Rodman Is Thrown at Magic

Swingman Dennis Rodman of the Detroit Pistons rates himself among the top defensive players in the National Basketball Assn.

He won’t get any argument from the Lakers. Rodman’s aggressive defense has helped the Pistons contain Magic Johnson, the Lakers’ All-Star guard, in the National Basketball Assn. finals.

“Dennis covers Magic like a blanket,” Laker Coach Pat Riley said of Rodman.

Rodman, whose outstanding defense has helped the Pistons neutralize such offensive stars as Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls and Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics in the playoffs, felt slighted when he was left off the NBA’s all-defensive team this season, and he’s out to prove that was a mistake.

“I like guarding Magic because it gives me the opportunity to show my talents on the defense,” Rodman said. “Hopefully the NBA won’t leave me off the all-defensive team next year.

“I think that it frustrates Magic when I guard him,” Rodman continued. “Magic is not the type of player who likes to fight, but he got upset and lost his temper (in the Pistons’ 25-point win over the Lakers Tuesday night in Game 4 of the finals). That’s the key, if we can get him to fight like that, we can win the series.”

Said Johnson: “(Rodman) doesn’t frustrate me. I don’t get frustrated. He creates some problems for me, but not a lot.”

Said Laker forward Mychal Thompson: “(Rodman) has been giving Buck (Johnson) a lot of problems. Defense is Rodman’s game, and he’s got the size and quickness to stay with Buck. Rodman is 6-8, and Buck can’t throw him out of the way like all the little guys.

“They’ve made our whole team a target, not just Buck. This is no time for smiles. We’ve got to bear down and get our game faces on. We’ve even got to sleep with our game faces on. The Pistons are like a nagging wife that you’re tired of seeing.”

Rodman said Johnson isn’t the best player he has checked.

“Jordan is the toughest player I’ve faced because he’s always moving, and it’s tough to stay with him. Bird is more of a slower-tempo player. And (teammate) Adrian Dantley is the second-toughest player I’ve had to guard. A.D. may be old, but guarding him in practice is tough because he’s got so many weapons he can hurt you with.

“Magic is tough because he likes to penetrate. But I try to distract him, and hopefully he won’t be able to look up the court and make one of those great passes.”

Joe Dumars, the Pistons’ starting shooting guard, drew the assignment of checking Johnson when the series opened. But Dumars, who is 6-3, was overmatched against Johnson, one of the biggest point guards in pro basketball at 6-9.

“Magic is a great player because he’s so versatile,” said Dumars.”But Rodman is 6-8 and so he matches up against him well.”

Said Dick Versace, the Pistons’ assistant coach who scouted the Lakers throughout the Western Conference playoffs: “Dennis must give Magic some space when he guards him because if you guard Magic too tight, he’ll just spin off you. You’ve got to play off Magic, but to do that you need the size and quickness that Dennis has.”

A second-quarter sequence from Game 4 illustrated the problems Rodman presents for Johnson. Rodman stole the ball from Johnson at midcourt and Johnson, in a move of frustration, committed a silly foul, reaching in to try to get the ball back.

Johnson scored 23 points and had 6 assists, but the constant pressure from Rodman seemed to distract Johnson. He got into foul trouble and went to the bench with his fourth foul when the Pistons took control of the game with a third-quarter spurt.

“Dennis is a hell of a defensive player,” Piston forward John Salley said. “Magic is probably back at the hotel, devising a way to stop him. If I was Magic, I would try to get him into foul trouble.”

Said Johnson: “Rodman is a big man who can use his body on me, but I found out what I have to do against him in the second half.”

And what would that be?

“I’m not going to tell you. It’s my secret.”