Dennis Rodman is certainly a character, to put it mildly. Regardless, one cannot deny his stinginess on the defensive end and on the glass no matter what one may think of his personality. With “The Last Dance,” taking over the sports world right now, it is only a matter of time before we see more of what made Rodman such a deadly rebounder and defender. Rodman may not have been feared at all as a lethal scorer, but he found other ways to be effective and make himself a Hall of Famer.
As a result, it makes sense for him to be the next candidate on our “Most Underrated Season,” series. Was Rodman’s most overlooked season one with the Chicago Bulls? Or is it possibly one when he was with the Detroit Pistons or San Antonio Spurs? The answer may surprise many NBA fans. Without further adieu, let’s delve into Rodman’s most underrated season of his career.
Dennis Rodman: His Most Overlooked Season
Dennis Rodman: His 1991-92 Campaign
During the 1991-92 season, Rodman would make his second All-Star squad as a member of the Detroit Pistons. The Bad Boy Pistons were starting to slowly dissolve, but Rodman was one of the remaining members. The Detroit Pistons would still make the playoffs with a win-loss record of 48-34 and lose in the first round of the postseason to the New York Knicks (2-3). It was a disappointing result for a team who was used to so much recent success. Rodman was a bright spot for them.
The Pistons were still considered one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference thanks to head coach, Chuck Daly, and the development of Rodman. Not only was Rodman still young, but he was also starting to come into his own as one of the best rebounders in NBA history. The numbers help make the case for Rodman’s rebounding, especially in his underrated 1991-92 season.
Dennis the Menace: His 1991-92 Numbers
As alluded to already, Rodman was a monster on the glass. During the 1991-92 season, he would come away with 18.7 rebounds per game, giving him his first of his seven rebounding titles. Rodman would also tally 9.8 points while shooting a clean 53.9 percent from the field to couple with an effective field goal percentage of 56.4 percent. He would also average nearly a block per game while tallying a defensive rating of 99.
Rodman’s advanced numbers during this particular campaign are also impressive. He would average a defensive rebounding percentage of 34.1 percent to go along with a total rebounding percentage of 26.2 percent. Not to mention, Rodman’s defensive win share during the 1991-92 campaign would be plus seven, a very impressive statistic. He would also tally his highest offensive win share that season at 5.6. On top of all of this, Rodman’s most impressive advanced metric from this season was perhaps his player efficiency rating of 17. This would also become a career-high. Dennis Rodman is one of the most feared low-post players in NBA history and his overlooked 1991-92 campaign is one reason he is in the Hall of Fame.
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