Kevin Love says Kobe is the best player in the game

As I mentioned a few times before, you want to use a defensive center to stop penetration in playoff. This has been proven in all the playoff series LeBron lost to date.
Boston no longer had that last year, and in Chicago series, LeBron was lucky to hit some contested 3s down the stretch, arguably the best playoff series in his caeer. But you can't count on luck to win every series and the finals proved that.

 

No, we are not knocking LeBron on that. But LeBron wouldn't be able to do that with two post players. And not until LeBron wins a championship, he shouldn't be compared with all time greats. Championship isn't won in regular season, great players prove themselves in playoff.

 

I guess you didn't watch the 2004 Finals. Shooting 38% for the series, with 4 games (all losses) shooting under 38% isn't choking? Wasn't that the upset of this era?

I guess you didn't watch the 2008 Finals. Shooting 40% for the series, with 4 games shooting under 40% isn't choking? Blowing a 20 point lead at Home in game 4 to fall down 3-1, while you shoot 6-19 isn't choking? Ending the series shooting 6-19, 8-21 and 7-22 isn't choking? Getting blasted by 39 in the elimination game isn't choking?

Blowing a 3-1 series lead to the Suns in 06, when you refuse to shoot in the 2nd half, isn't choking? I guess you didn't watch the playoffs that year either.

I guess you missed the playoffs last season as well, cuz Kobe blew 2 of those games IIRC.

Kobe has done a lot of choking in the playoffs. He redeemed himself by winning titles. Dirk did a lot of choking before last season. He redeemed himself by winning a title. LeBron choked last postseason. So far he is having one of the best seasons in league history. We will see if it translates to the postseason. But even if it does and he wins, I'm sure the haters will still find some reason to hate.

 

A post player makes life easier on a scoring wing. if he had a Shaq or a Bynum/Gasol then that's less bodies that can commit to him while he's driving. It also means his bigs are controlling the glass and getting lot's of 2nd shot attempts, like they did for LA when they won titles. LeBron would be fine with a dominant pivot.

You are correct that he needs to win a title before being compared to the elite of the elite. If he wants to be compared to Kobe I guess he will have to lead his team to 2 of them, since that's what Kobe did.

 

You need to check 2007 finals to know what's choking.
22 pt on 35% shooting. Kobe's worst finals is still way better than LeBron's.
And Kobe won 5 titles. LeBron was the favorite to win it all 3 years in a row and couldn't get it done, that's epic choking.

 

I'm not sure how you got that out of what I said. He took a lot of jumpers in those series which isn't his game but they were going in. They didn't go in during the Mavs series and he lost his confidence and his game when he wasn't getting calls when going to the hole IMO.

 

A

A good bigman helps in many ways, but certainly not helping penetration. This is like taking away LeBron's bread and butter and saying he'd more efficient.

An LeBron needs to prove he's the best player in his team first. The finals and overall playoff stats of last year proved otherwise.

 

I guess you missed the point where I clearly stated, "I'm not praising his shot selection."

He and Kobe are completely different players, and it's kind of ridiculous to compare the two based strictly on shot totals. Like I mentioned, Kobe hoists up more long 2's than any other player in the NBA (yet still hits at a very respectable rate), and is more reliant on his outside game than LeBron, who didn't even attempt a 3-pointer until the 9th game of the season. I pointed out LeBron's effectiveness at the rim to stress his brand of basketball, which relative to Kobe's style of ball, is lower volume, typically more efficient, but a product of a fast-paced, run-and-gun offensive scheme. Kobe's operating as the primary perimeter scoring option in a slower-paced, half-court set. Hence, more shots, lower FG% than the 6'8'' forward finishing in the open floor and capitalizing around the cup.

Like I said, LeBron's clearly the better player right now, so don't get your panties in a wad. But, Kobe's continually ripped on this board... understandable, but a damn shame, because he's one of the game's greatest.

 

I see. OK. The stats show that he was an improved shooter last year from mid-range, though. Maybe the Dallas series was the aberration, and not Boston/Chicago.

 

35% shooting is choking but 38% shooting isn't?

Yes, we know Kobe has won 5 titles, but you are trying to make it seem like he has never choked in the playoffs before and that clearly isn't the case.

 

Shaq was coming off 18/8 season, a deserving west all star before he joined Cavs.
LeBron nuthuggers sound like LeBron never played with any decent bigman. It's LeBron offense making Shaq garbage.

 

LOL

You are entitled to your opinon, but apparently most players in this league do not agree with you.

 

No, I saw that part. I just disagree with propping someone for taking difficult shots when they clearly can get better shots. Yes, Kobe can make them at a respectable rate but that doesn't mean he can't be a more efficient player. This is where having great bigs on your team is a huge asset and it's ni surprise he hasn't had much success without one.

But you are correct Kobe is a great player. I actually think he is overrated simply based on his ring count. Folks say 5 titles as if he led his team to 5 of them, when anything it's more like Havlicek's career....won a bunch of rings but led his team to 2.

 

Somebody apparently didn't watch:

1997-98 Western Conference Finals
2003-04 NBA Finals
2007-08 NBA Finals
2009-10 NBA Finals (THe Lakers won, but you cannot say Kobe had a great series by any stretch of the imagination).

 

Shhh.....Kobe has never blown it in the playoffs.

 

Kobe wan't even a starter in 97-98. He played bad in 04 finals, but much due to the loss of Malone. Lakers wouldn't beat Spurs without Malone in WCSF, it wasn't like they were supposed to be a better team. He did manage to get better stats than LeBron in 07 finals.

08 finals and 10 finals, physical series with Kobe shooting 40%. And he had to defend a fast pg while carrying the offense, I'd say he did all right in both series. It's the loss of Bynum and Ariza that made the difference. Don't forget Kobe was playing with a broken finger and a bumped kneein 08 and 100 too. It wasn't like he used a phantom elbow injury as excuse.

All in all, Kobe won 5 titles and tons of series, it's OK to have a bad one or two. LeBron has had 3 series as overwhelming favorite and choked them all while playing at most 1/3 as many series as Kobe. The rate of choking is like one order higher.
No comparison.

 

The loss of Karl Malone had nothing to do with Kobe shooting more than anyone else and shooting a horrible percentage. He choked, period.

Excuses. I'm not knocking him for 10, but in 08 he choked, period. That was a poor series, his team blew a 20 point lead at home in Game 4, he was miserable for the last 3 games and they got routed by a league record in Game 6. He choked, period.

All in all Kobe has been a part of 5 title winning teams and he has led his teams to 2 titles. He also choked 3 series as an overwhelming favorite (04 Finals, 08 Finals, last year vs Dallas), and he blew a 3-1 lead to Phoenix. LeBron has not done what Kobe has, which is lead a team to a title. But let's not act like Kobe has not done what LeBron has, which is nut up in the postseason.

 

kobe didn't choke, what u smoking, have u watched the series? kobe was fouled over and over and never got fair calls, the 08 series vs celtics especially

 

You can and should say Kobe had a great series in 09-10. He had a terrible shooting game in game 7 that skewed his shooting percentage for the series but Kobe was great in that series as a whole and easily the best player during the series. How can you not give him props for most of those games?

 

Do you think he has no business being called the second greatest shooting guard of all time or at the very least top 5?