'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Jason Williams’ comments about Michael Jordan having an easier time scoring in his era than today caused an uproar on social media. “White Chocolate” specifically mentioned how Gary Payton’s defense was less effective compared to Jrue Holiday's and the back line of Brook Lopez and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Rob Parker, on “The Odd Couple” podcast, minced no words ripping the former NBA player for his hot take on Jordan:
“Jason Williams is in a “White Chocolate” coma! What are you talking about, Jason? It’s never been easier to score in the NBA. And he’s gonna say that Michael Jordan couldn’t score? Did you watch Michael Jordan against the Detroit Pistons?
“I don’t know what his future is or what he's trying to do if this is his podcast or what he does with it, but dude, be careful! 'Cause, you’ll lose your credibility real quick, and it won’t matter if you played in the league.”
Before Marcus Smart won the Defensive Player of the Year award, no other point guard had won it except for Gary Payton. “The Glove’s” resume on defense was just impeccable. Considering Payton also had the benefit of hand-checking, one can only imagine the kind of leverage he had against scoring maestros like Jordan.
Williams must have forgotten how James Harden, Trae Young, Bradley Beal and even Steph Curry struggled when the NBA implemented new rules last season. Without the ability to force fouls on defenders, several of today's best scorers looked mortal against improved physicality.
Jordan played in an era where defenders were built to succeed. The rules made scoring difficult, which is exactly why the NBA removed hand-checking. The league wanted the offense to flourish. The rules changes would have pushed MJ to more success.
MJ was a 10-time scoring champ in an era when defense was somewhat propped by the rules. The Detroit Pistons created the Jordan Rules to stop his offensive onslaught against them. Jordan would have had a blast in the league today, which is geared towards helping the offensive player.
Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy believed Michael Jordan’s offensive game would have been unstoppable today
Mark Jackson, in an interview with Shannon Sharpe, emphatically answered how Michael Jordan would dominate the modern NBA:
“Michael Jordan would average whatever he’d want to average. He could get 40 a night. I’m here telling you as a witness: He would average 40 a night.”
Perhaps former coach Jeff Van Gundy, who was no Jordan fanboy, best described how insanely difficult MJ was to contain. He put the context of Jordan’s scoring brilliance in a different era of basketball:
“If you look at how tight the spacing was in the triangle, and how much physical contact was allowed, people will be amazed. Everyone thinks they know how good Jordan was, but until you go back and actually study him, you’ll never understand what a great, great player he was. He shot over 50% a lot of times through the physical contact he had to play through.”
Van Gundy capped off his analysis of Jordan’s scoring brilliance with this:
“That’s why I have no doubt, if you dropped him in at his prime, in today’s game, he would average north of 40 points a game. ... If fans watch the game footage closely, the amount of contact that was allowed then versus now, you’re going to be even more astounded at Jordan’s efficiency from a scoring perspective.”
Guess the Lakers players!
