"Kobe is a more skilled player than Michael Jordan was"

[The Franchise]

Defensive rules of today are easier on the scorer.

However, average players these days are also more skilled than players in the Jordan era. Overall talent level is better. Coaching is also improved with more defensive schemes to combat players like Jordan and Kobe.

So you could also say Kobe could have had 100 in Jordan's era.

All of it is debateable, the only fact we know is Kobe's the only one who scored 81.

I'm sorry but that entire statement is false except for the part about the 81. Players are less skilled today than in the Jordan era, but they are more athletic. the No handcheck rule makes it a lot harder to play defense. If Kobe played in the Jordan era I don't think he would be as good as he is today.

[Medvedenko]

ZONE ing defense.....that's a big difference in the one on one game. Team ball reigns supreme nowadays because of it and I can't like it more. For Kobe and others to put up huge #'s in today's NBA is an accomplishment. Players are less skilled now, please as I have been watching the NBA since the 80's and this is pure conjecture at best.

It's comical to think that Jordan always made the right pass, always played within himself and was the consumate teammate. Oh, and he never missed in the clutch and locked down every defender around him, while playing defense on all 5 guys. Please, Jodan is better, but peoples memories are a funny thing.

[JamStone]

There are different factors when trying to compare defenses now and defenses in the 1980s.

Some people want to say that the defense was much more rugged in the 80s with Detroit and Philly. But, those two teams and maybe late 80s, early 90s Knicks were the only teams that played that kind of defense. On most nights, teams did not play that physical, hand checking type defense. Most teams in the NBA in the 80s played defense more like Phoenix and Denver than Detroit and New York. But, people will reference Detroit like they were the norm. They weren't. That's why they were the "Bad Boys" when it came to defense. Very few teams played that rugged defense even with the hand check rules.

Also, in the 80s, the average height for a shooting guard was around 6-foot-3 to 6-foot-4. Joe Dumars is about 6-2 or 6-3. Byron Scott is 6-foot-3. John Starks is 6-foot-3. Jeff Hornacek 6-3, Vernon Maxwell 6-4. And, since Scottie Pippen played small forward, it wasn't like shooting guards could switch over to defend the small forward position against Michael. On the majority of most nights, Michael Jordan had a decided advantage over the opposing team's shooting guard.

And, as addressed already, while hand checking is no longer allowed in today's NBA, zone defenses are, which allows defenses to collapse more quickly to block shots from the weak side.

The pace of the game has also changed. In the 1980s, there were more transition baskets because the game was faster paced. This allowed for a higher shooting percentage if a player was adept at running the court in transition.

If Kobe played in Jordan's era, he would have the same luxuries of a size advantage at the shooting guard position, fewer teams that played stifling defense, being able to score more often in transition, and being able to face fewer shot blockers that collapse more quickly out of zone defenses.

[Medvedenko]

Great Post Jamstone.....I swear people think that the Pistons were the norm and that everyone set hard picks and there were no easy layups. Please, 1 team doesn't make it the norm. Look at scoring averages, fast break stats and fg% of that era. When Jordan was putting up crazy #'s it was during that stretch. When he became all-world it was during the early to mid 90's is when he became a legend.

[mrodgers]

[B]kobe is alot more skilled than michael jaordan was and he could definatly beat him one on one and that is all I have to say[I][U]

[Findog]

bumping MRodgers gay threads off the front page

[Indazone]

"Kobe is a more skilled player than Michael Jordan was" - Jemele Hill - ESPN



Thoughts?

When I hear Phil Jackson say this then I will believe. Until then, Kobe is a pretender to the thrown of "His Airness".

[JamStone]

I'll try to find a link to the quote, but I remember Phil Jackson has said Kobe Bryant is the best all around player he has ever coached.