I guess Phil Jackson was right.  Scottie Pippen did need to take his
team by the reins to advance past Phil's own budding club.  Did he do just
that?  I don't believe so.  Pippen did give an emotionally charged attempt
to break free of the shadow looming over his career, but this wasn't what
the Blazers needed.  They didn't need what had been exemplified over years
of being the number two go-to guy.  What they needed was a firm sense of
leadership and a commanding presence on the court.  What they received was
the performance of a number two go-to guy.

While Pippen showed signs of flash and brilliance at both ends of
the court, his offering was scattered and unreliable.  To the dismay of
many, the Blazers were not overpowered and bullied.  They definitely did not
need their player with the most post-season value and experience thugging it
up with the likes of John Salley and Rick Fox.  Maybe Phil Jackson did
manage to slip inside his former student's head and somehow get him to
believe he needed to take on this role.  I'm sure there wasn't any urging on
Mike Dunleavy's behalf.  Either way Pippen did not deliver.  He allowed a
twenty-one year old with limited playoff experience and absolutely no NCAA
Tournament experience to effectively D him up and make him a non-factor.
While Pippen dropped down to deny Shaquile O'Neal the ball, he allowed Kobe
Bryant the space to shoot freely and penetrate, disrupting the double and
triple teams in the paint.  Someone who did deliver in the most threatening
and effective way, was Rasheed Wallace.

Now here is a man that is coming into his own.  Not just those lanky
arms that allow him to drain turn-around jumpers over the likes of Shaq, but
his mental game has reached new heights as well.  After a premature and
somewhat immature outburst in game one, Wallace turned into an unstoppable,
defense-killing machine.  He only opened his mouth one other time in the
entire series, and regained his composure in mere seconds.  This is
leadership material.  Not only does Dunleavy know it, but the entire NBA
community knows it.  Unfortunately, it wasn't just another ring that elluded
Scottie Pippen in the Western Conference Finals.  It was something much
greater.  A monumental realization was made quite clear.  Scottie Pippen
will never be a leader.  He will never be the go-to guy, and he will never
have eleven others follow him to glory.  
 

by jrosas@randomhouse.com

6/8/2000
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