Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, & Ron Harper

[Raz]

Has there ever been better perimeter defenders on one team as good as these guys?

Thomas, Dumars, Rodman were a pretty impressive trio.

Moncrief, Johnson and Pressey were a pretty good trio when they were on the court together.

At times the 93-94 Sonics played Payton, McMillan and Gill. That was a pretty tenacious group.

But yeah, Jordan, Pippen, and Harper were down right destructive.

[bizil]

Ya u gotta give the Bulls the nod. Having three guys that can play or defend three positions is unheard of him. I could only imagine if Harper never got the injury bug early in his career. Harper at one time was a top tier SG in the L. And along with MJ and Drexler among the most versatile in that era.

[DuMa]

great versatility on defense allowed them to trap and rotate like crazy without having mismatches.

the only other team that comes close today would be lebron, wade and battier

[arifgokcen]

great versatility on defense allowed them to trap and rotate like crazy without having mismatches.

the only other team that comes close today would be lebron, wade and battier

I dont like that term.

Because wade ,as good as he is defensively, is just too short to defend SFs or battier to slow to defend PGs.They can switch but they still have mismatches.

That bulls team used to switch everything.

[DuMa]

I dont like that term.

Because wade ,as good as he is defensively, is just too short to defend SFs or battier to slow to defend PGs.They can switch but they still have mismatches.

That bulls team used to switch everything.

battier guards 2s, 3s, and 4s. very rare to see him guard PGs.
Wade is a bit short to guard 3s but its not a mismatch nightmare. like it or not, they are the only bunch to remind me of how versatile the repeat 3peat bulls were on the perimeter.

[L.A. Jazz]

Harper at one time was a top tier SG in the L. And along with MJ and Drexler among the most versatile in that era.

that`s an important note. alltough Harper was no elite guard anymore, he could do more with the ball after stealing it, than guys like Bowen or Battier. so when the Bulls stole the ball, they had 2 all-time greats and a pretty good ball handler in Harper running the break.

i also liked Ron a lot with the Lakers a few years later. he made few mistakes, brought the ball up and defended well.

[gasolina]

I dont like that term.

Because wade ,as good as he is defensively, is just too short to defend SFs or battier to slow to defend PGs.They can switch but they still have mismatches.

That bulls team used to switch everything.

You can add to that that most guards in the 90's were generally shorter than 6'6. The Bulls D was just nightmare-ish.

You have to give Pippen credit as primary ball handler and the triangle offense. This made putting Pippen-Jordan-Harper on the floor possible.

[j3lademaster]

And just as athletic, and was a mid 20 ppg scorer before injuries.

Can you imagine having to try and dribble as a guard with those three guys running around you?

I can only imagine the frustration.

Even worse was my proposed idea for that 1996 Team USA squad that could've been.

GP / MJ / Pippen ... with Shaq / D-Rob or Hakeem guarding the rim.

Pshhhh, I would rain on that defense.

*Viciously dunks foam basketball into Nerf hoop.

[Collie]

Bulls Rodman was primarily a low post defender. He couldn't really handle the athletic explosive perimeter players anymore unlike the Detroit Rodman could (in stretches maybe).

[BIG FURB]

Bulls Rodman was primarily a low post defender. He couldn't really handle the athletic explosive perimeter players anymore unlike the Detroit Rodman could (in stretches maybe).

I wouldn't say he couldn't, he was probably still more than capable, but he didn't really have to. There were 3 great perimeter defenders on that team, they were hardly ever in a position where they needed to stick Dennis on a wing

[swi7ch]

GOAT team

There's a reason only 9 teams were able to beat them in '96 (I know it was 10 but PHil rest his starters on that final game of the regular season which gave them their 10th loss).

[97 bulls]

I wouldn't say he couldn't, he was probably still more than capable, but he didn't really have to. There were 3 great perimeter defenders on that team, they were hardly ever in a position where they needed to stick Dennis on a wing

Exactly. Didnt Phil Jacksson call Rodman the greatest athlete he'd ever seen? And that was counting Jordan and Pippen

[Money 23]

There's a reason only 9 teams were able to beat them in '96 (I know it was 10 but PHil rest his starters on that final game of the regular season which gave them their 10th loss).

Bulls actually should have won 3 more games that they lost in ridiculously close stupid fashion. I think to Phoneix, expansion Toronto, and Denver I believe. For all intensive purposes they should have been closer to 75 win total.

[Bigsmoke]

How about the 2004 Pistons perimeter D?

Rip's defense wasnt anything special

below average if anything.

[SHAQisGOAT]

Agreed. Amazing defensive trio, add Rodman to the equation also. Harper also gets underrated on that note, he was the one guarding the best scoring PG/SG in the 2nd 3peat.

Others that come to mind (when they played at the same time) are:
Isiah/Dumars/Rodman
White/Chaney/Havlicek
Gus Williams/DJ/John Johnson
Pressey/Moncrief/Marques
Cooper/Scott/Worthy
Cheeks/Erving/Bobby Jones
Payton/Gill/McMillan
Henderson/DJ/Bird (with the great help D)
also Wade/LeBron/Battier is pretty good
...