How the illegal defense rule made it easier for Jordan to score in the ‘90s

[Heej]

Michael Jordan is one of the most overrated players ever in the sense of how people hold him in such god like status compared to some players especially current players.

If you transport LeBron back to the 90's he would average 35/10/10 against the weaker competition and defense. He would also win the same or more amount of rings.

He's a superior athlete and player in most ways.

Those stats include the ass whoopings that mj gave them btw. nobody is doubting lebrons finals competition, he took teams to the finals that had no business being there. The thread is about which era it was easier to score in though.

Lol even the teams LeBron beat are all far superior to the best of MJs. Let's not try and dance around the fact that MJ inarguably faced weaker competition. MJ may indeed be the better individual player, but in no way, shape, or form did he face better teams than LBJ did.

MJ was a little too willing to put up contested mid-range jumpers over double teams imo for me to think he's better off in this era than he was in his own. Just because illegal defense wasn't whistled as tightly back then, it doesn't mean that MJ didn't benefit from more true 1v1 opportunities. He certainly did. It may just be that all the illegal defense jackers think he got KD on the Warriors level 1v1s 70% of the time, when it may in fact be closer to 50 or 60%. Stars in today's league still don't enjoy that many true 1v1 opportunities, other than for outliers like KD it's probably closer to 30-40% that the superstars nowadays get to go at their man with literally zero help coming their way due to all the shading and soft doubles employed on a per-possession basis vs how it was coached in the 90s

[Johnny Bball]

Nothing there would be called today. Do you even watch the game?

He hand checks him the entire time above the foul line... at least we know how old you are, which is not very. Lucky you.

And? They rarely call that today. Like I said, you obviously don't watch the game.

https://youtu.be/dX-aL7IKBG8
https://youtu.be/1O4iZ26QDWU

Guys can hand check as much as they want today when a guy has his back to the basket. When he faces up, they better be careful, not because a hand check will be called, but because offensive players will hit them with a rip through or quick shot for the hack foul.

And he's not handchecking the whole time. He's using his forearm a significant portion of the time which makes sense because when this clip happened the NBA had already "banned" handchecking twice. I remember the second ban, because when we played pickup games at high school, it was suddenly a big deal that year that we couldn't handcheck (even though I don't remember anyone handchecking before that) so guys would lean on you with the forearm which was legal and is what boghes is doing there.

Yes in 2004 the NBA "banned" handchecking a third time, but like the two bans before that, it really didn't stop handchecking for very long. It is alive and well in the modern game.

You had/have no idea of the difference of what is and was/allowed and what isn't and yes that would be called. I said above the foul line and today for a reason. Get a clue before you start trashing other people.

[alebaba]

A lot of people lately on here want to discredit MJ.

Wonder why.

Lebron fans...They are trying to say James Harden is better than Jordan. Jordan would easily average a lot more rebounds in todays league, stats are inflated af in todays league.

ps. Lebron will never ever be the goat.

[Ainosterhaspie]

He hand checks him the entire time above the foul line... at least we know how old you are, which is not very. Lucky you.

And? They rarely call that today. Like I said, you obviously don't watch the game.

https://youtu.be/dX-aL7IKBG8
https://youtu.be/1O4iZ26QDWU

Guys can hand check as much as they want today when a guy has his back to the basket. When he faces up, they better be careful, not because a hand check will be called, but because offensive players will hit them with a rip through or quick shot for the hack foul.

And he's not handchecking the whole time. He's using his forearm a significant portion of the time which makes sense because when this clip happened the NBA had already "banned" handchecking twice. I remember the second ban, because when we played pickup games at high school, it was suddenly a big deal that year that we couldn't handcheck (even though I don't remember anyone handchecking before that) so guys would lean on you with the forearm which was legal and is what boghes is doing there.

Yes in 2004 the NBA "banned" handchecking a third time, but like the two bans before that, it really didn't stop handchecking for very long. It is alive and well in the modern game.

You had/have no idea of the difference of what is and was/allowed and what isn't and yes that would be called. I said above the foul line and today for a reason. Get a clue before you start trashing other people.

I just posted two videos of guys getting handchecked above the foul with no call. It happens constantly in every game I watch.

[GusFring]

mj would be more dominant in todays game, he'd get 2 freethrows every single trip down the court just like harden, except mike would win in the playoffs.

[Johnny Bball]

And? They rarely call that today. Like I said, you obviously don't watch the game.

https://youtu.be/dX-aL7IKBG8
https://youtu.be/1O4iZ26QDWU

Guys can hand check as much as they want today when a guy has his back to the basket. When he faces up, they better be careful, not because a hand check will be called, but because offensive players will hit them with a rip through or quick shot for the hack foul.

And he's not handchecking the whole time. He's using his forearm a significant portion of the time which makes sense because when this clip happened the NBA had already "banned" handchecking twice. I remember the second ban, because when we played pickup games at high school, it was suddenly a big deal that year that we couldn't handcheck (even though I don't remember anyone handchecking before that) so guys would lean on you with the forearm which was legal and is what boghes is doing there.

Yes in 2004 the NBA "banned" handchecking a third time, but like the two bans before that, it really didn't stop handchecking for very long. It is alive and well in the modern game.

You had/have no idea of the difference of what is and was/allowed and what isn't and yes that would be called. I said above the foul line and today for a reason. Get a clue before you start trashing other people.

I just posted two videos of guys getting handchecked above the foul with no call. It happens constantly in every game I watch.

You still don't know the rules, or when its allowed, even above the foul line and why. Not that this even mattered one bit to what I posted originally. I would prefer if you never quoted me again if this is just going to continue.

[D.Brasco]

mj would be more dominant in todays game, he'd get 2 freethrows every single trip down the court just like harden, except mike would win in the playoffs.

I'm not a Harden fan at all but would MJ also be making the 5 3-pointers a game Harden is?

When MJ made 6 3-pointers in a playoff game that became legendary, that is literally a mundane game for Harden.

[GusFring]

mj would be more dominant in todays game, he'd get 2 freethrows every single trip down the court just like harden, except mike would win in the playoffs.

I'm not a Harden fan at all but would MJ also be making the 5 3-pointers a game Harden is?

When MJ made 6 3-pointers in a playoff game that became legendary, that is literally a mundane game for Harden.

Its been repeated often about the 3 point shot not being as relevant in the 90s, even if Jordan didn't improve his long range shooting he's still a better player than harden due to his wing defense. Plus that game was in the finals so it mattered.

[alebaba]

mj would be more dominant in todays game, he'd get 2 freethrows every single trip down the court just like harden, except mike would win in the playoffs.

I'm not a Harden fan at all but would MJ also be making the 5 3-pointers a game Harden is?

When MJ made 6 3-pointers in a playoff game that became legendary, that is literally a mundane game for Harden.

How can it be a mundane game for Harden when he never made the finals?

[draftnightsuit]

You had/have no idea of the difference of what is and was/allowed and what isn't and yes that would be called. I said above the foul line and today for a reason. Get a clue before you start trashing other people.

I just posted two videos of guys getting handchecked above the foul with no call. It happens constantly in every game I watch.

You still don't know the rules, or when its allowed, even above the foul line and why. Not that this even mattered one bit to what I posted originally. I would prefer if you never quoted me again if this is just going to continue.

Video evidence > your opinion.

[Johnny Bball]

I just posted two videos of guys getting handchecked above the foul with no call. It happens constantly in every game I watch.

You still don't know the rules, or when its allowed, even above the foul line and why. Not that this even mattered one bit to what I posted originally. I would prefer if you never quoted me again if this is just going to continue.

Video evidence > your opinion.

I could post two instances of someone hacked on their arm at the rim that don't get called but it doesn't mean it isn't a rule with no impact. Whatever. You go with two videos meaning it's rampant and an ineffectual rule then.

Just don't show me forearms down low or touches up top for second with one hand (both legal) or hands on players not moving or not being steered as your proof please. Since steering the player on the perimeter is what the rule deters.

[Heej]

Idk how people watch today's games and think there's no hamdchecking lool. The offensive players all over the league are so gifted now that you can't even hope to contain them without some bumping and grinding lol. People have these extreme views of both eras but both eras stylistically aren't exactly on 2 different ends of the spectrum. They're on 2 sides of the median. There was a bit of zoning up in the 90s though not as much, and there's a good bit of handchecking now but not as much.

That being said, team defenses are much harder to score on than any individual defender lol. It's just the fact that offensive players are so skilled nowadays that they make it look easier. Steve Kerr for example wouldn't be a championship level game closing role player in the modern game, plain and simple. And having one bad shooter on the floor will expose you, while having 2 will decimate you.

And let's not pretend that MJ didn't enjoy having the optimal supporting cast for his era in a variety of ways. Even moreso in terms of 2-way play than LeBron ever enjoyed aside from 2013 (even 2016 he had to deal with Kyrie and Love spotting the warriors points on the defensive end). I think people see that Giannis has been placed in a massively optimal situation that's boosting his perceived impact relative to his true impact. But no one seems to even consider this to be applicable to MJ throughout the 90s.

Another example of this, which is honestly the most accurate apples to apples comparison I can think of, is KD in 2017. Watching what KD was able to do in those Finals given the opportunity he was afforded by the system and teammates, really put into perspective to me how optimized the game was for Jordan in terms of role/leadership/and game management. The last term being the most operable to me. The role Jordan was tasked to play on his teams inherently burdened him less from a game management standpoint than LeBron was ever afforded. This year having Rondo and AD to help quarterback both the offense and defense for him is the closest thing he's ever had to the emotional/mental support in terms of game management that MJ had in Scottie or what KD had in Curry and Draymond.

[VanWest82]

They should really take away MJ's rings. How dare he beat the competition in front of him using the rules at the time! It's just bull s#!t

[Showtime 80]

LOL HeeJ, Russell Dumbrick's last 3 years blow your theory right out the window.

This guy is one of the dumbest, lowest IQ and fundamentally flawed players in NBA history yet he averaged a triple double for 3 straight seasons while winning MVP and leading his team to nearly 50 wins in the supposed "tough conference". He did all this shooting a paltry 43% from the field and 32% from 3 not to mention he also sucks on defense and his team was near the bottom in 3 point percentage so they weren't creating that much space for him either. Lack of hand checking, clear lanes and evaporated physicality HAVE EVERYTHING to do with this knucklehead's success the last few years.

Based on that evidence what a prime MJ would do to the current soft as tissue paper rule altered AAU buddy buddy NBA would be 60's Wilt levels of insanity, these punks wouldn't know how to handle a psychopathic competitive animal like that. Heck the 89 or 90's Bulls would be a 60 win team in today's West, easy!

MJ had to deal with this for 6 straight years in the playoffs at the hands of the Pistons and Knicks for God's sake, you think a bunch of 3 point chucking ref baiting divas are scaring him:

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

Thanks to David Stern, Jerry Colangelo, Rob Thorn and now Adam "McMahon" Silver today's primadonnas like LeBron, Doncic, Giannis, Harden, Curry and Brickhouse don't have to deal with that physicality and are free to display their dumbed down games for all the world to see.

As for Steve Kerr he was just a bench player for the Bulls who got a ton of open looks thanks to playing along side the greatest player of all time, Zaza Pachulia on the other hand was the starting center scrub for the repeat Warriors for God's sake. Kerr would do the same thing Kyle Korver did a few years ago when he was a friggin all star, stand open at the 3 point line, receive the kick out and shoot 8 3's a game instead of the 3 he shot back them. Rinse and repeat.

[Heej]

LOL HeeJ, Russell Dumbrick's last 3 years blow your theory right out the window.

This guy is one of the dumbest, lowest IQ and fundamentally flawed players in NBA history yet he averaged a triple double for 3 straight seasons while winning MVP and leading his team to nearly 50 wins in the supposed "tough conference". He did all this shooting a paltry 43% from the field and 32% from 3 not to mention he also sucks on defense and his team was near the bottom in 3 point percentage so they weren't creating that much space for him either. Lack of hand checking, clear lanes and evaporated physicality HAVE EVERYTHING to do with this knucklehead's success the last few years.

Based on that evidence what a prime MJ would do to the current soft as tissue paper rule altered AAU buddy buddy NBA would be 60's Wilt levels of insanity, these punks wouldn't know how to handle a psychopathic competitive animal like that. Heck the 89 or 90's Bulls would be a 60 win team in today's West, easy!

MJ had to deal with this for 6 straight years in the playoffs at the hands of the Pistons and Knicks for God's sake, you think a bunch of 3 point chucking ref baiting divas are scaring him:

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

Thanks to David Stern, Jerry Colangelo, Rob Thorn and now Adam "McMahon" Silver today's primadonnas like LeBron, Doncic, Giannis, Harden, Curry and Brickhouse don't have to deal with that physicality and are free to display their dumbed down games for all the world to see.

As for Steve Kerr he was just a bench player for the Bulls who got a ton of open looks thanks to playing along side the greatest player of all time, Zaza Pachulia on the other hand was the starting center scrub for the repeat Warriors for God's sake. Kerr would do the same thing Kyle Korver did a few years ago when he was a friggin all star, stand open at the 3 point line, receive the kick out and shoot 8 3's a game instead of the 3 he shot back them. Rinse and repeat.

I think you have a great point there tbh, but let's not pretend Westbrook didn't have an outlier season amongst all outliers in terms of usage rate and blatant statpadding in terms of FT rebounds and uncontested rebounds being funneled to him while he completely lays off shooters. And Westbrook, for all his faults is literally 2 tiers beyond MJ as a passer. I remember seeing a study that in terms of pure passing accuracy kicking out to shooters he was the most accurate passer in the league for a reason.

Great passing ability is what unlocks spacing. It's why Giannis was able to get triple teamed every time he drove into the paint vs the Raptors even though the Bucks were one of the most advanced teams in terms of fundamental floor spacing. MJ was certainly a good passer for a SG, but I for sure don't think he was a great one. He was very content ignoring teammates and rising up for contested midrangers just like Kawhi and KD are nowadays. MJs forays to the rim are gonna be walled off A LOT more than Westbrook's were due to the latter's superior passing ability and inconsistent finishing around the rim.

Not to mention Westbrook basically did Jack **** on defense all year and loafed around trying to pick passing lanes and snare rebounds. His offensive production has so many nuances to why he put up the numbers he did despite being a low IQ player. MJ also had the luxury of playing in the 90s where the total amount of ground covered by players on defense was at most half of what defenders are expected to cover now. And the type of defense being played now being predicated on assuming a help position and sprinting back to close out on a shooter and decelerating to zero all in a matter of yards is just another level of taxing compared to how they played back then.

If you're telling me MJ could average 35/7/7 on 57 TS% while doing jack **** on defense and making a mockery of the sport on offense leading a Thunder level team to 55 wins, I can probably buy that though that's me being highly optimistic and giving MJ legitimately every benefit of the doubt. Gun to my head though I'd absolutely take the under on his production if that's the type of statline you think he'll give me considering that's around what he did in the 80s which was just an atrociously bad era of defensive basketball and his motor was higher. I doubt he takes a rag tag team like that anywhere past the second round either.

So how better is it really when he's giving you 90% of that box score production in the 90s with elite defense thanks to him being more rested on both ends with a high level playmaker/floor general feeding him while also controlling the game on the defensive end. And I guarantee you if he intends to play all-time level wing defense as he's likely to try to do, the demands on his motor placed in this era compared to the 90s on the defensive end would stifle his offensive production to a far higher degree than I think you're willing to consider. Westbrook is just not the comparison to make here. You need to look at what comparable scorers like KD or 2 way players like Kawhi do when you try to scale MJ to this era. Their best offensive years absolutely do not concur with their best defensive years. So where does that consideration fall into your analysis?

Please don't bring up Kyle Korver my dude. He was literally unplayable in the Finals and couldn't hit the broad side of the barn vs the Warriors defense. Kerr compared to him is not only an inferior shooter BY FAR; but he's also a far inferior defender by virtue of the fact that Korver was bigger, stronger, and had much higher defensive IQ.

[mysticOscar]

I really think that common sense has to prevail. Stu Jackson who was the NBA operations executive when the the rule changes occured stated that regards to handchecking and defensive 3 seconds changes was to help open up the game for perimeter and help slashers and shooters. So we get the objective for the changes of rules straight from the horses mouth right?

So then lets verify and check the stats to see what actually happened....

Season eFG%
2019-20 ===> 0.522 /\
2018-19 ===> 0.524 |
2017-18 ===> 0.521 |
2016-17 ===> 0.514 |
2015-16 ===> 0.502 |
2014-15 ===> 0.496 |
2013-14 ===> 0.501 |
2012-13 ===> 0.496 |
2011-12 ===> 0.487 |
2010-11 ===> 0.498 | Post elimination hancheck era
2009-10 ===> 0.501 |
2008-09 ===> 0.500 |
2007-08 ===> 0.497 |
2006-07 ===> 0.496 |
2005-06 ===> 0.490 |
2004-05 ===> 0.482 <---1st season handcheck eliminated
2003-04 ===> 0.471
2002-03 ===> 0.474
2001-02 ===> 0.477 <----- 1st Season illegal defense was eliminated and defensive 3 seconds rule introduced effeciency
2000-01 ===> 0.473 went up!!
1999-00 ===> 0.478
1998-99 ===> 0.466 <--Shortened Season
1997-98 ===> 0.478

The eFG% was trending down...but in '04/'05 when handcheck was eliminated...there was a big spike up. Previous years it was trending down, 0.477, 0.474, 0.471....then in '04/'05, not only did it increase....it jumped up, one of the biggest jumps in eFG% year by year in NBA history. Coinciding with the handcheck rule change. And every year it has been trending up, only dropping below 0.490 once due to the '12 shortened season.

Unless you think in '04/'05, there was a cambrian explosion type of 3pt shooters....then as a person with common sense, i have to ask why the hell all of a sudden and why on this specific year?

The league has now shifted fully to the perimeter scoring, a trend that really started in the mid 90s due to the influence of the Bulls / MJ and accelerated when they shortened the 3pt line. So early 90s you had front court players having the most scoring attempts (actually the usage was more distributed across the team)....then you get to the end of the 90s, it has shifted to perimeter players with Iverson, Stackhouse, Kobe dominating the field goal attempts. THIS IS THE MAIN REASON THE LEAGUE EFFECIENCY DROPPED IN LATE 90s and EARLY 00s....because the league shifted to the perimeter, but the defense was able to slow down perimeter scoring.....UNTIL THE LEAGUE STEPPED IN.

Now, the paint is wide open, can't stand on the paint too long, you can't put too much resistance on a player that is in the action of driving to the rim OR ITS A FOUL...then you have analytics that then takes advantage of this by compounding the defense problem by recruiting 3pt shooters and clear out the paint for your slashers.

From 1990 to 2005, there was only MJ that were regarded as perimeter that actually won the MVP. After 2005, outside of Dirk (who plays on the perimeter), they are all perimeter players. COINCIDENCE?

Just common sense and all the evidence point to the fact today is a lot easier to score for perimeter players. I don't know why these thread keep popping up every year

[draftnightsuit]

I really think that common sense has to prevail. Stu Jackson who was the NBA operations executive when the the rule changes occured stated that regards to handchecking and defensive 3 seconds changes was to help open up the game for perimeter and help slashers and shooters. So we get the objective for the changes of rules straight from the horses mouth right?

So then lets verify and check the stats to see what actually happened....

Season eFG%
2019-20 ===> 0.522 /\
2018-19 ===> 0.524 |
2017-18 ===> 0.521 |
2016-17 ===> 0.514 |
2015-16 ===> 0.502 |
2014-15 ===> 0.496 |
2013-14 ===> 0.501 |
2012-13 ===> 0.496 |
2011-12 ===> 0.487 |
2010-11 ===> 0.498 | Post elimination hancheck era
2009-10 ===> 0.501 |
2008-09 ===> 0.500 |
2007-08 ===> 0.497 |
2006-07 ===> 0.496 |
2005-06 ===> 0.490 |
2004-05 ===> 0.482 <---1st season handcheck eliminated
2003-04 ===> 0.471
2002-03 ===> 0.474
2001-02 ===> 0.477 <----- 1st Season illegal defense was eliminated and defensive 3 seconds rule introduced effeciency
2000-01 ===> 0.473 went up!!
1999-00 ===> 0.478
1998-99 ===> 0.466 <--Shortened Season
1997-98 ===> 0.478

The eFG% was trending down...but in '04/'05 when handcheck was eliminated...there was a big spike up. Previous years it was trending down, 0.477, 0.474, 0.471....then in '04/'05, not only did it increase....it jumped up, one of the biggest jumps in eFG% year by year in NBA history. Coinciding with the handcheck rule change. And every year it has been trending up, only dropping below 0.490 once due to the '12 shortened season.

Unless you think in '04/'05, there was a cambrian explosion type of 3pt shooters....then as a person with common sense, i have to ask why the hell all of a sudden and why on this specific year?

The league has now shifted fully to the perimeter scoring, a trend that really started in the mid 90s due to the influence of the Bulls / MJ and accelerated when they shortened the 3pt line. So early 90s you had front court players having the most scoring attempts (actually the usage was more distributed across the team)....then you get to the end of the 90s, it has shifted to perimeter players with Iverson, Stackhouse, Kobe dominating the field goal attempts. THIS IS THE MAIN REASON THE LEAGUE EFFECIENCY DROPPED IN LATE 90s and EARLY 00s....because the league shifted to the perimeter, but the defense was able to slow down perimeter scoring.....UNTIL THE LEAGUE STEPPED IN.

Now, the paint is wide open, can't stand on the paint too long, you can't put too much resistance on a player that is in the action of driving to the rim OR ITS A FOUL...then you have analytics that then takes advantage of this by compounding the defense problem by recruiting 3pt shooters and clear out the paint for your slashers.

From 1990 to 2005, there was only MJ that were regarded as perimeter that actually won the MVP. After 2005, outside of Dirk (who plays on the perimeter), they are all perimeter players. COINCIDENCE?

Just common sense and all the evidence point to the fact today is a lot easier to score for perimeter players. I don't know why these thread keep popping up every year

Here’s the definition of eFG% from basketball-reference.com:

eFG% -- Effective Field Goal Percentage
This statistic adjusts for the fact that a 3-point field goal is worth one more point than a 2-point field goal.

It’s the same as TS%, it goes up as 3-point shooting improves. The league pushed in the 3-point line in ‘95, look at how much eFG% increased in just one year.

1994: 48.5%
1995: 50.0 %

That’s a bigger jump in eFG% than in ‘05. As soon as the league went back to the real line, it started to trend downwards.

[Showtime 80]

Beautiful post MO!

It would be one thing if people were trying to deny it but when you got individuals like David Stern, Stu Jackson, Jerry Colangelo and Rob Thorn openly admitting what their intentions were with the rule changes coupled with opinions from players like Kobe, Nash, Vince, Dirk etc... who played before and after the alterations saying how the physicality dropped dramatically and how life became easier in the perimeter it just becomes a moot point to argue about it.

Basically the NBA panicked both teams MJ retired, both in 1994 and 1999 and they went on the offensive trying to create a suitable landscape for future "MJ's" to be created and they knew they had no control over the growing AAU/high schooler/one and done poisoned culture so they gave in and basically relaxed and dumbed down the rules so this new "all-world athleticism, 10 cent head" style of players could actually have some success and keep the ball rolling into the next decades. They definitely didn't want teams like the 2004 Pistons or 2005 Spurs dominating the league so they defanged that defense capability and voilà, the modern NBA was born with Steve Nash and the 7 seconds or less Suns.

To be honest MJ and a lot of the 80's guys would probably finding it very boring and unchallenging to play in the modern NBA where every rule in the book favors offense (remember he was also one of the goat defenders), everybody wants to be friends and play together basically killing team and player rivalries, load management, same cookie cutter layup/3 pointer analytic nerd fueled style of play for most teams etc...

Remember it was the intense rivalry and physical beatdowns he experienced against the Bad Boy Pistons that turned Michael into the greatest player of all time, without them he probably would've just been content winning scoring titles and MVP's.

[trueballer7]

I really think that common sense has to prevail. Stu Jackson who was the NBA operations executive when the the rule changes occured stated that regards to handchecking and defensive 3 seconds changes was to help open up the game for perimeter and help slashers and shooters. So we get the objective for the changes of rules straight from the horses mouth right?

So then lets verify and check the stats to see what actually happened....

Season eFG%
2019-20 ===> 0.522 /\
2018-19 ===> 0.524 |
2017-18 ===> 0.521 |
2016-17 ===> 0.514 |
2015-16 ===> 0.502 |
2014-15 ===> 0.496 |
2013-14 ===> 0.501 |
2012-13 ===> 0.496 |
2011-12 ===> 0.487 |
2010-11 ===> 0.498 | Post elimination hancheck era
2009-10 ===> 0.501 |
2008-09 ===> 0.500 |
2007-08 ===> 0.497 |
2006-07 ===> 0.496 |
2005-06 ===> 0.490 |
2004-05 ===> 0.482 <---1st season handcheck eliminated
2003-04 ===> 0.471
2002-03 ===> 0.474
2001-02 ===> 0.477 <----- 1st Season illegal defense was eliminated and defensive 3 seconds rule introduced effeciency
2000-01 ===> 0.473 went up!!
1999-00 ===> 0.478
1998-99 ===> 0.466 <--Shortened Season
1997-98 ===> 0.478

The eFG% was trending down...but in '04/'05 when handcheck was eliminated...there was a big spike up. Previous years it was trending down, 0.477, 0.474, 0.471....then in '04/'05, not only did it increase....it jumped up, one of the biggest jumps in eFG% year by year in NBA history. Coinciding with the handcheck rule change. And every year it has been trending up, only dropping below 0.490 once due to the '12 shortened season.

Unless you think in '04/'05, there was a cambrian explosion type of 3pt shooters....then as a person with common sense, i have to ask why the hell all of a sudden and why on this specific year?

The league has now shifted fully to the perimeter scoring, a trend that really started in the mid 90s due to the influence of the Bulls / MJ and accelerated when they shortened the 3pt line. So early 90s you had front court players having the most scoring attempts (actually the usage was more distributed across the team)....then you get to the end of the 90s, it has shifted to perimeter players with Iverson, Stackhouse, Kobe dominating the field goal attempts. THIS IS THE MAIN REASON THE LEAGUE EFFECIENCY DROPPED IN LATE 90s and EARLY 00s....because the league shifted to the perimeter, but the defense was able to slow down perimeter scoring.....UNTIL THE LEAGUE STEPPED IN.

Now, the paint is wide open, can't stand on the paint too long, you can't put too much resistance on a player that is in the action of driving to the rim OR ITS A FOUL...then you have analytics that then takes advantage of this by compounding the defense problem by recruiting 3pt shooters and clear out the paint for your slashers.

From 1990 to 2005, there was only MJ that were regarded as perimeter that actually won the MVP. After 2005, outside of Dirk (who plays on the perimeter), they are all perimeter players. COINCIDENCE?

Just common sense and all the evidence point to the fact today is a lot easier to score for perimeter players. I don't know why these thread keep popping up every year

Because they didnt see Jordan play and get easily brainwashed. The Jordan they talk about is some other player, entirely fictional.

[mysticOscar]

I really think that common sense has to prevail. Stu Jackson who was the NBA operations executive when the the rule changes occured stated that regards to handchecking and defensive 3 seconds changes was to help open up the game for perimeter and help slashers and shooters. So we get the objective for the changes of rules straight from the horses mouth right?

So then lets verify and check the stats to see what actually happened....

Season eFG%
2019-20 ===> 0.522 /\
2018-19 ===> 0.524 |
2017-18 ===> 0.521 |
2016-17 ===> 0.514 |
2015-16 ===> 0.502 |
2014-15 ===> 0.496 |
2013-14 ===> 0.501 |
2012-13 ===> 0.496 |
2011-12 ===> 0.487 |
2010-11 ===> 0.498 | Post elimination hancheck era
2009-10 ===> 0.501 |
2008-09 ===> 0.500 |
2007-08 ===> 0.497 |
2006-07 ===> 0.496 |
2005-06 ===> 0.490 |
2004-05 ===> 0.482 <---1st season handcheck eliminated
2003-04 ===> 0.471
2002-03 ===> 0.474
2001-02 ===> 0.477 <----- 1st Season illegal defense was eliminated and defensive 3 seconds rule introduced effeciency
2000-01 ===> 0.473 went up!!
1999-00 ===> 0.478
1998-99 ===> 0.466 <--Shortened Season
1997-98 ===> 0.478

The eFG% was trending down...but in '04/'05 when handcheck was eliminated...there was a big spike up. Previous years it was trending down, 0.477, 0.474, 0.471....then in '04/'05, not only did it increase....it jumped up, one of the biggest jumps in eFG% year by year in NBA history. Coinciding with the handcheck rule change. And every year it has been trending up, only dropping below 0.490 once due to the '12 shortened season.

Unless you think in '04/'05, there was a cambrian explosion type of 3pt shooters....then as a person with common sense, i have to ask why the hell all of a sudden and why on this specific year?

The league has now shifted fully to the perimeter scoring, a trend that really started in the mid 90s due to the influence of the Bulls / MJ and accelerated when they shortened the 3pt line. So early 90s you had front court players having the most scoring attempts (actually the usage was more distributed across the team)....then you get to the end of the 90s, it has shifted to perimeter players with Iverson, Stackhouse, Kobe dominating the field goal attempts. THIS IS THE MAIN REASON THE LEAGUE EFFECIENCY DROPPED IN LATE 90s and EARLY 00s....because the league shifted to the perimeter, but the defense was able to slow down perimeter scoring.....UNTIL THE LEAGUE STEPPED IN.

Now, the paint is wide open, can't stand on the paint too long, you can't put too much resistance on a player that is in the action of driving to the rim OR ITS A FOUL...then you have analytics that then takes advantage of this by compounding the defense problem by recruiting 3pt shooters and clear out the paint for your slashers.

From 1990 to 2005, there was only MJ that were regarded as perimeter that actually won the MVP. After 2005, outside of Dirk (who plays on the perimeter), they are all perimeter players. COINCIDENCE?

Just common sense and all the evidence point to the fact today is a lot easier to score for perimeter players. I don't know why these thread keep popping up every year

Here’s the definition of eFG% from basketball-reference.com:

eFG% -- Effective Field Goal Percentage
This statistic adjusts for the fact that a 3-point field goal is worth one more point than a 2-point field goal.

It’s the same as TS%, it goes up as 3-point shooting improves. The league pushed in the 3-point line in ‘95, look at how much eFG% increased in just one year.

1994: 48.5%
1995: 50.0 %

That’s a bigger jump in eFG% than in ‘05. As soon as the league went back to the real line, it started to trend downwards.

No, the efg% trended down in 1996 and 1997 even tho the 3pt attempts increased and even when the line was still shortened. Cause defense adjusted since they had the tools to do so.

But since the league got rid of handcheck, introduced the defensive 3 seconds, emphasised on freedom of movement (no holding off the ball), relaxed on moving screens, allow a gather step and empahises on protecting ahooters...

defense are really left with not much options...And now offensive players are expecting fouls after every drive and are surprised when it's not called and encouraged more flopping