Can Jimmy Be = or > Than Pippen?

[Axl Rose]

Jimmy is a better Corey Maggette

[Axl Rose]

Pippen did get a team to the ECF.

I think he was capable of being "The Guy" he just never was so people assume he couldn't.

False. He took them to the ECSF. But he was NBA All Star MVP that year.

Hue Hollins

[JohnnyKILLroy]

Pippen did get a team to the ECF.

I think he was capable of being "The Guy" he just never was so people assume he couldn't.

False. He took them to the ECSF. But he was NBA All Star MVP that year.

Hue Hollins

Exactly.

[Benedict Miller]

False. He took them to the ECSF. But he was NBA All Star MVP that year.

Hue Hollins

Exactly.

Exactly what? You said Pippen took them to the ECF. gtfoh

[vxmike]

Pip was UNDERRATED
Great rebounder. Great passer. Excellent with the ball in his hands. Defense? DAMN

Grant hill? No
TMac? No
Lebron? Heck yeah, but he's lebron
Durant? Sure looks that way...would like to see some titles
Pierce? No way
Melo? No way
Kobe? Different kind of guy but I have always felt Kobe was highly overrated
Vince? Nope

Basketball is a team sport. Pip was almost the perfect team player. Plus he was freakin' good.

Agree except at this point in their careers I would take Pippen over Durant. Durant is fairly one dimensional compared to Pippen and hasn't won anything to date nor been very clutch in the playoffs.

Lebron is the only guy on the list better. Pippen was devastating at everything he did except volume scoring, and his two seasons without MJ in between the 3peats were pretty effective. I don't think there's any argument he isn't the top perimeter defender ever. There probably wasn't a better fit to partner with MJ, and that's why they won six titles in eight years.

Kobe is not an SF. Might as well include Jordan in the list if one includes Kobe...

[Ice Man]

Pippen better than the best guy on the Olympic team, and 3rd best in the NBA? Hmmmm.

[Chi]

Sure, Pippen is a legit HOFer too.

I still think, like Toni, he was overrated by many Bulls fans who talk about him like a true legend, all time elite guy. Just since Pippens' prime, here are the SFs who have compared roughly equal or perhaps better than Pippen ever was:

Grant Hill
TMac
Lebron
Durant
Pierce
Melo?
Kobe? (could have played SF better than Pippen and in many ways did play "SF")
Vince Carter?

That's just in recent years since Scottie was done.

I guess it depends how you define "equal or perhaps better"...

I can help you make your list a lot longer if you simply define it by who is the "equal or perhaps better" scorer..


But I don't define it that way.

Sure you can, and I don't either, which is why I didn't make it longer.

I think it's hard to argue against most of the guys I put on this list though. I would take Scottie over Melo, Carter and maybe over Pierce. But IMO there is no doubt that Lebron, Durant, Kobe, TMac and Grant Hill (prime Pistons) were better than Pippen. Scoring isn't everything, but it's a really big thing. And they kill him in it, while also being well rounded players with lots of skill.

Grant Hill wasn't clearly better than Pip, maybe arguably but not clearly. And based on longevity as of today it's not even close... TMac maybe would've/could've been. Kobe shouldn't even be on the list anymore than Reggie Miller or any other 6'7+ SG should.

[League Circles]

I guess it depends how you define "equal or perhaps better"...

I can help you make your list a lot longer if you simply define it by who is the "equal or perhaps better" scorer..


But I don't define it that way.

Sure you can, and I don't either, which is why I didn't make it longer.

I think it's hard to argue against most of the guys I put on this list though. I would take Scottie over Melo, Carter and maybe over Pierce. But IMO there is no doubt that Lebron, Durant, Kobe, TMac and Grant Hill (prime Pistons) were better than Pippen. Scoring isn't everything, but it's a really big thing. And they kill him in it, while also being well rounded players with lots of skill.

Grant Hill wasn't clearly better than Pip, maybe arguably but not clearly. And based on longevity as of today it's not even close... TMac maybe would've/could've been. Kobe shouldn't even be on the list anymore than Reggie Miller or any other 6'7+ SG should.

Yeah you're pretty much right. Hill had one huge year of like 26 ppg that my memory had converted into like 3 or 4 years of 25 ppg+, which didn't happen. I should be ashamed of myself as I usually don't appeal to stats.

Kobe, IDK. Lots of "SFs" he played with camped out atvthe 3 pt line. He pretty much played SF offenisvely a lot while guys like Horry, Glen Rice (I'm probably full of **** there as Rice may not have even played with Kobe haha), Metta, etc played more of a SG on O. Likewise, Pippen guarded plenty of backcourt guys like Kobe usually did. FWIW I also routinely call Lebron the best PF of all time (and the best SF of all time haha).

[MrSparkle]

IMO, Pippen gets a weeee bit overrated from time to time. He wasn't an offensive god. His defense was just as good as it is said. Butler will never equal him on that end. His arms aren't long enough.

Basically, Jimmy would have to become significantly better than he is now on offense to equal Pippen. The one area that stands out as an opening is 3p shooting, where Pip wasn't that great. Unfortunately, Butler doesn't look to be all that either.

So, as a guy who doesn't worship the ground that Pip walked on, I don't think that Jimmy can reach him.

Yeah, I think Pippen was a better player than Jimmy on both ends, unequivocally. I see K. Leonard as a pretty solid modern day Pippen comparison.

What I do like about Jimmy is his toughness. You don't have a lot of wings that can hang with any player in the league. Obviously Lebron is the biggest wing in the league, and besides Iguadala/Durant/Leonard, Jimmy is as good an option as them to guard Lebron.

Jimmy is pretty smooth with the rock but he does need to improve his shooting and speed (of decision making). He's still playing slow-paced basketball.

[League Circles]

Pip was UNDERRATED
Great rebounder. Great passer. Excellent with the ball in his hands. Defense? DAMN

Grant hill? No
TMac? No
Lebron? Heck yeah, but he's lebron
Durant? Sure looks that way...would like to see some titles
Pierce? No way
Melo? No way
Kobe? Different kind of guy but I have always felt Kobe was highly overrated
Vince? Nope

Basketball is a team sport. Pip was almost the perfect team player. Plus he was freakin' good.

Agree except at this point in their careers I would take Pippen over Durant. Durant is fairly one dimensional compared to Pippen and hasn't won anything to date nor been very clutch in the playoffs.

Lebron is the only guy on the list better. Pippen was devastating at everything he did except volume scoring, and his two seasons without MJ in between the 3peats were pretty effective. I don't think there's any argument he isn't the top perimeter defender ever. There probably wasn't a better fit to partner with MJ, and that's why they won six titles in eight years.

Kobe is not an SF. Might as well include Jordan in the list if one includes Kobe...

IMO its laughable to say KD is one dimensional. He's a very solid defender. Pippen wasn't just a scorer without real big volume, he also wasn't any more efficient than an average player.

Lots of people think MJ was every bit as good as Pippen on D. Some very close to the title teams think MJ was better. Pippen did often get the toucher assignment though.

Pippen wasn't devastating at anything other than defense. Which is admittedly half the game and is why he is a great great player. Not a devastating playmaker, rebounder or scorer.

Durant hasn't won "anything"? He took his team further than Pippen did.

MJ played SF too in this league, and he played it better than Pippen did. I didn't include him, or Bird, Dr J, etc cause I was talking about guys better than Pippen after Pippen.

[donaldtrump_00]

Friendly comparison...

First, I realize Jimmy may never get 6 Rings so use that in this debate how you see fit.

But I just want to see what people think about Jimmy's possibility of becoming the 2nd Best Bull ever. What would it take for Jimmy to surpass Scottie? And do you think he's capable of it?

i didnt read anybody else's articles after reading yours. you said something that kinda disrespected derrick rose. rose is either 2nd already if not third. his impact on the game was just to much for jimmy to overcome. seriously. we talking rose those 3-4 seasons was a legend at a young age. i doubt jimmy can become as good as rose those years. people say things out of being a bulls fan and its kinda pathetic. rose was on his way to passing or catching lebron. please stop comparing jimmy to elite status legends like that. hes a very talented player who game is very based on getting to the foul line at a high rate. he does everything else pretty decent. well except defend. those are his traits. getting to the line and defense. pippen was a great ball handler and a high assist guy. a high rebound guy. his scoring came in transition most the time and then prefected a jump shot and post game. butler and pippens games are similar in a way but they are different. jimmy is still working on things and even tho he may be the best player on this team doesnt make him in the discussion for 2nd best bull of all time. im sorry i had to stop this nonsense. we setting him up for failure if we think hes that good. bulls are dumb for trading rose

[Rerisen]

I still think, like Toni, he was overrated by many Bulls fans who talk about him like a true legend, all time elite guy. Just since Pippens' prime, here are the SFs who have compared roughly equal or perhaps better than Pippen ever was:

Grant Hill
TMac
Lebron
Durant
Pierce
Melo?
Kobe? (could have played SF better than Pippen and in many ways did play "SF")
Vince Carter?

That's just in recent years since Scottie was done.

I think Pippen ranks up specialty points for proving to be one of (if not 'the') best #2 player ever. Others may have been better #1s (say Tmac) but if they were not great enough #1s to routinely lead their team to the Finals, that's more of a moot point.

Many of the type of players mentioned also had the talents to be great #2s I'm sure, but because of defense particularly, and Pippen's unique ability to accept being a #2 in terms of mentality, doubtful most would have done it as well as he did.

To the OP, no Butler has little chance to ever be as good as Pippen, he's certainly not right now.

[donaldtrump_00]

Jimmy is a better Corey Maggette

there some people who dont know who corey maggette is and i had the pleasure of watching him play through his prime. he was damn good and thats a fair comparison but he didnt play a lick of defense. there similar on offense. because they both came out of nowhere with allstar level play. jimmy is a much better version of him tho. at pretty much everything,but i like how you didnt go to compare him to elite players like pippen and ect. and yes pippen is elite because paid his dues. hes legit whether ppl want to give him his props or not.

[JordansBulls]

Pippen did get a team to the ECF.

No he didn't.

[Shill]

No.

[keithmad42]

Pippen was a much better all around defender. Lebron was compared to Pippen early in his career because they were 2 of the best perimeter defenders in the history of the league. The difference is that Pippen continued to be that defender for the majority of his career. 10 years in he was still locking down the best players in the league. Both Lebron and Jimmy now pick their spots and rest on defense, even during playoff games. (Unless Jimmy is defending Lebron)

[RedBulls23]

I love Jimmy, but no he's not equal to or better than Scottie. That's just silly.

Jimmy has A LOT to prove to be compared to a guy that's 50 player all-time and a HOFer.

[Proven_Winner]

I don't even consider Jimmy better than Rose and I think Rose is around top 3-5. It's no disrespect to Jimmy though but pip was a hell of a player who does get underrated a bit because he was a sidekick.

[Keller61]

Maybe if Jimmy could combine his defense from 2013-14 with his offense from the last two seasons, he'd be close. But he hasn't been as consistently good on D since taking on a lead offensive role.

[SHO'NUFF]

no way.