# Do we have the best Defensive lineup since the 96-98 Bulls?



## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

96-98 Bulls
Jordan
Pippen
Harper
Rodman

Honorable Mention
Kukoc
Longley
Kerr

08-09 Rockets
Yao
Batier
Artest
Tmac

Honorable Mention
Hayes
Dikembe
Scola

Now I know the Knicks of the 90's were probably regarded as one of the best defensive (if not the best) defensive teams of all time. But I used the Bulls as a benchmark because of their obvious success in the 90's. 

Now I am not saying the Rockets are on the same level as those Bulls teams, but I am comparing the defensive impact of each team. What I really want to know, on paper are we the best defensive team *SINCE *the 90's Bulls/Knicks/Heat?

Discuss


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## Spaceman Spiff (Aug 2, 2006)

*Re: Do we have the best Defensive 5 since the 96-98 Bulls?*

Even I, the most blind of homers, am not ready to go there. I need to see a deep dominating playoff run before I put us on the pedestal of legendary defensive teams. Right now I see us on the level of the late 90's Heat anchored by a prime Mourning.


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

*Re: Do we have the best Defensive 5 since the 96-98 Bulls?*

I am not saying we are as good as them, I was wondering if we have the best *since *them. I guess I should make it a little more clear. 

Even then though, during the Prime Jordan years, they were not the best defensive team in the league for most of those years. New York was, then Miami in the later portion. 

I know seeing that list gets a little intimidating, but I am wondering on paper *since *those Bulls teams.


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## HB (May 1, 2004)

*Re: Do we have the best Defensive 5 since the 96-98 Bulls?*

The Pistons championship team is better


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

*Re: Do we have the best Defensive 5 since the 96-98 Bulls?*



HB said:


> The Pistons championship team is better


Bad Boy era right?

I would consider them, and the 90's Knicks as probably the 2 best defensive teams of all time.


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## HB (May 1, 2004)

Not even that far. The team that beat the Lakers not too long ago had one heck of a defensive outfit


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## ATLien (Jun 18, 2002)

I say maybe, if they can get the same calls that Boston got last year.


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## Spaceman Spiff (Aug 2, 2006)

ATLien said:


> I say maybe, if they can get the same calls that Boston got last year.


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Getting the same calls!? Not a chance in heaven or hell.


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

I didn't watch the video but let me guess. Its the Dwight Howard call right?


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

After looking up some numbers, the Rockets points allowed per 100 possessions last year was better than 5 of the six championship bulls teams. Only difference, was the Bulls offense that year was 1st every single year, whereas ours last season was 17th in the league in points scored per 100 possessions.

Interesting


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## Spaceman Spiff (Aug 2, 2006)

We can get the stops but we struggle to score sometimes. Those Bulls teams on paper didn't look like much but they had excellent team defense and role players who stepped up. They also used to turn defense into points, something we're not very proficient at yet.


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## Fuhgidabowdit (Oct 18, 2006)

Spaceman Spiff said:


> <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DBe9SP2O0C0&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DBe9SP2O0C0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
> 
> Getting the same calls!? Not a chance in heaven or hell.


Looking back on that video, near the end yao looks like he has pubes glued to his chin


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## Hakeem (Aug 12, 2004)

OneBadLT123 said:


> After looking up some numbers, the Rockets points per 100 possessions last year was better than 5 of the six championship bulls teams. Only difference, was the Bulls offense that year was 1st every single year, whereas ours last season was 17th in the league in points scored per 100 possessions.


I think the difference between the league average points per 100 possessions and the opponent points per 100 possessions is more relevant. So we'd see how much the team was able to hold opponents to below their average. 

The Rockets last season were 5.9

Last season the Celtics were 8.6.

The '04 Pistons were 7.5, and that includes the 60 games played without Rasheed. 
Billups-Rip-Prince-Rasheed-B.Wallace is clearly a better defensive lineup than ours, mainly because they had better defenders at PG, PF and C, the three most important positions defensively.

The '99 Spurs were 7.2.
Avery-Elie-Elliott-Duncan-Robinson. Not a weak link, and Duncan and Robinson formed one of the three best defensive frontcourts in history.

The '96 Bulls were 5.8.
Kerr, Longley and Kukoc were poor defenders. Pippen, Jordan and Rodman alone, all past their primes, is not going to make an out-of-this-world defensive lineup. Though, perhaps more so than with these other sides, this team was able to step it up when it mattered most. They held their opponents to an average 14.1% below their scoring average in the playoffs. Though that did include a series against the Magic in which Horace Grant hardly played at all due to injury.

The '94 Knicks were 8.2. 
Derek Harper was only acquired halfway through the season, and didn't play big minutes until the playoffs. In the playoffs these guys held their opponents 12.7% below their scoring average.

To compare, the '01 Lakers, who everyone agrees had a stellar defensive run in the playoffs, held their opponents to 6.5% below their average.

I'd say the '94 Knicks were the best. Last season's Rockets are easily the worst of the bunch, with several unmentioned sides since the mid-90s being better than them as well. With Artest there will be improvement, but I don't see them reaching the level of most of the teams discussed mainly because Scola, Alston and McGrady are slightly below average, average and above-average respectively, and Yao is not on the level of Ewing/Wallace/Robinson.


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## Dean the Master (Feb 19, 2006)

Yao is not that great defensively. Scoal, this guy plays no D.


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