Michael Jordan Was More Than a Scorer — His Passing Was Historically Elite

When discussions turn to the greatest passers in NBA history, certain names are always mentioned. Magic Johnson. Larry Bird. John Stockton. Steve Nash. These players are remembered not just for their vision, but for how completely their passing defined their teams.

One name, however, is often missing from that conversation: Michael Jordan.

That omission isn’t accidental. Jordan’s legacy is so tightly tied to scoring that many fans—especially younger ones—view him through a narrow lens. He is remembered as the ultimate closer, the greatest scorer the game has ever seen, the relentless competitor who bent defenses to his will.

All of that is true.

But it’s also incomplete.

Michael Jordan was not just a scorer who passed when necessary. He was, when asked—or when circumstances demanded—one of the most effective facilitators the league has ever seen.

A Reputation That Became a Limitation

Jordan’s résumé needs no introduction. He owns the highest scoring average in NBA history, both in the regular season and the playoffs. He won 10 scoring titles, an achievement no other player has come close to matching. His ability to generate points in every conceivable way became the defining image of his career.

As a result, Jordan is often boxed into a single identity: scorer.

That framing has shaped how his game is remembered. While contemporaries like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird are praised for their all-around brilliance, Jordan is sometimes reduced—incorrectly—to a one-dimensional offensive force.

In reality, Jordan preferred to score, but he never lacked the ability to run an offense, manipulate defenses, or elevate teammates.

When the Bulls needed him to facilitate, he did so at an elite level.

The Point Guard Experiment That Changed Everything

The clearest proof of Jordan’s playmaking brilliance came late in the 1988–89 season. In a bold and controversial move, Bulls head coach Doug Collins shifted Jordan from shooting guard to point guard in an effort to inject life into Chicago’s offense.

Almost overnight, the perception of Jordan changed.

With the ball in his hands full-time, Jordan’s court vision, decision-making, and basketball IQ came into full view. His massive hands and elite ball control allowed him to see passing angles that most players couldn’t access. He delivered passes with either hand, on the move, and under pressure—often drawing multiple defenders before finding the open man.

The numbers that followed were staggering.

Jordan recorded seven straight triple-doubles at one point, then posted 10 triple-doubles over an 11-game stretch. During a three-game run, he averaged at least 40 points and 10 assists per game—an almost unheard-of combination.

Over the final 24 games of the regular season, with Jordan functioning as the Bulls’ primary point guard, he averaged:

30.4 points

9.2 rebounds

10.7 assists

2.5 steals

He did so while shooting just under 50 percent from the field and maintaining elite defensive intensity, earning First Team All-Defense honors.

Jordan wasn’t just filling a role. He was dominating it.

A Brief Window, a Massive “What If”

Despite Jordan’s success at point guard, the experiment didn’t last. After Chicago was eliminated by the Detroit Pistons for the second straight postseason, the Bulls dismissed Doug Collins and hired Phil Jackson.

With Jackson and Tex Winter came the Triangle offense—a system built on shared responsibility and constant movement rather than a traditional ball-dominant point guard. Jordan relinquished his role as the primary facilitator and returned to the wing.

As a result, those final 24 games of the 1989 season became one of the great “what if” chapters in NBA history.

What if Jordan had remained at point guard?
What if his career had emphasized playmaking as much as scoring?

We’ll never know. But what we do know is that Jordan proved—beyond doubt—that he could orchestrate an offense at an elite level.

The 1991 Finals: Passing on the Biggest Stage

Jordan’s reputation as a facilitator resurfaced two years later, under the brightest lights imaginable.

In the 1991 NBA Finals, Jordan faced Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers. The series is often remembered for Jordan’s iconic midair layup, his flawless shooting stretch, and the symbolic passing of the torch.

What’s rarely discussed is how much Jordan leaned into playmaking during that series.

In four of the five Finals games, Jordan recorded double-digit assists. He posted 13 assists in Game 2 and repeated the feat in Game 4. Across the series, he averaged:

31.2 points

11.4 assists

56 percent shooting

Jordan became the first player in NBA history to average at least 30 points and 10 assists in a Finals series. The only player to replicate that feat since is LeBron James.

Even while embracing a facilitator’s role, Jordan still scored at a championship level.

Scoring Gravity Creates Passing Greatness

What made Jordan such an effective passer wasn’t just vision—it was fear.

Defenses collapsed on him instinctively. Double teams arrived early. Help defenders cheated toward his driving lanes. Jordan understood this better than anyone, and he weaponized it.

He didn’t force passes. He waited for defenses to commit, then punished them. His passes were sharp, timely, and often devastating. Teammates didn’t just get shots—they got good shots.

Jordan’s passing wasn’t flashy for its own sake. It was purposeful. It bent defenses the same way his scoring did.

The Numbers Back It Up

Statistically, Jordan’s passing has been underrated for decades.

For his career, he ranks sixth all-time in assists per game among shooting guards. Notably, four of the players ahead of him spent entire seasons playing point guard.

Among true two-guards—players who never spent a full season as the primary point guard—Jordan ranks second all-time in assists per game.

This isn’t hypothetical.
This isn’t projection.
This is reality.

Even without fully embracing a floor-general role, Jordan was already one of the best passing guards the game has ever seen.

Could He Have Been the Greatest Point Guard Ever?

The idea sounds extreme, but the evidence invites the question.

If Jordan had chosen to score less—say 20 to 22 points per game—could he have averaged 14 or 15 assists?

It might sound unrealistic, until you remember that he already averaged more than 11 assists per game while leading the league in scoring.

Jordan didn’t lack the skills.
He didn’t lack the vision.
He didn’t lack the discipline.

He simply chose a different path—one that led to six championships and an unmatched scoring legacy.

A Legacy Worth Reconsidering

Michael Jordan will always be remembered first as the greatest scorer in basketball history. That part of his legacy is secure.

But his passing deserves far more recognition than it receives.

He wasn’t just a scorer who occasionally passed.
He was an elite facilitator who chose to dominate in a different way.

When the moment demanded it, Jordan proved he could run an offense, elevate teammates, and control games through decision-making rather than shot attempts.

In the end, perhaps the most remarkable thing about Michael Jordan’s passing is how easily it’s been forgotten—hidden in plain sight behind an overwhelming scoring résumé.

Underrated?
Almost certainly.

And maybe that’s the final reminder of Jordan’s greatness: even his overlooked skills were historically elite.