"Malone really was the weak link" - Isiah Thomas believes the Jazz would have beaten the Bulls if Karl Malone had made his free throws

Karl Malone was one half of the dynamic duo in Salt Lake City that made the Utah Jazz championship contenders in the late 1990s. The Mailman was considered the best power forward in the game during his era. He was a two-time MVP who also made 11 All-NBA first-team and 3 All-Defensive first-team selections. Louisiana native was also a 14-time All-Star and a two-time All-Star Game MVP.

Despite his accolades, Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas believes Malone was Utah's weakest link. And that he was the player who prevented them from winning an NBA championship.

"I thought that they had everything it took to win a championship," said Thomas. " I thought they had the system, I thought they had the players, the toughness, they're defensive-minded and everything. But I always felt like Malone really was the weak link because he wasn't a good foul shooter. Had he been a good foul shooter, they would've beat Chicago."

Jazz made back-to-back Finals appearances

Malone entered the NBA via the iconic draft class that saw Michael Jordan get picked third overall by the Chicago Bulls. The Mailman first became an All-Star in 1988, and he would only get better from there.

"If that guy can't make foul shots, then he's the weak link," added Zeke. "He's the guy that you're fouling; he's the guy that you wanna put on the line. You're not fouling Stockton, you're not putting him on the line, you're not letting him take the shot. Everything is going to Malone. I thought Malone's inability to make free throws stopped them from winning a championship."

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Karl struggled from the FT during the 1997 Finals

In the 1997 NBA Finals, the Jazz and Bulls were tied 2-2 before Chicago won Games 5 and 6. Malone shot just 5-9 from the free-throw line in Game 5, and the Bulls lost that game by only two points. In the following game, Chicago beat Utah by only four points, and Mailman was a terrible 7-15 from the charity stripe.

The following year, Karl shot better from the free-throw line at 78.9%. But he wasn't his usual aggressive self, as he went to the foul line 20 times fewer than in the previous Finals. The Jazz also drew 11 fouls fewer than in the '97 Finals, as most of Karl's points came from midrange jumpers. Chicago won the series again in six games, and Utah never came close to winning the Larry O'Brien trophy again.

The Mailman was a career 74.2% free-throw shooter, which isn't too shabby for a big man. He was 73.6% from the stripe in his postseason career. However, his 60.3% free-throw shooting percentage in the 1997 NBA Finals might have cost them in a series in which they lost two games by two points and one by four. 1998, though, was another story.

Related: "As long as I am consistently thought of an MVP, I'm happy with that" - MJ on the alleged envy towards Malone for winning the 1997 MVP over him