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Originally Posted by docicu3
That was my answer as well.....unless B Russell is allowed?
This will set off an explosion but Hakeem deserves at least honorable mention.
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I think Kobe in his younger days deserves a mention. He will never get the credit he deserves as a defender but when he was in his younger days, he was about as tough and as versatile of a lockdown defender as there was in the league. He was capable of locking down guys from Allen Iverson to Tracy Mcgrady.
Shaun Marion in his prime was extremely versatile although one certainly wouldn't mention him in the same breath as Pippen.
Michael Cooper was pretty darn versatile. Think about some of the assignments he had.
Bruce Bowen and Ron Artest. Neither of those guys played the passing lanes like Pippen though although I think Artest was better in the post against the more physcial swing men. Still, neither would be in Pippen's class all the way around considering Pippen had more responsibility at the other end.
What made Pippen unique was that he locked down, could play the lanes and then at the other end he ran the offense half the time and for all intents was the second option in a pretty potent arsenal. I guess when you factor all that stuff in you could certainly make a compelling case for Pippen. Although, if just looking at the defensive side purely, Rodman to me was more versatile. He could cover a guy like Shaq and then turn around and cover a guy like Dominique Wilkins. Pippen couldn't do that.