How come Jordan didn't guard Larry Bird in 1987 playoffs?

[HBK_Kliq_2]

How come Jordan didn't guard Larry Bird in 1987 playoffs?

Larry Bird won MVP in the last 3 seasons leading up to that series. This wasn't a lucky series like when Durant beat Kawhi in 2016 and Spurs still had a higher offensive rating. Celtics flat out torched Bulls with a 118 offensive rating!

Bird averaged 26 points and 9 assists on 67% TS, McHale only played 2 games and nobody else on Celtics averaged 20 PPG. Jordan's bulls played zero defense in the pre Pippen era. There wasn't as much screen/switches back then, so Jordan had no excuses and should of guarded Bird.

[2ball]

3ball? Looks to me Kawhi always takes the more difficult defensive assignments compared to MJ

[HBK_Kliq_2]

And magic beat the celtics that year despite having a washed up Kareem.

[8Ball]

You really want to put a smaller defender on Bird?

Bird would shoot over him.

[light]

How come Jordan didn't guard Larry Bird in 1987 playoffs?

Larry Bird won MVP in the last 3 seasons leading up to that series. This wasn't a lucky series like when Durant beat Kawhi in 2016 and Spurs still had a higher offensive rating. Celtics flat out torched Bulls with a 118 offensive rating!

Bird averaged 26 points and 9 assists on 67% TS, McHale only played 2 games and nobody else on Celtics averaged 20 PPG. Jordan's bulls played zero defense in the pre Pippen era. There wasn't as much screen/switches back then, so Jordan had no excuses and should of guarded Bird.

Jordan was too small. Especially in 1987 when he was still very skinny and probably only 180 pounds. Bird was a good 6'10 220 (he was listed at 6'9 but many think he was taller - Jordan, on the other hand, was listed at 6'6 but was actually 6'5).

[Mr. Woke]

Jordan is scared of great white players.

He dominated Jeff Hornacek who looked like a damn corporate manager and who was clearly not a challenge for him.

[1987_Lakers]

And magic beat the celtics that year despite having a washed up Kareem.

That was probably the Lakers at their peak as a team. McHale also played in the Finals with a broken foot, Parish was also banged up, No Walton.

But MJ was too small for Bird, in the small stretches he did guard Bird from '86-'88, Bird would just post him up and score with ease for the most part, MJ didn't have the size or strength. Bird is probably the only player in history that outplayed MJ on a consistent bases.

[Roundball_Rock]

And magic beat the celtics that year despite having a washed up Kareem.

KAJ put up 19 PPG in the playoffs and 22 in the finals. He was no longer an elite player by 87', but he was still all-star caliber.

[HBK_Kliq_2]

Jordan was too small. Especially in 1987 when he was still very skinny and probably only 180 pounds. Bird was a good 6'10 220 (he was listed at 6'9 but many think he was taller - Jordan, on the other hand, was listed at 6'6 but was actually 6'5).

Smaller defenders shut down dirk in the 2007 playoffs. Jordan's athleticism could of gave Bird problems.

[HBK_Kliq_2]

That was probably the Lakers at their peak as a team. McHale also played in the Finals with a broken foot, Parish was also banged up, No Walton.

But MJ was too small for Bird, in the small stretches he did guard Bird from '86-'88, Bird would just post him up and score with ease for the most part, MJ didn't have the size or strength. Bird is probably the only player in history that outplayed MJ on a consistent bases.


KAJ put up 19 PPG in the playoffs and 22 in the finals. He was no longer an elite player by 87', but he was still all-star caliber.

2.5 BPM and 0.6 VORP, that's not really all-star level numbers by Kareem. 1987 Lakers was about Magic's peak but Kareem was definitely passed his prime.

[Roundball_Rock]

He was 19/7/2 in the playoffs on a stacked team. If he played on a normal team his numbers would have been better. He had something left in the tank as a scorer and he would always give you something as a rebounder no matter how old simply because he was so tall. :oldlol:

In the finals, KAJ was 22/7/1. As a comparison, Worthy was 21/5/4, McHale 21/9/2, Parish 17/7/1 in the same series. These were all HOF players in their primes and KAJ more than held his own.

[Smoke117]

Larry Bird has stated that aside from Michael Cooper, Pippen was the best defensive player he ever faced. This is Pippen before his peak in the mid 90s, too, obviously.

[2ball]

He was 19/7/2 in the playoffs on a stacked team. If he played on a normal team his numbers would have been better. He had something left in the tank as a scorer and he would always give you something as a rebounder no matter how old simply because he was so tall. :oldlol:

In the finals, KAJ was 22/7/1. As a comparison, Worthy was 21/5/4, McHale 21/9/2, Parish 17/7/1 in the same series. These were all HOF players in their primes and KAJ more than held his own.
People treating him like he’s a scrub or something yet was putting up better stats than prime Bosh/Love lol

[Roundball_Rock]

Larry Bird has stated that aside from Michael Cooper, Pippen was the best defensive player he ever faced. This is Pippen before his peak in the mid 90s, too, obviously.

Yup, yet you have a cadre of people saying Pippen was a fraud defensively. :lol


People treating him like he’s a scrub or something yet was putting up better stats than prime Bosh/Love lol

:oldlol: Which shows you how great KAJ was: prime Bosh/Love (or prime McHale/Parish/Worthy) numbers are "washed up" if he does it. :bowdown:

[Smoke117]

Yup, yet you have a cadre of people saying Pippen was a fraud defensively. :lol



:oldlol: Which shows you how great KAJ was: prime Bosh/Love (or prime McHale/Parish/Worthy) numbers are "washed up" if he does it. :bowdown:

I dunno about all that. Besides 3ball and the sickest of Jordan stans, I've never really seen anyone try and downplay Pippen's defensive prowess.

[Roundball_Rock]

I dunno about all that. Besides 3ball and sickest of Jordan stans, I've never really seen anyone try and downplay Pippen's defensive prowess.

Carbine was on that hobby horse in the "Every Bulls Playoff" game thread. He is a MJ stan but a legitimate poster, unlike 3ball and co. But yeah, it is still very rare. Defense is the one thing they will usually give him credit for. :lol

[Manny98]

Because he can't

[r0drig0lac]

Jesus...

[HBK_Kliq_2]

He was 19/7/2 in the playoffs on a stacked team. If he played on a normal team his numbers would have been better. He had something left in the tank as a scorer and he would always give you something as a rebounder no matter how old simply because he was so tall. :oldlol:

In the finals, KAJ was 22/7/1. As a comparison, Worthy was 21/5/4, McHale 21/9/2, Parish 17/7/1 in the same series. These were all HOF players in their primes and KAJ more than held his own.

He was on the team with peak magic aka goat point guard. That made things super easy on kareem. A rebuild team he wouldn't do much better or retire early like 1999 Jordan. Kareem was spoon fed every season in 1980s outside of 1980, similar to how Davis was by LeBron.

[HBK_Kliq_2]

Jesus...

Just be happy that Kawhi was able to check LeBron. If not, your spurs would of got lit up by LeBron like Bulls did by Bird this year.

[SATAN]

I want nothing more than to suck Kayike's dick

We know

[1987_Lakers]

He was on the team with peak magic aka goat point guard. That made things super easy on kareem. A rebuild team he wouldn't do much better or retire early like 1999 Jordan. Kareem was spoon fed every season in 1980s outside of 1980, similar to how Davis was by LeBron.

Spoon fed? Have you ever heard of the sky hook?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sc5YqFNAjg

How many of those shots are spoon fed?

[Roundball_Rock]

Spoon fed? Have you ever heard of the sky hook?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sc5YqFNAjg

How many of those shots are spoon fed?

Good video. That isn't AD getting fed a bunch of dunks under the basket.

Magic missed time a couple of times. KAJ's numbers improved without Magic.

1981 (32 games):


The Lakers were only marginally better on offense and defense without Johnson. (The negative defensive change is good.) Consistent with historical results, the best isolation player — the player least dependent on others for his offense, Jabbar — didn’t need Magic at all. (Kareem’s numbers were actually better without Johnson.) Jamaal Wilkes, another skilled scorer, didn’t miss him either.

https://backpicks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/81-Lakers-without-Magic.png

1984 (15 games):


The Lakers actually shot more efficiently without Johnson. This is a small sample, so it shouldn’t be viewed as definitive, but look at what happened to James Worthy. He increased his scoring and efficiency over those 15 games without Magic, which reflects his considerable skill as a scorer. Like Kareem in ’81, Worthy didn’t need Magic for his offense and was capable of ramping up if given more touches. Cooper, the de facto backup point guard, spiked his assists by 50 percent while pinch-hitting for Magic, averaging 9.3 per 36 minutes. (Magic himself averaged 12.3 per 36 that year.)

https://backpicks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/84-Lakers-without-Magic-1.png

[HBK_Kliq_2]

Good video. That isn't AD getting fed a bunch of dunks under the basket.

Magic missed time a couple of times. KAJ's numbers improved without Magic.

1981 (32 games):



https://backpicks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/81-Lakers-without-Magic.png

1984 (15 games):



https://backpicks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/84-Lakers-without-Magic-1.png

Was he a better player then Charles Oakley at that point? Oakley put up 20 points and 15 rebounds a game vs Celtics.

Magic's advanced numbers also kill Kareems, so he was doing most of the world.

Bucks also took celtics to 7