“He made every shot known to man.… It was Jordan making big plays” - Chris "Mad Dog" Russo says Michael Jordan was the offense for the Bulls and the triangle offense is incredibly overrated
Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls formed one of the greatest championship dynasties in the history of the NBA. The Bulls roster featured sensational talents such as Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman.
Throughout the 90s, Jordan and the Bulls won a total of six championships and are considered one of the most dominant dynasties in NBA history. The game of basketball has changed since that era, but there's no denying that Jordan was one of the most dominant players in league history.
That same Chicago Bulls team built a reputation for how they dominated the game. One of the reasons for that was the prestigious "triangle offense," which was an offensive system that legendary head coach Phil Jackson implemented.
Speaking on ESPN, analyst Chris Russo said that he believes the triangle offense was "incredibly overrated." Russo pointed out that any offense can be impressive when you have Michael Jordan as a part of it, stating:
“He made every shot known to man… nobody talked about the triangle offense. ... It was Jordan making big plays.”
Chris Russo praises Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan
Throughout the segment, Chris Russo and Stephen A. Smith continued to talk about the impact that Jordan had. They also spoke about Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry and his impact on the game.
Former NBA All-Star Amar'e Stoudemire joined in, giving his opinion on what makes both players so special.
Russo praised Jordan for his ability with the Chicago Bulls. He brought up a number of former NBA executives, including Cotton Fitzsimmons, who said "any offense would look great with 23 in it."
Phil Jackson and the triangle offense was a revolutionary system, but Russo does have a great point here.
"The Shrug"
Michael Jordan erupted for a Finals record 35 points in the 1st Half of Game 1 of the 1992 NBA Finals while hitting 6 three-pointers. A performance that even left Jordan himself at a loss for words! #NBA75 #NBAVault https://t.co/hDAZdTDWiy
It's easy to say that a system could be the reason why a team had so much success. However, at the end of the day, it is going to have to come down to the players. Having one of the greatest players ever is sure to make any offense work.
Some might argue that Jordan never won at the highest level before Phil Jackson arrived. But he also didn't have the roster and firepower that he had later in his career.