All MJ myths busted (for reference)

[3ball]

great example - teams didn't shoot 3-pointers back then, so the weakside was never spaced, as your GIF shows.

4 defenders are on the strongside, with 1 more in the paint - so all 5 defenders are on the strongside and/or in the paint - no flood needed... standard procedure of course - see point #2 in the OP.
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[COLOR="Navy"]MJ's 1993 Finals was particularly impressive because he showed that very high volume (33 fga) at good efficiency CAN keep up with a juggernaut offense and squeak by for the win.[/COLOR]

In those Finals, both teams remarkably averaged exactly 106.7 ppg and 113.0 ORtg (see those bballref stats here), so every ounce of MJ's 41/9/6 on 51% was needed.. It was baaarely enough to keep up with the Suns, despite also getting 21/9/8 from Pippen (his best-ever Finals), 14 ppg from Armstrong, and Grant's standard 11 ppg.. Certainly, if MJ had shot 39% instead of 51%, the Bulls would've probably been swept.

Otoh, compare that with Lebron's 2015 Finals - he shot 3% but still won two games - surely, he would've won the series easily if he shot 51% - he wouldn't have even needed to squeak by like MJ did.. Lebron has no excuse for the poor shooting because he was never doubled like MJ was, and he enjoyed the most secluded isolations in the history of the game.. But the statistical reality is that Lebron isn't capable of good efficiency at high volume because he's bad at the additional midrange and isolations required of high volume shooting - you can't get 33 fga on all 3-and-D.

Btw, the 2015 Finals ended any questions about whether the Heat could've won in 2014 if Lebron had shot more - we know that he simply can't maintain his efficiency at very high volumes.. 39% wouldn't have beat the Spurs either.

Of course, there's no danger in letting Lebron shoot 39%, so Lebron's inability to have good efficiency at high volume allowed the Warriors to permit his secluded 1-on-1 clearouts all series long without bothering to take the ball out of his hands.

Lebron's lack of midrange ability didn't just prevent him from good efficiency at high volumes and subsequent double-teams, but it prevents him from being as good in the 80's, when midrange was the primary option remaining in the absence of the 3-pointers necessary to make screen-roll/drive-and-kick mathematically worthwhile.

[SpecialQue]

great example - teams didn't shoot 3-pointers back then, so the weakside was never spaced, as your GIF shows.

4 defenders are on the strongside, with 1 more in the paint - so all 5 defenders are on the strongside and/or in the paint - no flood needed... standard procedure of course - see point #2 in the OP.

[SouBeachTalents]

great example - teams didn't shoot 3-pointers back then, so the weakside was never spaced, as your GIF shows.

4 defenders are on the strongside, with 1 more in the paint - so all 5 defenders are on the strongside and/or in the paint - no flood needed... standard procedure of course - see point #2 in the OP.

[I<3NBA]

every single post, you make ISH less worth reading.

damn it man. we know MJ is the GOAT. please stop it!

btw, the Bulls were stacked during the 2nd 3peat.

no team can defeat the holy trinity.

[iTare]

great example - teams didn't shoot 3-pointers back then, so the weakside was never spaced, as your GIF shows.

4 defenders are on the strongside, with 1 more in the paint - so all 5 defenders are on the strongside and/or in the paint - no flood needed... standard procedure of course - see point #2 in the OP.

[Gileraracer]

40ppg average easily nowadays

[NBAplayoffs2001]

Wasn't even a foul. Today it would be a technical and a fine.

[nzahir]

1-9
TLDR
Coming from the guy who discredits scottie, rodman, grant, and other very good role players such as kukoc, kerr, paxon, armstrong, longley, harper nothing here matters

[NBAplayoffs2001]

Yeah 3 ball calm with this stuff lol. Even without Jordan, they almost beat the Knicks in 1994 ECF.

[nzahir]

Yeah 3 ball calm with this stuff lol. Even without Jordan, they almost beat the Knicks in 1994 ECF.

Just imagine if they replaced Mj with someone decent. Team was already a contender without MJ, thats a fact

[NBAplayoffs2001]

Just imagine if they replaced Mj with someone decent. Team was already a contender without MJ, thats a fact

Bulls ruined our chances of making the NBA finals in 1993 too . Could have made the 1997 finals too if we beat them in the playoffs . 4 lost NBA finals appearance in the 1990s . Born in NYC but destroying the dreams of its fan, oh Jordan.

[SouBeachTalents]

Bulls ruined our chances of making the NBA finals in 1993 too . Could have made the 1997 finals too if we beat them in the playoffs . 4 lost NBA finals appearance in the 1990s . Born in NYC but destroying the dreams of its fan, oh Jordan.

Knicks lost to the Heat in '97

[NBAplayoffs2001]

Knicks lost to the Heat in '97

Oh oops. Forgot about that. Then let's just say one more Finals appearance lol, 1993.

[ralph_i_el]

#1 is obviously false. 2.9ing....you don't have to stay anywhere near your man. If he comes within arms reach, the 3 seconds reset, and if you step out of the paint, 3 seconds reset. You can spend 95% of a possession in the paint everytime. That's why 3 point shooting is at such a premium, because without 3 competant 3 shooters on the floor, teams can cram the paint.

Op posts gifs of packed paints from other eras, but those guys are in the paint guarding another player, not the ball handler. Half those Jordan .gifs have guys in the paint who aren't even looking at MJ.

OP likes to post LeBron .gifs with open paint....but that's because every team that LeBron has played for for 4 years now has had tons of shooters......for a reason. LeBron benefits from spacing more than any other player in the league (a few others I can think of, John Wall and Dwight Howard). His team's was constructed for that specific purpose. Kinda like Kobe's most recent championship squads were designed to let him focus on O (ariza or artest guarding the best wings) and have tons of rebounding to clean up his misses. MJ's teams were designed around him as well....that's basketball. The triangle can create spacing without as many shooters.


If you actually watch teams that DON'T have enough shooters, you'll see how crowded the paint can get.

[kshutts1]

#1 is obviously false. 2.9ing....you don't have to stay anywhere near your man. If he comes within arms reach, the 3 seconds reset, and if you step out of the paint, 3 seconds reset. You can spend 95% of a possession in the paint everytime. That's why 3 point shooting is at such a premium, because without 3 competant 3 shooters on the floor, teams can cram the paint.

Op posts gifs of packed paints from other eras, but those guys are in the paint guarding another player, not the ball handler. Half those Jordan .gifs have guys in the paint who aren't even looking at MJ.

OP likes to post LeBron .gifs with open paint....but that's because every team that LeBron has played for for 4 years now has had tons of shooters......for a reason. LeBron benefits from spacing more than any other player in the league (a few others I can think of, John Wall and Dwight Howard). His team's was constructed for that specific purpose. Kinda like Kobe's most recent championship squads were designed to let him focus on O (ariza or artest guarding the best wings) and have tons of rebounding to clean up his misses. MJ's teams were designed around him as well....that's basketball. The triangle can create spacing without as many shooters.


If you actually watch teams that DON'T have enough shooters, you'll see how crowded the paint can get.

Too logical, doesn't fit his agenda... or ISH's, for that matter.