Debunking The Myth: Did Scottie Pippen Always Guard the Other Team’s Best Player?

If there is one thing that I have learned throughout my years of watching the NBA, it’s that there exists an inordinate number of inaccurate and illogical myths that have gone unquestioned over time. Granted, while the majority of these myths have been generated and promoted by a sensationalist media, equally culpable are those casual fans whose ignorance and laziness in failing to challenge the status quo has resulted in nothing short of blind acceptance, and the eventual penetration into our sports subconscious.

One such myth that has continued to subsist is the notion that Scottie Pippen – not Michael Jordan – always guarded the opponent’s best perimeter player during the Chicago Bulls’ 6 championship runs. Having been a lifelong fan of the Bulls, and having watched every single playoff game at least twice, I never felt quite comfortable with this assumption. Didn’t Jordan lock down Clyde Drexler during the 1992 Finals? Didn’t he repeatedly frustrate Tim Hardaway during the 1996 playoffs? Or had I been remembering MJ’s defensive contributions inaccurately? If not, where did this notion that “Scottie Pippen always guarded the best player” originate from?

The Genesis of the Myth

The genesis of this myth began during Game 2 of the 1991 NBA Finals when Scottie Pippen helped change the momentum of the series by defensively switching onto Magic Johnson in an effort to alleviate MJ’s workload. Up until that point, Michael Jordan had struggled to maintain a balance between guarding Magic Johnson, staying out of foul trouble, and serving as the Bulls’ primary offensive weapon. As a result, Phil Jackson decided to guard Magic with the taller, longer, and more physical Scottie Pippen. The plan worked wonders, and once the NBA Finals ended, Pippen quickly earned league-wide recognition as one of the NBA’s premier on-ball defenders.

Fast forward to 2012, and Pippen’s legacy has now evolved from “premier on-ball defender in the NBA”, to “best defensive small forward in the NBA”, to “best perimeter defender in the NBA”, to “arguably the best Defensive player ever in the NBA”, to…….. “always guarded the opponent’s best player”?

Yep, Scottie Pippen’s defensive responsibilities have now evolved into a myth, and it’s protectors over the years have been 4 segments of NBA fans:

1.) Anti-Jordan fans

2.) Scottie Pippen legacy-defenders who justly believe that Scottie Pippen never received due credit for his contributions. This contingent is ironically headed by none other than ….. Scottie Pippen .

3.) Juanita Jordan

4.) Members of Kobe Nation: Those ardent fans of Kobe Bryant who began promoting this myth as an attempt to provide distinction from MJ. In this scenario, Kobe has been cast as a player who always eagerly guarded the opponent’s best perimeter player (another myth, which we will dispel in an upcoming article) while Jordan has been painted as a player who routinely deferred to Scottie Pippen for the tough defensive assignments.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Scottie Pippen; 10 time All-NBA Defensive Player, the greatest defensive small forward to ever play, arguably the greatest defensive wing player to ever play, and undoubtedly in my mind, the greatest help defender to every play. However, as previously mentioned,  I never once felt as if Phil Jackson intentionally assigned Pippen to guard the opponent’s best perimeter player. Instead, I always felt as if Jordan and Pippen simply guarded those players who matched up according to their respective positions. However, as we have repeatedly proven on Chasing 23, emotions can be very deceiving, and memories oftentimes fragmented. No sense in relying upon my “feelings” to uncover the truth – time to turn to the video.

The Verdict

After re-watching hours of game film, we were able to compile a list of each of the Bulls playoff opponents, the opponent’s best perimeter player, and the Bulls defender that guarded the opponent’s best perimeter player. Our list captures all 24 playoff series from the Bulls’ 6 championship runs (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1998, 1998), and identifies the player that assumed the vast majority of defensive responsibilities, with particular emphasis on 4Q and Crunchtime. We also took into account any situational defensive switches that may have been pertinent.

Did Scottie Pippen Always Guard the Other Team’s Best Player? The following highlights the results of our analysis:

The following becomes apparent:

• Contrary to popular opinion, Michael Jordan – not Scottie Pippen –  most often drew the opposition’s toughest perimeter assignment. However, it was close: Jordan did so 8 times, while Scottie Pippen assumed this responsibility 7 times.
• As suspected, our analysis confirmed that Phil Jackson assigned defensive responsibilities according to position – not according to the opponent’s best perimeter player. In other words, during most instances, point guards defended point guards, shooting guards defended shooting guards, and small forwards defended small forwards – irrespective of the opposing player’s stature, skill, or talent. There were however, a few exceptions:
  • For the bulk of the 1996 and 1997 playoffs, Michael Jordan assumed defensive responsibilities on opposing point guards while Ron Harper guarded opposing shooting guards.
  • In 1996 Scottie Pippen switched with Ron Harper and guarded PG Anfernee Hardaway for the bulk of their series against the Orlando Magic.
  • In 1998 Scottie Pippen assumed defensive responsibilities for PG Mark Jackson during key stretches and crunchtime moments of the series against the Indiana Pacers.
• Interestingly enough, during 9 of the 24 playoff series, the opponents best perimeter player was actually guarded by neither Jordan nor Pippen (further substantiating my earlier point that defensive matchups were determined by position). Ron Harper attained this distinction 4 times (Gary Payton, John Stockton twice, and Sam Cassell),  John Paxson 3 times (Isiah Thomas, Mark Jackson, and Mark Price), and BJ Armstrong twice (Mark Price, Kevin Johnson).
• It turns out that even the  genesis of the myth itself is entirely flawed. After reviewing the game film from the 1991 NBA Finals, it turns out the Jordan – not Pippen – guarded Magic Johnson for nearly 85-90% of that series. The exception was the first half of Game 2 and the 2H of Game 3.

Jordan vs. Pippen

To further debunk this myth, we focused only on those players that Jordan and Pippen guarded, irrespective of the defensive assignments of any of the other Bulls’ players. Who guarded the better player?

When looking at a head-to-head comparison, the following becomes apparent:

• Out of 24 playoff series, Michael Jordan – not Scottie Pippen -guarded the better  perimeter player more often. Specifically,Jordan guarded the better perimeter player during 13 playoff series, while Pippen guarded the better perimeter player 11 times.
• Out of the 24 playoff series, both Jordan and Pippen guarded an All-Star perimeter players 6 times each.
  • Jordan: Magic Johnson (91),Clyde Drexler (92), Dan Majerle (93), Gary Payton (96), Tim Hardaway (97), and Reggie Miller (98).
  • Pippen: Charles Barkley (91), James Worthy (91), Dominique Wilkens (93), Anfernee Hardaway (96), Larry Nance (93), and Glen Rice (98)

With all of the aforementioned being said, 2 things need to be stated in acknowledgement of Scottie Pippen’s contributions:

1.)   Throughout their championship run, and especially during the Bulls’ 2^nd three-peat when Jordan started slowing down defensively in 97 and 98, Scottie Pippen took on more overall defensive responsibilities. In addition to assuming on-ball responsibilities for his own man, Pippen served as a roamer, a one man wrecking crew, and one of the greatest help defenders we have ever seen, thereby allowing an older MJ to preserve his energy on defense and focus more on offense. Those last 2 years have likely enhanced the false perceptions that I am challenging in my article today.

2.)   Scottie’s defensive versatility was unmatched. In sum, at one time or another, Pippen guarded 5 different positions during crucial moments in the playoffs. In 1993, he effectively guarded PF Charles Barkley during the late stages of games. In 1998, he effectively guarded PG Mark Jackson in an effort to disrupt the Pacers offense. In 1991, he effectively guarded Center Vlade Divac in key fourth quarters. Lastly, in 1996, he guarded SG Nick Anderson during key spurts to provide relief to Jordan and Harper.

In closing, if one wants to argue that Scottie Pippen was a better overall defender, a more versatile defender than Michael Jordan, or even assumed more overall defensive responsibilities, it remains a fair argument. Pippen excelled on the defensive end much the way that Jordan excelled on the offensive end.  However, the notion that Scottie Pippen always guarded the opponent’s best perimeter player during those Bulls’ champions runs remains one of the great myths in NBA history.