When it comes to efficient volume scoring MJ is on his own island

[2ball]

On April 27, 1997, Chris Webber and the Washington Bullets were visiting the Chicago Bulls for Game 2 of their first-round playoff series. It didn't go well.

Michael Jordan went off, scoring 55 points, equaling his highest output since he returned from retirement in 1995. It was an amazing display, but how he did it was telling.

MJ didn't nibble around the edges or hunt foul calls all night. He made just one 3-pointer. He had 10 points at the line. He scored 42 on 2-point field goals alone.

Jordan scored 20 of the Bulls' 23 points in the fourth quarter of a close game.

His usage rate was an absurd 45%, but he was efficient, needing just 35 shots to get his 55 points. The rest of the Bulls scored 54 points on 43 shots.

[light]

On April 27, 1997, Chris Webber and the Washington Bullets were visiting the Chicago Bulls for Game 2 of their first-round playoff series. It didn't go well.

Michael Jordan went off, scoring 55 points, equaling his highest output since he returned from retirement in 1995. It was an amazing display, but how he did it was telling.

MJ didn't nibble around the edges or hunt foul calls all night. He made just one 3-pointer. He had 10 points at the line. He scored 42 on 2-point field goals alone.

Jordan scored 20 of the Bulls' 23 points in the fourth quarter of a close game.

His usage rate was an absurd 45%, but he was efficient, needing just 35 shots to get his 55 points. The rest of the Bulls scored 54 points on 43 shots.

35 shots and 2 assists is shameful.

[Roundball_Rock]

35 shots and 2 assists is shameful.

On Jan. 16, for example, when Pippen was asked about Jordan's 64-point explosion in a 128-124 overtime loss that night to the Orlando Magic in Chicago, he just pointed to this stat: Jordan, 49 shots. After Jordan's 54-point gem in Game 4 of the Eastern finals, Pippen said, "Michael had a hot hand, but when that happens, there's a lot of isolation, and it allowed New York to get back into the game. It's not that we don't want him to get his points, but it makes it tough for others to step up when they need to."

That is the problem with ball hogging in a nutshell.

https://vault.si.com/vault/1993/06/1...t-named-jordan

[RRR3]

49 shots

[ThatCoolKid]

That is the problem with ball hogging in a nutshell.

https://vault.si.com/vault/1993/06/1...t-named-jordan

Great point. There is so much more to basketball than just jacking up shot attempts.

[Roundball_Rock]

Great point. There is so much more to basketball than just jacking up shot attempts.

The data suggest the Bulls' performed a lot better when MJ shared the ball versus when he hogged the ball:

Here is how the Bulls' did in the 10 games MJ took the most shots in his prime:

1996: 9-1 (63-9 in other games)
1993: 5-5 (52-20 in other games)
1992: 7-3 (60-12 in other games)
1991: 5-5 (56-16 in other games)
1990: 6-4 (49-23 in other games)
1989: 5-5 (42-30 in other games)
1988: 4-6 (46-26 in other games)
1987: 3-7 (37-35 in other games)

How about the 10 games MJ took the least shots?

1996: 10-0 (Bulls 17-0 when MJ took 18 or less shots)
1993: 9-1 (Bulls 15-1 when MJ took 21 or less shots)
1992: 10-0 (Bull 24-0 when MJ took 19 or less shots)
1991: 9-1 (Bulls 28-1 when MJ took 21 or less shots)
1990: 8-2
1989: 6-4
1988: 6-4
1987: 3-7

The Bulls were unbeatable when prime MJ shared the ball during the title years.

[Rico2016]

35 shots and 2 assists is shameful.

[2ball]

The thing is the the Bull’s HAD to rely on MJ’s 45% usage rate in order to win and MJ CAME through
20-23 points scored in the 4th quarter for the bulls was done by MJ

[Roundball_Rock]

Just like the Dream Team "needed" Jordan to take 40% more shots than the second shot taker and nearly double the third, right?

[Im so nba'd out]

"2ball"

[Soundwave]

Jordan took more shots on nights when his teammates didn't have it, that was a luxury for the Bulls that you could take 10-15 regular season games off a season or go run off for a Vegas vacation and still have a chance to win because you have the greatest scorer in the history of the sport.

It's not a downside. The point of the game is to score the damn ball through the hoop, you don't get extra cupcake points or a participation trophy for making 5 passes to get a basket rather than one.

[Indian guy]

There is no "right way" to play the game. Whatever style optimizes your wins is the right way for you. For the Bulls, it was clearly MJ doing what he does best - scoring. A lot. Once he had a solid enough team around him (1990), he pretty much never lost. And it's easy to see why. Efficient volume scoring is by far the most valuable skill you can bring on the basketball court. And MJ did it better than anybody in history.

[NBAGOAT]

Jordan took more shots on nights when his teammates didn't have it, that was a luxury for the Bulls that you could take 10-15 regular season games off a season or go run off for a Vegas vacation and still have a chance to win because you have the greatest scorer in the history of the sport.

It's not a downside. The point of the game is to score the damn ball through the hoop, you don't get extra cupcake points or a participation trophy for making 5 passes to get a basket rather than one.

you do for making a shot 55% of the time over 50% of a time. both teams have the same amount of possessions no the point is actually not to score the most points, it's to be more efficient than the other team on the same amount of possessions. a shot on a possession that's seen more quality passes(obviously just playing hot potato on the perimeter could easily be argued as a negative) is higher percentage than one that hasnt, the tracking data verifies it.

Ofc it's no problem for jordan his volume is on an island and he's very efficient. I put him on an island for career but I might not put him on an island for just individual seasons. kobe have volume seasons on fair efficiency. durant is behind on volume but has a clear edge in efficiency. curry lags in volume but no one has been as efficient as him the last 5 years(yes even accounting for era)

durant vs some jordan years

[Soundwave]

There is no "right way" to play the game. Whatever style optimizes your wins is the right way for you. For the Bulls, it was clearly MJ doing what he does best - scoring. A lot. Once he had a solid enough team around him (1990), he pretty much never lost. And it's easy to see why. Efficient volume scoring is by far the most valuable skill you can bring on the basketball court. And MJ did it better than anybody in history.

Exactly, some people act like daring to score the freaking basketball is a crime.

If you want to watch some wussified sport where players just pass the ball around and no one wants to shoot because someone else's feelings might be hurt, go watch figure skating instead, this isn't the sport for you.

Michael Jordan never even lost 3 games in a row from any point in the 1990s after November 1990. For an entire freaking decade basically. I don't think any basketball player can claim something like that, forget just winning at set times, dude just didn't lose much period once he was given a good squad to work with.

[HoopsNY]

It's pretty scary to think what the Bulls would have done if he didn't shoot as much during the late 80s. It's possible the Bulls go from a 50 to a 60 win team and add another title or two. Yikes.