"That reminded me last night of the late 1980s-early 1990s defense" - Michael Wilbon compares Celtics defense to how 'Bad Boys Era' Pistons contained Michael Jordan
Before becoming a six-time NBA champion, Michael Jordan was hounded and roughed up by the "Bad Boys" Detroit Pistons from 1988 to 1990. The suffocating defense coach Chuck Daly used was famously called "The Jordan Rules." It helped the Pistons eliminate Jordan and the Bulls in three straight postseasons.
Fast forward more than 30 years, Michael Wilbon of ESPN believes the present-day Boston Celtics are like the Pistons of the late 80s and early 90s. Wilbon pointed out on "Pardon The Interruption" that the Celtics' tough defense on Kevin Durant in the 2022 NBA Playoffs is similar to how the "Bad Boys" were able to contain Jordan. He said:
"That reminded me last night of the late 1980s-early 1990s defense that the Pistons would put on Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Jordan Rules... That's what it looked like the Celtics were doing last night to Kevin Durant."
.@RealMikeWilbon sees a lot of similarities between this Celtics defense that shut down the Nets in Game 2 and the late 80s/early 90s Detroit Pistons team, (one that he's very familiar with as a Bulls fan...) https://t.co/LP11kC0TGa
The Celtics are not exactly like the "Bad Boys" because hard fouls are no longer allowed in today's NBA. However, Boston has found the right formula to contain Durant, one of the greatest scorers ever in league history. The Celtics now have a comfortable 2-0 lead against the Nets, with Durant shooting only 31.7% from the field.
Similar to "The Jordan Rules," the Celtics are swarming Durant before he is able to get to his spots. Al Horford, Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum and the rest of the Celtics squad are making things tough and hard for Durant. If the Nets coaching staff fails to respond, the team is in danger of getting eliminated in the first round.
How did Michael Jordan conquer 'The Jordan Rules' of the Pistons?
The Detroit Pistons were able to contain Michael Jordan from 1988 to 1990 with the help of "The Jordan Rules." Jordan was getting beat and banged up every night till Phil Jackson and Tex Winter perfected the Triangle Offense in 1991.
According to Rich Bucher of Bleacher Report, Jordan was able to overcome the Pistons because of the changes he made in 1991. "His Airness" decided to put on more muscle to be able to withstand the rough physical plays of the "Bad Boys."
The 'Triangle Offense' helped him change his game by getting into better spots to score. That led to Jordan becoming one of the best post-up guards ever. Former Bulls guard BJ Armstrong narrated the story of how Jordan was finally able to neutralize "The Jordan Rules." He said:
"The Jordan Rules worked as long as Michael played a traditional way. But he made an adjustment... He figured out he had to catch the ball in position to score. So he learned to operate from the post and on the weak side and play the game with three dribbles or less."