# Scottie Pippen did not shut down Magic



## Wilt_The_Stilt (Jun 7, 2002)

Here are Magic's stats from the 1991 NBA finals

Game 1 19pts 10rbs 11ast 
*Game 2 14pts 7rbs 10ast
*Game 3 22pts 6rbs 10ast 
*Game 4 22pts 6rbs 11ast 
*Game 5 16pts 11rbs 20ast 

*=games where Pippen defended Magic

Johnsons's 1991 NBA Finals Stats: 
18.6ppg 8.0rpg 12.4apg 

Johnson's 1991 NBA Finals stats while guarded by Pippen: 18.5ppg 7.5rpg 12.8apg 

Johnson's 1990-91 Regular season stats:
19.4ppg 7.0rpg 12.5apg 

If you want to get real technical, consider that an assist causes your team to score 2 points, so Magic was actually slightly more productive for his team while guarded by Pippen than he was in Game 1 of the 1991 NBA Finals or the 1990-91 regular season. 

And in games 3-5 Magic averaged 20ppg, 7.7rpg 13.7apg, all better than his regular season numbers. He even had 20 assists in game 5 when his two best offensive options-- James Worthy and Byron Scott, were out with injuries. 

Pippen defending Magic caught the Lakers off guard in game 2, but Magic adjusted and performed very well the rest of the series.

I noticed some posters in the 87 Lakers vs 96 Bulls thread saying Pippen could contain Magic because of what they thought happened in the 91 finals. I couldn't disagree more.

Magic statistically did better while defended by Pippen than he did when he was defended by someone else.


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## johnston797 (May 29, 2002)

Dude, you should credit your source.

http://pweb.netcom.com/~bjalas/basketball/bulls/pippen.htm


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## johnston797 (May 29, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Wilt_The_Stilt</b>!
> Johnson's 1991 NBA Finals stats while guarded by Pippen: 18.5ppg 7.5rpg 12.8apg


Well, in the playoffs, 

Magic averaged 21.8 ppg, 8.1 rpg and 12.6 apg.

So Magic's scoring was definetely down with Pippen on him. 

Now consider that Magic in his career scored more when it was needed. (examples - 40 pt game as rookie to clench finals, 25ppg in 1990 playoffs)

Did he here? No.

Did Pippen intimitate and help contain Magic? Yes.

Did the Bulls sweep the Lakers after making that defensive switch? Yes.


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## 33 (Nov 18, 2002)

If you think about it, most of the elite superstars in the league cannot be shut down, they can only be contained. For instance, Joe Dumars used to contain MJ back in the late 80's, but he didn't shut him down. Pippen played Magic the best by making all the things he does with ease difficult. As you can see, Jordan (also one of the best defenders of all-time) couldn't contain Magic and put up 30 a game, so they put Pippen on Magic b/c he was athletic with longer arms the MJ. Plus, Jordan didn't have to burn a lot of energy checking the Lakers best player. This is a prime example why Jordan and Pippen was the greatest duo of all-time.
Pippen slowed down that fast break the Lakers beat everybody with that year. Even Magic said how difficult it was running the offense while Pippen was checking him.


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## Hov (Aug 12, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>33</b>!
> If you think about it, most of the elite superstars in the league cannot be shut down, they can only be contained. For instance, Joe Dumars used to contain MJ back in the late 80's, but he didn't shut him down. Pippen played Magic the best by making all the things he does with ease difficult. As you can see, Jordan (also one of the best defenders of all-time) couldn't contain Magic and put up 30 a game, so they put Pippen on Magic b/c he was athletic with longer arms the MJ. Plus, Jordan didn't have to burn a lot of energy checking the Lakers best player. This is a prime example why Jordan and Pippen was the greatest duo of all-time.
> Pippen slowed down that fast break the Lakers beat everybody with that year. Even Magic said how difficult it was running the offense while Pippen was checking him.


Great point. :yes:


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## HeinzGuderian (Jun 29, 2004)

Magic + AIDs > Pippen


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## IV (Jul 16, 2002)

33 said it best, you can't stop the great ones..... but credit Scottie for putting the heat on Magic where no one else could in that series.


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## radronOmega (Aug 1, 2004)

*re*

87 magic still kills 96 bulls.


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## Hibachi! (Sep 18, 2003)

*Re: re*



> Originally posted by <b>radronOmega</b>!
> 87 magic still kills 96 bulls.


The 87 magic? I don't remember the Magic being that good back then...


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## Debt Collector (Mar 13, 2003)

the 87 magic were so good, that they didnt exist


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## Duece Duece (Mar 28, 2003)

*Re: Re: re*



> Originally posted by <b>SacKings384</b>!
> 
> 
> The 87 magic? I don't remember the Magic being that good back then...



:laugh: Good one.


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## ToddMacCulloch11 (May 31, 2003)

whats next, you're gonna say the knicks didn't shut down Wilt?

With players like magic, you're not gonna stop them, you can only hope to slow them down or get them off their usual game, and scottie did that.


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## kflo (Jun 28, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>ToddMacCulloch11</b>!
> whats next, you're gonna say the knicks didn't shut down Wilt?
> 
> With players like magic, you're not gonna stop them, you can only hope to slow them down or get them off their usual game, and scottie did that.


the problem i think is that pippen gets way too much credit for "shutting down" magic in '91, when he did nothing of the sort. he did a nice job, as did the entire bulls team. 

'91 was really pippen's coming out party offensively more than anything. he himself put up 20.8 / 9.4 / 6.6.


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## RetroDreams (Jun 9, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Wilt_The_Stilt</b>!
> Here are Magic's stats from the 1991 NBA finals
> 
> Game 1 19pts 10rbs 11ast
> ...


Don't pawn off other's work as your own. It's not cool.


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## Da Grinch (Aug 17, 2002)

what did magic shoot from the field in those 4 games defended by pippen , i am pretty sure it was in the 40% or sub 40% area....and thats why pip shut down magic ...because he made magic inefficient and thus the whole laker attack in the process.


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## PauloCatarino (May 31, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>happygrinch</b>!
> what did magic shoot from the field in those 4 games defended by pippen , i am pretty sure it was in the 40% or sub 40% area....and thats why pip shut down magic ...because he made magic inefficient and thus the whole laker attack in the process.


I don´t think one can say Pippen "shut down" Magic. In all truth, he didn't. Magic was hardly inefective (sp?), not while dishing out 12apg, wich always was his biggest contribution...

The better assessment, like IV said, is to say Pippen did a good defensive job on Magic. Which he did.


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