Who Really Guarded Magic in the 1991 NBA Finals?

A hot topic on NBA forums and social media, the question of who guarded Magic in the 1991 NBA Finals has always been one with debate. I figured in light of this that I would go ahead and do a game by game breakdown of the Bulls' defense against Magic and prove who were the main contributors to the effort. It's important to note the play style of Magic who changed his aggression based on the stage and essential role for the team. A breakdown like this cannot be analyzed through simple stats (though some help) but an understanding of the game situation and intent of Magic in real time compared to the abilities of the defense. I'd like to preface what I wrote by making it clear that both Jordan and Pippen were superb defensively, but I was forced to nitpick play-by-play in order to separate one's performance from the other.

Game 1

The first game of the Finals began featuring Magic Johnson the facilitator. Often setting up
in a basic post up with limited, but effective, attacking movements, Magic in position to see the court. This was shown in the fact he had only one field goal attempt in the first half yet had 6 free throws. Now, to the defense. Michael Jordan from opening tip was pressed on Magic. Not giving any room, the pressure of Jordan impeded Magic's amount of time to break the defense down. Jordan would act as the primary defender about 70%-75% of the time. But, despite Jordan acting as the primary defender for most of the game, Paxson had a short 1 or 2 plays on him (not designed) and Cliff Levingston was really the 2nd option defending Magic, needless to say, along with Scottie Pippen who shared similar amounts of time on him. Livingston was really the 2nd option though because his pickups were by necessity, but also, when Jordan left he seemed to be the one assigned to Magic. Defending is clearly not a simple one on one scenario which was where Pippen's defense came in. On almost a dozen of the times Magic brought the ball up the floor with Jordan on him, Pippen, almost always, was the one coming off his man to trap Magic. Each occurrence was either before half court or just past it. Another tactic used in hindering Magic's abilities came when he was in the post. Obviously, Magic had a *slight* size advantage on Jordan and one of the easy ways of exploiting that was for Magic to take him to the post. In case you were wondering how Magic got to the free throw line 10 times on only 5 official shooting attempts, there's your answer. To counteract this, the Bulls would double Magic whenever he seemed to be making a move from the post or simply anticipating a move. Upwards of almost 20 times during the game, when Magic established position in the post, another player would come double. The strategy worked for the most part, at times, Magic was quick to move and others he was aware enough to draw the foul. It was a clear hole in the Bulls' defense against him as he helped force Jordan into 5 fouls towards the end of the game. Now, at this time Pippen was also in foul trouble. But, in a close game going down to the wire, when the time got shorter, the defensive intensity picked up. This was where the traps and doubles became most prevalent as Pippen (who was very effective late on defense) and Jordan would obstruct anything Magic tried to create. Late in the game this, along with other big plays, seemed to get the Bulls in position to win until, Jordan's college teammate, Sam Perkins, drained a 3 with 14 seconds left to give the Lakers a 1 point lead. Then, on the last relevant possession with 9 seconds left (not counting the almost-made, improbable heave by Pippen), Jordan made a move and attempted a pass that luckily hit off the Lakers out of bounds. With another chance, Jordan got the ball up top, then did the classic separation crossover followed by the mid-range shot that we always remember him for but this time it ricocheted off the rim and fell into the hands of the Lakers who would go on to win the game after free throws.

Game 2

With many questions on how the Bulls would defend Magic coming out of Game 1, Phil Jackson gave early access to the Bulls' strategy before the game telling media that Pippen would be matching up more with Magic. As the game started though, it seemed more like the same strategy with roughly the first 9 possessions being Jordan on Magic, only Jordan didn't seem to press as much as the first game. The real difference came in Magic's strategy against Jordan and it was clear. From the get-go, Magic began taking Jordan to the high post. The first time that a double didn't come to help Jordan, Magic turned past him drawing the foul. Following the foul, the change was made. Pippen, from then on, would take Magic the rest of the game, minus a play or two where he was switched off.

Jordan would guard Divac more than Magic in this game. Pippen came on Magic with immense energy and also matching his physicality. This was where the differences between the two become apparent. In comparing the two covering one of the game's greats, the strengths and weaknesses can be seen between the first two games. Jordan, for instance, was more consistent in pressing because his job was to cut down the clock limiting Magic's time to initiate offense. At this point in their careers, Jordan was smarter at when to come off of Magic based off the situation and could recover quickly back on to him. Jordan's main flaw was that he may have slowed down Magic coming up the floor yet when he was in the half court, Jordan was reliant on help defense, especially when Magic realized his advantage. Jordan could not handle Magic in the post needing help from that position almost every time whereas Pippen's was more limited. Off-ball, Magic was able to get to his post spots up top with Jordan, but with Pippen, was not able to so easily body him into position though he began to force it when the Lakers needed a final push late. Pippen handled the physicality better but still had flaws. Even though Magic couldn't necessarily back him into his spots, he was able to bait Pippen into reaching with feints and spins allowing for more blow-bys. As Magic figured this out he took advantage of it with more half turns and spins about 8 times getting past Pippen. When Magic would spin, Pippen would try to press with his hips rather than arms disqualifying his strength to actually leverage Magic to a different spot rather he would just swing for back pokes similar to James Harden. Overall though, Pippen had the ability to be better positioning wise than Jordan but was more inconsistent with staying in front. The main impactful advantage Pippen held was that he could actually stop Magic from drawing doubles to free teammates like he did with Jordan. The overall more effective defender seemed to be Pippen through two games and because of the new defensive strategy the Bulls were able to stifle the Lakers' offense and win Game 2 (along with a big Jordan 3rd quarter).

Game 3

The third meeting between the Bulls and Lakers was a little more complicated with Jordan definitely being the most used defender on Magic with at least 70% of the plays assigned to him, but the strategy changed throughout the game. Starting with Jordan on him, Magic was being defended with similar energy to Game 1 with Jordan pressing him but after a few minutes it became more off and on. What really helped early on for the Lakers was using Byron Scott to bring the ball down as well allowing Magic more energy to get to the post on Jordan which was quickly realized as the best option. When Magic took Jordan to the post, the help was much slower than previous games allowing Magic to spin off Jordan and feed Divac. By himself in the post it seemed like Magic could have done whatever he wanted with either Jordan or Pippen. Only one of the spins was really tracked (by Jordan) but even then the size difference allowed Magic to easily go in for the layup (though missed). Now, Magic's posts ups weren't effective just anywhere as posting in the middle made it easy for the defenders to time their helps. The first Pippen play came on an unintentional switch onto Magic and showed signs of the last 2 games in his timing of doubles while Magic capitalized driving the lane past him. That moment did not reflect the rest of the game as Pippen was formidable on his defensive opportunities limiting his getting blown by and arms-up hip-pushes that did nothing. But, back to the primary defender in Jordan. When using Scott or another ball handler to help Magic, he was able to get Jordan in the post and that was what really broke down the defense for them. In position, as previously said, Magic was able to spin off with ease and even on occasion take it into Jordan with a physicality he couldn't match. The spins worked roughly 12 times from post positions by Magic during the game which really was a lot, especially with all the space created by doubles or open shots as a result. The Lakers never really took advantage of Magic's size within their rotations for the rest of the game or at least not with the same determination as before. To breakdown the covering responsibilities in more detail, Jordan started on Magic with high pressure followed by sporadically pressing. After Magic came back in the game early in the 2nd quarter, the first intended switch was made with Pippen taking Magic. This started with some traps by Jordan and Pippen then with Pippen singularly pressuring full court. Later in the 2nd quarter Magic began to get more fast break opportunities shifting the momentum of the game and keeping the defenders away from picking him up early in the shot clock. In the 3rd, Jordan started on Magic and he went right back to the post, something he had gotten away from. At about the same time as the previous quarter, Pippen picked up Magic with about 8 minutes left. Pippen continued to show more discipline in his aggression until one of the moments arose where Pippen did his pressing, arms up stance with Magic passing him on the drive. After a short 2-3 minutes, Jordan retook the assignment. Again, as the 4th quarter began to take way, Magic was able to take Jordan down in the post and bait him on spins and draw a foul when Jordan tried to fight back on his drive. This isn't to say Jordan wasn't a pest as he certainly slowed and disrupted the offense especially when considering the mismatch, but when finally pushed to Magic's spots, it was all Magic. Splitting a couple plays on Magic (between Pippen and Jordan) with about 4 minutes left in regulation, Jordan was taken out to regain energy. Pippen inherited the match-up and quickly reached in for a foul on a Magic post-up. It was really a bad foul as he blatantly hit him a few times while Magic wasn't even in a good attacking post position and he also fell victim to one of the many quick spins of Magic. With 2 minutes left Michael came back in on Magic all the way to the end of the 4th quarter. Pippen before regulation ended fouled out so Jordan went into overtime both defending Magic and carrying the offensive load. Jordan offensively decided the game in OT but the defense consisted of some traps, a few plays where Magic was left uncovered (not exactly his fault) and after already deciding the game, a change was made with Levingston taking the assignment with about a minute left.

Game 4

To begin the pivotal fourth game of the series, Jordan was once again given majority duties on Magic with roughly an 80/20 difference in possessions defended. On the first play Jordan was taken on the drive by Magic for an easy lay in and had a few good instances of driving. The common play of the early going was Magic taking Jordan in the post, drawing the help and then hitting Divac. It was really an easy concept. Magic continued to take Jordan into the post with success and, once again, was wildly successful with spins getting past Jordan in all instances (roughly 8 or 9 times during the game). Jordan used probably the least amount of energy in the series on pressing Magic and there were not as many traps as before, but he still stayed close throughout the Lakers' possessions. At the least Jordan would pick him up at half court which kept the Lakers offense from utilizing the full 24 sec shot clock. Towards the end of the half and after half-time, Magic had another spurt of post ups and drawing easy doubles. The Lakers also started to clear the area more than recent games pushing for the one on one post up opportunity. One of the more proactive strategies the Bulls had was continuing to stay aware with their transition defense, trapping Magic with or even without the ball when situations arose. In the 4th quarter Magic got hot.
The rest of the offense cleared more than any time in the series to that point allowing Magic more room to take Jordan in the post and less time to help or recover back on their man. As a result, Magic was able to play after play spin off and or draw doubles to find open teammates. The Lakers closed the gap and took a lot of the 4th quarter momentum. At this point, Worthy had left the game with an injury and for the latter half of the 4th quarter Pippen was given Magic as an assignment for the first time in the game (switched on him for about 3 plays, one was his getting knocked hard to the ground on a back down). The first three assigned plays on Magic started with him slipping and getting beat, denying a post up with a poke of the ball and getting spun past. After that, Pippen seemed to use his size and range, stayed in front well and disrupted Magic enough for the Bulls to pull away and seize the key game for a 3-1 series hold.

Game 5

In the final, close out game of the NBA Finals, a new energy was clearly in the arena. Jordan, like most of the series, would both start and be almost exclusively assigned to Magic. The game started with a much faster pace than previous games and Jordan was a little looser in covering Magic up the floor. The energy he had by not pressing was used for his extreme activity on defense. As a whole the defense was quicker and it impacted Magic's offense greatly. Early on, in what would overall carry over throughout the game, Magic actually split taking the ball up the court by both intent and as a result of the Bulls trying an earlier strategy more often that consisted of showing traps to force it away from him. This proved Magic's worth as a play initiator with players like Vlade Divac trying to push the ball and then turning it over for easy points. At the same time though, when Magic would bring it up towards the beginning, he was a little sloppy too, even in fast break situations. The pace opened up the floor but the execution wasn't there. Magic also wasn't as successful in the half court due to both Jordan's pesky defense and the quicker help defense which included doubling higher up without giving time for Magic to have awareness from the post. Jordan did something he hadn't really done consistently prior to the game which was be hands on. With a lot of aggression, Jordan was actively on Magic notably causing a turnover on a drive, and stealing a pass up top to Magic (a place he sometimes let Magic get the ball) resulting in a slam. Those two plays set the tone for the rest of the game. It was rare for Magic to get the post up opportunities seen previously in isolation. By the second half, Magic and the Lakers were much smoother on the fast break and seemed to take control of the style. Despite his style pace, Magic was not as involved as one would expect. He was trapped away from the ball on many inbounds. Past half court, Magic was pestered by Jordan's activity and unable to take advantage in his fewer post possessions because of the immediate doubles. Most of his success came in the second half surge with well-orchestrated fast breaks and a few passes off doubles that only Magic could make. The game was much different than the past, the Lakers were more successful pushing the ball but, despite the 20 assists, Magic didn't seem to have the same control in this game nor the individual ability to takeover resulting in a series loss.

Final Thoughts

Jordan was clearly the intended, assigned defender on Magic for the majority of the series. The only notable times Pippen was set on Magic was most of Game 2, a few short stretches in Game 3 and the second half of the 4th quarter in Game 4. Pippen was the more aggressive of the two, but he also made the most mistakes. While Jordan was able to recognize situations and tendencies, help, and still recover, the timing just wasn't the same for Pippen. Now, at his best, Pippen was able to hinder Magic's play the most, but it wasn't as consistent. When covering Magic, Pippen had a hard time recovering while helping off of him. It became a habit for Pippen, early in the series, to come off of Magic, not recover in time, and then be frozen on the drive. In the post, Pippen was better at handling Magic physically, denying position, but again, he was susceptible to being spun out or allowing Magic to press past him when attempting to avoid a foul. The defining stretch for Pippen was not just his play in Game 2 (which was superb) but the final stretch of Game 4. With the game close, and the momentum in the Lakers' favor, Pippen stifled the Lakers' offense late. The Bulls went on a closing run and practically ended the series that night (potentially 2-2 to 3-1). So, Pippen had time on Magic but, besides those instances, Jordan was always the primary defender (when in the game). After almost exclusive pressing early in the series, Jordan's defense developed into sporadic traps and presses which were effective in cutting down the shot clock and keeping Magic on his heels. Jordan never seemed to be a threat of stealing it from Magic for almost the entirety of the series, but simply prevented Magic from coasting down the floor in space. From the post up Jordan was no match for Magic. Sometimes going off ball to get position in the high post, the Lakers were most successful in half-court situations when Magic ran through the post. Here, even more so when the offense cleared later in the series, Magic could quite easily take Jordan or Pippen one on one, and when the help came, it opened up the offense. For most of the series, Magic could easily turn into Jordan on post drives, physically get past him or spin past Pippen (as well as Jordan) happening virtually every time. Magic's spin move was unstoppable. Watching, I was hoping the Lakers would take advantage using Worthy's half court role in low post position and applying it to Magic because up top and in the middle, Magic wasn't as effective. But, in intended post position, it was a different story. Magic didn't always take advantage offensively, but it was clear, in necessary situations, that Magic could force the issue and, most often, successfully do it. This strategy was boosted when Magic's side was cleared out for him to work and force the help defense further away from their man thus either giving Magic more time to get a
shot off or find an open teammate with no recovery time. Game 5 was different. Jordan, excluding the times when traps were used to keep Magic away from the ball, actually let Magic come up the floor with the faster pace. The difference was in his aggressiveness covering Magic and willingness to take risks. The doubles were higher up, quicker and the most effective way of keeping Magic from analyzing the floor or taking advantage in isolation was by baiting doubles. Also, a memorable shift in Jordan's game was highlighted when Magic came up top to get the ball and Jordan not only followed, but took the pass back for a dunk. Jordan, again, came out and deflected one of Magic's hook passes, ran it down and saved it for a steal which set the tone for the close out game. Magic was able to find success with the fast-break but the overall strategy Jordan and the Bulls took in defending him helped close out the series and earn the Bulls their first championship. As said in the opening, both Jordan and Pippen played exceptional defense on Magic and a lot of my analysis was nitpicking their performances, play-by-play, in order to separate one from another. Overall, I would say that Jordan was the better defender on Magic knowing when to come off, consistently taking time off the shot clock by pressing, disrupting the offense and, despite not excelling at matching up in post isolation, his general tendency to not be beat off the dribble or be blown by stood out in separating him from Pippen.