Kevin McHale Explains The Difference Between Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, And Magic

[eliteballer]

"People always say to me could Magic and Larry play in today's game? Are you kidding me? And they say what's the difference between those three guys? Here's the difference between those guys and I saw it many many times. Larry and Magic could control the game by taking 10 shots. They'd have 17 points, 15 rebounds, 12 assists, 4 steals, if you got Michael Jordan take 10 shots, you control him."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/kevin-mchale-explains-the-difference-between-michael-jordan-larry-bird-and-magic-johnson-larry-and-magic-could-control-the-game-by-taking-10-shots/ar-AA16DR75?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=088744fa3e3d4dbf920efc1eb809e16a

[kawhileonard2]

If MJ took 10 shots a game the team would be in last place. Easy to do with Kareem and Worthy and Mchale and Parish on the squad and even others like Mcadoo and DJ.

[Kblaze8855]

Other than 98 every bulls team from the 90s would’ve been fine if Jordan took 10 shots because to do so he would probably have to limit himself to layups and dunks so he would probably shoot 78% and be defensive player of the year and average 10 to 12 assists a night. He’s probably gonna get a few free throws as well and average 19/11/9 back then focusing on other things.


Might not win but they wouldn’t be anything close to last place. People were writing that bullshit before 94. If they still had him only focusing on D and the total game they probably go from 55 to 60 something that year.

[Full Court]

Other than 98 every bulls team from the 90s would’ve been fine if Jordan took 10 shots because to do so he would probably have to limit himself to layups and dunks so he would probably shoot 78% and be defensive player of the year and average 10 to 12 assists a night. He’s probably gonna get a few free throws as well and average 19/11/9 back then focusing on other things.

I don't know about that. The Bulls were a crazy good defensive team, but they weren't great offensively without Jordan's fire power. Pippen could score when he needed to.....and who else could produce volume? Maybe Grant?

[iamgine]

The quote is a bit retardedly said. In essence he's only saying MJ's more of a scorer while Bird and Magic's more all around. Which is true.

It's like saying Shaq's game is more strength based and Divac's game is more all around.

[Wardell Curry]

If you limited Shaquille to only shoot 3s
If you forced LeBron to stay away from the rim
If you never fouled James Harden
If you restricted Steph from shooting any 3s
If you cut off one of Kobe's legs

If, if, if, if

Just another all time great player with just another all time poorly thought out bitter take that doesn't mean anything.

[Kblaze8855]

I don't know about that. The Bulls were a crazy good defensive team, but they weren't great offensively without Jordan's fire power. Pippen could score when he needed to.....and who else could produce volume? Maybe Grant?


I feel this is an issue of people thinking that because something happened the way it did it couldn’t happen any other way. Dude tells us they would be in last place if Jordan barely shot. They won 55 without him there at all. They were over 500 without Jordan and Grant. The opening night starting lineup was BJ, Harper, Pippen, Perdue, and Krystkowiak. They were 34-31 when Jordan returned.

But had Jordan been there simply focused on defense and play making and picking his spot only scoring when it would be stupid not to like wilt did in Philadelphia they would be 20 or 25 games worse?

Nah.

And I’m not talking about something stupid like a literal shot count where he gets pulled when he hits 10 but just generally playing like a magic or Reggie Miller, who might average 12 or 13 shots, but has plenty of nights going seven for 10 or whatever.

While he was gone, BJ Armstrong had a month doing like 18 a game with 16-17 after and right before he came back Kukoc had a three month stretch of something like 17-18 five and five. The night Jordan came back. He took more shots than Coco did in any game of his entire career. Five games later, when Jordan had 55 Toni was one of six, which was the least shots he’d taken in three months.

and my point isn’t that he shouldn’t shoot my point is there was clearly room for other people to stay more involved. There is no way any team he was on after the 80s would have been bad if he shot half as much. That’s just a misconception from assuming the way it was is the only way it could be.

For the most part, he was scoring so much because he was choosing to lead the league in scoring because it motivated him. And for the record, I don’t have a problem with it because it was obviously effective, and he obviously had the skill to dominate that way, but it is what it is. Just playing naturally, with no concern for scoring more than anybody? I don’t know what his scores but whatever it is, would be comfortably made up by the rest of the team.

Jordan could do whatever he wanted. He could have been a 4 time DPOY and led the league in assists a time or two if Stockton were doing 15 a game that particular year.

He could win any way he chose to. No way any of those teams are bad no matter what Jordan focused on.

[Im Still Ballin]

Kevin speaks the truth. Wise man!