What did you think of Dennis Rodman as a player?

[Fafnir]

Want him on my team no question.

Best defensive player I've ever seen along with kg.

Way better defender then kg...as the OP states, Dennis could defend players twice his size and defend guards....kg can't and never could defend bigs 1 on 1...he's a team/system/help defender...really he can't defend anyone 1 on 1

Strange that KG was one the best post defenders in the entire league for years and years then.

He really couldn't handle prime Shaq, but neither could Rodman just too big a bulk difference.

he's never been a great post defender as far as I can see it's a weakness of his on offense and defense...Perkins was our best post defender back when we were a contender

My eyes, and the syngery post defense numbers have said otherwise for years.

Perkins was/is in fact better than him, which mean the C's had two of the best post defenders in the league which was a nice luxury to have.

Also, it ought to be noted that defending mostly gigantic hulks or severely limited offensive players (as Perkins did) tends to skew numbers a little. Garnett had to do some of that too, and was nearly always (excepting Howard) guarding the more talented post player.

True.

Garnett wasn't a power post defender, not his game. But he'd deny the ball, force you off your spot, elbow you a few times, and all the other things just fine.

Now if you got the ball and just went to power him, then you had exactly what you wanted against him. (Howard always felt comfortable doing this to KG since I've watched them match up with KG in Boston)

One of my favorite sequences of basketball in 07-08 was how KG checked Yao Ming after Perkins fouled out for the last five minutes against Houston.

[indeedproceed]

Also, as an exercise, how many HOF'ers 'in their prime' could you put on the top 4 teams and they wouldn't win a title?

You could probably start with a few of the "coattails" inductees from Bill Russell's Celtics teams.  K.C. Jones, Frank Ramsey, etc.

Yeah, I realized that right after I typed it, so I added an addendum of 'post-merger All-Stars'. Seemed like a good line to draw, but what I really mean is 'from Bird-Magic Renaissance and on'.

The Heat are an all time team if they actually close this year out.  They would compete with the best teams in history.  As such, adding a low level HOFer to other teams in this generation may not get them past one of the all time teams like the Heat.  It also matters which team you are talking about.  I mean adding one of the players you  mentioned to the Pacers or Knicks, most likely doesn't get them past the Heat, while adding the same player to a healthy Thunder or Spurs team might.

Right, the original point I responded to said, "Top 4 teams", which I guess would be Miami, OKC, SAS, and pre-Gallo injury Denver.

[Moranis]

Also, as an exercise, how many HOF'ers 'in their prime' could you put on the top 4 teams and they wouldn't win a title?

You could probably start with a few of the "coattails" inductees from Bill Russell's Celtics teams.  K.C. Jones, Frank Ramsey, etc.

Yeah, I realized that right after I typed it, so I added an addendum of 'post-merger All-Stars'. Seemed like a good line to draw, but what I really mean is 'from Bird-Magic Renaissance and on'.

The Heat are an all time team if they actually close this year out.  They would compete with the best teams in history.  As such, adding a low level HOFer to other teams in this generation may not get them past one of the all time teams like the Heat.  It also matters which team you are talking about.  I mean adding one of the players you  mentioned to the Pacers or Knicks, most likely doesn't get them past the Heat, while adding the same player to a healthy Thunder or Spurs team might.

Right, the original point I responded to said, "Top 4 teams", which I guess would be Miami, OKC, SAS, and pre-Gallo injury Denver.

I consider the top 4 teams to be the last 4 teams playing.  So 2 from the east and 2 from the west, which is why I put the Heat, Thunder, Spurs, and then Pacers/Knicks.  I would say those should be the teams, but who really knows what will happen this year.

[dark_lord]

loved the guy.  one of my fav all time players