Dennis Rodman:
- I’m one of the best defensive players of all time and I couldn’t guard his ass. “No (bleep). He would be coming off a screen, and I’d be trying to figure out whether he was going over the top or underneath. Next thing I knew, he was at the rim. Now if we’d played those guys more, then I might have figured out how to guard his ass. But there was nothing but frustration with James Worthy. Clever, quick, a great player – he’s one of the few guys who flat pissed me off."
One benefit as being a pampered Laker is getting away with offensive fouls continually on one of his signature moves. He would get the ball at about the ft line where it meets the standing line. With back to basket and defender right up on him, he would spin and as he spun hook the defender with his off arm and slingshot towoards the basket. The hook would illegally stop the defender from rotating with him and also gave him pushoff momentum towards the hoop.
The no call was standard Laker bull during the Stern "Marketingtime-showtime" era.
Beyond that he was a fantastic finisher on the break. Defense was merely average but he had Cooper and Rambis and Stern to take up the lack.
He was good though
lol game 2, 1984 finals
He was the number 1 pick for a reason, and on that 1982 squad with MJ he was probably the best player. Very underrated because there was so much talent around him.
Good point
And man, the draft system was so ty back then, how the did they get the number 1 pick?
people do forget that he had, if I remember correctly, 22 points that game. Dude played his ass off but the bad pass to Henderson overshadowed a great game ........
I put the blame on Riley moreso. Have Magic on the floor instead of inbounding the ball.
Yes and no. Sure he benefitted from playing with Magic. But I don't think he's underrated. He's in the Hall of Fame and was named to 7 consecutive All Star Games. During his playing days was widely regarded as one of the best in the league.
Where has he been underrated?
Good point
And man, the draft system was so ty back then, how the did they get the number 1 pick?
The Lakers found themselves with an embarrassment of riches when, after winning the championship, they also ended up with the first overall pick in the 1982 NBA Draft. The situation was the result of a trade with Cleveland midway through the 1979-80 season, when the Lakers had sent Don Ford and a 1980 first-round pick (eventually Chad Kinch) to the Cavaliers for Butch Lee and their 1982 selection. Fortuitously for the Lakers, Cleveland had finished with the league's worst record in 1981-82, giving Los Angeles first crack at a talented crop of college players. It marked the first time in NBA history that a reigning champion held the No. 1 pick.
The Lakers used that pick to select forward James Worthy, who had just led North Carolina to the 1982 NCAA Championship. Worthy, Magic Johnson, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar would define the powerhouse Lakers teams of the 1980s. Worthy proved to be the perfect complement to both players, finishing on the break for Johnson and stepping out to the perimeter when Abdul-Jabbar needed room to maneuver inside.
Worthy's rookie year ended in disappointment, however. He suffered a broken leg in the last week of the regular season and had to watch the postseason from the sidelines. The Lakers, who had won the Pacific Division with a 58-24 record, advanced to the 1983 NBA Finals with early-round victories against Portland and San Antonio. But Los Angeles was no match for the Philadelphia 76ers, who had acquired Moses Malone before the season. The Sixers won the series and the championship in four straight games.
One of the few Lakers I actually liked.
The Celtics came for his ass and tried to end him. Magic though had showed Worthy the way out. And in the '87 Finals Worthy exacted his vengeance on them.
Then the Celtics get happy, pull Seattle's pants down by sending Henderson up there and drafting Bias with that pick.
Uh, uh.
No.
The Worm said that?What a compliment. This coming from the greatest defensive PF in NBA history so it carries a lot of weight.
To answer the OP, it was a little bit of both. He benefitted greatly from Magic but in many ways he was underrated because he played during the Bird era. He was great but not quite on Bird's level.
But, Worthy was afraid. Innately so. Magic dragged him kicking & screaming to it, but, Worthy's fear never left him. I remember him crying immediately after receiving the '87 Finals MVP Award. Musburger was interviewing him and it was an emotional moment. Talking about getting back to California and being able to function there because he had a difficult time in Boston.
It was never anybody else except Magic. Magic learned from the sins of Wilt & West, el al, from their weaknesses and then put those lessons to use. He taught Worthy how to sustain. He taught Daddy how to get even. He taught Kobe how to come back from an '08. Magic faced & conquered his fears.
It was far worse than the Gasol heist. Lakers gave up some dead wood named Don Ford, a white guy who couldn't jump, or play.Good point
And man, the draft system was so ty back then, how the did they get the number 1 pick?
February 15, 1980: Traded by the Los Angeles Lakers with a 1980 1st round draft pick (Chad Kinch) to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Butch Lee and a 1982 1st round draft pick (James Worthy).
http://www.basketball-reference.com/.../forddo01.html
Lakers passed on Dominique Wilkins and took Worthy. His stock was way up after those 1982 NCCA playoffs. I remember those well, I knew Worthy was headed for greatness, he was so fast on his drives to the hoop. His career did end early though, he retired at age 32. His shot was coming up short, and he wasn't as quick. Oh, Cully, Worthy got 1988 finals MVP against Pistons, not 1987 vs. Boston.
Both. But i love the quote from Rodman. Dennis is right Worthy torched his ass in 1988-89 ...Even when Magic and Scott pulled hammies ...Worthy took rodman to school.
I don't mean underrated underrated, but I think he was greater than what his stats show - but in a stacked team, the numbers won't be optimal; Magic could have had higher numbers had he played on a not so stacked team
Thanks
Agreed
Thanks
lol Cavs
Especially in game 4, he scored 39 pts
Vastly underrated. Would've been a number one on many other teams. For what it's worth, you can see a lot Worthy's game in Jordan's. Similar post moves, similar penetration style, and similar finishers. I'm sure at North Carolina, a freshman Michael Jordan was taking notes as he watched the elder Worthy play.
I hear you. Don't get me wrong, I loved Worthy. But playing devil's advocate, was he really just another Scottie Pippen? Someone who seems like they can carry a team but when it gets down to it was better suited as a second (or third) banana.
Good question
But he did step up in big games: game 7 vs Detroit in 88, game 4 vs Detroit in 89 (they lost the series, but still stepped up big time in an elimination game - 39 pts), also game 5 of the 1st round vs Phoenix in 1993, tired old dirt bag Worthy had a stretch where he was unstoppable late in the 4th; really impressive (still lost the series, but the Suns were the better team)
But could he carry a team over a lon period of time? I guess we'll never know
Regarding Pippen, let's not forget the 93-94 season; the Bulls still won 55 games (the previous season with Mike they won 57 games) and almost knocked out the Knicks in the ECSF (if not for tat call in game 5)
overrated
Since he was drafted b4 wilkins, how would his career been if he wasnt drafted by the lakers or a stacked team, and compared that to wilkins, who had the better career or better player overall in the end?
Not sure if Dominique was a better player overall
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