MJ didn't need shooters because you couldn't drift off your man into space before the defensive rule changes. Guys had to stick to their man or properly double the guy with the ball. You know how everyone says today's perimeter players couldn't handle the old hand checking rules? I'd say guys like MJ who shot under 30% from three for 9 of his 15 seasons would have had a much harder time going at the basket now than he did then. Not that he couldn't - MJ is incredible - but part of the reason he didn't need 4 shooters on the floor with him to dominate was because of the old defence rules - guys had to stick to their cover and for the most part he was taking guys one-on-one. If he played today I think his Bulls teams would need more shooters, both to create space for him and to keep up with the barrage of 3's today's teams put up.
Lebron wouldn't need space creators in the 90's for the same reason MJ didn't. MJ would need space creators today for the same reason almost every team now likes surrounding their best 1 or 2 players with shooters. Defences have changed - a lot. (Also math finally convinced virtually everybody in the NBA of the value of 3's. That's completely changed lineups and rosters - for the better.)
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