Could Bowen have guarded Jordan in his prime?

[ambchang]

Probably came up before, but hey, I wasn't around.
Bowen, as superb a perimeter defender, is not as strong down low, and Jordan's got that crazy turnaround. Another thing is that Jordan got so much respect from the refs, Bowen would probably be fouled out in 18 minutes, but....
Bowen can adapt, and play defense with his feet. He will also push Jordan out of the low blocks and make him shoot at other spots.
Personally, I think Bowen will slow Jordan down, but can't shut him down like he did to Ray Allen, McGrady, and sometimes Kobe.

[fraga]

Nope...

[SPARKY]

MJ would've worked him.

[Rummpd]

Ah the supermyth of Superman Jordan. Great player (but not greatest that is reserved for either Wilt or Russell) but was marketed so. Oscar, Kareem, Magic, Bird and Wilt his equal along with many more. Bird asked if Jordan best ever he saw - his reply - one of two.

The truth. Would have given him trouble but not stop him. Kobe when he was on, especially end of games, was as tough as Jordan in my opinion and McGrady due to his height may be harder for Bowen than either one.

Artest beat up an older Jordan a few times in some summer games if you recall by the way.

[Jimcs50]

A great offensive player will always beat a great defensive player.

That being said, MJ's stats would have been worse.

[GrandeDavid]

No.

I have a buddy in Brazil, he's from Philly, named Myron Brown. He played professionally in Italy for many years. He was drafted by the T-Wolves and stayed on for a couple of years but they were pathetic back then and it didn't work out.

My point is that not only did Myron tell me, but others have jibed me since I'm such a diehard Spurs fan, about how Myron lit up Bowen a couple of times when Bowen played in France. Myron likes Bowen and admires what he did to get in the NBA, Jordan is an altogether other class of player. Nobody could stop Jordan if Jordan didn't want to be stopped.

In fairness to Myron, he actually asked me not to run this because Bowen would probably find out and be like "Myron Brown? Who the hell is Myron Brown?" :lol

[ambchang]

But was Bowen then the equivalent of Bowen now? Besides, the games were played very differently overseas,and the defenses that were allowed are also different.
Bowen shuts down Allen, Carter, McGrady, and Kobe, and that to me, is VERY impressive.

[SPARKY]

Actually, Jordan would've taken it as a challenge to utterly destroy Bowen on both ends of the court.

[ManuTastic]

Jordan was the greatest, AND he got lots of whistles. Bruce would foul out in 5 minutes with his physical style of play.
Always ticked me off, because Jordan didn't need the help. I wish they would have called it straight and let Jordan just do his thing without all the extra calls. When the '92 Dream Team was lining up for pictures one time, Barkley said "you can't stand too close to Michael or it's a foul," and Jordan got peeved. But it was true.

[Obi wan Ginobili]

lol.

Bowen would be a pest to Jordan, but Jordan would destroy him.

[BronxCowboy]

Of course nobody could stop Jordan, but some could slow him down. He would still get his points, but it would take more shots. I think Bowen could definitely be in that class.

By the way, I don't know why people keep talking about "Bowen's physical style of play." Bowen, to me, is not a physical player. Artest is a physical player. The Knicks back in the day were physical players. Bowen has never even been one to pick up a lot of fouls against anybody.

[TDMVPDPOY]

Bowen wouldve done a better job then those self proclaim jordan stoppers aka gerald wilkens, russell. As long bowen doesnt buy jordans pumpfakes and force him to shoot instead of drivin.

[MI21]

Bowen would of annoyed him at times, maybe held him to a bad shooting game or 2 in regular season, but Jordan was just to good and strong down low for Bowen. Very few guards in the history of the NBA were as good as Jordan in the post. He often said that the stronger guards were the ones he had trouble against such as Mitch Richmond etc.

I recall Sean Elliot doing quite well on MJ, Jordan never really dominated the Spurs in an amazing way like Cleveland or New York or most the league though.

[johnny00]

No one could defend Jordan.
Look at his career average points per game.
I don't know how to post that info like some of the others here, but if you look it up it's just incredible.

[Sportcamper]

Dr Jim...Sheesh...MJ would have scored "50" at will against Bowen...

[TDfan2007]

Bowen would not have been able to keep up w/ Jordan in his prime for a second. Jordan was too quick and too strong for Bowen.

[CosmicCowboy]

agree with M121...Sean Elliott did as good a job as anyone guarding MJ plus made him work on the defensive end...Bowen would have irritated him but he wouldn't have shut him down...

[nkdlunch]

Superstars can never be shutdown, they can only be contained. Bowen, being the #1 perimeter defender, would contain Jordan on some nights, but not stop him.

[DDS4]

I would like to see Artest on Jordan. That would be interesting.

[George Gervin's Afro]

no he could not.

[1Parker1]

A great offensive player will always beat a great defensive player.

That being said, MJ's stats would have been worse.


ummm...only problem is Jordan was a great offensive AND defensive player. He prolly woulda taken Bowen on as a challenge and creamed him. It may work for one game, but back in Jordan's prime, when his game was on, nothing and no one could stop him in a series of 7---hence the 6 rings :spin

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Some nights Jordan would have won, some nights Bowen would have.

I can tell you one thing for sure: MJ would have never whined lay Ray, Vince, or Carmelo, he would have raised his game, and it would have been fun to watch.

[Sandman52]

I dunno about all this "Bowen couldn't handle Jordan" talk. Jeff Malone always defended Jordan very well. So, while he might not shutdown Jordan like he did the Matrix, Bowen would definitely have not allowed Jordan to beat the Spurs. Pip and others would have to have good games.

[ambchang]

BTW, the one player that really destroyed Jordan was Magic. In the 1991 Finals, Magic just posted Jordan at will in Game 1, and took the Lakers to a victory. But then we all know what happened, Phil Jackson switched Pippen on Magic, and the Lakers won 4 straight. To me, Pippen should have won at least one Finals MVp in those six years (especially 91), but given it was Jordan's first ring, there was just no way those media types would have voted for anybody else.

[nkdlunch]

Uh oh, the inevitable question: Could these Spurs beat the Jordan Bulls in the finals?

I'm gonna go with no. But I wound't bet on it.

[PM5K]

Uh oh, the inevitable question: Could these Spurs beat the Jordan Bulls in the finals?

I'm gonna go with no. But I wound't bet on it.

That's stupid, the Bulls were not only a great defensive team but they were a great offensive team, the Bulls destroy the Spurs...

[PM5K]

And now for the original question:

Bowen would have had success in that he would hold Michael to his average on some nights, that was always the measure of success when defending him, if he didn't go for fifty that night you did a good job, certainly Bowen would keep him at his average on some nights, maybe more than other guys would but it's hard to say.

I can tell you that calling Bowen a Jordan stopper as they did with Kobe would have been all the motivation Jordan needed to go for fifty on him, it's a double edged sword.

Having said that you also have to understand that this man has had everything thrown at him but the kitchen sink, he's been guarded one on one, doubled, soft doubled, hard doubled, tripled, hell The Jordan Rules was about an entire team making sure they didn't let him get to the basket and if he did that he would pay for it physically, not the entire Bulls team, just Jordan.

He's seen physical play, bigger guys guarding him, he's seen it all and Bowen wouldn't bring anything he hasn't seen or beaten before.

Hell Jordan might be able to burn Bowens ass right now, let's not forget this is the oldest guy to ever score fifty or more points.

He'd light you up for sixty easily in this hand checking era....

[E20]

Jordan would own Bowen. It would be more difficult for him to own him but, he will still own him.

[Mark in Austin]

Good point on the hand-checking. Jordan in his prime (the year or two before his first retirement) would be averaging 35-40 per night in this year's league.

Bowen would defend him as well as anybody could, save maybe a motivated McGrady.

Would it matter? Nope.

[ShoogarBear]

The thing is, the player in the league at the time who was probably best equipped to defend MJ played on the same team.

Bowen would have needed a big man back him up like he has now, but Jordan would win way more of those battles.

[ambchang]

I asked that because the player who best defending Jordan was Dumars, and Bowen plays defense similar to that. Always stay in front of your man, play defense with your feet, and force your man into bad shots. Bowen may be more physical, but the basic approach is the same.
Of course Dumars had the whole bad boys backing him up, the Spurs, though great defensively, doesn't have the enforcers like the Pistons did.
BTW, Jordan rarely killed the Spurs, Elliott and Robinson kept him in check, it was always Pippen who killed the Spurs.

[Binji]

I remember Jordan going for 69 points against the best defensive player in the L at the time in i think Danny Ainge. So i don't think he'd be very impressed with Bowen. It might have only given him the extra motivation to score.

[Medvedenko]

First of all....when Jordan was in his prime there was on Zone defense....that trumps all arguements. It would be a steady diet of Iso plays and Bowen would be exposed. The team defense of the spurs and quick zone sets enable him to "shut down" players. I also believe you get rid of zone today and Bowen would be on the bench more often than on the floor. That's my thoughts....

[ShoogarBear]

I remember Jordan going for 69 points against the best defensive player in the L at the time in i think Danny Ainge. So i don't think he'd be very impressed with Bowen. It might have only given him the extra motivation to score.
DANNY AINGE??????????????????????????

BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER IN THE LEAGUE???????????????????????????????

:lmao :lmao :lmao :lmao :lmao :lmao :lmao :lmao :lmao :lmao :lmao

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

All of this talk is such a waste. We all know that Jordan's success was solely the result of Phil Jackson's brilliant triangle offense and the dominating center tandem of Longley and Wennington. Bowen would take him to school.

[Binji]

DANNY AINGE??????????????????????????

BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER IN THE LEAGUE???????????????????????????????

:lmao :lmao :lmao :lmao :lmao :lmao :lmao :lmao :lmao :lmao :lmao
Actually i can't remember the name exactly..have to look it up. I just know he was the best defensive player at the time and he couldn't do shit against Jordan. It was in 1990 against Cleveland btw

[tlongII]

Bowen doesn't play basketball so I don't think he could have guarded Jordan.

[Dre_7]

Bowen doesn't play basketball so I don't think he could have guarded Jordan.

Yeah right, lets look at the list of players he has shutdown/contained in the playoffs

Melo
Allen
Marion

And thats just the playoffs!! He has contained Kobe and others. Pretty darn good for a guy that doesnt play basketball!!!

But then again, right now, Portland doesnt play basketball either!

[dn0774]

Here is trying to back in '98 I think...

http://pinker.wjh.harvard.edu/photos/cambridge_boston/images/Michael%20Jordan%20jump%20shot.jpg

[ShoogarBear]

Actually i can't remember the name exactly..have to look it up. I just know he was the best defensive player at the time and he couldn't do shit against Jordan. It was in 1990 against Cleveland btw
Ah, you're thinking of Craig Ehlo.

Ehlor was a solid journeyman guard/defender, but never came close to sniffing an All-Defensive team.

His only claims are: 1) being on the Houston Phi Slamma Jamma squads and 2) being the poster boy for MJ's first really big time game winner.

[MI21]

I also believe you get rid of zone today and Bowen would be on the bench more often than on the floor. That's my thoughts....

Bowen was a fantastic defender before the zone was allowed back into the league about what? 3 years ago? 2001-2002?

[ShoogarBear]

being the poster boy for MJ's first really big time game winner.
As a pro, of course.

[dbreiden83080]

Nobody could check MJ at his peak, ever in the history of the game i don't care who you put on him in any era MJ would dominate anyone in a 7 game series. Jordan had some of the greatest gifts the game has ever seen combined with the greatest mental toughness any athlete has ever known.

[PM5K]

Good try but you won't stop him from that far away, might as well be on the bench with that type of defense....

[Tek_XX]

MJ couldn't guard MJ