Where do you Rank Scottie Pippen in 2024 Season

[LaLover11]

I had him top 40.

When MJ's took his ex he's now outside my top 50. Also he still has braids and he's damn near 60! Walking L!

[LaLover11]

In terms of those "prime non-Jordan years" in today's league, he'd be a top 10-15 player. It would be like a fully healthy Kawhi Leonard for all 82+ games.

That would be a elite player because a 82+ Healthy Kawhi would definitely be a Top 3 player right now!

[ScrantonBulls]

Pip is one of my favorite players ever and I watched every single game he played for the bulls. That said, I've always thought he was a little overrated. A great all around player but not a #1 on offense. I've seen people here say that Jordan couldn't win until Pippen arrived. That's true, but Jordan had absolutely nothing prior. I think the 10-15 range if he played today sounds about right.

The year without MJ (93-94) he was 8th in the league in PPG. He was also 18th assists per game, which was the highest out of any non-PG. That's a #1 on offense in my book. All while being a lockdown defender. He made the ultimate sacrifice and was a #2 player on a team his entire career. The championships are a testament to that. He is underrated in my book. Kawhi is the best comparison for him IMO. Kawhi is a better shooter, Pippen a better playmaker. I think Pip would adjust to the times and be a good 3 point shooter. He'd be a great player in this era, or any era.

[NZB2323]

He's like a playmaking point guard version of Kawhi. Kawhi sometimes has been regarded as the second best player in the league behind LeBron. He would be in discussion for best player in the league. He finished 3rd in MVP voting that year you presented. He's a lock down defensive player and a championship level playmaker. Top 3...

Peak Pippen was never close to peak Kawhi.

Pippen 1994 playoffs: 23, 8, and 5, 52.1 TS%, 22.8 PER
Kawhi 2019 playoffs: 31, 9, and 4, 61.9 TS%, 27.9 PER

He was more around Paul George's level, who also managed to come in 3rd in MVP voting one year.

Pippen 1994 regular season: 22, 9, and 6, 54.4 TS%, 23.2 PER
George 2019 regular season: 28, 8, and 4, 58.3 TS%, 23.3 PER

Top 3 I can't agree with. I got Jokic, Giannis, Embiid, Luka, SGA, Tatum, Brunson, AD and Lebron ahead of him. Pippen would probably come in 10th unless we have playoff Butler, healthy Kawhi, or in shape Zion.

[swyftdahoe]

Top 50 of all time. Greatest #2 of all time. You can plug him as is on any team, any era.

[Special_Puppy]

Top 3

[Dan33185]

Isn't he like 60 now? Probably top 200?

[LaLover11]

Top 3

Definitely can see him being a top 3 right now.
A few people have said 6-10

[KrAzY3]

Klay Thompson

[Special_Puppy]

Top 3

Definitely can see him being a top 3 right now.
A few people have said 6-10

Its pretty hard to explain the absurd strength of those Bulls teams if you don't have Pippen playing at a top 3-6 player in the league caliber from 1991 to 1998.

[In-N-Out 247]

Isn't he like 60 now? Probably top 200?

Haha - came here to say the same thing

[DaFan334]

He didn't really play this year, so probably dead last.

[TinmanZBoy]

You all are so disrespectful to Jr., who is actually playing in the league

[SelfishPlayer]

He's like a playmaking point guard version of Kawhi. Kawhi sometimes has been regarded as the second best player in the league behind LeBron. He would be in discussion for best player in the league. He finished 3rd in MVP voting that year you presented. He's a lock down defensive player and a championship level playmaker. Top 3...

Peak Pippen was never close to peak Kawhi.

Pippen 1994 playoffs: 23, 8, and 5, 52.1 TS%, 22.8 PER
Kawhi 2019 playoffs: 31, 9, and 4, 61.9 TS%, 27.9 PER

He was more around Paul George's level, who also managed to come in 3rd in MVP voting one year.

Pippen 1994 regular season: 22, 9, and 6, 54.4 TS%, 23.2 PER
George 2019 regular season: 28, 8, and 4, 58.3 TS%, 23.3 PER

Top 3 I can't agree with. I got Jokic, Giannis, Embiid, Luka, SGA, Tatum, Brunson, AD and Lebron ahead of him. Pippen would probably come in 10th unless we have playoff Butler, healthy Kawhi, or in shape Zion.

Eras matter, Scottie finished 3rd in MVP without a defensive three second and without a charge circle. He was nothing like a Paul George when adjusting for eras. He was more like a LeBron whose defense was on 100% of the time. PG shoots .423 from the field in the playoffs for his career, Scottie shot .473 WITH A CLOGGED LANE! Kawhi has a career playoff FG average of .511 and LeBron has a career playoff average of .497. Pippen plays CHAMPIONSHIP LEVEL BASKETBALL, that is what he would be shooting in THIS era totally separating himself from someone like Paul George who is a talented highly productive player that doesn't have a CHIP for a reason.

I'm taking the two way player that's always healthy, so many of the names you have on that list are instantaneously disqualified.

[DirtyDez]

This should be on the PC board but I’d have him 8th right behind Brunson because I’m a prisoner of the moment.

[bledredwine]

Seeing people compare Pippen to Kawhi is wild. They have little to nothing in common.

Pippen was an excellent defender but not the scorer Kawhi was. I actually don't see any similarities in their game
as Pippen is more of an all around player than Kawhi. Their wingspan is really it and Pippen was straight up more athletic and quicker, though Kawhi has great strength.

On one hand, Pippen was a quintessential 2nd option and all around player; excellent defender, great point player, could hit the three, lethal in transition, smart. On the other hand, he did often have dry spells where he couldn't hit a shot. This was especially apparent in the finals and especially in the 2nd three peat, though it happened during 1993 as well. This would be the field where Kawhi crushes Pippen. Pippen was excellent at using the backboard but not great at creating his own shot, let alone Kawhi level, and that's vital to be the 1st option on a championship team. No one in their right mind should rank peak Pippen up there with peak championship Kawhi.

As a second option, he's perfect though, like Stockton.
He was also a perfect compliment to Jordan and was much more efficient when Jordan had the attention than when Pippen had to be a first option himself. That's also why it was perfect having Kukoc along his side with Armstrong and Horace to spread the court. By then, Horace was shooting like 44% of his shots from midrange (forget the exact stat but it was shocking how many and just how efficient he was).

So with all of this in mind, top 5 player is not even in consideration. Top 5 player is a player who could win the championship as a 1 option scorer of the team. Top 10-15 and beyond is where you put those fantastic 2nd options, like a Chris Paul, John Stockton, Scottie, Gary Payton, and so on.

He'd be somewhere in the 9-15 range, unless you claim he'd benefit from the extra space as a slasher/assister, which is valid.
Just like the 90s, there would be around 8 players who are clearly better than him and he'd be right at that next spot.

By the way, I 100% consider 1992 and 1993 Scottie was every bit as good as 1993-1994 Scottie.

[RoxSteady]

He's like a playmaking point guard version of Kawhi. Kawhi sometimes has been regarded as the second best player in the league behind LeBron. He would be in discussion for best player in the league. He finished 3rd in MVP voting that year you presented. He's a lock down defensive player and a championship level playmaker. Top 3...

Peak Pippen was never close to peak Kawhi.

Pippen 1994 playoffs: 23, 8, and 5, 52.1 TS%, 22.8 PER
Kawhi 2019 playoffs: 31, 9, and 4, 61.9 TS%, 27.9 PER

He was more around Paul George's level, who also managed to come in 3rd in MVP voting one year.

Pippen 1994 regular season: 22, 9, and 6, 54.4 TS%, 23.2 PER
George 2019 regular season: 28, 8, and 4, 58.3 TS%, 23.3 PER

Top 3 I can't agree with. I got Jokic, Giannis, Embiid, Luka, SGA, Tatum, Brunson, AD and Lebron ahead of him. Pippen would probably come in 10th unless we have playoff Butler, healthy Kawhi, or in shape Zion.

Eras matter, Scottie finished 3rd in MVP without a defensive three second and without a charge circle. He was nothing like a Paul George when adjusting for eras. He was more like a LeBron whose defense was on 100% of the time. PG shoots .423 from the field in the playoffs for his career, Scottie shot .473 WITH A CLOGGED LANE! Kawhi has a career playoff FG average of .511 and LeBron has a career playoff average of .497. Pippen plays CHAMPIONSHIP LEVEL BASKETBALL, that is what he would be shooting in THIS era totally separating himself from someone like Paul George who is a talented highly productive player that doesn't have a CHIP for a reason.

I'm taking the two way player that's always healthy, so many of the names you have on that list are instantaneously disqualified.

Co-sign. I'll add that because he spent most of his career in Jordan's shadow, it's easy to miss how high on the all-time list Scottie ranks.

[Yoshun]

He was All Star game MVP, not NBA MVP.

Edit: Chipotle beat me.

He'd be a top 10-15 player today.

Interesting what 10 players would be better than him

I'm not sure I would say definitely better, just guys you could make arguments for.

Jokic, Doncic, Giannis, Tatum, SGA, Embiid, Ant, LeBron, Brunson, Durant.

Then there's guys I think Pippen is definitely better than and who the argument is a weaker for, but I'm sure there's probably some argument:

Curry, Davis, Sabonis, Brown, Morant, George, Kawhi, Harden.

I'm a Pippen fan, so I probably overrate him at top 5-7 in today's league. His defense puts him on another level from most of those guys for me, but put him in an offense that likes to play really fast, like the Pacers, and, damn.

[Petergrifindor]

Not All NBA

[Capn'O]

This should be on the PC board but I’d have him 8th right behind Brunson because I’m a prisoner of the moment.

I think 8-10 is about right. I can't put him ahead of guys that can dominate a game on their own but he did so much like a Garnett.

Peak Pippen, there's an argument for Top 5.

By the way, I 100% consider 1992 and 1993 Scottie was every bit as good as 1993-1994 Scottie.

That was a great breakdown. Do you not consider 95 still peak? I think overall the quality of the team took a hit that year, prior to MJ's return. Losing Grant and a few others was a big deal but the numbers are still strong. I wasn't watching a ton of Bulls that year, aside from that double nickel stupid Wennington final shot game.