But without him in ’94 and ’95, the Bulls finished 16th and 15th, respectively. However, that just points to weaker competition in the finals. 1985- Magic, Mcadoo, Worthy, Wilkes He is the only player with three-year averages in all of those categories above the 85th percentile historically. On defense, he entered the league as an unpolished risk-taker. And the reputation on defense for him has been a more overstated to me in the later years. 1980- Haywood, Magic, Wilkes (Magic MVP and Kareem missed game 6) Compared to the LeBron page where you go to great lengths to inform of the multitude of reasons he’s #3 and could be 2 or 1, without giving much to why he isn’t. The Bulls finished with the third-best defense in the league, but again, the offense remained pedestrian, finishing about a point better than league average. I agree that jordan is #2 but prepare for upset Jordan fanboys to run in and bash you for this. His jump shot needs immediate improvement if he wants to survive a league dominated by the likes of Moses Malone, Kareem, Parish, and Artis Gilmore. Feb 17, 2012 - Michael Jordan scouting report (high school)! There is, however, tangible confirmation bias in these valuations. Because of the lesser reliance on data – and more scouting – which is a different approach than most lists would be, you have to use the tape to support your positions, & if MJ isn’t going to be #1 – which is somewhat of a contrarian position – it forces your hand a bit. He curtailed his habit of leaking out for steals — probably a factor in his defensive rebounding spike that year — and many of his silly gambles were replaced with highly-attentive rotations, laser-focused steal attempts and even some rim protection: His reactions were sharper, his reads smarter and his motor revved up higher than any other season, save for 1989. This author should be ashamed of himself. These bring up great arguments and analysis. 1, and if his hypothetical 1994 season followed the curve, he would likely be No. Jordan replaced difficult, low efficiency shots with setups for open teammates, bumping his own efficiency and creation rates in the process.4 As he upgraded his floor game, MJ morphed into an elite creator, posting rates in the 94th to 98th historical percentile between 1989 and 1997. School: OSU Position: Offensive Guard/Center Class: Junior Height: 6-7 Weight: 312 Projected Draft Round: 2-4 Scouting Report: Moved from Guard to Center in his Junior season which started a little awkwardly. His decision-making simply improved. Digging deeper, I manually extracted plus-minus numbers from 1991-93 based on video I could find. Though the tone and language is decisively different from some of the others, Example is the prior LeBron page which was also done well doesn’t really get into his weakness or drawbacks. This is a good write up. I’d like to point out that in the description of the write up, ElGee writes that the picks will not use narrative or “traditional ‘arguments. His offensive reads evolved as well in those final Chicago years, leading to more plays like this: He attacked the basket a bit less and mastered the use of little backwards hops to create separation in the midrange, freeing up his patented fadeaway: In those second three-peat seasons, these subtle angles and increased physicality kept his free throw rate afloat. Michael Jordan has the potential to be a perennial 20 ppg scorer (lol) but he needs to be adjusted to an NBA style of offense rather than the unorthodox one run in North Carolina. Chicago would set staggered screens for Michael to flare out to the baseline or curl up to the elbow, where he could catch and shoot or attack the rim if given space. Yet his cobra-like strikes obliterated plays when they worked: His sneak-attacks generated six of the top-200 steal percentages ever recorded, but his gambling style exposed the Bulls at times. 1995 Upper Deck Scouting Report Michael Jordan # 324: Amazon.ca: Sports & Outdoors. One of the biggest challenges has been “tone” with regards to not ignoring elephants in the room. In the second clip, he clinically hedges around a screen before his trademark swipe leads to a turnover: But his style was still high-risk, high-reward, and his defensive error rates were on the high side, landing in the 17th percentile for the heart of his career. 2. The Bulls arc that year reflected some growing pains; their first-half was comparable to previous seasons, teetering along at a 45-win pace until the All-Star game before a dynasty blossomed. Not all creation is equal either, and Jordan was inconsistent in finding the high-value spots on the court. Scouting Report. After three consecutive top-100 offensive seasons, Jordan took a baseball sabbatical and the Bulls scoring efficiency dropped to 2 points above league average. While his man D improved a bit in his third year, it leapt forward in his fourth (1988). If everyone agreed on every single pick these would be boring. I learned a ton too. As Michael progressed, Chicago upgraded its roster, adding Charles Oakley in 1986 (a defensive-minded rebounder) and John Paxson (a shooter) in ’87 before bringing in new coach Doug Collins that year. 133. 1995 Upper Deck Scouting Report Michael Jordan # 324. At the age of 35, Jordan retired for good in 1998. Account & Lists Account Returns & Orders. He was also versatile defensively, as much like LeBron he can and did guard 4’s or shut down plays by some of the best 5’s in NBA history. Chicago’s rate dropped from average (14.7 percent) to an elite 12.9 percent (which would have been fourth that year) because Jordan himself was one of the lowest turnover centerpieces ever. 1. This one does that, but instead of doing it for weaknesses it’s for strengths. Jabbar was destroyed by Moses in the early 80s. He could score in the post, off the ball, in pick-and-roll and in isolation with a gaggle of efficient moves. You say it was “watered down” in the expansion era by listing the stacked teams prior while at the same time ignoring Kareem’s supporting cast. I’d always assumed the narrative that Jordan became less selfish and improved his shot selection under Phil Jackson was largely fictional. Please try your search again later. Though raw, he has the potential to be a great defender. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. He could score in the post, off the ball, in pick-and-roll and in isolation with a gaggle of efficient moves. Just listing HOFers like that doesn’t tell the story. “none of the teams Jordan beat even had 2 Hall of Famers except for the Pistons”. Unlike most great offenses, Chicago excelled at rebounding, particularly with Rodman, and the floor-balancing of the triangle likely helped matters. It doesn’t work both ways. His impact on team giveaways was a byproduct of his high usage and quick, decisive actions discussed in the scouting report. Again, keep up the cool posts! I’d have to agree with this actually, at least from the defensive part. For instance, in the 1991 Finals, Jordan slowed the Magic Johnson train by picking him up in the backcourt, preventing him from building a head of steam. (I assume you’re referring to the ’81 miniseries between them.). But, for the first time in Jordan’s six seasons, it moved into the upper atmosphere after the break. Just listing HOFers like that doesn’t tell the story. Though a good ball handler, it's clear he'll just continue to improve. Card is place inside a Acrylic case with black easel as picture, All Cards are Mint - NMint unless otherwise specified. 1 is – as you already stated – the longetivity. This is when he was still close to prime years. Addressing the elephant in the room is perfectly fine. 1988- Magic, Worthy. If MJ’s injured seasons followed his valuations curve, he would have a strong argument for No. Six-zero. 1971- Oscar Jordan’s heavy load and ball-security helped Chicago finish in the top-five in turnover percentage in each of its six championship seasons, placing first four times. He can absolutely lead a team and be a franchise player, but Akeem (Hakeem) Olajuwon is simply the best player in this draft. Interesting that your film study and stats bolster the narrative, although I still suspect that the larger factor was Pippen and Grant moving into their primes. Sports & Outdoors Hello, Sign in. Skip to main content.ca. Jordan had Rodman when he was facing Stockton and Malone. 2. Given that Garnett’s season is the highest actual APM value ever recorded, it’s quite possible Jordan’s peak year could match it based on this sample. 1980- Haywood, Magic, Wilkes (Magic MVP and Kareem missed game 6) The main reason for MJ not to gain No. He's fearless and composed in big moments. In other words, what are the drawbacks of your methodology? Have you read the profile or the criteria? Below, he practically teleports around back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year Sidney Moncrief and nine-time all-league defender Dennis Johnson: Jordan found his trademark fadeaway by the late ’80s, but he sported a smooth midrange shot right out of the gate (and hit 85 percent of his free throws as a rookie). There was a problem completing your request. Jordan’s team always had more HOFers. While I can see giving him slightly more credit, he could only finish first with his current longevity if I viewed his peak as an outlier among outliers, and neither box metrics nor non-box data support that idea.