What if jordan played today

Spencer Dinwiddie: These dudes are high. Basketball just like everything else follows a path of evolution. Practically undefeated. Won NCAA championship all 3 years he played. Longevity in NBA, titles, all time scorer and single most unstoppable shot. Since Thomas competed against some of the greatest players of all time, I ask him before he gets off the phone to rank, , the best players of all time based on his first-hand experience -- those he saw, those he competed against.

J "None of them can adequately tell their story without the Detroit Pistons," he says. Jamal Crawford: C'mon man. If we say this dude isn't already one of the best players to ever play. This is what the future of basketball will look like. LeBron James had it since he came into the league, I mean he could go play middle linebacker or tight end for the Dallas Cowboys right now…. First, on Jordan, Falk went on and on about how he would not only dominate today's NBA if he were in his prime, he would basically be twice as good as he was.

If you couldn't hand-check him, he would be completely unstoppable," Falk said. He's in a different league. If you don't see that with your eyes, maybe the doctor's office can help because you should have an eye test," he said. Aw nevermind. But surely, in terms of ability and influence, they are both included in the top five best players in history.

LeBron is just a physical freak of nature. They changed the rules for you so that you could dominate. We didn't have that back then. With what [Kevin Durant] and LeBron are doing, if you put them back in the era of the '80s, with their talent, their athleticism and their skill, who's the GOAT?

He played the game from the four, the five position. Frazier also cited rule changes designed to limit Chamberlain, who famously dumped points on the Knicks. If not for Wilt and Bill Russell. Mike is right there with those guys, but if I had to pick, it would be Chamberlain.

Malone sided with the player he grew up watching Jordan instead of the player he coached as an assistant with the Cleveland Cavaliers James. Michael obviously is up there and is the greatest of all time," Malone said Tuesday in a Zoom call with reporters. I coached LeBron James for five years and have a great relationship with him. LeBron did not have the same mindset or killer mentality that Michael Jordan is supposed to have had.

But LeBron James is arguably the greatest of all time as well. Tacko Fall: Who are your top 5 basketball players of all-time? There's no way I can pick 5, there are so many. I look at Ja Morant and Anthony Davis. That is something that Jordan recently responded to that query. Throughout the better part of the last three decades, Jordan has been held as being the greatest player to play in the NBA.

Jordan took his game to the next level in the playoffs, reaching that 13 times in his career where he averaged at least 30 points on 12 occasions, scored 50 or more points eight times, and won an NBA title in each of his six trips to the Finals where he never played in a Game 7.

His performance on the grandest stage only took his legacy to the next level, which many have drawn an enormous amount of inspiration from his play, mentality, and success in his career. One of the qualities that helped Jordan elevate his game to the next level was his unwavering confidence in his ability.

Today, Jordan could get clean shots at will and get to line with Harden-esque frequency. During his 13 years in Chicago, Jordan averaged That's 1.

But thanks to the 3-point revolution and those rule changes, perimeter scoring is easier and more efficient now.

If we hold his shot activity constant and assign him the average efficiency of this year's top scorers 1. But Jordan wasn't average, and if we grant our hypothetical Jordan the same efficiency markers as Harden 1.

That seems about right for MJ's prime. Over the past few decades, offenses have opened up. Gone are the days of dumping it down to the big fella. Now, it's more about pick-and-roll and drive and kick. So, could Jordan hang as a perimeter defender in the new NBA? Heck, yes. In a league skewed increasingly toward backcourt play and perimeter production, Jordan's tenacity and impact on the defensive end would only be more valuable now than it was in his prime.

Remember, Jordan led the NBA in steals three times. Sure, he'd have to be a little less handsy than he was in the '90s, but his lateral quickness and balance would enable him to dance with today's best ball handlers.

Plus, his size and length would help him contest step-backs and deflect passes like Paul George does. It's fun to think about how Jordan might fare guarding today's best guards and wings. Could Harden break him down at the top of the arc?

Could Klay Thompson curl off a screen and bury a catch-and-shoot 3 in his face? Could LeBron power past him on a fast break? Could Kevin Durant just shoot over him? MJ could chase Curry around screens like he did against Reggie Miller. He could match Kawhi Leonard stride for stride like he did against Clyde Drexler. He might run into trouble with KD, but who in the world hasn't? If there's a weakness, it's the size and strength. Jordan was plagued by foul trouble when he tried to guard the bigger, stronger Magic Johnson in the first two games of the Finals.

That series might have gone differently if Jordan and the Bulls didn't have Scottie Pippen to save the day. But Jordan wasn't a great defender because he shut down every superstar.

He was great because he could at least make life difficult for even the world's best guards and wings. There's no coach in the league right now who wouldn't love to have a wing with Jordan's on-court decision-making, speed and attitude. Oh, and about that attitude.

It doesn't show up in the stats, but the thing that ultimately makes it clear Jordan would thrive in any era is his competitiveness. As we watch "The Last Dance," we see Jordan's competitive fire burning white-hot.