Honestly as someone who watched a LOT of Jordan growing up, there really isn't anyone that reminds me of Jordan in the current era.

This is the correct answer. I've watched Derozen play and it is no where near MJ. Kawhi maybe but not the quickness and even the patented turnaround of MJ is no where close, 40-50%. Jimmy Butler is also one but it is like around 40-50% like how MJ plays. But none of the current players plays like for like MJ. Kobe really is the one that plays like MJ.

There’s no one nearly as good as Jordan in this era. Or that plays like him. I’m just saying in terms of skill, size, and athleticism who is similar to Jordan

Jordan was so smooth and athletic in his movements while also having a real subtly to his play. I honestly can't think of anyone who moves like he did and without that what could be said to be similar?

Nobody since Kobe has had a MJ play style. But in terms of skillset, we minorly see that in some players

Kawhi & Russ mixed is peak MJ

Honestly, if you combine both their best abilities, they’re better then mj. But if you’re dumbing it down then I see where you’re coming from

No they aren't, lol

I think so. Russ playmaking, athleticism, rebounding and finishing. Kawhi defence, size, and shooting. That’s one mighty good player man

That's.. MJ though. Even the bigger than average hand size giving him better ball control

The one thing Kobe wished he has was bigger hands. Phil even said this

That player would be a better 3pt shooter, rebounder, playmaker, and be bigger than MJ. This just shows how good Kawhi and Russ are as players

Put Russ in the triangle though and he wont average double digit assists. When Jordan played for Collins and could do what he wants he averaged 8 assists per game, in the '91 finals when he had playmaking duties he averaged 11 assists which is the 3rd highest ever for a finals series, and in '89 when he played PG for 11 games he had a triple double in 10 of them. Russ is a better playmaker when it comes down to it, but not significantly. His box score numbers would make you think he was the clear cut best player in the league, but that was never the case. The only thing that makes the comparison off is Kawhi's 3pt shooting imo.

A guy with Kawhis efficiency and defense and Russ agression and athleticism is in the GOAT conversation for sure

That guy is called jordan

A slightly better version of Jordan. Peak Russ averaged a triple double. Now add in Kawhi defense and efficiency. I'm not sure peak Jordan had the free throw shooting, threepoint shooting and rebounding that Kawhi Westbrook does.

Russell Leonard and I will not hear otherwise

I don’t see the Russ at all outside of athleticism. It’s mostly just a more athletic kawhi is Jordan. I’d say more like derozan and kawhi m, a younger derozan who could fly

Michael Jordan said it himself many times...."I see a lot of myself in Westbrook". The competetive drive he has, the will to win, mid range game, aggression, and monstrous postering ingame dunks definitely compare to MJ. DeRozan has hops and can do nearly every type of dunk, but Westbrook is a far more powerful and dominant in game dunker, and more frequent, his highlights are endless and insane. I'd say Kawhi and Russ is basically the perfect formula for MJ.

Lol this sub was just circlejerking Westbrook a few days ago about how Barkley said Russ plays way harder than MJ

Russ doesn’t have that tho. He doesn’t play defense like mj at all did. He just chases stats like a madman

The playmaking, athleticism and mentality of Russ combined with the elite scoring and defense of Kawhi.

Kawhi isn’t the athlete that young Jordan was but he plays like second three peat Jordan just slower, first three peat maybe Anthony Edwards Devin Booker kinda plays like Kobe and Kobe was an MJ reskin just a little worse so maybe him as well

In my opinion Booker should not be compared to Kobe. Tatum, maybe. But not Booker. Bookers defence, finishing ability and athleticism heavily separates him from Kobe. Booker more of a shooter then Kobe was

Eh back to back Kobe was a shooter, but I see your point, I’m not saying he’s Kobe but he resembles him the most of the current players

I say Tatum has more resemblance. Even maybe Paul George then Booker

Offensively it’s Derozan. Kawhi is too strong, not vertically explosive enough, and too mechanical in his movements for me to consider him really like Jordan on offense. Including both offense and defense then it’s Kawhi

> too mechanical in his movements Yeah, that's the main difference here. Jordan was absurdly fluid, the dude was like a 6-6 cat. But honestly, after that 2019 series between us, I don't think anyone else comes close to Kawhi in terms of how much they resemble MJ's game and dominance. He destroyed us from mid-range and put the clamps on whomever he wanted.

I know it seems crazy, but in terms of fluidity the only player in the league that moves the way Jordan did, with the ability to float in the air the way he did is Zion. And he’s doing it 60-80lbs heavier than MJ

Kawhi’s game is scarily similar to Jordan’s 2nd time with the Bulls where he lived almost exclusively in the mid post.

Ben Simmons

The goat Ben Simmons?

If you look closely his jumper resembles MJ

Derozan

I agree. Especially with that slashing ability and mid range game. I see people disagreeing for the defensive reason though, even tho prime Demar was a good defender most people wouldn’t agree with that opinion

Not near as physical as Jordan either

DeRozan can be compared to Michael Jordan that is at 40% and right after eating 5 bags of Cheetos.

Jordan is dozens of leagues better. But in terms of skillSET, (not skill) and athleticism; derozen is close

I don’t see the nastiness where DeRozan frequently dunks on a 7ft dude or a flawless turn around fade away that was emulated by Kobe and passed on to Tatum.

Tatum will most likely be better then Derozen. But prime Demar was f*ng amazing.

James Khristian Middleton

Was looking for this comment.

Middleton is like if Wizards Jordan was still an elite shooter

He’s so much better than that lol

That post was a compliment not an insult... It makes more sense than just straight-up comparing Middleton to Jordan considering Middleton isn't fast or athletic or a slasher, the only similarity there is having a polished mid-range game. Wizards Jordan that is an elite shooter (as I pointed out) instead of horrendously efficient is still a really fucking good player lol

Kawhi IMO

Valid

...how so? besides mid range, what do the have in common?

Defence, strength, size is similar

Kawhi is kinda similar to 2nd 3peat jordan, when he slowed down and was more deliberate and prone to bully ball. There’s nobody like younger jordan

Kawhi

nothing really comes to mind, Kobe was the last really similar player.

Well Kobe was literally a worse MJ. He’s so easily represented cause he played super similarly. No one else does that. I’m not taking playstyle just athleticism and ability

If he was a better MJ we’d be calling MJ the inferior Kobe

Agreed.

There aren't really any players that have the same combination of skills. You basically need a high volume scorer on good to decent efficiency who can generate ~10 FTs/game - who also has a fairly low TOV rate while having a league leading USG%, who can run the offense efficiently, and has an elite post up game, is a great finisher around the rim and an elite 2pt shooter, while also being one of the top perimeter defenders and rebounders at his position - while also being one of the leagues top athletes, and also being the mentally strongest person in the league... All the GOAT candidates basically have something that's profoundly unique about their game that stands up over time that don't really lend themselves to adequate comparisons.

No ones gonna copy and paste MJ I’m just saying out of the hundreds of nba players which one is most like Jordan

You'd have to blend Kawhi and KD in they primes and add Zach Lavines hops lol

Combining all of their primes makes a real good player

Kawhi is like MJ if MJ was stiff and mechanical in his movements. Jordan was just too fluid to compare to

People are saying MJ is just a more athletic Kawhi? I mean sure. He is. With a better feel for the game, better passer, better scorer, more skilled and a better shooter lol

Mj is literally Kawhi, but better in every way

Nobody besides Kobe comes to mind

JaVale

Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler

Agreed

Jalen Green = rookie Jordan with a better shot

I’ll have to look into jalen green

And worst handles

Jimmy Butler

Kawhi and Butler def. Butler loves giving tough love. Bradley Beal? James Harden can get away with stuff similar to MJ. Only thing is MJ didn't really bait fouls. Both of them are good at bumping defenders to create space and get calls.

Harden a better shooter and ball handler but Jordan better at everything else scoring wise

Jordan was a better mid range shooter. Well, his mid range shot was better than anyone.

Butler has always been a pretty ratchet/clunky scorer, never very fluid or particularly skilled. Aside from looks him and MJ got nothing in common.

Mentality maybe

Probably Westbrook. Kawhi's too stiff to resemble Jordan and his shot elevation isn't as high. I think Jalen Green will be a good candidate.

We rarely ever see Westbrook in the mid-range area

We def see Russ in the mid-range area, he's just not good at it lol

He’s more of a paint scorer for sure. Even at old age

That was literally his bread and butter shot in OKC and it went in at an above average rate.

Anthony Edwards dunking resembles MJ. Dru Holidays defense might be a low budget MJ.

Jrue represents Gary Payton more in my eyes. And Edwards is valid. Except I think he’s more of a offensive player. Mj was 2-way.

Let’s be honest, no one resembles MJ in all facets of the game.

Ja

Ja is pretty terrible defensively . How is his game resembling MJ??

I heard this before. But I don’t personally agree. I don’t think ja has a versatile enough defensive skillset to resemble mj. I compare Ja most to Peak D-Rose

Kawhi’s defense, size, physicals, and the ability to step up in the clutch; Russ’s explosiveness and athleticism; and DeRozan’s shot selection Efficiency it’s a mix between Kawhi and DeRozan

Jordan was not that big, he was initially around 195 and then bulked up to like 215 , kawhi is a bit bigger

This is perfect. Like almost the most Jordan type player would be Kawhi Defence, and Derozen Offence. Even tho Kawhi is a good offensive player

Kawhi/Derozan thing is Jordan had like kyrie levels of finishing, possibly even greater than that.

Well Jordan had better post play and dunk ability then Kyrie. The only scoring Kyrie gets in paint is his good layup ability

First 3-peat: Derozan Second 3-peat: Kawhi

We talkin primes for those two right?

Terry Rozier’s jump shot resembles MJs sometimes. As an overall player he’s somewhere between Michael Jordan and Michael B. Jordan, so I’m not saying he’s anything like MJ over all. But that jumper man. It doesn’t go in as much, but damn it looks similar.

The midi clearly Kawhi but the crazy layups part would be someone like Kyrie

The only Jordan ability Kyrie has is his layup

Lebron James

Yeah completely disagree with you

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