Honestly, that's just how the game was played in the '80s. The 3-pointer wasn't really a fundamental part of anyone's game, apart from a few specialists, and was seen more as a novelty or a desperation "get out of jail" shot than a valid tactical tool.
this post was submitted on 18 Nov 2023
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Robert horry
i suggest you watch his 63 point playoff game against the celtics: https://youtu.be/HYvJ37P_YiY?si=WfvAV76wOB29eWNK
dude was insane.
Instead of getting defensive and argumentative realize I was just saying there were other hall of fame players other than bill russell with 6 rings. Doesnt take away from MJ
Bro there is literally a column on bbref, where you got these #s, that shows you how many 2pt field goals he attempted. What's so confusing here?
Dude he was literally unstoppable
OP is the definition of a nephew
Lol always kills me when somebody thinks they know a players play style based on their stats.
brother he is the G.O.A.T. the need for a three point shot is a recent development in the NBA
lmaooo. calling Jordan a one dimensional scorer is probably one of the worst takes on him I've heard
I think most younger fans remember Jordan (or highlights of Jordan) from the 90s when he had become more of a mid range guy. In the 80s he was just blowing by people with his athleticism like a better Dwade.
Jordan also had the mid-range game in the '80s too (pretty much the bread and butter of most top wing and guard scorers in the '70s and '80s), he just leaned on it more heavily in the '90s as his athleticism lessened by his early 30s and the time of the 2nd comeback.
I wish there was film that doesn’t look like Japanese porn of his early dominance. That’s why last dance was so good for me, they had quality footage.
You are definitely missing something...
MJ is at absolute worst the 3rd best midrange shooter ever.
I've personally got him number 1, add that to his S tier slashing and yea... 35 ppg
He scored a lot of transition buckets, a lot of 2 point fadeaways and pull up jumpers, and a lot of drives where he finished near the basket with contorted body positions that I wouldn't really classify as layups.
Here's his 9th game of his career where he put up 45 points.
Young Jordan was just that good of an athlete and his agility at the rim was unparalleled. By 88 he absolutely had a midrange game tho. Just not as methodical as later in his career.
One-dimensional? WTF are you on? Did you ever watch him play?
Wait... Isn't the fact that he can score 35/game without threes a testament to how much of a threat he was?
yes, and if he did shoot threes he'd prob be past 40 ppg
lebron is top 5 all time. MJ, Kareem, Magic, Kobe, Lebron.
Oh brother this guy stinks
The defensive scheme that teams use against Giannis today was banned in the 90s.
And hilariously, the defensive scheme they used against Jordan- handcheck and tackle him everytime he drives - is now illegal
It was a different time... you could only double team the player with the ball, defenders had to stay glued to their man otherwise it would be illegal defense even if that player was a bad shooter or whatever. There was no help AR the nail or zoning up a side or even just plain zone.
So it was much easier to isolate a player 1 on 1.
Also Jordan got a very favorable whistle
No more than the whole lakers team….
24.4 shots per game & 10.5 free throws... if you just go 50/70 you're getting almost 32 ppg so 35 isnt a big stretch 🤷🏾
And Jordan was a very good free throw shooter (career 83.5%) too
There’s an area between the three point line and the paint called the midrange. You’re allowed to score there.
How is this guy real
Jordan being a 1 of 1 athlete and all time great + illegal defense rules = 35 PPG no 3s needed
Go back to Fall Guys my man
I have a friend that says if you place Jordan in his prime into today’s game, he’d be the 2nd or 3rd best player in the league
Your friend is an idiot.
Lots of good answers here, but also remember the NBA game was fundamentally different back then with a lot fewer 3s shot overall.
The league leader in 3s attempted per game that year was Michael Adams at 4.6 attempts. Last year that would have ranked ~80th in the league.
3s just were not a big part of an NBA offense back then.