With ESPN’s The Last Dance running multiple episodes every weekend, it’s a good time to look back at not only Michael Jordan, but the players that he went toe-to-toe against to see how they think they might fare in the modern NBA game.
On the latest episode of the Purple Talk podcast on NBC Sports California, Hall of Fame shooting guard Mitch Richmond stopped in to discuss Jordan, amongst other topics. When it came to how Richmond and Jordan might fit into an ever-changing NBA world, the 54-year-old was confident they would do just fine.
“I would thrive, brother, thrive,” Richmond said. “No question about it, I think you would adjust.”
In a world where Buddy Hield is allowed to average 9.7 3-point attempts per game, Richmond thinks he would find success.
[RELATED: Mitch Richmond recalls beating Kings with Lakers in 2002 NBA playoffs]
A physical player with the ability to score all over the court, Richmond not only would love the floor spacing in the modern NBA game, but also the green light that every shooter seems to have.
“I remember coming out of games, taking my first rest and then [thinking] like, ‘man, I shot five threes, that’s enough tonight, I’m not shooting no more, I’ve got to get to the basket.’”
During his seven seasons in a Kings uniform, Richmond averaged 23.3 points on 18.1 shots per game. Of those field goal attempts, only 4.8 came from behind the arch, where Richmond shot 40.4 percent.
“Mitch was a bad dude, man,” longtime NBA guard turned NBC Sports California analyst Doug Christie said. “When you’re talking about a Hall of Famer, a lot of times, more than anything is try to make it as difficult as you possibly can for a guy like Mitch.”
Richmond would have fit in just fine in the modern NBA. His ability to play defense, score at all three levels and out-physical his opponent might have translated even better today than it did during his 14-year NBA career that ran from 1988-2002.
“I do look back and say, ‘man, I should have shot more, shoot, I should have shot more,’” Richmond said. “These guys don’t care if they miss.”
Christie believes that both Richmond and Jordan would flourish in the modern NBA game for one very specific reason.
“You know, when they look at comparing eras and different things like that, I just don’t think that people take into consideration greatness,” Christie said. “Meaning that you were willing to put the work in. Mike (Jordan) was willing to put the work in. So whatever the task was going to be, whether it was 3-point, whether it was ball-handling, whether it was (a) post up, you were willing to do it. So if you put that in this era, you’re going to be just as effective or more effective.”
[PURPLE TALK PODCAST: Listen to the latest episode]
When it came to Jordan, both Richmond and Christie agreed that with the current hand-check rules and the spacing that you now find on an NBA court, he would have been even better.
“Michael would have been what Kobe [Bryant] was doing and even more, because when he took flight, you couldn’t get up there,” Richmond said. “It was a whole nother level and the ball was like a baseball to him. If you think about it, Kobe couldn’t palm the ball.”
If you dropped Richmond into today’s game, he probably would shoot three or four more 3-point attempts per game. If you let Jordan loose under the current rules, he would exploit every hole in the defense.
Add in increased pace and the additional shots teams are now taking and these two would be among the most prolific scorers in the NBA.
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