"Again with the "this generation is soft" and "Jordan took beatings," "and "it was so much more physical and tough back then," nonsense. It's just not true.
It's harder to score the ball today than it was in Jordan's heyday. Jordan's greatest statistical years, i.e., in the mid to late '80s and very early '90s, saw an NBA where there were more shots taken, a greater % of shots made, a faster pace (obviously), and very importantly, NO zone defenses. Teams TODAY play much more physically, are more athletic, and are bigger; teams today play better defense in all facets of the defensive game
Jordan racked up incredible numbers in a league where the pace was much faster, it was much easier to score, get rebounds, and dish out assists. And, yes, this includes the games against the Pistons and Knicks.Obviously, he would do well in any era, but the numbers probably wouldn't look the same. In fact, he only shot 50% in his first two title campaigns (49.9% during the Bulls's second title run) and went steadily downward from there. Of course, he was a different type of player as he aged, a player that didn't drive the ball as much as he once did. In addition to that, defenses were getting more and more physical and better, much better than the vaunted Pistons's defense. If you adjust Grant Hill's numbers from the mid-'90s for pace or Lebron James's numbers from the past 4 or so years to the pace when Jordan had his greatest statistical years, those players numbers would look gaudy. In the 2005-2006 season, James averaged 31, 7, and 7 in a season with a league wide pace of 90.5, with the Cavs playing around the league average. Adjust his numbers to the mid-'80s or late-'80s pace and his numbers would seem astronomical.
Take a look at basket ball reference's site (
http://www.basketball-referenc...gues/stats.html )
--2011-2012 ranked 37th out of all seasons in league FG% (44.8%, 96.3 ppg, 81 shots per game).
--2010-2011 ranked 23rd out of all seasons in league FG% (45.9%, 99.6 ppg, 81 shots per game).
--2009-2010 ranked 21st out of all seasons in league FG% (46.1%, 100.1 ppg, 82 shots per game).
--2008-2009 ranked 24th out of all seasons in league FG% (45.9%, 100 ppg, 81 shots per game).
--1983-1984 ranked 1st out of all seasons in league FG% (49.2%, 110 ppg, 88 shots per game).
--1984-1985 ranked 2nd out of all seasons in league FG% (49.1%, 110.8 ppg, 89 shots per game).
--1981-1982 ranked 3rd out of all seasons in league FG% (49.1%, 108.6 ppg, 88 shots per game).
--1985-1986 ranked 4th out of all seasons in league FG% (48.7%, 110.2 ppg, 89 shots per game).
--1987-1988 ranked 9th out of all seasons in league FG% (48%, 108.2 ppg, 88 shots per game).
--1986-1987 ranked 10th out of all seasons in league FG% (48%, 110 ppg, 89 shots per game).
--1988-1989 ranked 11th out of all seasons in league FG% (47.7%, 109.2 ppg, 89 shots per game).
--1989-1990 ranked 12th out of all seasons in league FG% (47.6%, 107 ppg, 87 shots per game).
--1990-1991 ranked 13th out of all seasons in league FG% (47.4%, 106.3 ppg, 87 shots per game).
--1992-1993 ranked 14th out of all seasons in league FG% (47.3%, 105 ppg, 86 shots per game).
--1991-1992 ranked 15th out of all seasons in league FG% (47.2%, 105 ppg, 87 shots per game).
No matter which way you slice it or dice it, it was MUCH easier to score in the mid '80s -- late '80s and the early '90s. It is much more difficult to score now. It was much more difficult to score in the early to mid 2000s which saw some really low scoring games.
Now, one could say. "Well, those players back then had better skills or they ran more fast breaks, or XYZ and that's why they scored more," and of course you could subjectively argue that (the running more part is objectively true), but the question would then be, "What happened to those skills?" What happened to those mid-range skills that make scoring more difficult now? Why don't teams run as often now? Why don't teams pass as well as they used to? Is there less skill now or is there something else that's going on in the NBA? What's going on is that the defenses are bigger, stronger, faster, physical, and athletic which has changed the free-flow of the game from 25 years ago.
I don't think there is less overall skill in the NBA today than there was 25 years ago. Different things are valued now because the game has changed. 12 out of the top 15 seasons for league three-point fg% have occurred since the 2000 season. The other three occurred during the mid '90s. Another thing one hears tossed around is how nobody can make free-throws anymore. The overall league FT% has remained remarkably consistent. The highest league FT% was 77.1% in the 2008-2009 season, while the 30th highest average (1975-1976) was 75.1%. There would almost certainly be a statistical difference if a t-test were run comparing the the 1975-1976 season with the 2008-2009 season, but sill, a 2% spread between the best FT% season and the 30th best FT% season seems pretty consistent. Teams take SIGNIFICANTLY more three-pointers now than they did 20 years ago. 8 out of the top 10 total three-point attempts seasons came between 2005-2012. There was a rise in three-point attempts after the zone was once again allowed in 2001. Why are the teams taking more outside shots? It's because the defenses of today are much stronger, more physical, and more athletic than those of the late '80s or early '90s and these teams are allowed to play a zone. Teams have to adjust. The free-flowing game and the tools that allowed it aren't as effective in a league with bigger, stronger, faster athletes playing much more physically.
The obliteration of this this "free-flow" via physicality is why shooting % has fallen and ppg has fallen since the mid '80s and early '90s, not because there is less skill. There's more of an emphasis on offensive rebounding than leaking out to start a break. Skills-wise, outside shooting is as good as it has ever been and FT %s are stable. We have seen the development of the step-back jumper, a new shot really that tries to avoid the contact and punishment delivered by defenses. Post moves aren't as good as they used to be, but there is less opportunity in games to use post moves in today's NBA where zone defenses can swarm opponents.
Most importantly, there is less space in today's game than there was in the past. Setting aside the numbers, watch some games from the mid to late-'80s or early '90s. Back then, there's more of a "free-flow" to the game where's there's space to operate on the floor, where post players can back down defenders for eight seconds, where players can take three or four dribbles consistently without meeting defenders. Look at all the available space on the floor. Players aren't as big, not as strong, not as "built." Because zone defenses were not allowed, there was more room for players to drive the ball, get inside for easier shots and they tended to do so without as much physical contact. Shooting %s were higher, and the games were more fast-paced with points scored much more easily than they are today. Unless a player had the ball, there were no double teams, no "guarding of spaces." This quickened the pace, engendered easier shots, and more points were scored. Look at what the Celtics did to James or Bryant in 2008 or what the Mavs did against James last year. Every time Kobe or James got the ball, 5 heads turned his way and defenders sagged off their men and areas were guarded making it very difficult for either one to drive the ball effectively. Free space and lanes were taken away.
So, even though one hears a lot about how "tough defenses were back then" and about how a player could hand check and nobody today could deal with it, the numbers (and the eye test) tell a different story, a story that's not tinged with the bias of nostalgia. It is highly unlikely that players are just that much less skilled and play the game in such an inferior way that has caused all those shooting %s go down. Something has caused. It was MUCH EASIER to score in Jordan's heyday NBA than it is today or was 10 years ago or in the late '90s due to how big and strong and fast and athletic and physical today's players are."
lefty?
