Replaced Bryon Russell with 2020 LeBron. Do you think the Jazz wins the championship?

[Lebron23]

Against Chicago in 1998. Bron averaged 30/11/10 in the NBA Finals.

[coastalmarker99]

Of course, they win that year with Lebron



A fun fact about those finals for the Jazz is only one player besides Malone averaged over 10 points a game and that was jeff hornacek who averaged 10 points a game on 40 percent shooting.

Byron Russell at 6-21 led the team in threes for the 1998 Finals. John Stockton was 2-9 from three for the ENTIRE 1998 Finals. Combined. Jeff Hornacek was 3-9 from three for the ENTIRE 1998 Finals. Howard Eisley went 1-7 for the whole Finals. Chris Morris went 0-9.

The entire team was 13-60 combined. FOR THE ENTIRE SERIES. They shot 21.7% from three. Steve Kerr shot better from three than anyone on the Jazz in the 1998 Finals,

[coastalmarker99]

Malone had a fine series in the 1998 finals . 25, 10.5, 3.8 in 40.5 mpg. 50.4% FG, 78.9% FT, 55.3% TS, 106 ORTG. Still a remarkable drop-off from the RS, but it's not like Jordan was a 60% TS player in the series either, and 33.3% USG is hard. The Jazz had Malone taking 19.8 FGA/g against their team's 71.8 right, so that wasn't awesome and Malone was no Jordan.

HOWEVER... this series was not about Malone.

JH: 10.7 ppg, 34.2 mpg, 41.1% FG, 33.3% 3P, 50.1% TS, 96 ORTG

For the second straight Finals series, he was completely incompetent.

JS: 9.7 ppg, 8.7 apg, 32.3 mpg, 49.0% FG, 22.2% 3P, 53.9% TS, 103 ORTG

Stockton had no functional value to the Jazz in that series. Yes, he was technically better than the team average, but WHOOOOOO was he not at all helping Malone. He didn't have it in him to play the minutes and he'd never been a step-it-up scorer. His scoring had always kind of come and gone with his 3pt shot. After that, Bryon Russell, Shandon Anderson and Howard Eisley were never going to make the difference.

Malone logged 31/11/7 on 57.9% FG in a 1-point loss in the deciding Game 6 and all anyone remembers is him getting blindsided by Jordan in the final 20 seconds of the game when he was receiving an entry pass on the left block. There was basically nothing he could have done about it, but that's what people remember.


Not Russell getting crossed or the game flow, or his performance, just the turnover. Not that Stockton was 4/10 from the field and 1/4 from 3, or that Pippen only played 26 minutes and the Bulls still shot almost 51% from the floor, or that non-Jordan Bulls were 19/32 from the field (59.4% FG). They don't necessarily remember that Jordan put 45 on the Jazz that game, and had only 1 turnover against 35 shots. They remember the Steal, the Cross and the Jimmy.

Thought added, though. Chicago was down 3 after the first quarter. Down 4 at the half.

Then the Jazz stank it up super hard in the 3rd quarter and only scored 17 points on 33% FG... but holy crap, Chicago only scored 16. Then they got outscored 26-20 in the fourth as Jordan went to work and scored 16 points. Rodman got all up in Malone's business in the second half and frustrated him after he exploded in the first half, but no one else was able to step up and get him some breathing room, either.

This is a fantastic example if Malone had an AS-caliber second scorer, the Jazz had a really good chance to push the series to Game 7 and maybe even win. In the absence of such a player, they basically didn't even have a real shot at the title, regardless of winning two games. It's a lot like the 90s equivalent of the Sixers taking one against the Lakers in 2001.

This is the sort of reason why I don't hold Malone's lack of a RING against him. I try not to hold his struggles against Rodman against him too much, given that he was also in his mid-30s at the time, though it fits the pattern. The point being, there's very much truth to the notion that his lack of a ring is directly related to the quality of help he did or did not have.

It wasn't like the Bulls were the prime Bulls. Chicago had 3 guys over 35 in their top-7 and Pippen had missed half that season with an injury and wasn't close to his peak). Playing against the strong but aging defensive group of MJ/Scottie/Rodman (36 years old) surrounded by not so great players (Longley, Kukoc, Kerr) and a washed 35yo Harper, Utah supporting cast besides Malone managed the following numbers in the finals.

Stockton: 9-2-8 on 49% shooting, only hit 2 threes all series Hornacek: 11-3-3 on 41% shooting, only hit 3 threes all series Russell (added to the starting lineup to guard Jordan): 9-5-0 on 41% shooting Malone: 25-10-5 on 50% shooting Keefe: 3-3-0 on 43% shooting Foster: 1-2-0 on 27% shooting Ostertag: 2-2-0 on 42% shooting

And also in game 3 of the series the jazz would only score 54 points and Malone had 22 points to himself and in-game 5 Malone would go off for 39 points on 63 per cent only one player besides Malone scored 10 points in that game for the Jazz and that was Antoine Carr who made all five of his field-goal attempts. Malone almost scored half of his team's points in that game. The jazz only scored 83 points for the game and yet with Malone putting up an all-time great performance they only won by two and they would have lost in 5 if Antoine carr did not have the game of his life in that game 5.

[Thenameless]

Yeah, he'd probably make the difference. That's a huge upgrade from Bryon Russell.

[Bawkish]

Even in fantasy matchups, Bron still colludes

[TAZORAC]

You could have replaced Russell with any good SF who does more then 3 and D.

Russell was Jae Crowder

[Lebron23]

Even in fantasy matchups, Bron still colludes

Bulls were stacked in 1998

[kawhileonard2]

Bulls were stacked in 1998

With only one guy who made the allstar team.

[iamgine]

No, they'd be disqualified for illegally going way over the cap.

[HoopsNY]

Add any top 5 player to any losing finals team and they probably win it.

[Bawkish]

Bulls were stacked in 1998

yup, they were stacked by injuries, GM issues and old age

[Axe]

Most likely

[tpols]

Malone had a fine series in the 1998 finals . 25, 10.5, 3.8 in 40.5 mpg. 50.4% FG, 78.9% FT, 55.3% TS, 106 ORTG. Still a remarkable drop-off from the RS, but it's not like Jordan was a 60% TS player in the series either, and 33.3% USG is hard. The Jazz had Malone taking 19.8 FGA/g against their team's 71.8 right, so that wasn't awesome and Malone was no Jordan.

HOWEVER... this series was not about Malone.

JH: 10.7 ppg, 34.2 mpg, 41.1% FG, 33.3% 3P, 50.1% TS, 96 ORTG

For the second straight Finals series, he was completely incompetent.

JS: 9.7 ppg, 8.7 apg, 32.3 mpg, 49.0% FG, 22.2% 3P, 53.9% TS, 103 ORTG

Stockton had no functional value to the Jazz in that series. Yes, he was technically better than the team average, but WHOOOOOO was he not at all helping Malone. He didn't have it in him to play the minutes and he'd never been a step-it-up scorer. His scoring had always kind of come and gone with his 3pt shot. After that, Bryon Russell, Shandon Anderson and Howard Eisley were never going to make the difference.

Malone logged 31/11/7 on 57.9% FG in a 1-point loss in the deciding Game 6 and all anyone remembers is him getting blindsided by Jordan in the final 20 seconds of the game when he was receiving an entry pass on the left block. There was basically nothing he could have done about it, but that's what people remember.


Not Russell getting crossed or the game flow, or his performance, just the turnover. Not that Stockton was 4/10 from the field and 1/4 from 3, or that Pippen only played 26 minutes and the Bulls still shot almost 51% from the floor, or that non-Jordan Bulls were 19/32 from the field (59.4% FG). They don't necessarily remember that Jordan put 45 on the Jazz that game, and had only 1 turnover against 35 shots. They remember the Steal, the Cross and the Jimmy.

Thought added, though. Chicago was down 3 after the first quarter. Down 4 at the half.

Then the Jazz stank it up super hard in the 3rd quarter and only scored 17 points on 33% FG... but holy crap, Chicago only scored 16. Then they got outscored 26-20 in the fourth as Jordan went to work and scored 16 points. Rodman got all up in Malone's business in the second half and frustrated him after he exploded in the first half, but no one else was able to step up and get him some breathing room, either.

This is a fantastic example if Malone had an AS-caliber second scorer, the Jazz had a really good chance to push the series to Game 7 and maybe even win. In the absence of such a player, they basically didn't even have a real shot at the title, regardless of winning two games. It's a lot like the 90s equivalent of the Sixers taking one against the Lakers in 2001.

This is the sort of reason why I don't hold Malone's lack of a RING against him. I try not to hold his struggles against Rodman against him too much, given that he was also in his mid-30s at the time, though it fits the pattern. The point being, there's very much truth to the notion that his lack of a ring is directly related to the quality of help he did or did not have.

It wasn't like the Bulls were the prime Bulls. Chicago had 3 guys over 35 in their top-7 and Pippen had missed half that season with an injury and wasn't close to his peak). Playing against the strong but aging defensive group of MJ/Scottie/Rodman (36 years old) surrounded by not so great players (Longley, Kukoc, Kerr) and a washed 35yo Harper, Utah supporting cast besides Malone managed the following numbers in the finals.

Stockton: 9-2-8 on 49% shooting, only hit 2 threes all series Hornacek: 11-3-3 on 41% shooting, only hit 3 threes all series Russell (added to the starting lineup to guard Jordan): 9-5-0 on 41% shooting Malone: 25-10-5 on 50% shooting Keefe: 3-3-0 on 43% shooting Foster: 1-2-0 on 27% shooting Ostertag: 2-2-0 on 42% shooting

And also in game 3 of the series the jazz would only score 54 points and Malone had 22 points to himself and in-game 5 Malone would go off for 39 points on 63 per cent only one player besides Malone scored 10 points in that game for the Jazz and that was Antoine Carr who made all five of his field-goal attempts. Malone almost scored half of his team's points in that game. The jazz only scored 83 points for the game and yet with Malone putting up an all-time great performance they only won by two and they would have lost in 5 if Antoine carr did not have the game of his life in that game 5.

Damn Stockton is overrated big time. Imagine Curry on those Jazz giving Karl 30+ as help. His scoring motor and accuracy from range blow Stockton away.

[BlackMamba8]

Bulls were stacked in 1998

I swear bro you make filipinos look bad....smh, if I was your family member I would disown you and have you parking my cars

[BigShotBob]

Damn Stockton is overrated big time. Imagine Curry on those Jazz giving Karl 30+ as help. His scoring motor and accuracy from range blow Stockton away.

Not sure when anyone compared Stockton to Curry but as a pure point guard they aren't even close.

[Spurs m8]

Who fvcking cares hhahahahha

Like, it's a different era...who's saying brons putting up those numbers against actual defense, to begin with....

Also, he buckles with pressure, he wasn't playing against away crowds during his mickey mouse stint.

Such a short sighted, simpleton thread

[deathawaitu]

Na
Any version of Lebron would not win

Lebron is too beta. The kid can’t play in the big boy era

Lebron will be too busy crying and flopping

[Spurs m8]

PS. Jordan would average over 40ppg in todays league....

[SouBeachTalents]

This gives “Oubre > Klay” serious competition for dumbest thread of the season