Will We Ever See Another Jordan?

[Gee!]

With all the talk about Kobe coming here to get out of Shaq's shadow to have his own team. I been wondering. Will Kobe be the next Jordan if he leaves LA? Or will there ever be another Jordan?

Current players of Jordans size/position:

Kobe - He might be the closest, but like he even thinks, we will never know till Shaq is gone.

McGrady - Ill say no, for the simple fact, he gets stopped by zone defenses way too much, which frustrates him them takes him outta his game.

AI - Practice?

LeBron - Way to early, but I would rank him AIR to the thrown before Kobe.

Carmello - Early with him as well.

Current players with a dominace factor:

Garnett - Cant get out of the 1st round.

Duncan - Very good, but doesnt seem to add to his repitoir every year.

Amare - Early in the career, upside is enormous.


At this point I would say that no Jordan is here or will be. Except for one person. LeBron James. If he adds to his repitoir every year they way Jordan did, he could be the next in line.

Thoughts?

 

[slinslin]

No because the league changes all the time.

I am not totally sure how much better Jordan was than Kobe or TMac if at all.

Put Kobe or TMac on a team in the 80s I would think they would be rocking the league every bit as much.

And it is not like Jordan won by himself. Scatch Pippen off of that team I don't think he would have won.

Pippen was very underrated and very close to Jordan in terms of ability.

 

[George O'Brien]

Originally posted by slinslin
No because the league changes all the time.

I am not totally sure how much better Jordan was than Kobe or TMac if at all.

Put Kobe or TMac on a team in the 80s I would think they would be rocking the league every bit as much.

And it is not like Jordan won by himself. Scatch Pippen off of that team I don't think he would have won.

Pippen was very underrated and very close to Jordan in terms of ability.

I agree. Jordan was a great player before the Bulls put together a team to back him up, but he had his detractors in his early years. None the less, I remember a playoff game between the Celtics and the Bulls when Jordan scored 62 points. I have never seen an NBA guard have that kind of game -- ever -- let alone in a crucial playoff game.

Comparing players that play different positions, with different teammates, in different decades is not realistic. Prior to Jordan, I always felt that Oscar Robertson was the best guard I had ever seen. But until he joined Kareem, he never played on a top team.

It is like in football. I have always contended that Jim Brown was the greatest running back of all time, even though all of his records have been broken. The rules changed and things aren't comparable. He gained half again more yards than anyone else at the time, but he played on a good team. How can you really compare?

 

[slinslin]

Kobe and TMac both had games where they had about 40 points after 2 quarters but didn't play much after that.

If they had run Kobe more in several games he could have quite some 60 games already even 70 maybe.

 

[scotsman13]

i think that the chances that we will have another jordan are much better then the chances that we will ever have another barkley.

there will never be another barkley

 

[George O'Brien]

Originally posted by slinslin
Kobe and TMac both had games where they had about 40 points after 2 quarters but didn't play much after that.

If they had run Kobe more in several games he could have quite some 60 games already even 70 maybe.

It was not just the number of points but the context - the playoffs against one of the finest teams of the era.

 

[devilalum]

Originally posted by George O'Brien
I remember a playoff game between the Celtics and the Bulls when Jordan scored 62 points. I have never seen an NBA guard have that kind of game -- ever -- let alone in a crucial playoff game.

That was the single greatest performance I have ever seen. Jordan almost single handedly beat the Celtics in the Garden when Mchale, Bird, Parish etc... were in their prime.

In a playoff game.

The only reason I can think of that someone would de-value Jordan's greatness is that their memories are fading.

His stats were great but he was a complete player.

How many guys have won MVP, scoring title, defensive player of the year and a championship all in the same year. Probably lead the league in triple doubles too.

He was the greatest. That being said he couldn't win by himself. When he realized this he became that much better.

Maybe he tarnished his mystique by hanging around too long.

 

[devilalum]

Originally posted by SameOleGee
With all the talk about Kobe coming here to get out of Shaq's shadow to have his own team. I been wondering. Will Kobe be the next Jordan if he leaves LA? Or will there ever be another Jordan?

Current players of Jordans size/position:

Kobe - He might be the closest, but like he even thinks, we will never know till Shaq is gone.

McGrady - Ill say no, for the simple fact, he gets stopped by zone defenses way too much, which frustrates him them takes him outta his game.

AI - Practice?

LeBron - Way to early, but I would rank him AIR to the thrown before Kobe.

Carmello - Early with him as well.

Current players with a dominace factor:

Garnett - Cant get out of the 1st round.

Duncan - Very good, but doesnt seem to add to his repitoir every year.

Amare - Early in the career, upside is enormous.


At this point I would say that no Jordan is here or will be. Except for one person. LeBron James. If he adds to his repitoir every year they way Jordan did, he could be the next in line.

Thoughts?

I would say McGrady, Kobe and Lebron all have close to Jordan's physical talent but Jordan had all the intangibles.

The guy was the greatest but still worked hard every off season to redefine his game. His off season workouts are legendary. He was also one of the greatest defenders of all time and defense is all about will. He was also one of the smartest players to ever play the game.

Its too early to judge Lebron but the other too haven't shown half the desire that Jordan possesed.

 

[Billythekid]

Nothing compares to MJ. He was simply the greatest. Thing about him that made him so good, he simply wouldn't allow his teams to lose. He had the absolute complete game which the guys today don't possess. And his will to win and desire to be nothing but number 1 has him streaks above and beyond the guys in todays game.


Kobe, TMAC etc have nothing on MJ. NOTHING.

 

[cly2tw]

TMac had his team and shown he can't pull a Jordan given this chance. Lebron will be great in his own right, but he is way too heavy to be compared to Jordan. He will never be the defensive player Jordan was. Kobe never had his yet, his offensive and defensive potential emulates that by Jordan quite well, so the jury is still out on him.

 

[arthurracoon]

Originally posted by Billythekid
Nothing compares to MJ. He was simply the greatest. Thing about him that made him so good, he simply wouldn't allow his teams to lose. He had the absolute complete game which the guys today don't possess. And his will to win and desire to be nothing but number 1 has him streaks above and beyond the guys in todays game.


Kobe, TMAC etc have nothing on MJ. NOTHING.

He willed his team to win. He would NOT let them lose.

 

[cardsunsfan]

nor would the referees!

 

[George O'Brien]

Originally posted by SunCardfan
nor would the referees!

Didn't hurt.

None the less, MJ was without doubt the greatest clutch player in basketball I've ever seen. It is too bad there is no place to get a player's shooting statitstics for the last minute of each game. The Suns certainly would rank list in THAT category.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Originally posted by George O'Brien
I remember a playoff game between the Celtics and the Bulls when Jordan scored 62 points.

Wasn't it 63 points in a playoff LOSS to the Celtics? After the game Larry Bird said something like "I don't care if he gets 70 points in the next game...as long as we win."

 

[fordronken]

Kobe is the closest to Jordan. I like the comparisons of McGrady to Dr. J and Lebron of Oscar Robertson.

 

[Billythekid]

Originally posted by Brian in Mesa
Wasn't it 63 points in a playoff LOSS to the Celtics? After the game Larry Bird said something like "I don't care if he gets 70 points in the next game...as long as we win."

Yeah it was 63pts in a double over time loss I believe. that was the season (I think MJ's second in the league) in which he only played half the season due to injury and came back for the playoffs and dominated.

 

[tommcnabb]

Originally posted by Billythekid
Nothing compares to MJ. He was simply the greatest. Thing about him that made him so good, he simply wouldn't allow his teams to lose. He had the absolute complete game which the guys today don't possess. And his will to win and desire to be nothing but number 1 has him streaks above and beyond the guys in todays game.


Kobe, TMAC etc have nothing on MJ. NOTHING.

I agree. There may be players now how are better at this or at that, but intangibles set him apart.
I think his desire and determination set him apart. He walked the walk. You cannot measure that kind of stuff, and quite honestly, I don't think you "learn" it.
You either have it or you don't.

 

[Freddie]

Just imagine what Jordan could have done if he hadn't been partying and gambling all night long half of the time.

 

[fordronken]

Hey, I just heard Gambo and Ash report from an "inside source" that once T-Mac and Kobe join the Suns, Michael Jordan will sign for the veteran minimum. Apparently he really likes our brand of small ball and is looking forward to some time at the "5" spot.

 

[PhiLLmattiC]

I personally think jordan could have won without pippen. I like kobe but he still doesn't compare to jordan in my mind. He doesn't garner the respect from his teamates that jordan did. Jordan was like "the Prince" from Machiaveli. Ok I don't know what I'm talking about anymore. Lebron can be the next jordan though.

 

[devilalum]

Originally posted by PhiLLmattiC
I personally think jordan could have won without pippen. I like kobe but he still doesn't compare to jordan in my mind. He doesn't garner the respect from his teamates that jordan did.

Kobe was 18 when he joined the Lakers. I don't see how the other veteran players on that team will ever respect him and look to him as a leader. It would be like some high school kid getting hired by your company and after a couple of years become manager. Would the same guys that showed him the ropes be willing to take his orders?

Now the Suns on the other hand.......

 

[PhiLLmattiC]

I think thats going to be the case with lebron. I think the coach figured that too tahst why they started him out at point guard.