Comments on: Karl Malone says he would have taken Pippen over Jordan

By: jnam82

jnam82 — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 23:56:15 +0000

Sorry to be pedantic but you have all three records wrong.

’92-’93 Bulls: 57-25

’93-’94 Bulls: 55-27

’94-’95 Bulls: 47-35

The ’93-’94 record is a testament not only to Pippen’s greatness, but the coming of age of BJ Armstrong and in particular Horace Grant, both of whom made their first All Star team that season in Jordan’s absense.

It also confirmed the genius of Tex Winter’s Triangle offence.

By: davidly

davidly — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 16:16:18 +0000

Kurt, I think you miss his whole point, but understand you gotta blog.

By: Fred

Fred — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 15:15:15 +0000

Maybe it was Karl’s preoccupation with Scottie that led to him getting stripped by MJ on that crucial Finals possession way back when.

By: ccshocktalk

ccshocktalk — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 12:42:59 +0000

A few things to remember. As a die hard Bulls fan, and a fan of the game in general, Michael will always be remembered as the greatest. And as some of you have pointed out, they may have needed each other. Would Jordan have 6 rings without Pippen, and would Pippen have 6 without MJ? Who knows. What we do know are the facts.

Jordans last year before retiring was 92-93. That record was 58-24
http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CHI/1993.html

The year Jordan was gone 93-94, Pippen and BJ Armstrong and Grant led the stat sheets…record went to 50-32. 8 game swing without Jordan, not a big difference at all.
http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CHI/1994.htm

94-95 Jordan came back the last 17 games, and they went 13-4 but the overall record was 54-28, only a 4 game difference between that year and Jordan’s last (before his first retirement). I would say Scottie did a pretty good job leading that team.
http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CHI/1995.html

They came back in the 95-96 season with the addition of the greatest defensive player to play the game in Dennis Rodman. They went on to win a few more rings.

Michael will be remembered as the greatest ever, and Scottie will always live in his shadow as the sidekick, but when you look at the numbers, there is no denying that Scottie Pippen was an elite NBA player, and should be remembered as one of the greatest.

By: labratre

labratre — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 10:36:12 +0000

Karl……….Karl……….Karl……….Karl……REALLY, ARE YOU SERIOUS, SMH! Karl……..Karl………………………………

By: mnsadsportsfan

mnsadsportsfan — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 02:06:08 +0000

karl “no ring” malone – just shut up and drive your peterbilt

By: ccshocktalk

ccshocktalk — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 02:00:25 +0000

The author has it all wrong.

“Those Bulls teams that weren’t very good added Jordan back and they won titles again. Just sayin’.”

Michael Jordan didn’t come back until the final 17 games, so lets not pretend that he got them somewhere besides where they were already going, to the playoffs. Michael came back and they went 13-4.

Jordan’s last year before his first retirement the Bulls went 58-24 (and had Horace Grant on their team), the 93-94 team without Jordan and with Grant went 50-32, the 94-95 team that Jordan came back to for 17 games went 54-28 and did not have Grant. If you take away those 17 games that Jordan did play in the team is 41-25, who knows if they would have won the additional 13 games with or without MJ. Karl Malone isn’t wrong, the Bulls were pretty solid when they were led by Pippen, just sayin’

Oh, and when the Bulls went on to win another ring, lets not forget they added one of the greatest defensive players who will ever play the game in Dennis Rodman.

Recap- Jordan’s last year 92-93 58-24 (with grant) Bulls without Michael and without Grant when Scottie led the way went 54-28…that’s only a difference of four games without the greatest player ever, and without another star in Grant…I’d say Scottie did pretty well leading this team back to the Eastern Conference Semi Finals.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CHI/1993.html
http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CHI/1994.html
http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CHI/1995.html

By: pudgalvin

pudgalvin — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 00:42:26 +0000

Yes, there was that. There is also Pippen is the best wing defender of all time, and one of the best defenders in general of all time. Not to mention in the year Jordan retired, he had a Lebron-esque season in which he averaged 22-9-6 while leading a team to 55 wins after the greatest player of all time was replaced with with Randy Myers. So Pippen was more than just a good player.

By: philtration

philtration — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 00:27:19 +0000

I don’t care which one Karl Malone liked best.
I got to see Jordan and Pippen play together and win 6 rings in 8 years.

THAT really happened and the rest is just a lot of what if, could have, should have nonsense.

By: oldmanbasketball

oldmanbasketball — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 23:48:28 +0000

Pippen? Legend? I was never a big fan of Pippen, and certainly don’t think he qualifies as a “legend”. If Pippen hadn’t played with Jordan, he wouldn’t be remembered as anything other than a good player. And then there was the whole pouting incident where he wouldn’t go into the game for the last play: http://www.nytimes.com/1994/05/14/sports/pro-basketball-disgusted-pippen-sits-down-for-game-winning-play.html

By: bcb1999

bcb1999 — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 23:47:56 +0000

And, just for accuracy’s sake, it was the Eastern Conf Semi-finals, not the finals…

By: bcb1999

bcb1999 — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 23:45:54 +0000

Hey, remember that time when Pippen threw a tantrum and wouldn’t even go back in to a playoff game in the last few seconds because that idiot Phil Jackson called the last shot for someone else? And that someone else made the shot and they won? Remember that?

…good times.

By: iknowzeroaboutsports

iknowzeroaboutsports — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 23:33:47 +0000

“2. Everything you said is right Kurt.”

Even his grammar? “Could have did

By: shawnc16

shawnc16 — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 23:24:46 +0000

weren’t very good? The went to the eastern conference championship and went to game 7. how is that not very good.

By: trollaikman8

trollaikman8 — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 22:59:55 +0000

Hey Karl, Toni Kukoc led those post-Jordan teams in one important category:

Being clutch at the end of the game (and generally executing a game plan).

By: Mr. Wright 212

Mr. Wright 212 — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 22:40:22 +0000

Ewing had a great series. The focal point would not have been Longley or Perdue or whoever it was the Bulls had in the middle. Cartwright, whoever. Those Rockets were much like this year’s Celtics and those Bulls were a lite version of this year’s Thunder. THey would have outrun them. The Knicks loved to pound the ball inside to Ewing and grind it out defensively. Two different teams. The ’95 Rockets probably weren’t going to lose to anyone out of the East (although it is debatable that the ’95 Knicks were better than the ’94 Knicks if PAT JUST DUNKED IT INSTEAD OF ATTEMPTING A FINGER ROLL. We will never know.

But my initial point was to contradict the ludicrous statement by the author, not to get into a series of pointless woulda, coulda, shouldas.

By: berbes

berbes — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 21:38:39 +0000

pip always had a habit of leaving the game early when plays weren’t drawn up for him…oh, and the concealed ‘gun’ thing. other than that…

By: Gordon

Gordon — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 21:27:16 +0000

That wasn’t Karl Malone. That was Jimmy Kimmel doing his impression of Karl Malone making silly comments.

By: michflaguy

michflaguy — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 21:22:23 +0000

I see Karl Malone is the same type of announcer as he was a player: overrated…under-performer…and a total FAIL when it matters most (no titles, but LOTS of chances).
I’m sure he’d put John Stockton on his team too.
Right…and I’d take Isaiah Thomas and Zeke would own Stockton AGAIN…just like he did every time they met.

By: franchiseplaya

franchiseplaya — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 21:00:17 +0000

A thumbs down? looks like Scottie Pippen reads these comments!

By: franchiseplaya

franchiseplaya — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 20:56:41 +0000

yes you are correct i was just speaking in terms of a better result, being the finals or a championship but i guess i should have included the ECF as well. i was trying not too be too long winded as most of us know the history but thank you for clarifying.

By: charlutes

charlutes — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 20:47:47 +0000

This is so dumb. Stop giving Karl Malone a microphone.

By: drmonkeyarmy

drmonkeyarmy — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 20:45:12 +0000

I don’t think you meant to, but you are implying that Pippen took that team to the finals. He did not. If memory serves me correct, they lost in the Eastern Semifinals.

By: rajbais

rajbais — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 20:45:10 +0000

Scottie is never given any credit for being able to play and guard all 5 positions.

In his days with the Bulls and his final year in Portland he played the point very well and had a very underrated overview of his teammates in the half court.

In the last 3-peat the Bulls made him the point and he played great!!! Plus, when you look at the 1998 season he only played 44 games due to back issues, but people forget how the Pacers were ahead of the Bulls in the East at one point and then the Bulls got back on track and ended up winning 62 games that year. Indiana ultimately won 59.

By: trick321

trick321 — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 20:40:12 +0000

# of rings Jordan won without Pippen… 0

Bulls record w/Jordan before Pippen (’84-’87)… 108-138 (.44%), 1-9 playoffs (.10%)
Bulls record w/Pippen w/o Jordan (’93-’95/ first 65 games of ’94-’95)… 89-56 (.61%), 6-4 playoffs (.60%)

Wizards record w/Jordan (’01-’03)… 74-90 (.45%), 0-0 playoffs (N/A)
Rockets/Blazers record w/ Pippen (’98-’03)… 239-139 (.63%), 12-19 playoffs (.39%)

Just the numbers…

By: franchiseplaya

franchiseplaya — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 20:32:18 +0000

If hakeem could dismantle one of the 50 greatest players of all time in Ewing, he probably would’ve avg 50 pts a game against the bulls centers of purdue, wennington and longley. no way that bulls team beats the rockets without jordan. hakeem was out of his mind good those championship yrs. And you kind of validate malones point, they won 55 games because pippen is that good an all purpose player.

By: 11jlacy

11jlacy — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 20:26:31 +0000

Scottie was an all around player no dought but mj a beast to mvp n def player of the year finals mvp in one season, that speaks for itself.

By: Mr. Wright 212

Mr. Wright 212 — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 20:18:30 +0000

Those Bulls that weren’t very good? Hue Hollins CHEATED FOR US in the ECF in ’94. (How many times do you hear Heat fans admitting the refs cheat for them? A sane Knicks fan here admits it) The Bulls would have been in the Finals, and there’s no one on that ’94 Bulls team that would have pulled that 2-18 GAHBIDGE that Starks pulled. They could have and would have beaten Houston. They won 55 games without Jordan. What is the basis for that foolish statement?

By: franchiseplaya

franchiseplaya — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 20:16:11 +0000

the NBA All Ugly Team.

By: canehouse

canehouse — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 20:14:16 +0000

This proof that Malone took too many shots to the head during his stint as a wrestler. What a Rube!