Larry Nance Jr. mentioned Herbert Jones of the New Orleans Pelicans as a current player that could successfully guard prime Michael Jordan.
One question that seems to haunt a lot of fans constantly is how Michael Jordan would play if he was in today’s NBA. The old heads think he would dominate like nobody else, while the younger generation disputes that.
A question was asked on social media recently about what defender in the current NBA could guard Michael Jordan when he was in his prime. And Larry Nance Jr., a former teammate of LeBron James, nominated his current teammate, Herbert Jones.
“NOT ON HERB,” Nance Jr. emphatically wrote in response to the question that asked if any current player could lock Michael Jordan up.
Herbert Jones is 24 years old and has been emerging as a great option for the New Orleans Pelicans. His athletic defense is combined with his high basketball IQ, making him an elite lock-up guard. Being 6’8″ also helps him defend against both guards and forwards, and he is deceptively strong too.
However, to suggest that he could contain a prime Michael Jordan is still ridiculous. The Detroit Pistons had to invent rules that saw them beat up Jordan just to get past his Chicago Bulls in the playoffs. Between the age of 23 and 34, Michael Jordan averaged 32.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 2.5 steals per game. No player in NBA history can claim to be able to lock him down.
Michael Jordan’s Offensive Prowess Was Staggering
Because of his six championships, six Finals MVPs, and five MVP awards, people forget about some of Michael Jordan’s lesser accolades. He has a strong case to be considered the greatest scorer of all time. An underrated statistic from his career is the fact that he led the league in scoring in 10 different seasons, an unbelievable achievement.
Michael Jordan averaged more than 30 points per game for the season eight times in his career. He could shoot the midrange better than anyone else and was unstoppable around the rim too. Herb Jones is nice, and all that, but prime Michael Jordan would torch him just like he torched the entire league during his era.
