Nobody Touches Jordan: SECTION 5 - The Myth That 80s/90s Defenses Can't Contain Modern Players Without the 80s/90s Rules

OK, so I spent a lot of time bashing the rule changes and the weak 2000s era for weakening defenses and making scoring a lot easier. After all the scoring increases experienced in the 2000s by players of the Jordan era, one would assume that 80s/90s defenses and individual players would suffer on that end. They assume that this means 80s/90s players were lower quality defenders since they were benefited by handchecking and physical rules. It makes sense, right? You take 80s/90s defenses, put them in today's league without the hardcore 80s/90s defense rules, and they should have a hard time guarding the superstars of the 2000s, right?

Wrong. Let's take a look. Before we begin, picture this. You take a shooting guard from Jordan's era that is considered slightly above average, and put him on a shooting guard from the 2000s who is considered a superstar, and you take away the old defensive rules. This is the result.

Also, just keep in mind what a 35 year old washed up 6-3 180 Gary Payton did to a Rookie of the Year 6-8 240 Lebron James. Even with the huge number of anti-defensive rule changes against Payton, who won DPOY in 1996, he was still able to lock down Lebron with the game on the line. Gary Payton couldn't put his hands on Lebron like he did against Jordan in the 1996 Finals, so that right there gave Lebron the advantage with a first step, and with Payton not being able to feel where Lebron is going.

With every disadvantage against him,
a 35 year old washed up Payton
still schooled Lebron on defense
despite the absence of 90s rules

Behind Payton, the entire paint was cleared out because of the illegal defensive 3 seconds rule. in the 90s, Shaq would have been allowed to camp out in the lane and contest Lebron's shot if he were to make it past Payton, but in 2004 Gary didn't have that luxury if he messed up. In spite of all those defensive disadvantages, he still locked down a much bigger, faster, stronger, and taller Lebron with the game on the line.

Remember that as we look at how the great 90s defense of the Knicks did in the 2000s.

The 2000 washed up Knicks with a 37 year old Patrick Ewing as well as the 2001 Ewing-less Knicks shut down Vince Carter to 19 ppg on 30% and 23 ppg on 38% shooting for the 2000 and 2001 playoffs.

Vince had averaged 26.0 ppg on 47% in the 99/00 regular season and 27.6 ppg on 46% in 00/01. Those two seasons were his highest scoring totals out of any season in his career, and two of his three most efficient FG% outputs in any season.
Remember, this was after the massive anti-handcheck rule introduced in 99/00 and after the further no-contact rules added in 00/01. Vince still got shut down by 90s defenders even after the 90s rules were gone.

Vince Carter, despite having the two best
offensive seasons of his entire career
got completely shut down by a washed up 90s
defensive team, without the 90s defensive rules. His
athleticism and speed meant absolutely nothing.

Of those two Knicks teams, the only players left from the early 90s Knicks contenders was a 35 year old Mark Jackson who hadn't played for NYK in 10 years and a 37 year old Ewing, who was not even on the 2001 Knicks team. Don't even try to claim that Sprewell, Houston, Camby, Larry Johnson, and a Glen Rice known for playing no defense is a better defensive lineup than prime Ewing, Starks, Mason, Oakley, Wilkins, and Rivers from the 92 and 93 Knicks. In spite of having much less defensive talent than the early Knicks that were a huge threat to Jordan's Bulls and the disadvantage of the 99/00 massive anti-handcheck rule, the 2000 and 2001 Knicks completely shut down an athletic freak like Vince Carter who had the two best scoring seasons of his entire career.

And even if you do want to ridiculously claim that the 37 year old Ewing's Knicks had a better defensive lineup, don't forget that Johnson, Sprewell, and Houston, the 3 best players on those 2000 and 2001 Knicks teams, all played the prime of their careers in the 90s anyway. So either way you put it, the 90s players that came to the Knicks had no problem shutting down the 2000s Vince Carter under his era of 2000s defensive rules.

From 1992 to 2001, the Knicks never had less than a top 5 defense. The last season (98/99) before the massive anti-handcheck rule of 99/00, the Knicks had the top 4 defense in the league and made the NBA Finals. Even with the new anti-defensive rules introduced in both the 99/00 and 00/01 season, the Knicks still had the number 2 and number 1 defense in the league in those respective seasons. It was only after the 01/02 rule changes of illegal defensive 3 seconds that the Knicks fell to the 14th best defense in the league.

Even with the shell of the 90s Knicks replacing
their top defenders with inferior ones, they
remained one of the best defenses even
in the early 2000s. The anti-handcheck
and anti-contact rules still did not
make them a weak defensive unit

However, that drop in the formerly great 90s Knicks defense was largely attributable to Jeff Van Gundy's resignation and Larry Johnson's retirement, not the rule change. Under Van Gundy, and even without Johnson, the Knicks had a 10-9 record before going 20-43 under the replacement Don Chaney. In the 19 games that Van Gundy coached, the Knicks held their opponents under 80 points a total of 5 times. In the remaining 63 games that Cowens coached, the Knicks held opponents to under 80 points only 3 times. Pretty significant change on defense.

In those 19 games the Knicks allowed 93.3 ppg. If that was maintained for the whole season under Van Gundy, the Knicks would have only slipped to the number 8 defense in the league, even with the big loss of Larry Johnson. Clearly the rule changes of the 2000s didn't do anything to stop the 90s Knicks defense.

That's pretty impressive. Even with a multitude of rule changes added in three different seasons, which have been proven to enhance individual player's scoring ability, the Knicks, with their best players' primes being in the 90s, still were among the best defensive teams under Jeff Van Gundy.

This might seem like a huge paradox, but I will explain how it is possible for the 90s players to have increased their scoring AND maintain their defensive skills even under the anti-defensive rules. Before we do that, let's also look at Alonzo Mourning's Heat of the late 90s and early 2000s.

Even after losing the benefit of 90s
rules, Alonzo won DPOY in 2000
and the Heat remained a top
defense even with the multitude of
anti-defensive rule changes

In 96/97 and 97/98, the Heat had the number 3 and 6 defense in the league. In 98/99, Alonzo won DPOY and was the anchor of the number 2 defense in the league. Then came the massive anti-handcheck rules of 99/00. Even with those rules, the Heat remained the number 4 defense in the league and Alonzo still won DPOY.

Now in 00/01, the back to back DPOY Alonzo missed most of the season due to kidney problems. On top of that, rules were further introduced to decrease amount of contact allowed by defenders

But the Heat ended up going from the number 4 to the number 2 defense in his absence. How is that possible? Well, part of it was the emergence of Bruce Bown, but Bowen definitely wasn't holding down the paint like Alonzo. So who was?

Miami signed a 34 year old, past prime Anthony Mason, and that, along with Bowen, was enough to keep the 00/01 defense elite despite the 2x DPOY's absence. Isn't it strange that a 34 year old player with his best years in the 90s still anchored that defense so well? Obviously the anti-defensive rules had no effect on his defensive impact.

Mason left the team, and with Alonzo back in the 01/02 season, the Heat ended up with the number 1 defense in the league again, despite the additional 01/02 illegal defensive 3 seconds rule. You would think that by not being allowed to camp out in the paint due to that rule, that Alonzo's impact on defense, especially with Mason's departure, would have been a lot less. But that clearly wasn't the case. The 01/02 Heat still couldn't make the playoffs even with Alonzo, however, because their offense was worst in the league. With Alonzo recovering from kidney problems, it was impossible for him to be a major impact on the offensive end in addition to his defense, like he was in his Hornets and 90s Heat days.

Despite the removal of 90s defensive rules,
a 34 year old Anthony Mason was good
enough to replace Alonzo Mourning
and help improve Miami to the 2nd
best defense in the league

We can also look at the shell of the once-great Pacers defense that remained after their loss to the Bulls in the 1998 ECF. The Pacers fell from a top 3 defensive unit in 97/98 to the number 13 defense in 98/99, but no rule changes had taken place in that time period. The Pacers as a team were already regressing defensively before the massive anti-defensive rule changes that began in 99/00. The Pacers team itself became more offensively-focused after they lost in the 1998 ECF.

After the rule changes took place, it didn't really affect the Pacers as they were still the number 12 defense in the league (compared to number 13 one year before), even after losing Antonio Davis. They still had the core of the 98 Team that held Scottie Pippen to 39% shooting in the playoffs, but they had aged a lot in those two years. In spite of already regressing on defense before the rule changes, look at what they did to Allen Iverson in the 2000 ECSF.

Iverson was never really an efficient player, and in the 99/00 regular season he had 28.4 ppg on 42%. But against the Pacers he was inefficient even by his own standards, putting up 26.5 ppg on 38%. In the 1999 Playoffs the year before, the Pacers held Iverson to 38% shooting as well.

You would expect a guy with Iverson's handles and speed to light up a shell of the 90s Pacers defense. After all, according to 2000s fanboys logic, the new players like Iverson are "too advanced, skilled, and fast" for Jordan's era of players to guard. Keep in mind this is only one year before Iverson won the MVP.

The formerly great Pacers defense was already average
before the rule changes took place. Even after the rule
changes, they still made Iverson shoot worse than usual
and made Kobe play poorly

Kobe also had problems with the Pacers defense in his first NBA Finals appearance. Not including Game 2, in which Kobe left very early due to injury, Kobe had 19 ppg on 37% in the 2000 Finals against the Pacers after averaging 22.5 ppg on 47% in the season. And keep in mind this is after the Pacers had already started regressing defensively after the 1998 ECF.

In the 2000 Eastern Conference, three of the last four teams left in the Conference Semifinals were teams who had great defenses in the late 90s - the Pacers, Knicks, and Heat. The Heat didn't get a chance to play a team with a 2000s superstar, but the Pacers contained Iverson and Kobe while the Knicks shut down Vince Carter. Again, this is all with the obstacle of the anti-defensive rules in the 99/00 season.

Luckily for the Western Conference, there were no great 90s defensive teams in the West that retained key pieces heading into the watered down era. Teams like the Sonics had already lost their best defensive presences, so they suffered defensively. The Sonics lost Hawkins, McMillan, Perkins, and Kemp. Gary Payton was the only one left from the Sonics 90s defense, but even he still ended up getting all-defensive first team every year from 99/00 to 01/02. Payton's Sonics in those years were never in the top 10 in defense, but individually even up to age 33 he was one of the league's top defenders.

Gary Payton at age 35 also locked down Tony Parker in the 2004 WCSF. In the first round of the playoffs, Parker averaged 21.0 ppg + 8.5 apg on 53% shooting in 37 minutes. He played 40 minutes a game in the 2004 WCSF, so you would expect his numbers to be higher, right? Nope. Parker had 16.7 ppg + 6.0 apg, and he did it on a horrible 38% shooting with 3 turnovers per game. Gary Payton at age 35 was not even on the all-defensive team at that stage of his career, and he still locked down one of the best PGs of the 2000s.

In that same 2004 WCSF, 40-Year old Karl Malone also shut down a prime Tim Duncan. Duncan had a great first 2 games of the 2004 WCSF, but Malone made those 2 games irrelevant. In the last 4 games of the 2004 WCSF, the Spurs got swept, largely due to Karl Malone shutting down Tim Duncan to 17.5 ppg on 38% with 4.3 turnovers a game. Duncan also had a much harder time going against 36-year old Mutombo in the 2003 Finals compared to other defenders.

So we see that team defenses, like the Heat and Knicks, as well as individual players like Gary Payton, who used the 90s defensive rules to win the 1996 DPOY, and Karl Malone still were the top defenders in a 2000s league without the 90s defensive rules. Payton at 37 also did a great job on Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton (20 ppg in 2005/06) when he guarded them in the 2006 ECF. Lindsey Hunter was also a Jordan-Era PG who had defensive success guarding LeBron at age 35.

As another example, Pau Gasol was totally shut down when he was guarded by 38-year old PJ Brown in the 2008 Finals. Gasol is considered one of the best PFs of his generation, but a 38-year old shell of PJ Brown, who only made three 2nd-team defenses in his prime, still shut him down despite the multitude of rule changes to open up the game.

Even after losing his best teammates, Payton individually
was still one of the leagues' best defenders
even after the anti-defensive 2000s rule changes

Now how is it possible that Payton, the Heat, and Knicks didn't have a major decline in their defense? I mean, we saw before our own eyes how past prime players of the 90s like Stockton, Malone, Payton, Penny, Mashburn, Hill, all did even better scoring-wise under the new defensive rules, so why did the top defenses like the Knicks and Heat remain elite and shut down guys like Vince Carter? How did Gary Payton remain the best defensive point guard in the league in the early 2000s and at age 35 lock down Lebron James?

Remember in Section 1 what Kobe Bryant said on 80s/90s basketball. "Playing the game back then required MUCH MORE SKILL." Kobe didn't specifically say that offense required more skill. Offensively AND defensively players were more skilled. It was a lot harder to guard the top dogs of the 1980s and 1990s, so when the late 90s and early 2000s came in and introduced new players, the old school had now problem showing them how its done.

Thats why the Heat remained one of the top defenses, the Knicks destroyed Vince's offense, Karl Malone at age 40 shut down prime Duncan, Gary Payton at 35 years old locked down Lebron James and Tony Parker, and the washed up Pacers played great against Iverson and Kobe. Not only did the defensive quality of the league decrease, but the offensive skill level of the new players also declined. That made it easier for the 90s defenders to crush the 2000s players, even without the benefit of the real defensive rules. The weak quality of 2000s players was more than enough to offset any loss caused by the old defensive rules.

Luckily for the 2000s teams, the Pacers had already regressed defensively before the rule change, and the Heat and Knicks were the only other teams from the late 90s to retain key defensive pieces of the 90s. On top of that, with the exception of the defensively-regressing Pacers, they were among the worst offenses in the league, so they didn't have to worry too much.

Actually, let me take that back. In 2000, they did have to worry a little bit because a Knicks team with the 3rd worst offense in the league still had a good enough defense to carry them to the ECF before losing to the Reggie Miller Pacers, another formerly top defensive team of the 90s. And who beat those Indiana Pacers in the Finals? A Lakers team lead by Shaquille O'Neal who, of course, had already spent 7 seasons of his career playing in the 90s era of real defense. Even from 2000-02, it was a 90s player like Shaq that ran the show, something that he wasn't good enough to do in the 90s.

Even with the anti-defensive rules, every great defense of the late 90s that kept their best defensive pieces advanced in the 2000 Playoffs. Three of the last four teams in the East during the 2000 Playoffs were teams with great defenses in the 90s, and the last two teams, the Knicks and Pacers, were also two of the top defensive teams in the late 90s.

The rule changes did help the 90s players score more, but at the same time it wasn't enough to stop the 90s defenders from dominating the 2000s players who didn't play in the league that, as Kobe put it, "required MUCH MORE SKILL." How can the 2000s players hang with the 90s defenses who already went up against players with more skill?

The 90s defenses were playing against 80s/90s scorers like Dominique Wilkins, Larry Bird, Bernard King, Karl Malone, Clyde Drexler, who were dropping close to or more than 30 a game even WITH the incredible defensive obstacles. Part of that is due to higher pace in the 80s, but that alone isn't enough to offset the multitude of defensive rules which, when removed, increased the scoring of 2000s players drastically as we saw. As yet another example, take a look at Cliff Robinson. In his prime, he didn't make any all-defensive teams in the stacked 90s era. The standards of the 2000s were so weak, however, that he made it to the all-nba defensive team twice at age 33 and 35 in the 2000s, when he was way past his prime.

What's harder to guard? Someone who can drop 30 against defenses that can hand check and clog the lane without an illegal 3 seconds violation, or someone who can drop 27 (like Vince - who eventually got shut down in back to back playoffs by the washed up Knicks) in a league where, as Kobe said, "Literally anybody can get out there and get to the basket and you can't touch anybody."

Kobe himself has said that basketball under the 80s/90s rules
required much more skill

And Drexler already gave us a good explanation when discussing how scorers of his day would be affected by today's rules. "From shooting percentage to points per game everything would be up, and our old teams would score a lot more points, and that is saying something because WE COULD SCORE A LOT BACK THEN. I do think there should be an asterisk next to some of these scoring leaders, because it is much different trying to score with a forearm in your face. IT IS HARDER TO SCORE WITH THAT RESISTANCE. You had to turn your back on guys defending you back in the day with all the hand checking that was going on. For guys who penetrate these days, it's hunting season."

Clyde Drexler basically expands on what Kobe said with the players of his day requiring more skill. As Drexler states, offensive players of his day could still score a lot of points even under the rules which, when removed, we saw increased scoring of 90s players. It was harder to score under those conditions, as Clyde noted, but the 80s/90s players were skilled enough to score EVEN MORE than the 2000s players can EVEN WITH the new rule benefits.

The fact that people could hand check doesn't make them lower quality defenders when they were going against much better quality opponents in the first place. It's a lot harder to try and guard Michael Jordan with handchecking than it is to guard Kobe or Lebron without it, as we saw from 35 year old Gary Payton schooling Lebron, and the formerly great 90s defense of the Pacers give Kobe hell. The fact that teams like the 2007 Spurs, 2008 Celtics, and 2011 Mavs all shut down Lebron without those defensive rules is a testament to how much less effort it takes to guard a 2000s superstar than it does to guard someone like Jordan.

Let's take a closer look. In Jordan's entire career he never shot under 40% in a playoff series until age 33 against an amazing 1997 Heat defense when he shot 38.7% - and he still averaged 30-8-4-2-1 on 43% in the 4 wins of that series. The 38.7% was mostly from the 9/35 anomaly in Game 4 that the bulls lost. That was the only time in his career that he shot that poorly in a series, and that was even after playing through handcheck, no illegal defensive 3 seconds, and physical play throughout his entire Bulls career.

Even as a 38-40 year old Wizard, Jordan never shot under 41.6% in a regular season, but he was held to 40% by the 1993 Knicks, 41.5% by the 1996 Sonics, and 38.7% by the 1997 Heat - in his much better Bulls years. Jordan also averaged 25-6-5 on 42% through 46 games before a knee injury in the 2001/02 season, and Tracy McGrady was the only player who put up 25-6-5 at the end of the year. This 25-6-5 on 42% is right on par with his 1996 Finals MVP averages of 27-5-4 on 42% against DPOY Gary Payton. To read more about Jordan's Wizard years in detail, check Section 20.

Some will say that Jordan's defensive accomplishments are not worth as much because he was aided by handchecking and other 80s/90s rules. The truth is that even though everyone in the league could use those rules, Jordan was one of the few who could still shut down the top dogs. When Jordan shut down Isiah Thomas in 4 consecutive playoff series, his performance was not diminished due to the hand check rules, since Isiah was skilled enough to completely light up the 1990 Blazers in the Finals under the same exact handcheck and defensive rules. For Isiah to play that well despite the offensive disadvantage of handchecking and 80s/90s rules only makes him that much harder to guard, since even a top team like the 1990 Blazers couldn't slow him down with handchecking and 80s/90s rules.

Jordan's remarkable defense on Isiah in the 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1991
Playoffs as well as Drexler in the 1992 Finals are not diminished
due to handchecking and 90s rules. Drexler and Isiah were still
able to score very highly against top competition of their day even
with that resistance. The fact they had the skill to do that only makes
them harder to guard, and it makes Jordan's defense that much more impressive.

The same is the case with Jordan shutting down Drexler in the 1992 Finals, after he lit up the 1990 Bad Boy Pistons in a losing effort during the Finals. If it was so easy to be a good defender due to hand check, a great defensive team like the Pistons would have been able to shut down Drexler, but Jordan did a much better job than the Bad Boy Pistons top defenders' did.

Even in the 2000s, a 38 year old Jordan shut down a prime Vince Carter as you can see in the photo below. In their first regular season meeting, Vince had 19 in the first quarter and then had 0 points in the 2nd half when Jordan shut him down. Prior to an injury in a game against the Spurs, Vince averaged 25.8 ppg on 43% through 48 games in 2001/02. Jordan in 2001 also shut down Paul Pierce in their first regular season meeting. To read more about Jordan's elite defense in Washington before his knee injury, check Section 20

Under the harder conditions, the older players scored the same, or even more, than teams of the 2000s under the watered down anti-defensive rules. The 2000s players have never had to elevate their skill to get to the point where they can consistently drop 30 a night without the beneficial rule changes. Again, is it harder to guard someone who could drop 30 a night with the resistance that Clyde mentioned, or someone who can only get 30 a night with the benefit of watered down rule changes?

"If guys put their hands on you, you had to have the skill to be able to go both ways, change direction, post up, you had to have a mid-range game..." Having the skill to do all those things in the 80s/90s rules of defense that Kobe mentioned makes it harder to defend against, does it not? When the 90s defenders like the Heat, Knicks, and Payton guarded 2000s players and teams (like Vince and the Ratpors) that never had those skills of the 80s/90s, it wasn't much of a challenge to remain top defenses even with the anti-defensive changes of the 2000s. The watered down skill and talent of the 2000s was enough to offset any disadvantages the 90s defenses suffered under the rule changes. How else do you explain how a shell of the Knicks defense shut down Vince Carter, after never playing Jordan that well, even in their prime, or how a 35 year old Gary Payton schooled a Rookie of the Year Lebron?

Does this mean that players like Lebron would be better defenders if they had the benefit of handchecking and 90s rules? Absolutely. However, the quality of the opponents that they are defending is also going to be much higher, since the top dogs like Isiah, Magic, Bird, Jordan, Dominique, etc. have already been playing against much better defenders that were also using the 80s/90s defensive rules. Lebron would be a better defender, but he wouldn't have an easier time guarding the vastly superior players who could already score with that resistance against better defenders than Lebron himself. If Lebron can't even guard Antawn Jamison, Kahwi Leonard, or Jason Terry, all the handchecking and physical play in the world isn't going to turn him into a Dominique/Bird/or Jordan stopper. Those rules make a big difference, but even that isn't enough to turn Lebron into the next Dennis Rodman.

The rule changes are enough to let 90s players continue to increase their scoring, but they aren't enough to save the watered down, less skilled, 2000s players from getting locked down by the superior 90s defense who had already seen it all. When those defenses were going against the likes of Dominique, Jordan, King, Olajuwon, Malone, etc. they weren't gonna have any problems dealing with the guys that have never had to score under the more difficult conditions. It was like child's play, and it would be the same for the 80s Celtics/Pistons/Sixers, and 90s Sonics/Knicks/Rockets etc. no matter what the rules would be. Just imagine a prime Dennis Rodman having to go against the likes of today's forwards or bigs after a 35-36 year old Rodman shut down Malone, Alonzo, and Shaq in or near their primes. It would be a massacre, new rules or old.

To conclude, let's take a deeper look at how the the top superstars of the 2000s fared against the past-prime defenses from the Jordan era, even with the removal of most of the old defensive rules. You hear some people say, "There's no way to tell how the old school guys would play against the new school guys because we don't have a time machine."

We don't need a time machine. There are several examples where 2000s superstar players got locked down by 90s Jordan era players, even without the 90s defensive rules. We'll compare how these superstars did against the aforementioned teams with their usual outputs in the regular season. We will only look at these defensive teams between the 99/00 and 01/02 season, because after that point, luckily for the rest of the league, there were no teams that were mostly made up of players from the 90s.

In all of these following examples, the 2000s superstars had a harder time going against 90s defenders compared to the rest of the league, even with the removal of 90s defensive rules. That shows that the 90s defenses were so good, as well as the fact that 2000s players were of lower quality, that even without the aid of 90s rules the old school defenses still played better defense on 2000s superstars compared to the rest of the league. Furthermore, this proves that Jordan's lockdown defense in the 80s and 90s cannot be diminished, because these guys were able to lock down modern players even without the 80s/90s defensive rules.

1) Allen Iverson vs Indiana Pacers (1999/00 to 2000/01)
1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Iverson in 99/00 season - 28.4 ppg on 42%, 3.8 rpg, 4.7 apg
Iverson in 2000 Playoffs vs Pacers (6 games)

26.5 ppg on 38%, 4.2 rpg, 4.0 apg
Less points, worse FG%, and less assists. If Jordan era defenses were so weak, then Iverson shouldn't have let that happen

Players on the 99/00 Pacers from the 90s era that locked down Iverson - Jalen Rose, Reggie Miller, Rik Smits, Travis Best, Mark Jackson, Dale Davis, Sam Perkins, Chris Mullin, Derrick McKey

1) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Iverson in his 00/01 MVP season - 31.1 ppg on 42%, 3.8 rpg, 4.6 apg
Iverson vs 00/01 Pacers in the regular season (2 meetings)

32.0 ppg on 35% (18/52), 2.5 rpg, 7.5 apg
Iverson's FG% was even more horrendous than usual against the Pacers team despite the removal of old rules.

Players on the 00/01 Pacers from the 90s era that locked down Iverson - Reggie Miller, Jalen Rose, Sam Perkins, Travis Best, Derrick McKey
After this season, the Pacers lost almost all of their 90s era players.

2) Allen Iverson vs Miami Heat (1999/00 to 2001/02)
1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Iverson in 99/00 season - 28.4 ppg on 42%, 3.8 rpg, 4.7 apg
Iverson vs 99/00 Heat in the regular season (2 meetings)

28.5 ppg on 38% (19/50), 5.5 rpg, 4.5 apg
Again, Iverson's efficiency was noticeably worse against a team from the Jordan era compared to the rest of the league, even with the benefit of the new rules.

Players on the 99/00 Heat from the 90s era that locked down Iverson - Jamal Mashburn, Tim Hardaway, Alonzo Mourning, Dan Majerle, PJ Brown, Voshon Lenard

2) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Iverson in 00/01 MVP season - 31.1 ppg on 42%, 3.8 rpg, 4.6 apg
Iverson vs 00/01 Heat in the regular season (4 meetings)

27.5 ppg on 39% (36/92), 4.0 rpg, 2.8 apg
Every category besides a negligible difference in rebounding was lowered for Iverson against the Heat despite the removal of the old rules.

Players on the 00/01 Heat from the 90s era that locked down Iverson - Anthony Mason, Dan Majerle, Tim Hardaway, Alonzo Mourning, Eddie Jones, Brian Grant

3) 2001/02 - third year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Iverson in 01/02 season - 31.4 ppg on 40%, 4.5 rpg, 5.5 apg
Iverson vs 01/02 Heat in the regular season (4 meetings)

31.8 ppg on 36% (42/118), 4.0 rpg, 3.3 apg
Except for a 0.4 ppg increase, at a much worse FG%, every category of Iverson's decreased against the Heat despite the weaker defensive rules.

Players on the 01/02 Heat from the 90s era that locked down Iverson - Alonzo Mourning, Brian Grant, Rod Strickland, Eddie Jones, Kendall Gill, Laphonso Ellis, Jim Jackson, Chris Gatling

3) Allen Iverson vs New York Knicks (1999/00 to 2001/02)

1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Iverson in 99/00 season - 28.4 ppg on 42%, 3.8 rpg, 4.7 apg
Iverson vs 99/00 Knicks in the regular season (2 meetings)

28.0 ppg on 32% (22/68), 4.5 rpg, 6.0 apg
Iverson's FG% dropped by 10% against the Knicks despite the newer and weaker defensive rules.

Players on the 99/00 Knicks from the 90s era that locked down Iverson - Latrell Sprewell, Patrick Ewing, Allan Houston, Larry Johnson, Chris Childs, Kurt Thomas, Charlie Ward, Marcus Camby

2) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Iverson in 00/01 MVP season - 31.1 ppg on 42%, 3.8 rpg, 4.6 apg
Iverson vs 00/01 Knicks in the regular season (4 meetings)

25.5 ppg on 35% (31/88), 4.0 rpg, 6.8 apg
Iverson's scoring got crushed, and his poor efficiency became even more abysmally poor going against the Knicks, even without the old rules.

Players on the 00/01 Knicks from the 90s era that locked down Iverson - Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston, Kurt Thomas, Mark Jackson, Glen Rice, Charlie Ward, Othella Harrington, Larry Johnson, Chris Childs, Marcus Camby

3) 2001/02 - third year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Iverson in 01/02 season - 31.4 ppg on 40%, 4.5 rpg, 5.5 apg
Iverson vs 01/02 Knicks in the regular season (3 meetings)

28.0 ppg on 34% (27/80), 3.0 rpg, 3.1 apg
Iverson's average production got killed in every stat going against the Knicks even without the old defensive rules.

Players on the 01/02 Knicks from the 90s era that locked down Iverson - Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston, Kurt Thomas, Mark Jackson, Shandon Anderson, Charlie Ward, Othella Harrington, Howard Eisley, Clarence Weatherspoon,

4) Allen Iverson vs Utah Jazz (1999/00)

1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Iverson in 99/00 season - 28.4 ppg on 42%, 3.8 rpg, 4.7 apg
Iverson vs 99/00 Jazz in the regular season (2 meetings)

21.0 ppg on 37% (15/41), 4.5 rpg, 4.5 apg
His scoring and efficiency got destroyed going against the Jazz, despite having no obstacle of the 90s rules.

Players on the 99/00 Jazz from the 90s era that locked down Iverson - Karl Malone, Bryon Russell, John Stockton, Jeff Hornaceck, Olden Polynice, Greg Ostertag, Howard Eisley, Jacque Vaughn

2) 2001/02 - third year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Iverson in 01/02 season - 31.4 ppg on 40%, 4.5 rpg, 5.5 apg
Iverson vs 01/02 Jazz in the regular season (2 meetings)

27.5 ppg on 31% (16/52), 2.5 rpg, 3.0 apg
Completely destroyed again compared to his usual production, despite playing with modern rules.

Players on the 99/00 Jazz from the 90s era that locked down Iverson - Karl Malone, John Stockton, Greg Ostertag, Bryon Russell, John Starks

5) Allen Iverson vs Phoenix Suns (1999/00 to 2000/01)

1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Iverson in 99/00 season - 28.4 ppg on 42%, 3.8 rpg, 4.7 apg
Iverson vs 99/00 Phoenix Suns in the regular season (2 meetings)

14.5 ppg on 23% (11/48), 2.5 rpg, 5.0 apg,
WOW, 23% is trash, even for someone who shoots as poorly as Iverson

Players on the 99/00 Suns from the 90s era that locked down Iverson - Penny Hardaway, Tom Gugliotta, Luc Longley, Cliff Robinson, Oliver Miller, Rex Chapman, Rodney Rogers

2) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Iverson in 00/01 MVP season - 31.1 ppg on 42%, 3.8 rpg, 4.6 apg
Iverson vs 00/01 Phoenix Suns in the regular season (1 meeting)

26 points on 38% (9/24), 0 rebounds, 5 assists
Iverson scored much less, and less efficiently than usual

Players on the 99/00 Suns from the 90s era that locked down Iverson - Cliff Robinson, Mario Elie, Rodney Rogers, Vinny Del Negro, Rodney Rogers

6) Allen Iverson vs Charlotte Hornets (1999/00)

1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Iverson in 99/00 season - 28.4 ppg on 42%, 3.8 rpg, 4.7 apg
Iverson vs 99/00 Charlotte Hornets in the regular season (2 meetings)

24.8 ppg on 44% (40/90), 5.5 rpg, 3.5 apg
He shot slightly better, but scored and assisted noticeably less because of the superiority of Jordan era defenders

Players on the 99/00 Hornets from the 90s era that locked down Iverson - Anthony Mason, David Wesley, Eddie Jones, Derrick Coleman, Elden Campbell, Dale Ellis, Chucky Brown,

1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Iverson in 99/00 season - 28.4 ppg on 42%, 3.8 rpg, 4.7 apg
Iverson In 2000 Playoffs vs Hornets (4 Games)

25.8 ppg on 39% (37/96), 3.8 rpg, 5.3 apg
He scored less and shot worse going against Jordan era defenses, as expected

Players on the 99/00 Hornets from the 90s era that locked down Iverson - Anthony Mason, David Wesley, Eddie Jones, Derrick Coleman, Elden Campbell

7) Kobe Bryant vs Indiana Pacers (1999/00)
1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Kobe in 99/00 season - 22.5 ppg on 47%, 6.3 rpg, 4.9 apg (1st championship season)
Kobe vs 99/00 Pacers in the regular season (2 meetings)

20.0 ppg on 44% (16/36), 6.0 rpg, 5.0 apg
He didnt get completely locked down, but he did have a harder time against the Pacers than against the rest of the league.

Players on the 99/00 Pacers from the 90s era that locked down Kobe - Reggie Miller, Jalen Rose, Mark Jackson, Dale Davis, Rik Smits, Sam Perkins, Derrick McKey, Travis Best

1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Kobe in 99/00 season - 22.5 ppg on 47%, 6.3 rpg, 4.9 apg (1st championship season)
Kobe in 2000 Playoffs vs Pacers (4 games)

19.0 ppg on 37% (32/87), 5.5 rpg, 3.3 apg
Less points, worse FG%, and less assists. If Jordan era defenses were so weak, then Kobe shouldn't have let that happen
Game 2 where Kobe was injured and only played 9 minutes is not included. Kobe also missed all of Game 3.

Players on the 00/01 Pacers from the 90s era that locked down Kobe - Jalen Rose, Reggie Miller, Rik Smits, Travis Best, Mark Jackson, Dale Davis, Sam Perkins, Chris Mullin, Derrick McKey

8) Kobe Bryant vs Miami Heat (1999/00 to 2000/01)
1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Kobe in 99/00 season - 22.5 ppg on 47%, 6.3 rpg, 4.9 apg (1st championship season)
Kobe vs 99/00 Heat in the regular season (2 meetings)

19.0 ppg on 43% (16/37), 6.0 rpg, 3.5 apg
Noticeably, Kobe struggled more against the Heat than against the rest of the league, even with the anti-defense rule changes.

Players on the 99/00 Heat from the 90s era that locked down Kobe - Alonzo Mourning, Jamal Mashburn, Tim Hardaway, Dan Majerle, Clarence Weatherspoon, Mark Strickland, PJ Brown

9) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Kobe in 00/01 season - 28.5 ppg on 46%, 5.9 rpg, 5.0 apg (2nd championship season)
Kobe vs 00/01 Heat in the regular season (2 meetings)

28.5 ppg on 43% (22/51), 6.5 rpg, 3.0 apg
Once more, Kobe wasn't shut down, but he had to work harder for those points with a lower efficiency than usual. If the 90s defenders were so weak then that wouldnt have happened, especially without the old rules.

Players on the 00/01 Heat from the 90s era that locked down Kobe - Anthony Mason, Eddie Jones, Tim Hardaway, Brian Grant, A.C. Green, Dan Majerle

10) Kobe Bryant vs New York Knicks (1999/00)

1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Kobe in 99/00 season - 22.5 ppg on 47%, 6.3 rpg, 4.9 apg (1st championship season)
Kobe vs 99/00 Knicks in the regular season (2 meetings)

20.5 ppg on 38% (13/34), 7.5 rpg, 7.5 apg
This time Kobe had a FG% decrease of 9%. 38% shooting is horrible, especially under the weaker rules.

Players on the 99/00 Knicks from the 90s era that locked down Kobe - Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston, Patrick Ewing, Charlie Ward, Larry Johnson, Kurt Thomas, Chris Childs, Marcus Camby

11) Kobe Bryant vs Utah Jazz (1999/00)

1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Kobe in 99/00 season - 22.5 ppg on 47%, 6.3 rpg, 4.9 apg (1st championship season)
Kobe vs 99/00 Jazz in the regular season (2 meetings)

19.5 ppg on 44% (14/32), 5.5 rpg, 5.0 apg
Once more Kobe has a harder time scoring against teams from the 90s than the rest of the 2000s teams despite the modern rules benefit.

Players on the 99/00 Jazz from the 90s era that locked down Kobe - Karl Malone, Jeff Hornaceck, John Stockton, Olden Polynice, Bryon Russell, Howard Eisley, Jacque Vaughn, Greg Ostertag

12) Kobe Bryant vs San Antonio Spurs (1999/00)

1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Kobe in 99/00 season - 22.5 ppg on 47%, 6.3 rpg, 4.9 apg (1st championship season)
Kobe vs 99/00 Spurs in the regular season (4 meetings)

21.5 ppg on 42% (35/84), 6.8 rpg, 4.8 apg
Kobe's FG% took a noticeable hit and he scored less.

Players on the 99/00 Spurs from the 90s era that locked down Kobe - Avery Johnson, Jaren Jackson, Mario Elie, David Robinson, Jerome Kersey, Terry Porter, Felton Spencer, Sean Elliott (Bruce Bowen was not yet on the Spurs)

13) Kobe Bryant vs Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets (1999/00 to 2002/03)

1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Kobe in 99/00 season - 22.5 ppg on 47%, 6.3 rpg, 4.9 apg (1st championship season)
Kobe vs 99/00 Hornets in the regular season (2 meetings)

19.5 ppg on 38% (14/37), 8.5 apg, 5.0 apg
Kobe shot horribly and his scoring took a big hit

Players on the 99/00 Hornets from the 90s era that locked down Kobe - Anthony Mason, Elden Campbell, Derrick Coleman, David Wesley, Bobby Phills

2) 2001/02 - third year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Kobe in 01/02 season - 25.2 ppg on 47%, 5.5 rpg, 5.5 apg (3rd championship season)
Kobe vs 01/02 Hornets in the regular season (2 meetings)

22.0 ppg on 44% (16/36), 8.0 rpg, 5.0 apg
If Jordan era defenders are so weak, Kobe shouldn't be scoring over 3 ppg below his average on lower FG%

Players on the 01/02 Hornets from the 90s era that locked down Kobe - David Wesley, Jamal Mashburn, Elden Campbell, PJ Brown, Stacy Augmon, George Lynch

3) 2002/03 - no anti-defensive rule changes implemented between this season up to 2004/05 season

Kobe in 02/03 season - 30.0 ppg on 45%, 6.9 rpg, 5.9 apg
Kobe vs 02/03 Hornets in the regular season (2 meetings)

26.0 ppg on 41% (18/44), 6.5 rpg, 4.5 apg
Kobe's scoring and shooting took a big hit when going against players from the real era of defense

Players on the 02/03 Hornets from the 90s era that locked down Kobe - Jamal Mashburn, PJ Brown, David Wesley, Elden Campbell, George Lynch, Stacey Augmon

14) Kevin Garnett vs Miami Heat (2000/01 to 2001/02)

1) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Garnett in 00/01 season - 22.0 ppg on 48%, 11.4 rpg, 5.0 apg
Garnett vs 00/01 Heat in the regular season (2 meetings)

18.5 ppg on 50% (17/34), 14.0 rpg, 5.0 apg
His scoring decreased by 3.5 ppg despite the new lenient defensive rules.

Players on the 99/00 Heat from the 90s era that locked down Garnett - Anthony Mason, Brian Grant, Tim Hardaway, Dan Majerle, AC Green, Cedric Ceballos

2) 2001/02 - third year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Garnett in 01/02 season - 21.2 ppg on 47%, 12.1 rpg, 5.2 apg
Garnett vs 01/02 Heat in the regular season (2 meetings)

11.0 ppg on 33% (11/33), 14.0 rpg, 3.5 apg
Garnett got completely locked down even without the old rules, and all he could do well was get boards.

Players on the 01/02 Heat from the 90s era that locked down Garnett - Alonzo Mourning, Brian Grant, Rod Strickland, Kendall Gill, Jim Jackson, Chris Gatling, Laphonso Ellis

15) Kevin Garnett vs New York Knicks (1999/00 to 2001/02)

1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Garnett in 99/00 season - 22.9 ppg on 50%, 11.8 rpg, 5.0 apg
Garnett vs 99/00 Knicks in the regular season (2 meetings)

29.0 ppg on 42% (18/43), 13.5 rpg, 3.5 apg
He did score a lot more, but at the cost of jacking up inefficient shots. 42% for an all-time great power forward is really bad, especially when playing without old school rules.

Players on the 99/00 Knicks from the 90s era that locked down Garnett - Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston, Charlie Ward, Larry Johnson, Kurt Thomas, Chris Childs, Patrick Ewing, Marcus Camby

2) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Garnett in 00/01 season - 22.0 ppg on 48%, 11.4 rpg, 5.0 apg
Garnett vs 00/01 Knicks in the regular season (2 meetings)

18.5 ppg on 50% (18/36), 8.5 rpg, 4.5 apg
Garnett shot slightly better but had a 3.5 ppg decrease despite playing without the additional challenge of the 90s rules.

Players on the 00/01 Knicks from the 90s era that locked down Garnett - Larry Johnson, Allan Houston, Latrell Sprewell, Glen Rice, Chris Childs, Kurt Thomas, Marcus Camby

3) 2001/02 - third year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Garnett in 01/02 season - 21.2 ppg on 47%, 12.1 rpg, 5.2 apg
Garnett vs 01/02 Knicks in the regular season (2 meetings)

15.5 ppg on 36% (14/39), 14.0 rpg, 6.0 apg
No way around it. Garnett shot terrible and scored much less, even without the old rules.

Players on the 01/02 Knicks from the 90s era that locked down Garnett - Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston, Kurt Thomas, Mark Jackson, Shandon Anderson, Clarence Weatherspoon, Charlie Ward, Othella Harrington, Howard Eisley, Travis Knight

16) Kevin Garnett vs Phoenix Suns (1999/00 to 2000/01)

1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Garnett in 99/00 season - 22.9 ppg on 50%, 11.8 rpg, 5.0 apg
Garnett vs 99/00 Suns in the regular season (4 meetings)

14.3 ppg on 33% (25/75), 12.3 rpg, 5.0 apg
KG got dominated, as we would expect going against vastly superior Jordan era defenders

Players on the 99/00 Suns from the 90s era that locked down Garnett - Penny Hardaway, Tom Gugliotta, Luc Longley, Cliff Robinson, Oliver Miller, Rodney Rogers, Rex Chapman, Corie Blount

2) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Garnett in 00/01 season - 21.2 ppg on 47%, 12.1 rpg, 5.2 apg
Garnett vs 00/01 Suns in the regular season (4 meetings)

17.5 ppg on 42% (29/69), 11.0 rpg, 5.5 apg
KG got dominated again

Players on the 00/01 Suns from the 90s era that locked down Garnett - Penny Hardaway, Cliff Robinson, Tom Gugliotta, Rodney Rogers, Mario Elie, Elliott Perry, Corie Blount, Vinny Del Negro

17) Kevin Garnett vs Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets (1999/00 to 2002/03)

1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Garnett in 99/00 season - 22.9 ppg on 50%, 11.8 rpg, 5.0 apg
Garnett vs 99/00 Suns in the regular season (2 meetings)

19.0 ppg on 46% (16/35), 14.5 rpg, 6.0 apg
KG did good with rebounding and distributing, but his scoring and shooting took a big hit

Players on the 99/00 Hornets from the 90s era that locked down Garnett - Anthony Mason, Eddie Jones, David Wesley, Derrick Coleman, Elden Campbell, Bobby Phills, Dale Ellis, Chucky Brown

2) 2001/02 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Garnett in 01/02 season - 21.2 ppg on 47%, 12.1 rpg, 5.2 apg
Garnett vs 01/02 Hornets in the regular season (2 meetings)

20.5 ppg on 38% (13/34), 11.5 rpg, 6.0 apg
KG shot a horrible percentage going against Jordan era defenses

Players on the 01/02 Hornets from the 90s era that locked down Garnett - Jamal Mashburn, Elden Campbell, PJ Brown, George Lynch, Stacey Augmon, David Wesley

3) 2002/03 - no anti-defensive rule changes implemented between this season up to 2004/05 season

Garnett in 02/03 season - 23.0 ppg on 50%, 13.4 rpg, 6.0 apg
Garnett vs 02/03 Hornets in the regular season (2 meetings)

19.5 ppg on 47% (16/34), 9.5 rpg, 5.5 apg
All of his numbers decreased, and his scoring took a big hit

Players on the 02/03 Hornets from the 90s era that locked down Garnett - Jamal Mashburn, PJ Brown, David Wesley, George Lynch, Stacey Augmon

18) Tim Duncan vs Indiana Pacers (2000/01)

1) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Duncan in 00/01 season - 22.2 ppg on 50%, 12.2 rpg, 3.0 apg
Duncan vs 00/01 Pacers in the regular season (2 meetings)

12.0 ppg on 50% (10/20), 7.5 rpg, 1.0 apg
After winning the Finals MVP two years earlier, the greatest PF of all time gets held to 12 ppg by a shell of the 90s Pacers team, without the old rules.

Players on the 00/01 Pacers from the 90s era that locked down Duncan - Travis Best, Reggie Miller, Sam Perkins, Derrick McKey, Jalen Rose

19) Tim Duncan vs Miami Heat (1999/00 to 2000/01)

1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Duncan in 99/00 season - 23.2 ppg on 49%, 12.4 rpg, 3.2 apg
Duncan vs 99/00 Heat in the regular season (1 meeting)

19 pts on 41% (7/17), 11 rebs, 5 ast
Duncan's scoring decreased greatly and his shooting was very poor, especially for the greatest PF of all time going against lenient defensive rules.

Players on the 99/00 Heat from the 90s era that locked down Duncan - Jamal Mashburn, Dan Majerle, P.J. Brown, Tim Hardaway, Alonzo Mourning, Clarence Weatherspoon, Otis Thorpe

2) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Duncan in 00/01 season - 22.2 ppg on 50%, 12.2 rpg, 3.0 apg
Duncan vs 00/01 Heat in the regular season (2 meetings)

20.5 ppg on 45% (17/38), 12.0 rpg, 3.5 apg
Again his scoring decreased and his efficiency is noticeably lower than usual, even with the removal of old rules.

Players on the 99/00 Heat from the 90s era that locked down Duncan - Anthony Mason, Eddie Jones, TIm Hardaway, Brian Grant, Dan Majerle, AC Green

20) Tim Duncan vs New York Knicks (1999/2000)

1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Duncan in 99/00 season - 23.2 ppg on 49%, 12.4 rpg, 3.2 apg
Duncan vs 99/00 Knicks in the regular season (2 meetings)

24.0 ppg on 42% (16/38), 14.0 rpg, 4.0 apg
Duncan once again had extremely inefficient shooting going against a defensive team from the Jordan era, even with the removal of old school rules.

Players on the 00/01 Knicks from the 90s era that locked down Duncan - Allan Houston, Latrell Sprewell, Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson, Charlie Ward, Chris Childs, Kurt Thomas, Marcus Camby

21) Tim Duncan vs Phoenix Suns (1999/2000 to 2000/01)

1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Duncan in 99/00 season - 23.2 ppg on 49%, 12.4 rpg, 3.2 apg
Duncan vs 99/00 Suns in the regular season (3 meetings)

19.7 ppg on 44% (21/48), 16.0 rpg, 3.3 apg
Duncan rebounded well to his credit, but offensively he had a much harder time
One game in which Duncan left after 13 minutes, presumably due to injury, was not included. Duncan had 4 points on 1-5 (20%) shooting with 3 rebounds and 1 assist in that game

Players on the 99/00 Suns from the 90s era that locked down Duncan - Penny Hardaway, Tom Gugliotta, Luc Longley, Rodney Rogers, Cliff Robinson, Oliver Miller, Rex Chapman, Mark West

1) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Duncan in 00/01 season - 22.2 ppg on 50%, 12.2 rpg, 3.0 apg
Duncan vs 00/01 Suns in the regular season (4 meetings)

18.8 ppg on 52% (31/60), 9.8 rpg, 2.0 apg
Duncan shot a little better, but his scoring took a big hit

Players on the 00/01 Suns from the 90s era that locked down Duncan - Cliff Robinson, Mario Elie, Rodney Rogers, Corie Blunt, Tom Gugliotta, Elliott Perry, Vinny Del Negro

22) Tim Duncan vs Charlotte Hornets (1999/00)
1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Duncan in 99/00 season - 23.2 ppg on 49%, 12.4 rpg, 3.2 apg
Duncan vs 99/00 Hornets in the regular season (2 meetings)

18.5 ppg on 35% (14/40), 12.0 rpg, 1.5 apg
Duncan got completely locked down offensively

Players on the 99/00 Hornets from the 90s era that locked down Duncan - Anthony Mason, Eddie Jones, Bobby Phills, Elden Campbell, David Wesley, Derrick Coleman, Chucky Brown, Dale Ellis

23) Paul Pierce vs Indiana Pacers (2000/01)
1) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Pierce in 00/01 season - 25.3 ppg on 45%, 6.4 rpg, 3.1 apg
Pierce vs 00/01 Pacers in the regular season (4 meetings)

22.3 ppg on 42% (30/71), 8.0 rpg, 2.8 apg
Pierce scored less and shot more inefficiently even when playing without the old defensive rules

Players on the 00/01 Pacers from the 90s era that locked down Pierce - Travis Best, Jalen Rose, Reggie Miller, Derrick McKey, Sam Perkins,

24) Paul Pierce vs Miami Heat (1999/00 to 2001/02)

1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Pierce in 99/00 season - 19.5 ppg on 44%, 5.4 rpg, 3.0 apg
Pierce vs 99/00 Heat in the regular season (3 meetings)

22.7 ppg on 38% (23/61), 6.7 rpg, 3.7 apg
Pierce scored more but shot horribly even under the weaker defensive rules

Players on the 99/00 Heat from the 90s era that locked down Pierce - Jamal Mashburn, Dan Majerle, Alonzo Mourning, P.J. Brown, Tim Hardaway, Voshon Lenard, Mark Strickland, Clarence Weatherspoon

2) 2001/02 - third year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Pierce in 01/02 season - 26.1 ppg on 44%, 6.9 rpg, 3.2 apg
Pierce vs 01/02 Heat in the regular season (4 meetings)

21.8 ppg on 39% (30/77), 6.5 rpg, 3.5 apg
Pierce's scoring and FG% got crushed despite not having to deal with 90s defensive rules

Players on the 00/01 Heat from the 90s era that locked down Pierce - Eddie Jones, LaPhonso Ellis, Alonzo Mourning, Chris Gatling, Rod Strickland, Kendall Gill, Brian Grant, Jim Jackson

25) Paul Pierce vs New York Knicks (1999/00 to 2001/02)
1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Pierce in 99/00 season - 19.5 ppg on 44%, 5.4 rpg, 3.0 apg
Pierce vs 99/00 Knicks in the regular season (3 meetings)

20.3 ppg on 39% (19/49), 5.0 rpg, 2.0 apg
Once again horrible FG% despite the benefit of modern defensive rules

Players on the 99/00 Knicks from the 90s era that locked down Pierce - Allan Houston, Latrell Sprewell, Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson, Charlie Ward, Kurt Thomas, Chris Childs, Marcus Camby

2) 2001/02 - third year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Pierce in 01/02 season - 26.1 ppg on 44%, 6.9 rpg, 3.2 apg
Pierce vs 01/02 Knicks in the regular season (4 meetings)

24.0 ppg on 41% (31/76), 5.5 rpg, 5.0 apg
And yet again a decrease in ppg as well as more poor FG% despite no 90s defensive rules

Players on the 99/00 Knicks from the 90s era that locked down Pierce - Allan Houston, Latrell Sprewell, Mark Jackson, Kurt Thomas, Othella Harrington, Travis Knight, Charlie Ward, Shandon Anderson, Howard Eisley

26) Paul Pierce vs Utah Jazz (2000/01)

1) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Pierce in 00/01 season - 25.3 ppg on 45%, 6.4 rpg, 3.1 apg
Pierce vs 00/01 Jazz in the regular season (2 meetings)

26.0 ppg on 38%, 6.0 rpg, 3.5 apg
For the hundredth time a 2000s superstar player has a horrible shooting % going against a 90s defense even while playing under the benefit of the soft 2000s rules

Players on the 00/01 Jazz from the 90s era that locked down Pierce - Karl Malone, John Stockton, Olden Polynice, John Starks, Bryon Russell, Greg Ostertag, Jacque Vaughn, Danny Manning

27) Paul Pierce vs San Antonio Spurs (1999/00)

Pierce in 99/00 season - 19.5 ppg on 44%, 5.4 rpg, 3.0 apg
Pierce vs 99/00 Spurs in the regular season (1 meeting)

11 pts on 36% (4/11) 4 rebs, 2 ast
Pierce can't handle the true defense from the real era of basketball

Players on the 99/00 Spurs from the 90s era that locked down Pierce - Mario Elie, Avery Johnson, David Robinson, Jaren Jackson, Terry Porter, Chucky Brown (Bruce Bowen was not on the Spurs at the time)

28) Paul Pierce vs Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets (1999/00 to 2002/03)

1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Pierce in 99/00 season - 19.5 ppg on 44%, 5.4 rpg, 3.0 apg
Pierce vs 99/00 Hornets in the regular season (3 meetings)

17.0 ppg on 40% (17/42) 5.7 rpg, 2.3 apg
Pierce shoots horrible and scores less, as we would expect going against defenders from the vastly superior Jordan era
One game in which Pierce left after only 11 minutes, presumably due to injury, was not included. Pierce had 4 points on 2-4 shooting with 0 assists in that game

Players on the 99/00 Hornets from the 90s era that locked down Pierce - Anthony Mason, Bobby Phills, David Wesley, Eddie Jones, Derrick Coleman

2) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Pierce in 00/01 season - 25.3 ppg on 45%, 6.4 rpg, 3.1 apg
Pierce vs 00/01 Hornets in the regular season (4 meetings)

20.0 ppg on 38% (26/69), 4.2 rpg, 3.8 apg
Pierce shot horrible and scored much less as usual when going against Jordan era defenders

Players on the 00/01 Hornets from the 90s era that locked down Pierce - Jamal Mashburn, PJ Brown, David Wesley, Elden Campbell, Hersey Hawkins, Otis Thorpe, Derrick Coleman, Scott Burrell

3) 2001/02 - third year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Pierce in 01/02 season - 26.1 ppg on 44%, 6.9 rpg, 3.2 apg
Pierce vs 01/02 Hornets in the regular season (3 meetings)

24.3 ppg on 40% (21/52), 7.3 rpg, 2.0 apg
Pierce scores less and shoots worse as usual when dealing with defenders from the real era of basketball

Players on the 01/02 Hornets from the 90s era that locked down Pierce - David Wesley, PJ Brown, Elden Campbell, Stacey Augmon, George Lynch, Jamal Mashburn

29) Shaquille O'Neal vs Indiana Pacers (1999/00)

1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

To his credit, Shaq did destroy this same Pacers team in the Finals. However, these Pacers still proved that Shaq was not unguardable in the regular season, and that a past prime 90s team could still lock him down without the old rules
Shaq in 99/00 MVP season - 29.7 ppg on 57%, 13.6 rpg, 3.8 apg
Shaq vs 99/00 Pacers in the regular season (2 meetings)

26.5 ppg on 43% (23/53), 14.5 rpg, 3.5 apg
Even Shaq himself had a much lower production against a 90s defensive team - 3.2 ppg less and 14% lower FG

Players on the 99/00 Pacers from the 90s era that locked down Shaq - Reggie Miller, Jalen Rose, Dale Davis, Rik Smits, Travis Best, Sam Perkins, Derrick McKey, Chris Mullin

30) Shaquille O'Neal vs Miami Heat (1999/00)

1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Shaq in 99/00 MVP season - 29.7 ppg on 57%, 13.6 rpg, 3.8 apg
Shaq vs 99/00 Heat in the regular season (2 meetings)

22.5 ppg on 44% (17/39), 11.5 rpg, 5.0 apg
For an all-time great Center as efficient as he usually is, 22.5 ppg on 44% is pathetic.

Players on the 99/00 Heat from the 90s era that locked down Shaq - Jamal Mashburn, Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway, Dan Majerle, PJ Brown, Clarence Weatherspoon, Mark Strickland

31) Shaquille O'Neal vs Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets (1999/00 to 2002/03)

1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Shaq in 99/00 MVP season - 29.7 ppg on 57%, 13.6 rpg, 3.8 apg
Shaq vs 99/00 Hornets in the regular season (2 meetings)

20.5 ppg on 42% (14/33), 15.0 rpg, 4.5 apg
WOW, MVP Shaq scored 9.2 ppg less and shot 15% lower.

Players on the 99/00 Hornets from the 90s era that locked down Shaq - Anthony Mason, Elden Campbell, Derrick Coleman, David Wesley, Bobby Phills, Eddie Jones, Chucky Brown

2) 2002/03 - no anti-defensive rule changes implemented between this season up to 2004/05 season

Shaq in 02/03 season - 29.7 ppg on 57%, 13.6 rpg, 3.8 apg
Shaq vs 02/03 Hornets in the regular season (2 meetings)

25.5 ppg on 49%, 10.5 rpg, 2.0 apg
Those are good numbers, but far worse than Shaq's usual numbers

Players on the 02/03 Hornets from the 90s era that locked down Shaq - Jamal Mashburn, PJ Brown, David Wesley, Elden Campbel, George Lynch, Stacey Augmon, Robert Pack

32) Tracy McGrady vs Miami Heat (2000/01)

1) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Tmac in 00/01 season - 26.8 ppg on 46%, 7.5 rpg, 4.6 apg
Tmac vs 00/01 Heat in the regular season (4 meetings)

17.3 ppg on 41% (30/74), 6.5 rpg, 2.7 apg
Wow, TMac got completely obliterated by that Heat defense. Imagine if the 90s rules were in place

Players on the 00/01 Heat from the 90s era that locked down Tmac - Anthony Mason, Eddie Jones, Tim Hardaway, Brian Grant, AC Green, Dan Majerle, Alonzo Mourning, Cedric Ceballos,

33) Tracy McGrady vs Utah Jazz (2001/02)

1) 2001/02 - third year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Tmac in 01/02 season - 25.6 ppg on 45%, 7.9 rpg, 5.3 apg
Tmac vs 01/02 Heat in the regular season (1 meeting)

17 points on 28% (5/18), 7 rebounds, 6 assists
Tmac got crushed again by a 90s defensive team, even under the 2000s defensive rules

Players on the 01/02 Jazz from the 90s era that locked down Tmac - Karl Malone, John Stockton, Bryon Russell, Greg Ostertag

34) Tracy McGrady vs San Antonio Spurs (2000/01)
1) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Tmac in 00/01 season - 26.8 ppg on 46%, 7.5 rpg, 4.6 apg
Tmac vs 00/01 Spurs in the regular season (2 meetings)

31.5 ppg on 35% (21/60), 10 rpg, 2.5 apg
Averaging 30 shots to score 31.5 ppg at 35% is not impressive at all

Players on the 00/01 Spurs from the 90s era that locked down Tmac - David Robinson, Danny Ferry, Terry Porter, Jaren Jackson (Bruce Bowen was not on the Spurs)

35) Tracy McGrady vs Charlotte Hornets (2000/01)
1) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Tmac in 00/01 season - 26.8 ppg on 46%, 7.5 rpg, 4.6 apg
Tmac vs 00/01 Hornets in the regular season (3 meetings)

19.7 ppg on 43% (24/56), 5.7 rpg, 4.7 apg
Tmac's scoring took a huge hit, because he was playing against defenders from the real era of basketball

Players on the 00/01 Hornets from the 90s era that locked down Tmac - David Wesley, Jamal Mashburn, PJ Brown, Elden Campbell, Derrick Coleman, Hersey Hawkins, Otis Thorpe

36) Vince Carter vs Miami Heat (1999/00)
1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Vince in 99/00 season - 25.7 ppg on 47%, 5.8 rpg, 3.9 apg
Vince vs 99/00 Heat in the regular season (4 meetings)

24.7 ppg on 40%, (27/68), 5.3 rpg, 4.3 apg
Yet another superstar player that got held to a horrible shooting percentage, even without the old school rules

Players on the 99/00 Heat from the 90s era that locked down Vince - Jamal Mashburn, PJ Brown, Dan Majerle, Alonzo Mournng, Tim Hardaway, Clarence Weatherspoon, Voshon Lenard, Mark Strickland

37) Vince Carter vs New York Knicks (1999/00 to 2001/02)

1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Vince in 99/00 season - 25.7 ppg on 47%, 5.8 rpg, 3.9 apg
Vince in 2000 Playoffs vs Knicks (3 Games)

19.3 ppg on 30% (15/50), 6.0 rpg, 6.3 apg
Even though he did do better with distributing, it wasn't near enough to make up for his huge decrease in offense.

Players on the 99/00 Knicks from the 90s era that locked down Vince - Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston, Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson, Chris Childs, Charlie Ward, Kurt Thomas, Marcus Camby

2) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Vince in 00/01 season - 27.5 ppg on 46%, 5.5 rpg, 3.9 apg
Vince in 2001 Playoffs vs Knicks (5 Games)

22.8 ppg on 38% (41/109), 7.2 rpg, 3.4 apg
Vince got destroyed once again by Jordan-era defense, and without the much tougher 90s rules on top of that

Players on the 00/01 Knicks from the 90s era that locked down Vince - Latrell Sprewell, Larry Johnson, Allan Houston, Chris Childs, Glen Rice, Kurt Thomas, Mark Jackson, Othell Harrington, Charlie Ward, Marcus Camby

2) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Vince in 00/01 season - 27.5 ppg on 46%, 5.5 rpg, 3.9 apg
Vince vs 99/00 Knicks in the regular season (4 meetings)

24.0 ppg on 40% (35/88), 7.0 rpg, 3.5 apg
Once again, horrible FG% despite not having to deal with 90s rules

Players on the 99/00 Knicks from the 90s era that locked down Vince - Latrell Sprewell, Larry Johnson, Allan Houston, Chris Childs, Glen Rice, Kurt Thomas, Mark Jackson, Othell Harrington, Charlie Ward, Marcus Camby

3) 2001/02 - third year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Vince in 01/02 season - 24.7 ppg on 43%, 5.2 rpg, 4.0 apg
Vince vs 01/02 Knicks in the regular season (2 meetings)

16.5 ppg on 28% (12/43), 5.0 rpg, 4.0 apg
Complete domination even without the 90s rules

Players on the 01/02 Knicks from the 90s era that locked down Vince - Latrell Sprewell, Othell Harrington, Allan Houston, Kurt Thomas, Mark ackson, Travis Knight, Shandon Anderson, Charlie Ward, Clarence Weatherspoon

38) Vince Carter vs San Antonio Spurs (2000/01)

1) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Vince in 00/01 season - 27.5 ppg on 46%, 5.5 rpg, 3.9 apg
Vince vs 00/01 Spurs in the regular season (2 meetings)

16.5 ppg on 36% (14/39), 3.5 rpg, 2.5 apg
Every single stat for Vince got destroyed against the Jordan era defenders

Players on the 00/01 Spurs from the 90s era that locked down Vince - David Robinson, Terry Porter, Avery Johnson, Danny Ferry, Jaren Jackson

39) Vince Carter vs Phoenix Suns (2000/01)

1) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Vince in 00/01 season - 27.5 ppg on 46%, 5.5 rpg, 3.9 apg
Vince vs 00/01 Spurs in the regular season (2 meetings)

40.5 ppg, but on a horrible 38% (23/60), 9.0 rpg, 5.5 apg
Vince showed that if modern players want to drop 40 against the Jordan era defenders, you're gonna have to shoot a horrible percentage. not surprisingly, Vince lost both games due to crazy shot jacking and 37 bricks.

Players on the 00/01 Suns from the 90s era that locked down Vince - Cliff Robinson, Mario Elie, Rodney Rogers, Corie Blount, Elliot Perry

40) Vince Carter vs Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets (1999/2000 to 2002/03)

1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Vince in 99/00 season - 25.7 ppg on 47%, 5.8 rpg, 3.9 apg
Vince vs 99/00 Hornets in the regular season (2 meetings)

24.5 ppg on 42% (39/93), 3.3 rpg, 4.3 apg
Vince's scoring and FG% got dropped going against Jordan era defenders

Players on the 99/00 Suns from the 90s era that locked down Vince - Anthony Mason, Bobby Phills, Elden Campbell, Eddie Jones, David Wesley, Derrick Coleman, Chucky Brown

2) 2002/03 - no anti-defensive rule changes implemented between this season up to 2004/05 season

Vince in 02/03 season - 20.6 ppg on 47%, 4.4 rpg, 3.3 apg
Vince vs 02/03 Hornets in the regular season (2 meetings)

20 ppg on 42% (25/60), 4.0 rpg, 2.3 apg
All of Vince's numbers got dropped against Jordan era defenders

Players on the 02/03 Hornets from the 90s era that locked down Vince - Jamal Mashburn, David Wesley, PJ Brown, Elden Campbell, Stacey Augmon, George Lynch, Robert Pack, Kenny Anderson

41) Ray Allen vs Indiana Pacers (1999/00 to 2001/02)

1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Ray in 99/00 season - 22.1 ppg on 46%, 4.4 rpg, 3.8 apg
Ray vs 99/00 Pacers in the regular season (4 meetings)

19.0 ppg on 46% (29/63), 4.3 rpg, 2.5 apg
If 90s defenders were so weak, how come Ray had noticeably lower ppg and apg?

Players on the 99/00 Pacers from the 90s era that locked down Ray - Reggie Miller, Jalen Rose, Rik Smits, Mark Jackson, Travis Best, Derrick McKey, Sam Perkins, Dale Davis, Chris Mullin,

2) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Ray in 00/01 season - 22.0 ppg on 48%, 5.2 rpg, 4.6 apg
Ray vs 00/01 Pacers in the regular season (4 meetings)

17.3 ppg on 42% (25/60), 3.0 rpg, 3.5 apg
Ray got locked down by the Pacers for the second year in a row

Players on the 99/00 Pacers from the 90s era that locked down Ray - Reggie Miller, Travis Best, Sam Perkins, Derrick McKey, Jalen Rose

42) Ray Allen vs Miami Heat (2000/01)

1) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Ray in 00/01 season - 22.0 ppg on 48%, 5.2 rpg, 4.6 apg
Ray vs 00/01 Heat in the regular season (3 meetings)

18.3 ppg on 44% (18/41), 7.3 rpg, 4.7 apg
Again, if 90s defenders were so weak, then Ray shouldn't have decreased his ppg and FG% so much

Players on the 00/01 Heat from the 90s era that locked down Ray - Anthony Mason, Tim Hardaway, Dan Majerle, Brian Grant, Alonzo Mourning, Cedric Ceballos, AC Green, Eddie Jones, Duane Causwell

43) Ray Allen vs New York Knicks (2000/01 - 2001/02)

1) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Ray in 00/01 season - 22.0 ppg on 48%, 5.2 rpg, 4.6 apg
Ray vs 00/01 Knicks in the regular season (3 meetings)

19 ppg on 40% (21/52), 6.3 rpg, 4.0 apg
Ray shot much worse and scored less going against Jordan era defenders again

Players on the 00/01 Knicks from the 90s era that locked down Ray - Allan Houston, Latrell Sprewell, Charlie Ward, Larry Johnson, Glen Rice, Kurt Thomas, Chris Childs, Marcus Camby

2) 2001/02 - third year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Ray in 01/02 season - 21.8 ppg on 46%, 4.5 rpg, 3.9 apg
Ray vs 01/02 Knicks in the regular season (4 meetings)

20.8 ppg on 36% (28/77), 5.3 rpg, 4.5 apg
Shooting 36% is horrible, especially for someone going against supposedly weak and soft defenders from the 90s

Players on the 01/02 Knicks from the 90s era that locked down Ray - Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston, Mark Jackson, Kurt Thomas, Othella Harrington, Shandon Anderson, Charlie Ward, Marcus Camby

44) Ray Allen vs San Antonio Spurs (1999/00 to 2000/01)

1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Ray in 99/00 season - 22.1 ppg on 46%, 4.4 rpg, 3.8 apg
Ray vs 00/01 Spurs in the regular season (2 meetings)

20.0 ppg on 42% (14/33), 5.0 rpg, 2.0 apg
Ray's points, FG%, and assists all decreased going against defenders from Jordan's vastly superior era

Players on the 99/00 Spurs from the 90s era that locked down Ray - David Robinson, Avery Johnson, Mario Elie, Chucky Brown, Terry Porter, Jaren Jackson, Jerome Kersey (Bruce Bowen was not yet on the Spurs)

2) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Ray in 00/01 season - 22.0 ppg on 48%, 5.2 rpg, 4.6 apg
Ray vs 00/01 Spurs in the regular season (2 meetings)

18.5 ppg on 48% (14/29), 7.0 rpg, 5.0 apg
Ray scored much less than usual when he played these defenders from the 90s.

Players on the 99/00 Spurs from the 90s era that locked down Ray - Terry Porter, David Robinson, Avery Johnson, Danny Ferry, Sean Elliott

45) Ray Allen vs Phoenix Suns (2000/01)

1) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Ray in 00/01 season - 22.0 ppg on 48%, 5.2 rpg, 4.6 apg
Ray vs 00/01 Suns in the regular season (4 meetings)

24.3 ppg on 41% (31/75) 5.0 rpg, 5.0 apg
He scored more, but at the cost of crushing his FG% badly

Players on the 00/01 Suns from the 90s era that locked down Ray - Penny Hardaway, Tom Gugliotta, Luc Longley, Cliff Robinson, Oliver Miller, Rex Chapman, Rodney Rogers, Todd Day, Mario Elie

46) Dirk Nowitzki vs Indiana Pacers (2000/01)
1) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Dirk in 00/01 season - 21.8 ppg on 47%, 9.2 rpg, 2.1 apg
Dirk vs 00/01 Pacers in the regular season (2 meetings)

10 ppg on 26% (6/23), 6.0 rpg, 0.5 apg
That's the definition of getting locked down. The same guy that crushed Lebron's Heat in the Finals got completely destroyed when he went up against the leftovers of a Jordan-era defense

Players on the 00/01 Pacers from the 90s era that locked down Dirk - Travis Best, Reggie Miller, Sam Perkins, Derrick McKey

47) Dirk Nowitzki vs Miami Heat (2000/01)

1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Dirk in 00/01 season - 21.8 ppg on 47%, 9.2 rpg, 2.1 apg
Dirk vs 00/01 Heat in the regular season (2 meetings)

19.5 ppg on 42% (15/36), 4.5 rpg, 2 apg
Dirk scored less and shot much worse going against Jordan-era defenders from the Heat

Players on the 00/01 Heat from the 90s era that locked down Dirk - Anthony Mason, Brian Grant, Dan Majerle, Tim Hardaway, AC Green, Eddie Jones

48) Dirk Nowitzki vs New York Knicks (2000/01)
1) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Dirk in 00/01 season - 21.8 ppg on 47%, 9.2 rpg, 2.1 apg
Dirk vs 00/01 Knicks in the regular season (2 meetings)

14.0 ppg on 40% (10/25), 10.5 rpg, 2.5 apg
Dirk got locked down bad. Imagine if this was the prime 90s Knicks

Players on the 00/01 Knicks from the 90s era that locked down Dirk - Marcus Camby, Allan Houston, Latrell Sprewell, Glen Rice, Larry Johnson, Chris Childs, Kurt Thomas, Charlie Ward

49) Jason Kidd vs Indiana Pacers (2000/01)

1) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Kidd in 00/01 season - 16.9 ppg on 41%, 6.4 rpg, 9.8 apg
Kidd vs 00/01 Pacers in the regular season (2 meetings)

14.5 ppg on 26% (9/34), 7.5 rpg, 11 apg,
Kidd got good assists, but he killed his team by jacking up 25 bricks in only 2 games

Players on the 99/00 Pacers from the 90s era that locked down Kidd - Reggie Miller, Jalen Rose, Derrick McKey, Sam Perkins, Travis Best

50) Jason Kidd vs Miami Heat (2000/01)

1) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Kidd in 00/01 season - 16.9 ppg on 41%, 6.4 rpg, 9.8 apg
Kidd vs 00/01 Heat in the regular season (2 meetings)

10.0 ppg on 33% (6/18), 3.0 rpg, 11.0 apg
Once again, Kidd slightly raised his assists but his shooting was pathetic

Players on the 00/01 Heat from the 90s era that locked down Kidd - Anthony Mason, Eddie Jones, Tim Hardaway, Brian Grant, Duane Causwell, AC Green, Dan Majerle

51) Jason Kidd vs New York Knicks (1999/00)

1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Kidd in 99/00 season - 14.3 ppg on 41%, 7.2 rpg, 10.1 apg
Kidd vs 99/00 Knicks in the regular season (2 meetings)

9.0 ppg on 29% (5/17), 8.5 rpg, 11.5 apg
Kidd's assist were slightly higher, but his shooting was complete trash

Players on the 99/00 Knicks from the 90s era that locked down Kidd - Latrell Sprewell, Marcus Camby, Charlie Ward, Allan Houston, Chris Childs, Kurt Thomas, Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson

52) Jason Kidd vs Utah Jazz (2000/01)
1) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Kidd in 00/01 season - 16.9 ppg on 41%, 6.4 rpg, 9.8 apg
Kidd vs 00/01 Jazz in the regular season (3 meetings)

9.3 ppg on 36% (10/28), 5.0 rpg, 9.3 apg
Kidd did everything worse against the Jazz and shot horribly again

Players on the 00/01 Jazz from the 90s era that locked down Kidd - Karl Malone, John Starks, John Stockton, Olden Polnice, Bryon Russell, Greg Ostertag

53) Jason Kidd vs San Antonio Spurs (1999/00 to 2000/01)

1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Kidd in 99/00 season - 14.3 ppg on 41%, 7.2 rpg, 10.1 apg
Kidd vs 99/00 Spurs in the regular season - (4 meetings)

12.5 ppg on 30% (21/71), 7.5 rpg, 10.3 apg
Assists and rebound had a negligible difference, and his scoring and FG% dropped badly

Players on the 99/00 Spurs from the 90s era that locked down Kidd - David Robinson, Avery Johnson, Mario Elie, Chucky Brown, Jaren Jackson, Jerome Kersey, Terry Porter

2) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Kidd in 00/01 season - 16.9 ppg on 41%, 6.4 rpg, 9.8 apg
Kidd vs 00/01 Spurs in the regular season - (4 meetings)

11.5 ppg on 28% (18/64), 7.0 rpg, 7.8 apg
Kidd's bad FG% turned horrible when he went against Jordan's era of defenders, and his scoring and assists took a hit

Players on the 00/01 Suns from the 90s era that locked down Kidd - Sean Elliott, Avery Johnson, David Robinson, Danny Ferry, Jaren Jackson, Terry Porter

54) Jason Kidd vs Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets (1999/00 to 2002/03)

1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Kidd in 99/00 season - 14.3 ppg on 41%, 7.2 rpg, 10.1 apg
Kidd vs 99/00 Hornets in the regular season - (2 meetings)

7.5 ppg on 23% (5/22), 4.0 rpg, 8.0 apg
DAMN! He got completely destroyed. He was going against defenders from the vastly superior Jordan era, so you can't blame him, really.

Players on the 99/00 Hornets from the 90s era that locked down Kidd - Anthony Mason, Derrick Coleman, Elden Campbell, David Wesley, Bobby Phills, Eddie Jones

2) 2002/03 - no anti-defensive rule changes implemented between this season up to 2004/05 season

Kidd in 02/03 season - 18.7 ppg on 41%, 6.4 rpg, 8.9 apg
Kidd vs 02/03 Hornets in the regular season - (3 meetings)

16.0 ppg on 33% (15/46), 6.0 rpg, 9.7 apg
Assists went up, but his scoring and FG% took a hit

Players on the 02/03 Hornets from the 90s era that locked down Kidd - David Wesley, Jamal Mashburn, PJ Brown, George Lynch, Kenny Anderson, Robert Pack, Stacey Augmon

55) Chris Webber vs Miami Heat (1999/00 to 2000/01)

1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

We saw earlier that Chris Webber benefited greatly after the new rules were put in place. In spite of that, he still had it harder going against leftover Jordan-era defenses

Webber in 99/00 season - 24.5 ppg on 48%, 10.5 rpg, 4.6 apg
Webber vs 99/00 Heat in the regular season (2 meetings)

22.0 ppg on 44% (21/48), 10.0 rpg, 3.5 apg
Everything was decreased when Webber went up against the Heat, which shouldn't have happened if the 90s defenders were soft and weak

Players on the 99/00 Heat from the 90s era that locked down Webber - Alonzo Mourning, PJ Brown, Dan Majerle, Jamal Mashburn, Clarence Weatherspoon, Voshon Lenard, Duane Causwell, Rex Walters, Mark Strickland, Otis Thorpe

2) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Webber in 00/01 season - 27.1 ppg on 48%, 11.1 rpg, 4.2 apg
Webber vs 00/01 Heat in the regular season (2 meetings)

22.5 ppg on 35% (18/51), 13.5 rpg, 1.0 apg
All Webber could do well was rebound. Everything else was horrendous compared to his usual output

Players on the 00/01 Heat from the 90s era that locked down Webber - Anthony Mason, Brian Grant, Tim Hardaway, Eddie Jones, AC Green, Cedric Ceballos, Dan Majerle, LaPhonso Ellis, Rod Strickland, Chris Gatling, Jim Jackson

3) 2001/02 - third year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Webber in 01/02 season - 24.5 ppg on 50%, 10.1 rpg, 4.8 apg
Webber vs 01/02 Heat in the regular season (1 meeting)

18 points on 44% (7/16), 6 rebs, 2 ast, 4 turnovers, 5 fouls
Webber gets locked down once more against a leftover Jordan-era defense

Players on the 01/02 Heat from the 90s era that locked down Webber - Alonzo Mourning, Eddie Jones, LaPhonso Ellis, Brian Grant, Jim Jackson, Rod Strickland, Chris Gatling

56) Chris Webber vs Utah Jazz (1999/00 to 2001/02)
1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Webber in 99/00 season - 24.5 ppg on 48%, 10.5 rpg, 4.6 apg
Webber vs 99/00 Jazz in the regular season (3 meetings)

21.0 ppg on 38% (24/63), 7.0 rpg, 3.3 apg
Webber shot horrible again and everything across the board went down

Players on the 99/00 Jazz from the 90s era that locked down Webber - Karl Malone, Olden Polynice, Jeff Hornaceck, John Stockton, Greg Ostertag, Howard Eisley, Bryon Russell, Armen Gilliam

2) 2001/02 - third year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Webber in 01/02 season - 24.5 ppg on 50%, 10.1 rpg, 4.8 apg
Webber in 2002 Playoffs vs Jazz (4 Games)

20.8 ppg on 42% (30/72), 10.8 rpg, 3.5 apg
In his prime and on the best team he played with, Webber still got locked down by a leftover Jordan era defense

Players on the 2001/02 Jazz from the 90s era that locked down Webber - Karl Malone, John Stockton, Bryon Russell, Greg Ostertag

57) Chris Webber vs Phoenix Suns (1999/00 to 2000/01)

1) 1999/00 - first year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Webber in 99/00 season - 24.5 ppg on 48%, 10.5 rpg, 4.6 apg
Webber vs 99/00 Suns in the regular season (3 meetings)

20.0 ppg on 40% (25/62), 9.3 rpg, 4.3 apg
Webber got locked down and all his numbers decreased
One game in which Webber left after 17 minutes, presumably due to injury was not included. He had 6 points on 3-11 (27%) shooting with 10 rebounds and 3 assists in that game

Players on the 99/00 Suns from the 90s era that locked down Webber - Cliff Robinson, Penny Hardaway, Tom Gugliotta, Luc Longley, Rodney Rogers, Rex Chapman, Oliver Miller, Kevin Johnson, Corie Blount

2) 2000/01 - second year of massive anti-defensive rule changes

Webber in 00/01 season - 27.1 ppg on 48%, 11.1 rpg, 4.2 apg
Webber in 2001 Playoffs vs Suns (4 Games)

20.3 ppg on 35% (34/96), 10.3 rpg, 2.5 apg
Definition of getting locked down

Players on the 00/01 Suns from the 90s era that locked down Webber - Cliff Robinson, Mario Elie, Rodney Rogers, Tom Gugliotta, Elliot Perry

So what does all that show?

Defensively, the quality of the league was much higher in the 90s than in the 2000s. The past prime 90s defenses, even when they were in the 2000s, crushed the superstar 2000s players to a degree that the rest of the league could not. Offensively the old school was superior as well.
The quality of the new league is weaker. That's why offensively the 90s players had it easier, AND the 90s defenses still destroyed the 2000s superstar players. The league today is inferior on both ends of the floor.
The old school defenders locked down the superstar 2000s players even WITHOUT the old school defensive rules. Therefore, the fact that the old school defensive rules were in place does nothing to diminish defensive performances of past players.
Even when the 90s defenders rules were taken away, the old school defenders still crushed the modern 2000s superstar players. The quality of players that were being guarded by the old school rules in the 80s and 90s were much higher than the weak 2000s players that got shut down even without those old rules.
You could take the top defenders of the 80s/90s like Michael Cooper, Caldwell Jones, Jordan, Pippen, Rodman, Payton, Dumars, etc. and they would have no problem locking down modern players under the modern rules just like the Heat, Pacers, Knicks, Hornets, Suns and Jazz had no problem.
Why did old school teams score so much? Part of it was the pace, but that's only a very small part. On top of that the players were much more skilled as Kobe himself said. There's a reason 2000s players had a harder time scoring in the 90s as we saw here, because they didn't have the skill to play as well against the older teams under the older rules.
If modern players like Kobe, Lebron, Vince, Pierce, Garnett, Tmac, Duncan, Dirk, etc. were put in the 80s/90s, they would still be great players, but there is no doubt that their stats and performances would take a huge hit. It's no coincidence that Shaq's numbers started increasing once the Jordan era and the 90s rules were over, among other players as well.

SECTION 1 - Players From Jordan's Day Against 2000s Defenses

- Looking at how the Jordan Era players had an easier time in the modern era

SECTION 2 - How Washed-up Jordan Did Against the Top Defenders of the "Advanced, More Athletic, Superior" 2000s 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

SECTION 4 - The "Jordan Never Faced Zone" Myth

- Destroying the myth that Jordan never played zone defense

SECTION 5 - The Myth That 80s/90s Defenses Can't Contain Modern Players Without the 80s/90s Rules

- Proof that 80s/90s players would still have success guarding 2000s players without the 80s/90s rules

SECTION 6 - The Myth of Jordan's Inability to Deal with 80s Teams, and the Truth About Expansion

- Looking at how Jordan did against the 80s teams and why expansion did not make it easier to win championships

SECTION 7 - "Jordan Played Weak Competition in the 80s/90s"

- Proof that Jordan's Competition was 80s-quality and far better than the 2000s era

SECTION 8 - The Myth that Jordan Was Not As Valuable to His Teams' Success

- Looking at the truth of how the Bulls did without Jordan, and how other great teams did without their stars.

SECTION 9 - "Jordan Got All the Calls"

- Did Jordan really get any more special treatment than other superstars? Nope.

SECTION 10 - Wilt Chamberlain: Great, but Far From the Greatest

- Exposing the myths behind the great, but misunderstood, Wilt Chamberlain

SECTION 11 - The "Lebron is a 6-8 250 Freight Train and too Big/Strong/Fast to be Guarded in the 80s/90s era" Myth

- Looking at how Lebron got locked down by defenders of the 2000s era and comparing them to the vastly superior 80s/90s

SECTION 12 - Lebron: The Most Overrated Defender of All-Time

- Destroying one of the media's biggest misconceptions regarding Lebron's solid but vastly overrated defense

SECTION 13 - "Lebron Doesn't Have Enough Help, and No One Can Carry a Team Like Him"

- 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?

SECTION 14 - Jordan vs Lebron: The Truth

- The real Jordan vs Lebron comparison

SECTION 15 - Jordan vs Kobe: The Truth

- The real Jordan vs Kobe comparison

SECTION 16 - Jordan (and Hakeem) vs Kareem

- Kareem is great, but he is not even the greatest center of all-time, let alone the greatest of all-time.

SECTION 17 - The Truth about Michael Jordan Without Scottie Pippen

- The full context behind Jordan's struggles without Pippen

SECTION 18 - Michael Jordan's Wizards Years

- A look at how Jordan turned the Wizards around before his knee injury caught up to him

SECTION 19 - The Case for Jordan as the Best Perimeter Defender of All-Time

- Looking at Jordan's defensive impact in detail, both as a team player and 1 on 1 defender

SECTION 20 - Why Jordan Would Accomplish More In Cleveland and Miami than LeBron

- 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

Nobody Touches Jordan

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

SECTION 5 - The Myth That 80s/90s Defenses Can't Contain Modern Players Without the 80s/90s Rules

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