Michael Jordan is considered one of the greatest scorers of all time. Jordan was extremely aggressive on the offensive end, doing his best to take the game to his opponents. At no point was MJ ready to take pity on his opponents.
MJ was a fantastic scorer, who couldn’t be stopped by his opponents. Jordan won 10 scoring titles between 1986 and 1998, showing that he was the best scorer in the league during the peak of his powers.
Many fans have wondered how well Jordan would have been able to do playing in the NBA under the modern rules, where hand-checking isn’t allowed and defensive rules that allow offensive players to thrive.
Former NBA player and head coach Mark Jackson is of the opinion that Jordan would be extremely dominant in the league. In a recent interview with Shannon Sharpe for his ‘Club Shay Shay’ show, Sharpe asked Jackson what he thinks Jordan would be able to do in the modern NBA.
Jackson noted that MJ would be able to average whatever he wanted to in the league (0:25 mark). During his stint in the league, Jackson saw firsthand how dominant Jordan was. He believes that MJ would average 40 points per game if he were able to play during the league today.
“Michael Jordan would average whatever he’d want to average. He could get 40 a night. I’m here telling you as a witness, he would average 40 a night.”
There are some who believe that Jordan would have to adapt his game, especially with how perimeter-oriented the NBA has become. Jordan was never an excellent three-point shooter, and that may have held back his true offensive powers.
But most people feel that Jordan’s physical gifts, especially because of his aerial ability. On top of that, his unmatched determination would allow him to dominate his opponents both physically and mentally.