Who is the Next Scottie Pippen?

The great debate of the professional basketball world has always been, "Who will be the next Michael Jordan?" Many have asked this question and many have offered answers. LeBron James and Kobe Bryant have been mentioned as heirs to the thrown of greatness. Most would agree that more so than anyone, Kobe Bryant fills the void of Michael Jordan better than any, especially under the same coach Phil Jackson. Kobe's style of play closely resembles that of Jordan and he has the championships to show for it as well. Michael Jordan always had a running mate in Scottie Pippen, but Kobe Bryant seems to lack that key running mate at this point with the Los Angles Lakers. So who would be the best Scottie Pippen for Kobe Bryant? It's a question not often asked, but upon thought it proves to be an intriguing inquisition.

First, it is necessary to consider who Scottie Pippen was as a player. The outstanding teammate of the great Michael Jordan always found himself in the shadow of the legendary Jordan, but never seemed to complain about the aim of the spotlight. This unselfishness was one of the things that made Scottie Pippen great on the court and off the court as well. Pippen was also a master at running the break and using his unselfish play to create easy opportunities for the Chicago Bulls. Many of the Bulls' championship were a direct result of the defensive play of Jordan and Pippen combined. Pippen's great defense was the most underrated aspect of his game. Scottie was also a master at hitting key jump shots during the course of the Bulls' rise to glory. Overall, it's safe to say that anyone who would be a great Pippen-like running mate for Kobe Bryant would have to be an unselfish player, play great defense, and be able to hit key jump shots when needed.

So who could the LA Lakers possibly get to fill Scottie Pippen void in the championship puzzle? The first player that comes to mind when thinking of unselfishness and great defense is most assuredly Shane Battier of the Houston Rockets. Battier has always been an unselfish player since his days at Duke University and has willingly remained out of the spotlight while letting superstar teammates like Tracy McGrady get all the credit. Battier has never spoken out against a teammate or had a "look-at-me" attitude during his career. Moreover, Shane Battier's defensive skills are well known and documented. Battier is a master of taking charges and playing transition defense. These prime similarities with Scottie Pippen make him a great candidate for our search, but with a weak jump shot at times Battier may not be the quintessential Scottie Pippen.

Another great Scottie Pippen-like player to consider is Shawn Marion. Marion has outstanding experience running the break. He has been a dynamic player in the Phoenix Sun offense for several years now and has worked well in the run and fun system. Marion also exhibits the same unselfish nature as Scottie Pippen and has shown that he can function well with other superstars around him such as Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire. But just the same as Battier, Shawn Marion falls short in one the categories. Marion's defensive ability seems to come into question at times; however, some may argue that this is just because the Suns play an up-tempo style.

So who really is the next Scottie Pippen? Is it Shane Battier, Shawn Marion, or could it be another unnamed player? Such an argument is not clearly decided, but judging the evidence and weighing our basketball intuition, we come to a decision that Shane Battier would make a great Scottie Pippen-like running mate for Kobe Bryant and the Los Angles Lakers. Shane Battier's defensive skill and unselfish nature would make him a prime element in the championship formula on a Kobe Bryant team if they wanted to resemble the Bulls of old. So if your Lakers owner Jerry Buss or general manager Mitch Kupchak, a player like Shane Battier might not be a bad acquisition for a championship run with star player Kobe Bryant that could resemble the glory days of Michael and Scottie.