HT: 6-6 | WT: 252 | AGE: 36 | YR: 16
By Fred Carter
Special to ESPN.com
Charles Barkley should always be remembered for his ability to dominate a game with his rebounding while being truly undersized.
He is probably 6-foot-5 at the most, yet he has consistently been among the league's leading rebounders. Barkley has showed a lot of hard work, determination and competitiveness to be able to muscle his way among the big men, knock them off-balance and get a rebound. The nickname "Round Mound of Rebound" truly fits him because of his rebounding, and that will be his legacy. My image of him will be rebounding the ball, coming out of the pack and leading the break.
Surprisingly, Barkley is still putting up good numbers at age 36. The players around him are younger and quicker, yet Barkley can still rebound and score. He had 26 points and 15 rebounds Tuesday against Dallas, and has posted the highest rebounding total this year with 24 against Indiana. His 12.6 rebounds a game, fifth-best in the league, shows he still knows his way around and is as comfortable as he ever was around the basket.
Barkley recognized early in his career that he could use his body, strength and quickness to rebound the ball. You don't hear much about it, but Barkley has a great pair of hands that are soft and strong. He can use either one not only to rebound, but also to lay the ball in with the left or the right hand in traffic, getting knocked to the floor yet finishing the shot. He has a tremendous competitive heart and has exhibited that throughout his career.
People will say that Barkley never won an NBA championship, but that shouldn't be held against him when evaluating him as a player. He made it to the NBA Finals once with Phoenix and ran into Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. A lot of players, like Karl Malone, have had that same lament. That shouldn't diminish Barkley's Hall of Fame career, which includes an MVP award in 1993.
It's a tribute to him that he has played hard without too many injuries. At his size, he has had to play bigger than he is. When that happens, there's a tendency to get hurt, but Barkley has been able to survive.
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HT: 6-7 | WT: 228 | AGE: 34 | YR: 13
By Dr. Jack Ramsay
Special to ESPN.com
Scottie Pippen will always be remembered as one of the NBA's most complete players, an excellent defender and a versatile offensive player.
There have been times in his career where he has defended every position, probably including center, but that's not his forte. Pippen can take on point guards, two guards, small forwards or big forwards and do a solid job on them. It's a huge asset for the coach of any team on which he plays because everyone likes to have a defensive stopper. He is outstanding at denying the player with the ball the ability to penetrate and create plays.
On the offensive end, Pippen does everything. He is best in the open court, where he can get a rebound and lead the fast break, making the scoring pass or scoring himself. He is not a great three-point shooter, but he can score from outside and make threes them in clusters to kill an opponent. Against Miami this season, Pippen hit three critical three-pointers, the last of which sealed the game for the Blazers.
Pippen can play within an offensive structure and perform any role. In the triangle offense and now all the sets the Blazers run, he carries out his assignment. He passes, cuts and screens without necessarily getting the ball back. He is willing to do anything because he understands the importance of team structure.
It was different in Houston last year playing in the Rockets' system. Pippen was unhappy with the idea of becoming more of a stationary player. His job was to throw the ball into the post player, Charles Barkley or Hakeem Olajuwon, and then screen away or cut to the opposite side of the floor and wait for something to happen. It's a tough offense for a player like Pippen because it doesn't utilize his skills to the fullest. Even there, he didn't have his best year but his numbers were still good.
Pippen's numbers are the same this year. He is still getting around 14-15 points, six rebounds and five assists a game. I haven't seen any decline in his game. He is whippet thin and seems to have unlimited stamina. He is just a great complementary player on a team that moves the ball around well.
People may think of only Michael Jordan in association with the Chicago Bulls' championship teams, but that's the way it is. Jordan was the driving force and the main reason the team won six titles, but he wouldn't have won them without Pippen. I think Pippen is still recognized as a great player, but Jordan is the greatest player of all time. So it's no slight against Pippen to say it was Jordan's team.
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