Whos a better finisher bron or mj?

[Bronbron23]

This is a close one that im kind of on the fence with. Lebron has the advantage in size,length and strength and mj has the advantage in quickness, versatile leaping and body control. Lebron is definitely the better finisher in the open court. Once he gets down hill there's no stopping him. Mj was definitely the better finisher in the half court. His quickness allowed him to beat his initial defender better than lebron and his versatile leaping and body control allowed him to finish better in traffic.

This has probably been done before but so has half the threads on here. So who ya got?

[LeCroix]

Lbj has the higher playoff fg% efg% and ts%, but they are very close.

[CTbasketball92]

This is a close one that im kind of on the fence with. Lebron has the advantage in size,length and strength and mj has the advantage in quickness, versatile leaping and body control. Lebron is definitely the better finisher in the open court. Once he gets down hill there's no stopping him. Mj was definitely the better finisher in the half court. His quickness allowed him to beat his initial defender better than lebron and his versatile leaping and body control allowed him to finish better in traffic.

This has probably been done before but so has half the threads on here. So who ya got?

It's hard because we don't have finishing data from MJ before the 1996-1997 season. Oddly, that season he shot a terrible 54% at the rim, but the next year he was at 63%, which is well below people like prime DWade and Kawhi who usually shoot between like 68 and 70%. This was MJ who was past his athletic peak though and there was less spacing back then. I think sample shot data from the early 90s shows MJ finished like 69-70%, but we don't have a lot of data for that.

Off top though I'd have to say MJ was for sure a better finisher. He was 3.5-4 inches taller than MJ with similar athleticism and the same ambidexterity around the rim. LeBron usually finishes like no lower than 70% at the rim over the last 12 or 13 years on a ridiculous volume

[Bronbron23]

It's hard because we don't have finishing data from MJ before the 1996-1997 season. Oddly, that season he shot a terrible 54% at the rim, but the next year he was at 63%, which is well below people like prime DWade and Kawhi who usually shoot between like 68 and 70%. This was MJ who was past his athletic peak though and there was less spacing back then. I think sample shot data from the early 90s shows MJ finished like 69-70%, but we don't have a lot of data for that.

Off top though I'd have to say MJ was for sure a better finisher. He was 3.5-4 inches taller than MJ with similar athleticism and the same ambidexterity around the rim. LeBron usually finishes like no lower than 70% at the rim over the last 12 or 13 years on a ridiculous volume

Yeah id like to see some data. My eye test says mj had way more facial dunks and dunks in the lane. Lebron is mostly a one foot leaper so this limits him a bit. Its way easier to dunk on guys off of 2.

[Indian guy]

This is pretty comfortably LeBron.

And plenty of idiots will come in this thread and cite MJ's more acrobatic finishes as his superiority. Who cares. The objective is to put the ball in the basket. And LeBron could do that more efficiently than MJ could on higher volume to boot. And it's not rocket science as to why. He could jump out of the gym while being taller, bigger, stronger + with the ability to use either hand equally well.

[3ball]

This is pretty comfortably LeBron.

And plenty of idiots will come in this thread and cite MJ's more acrobatic finishes as his superiority. Who cares. The objective is to put the ball in the basket. And LeBron could do that more efficiently than MJ could on higher volume to boot. And it's not rocket science as to why. He could jump out of the gym while being taller, bigger, stronger + with the ability to use either hand equally well.

Lebron's larger frame creates more room most of the time, but MJ's finishing ability over length or against significant traffic is far better

That's why mj shoots well at high volume when shots are more contested and lebron doesn't

[Bronbron23]

This is pretty comfortably LeBron.

And plenty of idiots will come in this thread and cite MJ's more acrobatic finishes as his superiority. Who cares. The objective is to put the ball in the basket. And LeBron could do that more efficiently than MJ could on higher volume to boot. And it's not rocket science as to why. He could jump out of the gym while being taller, bigger, stronger + with the ability to use either hand equally well.

Was it a higher volume though? I couldn't find alot of finishing stats for mj. But from i did see it looks like mj mj finished at the rim as much as lebron during his prime. As mj got older he finished less and used the post and mid more. When talking volume and efficiency you also have to take in account the era. It was more of a half court game in the 90's. paint was alot less spaced out in mj's day and the game was more physical so finishing was a little harder. It like to see mj's finishing stats in the 80's when the game was more up tempo and he had the ball in his hands more similar to bron.

[WhiteKyrie]

Jordan.

Better finisher with either hand. He could out leap you, or out craft you around the basket. He also could go up with power. Graceful, best dexterity and body control ever. Could jump off either one foot or two, and the fastest most explosive leaper I’ve ever seen off a hop step.

Best non god tier athlete finisher like Mike, LeBron, prime D-Rose, Westbrick or even elite tier athlete like Kobe. Long guards or small forwards would be:

Kyrie

[tpols]

Lebron couldnt do what he does today at the rim in the 90s.

Look at what tyson chandler, prime garnett, and old duncan did to him. Hell even Roy Hibbert one of the worst stiffs ever.

Legit big men get him seriously shook, his arsenal doesnt work if he cant just overpower.

MJ not only posterized dudes harder, he could twist and contort around them if need be to get it done.

Ewing, Zo, Mutumbo, Shaq, Robinson, Hakeem, etc. Lebron would not be able to just charge the rim.

[Chest Rockwell]

Lebron's larger frame creates more room most of the time, but MJ's finishing ability over length or against significant traffic is far better

That's why mj shoots well at high volume when shots are more contested and lebron doesn't

What 3ball said. Jordan, and it's not as close as all too many people believe it to be. LeBron's frame - plus far, far less congested lanes to deal with with the rule set, especially over the last several years - allows for exponentially cleaner looks at the basket on drives.

Jordan's agility, body control, quickness, ability to finish with his off-hand, and touch around the basket, is world's better than James (especially the body control and agility). Couple that with the physicality that defenders defenders were permitted, in addition to not having a 3 second defensive rule, allowing for bigs to camp out in the lane and challenge the shot, and it made for an exponentially higher degree of difficulty in finishing at the rack. And considering Jordan, time and again, successfully finished impossible shot after impossible shot over countless defenders with either hand...I don't see how this is even debatable for anyone who has taken the time to watch with their own eyes while also considering just what the heck MJ was up against in comparison to LeBron in the shots they were putting up around the rim.

The only reason this is even a question in some people's minds are for the one's who follow the false narratives that have been and continue to be shoveled in our faces by the likes of ESPN and the twitters, and just blindly accept this narrative that it's even close, without doing their due diligence and taking the time to watch things through an objective lens.

Really though, I could say the same thing when it comes to practically the entire gambit of this false notions in comparing these two players, not just for finishing at the basket. And that's not even limited to their play on the court and abilities as basketball players. I'm talking narratives, accomplishments, context, the whole nine. But I get it, basketball is a business and they need to market and sell the current product. It's disingenuous, but that's how the world works this day and age.

However, with that said, these Jordan/LeBron comparisons, it too shall pass. Give it a few years when LeBron's faded a bit more and/or retired from the league completely. You'll find the comps between these two men ceasing from taking place rather quickly, and then it'll be on to the next shiny new star that they'll be reaching on in comparing to Mike, mostly in futility. Rinse, wash, repeat.

[FKAri]

I lean MJ. Maybe the perimeter defenders MJ went against weren't as good as Bron's but the shotblockers were certainly better. Another thing is that MJ was better at adjusting his shot at the rim even though Bron had more strength at finishing through contact.


What 3ball said. Jordan, and it's not as close as all too many people believe it to be. LeBron's frame - plus far, far less congested lanes to deal with with the rule set, especially over the last several years - allows for exponentially cleaner looks at the basket on drives.

Jordan's agility, body control, quickness, ability to finish with his off-hand, and touch around the basket, is world's better than James (especially the body control and agility). Couple that with the physicality that defenders defenders were permitted, in addition to not having a 3 second defensive rule, allowing for bigs to camp out in the lane and challenge the shot, and it made for an exponentially higher degree of difficulty in finishing at the rack. And considering Jordan, time and again, successfully finished impossible shot after impossible shot over countless defenders with either hand...I don't see how this is even debatable for anyone who has taken the time to watch with their own eyes while also considering just what the heck MJ was up against in comparison to LeBron in the shots they were putting up around the rim.

The only reason this is even a question in some people's minds are for the one's who follow the false narratives that have been and continue to be shoveled in our faces by the likes of ESPN and the twitters, and just blindly accept this narrative that it's even close, without doing their due diligence and taking the time to watch things through an objective lens.

Really though, I could say the same thing when it comes to practically the entire gambit of this false notions in comparing these two players, not just for finishing at the basket. And that's not even limited to their play on the court and abilities as basketball players. I'm talking narratives, accomplishments, context, the whole nine. But I get it, basketball is a business and they need to market and sell the current product. It's disingenuous, but that's how the world works this day and age.

However, with that said, these Jordan/LeBron comparisons, it too shall pass. Give it a few years when LeBron's faded a bit more and/or retired from the league completely. You'll find the comps between these two men ceasing from taking place rather quickly, and then it'll be on to the next shiny new star that they'll be reaching on in comparing to Mike, mostly in futility. Rinse, wash, repeat.

I don't agree with this guy tho. Sounds like he thinks everything was better in the 90s and the world's gone to shit.

[LeCroix]

Lebron couldnt do what he does today at the rim in the 90s.

Look at what tyson chandler, prime garnett, and old duncan did to him. Hell even Roy Hibbert one of the worst stiffs ever.

Legit big men get him seriously shook, his arsenal doesnt work if he cant just overpower.

MJ not only posterized dudes harder, he could twist and contort around them if need be to get it done.

Ewing, Zo, Mutumbo, Shaq, Robinson, Hakeem, etc. Lebron would not be able to just charge the rim.

its a trade off homie

90s defense = plumber on the perimeter, ewing at the rim
10s defense = kawhi at the perimter, duncan at the rim

90s seems worse...

[Chest Rockwell]

I lean MJ. Maybe the perimeter defenders MJ went against weren't as good as Bron's but the shotblockers were certainly better. Another thing is that MJ was better at adjusting his shot at the rim even though Bron had more strength at finishing through contact.



I don't agree with this guy tho. Sounds like he thinks everything was better in the 90s and the world's gone to shit.

Hey now, I never said anything about the 90's being better. It was harder to score the basketball in that era, but I never even mentioned specifically the 90's, let alone did I say it was better. It was harder to score in the 80's and 90's, but that doesn't necesarilly make it better. In plenty of ways basketball is better in this era is better; in other ways, not better.

And as for the world going to shit, I didn't say that either. Don't be obtuse. I meant that in terms of social media and endless sports content being produced and is at our disposal. But now that you mention it - y'know, the world going to shit - I mean, well...have you turned on the news lately?:D

[tpols]

its a trade off homie

90s defense = plumber on the perimeter, ewing at the rim
10s defense = kawhi at the perimter, duncan at the rim

90s seems worse...

no...

if anything, back then perimeter defense was even better since handchecking was still allowed and the 3 pt spacing was miniscule by comparison.

And then he has to face a monstars line up of legit 7 footers at the rim.

Lebron isnt a crafty finisher. If he cant bull you, he loses. He isnt ramming on the 90's crop of C's.

[RRR3]

Why do y'all just let ttrolls flat out lie? LeBron never had trouble with Hibbert.

Playoffs vs Pacers with Hibbert

2012: 30 PPG on 55.7 TS%
2013: 29 PPG on 60.9 TS%
2014: 22.8 PPG on 63.7 TS% (PPG skewed because he had one game in which he had 7 points and dealt with foul trouble).



And sure he choked against Chandler and the Mavs in 2011, but the next year he averaged 27.8 PPG on 60.4 TS% against Chandler and the Knicks in the first round.


We're demonizing LeBron for two series against KG and Duncan before he reached his best level of play, and then one series in which he won (2013) and another in which he averaged 28.2 PPG on 67.9 TS% (2014). No that TS% isn't a typo.

[RRR3]

ttrolls doesn't even watch LeBron play. Anyone who thinks he isn't a skilled finisher is retarded.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n--pe1LBnqw


Just from 2015-16

[tpols]

And sure he choked against Chandler and the Mavs in 2011.


We're demonizing LeBron for two series against KG and Duncan before he reached his best level of play, and then one series

:roll:

You proved the point in your own post.

There's no "demonizing"... Lebron has legit had some of his worst finishing numbers ever against discount level centers.

Fellas like Indianguy want to talk numbers... if lebron and mj both played in the same era hed have a perfectly valid and unattackable point.

Unfortunately they didnt... so the analysis is just extremely skewed from the start.

It's amazing the cognitive dissonance though to not factor that ^.

[RRR3]

:roll:

You proved the point in your own post.

There's no "demonizing"... Lebron has legit had some of his worst finishing numbers ever against discount level centers.

Fellas like Indianguy want to talk numbers... if lebron and mj both played in the same era hed have a perfectly valid and unattackable point.

Unfortunately they didnt... so the analysis is just extremely skewed from the start.

It's amazing the cognitive dissonance though to not factor that ^.
He eviscerated the Pacers in 2012 and 2013 and the Knicks in 2012, but sure one series in 2011 means he's bad against "discount level centers".

[RRR3]

Ttrolls: LeBron can't score well against rim protectors


LeBron vs. peak Dwight Howard in the 09 playoffs: 38.5 PPG on 59.1 TS%




https://media1.giphy.com/media/p0RDMJGgMXF96/source.gif

[LeCroix]

ttrolls doesn't even watch lebron play. Anyone who thinks he isn't a skilled finisher is retarded.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n--pe1lbnqw


just from 2015-16

g.o.a.t.

[tpols]

Lebron had some peak playoff shooting performances against the magic.

He wasnt at all scoring at the rim at will... this guy is just citing overall ppg lmao.

Lebron in '09 had better crunchtime numbers than Kobe. They were both 1 and 2 by a loooong shot. His jumper was tight.

[RRR3]

Lebron had some peak playoff shooting performances against the magic.

He wasnt at all scoring at the rim at will... this guy is just citing overall ppg lmao.

Lebron in '09 had better crunchtime numbers than Kobe. They were both 1 and 2 by a loooong shot. His jumper was tight.
Meltdown. Seething at the facts smacking you right in the face.

[LostCause]

I’m pretty sure an old ISH user named Phila compiled the data for Jordan’s efficiency from different areas of the floor including at the rim for his prime seasons. Someone can find that info or I’ll just update this post with it later when I’m not on the road

[Lion's pride]

I read through most rather quickly and DID NOT SEE IT mentioned that in the 80 players could/did F u up at times (not just the bad boys). Lebron never had to deal with that, but they are both really the best 2 ever.. (with Julius)

neither had enough difference to overcome the other..

[PP34Deuce]

Some of you guys are using emotion for your arguement and some of you are just making hypotheticals. Both lebron and MJ are God tier finishers... neither one is a wrong answer. I personally believe Lebron is a better finisher by his percentages body and skill. This isnt about aesthetics it's about efficiency and lebron probably edges MJ out by a couple percentage points.