Prime MJ with no hand checking, 3 seconds defense rule, and with a best center in the nba today as dwight howard...... YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING ME. Air Mike would be brutal. I'd trade one of our guys for 40yr old wizards MJ, real talk.
Here's an example of young Jordan (who I consider to be the best MJ). <iframe width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Vkl6pzB_gEU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> This also lets people see just how amazing 'Nique was then. I think it's very important that anyone who wishes to engage in a debate regarding the offenses & defenses of the 80s/90s to today actually watch full-games that took place then. They are far more illuminating than highlight clips that can make anyone look good. The game was completely different across the last three decades. I think the defenses today are by far the best, due to the physical training and the much greater usage of film and statistical analysis (like synergy). Watch last year's game 7 for an example of incredible defense by both teams (up until the fiasco that was the 4th quarter). The last three series the Heat have been in have also featured amazing defense by both teams. By contrast, I consider the 80s NBA offenses the best of the three eras, because players trained the mid-range jumper and that is the most effective offensive weapon since it utilizes most of the court. Centers also had post games then. The physicality of the modern game has almost destroyed this aspect of basketball and that is a real shame.
With all the rules favoring wings (MJ's influence) Jordan would have a field day. All of the "superior athleticism" of today's players doesn't matter so much b/c if they even look at a superstar wing wrong a foul will be called. Even the likes of Sam Cassell, Clyde Drexler, Reggie Miller, any of the better guards of the 90's would score at will. Lebron is bigger than MJ no doubt and he has the potential but to say that he is better or even the best to ever play is ridiculous at this stage in his career.
Come on, Cassell and Miller haven't even been retired that long and they didn't "score at will". There's no reason to believe that players back then are better than players now-- the pool of talent now is much larger (with the international influx) and the training is much more advanced. Why would basketball differ from other sports (like track & field, tennis, golf, etc) where players only improve over generations? I agree that it is ridiculous to put LeBron > MJ right now. Pippen's comment was that he could potentially be better, and that's accurate. Up until now, LeBron has put up the best stats of his generation by being the main guy on a bad team-- which is EXACTLY what MJ did for his first seven or eight years too. If LeBron continues to put up comparable numbers and starts winning titles, why wouldn't he be in the same discussion? I think his game has better balance than MJ (who is more like Kobe/Wade) which means he can probably fit with more types of players. And forget this nonsense about Wade being better-- yeah, Wade may win the Finals MVP this year if the Heat win, but LeBron's window is wider and there's no question whose team it'll be heading forward.
Quotes are one thing, but just think about it. Are we really saying that all of 25ppg scorers in the 80s & 90s would average 30ppg now? Doesn't that seem kind of ridiculous? Why would all of that talent only exist across that decade, and not now? All I ask is for people to actually watch full game footage of those eras and compare the defenses then to now. There is a certain nostalgia that makes us want to think that the players of yesteryear were the best ever (and I feel that way about Magic & Larry), but I suspect it just isn't true.
When its all said and done for LeBron the GOATs for positions will be: PG - Magic SG - Jordan SF - LBJ PF - Duncan C - Debatable (Olajuwon (my vote), Wilt, Kareem, Russell, Shaq)
You're being naive if you don't think the rule changes have not affected the way perimeter players can get to the basket in this modern era. no handchecking = easier to get around defenders defensive 3 seconds = keeps big men out of the paint for easier path to rim current players, former players, current coaches, and former coaches all agree that the rules have made it easier to get to the rim.
I agree that handchecking makes it easier on penetrating guards to score-- that was the whole point. But elite guards also have to face far more elaborate defenses since the illegal defense rules are much less strict now. Wade is about as good as a penetrator as the league has ever produced and if he can't get to the rim every time, there's no reason to think MJ could. Just watch the second clip I posted. That is prime MJ (who averaged over 35ppg that season) playing the handcheck era. I think he'd have a much tougher time scoring against the modern defenses and bigger players, but maybe that's just me.
in 2009-2010 75% of Dwyane Wade's points came from inside of 15 feet and free throws combined. Dwyane Wade scored 762 points with layups and dunks Dwyane Wade scored 894 points from inside of 10 feet Dwyane Wade scored 996 points from inside of 15 feet Dwyane Wade scored 534 points from the free throw line Dwyane Wade scored 515 points from 15 feet and out So 1,530 of Dwyane Wade's points came inside of 15 feet or the free throw line, and only 515 of Dwyane Wade's points came from 15 feet and out. You talk about people who didn't watch the games but you can't compare Wade and Jordan because Jordan played off ball better than Wade. Jordan didn't ISO dribble/crossover/penetrate like Wade does to usually get his points. Jordan came off screens <iframe width="853" height="510" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PCOJQOMEJ4Y" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> jordan's mid range jumper (which he uses more effectively than wade) with his combination of his post game and threat to drive would give this era a lot of problems.
The 80s/90s had far stricter rules on this. The current rule is that a player can stay in the paint as long as he is within an arms length of his defender or enters/exits within 3 seconds. The old rule was much more complicate, but in nutshell, it was that players had to be near their man except to double the ball, so a player could only stay in the paint if the ball or their man was there (the technical rule divided the court up into imaginary zones and was based around that). So as you can see, the current rule just falls out of this. At no point in NBA history was a player allowed to just camp out by himself under the rim indefinitely; now, at least, a player can do that for 3 seconds at a time.
Hakeem used to to away with camping out in the lane. That's why most feel his all-time block record will never be surpassed.
That's not the same at all, 1st of all, LBJ doesn't have 2 back to back rings, so right off the bat your wrong. Olajuwon was always way more skilled than Shaq, and could arguably be the most skilled big man to ever play the game. When he retired, he was the only player to ever be in the top 10 all time in Blks, Scoring, Reb and Steals, and now he's 11'th all time in rebs. He is one of the very couple to ever record a quadruple double, and he actually did it twice, but he wasn't given credit for 1 reb that he should have gotten. Shaq was just a strong as an ox when he came in, then later fat as a hippo. Hakeem didn't even play basketball until right before college. The main reason why everyone should know Olajuwon is better than Shaq, is that to this day, whenever Shaq talks about Hakeem, he will always address him as Mr. Olajuwon.
I think I just got off the point there, but the main thing that LBJ has to do is become even better than Wade, before he can become better than MJ. Lebron will never be the GOAT because he lacks the one thing that MJ, Kobe and even Wade has, or pretty much all of the greatest players of all time, (not saying that Wade will ever be up there with MJ or Kobe) a killer instict. When he has the opportunity to put his foot on the throat of the opposition, he shies away from it. In the regular season he'll be aggressive, but when it matters most, and comes down to being the guy that never made it and a champion, he'll take the latter. He's more interested in being famous than being one of the GOAT.
I'd take Bird over James, at least until James develops a back to the basket and better half court game.
