Would MJ ever be a 2nd option

[AirBonner]

If he teamed up with any nba player throughout history? If so who?

[AirBonner]

Personally I think he’d take a backseat to Shaq and be a super Kobe

[Manny98]

He played second fiddle to Charles Barkley on the 92 dream team

https://i.postimg.cc/VsS6z910/Screenshot-20200609-235235.jpg

[LAmbruh]

He played second fiddle to Charles Barkley on the 92 dream team

https://i.postimg.cc/VsS6z910/Screenshot-20200609-235235.jpg
And just like that

[AirBonner]

He played second fiddle to Charles Barkley on the 92 dream team

https://i.postimg.cc/VsS6z910/Screenshot-20200609-235235.jpg

Damn didn’t realize that

[BigShotBob]

No one. Ever. Not even Wilt.

End thread.

[Axe]

Mj should have been a role player

[Roundball_Rock]

MJ was "the man" on the DT. The reason Barkley scored more is he was massively more efficient than MJ. Barkley was second on the team in shots but that still was 40% less than MJ but Barkley offset the deficit and outscored MJ with insane efficiency.

You could argue MJ would be a second option to Kareem, Wilt, even peak Shaq. With LeBron MJ would still be the primary scorer but LeBron arguably would be the more important player on the team when full responsibilities are factored in. Beyond these guys, MJ would be the clear 1a at worst if not the clear #1.

[AirBonner]

MJ was "the man" on the DT. The reason Barkley scored more is he was massively more efficient than MJ. Barkley was second on the team in shots but that still was 40% less than MJ but Barkley offset the deficit and outscored MJ with insane efficiency.

You could argue MJ would be a second option to Kareem, Wilt, even peak Shaq. With LeBron MJ would still be the primary scorer but LeBron arguably would be the more important player on the team when full responsibilities are factored in. Beyond these guys, MJ would be the clear 1a at worst if not the clear #1.

I tend to agree with this. It is interesting tho that Barkley was that insanely good once surrounded by talent. I actually think Barkley would be the more potent scorer than MJ

[Roundball_Rock]

I tend to agree with this. It is interesting tho that Barkley was that insanely good once surrounded by talent. I actually think Barkley would be the more potent scorer than MJ

DT coach Daly said Barkley could score at will. The debate was Barkley vs. Malone as the best PF but the two on the same team should have ended it, at least as far as prime vs. prime is concerned.

Barkley had bad luck with his "casts." The Sixers traded an old but still good Moses for whatever reason. His second best player when he hit his prime in Philly was Hersey Hawkins. When he went to Phoenix he joined a second star but Kevin Johnson choked so badly in the 93' Finals that Suns' fans booed him off the floor. So Barkley finally gets a good team, has a MVP season, makes it to the finals and his #2 option wets the bed. After that Barkley started to decline due to injuries and aging. 93' was his big shot at it and KJ failed him.

[light]

If he teamed up with any nba player throughout history? If so who?

He was with James Worthy and he was on the Dream Team.

It depends on the team. If he played with LeBron he would average more points but LeBron would average more total points and run the offense so he would essentially be the 2nd option.

[3ball]

He played second fiddle to Charles Barkley on the 92 dream team

https://i.postimg.cc/VsS6z910/Screenshot-20200609-235235.jpg

So the answer is yes - jordan will be a 2nd option when it's not competitive (when his goat scoring isn't needed.

Oh wow - 4.6 steals per game going 40% speed... GOAT

[Elosha]

MJ was "the man" on the DT. The reason Barkley scored more is he was massively more efficient than MJ. Barkley was second on the team in shots but that still was 40% less than MJ but Barkley offset the deficit and outscored MJ with insane efficiency.

You could argue MJ would be a second option to Kareem, Wilt, even peak Shaq. With LeBron MJ would still be the primary scorer but LeBron arguably would be the more important player on the team when full responsibilities are factored in. Beyond these guys, MJ would be the clear 1a at worst if not the clear #1.

Maybe, but it's more likely that the opposite would be true and that they would be second to him. Of course this is just a hypothetical so no one would know. Assuming OP is talking about players who are the same age. If Jordan came in as a rookie on one of their teams when they were in their prime, that would be a different matter. But that could be said about anyone.

If Kobe were older and in his prime and Shaq joined the team as a rookie, you can bet that Shaq would have deferred to Kobe for many years, until Kobe was past his prime. Basically the opposite of what really happened. that's not to say that I believe Kobe is as good of a player as Shaq in real life, it's simply how things play out when you're talking about top players with a great age difference.

As for LeBron, he would be a playing the role of a better Scottie Pippen but would still defer to MJ since Jordan's scoring skill set is greater. he get a couple more rebounds and assists than Jordan, but Jordan would still be putting up good boards/assists and would likely get more steals, fewer turnovers, and significantly more points. They would work well together but there would be a clear difference between the two.

[Elosha]

I tend to agree with this. It is interesting tho that Barkley was that insanely good once surrounded by talent. I actually think Barkley would be the more potent scorer than MJ

The 1993 Finals would like to have a word with you.

[Round Mound]

Damn didn’t realize that

They should add FG%. Barkley was one of the most efficient scorers of all time. PPG Avg doesn't tell you the whole story.

[Phoenix]

Barkley was considered better than Malone from the late 80s through early 90s. Right after MJ and Magic he was in the MVP conversation and nobody was putting Mailman in there. And it's for good reason. Barkley was a more talented and explosive player. Had a much wider set of skills. Was a more dominant peak rebounder. Mailman outlasted him due to conditioning but peak for peak? Sir Charles was better, and decisively so.

As for who does MJ take 2nd second option to, being over the course of basketball history asides the last 10-15 years where post play has been rendered obsolete, a coach would rightfully have MJ play off Kareem, Wilt, Shaq, I would say even Hakeem as far as upper tier bigs go. That's just smart, conventional inside-out basketball.

[Roundball_Rock]

Maybe, but it's more likely that the opposite would be true and that they would be second to him. Of course this is just a hypothetical so no one would know. Assuming OP is talking about players who are the same age. If Jordan came in as a rookie on one of their teams when they were in their prime, that would be a different matter. But that could be said about anyone.


True, I forgot the second part of the equation: those guys could have been the second option to MJ as well (assuming as you do everyone is same age, primes, etc.).


They should add FG%. Barkley was one of the most efficient scorers of all time. PPG Avg doesn't tell you the whole story.

I was looking up efficiency numbers and Barkley's jumped off the page. I will do a post about Malone/Stockton and include Barkley as a comp for Malone.

Barkley got hosed by bad luck with his teams.


a coach would rightfully have MJ play off Kareem, Wilt, Shaq, I would say even Hakeem as far as upper tier bigs go. That's just smart, conventional inside-out basketball.

Initially but I could see MJ emerging as the #1 (really 1a if we are talking these caliber of players).

[Phoenix]

Initially but I could see MJ emerging as the #1 (really 1a if we are talking these caliber of players).

The closest example of such( to my memory and experience anyway) was probably Shaq and Kobe in 2001. it's reasonable to extrapolate from that how that would go with MJ and Shaq. Generally speaking though, even if MJ ended up averaging more points( which is what happened with Shaq and Kobe eventually), you gotta run it through the post in that situation. Shaq is going to draw so much gravity in there that it's going to open up the game for anyone playing off him. MJ and Shaq both requiring double teams and running a little two man game would be murder. Same as we saw with Shaq and Kobe in the 01 playoffs. There's just not much you can do with that.

[Roundball_Rock]

Good points.