SLAM: Top 50: LeBron James, no. 1

[carrao45]

That certainly wasn't LeBron's first big playoff shot. And let's not act like Kobe has never blown up when it comes to big shots in the playoffs. I'm sure you forgot about his performance against the Piston in 07 or his game winners against the Wizards.

lol at all hype. That's an ignorant statement. He was the most hyped player of all time coming out of high school and he's delivered and more. What exactly was Kobe doing when the Lakers 2nd best player was about as good as Mo Williams?

And using the Finals sweep against him is ever more re ed logic you're using. That's the most mediocre Finals team in the last 10 years probably (and that's including the Nets and Pacers) and it was a feat in itself he even got that team to that point.

And when the Lakers 3rd best player was worse than the Cavs' 5th best?

[Culburn369]

yes it is

He's a phony baloney, carrao. He got caught with his hand in the cookie jar there in CO. and now he's interminably PO'ed because "everybody knows" his business, his trespasses. That's horrible for a human being to shoulder. How would you like "me" to know your deepest sin, your deepest secret, the worst thing you've ever done? You'd hate it and it would transcend you.

[carrao45]

Gasol's numbers are near identical in Memphis and LA.

effeciency

[carrao45]

and Kobe is much better w/pau. Does that mean pau makes kobe better?

Yes

[Culburn369]

....& I said it first.

[23LeBronJames23]

thats right s my lebron is the best in basketball of all .that kobe good and all but lebron is the best basketplayer !

[Allanon]

I think we'll find out how good LeBron is at leading his team this year versus what Kobe can do with a less star studded team

LeBron
1 HoF'er and All Star in Shaq who averaged 15 pts last year
1 All Star in Mo Williams who averaged 18 pts last year
1 Past All Star in Big Z who averaged 13 pts last year

Kobe
1 All Star in Pau that averaged 19 pts last year
1 Weed Smoker in Khlomar
1 Powder Keg in Ron Ron
1 Glass man in Andrew Bynum

[23LeBronJames23]

I think we'll find out how good LeBron is at leading his team this year versus what Kobe can do with a less star studded team

LeBron
1 HoF'er and All Star in Shaq who averaged 15 pts last year
1 All Star in Mo Williams who averaged 18 pts last year
1 Past All Star in Big Z who averaged 13 pts last year

Kobe
1 All Star in Pau that averaged 19 pts last year

how about
derek fsher"pro clutch shooter"
ron artest"crazy "
lamar odom"candyman with ugly wife"
sasha"shoot machin

[cobbler]

and Kobe is much better w/pau. Does that mean pau makes kobe better?

Absolutely!

[DAF86]

I think we'll find out how good LeBron is at leading his team this year versus what Kobe can do with a less star studded team

LeBron
1 HoF'er and All Star in Shaq who averaged 15 pts last year
1 All Star in Mo Williams who averaged 18 pts last year
1 Past All Star in Big Z who averaged 13 pts last year

Kobe
1 All Star in Pau that averaged 19 pts last year

Wasn't Artest an all-star? Besides Pau will probably end up beign a Hall of Famer, and Phill Jackson is a Hall of Famer.

Besides, that's an idiotic way of comparing teams. For any non-biased NBA fan: Lakers > Cavs

[Allanon]

Wasn't Artest an all-star? Besides Pau will probably end up beign a Hall of Famer, and Phill Jackson is a Hall of Famer.

Besides, that's an idiotic way of comparing teams. For any non-biased NBA fan: Lakers > Cavs

Nobody mentions Ron Ron being an All-Star...he's a "Powder Keg" that's going to explode the Lakers. Entire summer of talking about Ron Ron and I don't think I've ever heard of him being described as an All Star...I've heard alot of crazy Ron though

Shaq on the other hand is a bonafide HoF'er who was an All Star last season alongside Mo Williams who's yet another All Star. That's 2 current All-Stars + 1 past 1 in Big Z.

Kobe only has 1 All-Star and that's Pau. How does Kobe get this less star filled roster to the Championship?

[DAF86]

Nobody mentions Ron Ron being an All-Star...he's a "Powder Keg" that's going to explode the Lakers. Entire summer of talking about Ron Ron and I don't think I've ever heard of him being described as an All Star...I've heard alot of crazy Ron though

Shaq on the other hand is a bonafide HoF'er who was an All Star last season alongside Mo Williams who's yet another All Star. That's 2 current All-Stars + 1 past 1 in Big Z.

Kobe only has 1 All-Star and that's Pau.

If you count Ilgauskaz all-star game you have to count Artests, besides you're forgetting the little detail of coaching.

And I already told you that is not a good way of comparing teams.

[Allanon]

If you really look at it, Kobe's got the least Star power with him of the Big 5 contending teams:

Spurs: Tim Duncan, Tony, Manu, Dice, Grizzly Blair (5 All Stars)
Celtics: KG, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Sheed (5 All-Stars)
Magic: Dwight, VC, Jameer, Rashard (4 All Stars)
Cavs: LeBron, Shaq, Mo Williams, Big Z (4 All Stars)

Lakers: Kobe, Pau, Crazy Ron (3 All Stars)

If Kobe wins the Championship again this year, he would have done so with the least star power of the 5 supposed "contending" teams.

[KSeal]

If you really look at it, Kobe's got the least Star power with him of the Big 5 contending teams:

Celtics: KG, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Sheed (5 All-Stars)
Magic: Dwight, VC, Jameer, Rashard (4 All Stars)
Cavs: LeBron, Shaq, Mo Williams, Big Z (4 All Stars)
Spurs: Tim Duncan, Tony, Manu, Dice (4 All Stars)

Lakers: Kobe, Pau, Crazy Ron (3 All Stars)

If Kobe wins the Championship again this year, he would have done so with the least star power of the 5 supposed "contending" teams.

Not if Bynum makes the all star team this year, which is a possibility.

[Allanon]

Not if Bynum makes the all star team this year, which is a possibility.

Haven't you been reading the forums, Seal?

Bynum's over-rated except to us Laker fans. Let's not make up awards for our "over-rated" sucky players

[KSeal]

Haven't you been reading the forums, Seal?

Bynum's over-rated except to us Laker fans. Let's not make up awards for our "over-rated" sucky players

Yeah, I know . But he'll probably make the all star team this year by default.

[dirk4mvp]

You also forgot the all star lock and mvp candidate Dejuan Blair for the Spurs.

[Allanon]

You also forgot the all star lock and mvp candidate Dejuan Blair for the Spurs.

Good point. Fixed.

[JamStone]

You didn't even realize it, but you actually agreed with what I was saying more than you pointed out a flaw. Yes, it depends on the context. That's why I specifically was talking about the list having subjectivity and being based on different factors. That's not a flaw. That's pointing out why my opinion agrees with a "subjective" list.

I don't really disagree with anything you wrote except for the fact that you think you were pointing out a flaw in my logic when you actually were just expanding on what I meant by the list relying on subjectivity and varying factors.

The flaw with your logic is, is that it depends on the context, the team. If i had a crappy team, and I wanted to get the most out of it, I would pick Lebron. The guy is a tripple double machine, but people are quick to associate triple doubles with some godly figure.

Kobe's offensive arsenal maybe one of the best of all time. Despite the fact he is aging and losing his athleticism it is extremely hard to see, the guy BARELY drove to the basket, actually he only drove like 5 or 6 times the entire series of the finals and still piled up 30ppg. The ability to pick and choose between your offensive abilities and still maintain scoring of that magnitude is downright unbelievable. His defense maybe overrated but that doesn't mean its bad, its overrated because he doesn't play defense all the time, which is understandable, but he is still a great defender at the same time. People are quick to place other dynaminc wings like t-mac a couple of years ago, and lebron now, as better than Kobe but they are disproven.. Kobe is the guy I would want on my championship team, he is that one scoring threat that no defense has an answer for, he is the only thing that slows himself down. You can't say that about Lebron though

[picc84]

No, he obviously passes the ball more now 'cause he trust his teammates more.

But in order to take the best out of his previous " ty" teammates, he should have played like he's doing right now with them. Of course it wouldn't have been enough to win the championship 'cause the talent wasn't there but it would have maximazed the potential of that team.

With the exception of Odom, every contributor of that team is today either buried on a bench somewhere or is out of the league. Many of them averaging career highs in points and field goal % with the Lakers. He was making half-way decent players out of guys who left and then couldn't earn playing time with lottery teams. If you don't think Kobe squeezed everything he could out of that squad to the capacity their abilities allowed, you probably weren't watching more than sportscenter highlights.

[KidCongo]

If you really look at it, Kobe's got the least Star power with him of the Big 5 contending teams:

Spurs: Tim Duncan, Tony, Manu, Dice, Grizzly Blair (5 All Stars)
Celtics: KG, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Sheed (5 All-Stars)
Magic: Dwight, VC, Jameer, Rashard (4 All Stars)
Cavs: LeBron, Shaq, Mo Williams, Big Z (4 All Stars)

Lakers: Kobe, Pau, Crazy Ron (3 All Stars)

If Kobe wins the Championship again this year, he would have done so with the least star power of the 5 supposed "contending" teams.

LOL at saying Big Z has star power. LOL at saying Mo Williams has star power.

[KidCongo]

Last year, early in the season, I would have put LeBron at #1. But over the course of the season, I realized that LeBron's flawed as a leader.

Sure, he's a great player, powerful & fast. He's completely un-selfish and an excellent passer/playmaker.

But for all his excellence, he doesn't make his teammates better.

What is making his team-mates better?

Is it LeBron specifically taking JJ Hickson under his wing this off-season to teach him how to be a professional?

Is it being the guy in the locker room that obviously makes the chemistry great?

Is it calling out your team-mates and yourself to work harder after the loss to Orlando?

[Allanon]

LOL at saying Big Z has star power. LOL at saying Mo Williams has star power.

I'm just the messenger, there must have been a good reason those guys are All-Stars.

[KidCongo]

I'm just the messenger, there must have been a good reason those guys are All-Stars.

Does Big Z play at an all-star level now?

[Allanon]

What is making his team-mates better?

Is it LeBron specifically taking JJ Hickson under his wing this off-season to teach him how to be a professional?

Is it being the guy in the locker room that obviously makes the chemistry great?

Is it calling out your team-mates and yourself to work harder after the loss to Orlando?

I think LeBron needs to do less actually. LeBron tries to do too much and when it's time for the other guys to step up, they freeze up.

During the Playoffs; the only hero was LeBron.

But if you look at the Lakers Playoff series, it was guys like Fisher (Magic), Lamar (Jazz), Shannon Brown (Nuggets), Ariza (Nugz/Magic).

LeBron's going through the same thing Kobe went through a few years ago; when he learns how to pick his spots and motivate his teammates, he'll be a complete player.