Sports analyst Chris Broussard thinks Michael Jordan would thrive in today’s NBA with the rules favoring the attacking players. According to him, the Chicago Bulls legend would average 40 points per game and win championships taking advantage of less aggressive defences.
Via Wil Leitner of FOX Sports Radio:
“I’m firmly convinced that if Michael Jordan were playing today he would average 40 points a game. That’s not a slight on today’s game, and I think these players are more athletic, they shoot it better, and they handle the ball better than ever… But Jordan attacked the lane relentlessly when you would get hammered, and he kept going back again and again. You and I, Rob, have sat at NBA games this season and marvelled at how easy it is to get into the lane. Teams run you off the three-point line so it’s easy to get into the mid-range where Jordan is arguably the best mid-range shooter of all time… Jordan would have been scoring at will in the paint, in the mid-range, and he would have practiced the three-pointer just like everybody else and been an above-average three-point shooter… No hand-checking? No hammering guys in the lane? He’d average 40 and I think he’d win championships. Heck he averaged 37 a game in the league when he didn’t even average one three-point shot a game.”
Chris Broussard
During his career Jordan faced brutal defences, such as the “Bad Boy Pistons”. Yet he still thrived. In eight seasons he averaged more than 30 points per game. Jordan’s highest scoring season was back in 1986-87 as he was dropping 37.1 points per game, not missing a single game. MJ’s career average is 30.1 PPG.
