Who Is the Closest We Have to Michael Jordan in the Current NBA?

Let’s just be clear: There is only one Michael Jordan. Also, this is not a GOAT debate. Because of his legendary time in the NBA, fans, analysts, and even players like to compare superstars to Jordan. Whenever we see a player show flashes of greatness, we do not hesitate to compare them with the Hall of Famer. Over the years, many stars have reminded us of MJ with their actions on the court. Be it a gravity-defying dunk, an acrobatic finish, a fadeaway, or a clutch shot. Even though there won’t be another Jordan, let us just try to find out the closest player we have to MJ in the league.

We will look at data such as height, game style, offensive numbers, defensive numbers, shooting tendencies, clutch performances, accolades, etc to find the most similar star to Jordan. The players we are taking into consideration for the comparison are LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, DeMar DeRozan, Jayson Tatum, and Zach LaVine. These stars are often compared to Jordan for one reason or another.

The metrics used to compare the stars with Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan has a career average of 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.3 steals, 0.8 blocks per game. His 2-point FG% is 51 and 3-point FG% is 0.327. In terms of playing style, Jordan started off as a high flyer who could glide through defenders and slam it home. He also soon developed a killer mid-range game that was unstoppable. During the later stages of his career, MJ played with his back to the basket a lot to compensate for his dwindling athleticism as he aged.

Given his ability to finish strongly at the rim and his mid-range prowess, his numbers in those categories are used for the comparison. Unfortunately, some of Jordan’s numbers we are looking for are only available for four of his seasons. The shooting stats of his last two seasons with the Bulls and his two years with the Washington Wizards. So we will have to take it with a pinch of salt. However, it still gives us a good idea about his game given he won two titles in those four years.

With the available numbers, the average distance of Jordan’s shot attempts is 13.8 feet. He made 68% of his shots taken from 0 to 3 feet from the basket. MJ was 44% from 10 to 16 feet and 45% from 16 feet to the 3-point arc. Given his exquisite mid-range game, most of his attempts came from the 16 feet to the 3-point arc territory with 35.4%. Shots from 10 to 16 feet came second with 30% and attempts from 0 to 3 feet were 30%.

In terms of offensive individual accolades, MJ has 6 Finals MVPs, 5 NBA MVPs, 14 All-Star appearances, 3 all-star MVPs, ROY award, 10 scoring titles, 2x slam dunk champion, 10 All-NBA First Team selections, 1 All-NBA Second Team selection. MJ was a great defender as well winning the DPOY award once. He was also 3x Steals leader and has 9 All-Defensive First Team selections.

Furthermore, Jordan is one of the most clutch players the league has ever seen. He has helped his team win multiple playoff games with his incredible performances on both ends of the court as the clock winds down.?

So we will compare the players’ career averages, mid-range and close-range numbers, and clutch performances in playoffs to find out who is closest we have to MJ. Even though we have seen multiple game-winning shots by Jordan in the playoffs, he is much more than that. He usually dominates the last period of the game to help his team.?So, to check how clutch a player is, we have taken into consideration each player’s numbers in the fourth quarter and overtime in the playoffs. Furthermore, only playoff wins are considered.

#6 Zach LaVine: Glimpses of a young Michael Jordan

Zach LaVine reminds us of a young Michael Jordan with his high-flying dunks and athletic finishes at the rim. The Chicago Bulls jersey on him helps the cause. Similar to Jordan, LaVine is a 2x Slam Dunk champion as well. He certainly has a long way to catch up to Jordan’s overall level. But the athleticism is there to be seen. His career numbers are 20.5 points, 4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game as per Basketball Reference.?

With his aerial ability, the percentage of attempts from 0 to 3 feet is higher than Jordan’s with 30.9%. Despite the higher numbers, he finishes his shots consistently with 65.9%, close to MJ’s 68%.

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However, all other players on this list have much more similar numbers to Jordan than the 2x All-Star. His mid-range numbers are not close to the Bulls legend as well. Furthermore, LaVine has not played in enough playoff games to look at his clutch performances.

#5 DeMar DeRozan: The identical mid-range game

Another Bulls star makes the list in DeMar DeRozan. Of all the players we are comparing today, DeRozan’s game style is arguably the most identical to Michael Jordan’s. The Bulls guard is the same height and is almost a clone of Jordan in terms of his footwork and mid-range. Early in his career, DeMar had some incredibly similar dunks as well. DeRozan has 21 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game.?

Similar to Jordan, over 90% of his attempts come from the 2-point territory. He is the closest to MJ in this category. DeRozan’s attempts from 10 to 16 feet from the basket of 22.9% are also the closest to Jordan. Also, his FG% of shots that were taken from 16 feet to the 3-point arc with 44.6% is once again the closest to MJ’s 44.4%. DeRozan definitely has a lot in common with Jordan in terms of mid-range. However, his defensive numbers are not great and far from the Bulls legend.

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DeRozan has won 25 playoff games in his career. In the fourth quarter and overtime in some games, he is averaging 5.68 points per game as per Stat Head which is the second lowest on this list. Other clutch actions like steals and blocks are also not close.

#4 Jayson Tatum: Similarities in finishing

Jayson Tatum is a Jordan athlete and has a close relationship with Michael Jordan as well. Besides the sneakers, some of his moves are Jordanesque as well. So no wonder he has been compared to Jordan in recent times. However, his shot selection is nowhere close to Jordan’s shooting tendencies. Playing in today’s league, a lot of Tatum’s shots come from beyond the 3-point line. However, the Boston Celtics star’s 2-point FG% is exactly the same as MJ with 51%. Also, his attempts from 0 to 3 feet from the basket are similar and the conversion rate is very close too. However, Tatum’s mid-range attempts per game are not similar to Jordan’s.

Tatum is currently averaging 22.5 points, 7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game. While his rebounds, steals, and assists numbers are not very close, his block numbers are within reach of MJ. When comparing these bottom lines, Tatum gets three third-place finishes among the other stars on the list.

In terms of playoff performance, Tatum averages the third-best points average with 6.4 in fourth and or overtime. In other clutch plays like steals and blocks in the same period, his block average is the best and his steals average is fourth. However, these are not enough to rank high on this list when compared to other stars.

#3 Jimmy Butler: The clutch mentality

Jimmy Butler was most heavily compared to Michael Jordan in the past few seasons. So much so that, at one point, there were rumors with no base that Jordan was Butler’s father. One of the biggest reasons for the comparison is Jimmy’s clutch performances, demeanor, intensity, defense, leadership, and mid-range game. But how close is the Miami Heat superstar?

Butler is averaging 18.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game. His points average is the worst on the list. However, it has to be noted that Butler is not really a regular-season player. He comes alive in the playoffs. His other stats are not very far from Jordan’s but not identical either. However, his shot attempts are very close.?

Butler’s 2-point attempts are the second closest to MJ behind DeMar DeRozan. Also, his FG percentages for 2-point and 3-point are very close. However, most of Butler’s attempts come from 0 to 3 feet from the basket. He shoots almost half of Jordan’s attempts from the mid-range. His efficiency is close to MJ.?

Notably, Butler comes very close to Jordan when we look into his playoff performances. His points average in the fourth or OT is the second best with 6.9 points. Furthermore, he excels on the defensive end and makes huge clutch plays. Notably, his steals average of .5 is the best on the list, and his blocks average of .27 is second best.

#2 Kawhi Leonard: Cut from the same cloth

Kawhi Leonard is another superstar who is often compared with Michael Jordan. His hand size, mid-range game, go-to moves, clutch shots, and defense remind fans of Jordan. Notably, Leonard was considered the closest to MJ a few years back despite the stark contrast in personalities. However, his numbers have dropped in the past few seasons and his injuries have made it harder as well. Despite this, Kawhi still comes closer in many metrics.

Leonard is averaging 19.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game. Here, his rebound numbers are the only ones close to Jordan’s. However, things are similar when it comes to the average distance of shot attempts. While MJ’s average shot distance is 13.8 feet, Kawhi’s average is 13.6. Among other stars on this list, he is the closest in this regard. Also, he is the closest to Jordan in terms of attempts from 0 to 3 feet from the basket.

Furthermore, their mid-range game has uncanny similarities. Both are tied for attempts from 16 feet to the 3-point arc with 35.4%. Also, their conversion rate from the said range is close as well. Leonard converts 44.2% of his shots while MJ makes 45.3%. Again, the closest.

The Los Angeles Clippers superstar is one of the most clutch players in the league. His average from the last quarter and OT of playoff wins is 4.86 points, 0.45 steals, and 0.15 blocks. Interestingly, his points average is the lowest on the list. While his steals number is the second-best, his blocks average is the second lowest. However, he has the lowest turnover rate among the other players.

When it comes to accolades, Leonard comes second on the list with two titles, two Finals MVPs, two DPOY awards, 1x steals leader, 1x All-Star MVP, multiple All-NBA and Defensive team selections, etc. If it wasn’t for his dwindling numbers and achievements in the past few seasons, Leonard would still be the closest to Jordan.

#1 LeBron James: The closest to Michael Jordan

LeBron James‘ name always pops up in the GOAT debate alongside Michael Jordan. However, it is widely considered that the two are very different players. Notably, James is often compared with Magic Johnson for his well-rounded game and in recent times with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for his longevity. However, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar has a lot in common with Jordan as well. Even though James looks friendlier than Jordan, he still demands respect from his teammates and opponents with his impressive performances.

When it comes to rebounds and assists, James is better. However, we are not looking to find who’s better. In terms of scoring, the closest we have to Jordan is James with 27.2 points per game. LeBron is not an out-and-out scorer like MJ. Notably, the forward has averaged over 30 points only twice in his career. On the other hand, Jordan did it eight times, with seven straight. He averaged a mindboggling 37.2 points in his third year. This is a huge reason James is not often compared to MJ.?

However, their style of play and their adjustments have been identical other than the pass-first mentality of LeBron. Similar to Jordan, James dominated his opponents with his sheer athleticism during his early years in the league. In the seasons that followed, like MJ, LeBron developed his back-to-the-basket game and mid-range. Furthermore, owing to the change in the overall increase in 3-point attempts, James has added that to his arsenal as well.

The average distance of James’ shot attempts and the percentage of his 2-point shots are not very far from Jordan. However, a huge portion of LeBron’s attempts come from 0 to 3 feet from the basket. Also, his efficiency from the mid-range is not close to MJ’s. So their shooting tendencies are not much alike.

When it comes to clutch performances, James does not always get the recognition he deserves. His points average from the last quarter and OT of playoff wins is the best on this list of stars with 7.46 points. However, 0.36 steals and 0.26 blocks average is far from the best. Furthermore, his turnover rates are the highest in the list with 0.72.

The accolades part is a no-brainer. James has four titles, four MVP awards, four Finals MVPs, three All-Star MVPs, 13x All-NBA First Team, 5x All-Defensive First Team, 1x steals leader, 1x scoring champion, ROY, etc. However, this is a mark of any legendary player and it can be compared to any top-10 player of all time. But it has to be taken into consideration. This, along with his style of play, ability to finish up close, overall defense, intensity, and clutch scoring makes him the closest player we have to Jordan in the NBA.

Editorial Disclaimer:?The?views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of EssentiallySports.