Fantasy Draft: Semi-Finals (Orangello vs Hack)
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Hotdog
Well-Known Member
Payton vs. Jordan
Payton is also considered one of the best defensive opponents of Michael Jordan,[13] and the two players had a high-profile rivalry that culminated in the 1996 NBA Finals. Jordan and Payton are the only two guards to have won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award since 1989, and despite their different positions (shooting guard and point guard respectively), they were well matched for other reasons. Both were prodigious "trash talkers"[14] (Larry Johnson once named Payton, Jordan and himself the best three trash talkers in the league),[15] had legendary competitiveness, and as the 1997 NBA Preview magazine stated, "Payton [was] quick, and strong as an ox", making him the kind of player who could frustrate Jordan defensively. Payton, at 6'4" and with a tough physique, was one of a handful of point guards with the size and body type to guard Jordan.
Midway through the 1996 NBA Finals, Seattle coach George Karl made the decision to assign Payton to play defense as a shooting guard instead of his normal point guard assignment in order to defend Jordan. Though the Bulls won the series, Seattle's (and especially Payton's) defense held Jordan and the Bulls to their lowest offensive output in an NBA finals and "frustrated the best player in the game."[16] In his first three NBA Finals, Jordan averaged 36.3 points per game and had scored at least 30 points in 14 of his 17 games. However, in the 1996 Finals, Jordan averaged 27.3 points per game and scored more than 30 points in only 1 of the 6 games.[17] In a game 5 preview after Payton had held Jordan to a career NBA Finals low of 23, an NBA pregame show described the rivalry of two strong defensive players renowned for their competitiveness.
"[In Game 4, Jordan had his] lowest output in a Finals game, much of it with Payton guarding him. Though afterwards, Jordan refused to give Payton credit, saying 'No one can stop me, I can only stop myself. I missed some easy shots.' The truth is, Jordan finds the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year [Payton] annoying. He views the [young Payton] as impudent, and he would love to have a big game at [Payton's] expense." (NBA on NBC Preview, Game 5)[18]
The Sonics won that game by 21 points and Payton held Jordan to 26 points – Jordan's second-lowest-scoring Finals game in his career up to that point. In game 6, which the Bulls would win to capture the Championship, Payton played 47 minutes and Jordan missed 14 of his 19 shots, getting a career Finals low 22 points.[19] By the end of the series, Michael Jordan had been held under 30 points in 5 of the 6 games, including his three lowest-scoring Finals games up to that point (26 in Game 5, 23 in Game 4, 22 in Game 6). Bill Walton, commentating for NBC at the time, said Payton "outplayed" Jordan during the second half of the series, and that Seattle coach George Karl would "rue" the decision to "hide [Payton] from 'the king'" in the early games of the series.[20] During this series, Payton and his Sonics also held Jordan's Bulls to the lowest-scoring quarter in their NBA Finals history. Michael Jordan would never score fewer points in an NBA Finals game than his 22 points in game 6,[21] and would never be held under 30 points more than twice in a Finals series, which the Sonics did five times.
Payton is also considered one of the best defensive opponents of Michael Jordan,[13] and the two players had a high-profile rivalry that culminated in the 1996 NBA Finals. Jordan and Payton are the only two guards to have won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award since 1989, and despite their different positions (shooting guard and point guard respectively), they were well matched for other reasons. Both were prodigious "trash talkers"[14] (Larry Johnson once named Payton, Jordan and himself the best three trash talkers in the league),[15] had legendary competitiveness, and as the 1997 NBA Preview magazine stated, "Payton [was] quick, and strong as an ox", making him the kind of player who could frustrate Jordan defensively. Payton, at 6'4" and with a tough physique, was one of a handful of point guards with the size and body type to guard Jordan.
Midway through the 1996 NBA Finals, Seattle coach George Karl made the decision to assign Payton to play defense as a shooting guard instead of his normal point guard assignment in order to defend Jordan. Though the Bulls won the series, Seattle's (and especially Payton's) defense held Jordan and the Bulls to their lowest offensive output in an NBA finals and "frustrated the best player in the game."[16] In his first three NBA Finals, Jordan averaged 36.3 points per game and had scored at least 30 points in 14 of his 17 games. However, in the 1996 Finals, Jordan averaged 27.3 points per game and scored more than 30 points in only 1 of the 6 games.[17] In a game 5 preview after Payton had held Jordan to a career NBA Finals low of 23, an NBA pregame show described the rivalry of two strong defensive players renowned for their competitiveness.
"[In Game 4, Jordan had his] lowest output in a Finals game, much of it with Payton guarding him. Though afterwards, Jordan refused to give Payton credit, saying 'No one can stop me, I can only stop myself. I missed some easy shots.' The truth is, Jordan finds the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year [Payton] annoying. He views the [young Payton] as impudent, and he would love to have a big game at [Payton's] expense." (NBA on NBC Preview, Game 5)[18]
The Sonics won that game by 21 points and Payton held Jordan to 26 points – Jordan's second-lowest-scoring Finals game in his career up to that point. In game 6, which the Bulls would win to capture the Championship, Payton played 47 minutes and Jordan missed 14 of his 19 shots, getting a career Finals low 22 points.[19] By the end of the series, Michael Jordan had been held under 30 points in 5 of the 6 games, including his three lowest-scoring Finals games up to that point (26 in Game 5, 23 in Game 4, 22 in Game 6). Bill Walton, commentating for NBC at the time, said Payton "outplayed" Jordan during the second half of the series, and that Seattle coach George Karl would "rue" the decision to "hide [Payton] from 'the king'" in the early games of the series.[20] During this series, Payton and his Sonics also held Jordan's Bulls to the lowest-scoring quarter in their NBA Finals history. Michael Jordan would never score fewer points in an NBA Finals game than his 22 points in game 6,[21] and would never be held under 30 points more than twice in a Finals series, which the Sonics did five times.
wtf????????????????????
UGLI baby
Well-Known Member
This post just broke jazzfanz' backboard
Awesome!!!!
orangello
Well-Known Member
Let me summarize here, Payton guarded Jordan. Jordan still scored over 20 points in every game and the Bulls still own the championship. Thanks for the ringing endorsement of my team. That really helps.
Hotdog
Well-Known Member
No. What it means is Jordan won't be going off on my team. My team can humanize him.
Remember Payton didn't have the team I do.
orangello
Well-Known Member
If Jordan can still average 25+ points then that is not a win for a defender.
And to your point, Jordan didn't have the team that I do.
Hotdog
Well-Known Member
Touche' on the second part. But I do think it matters that Payton can slow down Jordan.
In the playoffs Jordan averaged over 33 points a game. "Holding" him to 25 is somewhat of a win in my book. How much of a win would depend on how many shots it took him to get his 25.
Payton shutting down Jordan in one game is some of the most overblown nonsense if you actually, you know, watch footage of the game instead of box score ballin (tm) like we're doing here.
Barkley would murder Blown Knee Blake.
Sabonis will pull Shaq out of the lane on one end and lick a lot of hardwood on the other. I give him 5 minutes before fouling out, or crying himself out the game.
Kevin Durant would get so bored with dominating Glen Rice that he'd find something else to do to entertain himself, like whispering in Glens ear all series long & sneaking valentines presents into his locker.
Jordan >> Wade, but not enough to offset bad Shaq & Barkley jokes.
Camby is happy to be drafted in one of these for the very first time.
Tough call for me.
Barkley would murder Blown Knee Blake.
Sabonis will pull Shaq out of the lane on one end and lick a lot of hardwood on the other. I give him 5 minutes before fouling out, or crying himself out the game.
Kevin Durant would get so bored with dominating Glen Rice that he'd find something else to do to entertain himself, like whispering in Glens ear all series long & sneaking valentines presents into his locker.
Jordan >> Wade, but not enough to offset bad Shaq & Barkley jokes.
Camby is happy to be drafted in one of these for the very first time.
Tough call for me.
orangello
Well-Known Member
I love that I have selective reading. That is just how my mind works.
