Let's do a quick recap of what Jordan did in the modern era
While preparing for his return, Jordan's ribs were injured by Ron Artest during a pickup game. Jordan rushed his return to training, and Tim Grover advised against this due to tendonitis risk. Jordan overworked himself and his knees became a problem.
Before the season started, Jordan was already dealing with
- having to skip 3 days of practice before the season opener in MSG because of fluid buildup in his knee
- recovering from 2 broken ribs (against Artest) and back spasms
- tendinitis in his knee and wrist
- and during the season Jordan had fluid drained from his knee multiple times
So even before his knee injury, he was already in a hobbled state
Some more context.
Before the season started, Jordan was already dealing with
- having to skip 3 days of practice before the season opener in MSG because of fluid buildup in his knee
- recovering from 2 broken ribs (against Artest) and back spasms
- tendinitis in his knee and wrist
- and during the season Jordan had fluid drained from his knee multiple times
So even before his knee injury, he was already in a hobbled state
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| Pre-injury, Jordan was already dominating the modern era |
MJ 2001/02 season before injury (Age 38) through 46 games
- (pts, rebs, assist, steals, blk) - 25.1 - 6.2 - 5.3 - 1.5 - 0.5 on 42%
- slightly better than his 1996 Finals MVP averages
- (pts, rebs, assist, steals, blk) - 25.1 - 6.2 - 5.3 - 1.5 - 0.5 on 42%
- slightly better than his 1996 Finals MVP averages
- T-Mac was the only player to finish the season averaging at least 25-6-5
- Jordan was averaging 25.1 - 6.2 - 5.3 - 1.5 - 0.5 at age 38 pre-injury
- LeBron in 2014/15 - 25.3 - 6.0 - 7.4 - 1.6 - 0.7 at age 30
Jordan's numbers were also improving as the season went on.
In his last 20 games up to the injury he averaged 27.5 - 6.4 - 5.2 - 1.3 - 0.5 on 44% In his last 10 games up to the injury he averaged 29.7 - 6.6 - 6.1 - 1.2 - 0.3 on 47%
In his last 20 games up to the injury he averaged 27.5 - 6.4 - 5.2 - 1.3 - 0.5 on 44% In his last 10 games up to the injury he averaged 29.7 - 6.6 - 6.1 - 1.2 - 0.3 on 47%
It's also worth nothing that 17 of Jordan's 46 games (37% of them) came against top 10 defenses in points allowed. Despite a large proportion of those 46 games coming against top 10 defenses, he still put up those big numbers while not being healthy in the first place.
Defensively Jordan also had an impact even at this late stage of his career.
2001 Wizards = 2nd worst in ppg allowed the year before.
Up to the injury game
2002 Wizards = allowed 92.2 ppg through 47 games (Jordan missed 1 game)
- would be tied for 6th-best in the league with the Pistons.
2002 Wizards = allowed 92.0 ppg in the 46 games Jordan played
- would be tied for 5th best in the league with the Nets
2002 Wizards = allowed 92.0 ppg in the 46 games Jordan played
- would be tied for 5th best in the league with the Nets
After Jordan's injury
2002 Wizards = allowed 96.8 ppg in the remaining 35 games
- would be ranked 19th in the league
- and fell to 11th in ppg allowed for the overall season.
The Wizards started the season off slow with a 2-9 start
- and allowed 98.4 ppg during the 2-9 start
- on pace for 5th worst in the league
In Jordan's last 35 games pre-injury after the 2-9 start
- the Wizards allowed 90.0 ppg
- on pace for 3rd best in the league
When Jordan and Rip Hamilton played together, they were 15-1 in their last 16 games together up to the injury
- The Wizards allowed 86.3 ppg in that 15-1 stretch
- Easily on pace for the best in the league
- The 2002 Heat were number 1 at 88.7 ppg allowed
Jordan's defensive impact also improved as the season went on, prior to his injury.
The Wizards started the season off slow with a 2-9 start
- and allowed 98.4 ppg during the 2-9 start
- on pace for 5th worst in the league
In Jordan's last 35 games pre-injury after the 2-9 start
- the Wizards allowed 90.0 ppg
- on pace for 3rd best in the league
When Jordan and Rip Hamilton played together, they were 15-1 in their last 16 games together up to the injury
- The Wizards allowed 86.3 ppg in that 15-1 stretch
- Easily on pace for the best in the league
- The 2002 Heat were number 1 at 88.7 ppg allowed
Rip played 78 games the previous year and the Wizards were still 2nd worst in ppg allowed. Had Jordan and Hamilton played a full, healthy season together, Jordan could potentially have taken the Wizards from 2nd worst to the best defense in the league in ppg allowed, and with Jordan being the only major addition to the player roster.
Think about that for a second. A 38 year old hobbled Jordan being the only major addition to a team that would have gone from 2nd worst to number 1 in ppg allowed if not for injuries. Can you think of any other perimeter player who could have that type of defensive impact at that late a stage of their career? There are even very few big men or rim protectors who could have done so.
The only negative of Jordan's game was FG%, which is to be expected at the tail end of your career, and his low FG% had much more to do with his back, rib, knee, and wrist injuries along with his old age, rather than the defense he was facing. However, low FG% doesn't necessarily equate to a negative effect on your team's win column.
- In Jordan's 46 games before knee injury the Wiz had a 26-20 (0.565 win%).
- In games without MJ and post-injury, the Wiz had a 11-25 (0.300 win%)
MJ's Wiz did FAR worse without him or post-injury in the 2001/02 season. They went from playoff contenders to a horrible team. Jordan's low FG% is irrelevant, not only because 42% shooting as a 38 year old man off of 3 year retirement (and already dealing with tendinitis, knee and rib issues to start the season) is far from horrible, but because he helped his team win games regardless.
The 2001 Wizards were a 19-win team the year before, but well on track to make the playoffs with Jordan. There are only two instances that a team got a winning record one year after getting less than 20 wins
2004 Nuggets
Jordan was the only new player on the 2002 team that had a significant impact and played significant minutes. So this would have been the only time that a sub-20 win team became a winning team within one season, after only adding 1 new starter. And on top of that, Jordan was able to have this impact despite the absence of Rip Hamilton for about a month during Jordan's 26-20 stretch (Jordan missed 1 game vs the Spurs - bringing the Wizards record to 26-21 before the injury).
In the last 16 games that Rip and Jordan played together prior to Jordan's knee collision, the Wizards went 15-1, and they won 13 straight games when both of them played together. Had both Rip and MJ stayed healthy, they very well could have cracked 50 wins overall despite starting the season 2-9 and being a 19-win team the previous year. After Jordan's injury, Rip went 9-24 (0.273 win%) in the remaining games he played, so it was clearly Jordan who had by far the most impact on the W column.
The 2001 Wizards were a 19-win team the year before, but well on track to make the playoffs with Jordan. There are only two instances that a team got a winning record one year after getting less than 20 wins
2004 Nuggets
- who drafted Carmelo
- and added Andre Miller
- and added Andre Miller
2009 Heat
- with Wade coming back from injury
- along with adding Jermaine O'Neal
- and drafting Michael Beasley.
Outside of Jordan, the 2002 Wizards' only new additions were 5 bench players, 4 of whom where rookies that played very little minutes
- Tyronn Lue (20 mpg)
- Rookie Kwame Brown (14 mpg)
- Rookie Brendan Haywood (14 mpg)
- Rookie Etan Thomas (13 mpg)
- Rookie Bobby Simmons (11 mpg)
In the last 16 games that Rip and Jordan played together prior to Jordan's knee collision, the Wizards went 15-1, and they won 13 straight games when both of them played together. Had both Rip and MJ stayed healthy, they very well could have cracked 50 wins overall despite starting the season 2-9 and being a 19-win team the previous year. After Jordan's injury, Rip went 9-24 (0.273 win%) in the remaining games he played, so it was clearly Jordan who had by far the most impact on the W column.
For now, we'll throw in a handicap and look at Jordan's competition from solely a defensive perspective. Let's first look at just the shooting guard position - since Kobe/Lebron/2000s fanboys love to especially claim that Jordan had no competition at shooting guard in his career. We will look at Jordan's overall competition in more detail later on, but in this section we will focus on a relatively small sample.
1) Joe Dumars (1989 Finals MVP) - top 5 defensive shooting guard ever
2) 2x DPOY Sidney Moncrief
3) DPOY Michael Cooper
4) DPOY Alvin Robertson
5) Vernon Maxwell - easily would make all-def team in the 2000s where the likes of Paul George, Avery Bradley, Raja Bell, Shane Battier can make the team
- As proof of how weak the standards of 2000s all-def teams are, Cliff Robinson couldn't make the all-defensive team in the stacked 90s era when he was in his prime, but made the all defensive team at age 33 and 35 in the 2000s.
7) Paul Pressey
- Second best defender (after Moncrief) on the 84 Bucks with the number 1 defense in the league
- Multiple all-def first team
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| There is not one perimeter defender in the 2000s of Michael Cooper's caliber |
- It's interesting that the same Duncan that dominated the "advanced and superior" post-Jordan era and has a 2-1 record over Lebron in the Finals, had to beat Latrell Sprewell and Allan Houston's Knicks to win his first championship
- But somehow it is only Jordan that played in a weak era where the likes of those players were some of his competition.
- This is the same Sprewell that shut down Vince Carter to 19 ppg on 30% and 23 ppg on 38% shooting for the 2000 and 2001 playoffs, after Vince had the two best offensive seasons of his entire career that have not been matched by Vince since then.
- Sure seems like Vince's freakish athleticism, speed, and hops really helped him against a "weak, slow, unathletic bum" of Jordan's era. Keep in mind that this lockdown defense was even after the massive anti-handcheck rule introduced in 99/00 as well as the 00/01 anti-defensive rules that we saw in Section 1
Here are Lebron/Kobe's top perimeter defenders, and we're being generous with labeling some of them as "top" defenders relative to the guys mentioned above. And unlike above, we are not limiting this to just shooting guards.
Bobby Jackson - 6-1, 185 - made Kobe miss game winner in Game 5 of 2002 WCF
Tony Allen - 6-4, 210
Raja Bell - 6-5, 210
Doug Christie - 6-6, 200 (actually a Jordan era defender, but 2000s fanboys don't know that)
Kawhi Leonard - 6-7, 220
Jimmy Butler - 6-7, 220
Luol Deng - 6-8, 220
DPOY Ron Artest - 6-6, 250 (a 40 year old shot knees Jordan schooled Artest as we already saw, and he is by far the best out of all these mentioned perimeter defenders)
- By the way, Artest himself said Jordan was the hardest to guard, despite playing him at age 40.
Tayshawn Prince - 6-9, 220
Paul George - 6-9, 220
Shane Battier - 6-8, 225
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| Lebron fans' reasoning is that he is too athletic to be guarded by Jordan's era and today's league is more athletic. Yet LeBron was shut down by a 35-year old Bruce Bowen in the 2007 Finals |
Gary Payton - 6-3, 180 - Only point guard to ever win DPOY. He was only 6-3 180, but look at this. Gary Payton was 35 years old, washed up, and completely past his prime when he schooled Lebron on defense and made the 6-8 240 Rookie of the Year airball with the game on the line
Sure Lebron was a rookie, but he is widely regarded as having one of the greatest rookie seasons of all time, and beat Melo, Bosh, and Wade to win Rookie of the Year. With a massive size, height, speed, and strength advantage it should have been no problem for him to crush a 35 year old washed up version of a defender that came from the "weak watered down" Jordan era.
And unlike Lebron who air balled and got locked down by a 35 year old geezer, Jordan had to play Payton in his prime. Clearly size and athleticism isn't everything on defense, or else Vince Carter and Shawn Kemp would be the greatest defenders of all time. Yet Lebron/Kobe fanboys will try to say that Jordan played smaller and weaker defenders as "proof" that he played a weak defensive era. In any case, that still isn't true. The best part? Gary Payton in the 1996 Finals did a much better job defensively on MVP Jordan than the top defenders of the 2000s, like the Nets, Pistons, or Ron Artest did on a 38-40 year old Jordan. So much for today's "athletically superior and advanced" defenders.
Just to name a few
Latrell Sprewell 6-6 190 - shut down Vince Carter in the 2000 and 2001 Playoffs.
Eddie Jones 6-6, 190
Nick Anderson 6-6, 200
Cedric Maxwell 6-8 205
Xavier McDaniel 6-7, 220
Rodney McCray 6-7, 220
Clyde Drexler 6-7, 220
Robert Reid 6-8, 210
Sean Elliot 6-8 210
Grant Hill 6-8 225
Laphonso Ellis 6-8 240
Derrick McKey 6-9 210
Terry Cummins 6-9, 220
James Worthy 6-9, 225 - 1988 Finals MVP
Larry Johnson 6-6, 250 - Big part of Knicks teams that crushed Vince Carter in the playoffs
Caldwell Jones 6-11 220
Cliff Robinson 6-10, 230
- Even well past his prime at age 35 and 36, Robinson was a starter and key piece of the 2002 and 2003 Pistons with the number 6 and number 1 defense in the league
- Robinson could not make the defensive team in the stacked 90s era of defense, but because the 2000s standards were so lo he made the team past his prime at age 33 and 35 in the 2000s.
- 2x DPOY, shut down Magic Johnson in the 1988 Finals (as a second year player), Shaq and, Karl Malone several times in the late 90s as well as great defense on Bird and Magic when he was with the Pistons (we'll look at this in detail another time)
- Lebron is nowhere near half the defender that Rodman was, or anyone in the 2000s for that matter, and Rodman actually guarded 1-5 well, unlike the lie that ESPN tells you when they say Lebron can do that
- "He is truly the only person I have ever known that could guard all five positions. And I don't mean just guard them a little bit. Clamp down and shut down." -1989 Finals MVP Joe Dumars on Dennis Rodman.
- "I don't mean just guard them a little bit." - he's unintentionally talking about Lebron fans who cite 1 play of weak side help defense, one possession, or 2 quarters of defense on Derrick Rose in an entire 5 game series as "proof" that he can guard 1-5"
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| Before you had the media falsely saying that Lebron can guard 1-5, there was Anthony Mason who could actually guard 2-5, and Rodman who is the only human being in history that could effectively guard all 5 positions |
Anthony Mason 6-8, 250+
- Bigger than Lebron, almost as quick on his feet, and a much better defender. He actually guarded 2-5
- If you're really going to try and use Lebron's all-def team selections as proof that he's a better defender than Anthony Mason, don't forget that a joke like Mr. 0-0 Roy Hibbert was second in 2014 DPOY voting
- If all-def team selections proved who is a better defender, then that means Kobe and Duncan, with 12 and 14 all def team selections are better on the defensive end than defensive masters like Hakeem, Rodman, Cooper, Pippen, etc
- Or that Jason Kidd with 9 selections is a better defender than Finals MVP Joe Dumars with 5, which obviously isn't true
- When the reigning 2x DPOY Alonzo Mourning had kidney problems and missed the Heat's 00/01 season, a 34 year old Anthony Mason was signed and replaced Mourning's presence in the paint
- Though part of this was due to the emergence of Bruce Bowen, the 00/01 Heat were the number 2 defense in the league compared to the 99/00 Heat (with Alonzo) with the number 4 defense in the league, who allowed 4.7 more points
- This guy was bigger than Lebron, more effective at guarding multiple positions, a better overall defender, and even with the 80s/90s rules Jordan would torch him.
- Vince Carter went up against a 33 year old Mason and ended up shooting 40% for the game. Vince was only able to drive past Mason once in the whole game. Remember that Mason was not in his prime, while Vince had the second best offensive season of his career this year.
- He could also guard Hakeem and Jordan
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| Lebron has never dealt with a defender of Anthony Mason's size, strength, quickness, and versatility. Lebron himself is not as strong or as versatile as Mason. |
1985 - DPOY Sidney Moncrief
1986, 1987 - Dennis Johnson, one of the best defensive guards ever
1988 - Joe Dumars, one of the best defensive guards ever, 2x DPOY Dennis Rodman, arguably the best defender ever
1989 - Gerald Wilkins, Joe Dumars, 2x DPOY Dennis Rodman
1990 - DPOY Alvin Robertson, Joe Dumars, 2x DPOY Dennis Rodman
1991 - Gerald Wilkins, Joe Dumars, 2x DPOY Dennis Rodman
1992 - Xavier McDaniel, Gerald Wilkins, Anthony Mason, Cliff Robinson
1993 - Gerald Wilkins, Doc Rivers, Anthony Mason
1996 - Derek Harper, Anthony Mason, Nick Anderson, DPOY Gary Payton
1997 - Voshon Lenard, solid defenders in Bryon Russell and Shandon Anderson
1998 - Anthony Mason, Derrick McKey, Russell and Anderson
Of course, Jordan wasn't exclusively going against these guys one on one every trip, as he also had to worry about guys like Mutombo, Alonzo, Ewing, etc. whenever he drove in the paint on top of several double and triple teams. Kevin Garnett at 6-11 230+ also guarded Wizards Jordan, who ended up dropping 35-6-4 on 47% against the Wolves in that game.
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| Kobe and LeBron have struggled against smaller and less athletic defenders, so diminishing all of Jordan's defensive competition on height and athleticism is a farce of an argument. Not to mention Jordan faced plenty of athletic and lengthy defenders to begin with. |
And don't forget the little guys that can play great defense. While Kobe and LeBron struggled against a 38-year old Jason Kidd in the 2011 Playoffs and Finals, Jordan goes against PGs like Blaylock (NBA record 11 seasons averaging 2+ spg), Starks, Hawkins, Finals MVP Dennis Johnson, Derek Harper, Nate McMillan, DPOY Payton, the greatest defensive PG of all time, etc.
While Lebron drives in the lane with the help of illegal defensive 3 seconds rule to make the paint wide open, he goes against centers like 0-0 Roy the Bum Hibbert and soft Dwight Howard. The same "3x DPOY" Howard that got completely lit up by a power forward Aldridge in the 2014 playoffs and couldn't even slow down Pau Gasol in the Finals. Jordan went in the lane, a task itself given the rules of his day, against Olajuwon, David Robinson, prime Alonzo, Oakley, Kareem, Parish, Sampson, Moses, Ewing, prime Mutombo, Karl Malone, PJ Brown, Kemp, Mahorn, Mason, Larry Nance, and more, in an era where they were allowed to knock you on your behind without any controversy. Jordan faced vastly superior competition on the team and individual levels
Jordan at age 34 proved himself under one of the top 3 hardest defensive circumstances for a championship team. In the shot-clock era, only the
- 1997 Bulls
- 1999 Spurs
- 2004 Pistons
have won the championship while facing 2 sub-90 PPG defenses in the Playoffs.
All 3 teams that faced more than 2 sub-90 PPG defenses in the Playoffs
- 1998 Pacers (3)
- 1999 Knicks (3)
- 2004 Lakers (4)
failed to win the championship, confirming the harder circumstances become as a team faces more sub-90 defenses
The 2013 Grizzlies are the last sub-90 PPG defense in NBA history at 89.3 PPG allowed. So Jordan would no longer be facing defenses of comparable quality from 2014-present.
The 2013 Grizzlies are the last sub-90 PPG defense in NBA history at 89.3 PPG allowed. So Jordan would no longer be facing defenses of comparable quality from 2014-present.
The 1997 Bulls collective Playoff opponent win% was 0.686, the 2nd-highest of any Title team that played 4 rounds. Among Title teams that played 4 rounds, only the 1995 Rockets had a harder Playoff strength of schedule with a 0.726 collective Playoff opponent win%.
Under these incredibly hard circumstances, both in terms of competition and defense, Jordan at age 34 still put up 31-8-5 on 46% FG - 81% FT for the 1997 Playoffs and led the team in 5/5 categories for the last 3 rounds collectively.
All shot-clock era teams to face multiple sub-90 PPG defenses in one playoff run
- 1997 Bulls (2)
- 1998 Jazz (2)
- 1998 Pacers (3)
- 1999 Hawks (2)
- 1999 Pacers (2)
- 1999 Blazers (2)
- 1999 Spurs (2)
- 1999 Knicks (3)
- 2004 Pacers (2)
- 2004 Pistons (2)
- 2004 Lakers (4)
- 2012 Sixers (2)
The 2012 Sixers are the only team post-2004/05 rule changes to face two sub-90 PPG defenses, but this comes with multiple asterisks
1. The Sixers faced injured teams in both rounds of the 2012 Playoffs - Bulls with Derrick Rose missing all but 1 game and Joakim Noah missing 3 of 6 games in the 1st Round - Celtics with Avery Bradley missing 3 of 7 games in the ECSF, after starting every playoff game
2. The 2012 Bulls and 2012 Celtics also had much worse defensive numbers against the Western Conference. Their defensive numbers were heavily protected by playing most of their games against Eastern Conference teams, and they were not true sub-90 PPG defenses.
- 2012 Bulls = 94.1 PPG allowed vs West teams
- 2012 Celtics = 92.7 PPG allowed vs West teams
The 2012 Celtics had a losing 7-11 record vs West teams as well.
Players Averaging 20+ PPG in the Playoffs when facing 2+ sub-90 PPG defenses
Unless otherwise noted, these Playoff runs are against exactly 2 sub-90 PPG defenses
31.1 PPG - Michael Jordan (1997) - 31-8-5 on 46%
26.3 PPG - Karl Malone (1998) - 26-11-3 on 47%
24.5 PPG* - Kobe Bryant (2004) - 25-5-6 on 41%
23.2 PPG - Tim Duncan (1999) - 23-12-3 on 51%
21.5 PPG* - Shaquille O'Neal (2004) - 22-13-3 on 59%
21.5 PPG - Richard Hamilton (2004) - 22-5-4 on 45%
20.4 PPG** - Latrell Sprewell (1999) - 20-5-2 on 42%
20.2 PPG - Reggie Miller (1999) - 20-4-3 on 40%
*Shaq and Kobe faced 4 sub-90 PPG defenses, 2 sub-85 PPG defenses
**Sprewell faced 3 sub-85 PPG defenses, 4 sub-91 PPG defenses
Reggie Miller in 1998 was exactly 1 total point away from having 20 PPG against 3 sub-90 PPG defenses, but went scoreless in the 4th quarter of Game 7.
Under comparable statistical defensive circumstances to Jordan's in 1997 (not to mention competition in terms of collective opponent win%), no player has come close to Jordan's 1997 Playoffs performance, at age 34 and well past his prime no less.
Jordan had by far the highest volume of PPG under these circumstances at 31.1 PPG. No other player has even reached 26.5 PPG in the Playoffs against multiple sub-90 PPG defenses. Of any 20+ PPG player under these circumstances, Jordan had the highest FG% of any non-PF/C. and Jordan also led the Bulls in 5/5 categories for the last 3 rounds of the 1997 Playoffs collectively.
Again, post-2004/05 rule changes no team has faced 2 true sub-90 PPG defenses in any Playoffs due to the asterisks surrounding the 2012 Sixers' competition. Therefore there is little reason to believe even the 34-year old past-prime version of Jordan in 1997, let alone prime Jordan, would have any lesser production in any post-illegal defense Playoff run outside of maybe 2004 compared to his 1997 performance, and certainly not after the 2004/05 rule changes.
Jordan played in the most stacked era at the guard position defensively.
All Guards who won DPOY
Sidney Moncrief - 1983 and 1984
Alvin Robertson - 1986
Michael Cooper - 1987
Michael Jordan - 1988
Gary Payton - 1996
All Guards who were 2nd place in DPOY
Sidney Moncrief - 1985
Alvin Robertson - 1987
Michael Jordan - 1993
Gary Payton - 1997 and 1998
All Guards who were 3rd place in DPOY
Maurice Cheeks - 1983
Michael Cooper - 1983
Dennis Johnson - 1984
Sidney Moncrief - 1986
Joe Dumars - 1990
Derek Harper - 1990
Alvin Robertson - 1991
Michael Jordan - 1992
Mookie Blaylock - 1997
Eddie Jones - 2000
Kobe Bryant - 2002
Dwyane Wade - 2009
Paul Pressey and Shane Battier were 3rd place in 1985 and 2008 DPOY voting, respectively. According to Basketball-Reference, however, these players were listed as SFs for those respective seasons and not as SGs.
Including Jordan himself, all 5 guards that have won DPOY and/or came 2nd place in DPOY competed in Jordan's era (1984/85 - 1997/98).
- 13 Guards in NBA history have come at least top 3 in DPOY voting
- 11 of 13 (85%) played multiple seasons in Jordan's era (1984/85 - 1997/98) as full-time starters.
- This excludes Kobe and Wade and includes Jordan himself.
Jordan's stats are actaully deflated compared to other stars, because he played with the fewest possessions possible during his 6 championships.
More
SECTION 3 - Jordan's "Weak" Defensive Competition Compared to Lebron/Kobe's "Advanced" Competition
- Proving the vast superiority of individual defenders of Jordan's era compared to the 2000s
Again, post-2004/05 rule changes no team has faced 2 true sub-90 PPG defenses in any Playoffs due to the asterisks surrounding the 2012 Sixers' competition. Therefore there is little reason to believe even the 34-year old past-prime version of Jordan in 1997, let alone prime Jordan, would have any lesser production in any post-illegal defense Playoff run outside of maybe 2004 compared to his 1997 performance, and certainly not after the 2004/05 rule changes.
Jordan played in the most stacked era at the guard position defensively.
All Guards who won DPOY
Sidney Moncrief - 1983 and 1984
Alvin Robertson - 1986
Michael Cooper - 1987
Michael Jordan - 1988
Gary Payton - 1996
All Guards who were 2nd place in DPOY
Sidney Moncrief - 1985
Alvin Robertson - 1987
Michael Jordan - 1993
Gary Payton - 1997 and 1998
All Guards who were 3rd place in DPOY
Maurice Cheeks - 1983
Michael Cooper - 1983
Dennis Johnson - 1984
Sidney Moncrief - 1986
Joe Dumars - 1990
Derek Harper - 1990
Alvin Robertson - 1991
Michael Jordan - 1992
Mookie Blaylock - 1997
Eddie Jones - 2000
Kobe Bryant - 2002
Dwyane Wade - 2009
Paul Pressey and Shane Battier were 3rd place in 1985 and 2008 DPOY voting, respectively. According to Basketball-Reference, however, these players were listed as SFs for those respective seasons and not as SGs.
Including Jordan himself, all 5 guards that have won DPOY and/or came 2nd place in DPOY competed in Jordan's era (1984/85 - 1997/98).
- 13 Guards in NBA history have come at least top 3 in DPOY voting
- 11 of 13 (85%) played multiple seasons in Jordan's era (1984/85 - 1997/98) as full-time starters.
- This excludes Kobe and Wade and includes Jordan himself.
Jordan's stats are actaully deflated compared to other stars, because he played with the fewest possessions possible during his 6 championships.
Championship Teams with a Sub-90 Pace in the Playoffs
17. 1994 Rockets - 89.9
16. 2010 Lakers - 89.6
15. 1992 Bulls - 89.0
T-13. 1989 Pistons - 88.9
T-13. 2007 Spurs - 88.9
12. 1993 Bulls - 88.5
11. 1991 Bulls - 88.1
10. 2012 Heat - 88.0
T-8. 2013 Heat - 87.3
T-8. 2005 Spurs - 87.3
7. 1996 Bulls - 86.8
6. 2011 Mavericks - 86.6
5. 2004 Pistons - 86.1
4. 2008 Celtics - 85.9
3. 1997 Bulls - 85.5
2. 1999 Spurs - 85.4
1. 1998 Bulls - 84.1
Amongst championship teams
Bulls have
- 6 of the top 15 slowest playoff paces
- 3 of the top 7 slowest playoff paces
- 2 of the top 3 slowest playoff paces
- the slowest playoff pace
Spurs have
- 2 of the top 8 slowest playoff paces
- the 2nd-slowest playoff pace
Bulls (6 times), Spurs (3 times), Heat (2 times), and Pistons (2 times) are the only championship teams with multiple sub-90 playoff paces. Though the Pistons were 15 years apart. No Title teams with a sub-90 Playoff Pace prior to 1989.
The fact that Jordan put up his amazing stats during his championship runs with the fewest possessions possible clearly shows how much more dominant he would be in any other era.
17. 1994 Rockets - 89.9
16. 2010 Lakers - 89.6
15. 1992 Bulls - 89.0
T-13. 1989 Pistons - 88.9
T-13. 2007 Spurs - 88.9
12. 1993 Bulls - 88.5
11. 1991 Bulls - 88.1
10. 2012 Heat - 88.0
T-8. 2013 Heat - 87.3
T-8. 2005 Spurs - 87.3
7. 1996 Bulls - 86.8
6. 2011 Mavericks - 86.6
5. 2004 Pistons - 86.1
4. 2008 Celtics - 85.9
3. 1997 Bulls - 85.5
2. 1999 Spurs - 85.4
1. 1998 Bulls - 84.1
Amongst championship teams
Bulls have
- 6 of the top 15 slowest playoff paces
- 3 of the top 7 slowest playoff paces
- 2 of the top 3 slowest playoff paces
- the slowest playoff pace
Spurs have
- 2 of the top 8 slowest playoff paces
- the 2nd-slowest playoff pace
Bulls (6 times), Spurs (3 times), Heat (2 times), and Pistons (2 times) are the only championship teams with multiple sub-90 playoff paces. Though the Pistons were 15 years apart. No Title teams with a sub-90 Playoff Pace prior to 1989.
The fact that Jordan put up his amazing stats during his championship runs with the fewest possessions possible clearly shows how much more dominant he would be in any other era.
More
- Looking at how the Jordan Era players had an easier time in the modern era
- Looking at how a 38-40 year old Jordan himself schooled the 2000s defenders
SECTION 3 - Jordan's "Weak" Defensive Competition Compared to Lebron/Kobe's "Advanced" Competition
- Proving the vast superiority of individual defenders of Jordan's era compared to the 2000s
- Destroying the myth that Jordan never played zone defense
- Proof that 80s/90s players would still have success guarding 2000s players without the 80s/90s rules
- Looking at how Jordan did against the 80s teams and why expansion did not make it easier to win championships
- Proof that Jordan's Competition was 80s-quality and far better than the 2000s era
- Looking at the truth of how the Bulls did without Jordan, and how other great teams did without their stars.
- Did Jordan really get any more special treatment than other superstars? Nope.
- Exposing the myths behind the great, but misunderstood, Wilt Chamberlain
- Looking at how Lebron got locked down by defenders of the 2000s era and comparing them to the vastly superior 80s/90s
- Destroying one of the media's biggest misconceptions regarding Lebron's solid but vastly overrated defense
- Lebron fans think no player in history could succeed if their teammates don't step up, and that Lebron is the only one who has carried a team on his back. Is that really the case?
- The real Jordan vs Lebron comparison
- The real Jordan vs Kobe comparison
- Kareem is great, but he is not even the greatest center of all-time, let alone the greatest of all-time.
- The full context behind Jordan's struggles without Pippen
- A look at how Jordan turned the Wizards around before his knee injury caught up to him
- Looking at Jordan's defensive impact in detail, both as a team player and 1 on 1 defender
- Looking at the strong evidence supporting that Jordan would have achieved more than what LeBron has in Cleveland and Miami
SECTION 21 - Hakeem Olajuwon: The Greatest Center of All-Time
- Hakeem Olajuwon is the best center of all-time, and there is strong evidence to prove it
SECTION 22 - Chris Paul: The Most Overrated Point Guard Of All-Time
- Chris Paul is an extremely overrated playoff performer and defender, and isn't even a top 5 PG of his own era, let alone all-time
SECTION 23 - Kevin Johnson: The Most Underrated Point Guard Of All-Time
- Kevin Johnson is an extremely underrated and under-appreciated point guard, who should have been a first-ballot Hall of Famer and considered a top-10 point guard of all-time
SECTION 24 - The Three Greatest Playoff Runs of All-Time
- Analyzing the three greatest individual playoff runs in NBA history
SECTION 25 - The Worst Finals Performances of All-Time
- Analyzing the worst performances in NBA Finals history
SECTION 26 - Jordan vs Russell
- Comparing the two players who won the most championships as the best player on their team
SECTION 27 - The Five Greatest Coaches of All-Time
- Taking a look at the greatest coaches in NBA history
SECTION 28 - The Least Deserving Finals MVPs of All-Time
- Taking a look at the players who least deserved to win their Finals MVPs
SECTION 29 - Refuting 10 Myths About Michael Jordan
- Refuting certain myths about Jordan, as well as abridging of some of the main points in earlier sections for easier reference.
SECTION 30 - The 20 Greatest Conference Finals Runs of All-Time
- Ranking the 20 greatest playoff runs in which a player played 3 rounds before losing prior to the NBA Finals
SECTION 31 - The 1970s: The Weakest Decade of the NBA's Post-Infancy
- Why the 1970s was the weakest decade of any era from 1960-present
SECTION 32 - The 10 Worst Supporting Casts on NBA Finals Teams (1960-Present)
- Examining the worst supporting casts on teams that reached the NBA Finals
SECTION 33 - The 10 Greatest Rookie Playoff Runs of All-Time
- The most impressive playoff runs in which rookies led their team to at least one series win
SECTION 21 - Hakeem Olajuwon: The Greatest Center of All-Time
- Hakeem Olajuwon is the best center of all-time, and there is strong evidence to prove it
SECTION 22 - Chris Paul: The Most Overrated Point Guard Of All-Time
- Chris Paul is an extremely overrated playoff performer and defender, and isn't even a top 5 PG of his own era, let alone all-time
SECTION 23 - Kevin Johnson: The Most Underrated Point Guard Of All-Time
- Kevin Johnson is an extremely underrated and under-appreciated point guard, who should have been a first-ballot Hall of Famer and considered a top-10 point guard of all-time
SECTION 24 - The Three Greatest Playoff Runs of All-Time
- Analyzing the three greatest individual playoff runs in NBA history
SECTION 25 - The Worst Finals Performances of All-Time
- Analyzing the worst performances in NBA Finals history
SECTION 26 - Jordan vs Russell
- Comparing the two players who won the most championships as the best player on their team
SECTION 27 - The Five Greatest Coaches of All-Time
- Taking a look at the greatest coaches in NBA history
SECTION 28 - The Least Deserving Finals MVPs of All-Time
- Taking a look at the players who least deserved to win their Finals MVPs
SECTION 29 - Refuting 10 Myths About Michael Jordan
- Refuting certain myths about Jordan, as well as abridging of some of the main points in earlier sections for easier reference.
SECTION 30 - The 20 Greatest Conference Finals Runs of All-Time
- Ranking the 20 greatest playoff runs in which a player played 3 rounds before losing prior to the NBA Finals
SECTION 31 - The 1970s: The Weakest Decade of the NBA's Post-Infancy
- Why the 1970s was the weakest decade of any era from 1960-present
SECTION 32 - The 10 Worst Supporting Casts on NBA Finals Teams (1960-Present)
- Examining the worst supporting casts on teams that reached the NBA Finals
SECTION 33 - The 10 Greatest Rookie Playoff Runs of All-Time
- The most impressive playoff runs in which rookies led their team to at least one series win
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