The best way to build a team, based on empirical evidence

[mehyaM24]

regressed RAPM is garbage and based on boxscore stats - ESPN doesn't use it... the only RAPM that is considered viable and used by ESPN and others are true regressions that use play-by-play data, which wasn't available until 1997.

The first true RAPM that used PLAY-BY-PLAY data was 1997, shown below:

the regressed versions of rapm are better than nothing AND also no better or worse than NPI rapm which has its flaws. fpliii has said there isn't really much of a difference with NPI and regressed, as they're both not RPI, but once again, MUCH better than nothing.

so in conclusion, rapm, both regressed and RPI, are still better than all advanced metrics that attempt to measure impact, and they will STILL be used as reference points by means of analyzing players and their impact.

1997 is irrelevant, btw. i was referring to 1996. get someone in place of jordan with SIMILAR impact (according to rapm, there were several) - and the bulls still win a title. other years, as well.

[jongib369]

What do you think about a team that has a scoring dominant big as the number one option and Bird as number two? The big being Shaq, Wilt, or Kareem

[knicksman]

It's kind of hard to "delegate" defense and accumulate a record 9 First-Team, All-NBA Defense selections.

Plus MJ got DPOY in 1988, when Scottie was a baby rookie averaging 7.9 ppg and having his diapers cleaned by Jordan.

Think about how bad Jordan's team was in 1988 - he had NOBODY!!!!... Even rookie Scottie was garbage (7.9 ppg)... it really was ALL JORDAN, more than any player ever, and in the toughest conference ever... no wonder they didn't start winning until they could get a LITTLE SOMETHING out of Pippen (14.4 ppg in 1989, which was enough for Jordan to carry them to the ECF against Detroit.



pure lies... show me proof - show me where this happened.

people overblow Scottie guarding Magic for the 2nd quarter in Game 2 of 1991 Finals - but this one quarter along with the 2nd quarter of Game 3 was the only times Scottie guarded Magic the entire series - here are all 5 games, so anyone can see for themselves:

Game 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWhxdhU9KSI
Game 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVX0D6K12v8
Game 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SRq4eAafIU
Game 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV7kewDeHPU
Game 5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrfuqseL1lg

LOL there are 5 players on the floor. Pippen cant guard all of them. So just because pippen guards the best player doesnt mean jordan cant be 9 first team. And jordan is sg while pippen is sf so they dont compete with the award. And jordan encouraged pippen to be the defender that he is so he doesnt have to bother playing defense. Thats what delegation is all about. Theres a reason why the greatest winners have the least stats(russell/duncan/magic) because they knew the power of delegation. It motivates teammates when they are trusted and feel wanted. Thats what great leaders do. Meanwhile bird??same level as jordan? LOL the guy almost always disappear in the playoffs.

And Jordan had less help? LOL more like nobody wants to play with jordan before phil. Thats why hes a loser early on. Only when phil convinced him to sacrifice stats and trust his teammates that he became a winner.

[3ball]

Jordan 1996-1998 vs. Kobe 2008-2010... REGULAR SEASON

Jordan.. 29.6 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 4.0 APG, 2.2 TO, 1.9 STL, 0.5 BLK, 48.2% FG
Kobe.... 27.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 5.1 APG, 3.0 TO, 1.6 STL, 0.4 BLK, 46.1% FG


Jordan 1996-1998 vs. Kobe 2008-2010... FINALS

Jordan.. 31.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 4.0 APG, 2.0 TO, 43.4% FG
Kobe.... 29.2 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.1 APG, 3.7 TO, 41.3% FG

Kobe not only has worse regular season, playoff and Finals stats as a 29-31 year old, than Jordan had as a 33-35 year old, but Jordan's playoff clutch performance during his 2nd three-peat was GOAT, and Kobe has never come close to matching it in his entire career, let alone his prime of 2008-2010.

Also, the Bulls barely won the 1997 and 1998 Finals, so Kobe would need to match every bit of Jordan's stats and clutch performance.. Here's how close the 1997 and 1998 Finals were:

In the 1997 Finals, the Bulls needed a Jordan game-winner to win Game 1, and another Jordan game-winner to win the flu-game in Game 5... also, Game 6 required a Jordan game-winning assist to Kerr - Kobe has never come close to matching this level Jordan's clutch performance in ANY series of his career, and neither has any other player, ever.

And of course in 1998, the Bulls also squeaked by Utah, requiring goat game-winner in Game 6, and requiring Jordan to score a record 38% of his team's points for the series.

[3ball]

Yeah lol, I'm guessing you wouldn't put those two (Hayward or Diaw) on him (MJ).

Small Forwards guarded Jordan quite a bit... Gordon Hayward would too, just like Chris Mullin did:







Not that big a difference from Hayward on Lebron..





That's the thing - Lebron has been fully contained by SF's and PF's, whereas Jordan's quickness and scoring versatility was such a massive mismatch for forwards... didn't matter who it was - Dennis Rodman, Clyde Drexler, Dominique Wilkins, Kevin Garnett, Grant Hill, Reggie Lewis, Richard Dumas, you name it.
.