I'm not saying FTs weren't earned. But I mean now we're just arguing semantics. Free throws are free...I know where you're coming from but at the same time once you're at that stage, free throws are the most uncontested shot you can get. Dude, I can't find the clip but quite a few fans can probably remember this...man, Micheal was taclked by like three Knicks going to the basket. No flagrant, no suspension. And I mean tackled...it was like a rugby scrum. All I'm saying man...Kobe is a GREAT player. But you're undermining him if you're comparing him to Jordan. Arguing that the Sam Mitchell Raptors played better defense then Bird's Celtics isin't getting you anywhere.
I am not comparing Kobe to MJ. I am comparing the defense they faced. And I don't see how handcheck helped more than zone did. Without zone, the league had 110 ppg, with zone and handcheck, we are have 100ppg today, and about 97 just 2 season ago.
We're Rockets fans, so have you ever noticed that when Battier does ball denial, he does it with his back facing the ball and hands streched or when he runs around picks, he's not in contact with his man? There's a reason for that. You're not allowed grabbing the guy in the modern NBA...nevermind directing him where to go with force.
By comparing the defense, you're trying to say Kobe is better then MJ due to the era he plays in. Same thing (to me at least). The change in PPG is due to pace...besides, the lack of a "defensive three seconds rule" pretty much negates the effect of the ban of zones when it comes to individual scorers, since the great shotblockers can just roam in the paint all day. And besides that, if you ever watched Seattle play Hakeem, you'd know how much of a joke that rule was anyways.
If it's only pace, then explain me why the fg% drops significantly too. And back to the day, no, although no defensive 3 seconds, if you stay in the paint guarding nobody too long, you know it's illegal defense. That's a zone defense automatically.
Slower pace=more half-court sets=less fast-break points=lower FG% Yesterday's game was more physical. Today's game is softer. The refs really never bothered to call illegal zone defense too much (See: Seattle vs Hakeem) Micheal Jordan>Kobe Bryant. ...these are scientific facts!
Yes, I guess Suns and Warriors are most physical teams in the league by playing most fast break. And saying refs didn't call illegal defense much was a stretch. If you can't play it, you tend to avoid it. Why today's players keep moving their feet once they are in the paint if they are not guarding anybody?
...More fast-break doesn't=more physical. More physical=more physical. And the 80s and 90s were more physical. This is like etched in stone somewhere. While your second point is true, a lot of people got away with zone because it was harder to call then say defensive 3 seconds, since it was a bit subjective (distance between players etc.). Anyways, I'm done with this argument...man if you're still not convinced that yesterday's game was more physical then you're hopeless XD. And agree to disagree with Micheal>Kobe, but seriously for the love of God (and this is addressed to all the other Laker fanboys that have invaded this forum), please stop comparing the two. There is no comparision.
Definitely has to be the handcheck. For the defensive player not be able to body up and use his hands to guard an offensive threat is ridiculous. Zone defense as well, since some teams that can't play one on one defense rely solely on the zone. If you are in the NBA, you have to be able to play defense. Remember that Kurt Rambis foul on the finals where the got clotheslined by 2 Celts players on the fastbreak, that was only called a foul back then. In this current era, that kind of foul would if had the player who committed the foul suspended for minimum a week.
Lebron James dreams the day the NBA makes zone defense illegal and brings back the hand check rule.. he would not only become a better offensive player since teams use zone defense to prevent him from driving to the rim and forces him to settle for jumpers but he'll also become a much better defender by being more physical on the perimeter. He would average 40ppg 65% FG against the handcheck rule.
Seriously, don't you guys have like LakersGround.com or IHateMichealJordanBecauseHe'sBetterThenMyHero.com or something? ...But now that you bring him up, I do think Lebron is more on track then Kobe is to challenging Micheal. He reminds me a bit of young Jordan, bit of a shaky jumpshot, crazy athletic, bunch of crappy role players, always challeged by the Pistons and Celtics.
I actually think so to....I think Lebron is slightly more athletic and intimidating than Kobe. 6,9 almost 260. He's not the same shooter or defensive player Bryant, but in most other places I would give the nod to Lebron (but only 23). I could actually see him getting some MJ or even some Oscar Robinson type numbers at some point his career....like 31 ppg, 8 to 9 rebs, 8 to 10 ast....Kobe, I don't think could do that for a whole season....while MJ actually had those kind of numbers circa 87 to 90. MJ was having numbers you would see from an all-star center and even passing like PG. Also, I believe at the same ages Lebron has shown to be a better player and better playmaker, I believe. Kobe is great player, just not to impact MJ is....if he is as great as MJ then basically he would be in same class with athletes like Babe Ruth, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, or Joe Montana. Again I think he is all time great athlete, but I don't see how jumps into the discussion of the top 5 or 7 players.
