11 asst per game, but he's a bad passer

[paksat]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS_sFID7S4Q&t=446s

go ahead, let's hear it

[3ball]

The only player to average 10+ without playing PG

[plowking]

No one said MJ was ever a bad passer, but he was clearly playing for stats in that series. Because he could, since the Lakers were old and on their last legs.

Jordan always had this obsession to be viewed as the better all around player compared to Magic. Hence the stat checking run he went through while playing PG for that span of games back in the day where he was on his triple double run.

[3ball]

No one said MJ was ever a bad passer, but he was clearly playing for stats in that series. Because he could, since the Lakers were old and on their last legs.

Jordan always had this obsession to be viewed as the better all around player compared to Magic. Hence the stat checking run he went through while playing PG for that span of games back in the day where he was on his triple double run.

Ha

That's literally the best anyone has ever played - you should watch the last minute of game 3 and the OT

[Elosha]

No one said MJ was ever a bad passer, but he was clearly playing for stats in that series. Because he could, since the Lakers were old and on their last legs.

Jordan always had this obsession to be viewed as the better all around player compared to Magic. Hence the stat checking run he went through while playing PG for that span of games back in the day where he was on his triple double run.

I respect a lot of what you say, even if I don't always agree. However, that bold statement above is really questionable. And a LeBron fan claiming Jordan played for stats sure has a lot of confidence in their glass house.

Jordan played that well in that 91 series simply because he could. I believe he understood the Bulls, himself included, were nervous being in their first Finals against Magic and Lakers and he wanted to get his teammates involved quickly and help facilitate a degree of equitable scoring, so that Scottie, Horace, Paxon and others could quickly see that they too could have success against the Lakers defenders. Thus Jordan passed a lot, and to their credit the other Bulls hit their shots extremely efficiently.

Still that series was much closer than people believe. If the Lakers would have won game 3, who knows what would have happened. That was Jordan's worse shooting game, and if he hadn't hit the game-tying basket and then broken the game open in OT, who knows how the series would have turned out. If the Bulls had then lost in 91, people could legitimately point out that Jordan's relatively poor game led to the Bulls ultimate defeat.

But of course, even with MJ's last minute heroics, other players' contributions get lost. Cliff Levingston came off the bench, scoring, rebounding and blocking shots in the second half, leading the Bulls back from being down by over 10, and putting them in the position to be in striking distance. Pippen, Grant, and Paxon all hit big shots and played solidly. It was team effort, and that's why Jordan's decisions to pass and wrack up assists was so effective.

[hiphopanonymous]

The only player to average 10+ without playing PG

Wilt averaged over 10 assists per game several rounds of Playoffs

vs Royals and Celtics in '67 - if we're talking players to average over 10 per game in playoff rounds

[SouBeachTalents]

Wilt averaged over 10 assists per game several rounds of Playoffs

vs Royals and Celtics in '67 - if we're talking players to average over 10 per game in playoff rounds

I'm sure Bird did it at least once too

[hiphopanonymous]

I'm sure Bird did it at least once too

9.5 assists vs the 1986 Rockets Finals, 9.0 vs the Bulls in 1987, 8.8 vs Knicks in 1990, 8.6 vs Pacers in 1991

But most other playoff series are between 3 and 7 assists per game I just combed through his career, there might have been one or two others at about 8 so surprisingly he didn't quite crack 10 but got real close in the '86 series.

Even if you are taking on a facilitating role for a season all of this stuff is still really match up dependent - all players, MJ included, react to what the defense gives them and some matchups you need to score more, others you need to facilitate more because it only makes sense that way with what you are given. Some players, like perhaps Bird, would be capable of 10 or more assists if the match up was just right but since Playoffs are reserved only for the best few teams you may never run into a team that warrants that much assist work

[paksat]

Wilt averaged over 10 assists per game several rounds of Playoffs

vs Royals and Celtics in '67 - if we're talking players to average over 10 per game in playoff rounds

finals is what he meant

[LostCause]

No one said MJ was ever a bad passer, but he was clearly playing for stats in that series. Because he could, since the Lakers were old and on their last legs.

This isn't the sort of take someone who watched the series would say. Even still, with all the trolling on this forum, this is the first I've ever heard of someone being accused of statpadding their first time in the Finals (which they won)

Ridiculous

[Manny98]

The only player to average 10+ without playing PG

No for a single series LeBron averaged 11.4 assists against the Raptors

And last season he averaged 9.1 assists for the entire season (most for a non pg)

[Manny98]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS_sFID7S4Q&t=446s

go ahead, let's hear it

What are you trying to prove?

MJ is regarded by most as a top 10 passer (maybe top 5) all time out of non pgs so why are you MJ fans so insecure about everything he's still the consensus GOAT by the majority so relax

[Uncle Drew]

A lot of assists don't make you a good passer.

[SpaceJam2]

No one said MJ was ever a bad passer, but he was clearly playing for stats in that series. Because he could, since the Lakers were old and on their last legs.

Jordan always had this obsession to be viewed as the better all around player compared to Magic. Hence the stat checking run he went through while playing PG for that span of games back in the day where he was on his triple double run.

This - How has it been this many years and people still do not know this?

Ha

That's literally the best anyone has ever played - you should watch the last minute of game 3 and the OT

Ha

No

He didn't even have a top 5 GameScore game in that whole series. There's a pic somewhere I'll find it for you

[LostCause]

Ha

No

He didn't even have a top 5 GameScore game in that whole series. There's a pic somewhere I'll find it for you

Oh, he must not have had a "Top 5 Gamescore" for the whole series either huh. Mind making an image showing those for us curious?

Also whats so special about Gamescore? Just saw it on a site and thought it sounded smart?