ESPN.com's Greatest Power Forwards (Duncan #1, Webber #12)

I've seen Rodman play a few games for Long Beach and the guy still hustles and can grab boards better than any present day Kings player. Bring him back!
 
I wanted to... although I admit to having a secret agenda. I wanted him when Shaq was still with the Lakers and they were still our rivals for the playoffs. I was thinking just seeing Rodman on the Kings bench would totally send Shaq off the deep end.

:D

I wish Rodman could impart his knowledge about defense and rebounding. It's truly a shame his life is so blasted bizarre that anyone who even thought about actually letting him step into any kind of role on a NBA franchise would probably be taken out and shot.
 
Bricklayer said:
3/14/92
Rodman -- 31rebs
Sacramento TEAM -- 37rebs

Does anyone recall this game? I'm trying to imagine what 31 rebs looks like from one player. I've seen Mutombo get 26 one time, but that was in 2 OTs.
 
It was 1992. Our record that year was 29-53. Do I remember that particular game? No. I looked it up and the final score was 89-83 Detroit. If anything, we might actually have consoled ourselves that it was a close game... it was a single digit loss.
 
he should be our rebounding coach, God knows we need one even in a dress. maybe tag could share the cheerleaders shorts with him and make him feel at home.
 
loopymitch said:
he should be our rebounding coach, God knows we need one even in a dress. maybe tag could share the cheerleaders shorts with him and make him feel at home.

Actually not really sure what he could pass along -- you want rebounding fundamentals you watch Charles Oakley. But Rodman -- that was all heart, hustle, and athletic freakism (I've never seen a player with so much energy and such a quick second, third, even fourth jump). In his prime he could singlehandedly destroy you without scoring a point. I'm not sure if he ever actually did manage to singlehandedly outrebound an entire opposing team, but it wouldn't surprise me. He caused utter havoc in there and just embarrassed his opponents, but I don't think there's much of it he could actually coach. "Be a complete psycho and pursue the ball like an insane man in a flowered dress" doesn't translate well. :) Its kind of like an idiot savant or child prodigy (many prodigies turn out to be unstable in general life) -- it was just instinctual.
 
Rodman doesn't even come close to having anything in points, field goals, free throws, assists, steals, blocks, etc.

If you told Shaq to do nothing but rebound... how much do you think he could have averaged when he was still spry? What about Barkley?

Rodman is the most overrated power forward in history.
 
I had no idea that Rodman was so dominant under the basket. He did his thing while I was still watching soccer games. What an asset!

He is still from outer space.
 
Bayliss said:
If you told Shaq to do nothing but rebound... how much do you think he could have averaged when he was still spry? What about Barkley?

Shaq maxed out at 12.9 boards in his best season. Barkley could get a ton if that's all he did -- I'll give you that.

You neglect that Rodman guarded guys like Bird, Magic, Jordan, Shaq, Malone, Barkley and guarded them well.
 
Shaq maxed out at 12.9 boards in his best season. Barkley could get a ton if that's all he did -- I'll give you that.

And which is more impressive... scoring 27 and grabbing 13 boards... or scoring 10 and grabbing 17 boards?

You neglect that Rodman guarded guys like Bird, Magic, Jordan, Shaq, Malone, Barkley and guarded them well.

That's a little shady reporting. He came into the league in 86. As a bench player. He guarded Bird 1 year: 87-88. And I seriously doubt that he guarded him that much considering he was still a role player for Detroit back then. Albiet a good role player. But those Detroit teams are very similar to the Detroi team of today.

He never guarded Barkley or Shaq well. He may have Magic (can't remember off the top of my head). Malone on the other hand he did a great job.

But for a great power forward that should be in the top 5 all time... he never once got first team all-nba. That in itself should show you why he should not be that high. Great players are jack(kings) of all trades. Rodman never was.
 
Which is more impressive depends on your point of view. The point is that Rodman did what his team needed. He provided defense and rebounding at a level most forwards can only dream of. I don't think the term "greatest" should only apply to offense.

Never getting first team all-NBA doesn't preclude calling him one of the greatest PF to play the game IMHO.
 
Bayliss said:
Rodman is the most overrated power forward in history.

Well, that may or my not be the case, but he certainly made a lasting impression.

In the mid to late 80s we only had 3 or 4 channels to watch in the UK. (no satelite, no cable) so you can imagine there was very limited nba exposure.
However, i do remember Rodman...a giant, with hair all the colours of the rainbow. Extraordiary.

I see that he has chosen an unconventional lifestyle, with which he may or may not be happy, but live and let live i say.

Surely he would be far too old (and so lack fitness and stamina) to be able to compete effectively at nba level today?
 
Which is more impressive depends on your point of view. The point is that Rodman did what his team needed. He provided defense and rebounding at a level most forwards can only dream of. I don't think the term "greatest" should only apply to offense.

Never getting first team all-NBA doesn't preclude calling him one of the greatest PF to play the game IMHO.

But if he doesn't make first team (or second team) then he better have a solid career a la Buck Williams piling up stats. He had neither.

I agree that what he did was great. But he was a great role player. And the topic was "greatest power forward."
 
Bayliss said:
But if he doesn't make first team (or second team) then he better have a solid career a la Buck Williams piling up stats. He had neither.

I agree that what he did was great. But he was a great role player. And the topic was "greatest power forward."

He however played his role as well as anybody in history (adjusting for eras). Averaging 18rpg is just so far out of the reach of mortals in the modern era its like averaging 35ppg. He was a dominant NBA player there for years and if not for his freakishness, a surefire Hall of Famer with 5 rings, 2 DPOYS, however many rebounding titles (suspensions and injuries may have prevented him from garnering some of those, but clearly the #1 guy) and an absolute source of complete havoc on the court. Is he the #1 PF in history? No. Not even Top 5 I think. But he was clearly more dominant than a guy like Buck who was just rock solid for years but never a dominant player.
 
Bayliss said:
And which is more impressive... scoring 27 and grabbing 13 boards... or scoring 10 and grabbing 17 boards?

Which is more impressive...a 6'7" PF grabbing 18 boards or a 7'1" 300 lb train averaging 11 or fewer rebounds over EIGHT seasons? Regardless of Shaq's scoring, he never lead the league in rebs. Sad.

That's a little shady reporting. He came into the league in 86. As a bench player. He guarded Bird 1 year: 87-88. And I seriously doubt that he guarded him that much considering he was still a role player for Detroit back then. Albiet a good role player. But those Detroit teams are very similar to the Detroi team of today.

He never guarded Barkley or Shaq well. He may have Magic (can't remember off the top of my head). Malone on the other hand he did a great job.

But for a great power forward that should be in the top 5 all time... he never once got first team all-nba. That in itself should show you why he should not be that high. Great players are jack(kings) of all trades. Rodman never was.

The point is, he was versatile enough to be put on the biggest threat on the other team -- SF, PF, or C. Name some others who can make that claim.

I'm not saying Rodman's top 5 by any means, but Russell certainly is (PF body) and he wasn't a great scorer.
 
Last edited:
Which is more impressive...a 6'7" PF grabbing 18 boards or a 7'1" 300 lb train averaging 11 or fewer rebounds over EIGHT seasons? Regardless of Shaq's scoring, he never lead the league in rebs. Sad.

When the 7 footer is dropping 27 points while grabbing 11 rebounds. That is much more impressive. And add to the fact that 7 footer was constantly double teamed and the number 1 option for his whole career. Even more impressive. And led his team to the Finals in 2 different league. Even more impressive.

The point is, he was versatile enough to be put on the biggest threat on the other team -- SF, PF, or C. Name some others who can make that claim.

Rodman never guarded the centers. And by the time he hit SA, he never guarded small forwards. So his niche changed from being Tayshaun Prince type defender to a Robert Horry type as soon as he put on weight and started not caring about anything other than rebounding.

He was much more versatile in Detroit.

I'm not saying Rodman's top 5 by any means, but Russell certainly is (PF body) and he wasn't a great scorer.

Bill Russell still scored 15-20 points a game too. Rodman couldn't do that. Ever. That is the difference.

If Rodman scored it would deflate his rebounding numbers. And he couldn't have that.
 
Bayliss said:
When the 7 footer is dropping 27 points while grabbing 11 rebounds. That is much more impressive. And add to the fact that 7 footer was constantly double teamed and the number 1 option for his whole career. Even more impressive. And led his team to the Finals in 2 different league. Even more impressive.



Rodman never guarded the centers. And by the time he hit SA, he never guarded small forwards. So his niche changed from being Tayshaun Prince type defender to a Robert Horry type as soon as he put on weight and started not caring about anything other than rebounding.

He was much more versatile in Detroit.



Bill Russell still scored 15-20 points a game too. Rodman couldn't do that. Ever. That is the difference.

If Rodman scored it would deflate his rebounding numbers. And he couldn't have that.



As I recall, It wasn't that Rodman couldn't score. It was that he didn't like to. He made a mention of it atleast once , twice a week how he thought scoring was boring. Rodman could've scored 13+ a game if he wanted to.
 
It's not exactly surprising to me that he never made first team. Alot of people tended to overlook his talent because of all the "other stuff". I don't think the NBA really approved of all that, but it doesn't diminish how good he was.
 
Back
Top