Scottie Pippen is one of the most underrated players in the league’s history. Having won six championships with the Chicago Bulls, his contributions to the team are often overshadowed by the presence of the great Michael Jordan. But the fans who followed the game thoroughly and saw the games know that Pippen was an irreplaceable piece for the Bulls.

In a resurfaced clip from the Outta Pocket podcast, a 2016 NBA champion explains the elite defense shown by Scottie Pippen on the floor and his impact on the team.

Scottie Pippen’s defense was world-class

The Chicago Bulls faced the Seattle Supersonics in the 1996 NBA Finals.?Iman Shumpert explains that Gary Payton was a huge problem in the 1996 finals for the Bulls. The Glove was having his way by dunking and staring at the crowd and letting people know that it wouldn’t be an easy series.

Payton was even trash-talking Michael Jordan while he was on the court.

Shumpert went on to say that the Bulls made an adjustment and had Scottie Pippen guard Payton for the next couple of games. Shumpert said, “It got ugly for those people immediately.“

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He then went on to explain the defensive masterclass put on by Scottie Pippen.

Shumpert said, “You dribbling now, you just can’t move no more,” meaning that Payton couldn’t even move with the ball when Pippen was the primary defender. He was agile enough to stand in front of the guards but also strong enough to stop the centers from backing him down in the post.

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One of a rare kind of specimen who was talented enough to stop anyone he went up against on the floor. #33’s impact is often overlooked because of the flashy game style of Michael Jordan.

Gary Payton and Scottie Pippen in the finals

Payton never scored over 23 points in the series and averaged 18 PPG in the 1996 finals.

Pippen, on the other hand, scored 21 points in the first two games of the series, which led to Chicago’s wins. This gave them a good enough cushion, and they closed the series out in 6 games. Shawn Kemp was the leading scorer for the Supersonics.

He cut off all of Gary Payton’s moves and made him a bystander on the floor. They then went on to praise Scottie Pippen’s prowess on offense as well.

He can dunk on anyone, and it was effortless for him. And finally, the most important aspect of Pippen’s game was that he could switch onto anyone. He was a true defender who could guard all positions from 1 through 5. This has led to many players putting Pippen over Jordan when it comes to defense.

Do you think Scottie Pippen has gotten the recognition he deserves for his play or has Jordan always taken all the glory?

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