New York Times November 4, 1987
"Last season, Jordan had to overcome the harassment of zone traps and double and triple-teaming to win the scoring title by averaging 37.1 points a game."

"You can't even touch a guy now," says Charlotte coach Larry Brown. "The college game is much more physical than our game. I always tease Michael [Jordan], if he played today, he'd average 50."

During a 2007 L.A. Lakers pre-season broadcast, Phil Jackson was asked how he thought Michael Jordan would perform today, Phil said: "Michael would average 45 with these rules."

Zone defense myth vs Jordan era defenses explained click this link:
http://bruceblitz.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=nbabasket...

Under an interpretation of the rules adopted by the NBA, if Dumars were playing today he would not be allowed to guard Jordan so physically, or perhaps even guard him at all. Asked if he could defend Jordan under todays interpretation of the rules, Dumars first laughed, "It would have been virtually impossible to defend Michael Jordan based on the way the games being called right now." Dumars said.

90's defenses were the best defenses at containing perimeter basketball players. 90's defenses took the best aspects of 80's defenses and added to them. 00's defenses were stripped of their rights to actually physically contain the ball handler.

LeBron James, Tony Parker and Dwyane Wade can get to the rim at will, so you know Michael Jordan would in today's NBA if he was in his prime, in fact, Jordan would DESTROY this league. DESTROY!!!

The NBA itself (Rod Thorn) admits that the new rules (no handchecking, defensive 3 seconds) were put in place to "open up the game"

Question for Clyde Drexler:
In the current league where there is no hand checking and no ruff play how much better would your numbers be?
Clyde Drexler: "Oh, tremendously better, from shooting percentage to points per game everything would be up, and our old teams would score a lot more points, and that is saying something because we could score a lot back then. I do think there should be an asterisk next to some of these scoring leaders, because it is much different trying to score with a forearm in your face. It is harder to score with that resistance. You had to turn your back on guys defending you back in the day with all the hand checking that was going on. For guys who penetrate these days, it's hunting season. Yes, now you can (legally)play (floating)zone, but teams rarely do."

"Its pretty hard to play defense against these quicker guards without touching them a little bit, Tex Winter said. I think the officials are going to have to make an adjustment too. They cant call all those touch fouls. You cant be as aggressive as youd like to be with your hands. You cant be into the guy as much. Tex Winter "As a result, defense now becomes a matter of waiting for the offensive player to make a mistake, rather than forcing a turnover." Tex Winter said. "Players today can get to the basket individually much easier."

I think that Jordan Rules defense, as much as anything else, played a part in the making of Michael Jordan, said Tex Winter, who was an assistant coach for that Chicago team. The 1990 loss forced Jordan and the Bulls to find an answer to Detroits muscle. Those Jordan Rules were murder, Winter explained. The fact that we could win the next year even though they were playing that defense says everything about Jordan as a competitor. Any lesser player would have folded his tent. Jordan had to dig deeper to respond to the Pistons, and his effort pushed his Bulls to six championships over the next eight seasons.

Tex Winter, now 84 and the veteran of more than a half century of coaching, has serious misgivings about what the league has done. Winter acknowledges the outgrowth of the new rules interpretation is the rise of the super dominant offensive player, led by Wades performance in the NBA Finals and Bryants string of 40-, 50, even 60-point games during the regular season. Its brought all these 40-point scorers, Winter said. They cant score 40 points unless they get 15-20 free throws. And thats exactly what they were getting on their big nights.

Case in point: during Kobe Bryant's 62 point game in 3 quarters, most forget that he was given 25 free throws in 3 quarters and multiple Dallas Mavs players were given technicals for complaining due to their disbelief over the fouls being called.

Hall of Famer Rick Barry, a keen observer of the game, said he would love to see players of the past getting to attack the basket under the new officiating. Theyd score a lot more, he said.

Even youth basketball coaches can tell you that "a good zone looks like a man-to-man, and a good man-to-man looks like a zone."
http://www.coachesclipboard.net/MatchUpZone.html (less info)