1993 ECF - Michael Jordan Shooting Charts, Defense, ON-OFF Ratings

[Djoker]

Many of you have seen the work on complete Michael Jordan shooting data in the playoffs here.

In this thread, we have the shooting charts for the 1993 ECF which was a really fun series to track. MJ actually shot poorly and I was marking quite a few X's; as someone who grades student assignments for a living I like doing that . I also made a ton of notes on his defense which took me a while to compile into something coherent. Oh and there's ON-OFF as well.

Without further ado...

Shooting Charts

Game 1

Spoiler:

Game 2

Spoiler:

Game 3

Spoiler:

Game 4

Spoiler:

Game 5

Spoiler:

Game 6

Spoiler:

Series Totals

Spoiler:

Note: I have him with 2 three-point attempts in Game 5 while the official box score has him with 1.

Defense

Just to be clear about the terminology. Deflections do not include steals. I define them as taps on the ball that cause turnovers. Rim contests are effective stances near the rim. These include blocks but also good contests that do not outright result in a block.

Game 1

Spoiler:

dFG%: Starks 6/8, Blackman 0/1, Mason 0/1, 0/1 Rivers
Steals: 4
Deflections: 3
Rim Contests: 2
Blocks: 0
MJ had a pretty strong defensive game. He was a hawk in the lane getting 5 steals by my count (officially credited with 4 though commentator said 5 steals) and 3 more deflections that resulted in turnovers or blown possessions by the Knicks. The man-to-man D was solid but Starks just got hot in the 4th quarter hitting a few threes. Two effective contests at the rim, one on Mason and one on Starks. MJ spent most of the game on Rivers but Doc didn't shoot.

Grade: B

Game 2

Spoiler:

dFG%: Starks 2/8
Steals: 2
Deflections: 2
Rim Contests: 2
Blocks: 0
The only shot Starks hit on MJ was a pretty tough 3pt shot at the end of the 3rd Quarter. The other make was after a blow by. MJ got two strips and steals on Charles Smith in the last 3 minutes and a couple of more deflections. He was pesky and the Bulls other than Jordan also applied more ball pressure in this contest. All in all a similarly solid defensive game as the previous. Starks missed a lot more but he rarely managed to beat MJ off the dribble. MJ spent most of the game on Starks.

Grade: B

Game 3

Spoiler:

dFG%: Starks 0/2, Mason 0/3, Ewing 0/2
Steals: 2
Deflections: 2
Effective Rim Contests: 7
Blocks: 2
The Bulls starting trapping the Knicks a lot including in the backcourt. Jordan had a super active game on defense including a lot of intelligent roaming and he managed to contest an impressive 7 shots at the rim effectively, including preventing 3 baskets by Mason and 2 by Ewing. He was particularly devastating with his traps as well, forcing the Knicks into several turnovers through errant passes and one backcourt violation on Starks as well. Best defensive game of the series.

Grade: A

Game 4

Spoiler:

dFG%: Starks 2/4. Rivers 1/3. Mason 0/1
Steals: 2
Deflections: 2
Effective Rim Contests: 2
Blocks: 1
He carried a big load on offense and did a decent job in terms of man defense. Apart from coming back in transition and stopping a rim attempt by Starks, it was a pretty low activity effort. Probably could have spent more time on Starks considering how hot he was. He and MJ were trading haymakers for much of the game. He committed a few dumb frustration fouls and had to sit for a couple of minutes with 6:58 left in the 4th Quarter.

Grade: C

Game 5

Spoiler:

dFG%: Starks 1/4. Rivers 1/2. Mason 0/1
Steals: 2
Deflections: 4
Effective Rim Contests: 3
Blocks: 1
Like in Game 1, MJ was a turnover-causing machine, by my count forcing the Knicks into 6 turnovers mostly with deflections or outright steals by picking passes. Didn't gamble a lot in this one or commit any dumb fouls. Probably his second best showing after Game 3.

Grade: B

Game 6

Spoiler:

dFG%: Starks 2/4. Rivers 0/1. Mason 0/1, Ewing 1/2
Steals: 3
Deflections: 1
Effective Rim Contests: 3
Blocks: 2
Similar to Game 3 but with fewer effective traps and rim contests. Probably his second best showing in the series.

Grade: B/A

ON-OFF

Spoiler:

ON

117.9 ORtg
111.7 DRtg
+6.3 Net

OFF

77.0 ORtg
77.0 DRtg
0.0 Net

ON-OFF

+40.9 ORtg
+34.7 DRtg
+6.3 Net

My Thoughts on the Series

Spoiler:

The Knicks' defense was predicated on preventing easy baskets. Every time MJ went into the paint, it was basically "Jordan Rules". Force him towards help, double quickly if he catches it in good position and if needed don't let him get a shot off and just foul him. It was a hell of a strategy (It worked!) although it did bleed some value because despite really poor shooting in several games, MJ still managed to have respectable efficiency by virtue of drawing a ton of fouls and waltzing to the line. In 6 games, MJ shot 59/68 (86.9%) from the FT line. He had very few rim attempts not just because he wasn't driving but because they fouled him when he got into the position to score. This honestly may have been a mistake given how good the Knicks' bigs like Ewing, Oak, Mason, and Smith are at protecting the paint. MJ had a tough time finishing in the paint over their outstretched hands when he got shots off in there. Even if his rim finishing % would rise to ~60% with higher volume, that's still a much better proposition for the Knicks than sending an 85% foul shooter to the line.

And those defensive principles didn't just apply to Jordan. The Bulls' other players got very few easy finishes too. The likes of Pippen and Armstrong did really well stepping into their outside shots and knocking them down. Grant was struggling with injury and had only two good outings in Game 3 and Game 5. The rest of the series he was pretty subdued. But basically the Bulls cast had a steady diet of outside shots with quite a few lightly contested ones which was undoubtedly helped by Jordan's gravity. But still those guys deserve credit for shooting well in those positions.

The Knicks were close in the series because a) They decimated the Bulls on the boards by 7.2 rebounds per game. Second chance points were killing Chicago. b) The Bulls had no answer for Ewing. Cartwright was doing the best job but he got in foul trouble and gave the Bulls nothing on offense so they couldn't play him much. Grant as mentioned previously was hurt and didn't have a good series. Ewing was just destroying them in the post. c) They were just so quick on defense and so in-sync. They rarely made mistakes and were always there to bother shots. It's like they had 6 guys on the court on defense.

The Bulls managed to win the series because a) The traps worked wonders. From Game 3 onwards, they started trapping a ton which forced the Knicks into a lot of turnovers. For the entire series, they had 106 turnovers which is 17.7 per game! b) Jordan and the rest of the Bulls simply hit their outside shots. c) The Knicks including Ewing himself missed a ton of free throws.

[70sFan]

Fantastic, thank you!

Jordan had that incredible ability to take and make midrange shots at ridiculous volume, so even when he struggled attacking the paint overall (and he did against the Knicks), it didn't shut down the whole offense. It's not a good series by Jordan standards, but he still pressured this amazing Knicks defense a lot because of his deadly midrange game.

It also looks like a solid defensive series from your breakdown.

[IG2]

1993 Knicks were a -8.3 defense, so one of the GOATs on that end. Doesn't surprise me that MJ struggled with his efficiency. To me it also showed his decline compared to 1992 - shot 48% against NY in '92 playoffs to 40% in '93. A year older + Olympics = slower and less explosive. He also hurt his wrist at some point in 1993 and couldn't lift for a while. He's definitely smaller in size too. Starks couldn't touch him in 1992, especially in the post, but didn't have much issues staying with him for most of the '93 series.

Pippen was huge in this series and definitely saved MJ's behind in a couple of games when MJ couldn't make a shot. Shame NY could never get Ewing a proper #2. Some of those Bulls-Knicks matchups might have gone differently otherwise. This was always a talent mismatch that NY overcame to an extent through the sheer grit and toughness Riley instilled in them. But you're never winning a championship with Starks as your #2.

[Djoker]

1993 Knicks were a -8.3 defense, so one of the GOATs on that end. Doesn't surprise me that MJ struggled with his efficiency. To me it also showed his decline compared to 1992 - shot 48% against NY in '92 playoffs to 40% in '93. A year older + Olympics = slower and less explosive. He also hurt his wrist at some point in 1993 and couldn't lift for a while. He's definitely smaller in size too. Starks couldn't touch him in 1992, especially in the post, but didn't have much issues staying with him for most of the '93 series.

Pippen was huge in this series and definitely saved MJ's behind in a couple of games when MJ couldn't make a shot. Shame NY could never get Ewing a proper #2. Some of those Bulls-Knicks matchups might have gone differently otherwise. This was always a talent mismatch that NY overcame to an extent through the sheer grit and toughness Riley instilled in them. But you're never winning a championship with Starks as your #2.

Never is a strong word considering the Knicks lost a close Game 7 of the Finals the very next year. And actually it was Ewing who let them down offensively against Houston, not the supporting cast.

[tsherkin]

Never is a strong word considering the Knicks lost a close Game 7 of the Finals the very next year. And actually it was Ewing who let them down offensively against Houston, not the supporting cast.

And WHY did they lose?

You can blame Ewing with some degree of legitimacy, but Starks was a sub-37% FG that series, and shot 2/18 in Game 7.

[spree8]

Never is a strong word considering the Knicks lost a close Game 7 of the Finals the very next year. And actually it was Ewing who let them down offensively against Houston, not the supporting cast.

And WHY did they lose?

You can blame Ewing with some degree of legitimacy, but Starks was a sub-37% FG that series, and shot 2/18 in Game 7.

Didn’t it still come down to an Olajuwon lucky block (after almost busting his a$$ trying to keep up) on a Starks game/championship winning shot tho? Couldn’t get any closer than that.

[tsherkin]

Didn’t it still come down to an Olajuwon lucky block (after almost busting his a$$ trying to keep up) on a Starks game/championship winning shot tho? Couldn’t get any closer than that.

That was in Game 6. In that one, Starks had been playing well and Ewing had shot quite poorly.

Game by game for Starks:

3/18
6/11
6/16
6/11
7/14
9/18
2/18 (0/11 from 3; an especially stupid game from him, given his proficiency level at that time).

Just as a recap.

[spree8]

Didn’t it still come down to an Olajuwon lucky block (after almost busting his a$$ trying to keep up) on a Starks game/championship winning shot tho? Couldn’t get any closer than that.

That was in Game 6. In that one, Starks had been playing well and Ewing had shot quite poorly.

Game by game for Starks:

3/18
6/11
6/16
6/11
7/14
9/18
2/18 (0/11 from 3; an especially stupid game from him, given his proficiency level at that time).

Just as a recap.

I think you missed my point. Yes it was game 6, and it was an elimination game. Had Olajuwon not blocked that shot from Starks for the game winning 3, the Rockets would’ve lost and the Knicks would’ve won the championship that game… if Starks made the shot of course. The Knicks came that close to winning a title with Starks as #2… so the point is, the team could win a title with him as a #2

[tsherkin]

[
I think you missed my point. Yes it was game 6, and it was an elimination game. Had Olajuwon not blocked that shot from Starks for the game winning 3, the Rockets would’ve lost and the Knicks would’ve won the championship that game…

Yes, they would have. But he didn't.

if Starks made the shot of course. The Knicks came that close to winning a title with Starks as #2… so the point is, the team could win a title with him as a #2

I mean, it's technically possible. It's still a stupid idea, and I feel bad for Ewing that Starks was his running mate. You're talking about a guy who wasn't even league-average efficiency and didn't have reliable 3pt range (which, despite era, is relevant given his volume) chucking away as his main offensive support. And Ewing was 31 that year, not exactly a sports spring chicken. Then it was Charles Oakley, who should be rolled up in a carpet and tossed off a bridge rather than given more shooting volume, Derek Harper (who was old and garbage at scoring), Charles Smith and a young Anthony Mason. Ewing was not working with a lot, and the Houston roleplayers were generally much better in 94 and 95.

But like, how'd that work out for the Knicks? Maybe if Jordan hadn't been around, they would have had another chance with that group, but that didn't unfold. And the one time it did in Jordan's absence, Starks got blocked at the end of Game 6 and authored an epic failure in Game 7, which really undercuts support for the idea that chances were good that they could remain competitive with him doing that. Remember, he produced profoundly bad shooting in 3 of those games. He's a big part of why they didn't start the series 2-0 because he opened the series with a stinker, and then he did it again in game 3. There's a very real chance they could have diced up the Rockets in 4 or 5 games if he'd been an actually reliable offensive weapon.

But he wasn't.

[spree8]

I think you missed my point. Yes it was game 6, and it was an elimination game. Had Olajuwon not blocked that shot from Starks for the game winning 3, the Rockets would’ve lost and the Knicks would’ve won the championship that game…

Yes, they would have. But he didn't.

if Starks made the shot of course. The Knicks came that close to winning a title with Starks as #2… so the point is, the team could win a title with him as a #2

I mean, it's technically possible. It's still a stupid idea, and I feel bad for Ewing that Starks was his running mate. You're talking about a guy who wasn't even league-average efficiency and didn't have reliable 3pt range (which, despite era, is relevant given his volume) chucking away as his main offensive support. And Ewing was 31 that year, not exactly a sports spring chicken. Then it was Charles Oakley, who should be rolled up in a carpet and tossed off a bridge rather than given more shooting volume, Derek Harper (who was old and garbage at scoring), Charles Smith and a young Anthony Mason. Ewing was not working with a lot, and the Houston roleplayers were generally much better in 94 and 95.

But like, how'd that work out for the Knicks? Maybe if Jordan hadn't been around, they would have had another chance with that group, but that didn't unfold. And the one time it did in Jordan's absence, Starks got blocked at the end of Game 6 and authored an epic failure in Game 7, which really undercuts support for the idea that chances were good that they could remain competitive with him doing that. Remember, he produced profoundly bad shooting in 3 of those games. He's a big part of why they didn't start the series 2-0 because he opened the series with a stinker, and then he did it again in game 3. There's a very real chance they could have diced up the Rockets in 4 or 5 games if he'd been an actually reliable offensive weapon.

But he wasn't.

Quite the negative tone in this post. Was “But he didn’t” meant to be some profound statement? Obviously he didn’t, that was already mentioned. Seems like you enjoy crapping on the rest of the team too (as a kid in the 90’s who loved that team, I have no complaints about them), but none of this is relevant, it’s just a bunch of strawman arguments I never showed any interest in. I simply made a basic point… that team came within 1 shot of winning a title and that is more than enough to constitute as being able to contend with Starks as the #2. That’s all I’m saying.

[tsherkin]

Quite the negative tone in this post. Was “But he didn’t” meant to be some profound statement?

Nope. Nothing particularly revelatory nor profound in my post.

Seems like you enjoy crapping on the rest of the team too (as a kid in the 90’s who loved that team, I have no complaints about them),

Iterating a team's flaws isn't the same as "crapping on" a team. I rocked black and purple 33s in the 90s, dude. They just won with their defense, not their offense. The Knicks were a below average offense every year of the decade outside of 1992, it isn't any big secret. And that had a lot to do with filling the team with defensive roleplayers instead of guys who could support the offense. That's how it goes.

I simply made a basic point… that team came within 1 shot of winning a title and that is more than enough to constitute as being able to contend with Starks as the #2. That’s all I’m saying.

And I disagreed with you, perhaps because we have semantic separation on what "being able to contend with Starks as the #2" means. If you repeat that season, I don't think they return to the Finals as often as they miss it. And certainly if they move outside of that era, things change for the worst as well. They certainly did come close to winning a title, in theory, but I think the end result was the most likely outcome if you were to repeat that series multiple times. Starks wasn't particularly good as a second option, and that caused some issues. It was not the ONLY issue on that team offensively, of course, but because he was the second option, that was a specifically problematic one.

[SportsGuru08]

1993 Knicks were a -8.3 defense, so one of the GOATs on that end. Doesn't surprise me that MJ struggled with his efficiency. To me it also showed his decline compared to 1992 - shot 48% against NY in '92 playoffs to 40% in '93. A year older + Olympics = slower and less explosive. He also hurt his wrist at some point in 1993 and couldn't lift for a while. He's definitely smaller in size too. Starks couldn't touch him in 1992, especially in the post, but didn't have much issues staying with him for most of the '93 series.

Pippen was huge in this series and definitely saved MJ's behind in a couple of games when MJ couldn't make a shot. Shame NY could never get Ewing a proper #2. Some of those Bulls-Knicks matchups might have gone differently otherwise. This was always a talent mismatch that NY overcame to an extent through the sheer grit and toughness Riley instilled in them. But you're never winning a championship with Starks as your #2.

Never is a strong word considering the Knicks lost a close Game 7 of the Finals the very next year. And actually it was Ewing who let them down offensively against Houston, not the supporting cast.

This. All of Ewing's fellow starters outplayed their counterpart on the Rockets. Problem is Ewing himself was severely outplayed by Hakeem.

His awful shooting cost them Game 3 and his passivity down the stretch of Game 6 is why Starks had to be so aggressive in the 4th quarter.

Ewing doesn't get to use the supporting cast as an excuse.

[SportsGuru08]

1993 Knicks were a -8.3 defense, so one of the GOATs on that end. Doesn't surprise me that MJ struggled with his efficiency. To me it also showed his decline compared to 1992 - shot 48% against NY in '92 playoffs to 40% in '93. A year older + Olympics = slower and less explosive. He also hurt his wrist at some point in 1993 and couldn't lift for a while. He's definitely smaller in size too. Starks couldn't touch him in 1992, especially in the post, but didn't have much issues staying with him for most of the '93 series.

Pippen was huge in this series and definitely saved MJ's behind in a couple of games when MJ couldn't make a shot. Shame NY could never get Ewing a proper #2. Some of those Bulls-Knicks matchups might have gone differently otherwise. This was always a talent mismatch that NY overcame to an extent through the sheer grit and toughness Riley instilled in them. But you're never winning a championship with Starks as your #2.

McDaniel outplayed Pippen in the previous year's matchup. What's Ewing's excuse for losing that series? Scottie looked like a frightened puppy dog for most of that series.

[tsherkin]

This. All of Ewing's fellow starters outplayed their counterpart on the Rockets. Problem is Ewing himself was severely outplayed by Hakeem.

All of Ewing's fellow starters...

Other than Starks, and Charles Smith. So, what we really mean here is, Harper and Oakley played well. And Oakley rocked 11 ppg.

Ewing was ALSO a problem, but ignoring that he was far from alone in struggling offensively doesn't make a lot of sense. Ewing absolutely stank on O in that series, for sure, but he was still giving them 12 boards and 4 blocks per game. Starks gave them nothing but his inability to shoot in that series.

[Redmoon]

1993 Knicks were a -8.3 defense, so one of the GOATs on that end. Doesn't surprise me that MJ struggled with his efficiency. To me it also showed his decline compared to 1992 - shot 48% against NY in '92 playoffs to 40% in '93. A year older + Olympics = slower and less explosive. He also hurt his wrist at some point in 1993 and couldn't lift for a while. He's definitely smaller in size too. Starks couldn't touch him in 1992, especially in the post, but didn't have much issues staying with him for most of the '93 series.

Pippen was huge in this series and definitely saved MJ's behind in a couple of games when MJ couldn't make a shot. Shame NY could never get Ewing a proper #2. Some of those Bulls-Knicks matchups might have gone differently otherwise. This was always a talent mismatch that NY overcame to an extent through the sheer grit and toughness Riley instilled in them. But you're never winning a championship with Starks as your #2.

Pippen really shined this series. Shot really well and was making big plays on both ends. MJ had a pretty bad shooting series, and alot of credit should go to the knicks and starks in particular who made it an extremely physical series. Really earned his all defensive nod that year. If we look past the shooting though, I thought MJ played pretty well - especially in the second half of the series where he really adjusted well and looked to create a ton of shots for the others. His TOVs were at all time lows, while averaging 9 assists in the last 4 games. His Ortg rating was actually better in the 93 series than in 92.

[sp6r=underrated]

Many of you have seen the work on complete Michael Jordan shooting data in the playoffs here.

In this thread, we have the shooting charts for the 1993 ECF which was a really fun series to track. MJ actually shot poorly and I was marking quite a few X's; as someone who grades student assignments for a living I like doing that . I also made a ton of notes on his defense which took me a while to compile into something coherent. Oh and there's ON-OFF as well.

Without further ado...

Shooting Charts

Game 1

Spoiler:

Game 2

Spoiler:

Game 3

Spoiler:

Game 4

Spoiler:

Game 5

Spoiler:

Game 6

Spoiler:

Series Totals

Spoiler:

Note: I have him with 2 three-point attempts in Game 5 while the official box score has him with 1.

Defense

Just to be clear about the terminology. Deflections do not include steals. I define them as taps on the ball that cause turnovers. Rim contests are effective stances near the rim. These include blocks but also good contests that do not outright result in a block.

Game 1

Spoiler:

dFG%: Starks 6/8, Blackman 0/1, Mason 0/1, 0/1 Rivers
Steals: 4
Deflections: 3
Rim Contests: 2
Blocks: 0
MJ had a pretty strong defensive game. He was a hawk in the lane getting 5 steals by my count (officially credited with 4 though commentator said 5 steals) and 3 more deflections that resulted in turnovers or blown possessions by the Knicks. The man-to-man D was solid but Starks just got hot in the 4th quarter hitting a few threes. Two effective contests at the rim, one on Mason and one on Starks. MJ spent most of the game on Rivers but Doc didn't shoot.

Grade: B

Game 2

Spoiler:

dFG%: Starks 2/8
Steals: 2
Deflections: 2
Rim Contests: 2
Blocks: 0
The only shot Starks hit on MJ was a pretty tough 3pt shot at the end of the 3rd Quarter. The other make was after a blow by. MJ got two strips and steals on Charles Smith in the last 3 minutes and a couple of more deflections. He was pesky and the Bulls other than Jordan also applied more ball pressure in this contest. All in all a similarly solid defensive game as the previous. Starks missed a lot more but he rarely managed to beat MJ off the dribble. MJ spent most of the game on Starks.

Grade: B

Game 3

Spoiler:

dFG%: Starks 0/2, Mason 0/3, Ewing 0/2
Steals: 2
Deflections: 2
Effective Rim Contests: 7
Blocks: 2
The Bulls starting trapping the Knicks a lot including in the backcourt. Jordan had a super active game on defense including a lot of intelligent roaming and he managed to contest an impressive 7 shots at the rim effectively, including preventing 3 baskets by Mason and 2 by Ewing. He was particularly devastating with his traps as well, forcing the Knicks into several turnovers through errant passes and one backcourt violation on Starks as well. Best defensive game of the series.

Grade: A

Game 4

Spoiler:

dFG%: Starks 2/4. Rivers 1/3. Mason 0/1
Steals: 2
Deflections: 2
Effective Rim Contests: 2
Blocks: 1
He carried a big load on offense and did a decent job in terms of man defense. Apart from coming back in transition and stopping a rim attempt by Starks, it was a pretty low activity effort. Probably could have spent more time on Starks considering how hot he was. He and MJ were trading haymakers for much of the game. He committed a few dumb frustration fouls and had to sit for a couple of minutes with 6:58 left in the 4th Quarter.

Grade: C

Game 5

Spoiler:

dFG%: Starks 1/4. Rivers 1/2. Mason 0/1
Steals: 2
Deflections: 4
Effective Rim Contests: 3
Blocks: 1
Like in Game 1, MJ was a turnover-causing machine, by my count forcing the Knicks into 6 turnovers mostly with deflections or outright steals by picking passes. Didn't gamble a lot in this one or commit any dumb fouls. Probably his second best showing after Game 3.

Grade: B

Game 6

Spoiler:

dFG%: Starks 2/4. Rivers 0/1. Mason 0/1, Ewing 1/2
Steals: 3
Deflections: 1
Effective Rim Contests: 3
Blocks: 2
Similar to Game 3 but with fewer effective traps and rim contests. Probably his second best showing in the series.

Grade: B/A

ON-OFF

Spoiler:

ON

117.9 ORtg
111.7 DRtg
+6.3 Net

OFF

77.0 ORtg
77.0 DRtg
0.0 Net

ON-OFF

+40.9 ORtg
+34.7 DRtg
+6.3 Net

My Thoughts on the Series

Spoiler:

The Knicks' defense was predicated on preventing easy baskets. Every time MJ went into the paint, it was basically "Jordan Rules". Force him towards help, double quickly if he catches it in good position and if needed don't let him get a shot off and just foul him. It was a hell of a strategy (It worked!) although it did bleed some value because despite really poor shooting in several games, MJ still managed to have respectable efficiency by virtue of drawing a ton of fouls and waltzing to the line. In 6 games, MJ shot 59/68 (86.9%) from the FT line. He had very few rim attempts not just because he wasn't driving but because they fouled him when he got into the position to score. This honestly may have been a mistake given how good the Knicks' bigs like Ewing, Oak, Mason, and Smith are at protecting the paint. MJ had a tough time finishing in the paint over their outstretched hands when he got shots off in there. Even if his rim finishing % would rise to ~60% with higher volume, that's still a much better proposition for the Knicks than sending an 85% foul shooter to the line.

And those defensive principles didn't just apply to Jordan. The Bulls' other players got very few easy finishes too. The likes of Pippen and Armstrong did really well stepping into their outside shots and knocking them down. Grant was struggling with injury and had only two good outings in Game 3 and Game 5. The rest of the series he was pretty subdued. But basically the Bulls cast had a steady diet of outside shots with quite a few lightly contested ones which was undoubtedly helped by Jordan's gravity. But still those guys deserve credit for shooting well in those positions.

The Knicks were close in the series because a) They decimated the Bulls on the boards by 7.2 rebounds per game. Second chance points were killing Chicago. b) The Bulls had no answer for Ewing. Cartwright was doing the best job but he got in foul trouble and gave the Bulls nothing on offense so they couldn't play him much. Grant as mentioned previously was hurt and didn't have a good series. Ewing was just destroying them in the post. c) They were just so quick on defense and so in-sync. They rarely made mistakes and were always there to bother shots. It's like they had 6 guys on the court on defense.

The Bulls managed to win the series because a) The traps worked wonders. From Game 3 onwards, they started trapping a ton which forced the Knicks into a lot of turnovers. For the entire series, they had 106 turnovers which is 17.7 per game! b) Jordan and the rest of the Bulls simply hit their outside shots. c) The Knicks including Ewing himself missed a ton of free throws.

Unfun fact: the Charles Smith game was one of the last sporting events to cause a young SP6R to cry.

[SportsGuru08]

This. All of Ewing's fellow starters outplayed their counterpart on the Rockets. Problem is Ewing himself was severely outplayed by Hakeem.

All of Ewing's fellow starters...

Other than Starks, and Charles Smith. So, what we really mean here is, Harper and Oakley played well. And Oakley rocked 11 ppg.

Ewing was ALSO a problem, but ignoring that he was far from alone in struggling offensively doesn't make a lot of sense. Ewing absolutely stank on O in that series, for sure, but he was still giving them 12 boards and 4 blocks per game. Starks gave them nothing but his inability to shoot in that series.

Maxwell was only clearly better in Game 7. Most of the series, Starks had gotten the better of him. And Smith shot considerably better from the field than Horry.

[tsherkin]

Maxwell was only clearly better in Game 7. Most of the series, Starks had gotten the better of him. And Smith shot considerably better from the field than Horry.

Doesn't really matter; they still sucked and didn't give him any real advantage to work with.

[SportsGuru08]

Maxwell was only clearly better in Game 7. Most of the series, Starks had gotten the better of him. And Smith shot considerably better from the field than Horry.

Doesn't really matter; they still sucked and didn't give him any real advantage to work with.

This argument is a little disingenuous. In any given series, a player's averages can be significantly depressed because of one game in which they were particularly bad. That was definitely the case with Starks whereas Vernon was consistently bad.

Case in point Reggie Miller in his lone Finals. One might look at his 41% FG and assume he had a bad series. In reality, his numbers were brought down severely by one game in which he shot 1 for 16. The rest of the series he shot 48%.

[Elpolo_14]

The Knick were historical Defense(-8.3rDRTg one of the top 4 defense post merger )
MJ being able to score remotely close to this is impressive. ( 52.2 TS or +1.7 rts adj. )

Funny enough this series seem to be easier for the overall Bulls compare to last year against the Knick in the second round ( even tho the Knick get Significantly better on defense this year ) but it could be attributed to the regress on the offensive end by losing McDaniel