Tyronn Lue: Peak Jordan could average 45 points per game in today’s league; the current game lacks physical toughness.

On August 28th Beijing time, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue discussed his former teammate Michael Jordan on a podcast, believing that peak Jordan could absolutely average 45 points per game in today’s league.

Peak Jordan could now average 45 points per game.

Host Sharp asked, “If peak Jordan played in today’s NBA, how many points would he average?”

Lue said, “I think it would be 45 points! Just think about it, in today’s game you can barely touch an opponent; even slight contact is a foul. He was the best player in the world. He had seasons averaging 36 points, and another with 37 points per game (note: 1986-87 season averaged 37.1). So under today’s rules, adding 8 points to his scoring is totally reasonable, because anytime he had the ball and got any physical contact, he’d get to the free throw line.”

“Of course, zone defense might introduce some variables, but even so, I believe he could definitely have a season averaging 45 points. It’s unbelievable—today’s game really doesn’t have much physicality. Any slight contact sends you to the line, and Jordan was so smart—especially in today’s league, he would take full advantage of those rules. His basketball IQ alone would dominate opponents.”

Jordan was strict but fair with teammates.

Coach Lue played alongside Jordan on the Wizards. When asked about advice he received, he said, “When I first got to Washington, I’d already spent two years in the triangle offense. So when I arrived at the Wizards, I thought ‘Finally, I can play freely, finally I can play my style.’ At first, I just played with energy, speeding up the pace and pushing hard, but I didn’t really understand how to play the game properly—it was just playing. Then Jordan started teaching me, like how to read defenses, how to run pick-and-rolls: if the defense does this, you respond like that, here’s your backup plan.”

“Jordan also gave me a lot of confidence, especially with shooting. I already had shooting ability, but think about it: when Jordan passes you the ball—that’s Jordan! He would say, ‘I don’t care if you missed 5 shots in a row, if you’re open, you have to shoot.’ That kind of trust gave me confidence. Later in my second season with the Wizards, I ranked second in the league in three-point percentage, but the foundation for that was laid in the first season. Like I said, when I first played with Jordan, I didn’t have that necessary confidence—it was he who helped me build it.”

When talking about Jordan’s demands on teammates, Tyronn Lue described him as “strict but fair.”

“As long as you do your job, he won’t be strict with you—you just have to do what’s expected. Think about it, if you train and play responsibly every day, how could he be strict with you? But if you slack off or do things half-heartedly, he definitely won’t accept it, no tolerance for that. So, he was kind of like a ‘player-coach’—on the court, if he noticed you slacking or not following instructions, he’d call you out and challenge you. If you couldn’t handle that challenge, you couldn’t play with him.”

Coach Lue also gave the example of Kwame Brown. “Jordan also mentored Kwame Brown back then. Kwame is 2.11 meters tall, and everyone said, ‘Why pick such a rookie?’ but on most draft boards, Kwame was the top rookie candidate that year. He was incredibly talented—2.11 meters tall, could run fast breaks, nearly all-around: quick first step, could drive, could pass, like I said, could run the floor. Top physical condition. But imagine how tough it was for such a young kid to be in that environment—I was already 4 or 5 years older than Kwame, and even I was nervous playing with Jordan. So for a seventeen or eighteen-year-old, a number one pick, playing with Jordan and facing all that expectation, it was extremely challenging for anyone.”