Let’s Play a Game Part 3
As good as Michael Jordan was during the second half of the 1980’s (he led the league in scoring four times), his teams weren’t that good and the decade really belonged to Magic and Larry. They had to retire before Jordan could really take center stage in the world’s eyes. By the way, Jordan would have earned a spot on the “team” of the Magic-Bird Era, but he was even better during the 1990’s, when he led the Chicago Bulls to 6 NBA championships in 8 years. Another by the way. During the two years he did not win a championship, MJ took off time from “his” sport to play baseball.
Michael Jordan was so good during his career, there are many who still call him the Greatest Of All Time. Many of the really good players that were getting started in the mid to late 1980’s thought they would perhaps have a chance to get the championships that Magic, Bird and Isiah seemed to dominate throughout the previous decade. They were wrong, because everybody in the 1990’s was basically playing for second place as long as Michael Jordan was playing during his prime.
Those players, that played in the second half of the 1980’s and who finally came of age during the 90’s, were also a part of this team. Several members (8) of the so called “Dream Team” of 1992 are the heart of this team. That Dream Team was considered by many to be the greatest collection of talent to ever play together. But make no mistake about it, this team will bear the imprint of Jordan, who dominated the decade and whatever this team of this era was to become, it would do so because his teammates would be HIS kind of teammates. Here is the “dream team” of the Michael Jordan Era.
The Michael Jordan Era
Coach – Phil Jackson – During all of the years of Michael Jordan before Phil Jackson arrived to coach the Chicago Bulls, they won nothing. If you don’t think that Jackson knew how to assemble, teach and coach a talented team to a championship, you only need to know this. After Phil Jackson arrived, the Bulls won 6 championships in his first 8 years. Later in his career, in 2000, he went to coach the Lakers who had won zero titles in four years with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, and after Jackson taught this new team how to win, they then won the next three years in a row. And, a few years later, he won two more after that. He wins championships. He is the greatest coach in history.
Michael Jordan – As stated before, this is the team representing “The Michael Jordan Era.” He is the star of the team. When he was in his prime, he put together an incomparable career, be it statistically, or more importantly, unparalleled in terms of winning. Just as Michael dominated the NBA during the 1990’s, he also was the most important member of that famous “Dream Team” that played so well in the 1992 Olympics. The guard who could do everything, including creating shots for himself from the outside and breaking down his defender and driving to the basket, creating opportunities for his teammates, he could also play some of the best defensive guard the league has ever seen. And he had a sheer fire in him that COMPETED. Him alone makes this team really good. All of his teammates will help make it great.
Scottie Pippen – Pippen was, of course, Jordan’s teammate and right hand man on all six of the championship Bull teams. They had Jordan, but never won championships until Pippen also arrived. A great athlete, Pippen could both shoot and rebound well, but the thing that made him a great player was his intense defensive prowess. In pro basketball, the two positions that seem to score the most are the shooting guard and the small (shooting) forward. Pippen would put the clamps on the other team’s best forward (Jordan would do the same to their best guard) and, voila, six championships.
John Stockton – Stockton was the point guard throughout the late 80’s and 1990’s that ran the position like he invented it. He also had an excellent outside shot and ran the pick and roll play from the guard position as well as anybody in league history. He was great at running the fast break as well as in quarterbacking the offense against a set defense. He would be the point guard on this team because he really competed at the point guard position.
Karl Malone – The muscle bound power forward from the Utah Jazz teams, Malone could shoot, rebound and run the power forward part of the pick and roll about as well as anyone also. A very good athlete that could also play good defense AND run the floor well on the fast break, Malone would be a natural fit at power forward on this team. Any team that would be playing for the survival of the planet would need the size and strength of Karl Malone.
Charles Barkley – Charles Barkley is the perfect example of the guy who was born in a body that was 6’5″ tall, but who played the power game as if he were 6’10”. A very strong offensive post player who could back people up and force his will on a defense, he also was an incredible offensive rebounder for his size. He was a force in the NBA back when he played (even though he was not “tall”), and was also a force on the Dream Team of 1992.
Hakeem Olajuwon – The 6’10” center that moved more like a power forward led the Houston Rockets to two championships while Jordan was off making his attempt to play baseball. He could shoot, he could rebound, he could play defense. Never underestimate the heart of a champion. This man would be a powerful center on a Phil Jackson coached team. He may not have been on the original Dream Team, but he WAS on the 1996 team after he became a U.S. citizen.
Patrick Ewing – A great defensive center who could rebound and block shots extremely well, he also could hit mid-range jump shots from the center position. His Knick teams were really good during the 1990’s, but always seemed to fall short against the teams with more talent (like the Bulls). Another Dream Teamer, he too would be a great fit in the triangle offense of Phil Jackson.
David Robinson – Say whatever you want to about the other two centers, Robinson has this going for him. He too was on the Dream Team and he also knew how to win (with San Antonio). Robinson could play excellent all around center with shooting, rebounding, defense and size, and one thing would be certain. With Olajuwon, Ewing and Robinson, this team would be rock solid great at the center position
Clyde Drexler – Another Dream Team player, Drexler would be a perfect substitute for Jordan whenever he needed a rest. Same size, same leaping ability, same type of game, only more of a “Jordan lite” version of the shooting guard. Played on the same Houston Rocket teams with Olajuwon and a likely solid fit with a Phil Jackson team.
Reggie Miller – Reggie Miller would be on this team because he would be a great outside shooter that could bust a zone and relieve the pressure on the inside part of the triangle offense. As long as the three point shot is in effect, Reggie Miller would be an asset to any team, especially a Phil Jackson type team that always could use an outside shooter on the wing. (Miller was also a member of the 1996 “Dream Team.”)
Dennis Rodman – Dennis Rodman would be on this team because he played a perfect role on the Bull championship teams, that of a pure rebounder and defensive stopper. He could play a certain amount of limited minutes on this team that would likely take place when the team needed to play shutdown defense and stop their intergalactic opponents during a key stretch of a game. Rodman is on this team because he plays the gritty part of the game that produces wins.
Gary Payton – The 12th spot on this team was a difficult choice. Do you go with another really good defensive point guard or do you go with another power forward type of player? Because this team has such a great collection of big centers, as well as Malone and Barkley, we decided to go with the point guard (and 1996 Dream Team member), Gary Payton. Payton could dribble, shoot and pass well, but what he really did well was play defense. As much as offense matters, he does it more with defense,which “wins championships.”
Alternates – The power forward that almost made the team as previously implied was Chris Webber, the 6’10” power player that could shoot, rebound and bang up against the bigs on the other team. He easily could be on this team if it didn’t already have eleven former Dream Team players (from 1992 and 1996) and Dennis Rodman (a Phil Jackson favorite). The other alternates were forward Grant Hill and guard/wing player Chris Mullin, two players that could help out on the wings of a triangle offense.
The more you look at this team, the more you can see it as the Chicago Bulls of the 1990’s with BETTER players at center, BETTER players at the guard spots and BETTER players at the forward spots, a BETTER outside shooting zone buster and much BETTER depth all around. AND you have Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman, the three best players on the Bulls. This team would be loaded with stars AND it would play great defense. This team would also be well coached by the zen master Phil Jackson, who would know how to put together all of the pieces. They would be a team that could DEFEND the honor of their planet quite well.
