Dennis Rodman is generally considered one of the best defensive players in NBA history, and there is no doubt that he’s a player that was willing to do the dirty work on the court to win. He is well-known for his rebounding, and Dennis Rodman led the league in rebounding seven times during his career.
On top of being a good rebounder, Dennis Rodman often took on the tough defensive assignments for his teams. He often guarded top-tier wing players and was frequently successful in making their life difficult.
Dominique Wilkins Explains How Dennis Rodman Bothered Offensive Players
Dominique Wilkins is a player that often faced Dennis Rodman during the latter’s time with the Detroit Pistons. Once, Wilkins revealed that Dennis Rodman “wasn’t much” of a trash-talker, preferring to be a “pest” instead. (1:35):
“Dennis wasn’t much of a talker as much as he was like a pest. He would try to get in your head and do stuff to try to get you out of your game. That was his strong suit.”
There is no doubt that Dennis Rodman is a player that one would love to have on their team, but would absolutely detest playing against. Rodman knew precisely how to bend the rules on the defensive end, and he was very aware of what he could get away with on the basketball court.
It is often interesting to think about how Dennis Rodman would do in today’s league. He was frequently considered a 5 position defender, which is a trait that is heavily valued in today’s league. In fact, Steve Kerr has often compared him to Warriors forward Draymond Green, claiming that Dennis Rodman would be able to “guard anyone” in the modern NBA.
Dennis Rodman could guard anyone in today’s league. He’d be the best at switching on to guards and staying in front. He’d be Draymond Green. It’s a perfect analogy.
Oftentimes, when we think of the Chicago Bulls and the Detroit Pistons’ championships, Dennis Rodman is often an afterthought among newer fans as they prefer to focus on the offensive stars such as Isiah Thomas and Michael Jordan.
However, what Dennis Rodman was willing to do on the court is extremely valuable. He had a huge impact on all of his teams on the defensive end, and those teams likely wouldn’t have been able to win without his contributions. Hopefully, we see Dennis Rodman get more respect in the future.
