6 games and note the following:

- Jordan routinely doubled and trapped hard the entire series; rarely is he defended 1-on-1 by Payton or anyone else. Seattle swarmed him, which was easier to do because, like Jordan, his teammates were ice cold and couldn't make the Sonics pay for overcommitting on Jordan.

- Jordan getting the shots he wants against Payton and everyone else yet missing several wide open looks each game. I'm talking open layups, open baseline 16-footers, offensive putbacks etc. that he usually makes. He was just off that entire series for whatever reason. And it wasn't fatigue, either, since he was bricking these type of open looks in the first quarter/half of games as much as down the stretch of games.

Assuming Jordan makes these shots (like he usually does), he shoots 44-47% for the series and we're not even having this discussion. But since he was off, and bricked numerous open shots each game, all we get to hear about is how Payton supposedly "did a job" on Jordan. Umm, no. Again, anyone can watch the series and verify this for themselves. Sorry, but when I see Michael freaking Jordan hit the SIDE OF THE BACKBOARD on a wide open baseline J, something is wrong, and it has nothing to do with Payton's defense. And even when Payton did defend Jordan (which he did do a great job of, mind you -- it's not like MJ would have shot 50% for the series), he had tons of help with constant doubles/traps and masked zones. Where was Payton's vaunted defense the next year when Jordan put 45 on him and Seattle on like 70% shooting?


Again, all anyone has to do is watch the series and see for themselves that what I'm saying is true. As an aside, it's funny to me how people compare this series and Kobe's '08 Finals simply due to the shooting percentage. If you actually watch the series, a different picture emerges. Jordan stayed within his game, got the looks he wanted by and large, and missed them, resulting in a poor FG%. Kobe never got any good looks nor did he work hard to get good looks, resulting in a poor FG%. There's a difference there.


Watch the series.

Yer, you're right. No one can shut down Jordan. No one has ever stopped him. :rolleyes:

[SHEED_ gangsta]

me

[willds09]

It was definitely joe dumars, mj said himself on one of his basketball tapes in tha early 90s, plus pistons bust that a$$ like 3 times in a row in tha playoffs

[Chicago76]

Here's a head to head comparison w/ Ron Harper, Joe Dumars, and Jordan's averages during the pre-retirement period from 89/90 to 92/93:

Pts/Game: 32.0 avg, 28.5 vs. Dumars, and 24.7 vs. Harper
Reb/Game: 6.8 avg, 6.1 vs. Dumars, 7.2 vs. Harper
Ast/Game: 6.5 avg, 4.6 vs. Dumars, 5.7 vs. Harper
Stl/Game: 2.7 avg, 1.8 vs. Dumars, 2.5 vs. Harper
Turnovers/Game: 2.8 average, 2.7 vs. Dumars, 4.7 vs. Harper

Dumars did a better job on the rebounding and assist part, but Detroit was a great rebounding and defensive team. Jordan's lack of rebounds probably had more to due with Rodman, Laimbeer, and Mahorn than Dumars. The factors that have more to do w/ man defense are pts and turnovers. In both of these categories, Harper did a lot better job.

[Loki]

Yer, you're right. No one can shut down Jordan. No one has ever stopped him. :rolleyes:

More like "I know I'm right because I've watched the series a few times." Again, anyone can verify this for themselves.

[Loki]

Here's a head to head comparison w/ Ron Harper, Joe Dumars, and Jordan's averages during the pre-retirement period from 89/90 to 92/93:

Pts/Game: 32.0 avg, 28.5 vs. Dumars, and 24.7 vs. Harper
Reb/Game: 6.8 avg, 6.1 vs. Dumars, 7.2 vs. Harper
Ast/Game: 6.5 avg, 4.6 vs. Dumars, 5.7 vs. Harper
Stl/Game: 2.7 avg, 1.8 vs. Dumars, 2.5 vs. Harper
Turnovers/Game: 2.8 average, 2.7 vs. Dumars, 4.7 vs. Harper

Dumars did a better job on the rebounding and assist part, but Detroit was a great rebounding and defensive team. Jordan's lack of rebounds probably had more to due with Rodman, Laimbeer, and Mahorn than Dumars. The factors that have more to do w/ man defense are pts and turnovers. In both of these categories, Harper did a lot better job.

I think it's silly to infer things from limited sample sizes, especially when Jordan used to utterly abuse Harper on the Cavs.

[Chicago76]

Cleveland did get abused by Jordan when he played for the Cavs. And do you know why that was? Cleveland often played small ball with Price, Ehlo, and Harper on the court simultaneously. Ehlo couldn't guard a SF, so wound up on Jordan for big stretches of those games. That's where Jordan put up a lot of his numbers. Harper got his share too, but 2 or three years into the league he became a much better defender.

Jordan was once asked back in 89/90 what the best thing to ever happen to him in the NBA was. His reply was, "Ron Harper getting traded to the Clippers."

So when we're bringing up players who guarded Jordan well, I'll trust Michael Jordan's opinion a little more the Loki's.

[shaoyut]

joe dumars

[Loki]

Jordan was once asked back in 89/90 what the best thing to ever happen to him in the NBA was. His reply was, "Ron Harper getting traded to the Clippers."

Find me the quote, because that sounds like BS. I've never heard that, and I've read many Jordan books/articles. Jordan would never say something like that, because it makes him look scared, which he had no reason to be since he regularly abused Harper in the late 80's.

EDIT: And please don't try to act like Jordan didn't routinely have his way with Harper. There are about a dozen Bulls/Cavs games on youtube for all to see.

[Sir Charles]

1-Dumars
2-Harper
3-Payton
4-Drexler

[TMac&Luther]

Random trivia....

For all the people that say the Bulls would've beaten Houston if Jordan played for the Bulls.

I bet y'all don't know that Jordan once said the best player that defended him was Vernon Maxwell when he was with the Rockets.... Most points Jordan ever scored on VM was 17.

I know it's shocking, I could never put my finger on it either, but for some reason Maxwell always got up for those games.

I just thought with all these names being tossed out there, ol' Mad Max deserved a honorary mention.

[Chicago76]

Find me the quote, because that sounds like BS. I've never heard that, and I've read many Jordan books/articles. Jordan would never say something like that, because it makes him look scared, which he had no reason to be since he regularly abused Harper in the late 80's.

EDIT: And please don't try to act like Jordan didn't routinely have his way with Harper. There are about a dozen Bulls/Cavs games on youtube for all to see.

Of course he's been torched by Michael Jordan. Everyone has. The point is, when Jordan went off on the Cavs for 40 or 50, 60% of what he got, he got off Ehlo. It was ridiculous. As for Jordan saying this, I've heard it out of his mouth in person before. It's not an accident the Bulls picked up Harper back in 94/95. Harper was slower by then, but he was a smart defender. He had a way of bringing you to a spot on the floor. This was a guy that fit into Chicago's defensive schemes and could run the triangle.

Here is Daugherty talking about Jordan's regard for Harper last year:

“Michael [Jordan] always said that was the best thing that ever happened to him was when we got rid of Ron..."
(Source: Plain Dealer, May 2, 2007)

Like I said, MJ's opinion of players that gave him trouble >>>> Loki's opinion

Are you willing to concede?

[Glove_20]

Loki still trying to under play Payton's defense on Jordan? :oldlol:


He tells us to watch the series again but the problem is he only watched in a "Jordan angle". The rest of us all watched it in a unbiased view and all we got was "Payton did a great job on Jordan".


It's not a coincidence that Loki is the only one underplaying Payton's defensive effort and he's a Jordan lover. While everyone else is saying Payton did an exceptional job.



And for those who don't know, Karl and the Sonics came out into the series with a gameplan of double teaming Jordan while having Payton stick Pippen. That didn't work out too well after the 1st 2 games, and they stuck Payton primarily on Jordan from games 3 and on.

Jordan actually shot just 39% when Payton was his primary defenders in games.





And I love Loki's excuse of how Jordan was just "off"? :oldlol:
That is the most pathetic excuse I have ever seen. Loki obviously does not know that wide open misses can occur if the opposing defender frustrates you to a point that you miss shots you usually do. Payton was one of those defenders who would get inside your head with his trash talking. Not to mention he also did a great job playing ball deny defense against Jordan which took away some of Jordan's stamina. So when Jordan got the ball, he'd have less energy as well.

But yeah, those "wide open" looks weren't all when Payton was guarding Jordan. So talking about them is pointless, not to mention the psychological/stamina effects Payton put on Jordan.


But yeah, saying a player was "off" is the most pathetic thing I have ever heard. No one has ever shut down anyone according to that excuse. Everyone just has been "off". :oldlol:

[Loki]

Random trivia....

For all the people that say the Bulls would've beaten Houston if Jordan played for the Bulls.

I bet y'all don't know that Jordan once said the best player that defended him was Vernon Maxwell when he was with the Rockets.... Most points Jordan ever scored on VM was 17.

I know it's shocking, I could never put my finger on it either, but for some reason Maxwell always got up for those games.

I just thought with all these names being tossed out there, ol' Mad Max deserved a honorary mention.

Sigh...here we go with the Maxwell myth.

First of all, not sure where you get the "17 points was his high against Maxwell" thing from, but a quick look at box scores on basketball-reference disproves this. Jordan had games of 34, 44, 48, 35, 32, and games in the 20's vs. Maxwell. In fact, he never scored exactly 17 points against him, so that's just nonsense.

Jordan averaged 31.7 pts/5.2 ast/51.0% FG vs. Maxwell in 12 meetings between '89-'96. How that constitutes "success" is anyone's guess. Jordan had one very poor game against Maxwell (9-26 FG for 22 points in '92), but if you saw the game (as I have), you'd know that that had more to do with Hakeem's 8 blocks that game (and numerous altered shots) than with Maxwell. It also helped that Maxwell played with the two best defensive bigs of the era in DRob and Hakeem. I'd actually watch the games before throwing laurels his way. :oldlol:

And I can guarantee that, like the "Ron Harper leaving Cleveland was the best thing that ever happened to me" reference above, you cannot find a quote/source for the "Maxwell guarded me the best" comment.

[Loki]

Of course he's been torched by Michael Jordan. Everyone has. The point is, when Jordan went off on the Cavs for 40 or 50, 60% of what he got, he got off Ehlo. It was ridiculous. As for Jordan saying this, I've heard it out of his mouth in person before. It's not an accident the Bulls picked up Harper back in 94/95. Harper was slower by then, but he was a smart defender. He had a way of bringing you to a spot on the floor. This was a guy that fit into Chicago's defensive schemes and could run the triangle.

Here is Daugherty talking about Jordan's regard for Harper last year:

“Michael [Jordan] always said that was the best thing that ever happened to him was when we got rid of Ron..."
(Source: Plain Dealer, May 2, 2007)

Like I said, MJ's opinion of players that gave him trouble >>>> Loki's opinion

Are you willing to concede?

Nice, a second-hand quote. :oldlol: I knew an actual quote from Jordan would have been too much to ask for.


Glove20, anyone can watch the series and which of us is correct. I've watched the series at least 5 times, and I can tell you that Jordan was missing wide open layups, offensive putbacks, and open 16-footers the entire series. These are usually automatic for him, but weren't in that series for whatever reason. Whether it was the first quarter or fourth quarter, mind you (so stamina was not an issue). If you'd like to credit Payton's "defense" for missed open looks, then that's your prerogative. Anyone can watch the games. Jordan, as usual, got the shots he wanted...and bricked them. Payton's defense had an effect (he played MJ as well as you possibly can), but not a 41.6% shooting effect -- not on its own, at least.

Watch the series, people. I also love how Glove20 acts like Payton didn't receive help from numerous other defenders as Seattle swarmed Jordan all series. :oldlol:

[Glove_20]

Nice, a second-hand quote. :oldlol: I knew an actual quote from Jordan would have been too much to ask for.


Glove20, anyone can watch the series and which of us is correct. I've watched the series at least 5 times, and I can tell you that Jordan was missing wide open layups, offensive putbacks, and open 16-footers the entire series. These are usually automatic for him, but weren't in that series for whatever reason. Whether it was the first quarter or fourth quarter, mind you (so stamina was not an issue). If you'd like to credit Payton's "defense" for missed open looks, then that's your prerogative. Anyone can watch the games. Jordan, as usual, got the shots he wanted...and bricked them. Payton's defense had an effect (he played MJ as well as you possibly can), but not a 41.6% shooting effect -- not on its own, at least.

Watch the series, people.


Don't you think it's odd Loki that you are the only one who thinks Payton's defense wasn't that great and you are a Jordan fan to the greatest extent? Everyone else is saying something different, but you are on your own side. You view it through Jordan lenses thats why, while the rest of us are unbiased.

And once again, did you miss Payton's trash talking psychological effect? That 's part of Payton's defense.

[Chicago76]

Nice, a second-hand quote. :oldlol: I knew an actual quote from Jordan would have been too much to ask for.

If you want a first hand primary source, hire a librarian. Or admit you might not know everything about MJ and do some more reading in your spare time.

[Loki]

Don't you think it's odd Loki that you are the only one who thinks Payton's defense wasn't that great

Who said he didn't play great defense? The points I made don't mean that he didn't play great defense, only that he didn't play as great defense as the numbers alone suggest.

And no, I don't think it's odd, because I know for a fact that I'm one of the few people who have watched that entire series in the last few years, so I know what I'm talking about. I know for a fact that there are a lot of Jordan haters or in this case GP lovers who just look at the numbers and jump to conclusions.

Here's a clue: there's a reason I ALWAYS tell people to watch the games to verify what I'm saying, and it's not because I'm wrong.

[Loki]

If you want a first hand primary source, hire a librarian. Or admit you might not know everything about MJ and do some more reading in your spare time.

In a court of law, what you posted is hearsay. Next time come correct if you're going to suggest that Jordan of all people said something as NONSENSICAL as "the best thing that ever happened to me was Harper leaving the Cavs" considering the success he had had against Harper. It's just ridiculous that anyone could believe that he would say such a thing. This is Jordan we're talking about. Forget about the fact that he roasted Harper -- you think MICHAEL JORDAN is going to admit to an OPPONENT that another player affected him in some way? Let's get real... :oldlol:

[Glove_20]

Who said he didn't play great defense? The points I made don't mean that he didn't play great defense, only that he didn't play as great defense as the numbers alone suggest.

And no, I don't think it's odd, because I know for a fact that I'm one of the few people who have watched that entire series in the last few years, so I know what I'm talking about. I know for a fact that there are a lot of Jordan haters or in this case GP lovers who just look at the numbers and jump to conclusions.

Here's a clue: there's a reason I ALWAYS tell people to watch the games to verify what I'm saying, and it's not because I'm wrong.

Yeah Loki, you are the only who remembers the series clearly and everyone else is wrong. :rolleyes: I saw them again last winter and was once again amazed by Payton's defense. But my favorite were the games where Payton straight up outplayed Michael Jordan on both ends of the game when both were guarding each other....in the NBA Finals.

[Loki]

Yeah Loki, you are the only who remembers the series clearly and everyone else is wrong. :rolleyes: I saw them again last winter and was once again amazed by Payton's defense. But my favorite were the games where Payton straight up outplayed Michael Jordan on both ends of the game when both were guarding each other....in the NBA Finals.

lol

Again, anyon is welcome to go watch the series.

[BIZARRO]

I think Pippen in practice with his length and knowledge would be the correct answer, but if you pressed Mike he'd probably say Alvin Robertson judging from his respect of Robertson's defense from a few interviews in the late '80's.

[hateraid]

Hersey Hawkins


You know it!
Actually Jordan did claim Hersey was amongst the top defenders he's ever faced. Hersey was a strong defender considering he played forward/center in HS and some of college. Always forced to gaurd much larger post players. Very effective against MJ's onslaught of post-up turnaround J's.


I've seen an interview where that questioned was posed to Jordan and he said Harper was the best at staying in front of him whereas Dumars was the best at defending him ie. contesting shots and stripping him.

[Chicago76]

I've seen an interview were that questioned was posed to Jordan and he said Harper wa the best at staying in front of him whereas Dumars was the best at defending him ie. contesting shots and stripping him.

Incredibly quick hands was definitely a Dumars trademark. I think it would have been interesting to see how differently Dumars would defend him playing for the Clippers/Cleveland and Harper for the Pistons.

The Bulls ran a lot of high screens for Jordan when he was guarded by Harper to force Harper away from him. Harper did a fairly good job of giving his man a spot on the court away from the screener though. Detroit had quicker defensive players who could switch more effectively so Jordan did more driving and spot up jump shooting. Harper didn't have the same hand quickness as Dumars, but it would be interesting to see a big, athletic guard like that on Jordan with 4 Pistons behind him waiting to help.

[Chicago76]

I think Pippen in practice with his length and knowledge would be the correct answer, but if you pressed Mike he'd probably say Alvin Robertson judging from his respect of Robertson's defense from a few interviews in the late '80's.

Good call.

[Loki]

Incredibly quick hands was definitely a Dumars trademark. I think it would have been interesting to see how differently Dumars would defend him playing for the Clippers/Cleveland and Harper for the Pistons.

The Bulls ran a lot of high screens for Jordan when he was guarded by Harper to force Harper away from him. Harper did a fairly good job of giving his man a spot on the court away from the screener though. Detroit had quicker defensive players who could switch more effectively so Jordan did more driving and spot up jump shooting. Harper didn't have the same hand quickness as Dumars, but it would be interesting to see a big, athletic guard like that on Jordan with 4 Pistons behind him waiting to help.

Detoit regularly put Rodman (who is an inch or so taller than Harper) on Jordan, and Harper was nowhere near the defender Rodman was. Seriously, are you Ron Harper himself? :oldlol: You're acting like '88-'93 Harp was prime Michael Cooper on defense. :oldlol:

[Loki]

You know it!
Actually Jordan did claim Hersey was amongst the top defenders he's ever faced. Hersey was a strong defender considering he played forward/center in HS and some of college. Always forced to gaurd much larger post players. Very effective against MJ's onslaught of post-up turnaround J's.


Yeah, I guess that's why Jordan averaged 43.0 pts/6.8 reb/7.4 ast/3 stl/1+ blk/53% FG vs. Hawkins and Philly in the '90 playoffs over 5 games (including three consecutive games of 45/49/45 points which included a furious 27 point 4th quarter from MJ to almost win game 3). And why Jordan averaged 33.4 pts/8.0 reb/7.9 ast/2+ stl/1+ blk/52+% FG vs. Hawkins and the Sixers in the 1991 playoffs.

I mean, come on man... :oldlol: My guess is that GOBB was being facetious. Not that Hawkins was a bad defender (he wasn't), but he didn't do as good a job on Jordan (relatively) as others did.

[momo]

The guys I remember checking Jordo well were:

Miller *
Dumars *
Harper *
Hawkins
Payton
Richmond *
The Worm

This is not to say Jordo didn't throw huge #'s at them or they stopped him or whatever. But compare them to some of the very good players he just toyed with and abused.

*= guys Jordo propped up as defending him well. I dont remember Hawkins but it would not surprise me. He must have been asked the question "who checks you the best" a zillion times.

[TmacsRockets]

Scottie, in practice:applause:



Michael Jordan came out of retirement after 15 months to play in a benefit game (Scottie Pippen All-Star Classic - September, 1994).


Jordan scored 52 points to lead his team to a 187-150 victory. Jordan made 24 of 46 shots. As he left the floor, the crowd of nearly 20,000 gave him a standing ovation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AhmLH6eJPk&feature=related

[bringthetruth]

Dougie defended him the best.

Yea Gerald Wilkins when he played for the knicks the best, so good that the refs were blowing the whistle on him constantly to keep him in foul trouble even when he just played good D on him .

[Chicago76]

Detoit regularly put Rodman (who is an inch or so taller than Harper) on Jordan, and Harper was nowhere near the defender Rodman was. Seriously, are you Ron Harper himself? :oldlol: You're acting like '88-'93 Harp was prime Michael Cooper on defense. :oldlol:

And you're acting as if you are MJ himself, because apparently in your eyes, Loki's opinion >>> MJ's stated opinion. :rolleyes:

You've pretty much made my case. Detroit had better resources to play team defense against Jordan. Thanks son.

[LJJ]

Any post where I have to click the link to show who the hell you are talking about is absolutely worthless.

[veilside23]

the best as in one on one i would have to vote for payton but it doesnt necessarily mean that they would make jordan look like a kid. jordan got bad shooting nights not because of one person alone but because of the swarming team defense.. plus the knicks with john starks lol watch the series again jordan would always whip john's a$$. Joe dumars played good on ball defense ala bruce bowen but he never really shut down jordan. If michael wants to score he will score regardless who is defending him.

[veilside23]

The correct answer you're looking for is Joe Dumars.

http://i.cdn.turner.com/sivault/si_online/covers/images/1989/1106_large.jpg

MJ said so himself in an interview with John Thompson. First he said that noone really gave him any serious trouble when it came to scoring, but then he mentioned Dumars and said that he was the biggest challenge, to outthink him and his great positioning.


just from the magazine it just mentioned that joe dumars and the pistons come closest so :confusedshrug:

[BIGSHOT]

Loki still trying to under play Payton's defense on Jordan? :oldlol:


He tells us to watch the series again but the problem is he only watched in a "Jordan angle". The rest of us all watched it in a unbiased view and all we got was "Payton did a great job on Jordan".


It's not a coincidence that Loki is the only one underplaying Payton's defensive effort and he's a Jordan lover. While everyone else is saying Payton did an exceptional job.



And for those who don't know, Karl and the Sonics came out into the series with a gameplan of double teaming Jordan while having Payton stick Pippen. That didn't work out too well after the 1st 2 games, and they stuck Payton primarily on Jordan from games 3 and on.

Jordan actually shot just 39% when Payton was his primary defenders in games.





And I love Loki's excuse of how Jordan was just "off"? :oldlol:
That is the most pathetic excuse I have ever seen. Loki obviously does not know that wide open misses can occur if the opposing defender frustrates you to a point that you miss shots you usually do. Payton was one of those defenders who would get inside your head with his trash talking. Not to mention he also did a great job playing ball deny defense against Jordan which took away some of Jordan's stamina. So when Jordan got the ball, he'd have less energy as well.

But yeah, those "wide open" looks weren't all when Payton was guarding Jordan. So talking about them is pointless, not to mention the psychological/stamina effects Payton put on Jordan.


But yeah, saying a player was "off" is the most pathetic thing I have ever heard. No one has ever shut down anyone according to that excuse. Everyone just has been "off". :oldlol:
:oldlol:

[Copperhead]

Jordan wrote about it in one of his books.. Jeff Malone. Or maybe Jordan couldn't guard Jeff. Either way, he gave Jordan trouble.


One thing not included in the article... Michael Jordan rated Jeff Malone as the person who gave him the most trouble one on one in his autobiography over Miller, Dumars, Richmond, etc.

http://archive.sportingnews.com/malone/memories-p.html

Some people here probably don't even know who the h*ll Jeff Malone is. :oldlol:

[ThaRegul8r]

Rodman's rebounding (especially his offensive rebounding) was crucial, but not as crucial as Jordan's production at or better than his team's efficiency while drawing the bulk of the defense and creating opportunities for others.


"As you evaluate the series, Dennis Rodman won two basketball games. Game 2 and tonight [Game 6], he was the reason they were successful."

In Game 2, in which Jordan shot 9-for-22 (40.9 percent), Rodman grabbed 20 rebounds, an NBA Finals record-tying 11 on the offensive glass. In the deciding Game 6, Jordan shot 5-for-19 (26.3 percent). Rodman grabbed 19 rebounds, 11 on the offensive boards, tying the single-game record for the second time. Without Rodman getting those offensive boards and giving Chicago extra opportunities, they don't win those games. Period. And they lose the series.


"Rodman was definitely the difference."


"Rodman killed us."


"His offensive rebounds hurt us. A lot of possessions, the momentum of the game, the style of the game, and even the scoreboard might have changed.”

There's no need to downplay what Rodman did. The Sonics certainly didn't, since they experienced it first hand. And this was said at the time rather than 12 years after the fact.

[Loki]

The Regul8r, would the Bulls have stood a better chance of winning the series with Dennis Rodman replaced by the average PF (say, 13 pts/9-10 reb), or with Jordan replaced by the average SG (say, 15/5/4)? Thanks. LOL @ the certitude of "and they lose the series." They stand a better chance of winning the series with an average PF than with an average SG.

That line of argumentation is just ridiculous. Dennis had a fantastic series on THE BOARDS (defensively he got abused by Kemp). Jordan both scored 35-50+% more than his second-fourth options on equal or better efficiency while occupying the bulk of Seattle's defense the entire series and creating opportunities for others.

How poorly would the rest of the Bulls have shot the ball if they could actually have been, you know, double teamed? Worse than the 37% Pippen shot? Worse than Harper's 34%? Worse than Kukoc's 42%? Worse than Kerr's 30%? Yeah. All the offensive boards in the world aren't going to save you from that.

[DeuceWallaces]

The correct answer you're looking for is Joe Dumars.

http://i.cdn.turner.com/sivault/si_online/covers/images/1989/1106_large.jpg


You beat me to that.

[RapsFan]

Dumars was normally considered the guy that game him trouble.

Later, Doug Christie I think did the best. Not that it was ever in an important game but he usually did a good job.

I think Starks D on him was SO overrated.

[Inspector Rick]

I think "Which TEAM defended Jordan the best?" would be the most suitable question.

[Aldridge Fan]

Clyde was a good defender. He did his part against Jordan at times. :confusedshrug:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=MWOqPs-3LXA