Michael Jordan: What If Prime MJ Played In Today's NBA?

Michael Jordan was truly unstoppable in his prime, as he shredded defenses nightly with his remarkable scoring ability.

He would often use his lightning-quick first step to beat defenders off the dribble and then hang in the air for a crowd-pleasing dunk or a "How did he do that?" reverse layup.

And his fadeaway jumper was lethal. It's a wonder why players would even try to defend such a shot, since they knew they would get burned almost every time.

In just his second NBA season, 1985-86, Jordan set an NBA playoff record with 63 points. That record still stands today.

The following season, Jordan averaged a mind-boggling 37.1 points per game, a scoring average that no player has reached since. 

One of the most fascinating things about Jordan is that he was able to put up big-time numbers despite playing in a very physical 1980s and early 1990s.

Back in that era, hand checking was allowed, meaning defenders could place their hands on opponents to make it difficult to get off a shot. Also, defenders could camp in the paint and not be called for a three-second violation.

Today, rough and physical defense is no longer allowed so that players can have more opportunities to score.

Current Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown said if Jordan played in the league now, he would average 50 points per game. Jordan was a great scorer, but saying he would put up 50 a game is giving him a little too much credit.

So what if prime Jordan did play today instead of the '80s and '90s?

Without a doubt, people wouldn't be debating about whether Kobe Bryant or LeBron James was the best player in the NBA, since everybody would know Jordan was clearly the top dog.

Jordan would lead the league in scoring every year with around 40 points per game. If he put up 30 a night when he was in his prime, there's no reason to believe that he couldn't average 40 in today's unphysical NBA.

Could Jordan do the unthinkable and score 81 like Bryant did? Certainly. Jordan just might have scored 101, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain's record by one point. Okay, that's extremely unrealistic, however, Jordan would have matched Kobe's 81 at some point.

Prime Jordan vs. Prime Kobe would be interesting, as the two high-scoring guards would go at it every time they faced one another. It might have been like Jordan vs. Larry Bird or Jordan vs. Dominique Wilkins back in the day. 

Jordan would score a ton of baskets on Kobe, and Kobe would score a ton of baskets on Jordan. It surely would be a fierce shootout between the two, with lots of fadeaway jumpers and dazzling dunks.

Jordan vs. LeBron would be a tantalizing one-on-one matchup as well. In each meeting, both players would try to prove to the other who was the better No. 23. LeBron would get his share of points, but in the end, Jordan would always get the last laugh.

Jordan just might have appeared in a few dunk contests. Since he was such a big trash talker, maybe he talks LeBron in to finally participating. A contest featuring Jordan, LeBron, Dwight Howard, and Nate Robinson would be appealing, to say the least.  

MJ would find a way to win. They don't call him "Air Jordan" for nothing, right?

If Prime Jordan played today, he might average 30, 40, or even 50 points a night. Who knows? One thing's for sure though—he would be the game's top player, just like he was in his heyday.

Sorry Kobe and LeBron.