Michael Jordan vs. Knick's Defense - An Analysis

http://hoopsapedia.webs.com/bestnbadefenseever.htm

The Knicks used the Jordan Rules to contain Michael Jordan. In this video you will see quasi-zones (sometimes full out zones). The Knicks got away with this, and so did most teams. That is one of the reasons the NBA got rid of illegal defense guidelines according to Stu Jackson.

The 2008 Celtics used man to man defense with great help rotation in the finals. Some people thought it may have been zone. To them, all I can say is that many analysts thought the Knicks used zone until they went over the tapes and realized it was just perfect rotation.

It's Okay Laker fans, we will get them this year.

So, basically the Knicks would double off of every pick and clog the lane, trying to get the ball out of Jordan's hands. They would iso him on the perimeter and hope whoever was defending him, could do a decent enough job at stopping his penetration. If Jordan passed the first line of defense, then the Knicks would collapse and protect the paint. That is why Jordan took so many jump shots against them, yet he still shot over 50%. The Knicks tried everything to stop Jordan. If they isolated him, he would score with ease. If they doubled him, he would find the open man, or score with less ease. If they put a bigger man on him, he would get to the basket. If they put a shorter man on him he would shoot over him. The Knicks liked using Starks on Jordan because Starks was the best at staying in front of him. They liked using Wilkins on Jordan because he was tall (to contest shots), strong (to handle Jordan in the post and check him on the perimeter) and quick (could keep his feet in front of Jordan).

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[psychomajoreflex]

when he makes a shot, a type of shot that kobe in his career spends 40% of the time missing, like a sick fadeaway or a tough shot in the lane, he stares at the crowd like 'look at me im the shiznit'. for MJ its just regular business, no staring contest, no crying to referees for a foul call

[TheFreestylebeast]

damn and ppl think kobes anywere as good as jordan!? naw, look at that fucking defense kobe doesnt have to deal with that

[psychomajoreflex]

@nbakings7 his quickness made that not a travel

[psychomajoreflex]

@iBuildWithBlocks yes

[iBuildWithBlocks]

@psychomajoreflex oh like at :33 ?

[funakiexpressV2]

and he didnt have a serious injury at all in his career? wtf lol ...

Thanks for posting this video, i was looking for proof on jordan playing against real defence.. lol

[jaymum23]

@TheBdavis231 Probably. He'd abuse today's kids in the post like a mini-Shaq, and on the perimeter would be both the quickest slasher and the most consistent jump-shooter. I don't see anyone coming close to containing him. Teams had huge problems doing that even in the 80s and 90s, when they played physical like real men.

[TheBdavis231]

prime MJ would average 60ppg in today

[RT378]

"He'd [Rose] say, 'How did Michael handle double teams?' and I'd tell him, 'I don't know, because he was triple-teamed," [Randy] Brown said.

[nreid310]

@psychomajoreflex I see, thanks. I

[psychomajoreflex]

@Evenmixer i believe 20 is max, i wouldn't go as low as 15 per se, but kobe of course being the weaker and the slower of the two you mentioned would barely score 20 ppg maximum under this defensive scheme

[psychomajoreflex]

@nreid310 It affected his drive to the basket, in which he had to cross over his defender to penetrate through the handchecking. Otherwise, he'd have a very good path to the basket despite how close the defender is fronting him