Ron Harper, Robert Parish, and Dennis Rodman

[Dee45]

How would you rank them from one to three as overall better players and careers?

[One_and_Done]

Rodman would be the lowest probably, just because he'd likely be borderline unplayable today.

I guess Parish an easy #1, regardless of era. Harper somewhere in the middle.

[jojo4341]

Rodman would be the lowest probably, just because he'd likely be borderline unplayable today.

I guess Parish an easy #1, regardless of era. Harper somewhere in the middle.

I agree with your ranking on overall talent:
1. Parish
2. Harper (he was already a beast on the Clippers and that was post-injury)
3. Rodman

But I don't think Rodman would be unplayable today. To an extent, consider 2016/2017 Iguodala. They never respected his shot and barely averaged 7 points a game. But his impact on defense and overall presence couldn't be ignored. Rodman in his prime, wasn't just a better overall defender than Iggy, but the best P4P rebounder of all time. Same comparison can be made for Tony Allen or even a younger Dort. Rodman would have a much bigger impact than they would, especially on the defensive end. He doesn't need to spot up (and shouldn't) to spread the floor. Keep him in the paint and let him roam for screens and rebounds. Someone who can legitimately shut down any position while single-handedly give your team the rebounding edge would be extremely valuable in any era.

As for actual careers, however, I'd go:
1. Parish
2. Rodman (his overall defense and rebounding and 5 titles, trumps Harper's 4 titles and early scoring)
3. Harper

[One_and_Done]

Rodman would be the lowest probably, just because he'd likely be borderline unplayable today.

I guess Parish an easy #1, regardless of era. Harper somewhere in the middle.

I agree with your ranking on overall talent:
1. Parish
2. Harper (he was already a beast on the Clippers and that was post-injury)
3. Rodman

But I don't think Rodman would be unplayable today. To an extent, consider 2016/2017 Iguodala. They never respected his shot and barely averaged 7 points a game. But his impact on defense and overall presence couldn't be ignored. Rodman in his prime, wasn't just a better overall defender than Iggy, but the best P4P rebounder of all time. Same comparison can be made for Tony Allen or even a younger Dort. Rodman would have a much bigger impact than they would, especially on the defensive end. He doesn't need to spot up (and shouldn't) to spread the floor. Keep him in the paint and let him roam for screens and rebounds. Someone who can legitimately shut down any position while single-handedly give your team the rebounding edge would be extremely valuable in any era.

As for actual careers, however, I'd go:
1. Parish
2. Rodman (his overall defense and rebounding and 5 titles, trumps Harper's 3 titles and early scoring)
3. Harper

Rodma wasn't a lockdown perimeter defender. His role was totally different. For one thing he constantly left his man to gamble on rebounds. Even when Iggy wasn't shooting well, you had to guard him out there to some degree. Rodman just won't shoot at all. Iggy has playmaking he can contribute on O too. Rodman is an offensive zero, kind of like a rich man's Vanderbilt with less offense.

Allen started to get played off the court in the playoffs late in his career btw, as the league started to change. Dort had to learn to hit 3s to get on the court for a winning team. Those guys are also lockdown perimeter point of attack defenders in a way Rodman could never be. Rodman was great for his era; today he's unplayable.

[70sFan]

Rodman would be the lowest probably, just because he'd likely be borderline unplayable today.

I guess Parish an easy #1, regardless of era. Harper somewhere in the middle.

I agree with your ranking on overall talent:
1. Parish
2. Harper (he was already a beast on the Clippers and that was post-injury)
3. Rodman

But I don't think Rodman would be unplayable today. To an extent, consider 2016/2017 Iguodala. They never respected his shot and barely averaged 7 points a game. But his impact on defense and overall presence couldn't be ignored. Rodman in his prime, wasn't just a better overall defender than Iggy, but the best P4P rebounder of all time. Same comparison can be made for Tony Allen or even a younger Dort. Rodman would have a much bigger impact than they would, especially on the defensive end. He doesn't need to spot up (and shouldn't) to spread the floor. Keep him in the paint and let him roam for screens and rebounds. Someone who can legitimately shut down any position while single-handedly give your team the rebounding edge would be extremely valuable in any era.

As for actual careers, however, I'd go:
1. Parish
2. Rodman (his overall defense and rebounding and 5 titles, trumps Harper's 3 titles and early scoring)
3. Harper

Rodma wasn't a lockdown perimeter defender. His role was totally different. For one thing he constantly left his man to gamble on rebounds. Even when Iggy wasn't shooting well, you had to guard him out there to some degree. Rodman just won't shoot at all. Iggy has playmaking he can contribute on O too. Rodman is an offensive zero, kind of like a rich man's Vanderbilt with less offense.

Allen started to get played off the court in the playoffs late in his career btw, as the league started to change. Dort had to learn to hit 3s to get on the court for a winning team. Those guys are also lockdown perimeter point of attack defenders in a way Rodman could never be. Rodman was great for his era; today he's unplayable.

Rodman literally started his career as a lockdown defender who guarded opponents best perimeter players.

[penbeast0]

Rodma wasn't a lockdown perimeter defender. His role was totally different. For one thing he constantly left his man to gamble on rebounds. Even when Iggy wasn't shooting well, you had to guard him out there to some degree. Rodman just won't shoot at all. Iggy has playmaking he can contribute on O too. Rodman is an offensive zero, kind of like a rich man's Vanderbilt with less offense.

Allen started to get played off the court in the playoffs late in his career btw, as the league started to change. Dort had to learn to hit 3s to get on the court for a winning team. Those guys are also lockdown perimeter point of attack defenders in a way Rodman could never be. Rodman was great for his era; today he's unplayable.

Rodman literally started his career as a lockdown defender who guarded opponents best perimeter players.

Degree of accuracy in both quotes. Rodman started his career with a reputation as a hyperaggressive man defender. At some point, he realized that the money and recognition was in rebounding and started cheating off his man for rebounds, getting worse at this as he got older.

You can see it in his rebound rate (which is not minutes sensitive). His first 4 years in a row, his ORB% was just over 20 and TRB% under 20. Then in 90-91 it took a shift up and from 92-98, he led the league with historic rates of reb% every year through the rest of his prime with an ORB% over 30 and a TRB% generally over 25.

So lockdown defender or rebounding monster, but not generally both at the same time. Still a good (and extremely dirty) defender even later if you can accept his focusing on his stats at the occasional expense of team defense. It caused problems in San Antonio, the Bulls just decided to let Dennis be Dennis and it worked for them.