Nick Wright says Kobe is the "greatest player ever to never be the best player in the league."

If he gets a ring then he will probably be considered the best player in the game as lebron declines.

Westbrook = nah
Kawhi = breaking down? (He has a chance if healthy)

Curry and Durant have good arguments but are a year older than beard and kind of hurt each others legacy with durants decision.

We shall see how the next 5 years plays out.

 

Need a list of best candidates in league history.

 

This can be the year that James Hardon win MVP and Finals MVP.

 

OK "Harden beard"

 

After the first past few years, especially last year, I think in most peoples eyes the MVP is Harden’s to lose this year. It also happens to be the year his team will enjoy its greatest success even though his numbers won’t be as good.

 

Has any player ever finished SECOND three times WITHOUT ever First ??

 

Kevin Durant...he finished 2nd to Lebron in 2010, 2012, and 2013 before finally winning one in 2014

 

The Harden that played this season until he got injured in the Portland game is the most efficient and effective offensive force I have ever seen. He can play within the offense and in the isolation, almost equally as effectively. Isolation plays normally diminish in returns as you increase their frequency, and there aren't many exceptions to this (Jordan is the only that comes to mind ; Kobe is prime example of isolation inefficiency)

But Harden, with all the little nuances, tricks, body movements, and handles that he has makes him unreal. His slimmed physique has helped realize this isolation prowess, and then the year he spent as the primary pg last year helped sharpen his play-making and decision-making skills way past anything that Kobe or Jordan had (in fact, I would daresay very close to LeBron.)

The variety of roles he has occupied over his career (6th man, dominant SG, primary PG-scorer, and now combo PG/SG efficient isolation assassin) has resulted in the most complete, and underwhelmingly unique offensive force the league has ever seen. Occupying different roles over the course of your career forces you to learn new skills, and that's something Kobe/Jordan/LeBron never really did. And that's what Harden can ultimately use to his advantage.

Harden's ceiling is somewhere between LeBron and Kobe all-time (that's a somewhat wide range, I know). But, he needs to win a few championships, deliver consistently in the postseason (especially in the clutch, since he is a scorer), and keep on improving his defensive effort (until he habitually plays good D for almost the full length of playoff games.) The progress he (along with the front office) has made over the last few years point encouragingly to all of these things.

The alternative is that he will be a great player in the era of LeBron and GS, a curse that seems to already be enveloping Westbrook.

Whatever happens, it's a privilege to watch him play, enjoy it.

[After reading over, this I've realized that I didn't really answer OP's question directly, mb lol]

 

Idiotic Argument, Kobe was the best player in the league for a number of years. Kobe is the only player I've ever seen play, other than MJ, and maybe Steph right now, where you KNEW they were gonna win and there was simply nothing you could do about it. Those years, Kobe was absolutely the best player. There was no point in time where Tim Duncan was better than Kobe. If I were to pick the best player to have never been the best player in his career, I would pick Tim Duncan

 

the logo, 4 times

 

Kobe won those too and won 2 championships without Shaq. Admittedly with Gasol.

 

Nick Wright looks like an annoying nerd

 

Truthhhhhhh.

 

Nah you guys overrate Harden too much. Its probably true that Kobe was never best in the league though. Morey even once said TMac is better than peak Kobe.

 

First of all out of the list of players you put forward only Lebron is better so no. Second of all you ARE A MORON!!!!!1

 

Really hope SA's continued dominance without Tim (and Kawhi) lessens Tim's legacy.

He's not a PF, or, better than Dream..

 

Who the F cares what Nick Wright has to say (besides his mom)!!!!

 

There should be a rule against starting threads with "Nick Wright says..."