Predraft… Green clearly sees Kobe as an idol and a model. Lakers News: Jalen Green Wants To Be Compared To Kobe Bryant https://lakersnation.com/lakers-news-jalen-green-wants-to-be-compared-to-kobe-bryant/2021/07/07/
The vast majority were just referring to style of play. Super athletic, score first off guard with a fluid like motion and quickness, not level.
Im sure. But this is where the Kobe/MJ comparisons got started…. Not that Green will be as good as those players, but he looks up to them and tries to emulate their work ethic. People weren’t saying Green was going to be the next Kobe and MJ
The talk of "Mamba mentality" and "MJ work ethic" when it comes to a prospect is just a cowardly way of trying to suggest that the prospect has upside of a Kobe or MJ that they can walk back later when the prospect ends up the 2nd worst player in the entire league.....which is exactly what has happened right now. The second he has a game where he scores more points than shots taken, the ridiculous MJ-Kobe talk resumes. Sorry, it's completely transparent what you guys are trying to do. That kind of sophistry really isn't going to fool many people.
I take it you didn’t read the rest of the thread then? All I said is that people were making the comparisons predraft and in summer league. I didn’t make the comparison. All I’ve said is it’s not fair to the kid. And if he is making the comparison he’s setting himself up for failure. I like that he wants to push, but get your feet wet first.
This is where I believe Green deserves his criticism. If he is going to be great and make bold statements like this (ROY, disrespected by being picked 2 etc) he simply needs to be able to handle criticism. He is setting the bar for himself publicly. The best way to handle criticism is to get to work and have the right people around you. Green's story has just begun. Glad he's on our team so we can watch the player he develops into first hand.
I don't think he deserves criticism for going along with the laughable hype surrounding him, I think he deserves criticism for being the 2nd worst overall player in the NBA. Going along with delusional fans and bad basketball analysts is understandable.
I did and I didn’t see anything you were speaking about. Maybe quote the posts instead of a long thread? Is Jalen saying he is the next Kobe or is saying he models himself after Kobe with his attitude and work ethic? Seems like it’s a big difference….
Is Jalen Green not handling the criticism? Has he come out and said something to suggest otherwise? Is Green not working? Does he have the wrong people around him?
there were many who were talking about level and not style of play…I know because I was knee deep in all those threads I’m not about to put these posters on blast, so I’ll just put the quote without referring to them, but after just a 2 second search “Don't overcomplicated this...Draft Jalen Green. He has Jordan/Kobe/Harden potential.” “So is Ja Morant, Bradley Beal, Kobe and even Jordan. Not saying that he will be like any but he has already shown the potential.” “How do you pass up on the next Kobe level player on both ends of the court?” and there’s plenty more
"He deserves the criticism" does not equal "he isn't handling it well". I'm a big Jalen Green supporter and believe in him a lot.
Which is different than claiming to be next Kobe or MJ. Im sure you’ll find some videos with a few hundred or thousands views claiming Green is the next Kobe or MJ. But no one who was serious about making draft projections was comparing him to MJ or Kobe. If they were, it was because of his work ethic.
It’s not a long thread. He’s compared to MJ, Kobe, Durant, AI in that thread alone. And it doesn’t matter the distinction, whether he’s claiming to be the next Kobe or have that mentality. He’s comparing himself to Kobe. I don’t understand the nitpicking on the word “comparing”, when you or anyone puts his name in the same sentence with MJ or Kobe or any all timer, that’s comparing the two. There’s quite a few posts that flat out say he’s the next Jordan. And again, this conversation started because I said a simple fact, that people have been comparing him to MJ and Kobe.
