“If Jordan could shoot the way Durant shoots he’d have averaged 45” - Brian Windhorst on the comparisons between Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving and Michael Jordan-Scottie Pippen
Former NBA and Chicago Bulls superstars Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, arguably the greatest duo the game has ever seen, has been compared to Brooklyn Nets superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
On ESPN's morning show First Take, comparisons were drawn as to which duo was more skilled offensively. ESPN's senior writer Brian Windhorst spoke about how the Nets duo were better skilled offensively than the Bulls tandem. Windhorst said:
"If Jordan could shoot the way Durant shoots, he would've averaged 45."
Earlier on in the show, sports media personality Stephen A. Smith tweeted about how he believed Pippen and MJ were the better duo overall, but offensively, Kyrie and KD could dethrone them as the best tandem in the history of the game.
Comparing Michael Jordan and Kevin Durant
Unarguably the two greatest scorers the game has ever seen, Michael Jordan and Kevin Durant were the standout scorers of their generation and were players who made the game look effortlessly easy on the offensive side of the floor.
Kevin Durant, for his career, is averaging 27.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists while shooting the ball better than 38% from beyond the arc and nearly 50% from the field. The Slim Reaper is a professional scorer who utilizes his size and length and can shoot over any opposing defense on a nightly basis.
Michael Jordan averaged 33.7 points in Game 7s.
That is the second-most all-time among players to play in at least 3 Game 7s.
LeBron James is the only player to have averaged more.
#TheLastDance https://t.co/5qSj7Q5zoR
Michael Jordan, on the other hand, averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists while shooting the ball better than 32% from the perimeter and a shade under 50% from the field. Jordan utlised his athleticism when attacking the rim and his ability from mid-range.
Both players have a lot in common as both superstars have mastered the art of mid-range jumpshots and no matter the situation they find themselves in, they know that they can score at will when inside the arc. MJ has won 10 scoring titles throughout his illustrious career and KD, at the moment, is on four.
Kevin Durant is the 6th player to win back-to-back Finals MVPs.
He joins LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon. https://t.co/vv8bUaFVTT
A couple of years earlier, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr even talked about how KD is a more gifted scorer than MJ, as there has never ever been a player in the league who is nearly seven feet tall and has the handles of a guard and the marksmanship of a shooting guard from everywhere on the floor.
While Kevin Durant is a better player from the perimeter, what must be kept in mind is the era in which Michael Jordan played as the emphasis was more on doing the damage inside the arc rather than beyond it. Either way, both are incredible scorers who can score at will and have won multiple titles.