You guys here seem to know kobe better than the ppl on ***********. Nobody there outside of the laker fans think kobe is a good defender. They say ignorant stuff like he would be top 5 only if he could play D like tmac or he would be one of the worst defenders if he didn't have shaq, but anybody who has ever watched any basketball would know kobe works harder on his man and doesn't take plays off like some other guys.
Bryant without Shaq = Pippen without Jordan. I usually don't like it when people say this, but if you think Bryant is as good as Duncan, you really are "on crack". There's no other way to describe someone who thinks Bryant could've led last year's Spur team to 58 wins.
Whos better b/w duncan and bryant is debatable. Kobe hasn't even been given the chance yet to lead a team, so how can you count him off, when he's already proved himself to be the best all around player in the game and one of the most clutch. Obviously he wouldn't lead last years spur team to that many wins b/c it was built around the Pf spot, duncan. But if he was in T-mac's or Carter's situation he would excell.
How can you say that didn't you just say that he hasn't even been given the chance to lead a team? You must have some uncanny sixth sense that no one else does to see this. And can you say that you regularly watch all of them play? He often has to run the team and play the post. Do you consider how much more energy this takes? He has Andrew Declerq behind him and has that fade away shot that is unstoppable against 2s. Watch them head to head some time with the exception of a few times T-mac generally eats him up (him being Kobe). Watch them closer and you will realize that Kobe is no better than McGrady or Carter, you are seriously under-appreciating what these other guys have done at the 2.
To say that Kobe doesn't benefit from having Shaq on his team is rediculous. I don't care if he doesn't spot up for threes or cut to the basket (I have seen him do both btw). Kobe doesn't face double teams. It isn't because he is so great at beating double teams. It is because teams are keyed on Shaq. The whole defense is geared to stop Shaq, and Kobe draws a single defender. Put Mobley inhis place and he would put up the same numbers, let alone T-Mac. Everyone on the Lakers besides Shaq has it 10x easier than everyone else in the league.
LOL Who said Kobe doesn't feed off of Shaq at all? What a moron!!! How do you sleep at night with these kind of phony beliefs.
