[Lotto StudParticipant]

How do you think Michael Jordan would fare against this era without hand-checking, and how do you think LeBron James would fare against the ‘90s physical style of play with real enforcers?

[The GoatParticipant]

 They would both be better

[TRC1991Participant]

You ask this question in a condescending tone, almost tongue-in-cheek, like you really want to say "LeBron would struggle with the era of enforcers and Jordan would go off with the no-hand-check rule"

When in reality, I could flip the switch and ask you "how much would Jordan, a guy who notoriously could not stretch the floor, struggle in a much more athletic (and 3-ball dependant league) now as opposed to being guarded by the likes of Craig Ehlo?" 

and… "How much more dominant would LeBron be in an era where every player is slower and significantly less athletic than they are now which is an era where he’s already the fastest and most athletic)?"

[Lotto StudParticipant]

 I ask this question because it was a topic of discussion brought up by B.J. Armstrong.

[cohenbc1Participant]

Jordan would still be dominant in today’s era. He wouldn’t be far and away the best player every year, like he was in the ’90s, but it’s a much more competitive league now. I’m confident he could have become a 40% 3-point shooter if he’d considered that necessary. And he would have been devastating in the pick & roll, which offended Phil Jackson’s belief system.

James would still be dominant in the ’90s. Hand-checking helped the lockdown defenders of that era, like Scottie Pippen and Gary Payton, stay in front of opposing players and anticipate which way they were going. That doesn’t help much against a 6-8, 250-pound guy who has mastered pretty much every basketball skill. You’re in front of him, great. He’s going to face up and shoot over you, or back you down until he has an easy shot or draws a double- or triple-team. Most of the "enforcers" of the ’90s probably weighed 20 + pounds less than James, with a higher center of gravity.

 

[BasterdInABasketParticipant]

Lebron would have got pushed around by the likes of Detlef Schrempf, Byron Russell, Jeff Hornacek, Dan Marjle.

Then if he got to the rim he’d be going up against enforcers like Kevin Duckworth, Vlade Divac and Greg Ostertag.

Lebron James at 6-8, 260 was not physical enough for the athletes of the 90s

 

[220Participant]

 They’d both do extremely well and they’d undoubtedly adjust to the style of play in the different eras.

[celtics1982Participant]

 I think the thing some are missing is the best player help shape how that era is played. Teams adjust to try and beat the Jordan’s and LeBron’s. The Celtics were built to defeat players like LeBron and Durant. Players like Embiid and Ayton will change how other teams build there teams. You’ll need legit bigs, no small ball centers will be able to guard them. Well maybe a few like Horford. Even Horford would struggle covering him all game. The reason the game is more athletic now is because of LeBron, Durant, etc. You need athletes to guard them. So both players would still be crazy elite and two of the best ever.

[whiteflashParticipant]

 Prime MJ had maybe the best first step of all time, played in an era of hand checking and unprecedented physicality, and did the majority of his damge 17′ and in when the lane was clogged with big bodies ready to dump him on his a$$. He would absolutely dominate today with no hand checking, switching bigs, no interior rim protection, etc…

James can’t post up, flops at the slightest bit of contact, doesn’t finish over physical defenders well and needs a ton of space to be effective. Hell, Indiana use to give him fits with Roy Hibbert. Imagine how he’d fare against the Knicks frontline. He’d still be a good player, but he wouldn’t be what he is.

 

 

 

[cargathusParticipant]

I think something that doesn’t get brought up often is not just the era that the players played in, but the eras in which they grew up. LBJ would have trouble adjusting to back then because of the physicality, but lets say he had grown up getting tossed around and fouled like MJ did in college and high school…I believe his athleticism would have allowed him to adjust, he wouldn’t flop as much, and he would have been just as dominant (in his own way of course). Just like how if MJ grew up in today’s era he most likely would have a good 3 pt shot, drive a little less, and of course dominate. 

But if you switch the two players as is in their primes, of course both would have some trouble adjusting. Spacing would be an issue for MJ unless his team was all 3 point shooters and LBJ would have an issue with not getting as many calls when he flops. 

 

 

 

[Kwame33Participant]

Being born in a different time is something you really can’t account for. If they were born in different eras they’d be different people, let alone players. But I guess my answer to the question is that both are so uniquely gifted that both would make the necessary adjustments to be successful players.

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