Pippen Ain't Easy
Fansided

Some of the most undervalued Chicago Bulls players of all time

By Aymin Bakr

CHARLOTTE, NC - FEBRUARY 8: Kirk Hinrich #12 of the Chicago Bulls handles the ball during the game against Jeremy Lin #7 of the Charlotte Hornets on February 8, 2016 at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Brock Williams-Smith/NBAE via Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC - FEBRUARY 8: Kirk Hinrich #12 of the Chicago Bulls handles the ball during the game against Jeremy Lin #7 of the Charlotte Hornets on February 8, 2016 at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Brock Williams-Smith/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO – CIRCA 1991: Michael Jordan #23 and Horace Grant #54 of the Chicago Bulls talk circa 1991 at Chicago Stadium in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1991 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
CHICAGO – CIRCA 1991: Michael Jordan #23 and Horace Grant #54 of the Chicago Bulls talk circa 1991 at Chicago Stadium in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1991 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /

3) Horace Grant

In my eyes, Grant is not just an undervalued Bull but an undervalued legend in general. Many fans remember Dennis Rodman as the key big man in Chicago championship runs because the second three-peat was arguably more exciting. However, Horace Grant was the Dennis Rodman before Dennis Rodman and was immensely important in the team’s success.

Grant was the anchor for the best defensive team in the league and was simply the perfect big man for Chicago. He was an elite rebounder and defender that had serviceable post game and a mid-range shot. He posted career best averages in points and rebounds of 15.1 and 11.0 respectively and never shot under 50% for the entirety of his seven seasons with the Bulls.

Keep in mind, he was putting up these numbers against guys like Karl Malone, Shawn Kemp, and Charles Barkley on a team with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. I’m in no way arguing that Grant was better than any of the players above or that he was some sort of once in a lifetime superstar, but he deserves a lot more credit.

When he went to Orlando in 1994, the Bulls struggled to stay above .500 for a good while even with the recent return of Michael Jordan. The second three-peat saw more valuable additions like Toni Kukoc and the aforementioned Ron Harper. One could argue that having Grant at the starting power forward for the second three peat could lead to even more wins due to his offensive superiority over Rodman alongside the new pieces.

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