Rodman Is the Best Rebounder Ever
Dennis Rodman, whose extraordinary rebounding skills helped the Pistons and Bulls win five championships, may be better-known among NBA fans for his unusual haircuts, offcourt antics and turbulent retirement. He reminded Bulls fans and writers of that side of him Wednesday, with a colorful and tear-filled press conference before Game Two of the Eastern Conference finals between the Bulls and Miami. (In an unintentional homage to the Worm, the Bulls gathered a greater share of offensive rebounds than their opponents, though they still lost, knotting the series at a game apiece.)
But what Rodman really should be known for, according to a ridiculously detailed series of blog posts that began last August and was completed last month — a month after Rodman was voted into the Hall of Fame — is being the best rebounder in NBA history and one of the league’s most valuable players ever.
Benjamin Morris, on his blog Skeptical Sports Analysis, begins his generally persuasive case by assessing Rodman in terms of his rebounding. Morris eschewed the rebounds per game stat, which is skewed in several ways. Fast-paced games have more possessions and more missed shots, creating more rebounding opportunities. That helped artificially boost the rebounding totals of Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell, whom Morris argues were good but not great rebounders blessed with a lot of missed shots to collect.
Instead Morris uses rebounding percentages on the offensive and defensive glass. These are estimates of what percentage of available rebounds a player collects. The average player should get 10%, since any of 10 players on the floor can grab the ball. That percentage should be a bit higher on the defensive side, because most rebounds are collected by the defensive team, and lower on the offensive side. But Rodman exceeded 10% on each side of the floor in each season of his career, usually by a wide margin. He grabbed 17.2% of available offensive rebounds and 29.6% of defensive
But what Rodman really should be known for, according to a ridiculously detailed series of blog posts that began last August and was completed last month — a month after Rodman was voted into the Hall of Fame — is being the best rebounder in NBA history and one of the league’s most valuable players ever.
Benjamin Morris, on his blog Skeptical Sports Analysis, begins his generally persuasive case by assessing Rodman in terms of his rebounding. Morris eschewed the rebounds per game stat, which is skewed in several ways. Fast-paced games have more possessions and more missed shots, creating more rebounding opportunities. That helped artificially boost the rebounding totals of Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell, whom Morris argues were good but not great rebounders blessed with a lot of missed shots to collect.
Instead Morris uses rebounding percentages on the offensive and defensive glass. These are estimates of what percentage of available rebounds a player collects. The average player should get 10%, since any of 10 players on the floor can grab the ball. That percentage should be a bit higher on the defensive side, because most rebounds are collected by the defensive team, and lower on the offensive side. But Rodman exceeded 10% on each side of the floor in each season of his career, usually by a wide margin. He grabbed 17.2% of available offensive rebounds and 29.6% of defensive