Super-agent Rich Paul (Klutch Sports) recently weighed in on one of the oldest debates in professional basketball: Who would you want to take the last shot in a game? Paul didn't hesitate: "If I want the single last shot, I'm taking Michael Jordan. No question about it." 

To which I responded on Twitter:

“The narrative of this is not good. What Rich should say, yes, I want MJ taking the last shot, but I want the ball in LeBron James' or Magic Johnson's hands, or in this case, Scottie Pippen's to create the best shot possible. Because then it’s plural chances to get the win.” 

Before you answer, just know there are different nuances to that statement Rich Paul made. 

The quick response from a fan or media member who never played at that level is to blurt out a name based on a subjective eye test, cherry-pick a stat for their favorite player, or rely on the mystique that player has built over time.

There is no question that MJ was cold-blooded, and no big shot moment was too big for him. I personally would also want MJ to take the last shot, but only if it’s a good shot for him. This is where it gets complicated for those who want the ball in his hands no matter what, who just want to see him elevate and shoot regardless of whether he's single-, double-, or triple-teamed. They believe he's the only one for that moment.

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Yet MJ has a famous quote:

“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career; I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

He literally just told you he missed the game-winner multiple times. That might be OK with you, but was it OK from a teammate's perspective?

Winning is the goal and what MJ learned in this process, based on some of those misses, is to trust his teammates more to make the shot, and that’s why Phil Jackson’s decision to give Pippen the ball in the triangle offense was the best thing to ever happen for MJ and his professional career. 

Remember, I am not disputing Rich Paul on who I trust to take the last shot, I am saying the facilitator of that last shot is more important and LBJ, Magic, Pippen, Nikola Jokic, Larry Bird, Isiah Thomas, Chris Paul, John Stockton, Jason Kidd, Draymond Green, Steve Nash and Dennis Johnson are some of the best facilitators to ever play. I trust them to create opportunities beyond the obvious and give that player and team the best percentage shot to make it.

That means I want the ball in their hands, whether it’s setting up a play or throwing it in bounds. The great thing about the list is that a high percentage of these players, although pass-first players, can score the ball.

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Let’s be honest MJ and Kobe were never accused of being pass-first players and so they had multiple facilitators around them to execute high-percentage shots and control being double-teamed relentlessly. 

Those two usually took the last shot without a high mixture of passes to teammates, which built their reputations as cold-blooded killers unafraid of the moment. LeBron, by contrast, is often perceived as afraid of the last shot simply because he's willing to make the right pass to an open teammate.

MJ took last-second shots with a better field goal percentage because he had three tremendous advantages: the triangle offense was arguably the most difficult to defend, he had the best secondary facilitator in league history in Scottie Pippen, and he was lights out when he got a good look at the rim.

Kobe took the most attempts with extreme shot difficulty, which showed in his poor percentage. Shaq once recounted a conversation he had with Kobe about taking shots. He told Kobe, "There's no I in team." Kobe's response? "I know, but there's an M-E in that motherf***er."

Yes, great quote of confidence from one of the most maniacal players in the history of the league, but not the best team response, and it showed based on percentage.

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LeBron debunked the 'I’m scared to take shots' narrative and did it by still passing to teammates for last-second attempts at a much higher rate than MJ and Kobe... which has made him the most dangerous weapon in league history when it comes to winning games in the final seconds! Just imagine a player scoring over 50,000 points willing to trust open teammates to win a game. 

Your best odds of winning come from being unpredictable, especially against high-level defenses. You need a player that is willing to defer away from the obvious and make the right unselfish reads in an offensive set that promotes opportunities for your star... and if he doesn't have the shot, for the Steve Kerrs, John Paxsons, Robert Horrys, and Ray Allens of the world to get their perfect look. That beats an uncomfortable shot from your star every time.

Eddie Johnson played 17 years in the NBA and is a longtime analyst/color commentator for the Phoenix Suns.

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This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Eddie Johnson: Rich Paul wants MJ to take the last shot. I want someone else holding the ball