3ball
05-28-2016, 03:41 PM
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Jordan's areas of statistical advantage are more valuable and control the game better
Jordan's scored 5.5 more ppg in the playoffs with better efficiency across the board (TS, FG, ORtg) and clutch - these things control the game better than Lebron's 2.5 def rebound edge (with less offensive rebound) and 1.0 assist edge (with more turnovers).
There's never been a #1 option that scored 5.5 more on better efficiency that wasn't considered the FAR better player.. Can you imagine if Lebron averaged 5.5 more ppg with better efficiency?.. He'd be on a completely different level.
The scoring gap is more significant than people realize
Lebron has many playoff series and even entire postseason runs where he wasn't the team's scoring leader, whereas the Bulls needed Jordan to be scoring leader for every playoff series of his career by an average of 15.4 ppg (http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=406920).
No other all-time great led his team in scoring for every series of their career, led alone by 15 ppg like Jordan.
Lebron can't shoot, and many of today's top wings can't either
This season, Lebron shot 31% on 3-pointers and 37% from midrange, and he's been a sub-par shooter for most of his career - this includes missing over 80% of his jumpshots in 2 different Finals, which is probably a record.. Overall, his midrange efficiency is below 40% for 10 of 13 seasons (http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=12389794&postcount=17), while his career 3-point percentage is 31% in the playoffs.
The reality is that Lebron, Westbrook, Wade, Derozan and Butler ALL (http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=12389778&postcount=41) have sub-par 3-point and midrange efficiency, but they're still top scorers because today's spacing and hands-off defense allows athletic players easier access to the rim than ever before.
MJ's athleticism would benefit the same way, except he was a goat midrange shooter (http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=12373019&postcount=26), which gives him a massive advantage over non-shooters Lebron, Westbrick and company.
Jordan's stats occurred in the UNSPACED phase of the modern era:
That's a tougher time period than today's SPACED phase of the modern era.. Specifically, Lebron and Curry's teams take 30 three-pointers per game, compared to 5 per game for the 1991 Bulls.. So it's statistical fact that Lebron and Curry achieve their stats WITH teammates spacing the floor, while Jordan achieved his stats WITHOUT teammates spacing the floor.
Obviously, Jordan's stats would explode in today's spacing.. Just look at Lebron and Westbrook - Jordan has same or better athleticism, but they can't shoot (http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=12389778&postcount=41), while he had goat midrange efficiency, much better than Curry's (http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=12373019&postcount=26).
Essentially, MJ had Lebron/Westbrook's athleticism and better midrange shooting than Steph Curry.
Lebron employs a suboptimal style that makes a ring highly unlikely (requiring collusion)
Specifically, he turns teammates from playmakers into play-finishers by lowering their APG (playmaking), and increasing their assisted rate (play-finishing).. Here's the APG and assisted rate of every key teammate:
http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=11709473&postcount=1
Lebron's ball monopolization results in a sophomoric brand of basketball and predictable, play-finishing teammates that can't succeed against the best playoff teams.. A weak brand of basketball and underperforming teammates results in the TEAM underperforming and losing as the favorite (2009 ECF, 2010 ECF, 2011 Finals) and when it's 50/50 (2014).
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Jordan's areas of statistical advantage are more valuable and control the game better
Jordan's scored 5.5 more ppg in the playoffs with better efficiency across the board (TS, FG, ORtg) and clutch - these things control the game better than Lebron's 2.5 def rebound edge (with less offensive rebound) and 1.0 assist edge (with more turnovers).
There's never been a #1 option that scored 5.5 more on better efficiency that wasn't considered the FAR better player.. Can you imagine if Lebron averaged 5.5 more ppg with better efficiency?.. He'd be on a completely different level.
The scoring gap is more significant than people realize
Lebron has many playoff series and even entire postseason runs where he wasn't the team's scoring leader, whereas the Bulls needed Jordan to be scoring leader for every playoff series of his career by an average of 15.4 ppg (http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=406920).
No other all-time great led his team in scoring for every series of their career, led alone by 15 ppg like Jordan.
Lebron can't shoot, and many of today's top wings can't either
This season, Lebron shot 31% on 3-pointers and 37% from midrange, and he's been a sub-par shooter for most of his career - this includes missing over 80% of his jumpshots in 2 different Finals, which is probably a record.. Overall, his midrange efficiency is below 40% for 10 of 13 seasons (http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=12389794&postcount=17), while his career 3-point percentage is 31% in the playoffs.
The reality is that Lebron, Westbrook, Wade, Derozan and Butler ALL (http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=12389778&postcount=41) have sub-par 3-point and midrange efficiency, but they're still top scorers because today's spacing and hands-off defense allows athletic players easier access to the rim than ever before.
MJ's athleticism would benefit the same way, except he was a goat midrange shooter (http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=12373019&postcount=26), which gives him a massive advantage over non-shooters Lebron, Westbrick and company.
Jordan's stats occurred in the UNSPACED phase of the modern era:
That's a tougher time period than today's SPACED phase of the modern era.. Specifically, Lebron and Curry's teams take 30 three-pointers per game, compared to 5 per game for the 1991 Bulls.. So it's statistical fact that Lebron and Curry achieve their stats WITH teammates spacing the floor, while Jordan achieved his stats WITHOUT teammates spacing the floor.
Obviously, Jordan's stats would explode in today's spacing.. Just look at Lebron and Westbrook - Jordan has same or better athleticism, but they can't shoot (http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=12389778&postcount=41), while he had goat midrange efficiency, much better than Curry's (http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=12373019&postcount=26).
Essentially, MJ had Lebron/Westbrook's athleticism and better midrange shooting than Steph Curry.
Lebron employs a suboptimal style that makes a ring highly unlikely (requiring collusion)
Specifically, he turns teammates from playmakers into play-finishers by lowering their APG (playmaking), and increasing their assisted rate (play-finishing).. Here's the APG and assisted rate of every key teammate:
http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=11709473&postcount=1
Lebron's ball monopolization results in a sophomoric brand of basketball and predictable, play-finishing teammates that can't succeed against the best playoff teams.. A weak brand of basketball and underperforming teammates results in the TEAM underperforming and losing as the favorite (2009 ECF, 2010 ECF, 2011 Finals) and when it's 50/50 (2014).
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