"Kobe in reality has been no better than the second-best player in the league for about 18 months now — LeBron James passed him somewhere back in '08. He still had a legit claim to Alpha Dog status coming in to this year because he'd just won a championship. But there's a big difference between being "in the conversation" for the top-dog status and being the third-best guy — and one who's getting older. And that's where he is, third, because Durant is suddenly poster-izing the whole league."
So what's the general consensus at this time of the year? People were too quick to jump on Kevin Durant's bandwagon proclaiming him as already a better player than Kobe not too long ago. Well that did'nt sit well, and that discussion never had a teeth that made a mark. We all saw the OKC-Laker series and Durant was'nt even the best player in his team. Kobe was'nt either for the Lakers but he showed a versatility and made his presence felt in the game whether by scoring (Game 2) facilitating and defending Westbrook (Game 5) and doing a little bit of everything (Game 6). Durant simply did what he was supposed to do. Score (inefficiently at that) and nothing else.
Moving on to Lebron James. His back to back MVP performance has somehow cemented his status as the undisputable "Best Player in the league" which is true to a certain extent. Lebron really is the Best Player...in the regular season. I would concede that Lebron last year at least was overwhelmingly running a one man show but this year we can't really use the same excuse. Cleveland surrounded Lebron with one of the best supporting cast in the league. Yes there were no true second option(s) but the depth more than makes up for it. And the most telling story is Lebron himself is playing at a standard unexpected from a Superstar, much more from a 2 time MVP.
To me, its not about putting up great numbers across the board, but its always having a mental edge over your compe or. IMO, this what seperates Kobe from all the pretenders in the league.
Last edited by RsxPiimp; 05-12-2010 at 09:58 AM.
As of right now, Gasol is playing better basketball than Kobe. He destroyed Utah.
Lebron is still the best player in the league. We can only confirm otherwise if/when the Celts seal the deal.
If Lebron puts up 40-10-10 and gets his team to a Game 7 and then wins Game 7, he redeems himself.
Till last game, LeBron was putting 29.8 points on 50.6% shooting efficiency with 8 rebounds, 8 assists and the best defensive work in the playoffs while being the center of the Celtics defensive effort - more than Wade was, for example.
Kobe can't do that against a pedestrian defensive team like Utah, let alone an elite defensive one like Boston.
To say Gasol destroyed Utah and completely ignoring Kobe's 30+ point effort while shooting 50% in 4 games is just blinded hate or ignorance.
LeBron is still a better player than Kobe. One really bad game doesn't change that. Even a couple bad games doesn't. LeBron is better, but Kobe is still the better closer, is more skilled, and is mentally tougher. Doesn't mean LeBron isn't choking or shouldn't take some heat if the Cavs end up losing to the Celtics, but I still think he's the better player.
People are still caught up with numbers? Really? After last night's game, I thought y'all would stop using this to defend Lebron. Its not like the guy tried and failed. He simply did'nt try, and that to me is just a middle finger to the thousands of his avid supporters in Cleveland or worldwide. Hard to respect a guy like this.
Huh? When has Boston stopped being an elite defense in the league? You're basketball illiterate, kid.Now Boston is elite again...
So one is a better player and the other a better closer. Lets draw the line here somewhere. IMO one game matters and one game can change it all. In the playoffs, one game could be a difference between winning a le or going home.
I never hated on Kobe.
But imo Gasol was a little more impressive in that series. 23.5, 14.5, 2.75Blk on 60%.
LeBron has been the best for even longer than "sometime in 08".
Do you respect Kobe? Kobe put a much more radical disappearance act in the 2008 Finals. At least LeBron still defended, rebounded and created shots for his teammates.
Did you believe Paul Pierce was a better player than Kobe after the 2008 NBA Finals? Or did you just believe that Pierce played better for that particular series and Kobe was still the better player?
We don't even need to go back to 2008. LeBron yesterday was miles better than Kobe in game 4 vs OKC.
That's the difference between the best player in the game having a terrible game and a very good player having a terrible game.
Kobe actually tried harder than Lebron despite being overwhelmed by Boston. I saw all 6 games. Boston was a deeper team, they had HCA and was favored to win against LA.
Lebron settled for jumpers all night, this guy is an automatic offense, all he need is attack the basket and he'll either convert or get to the line, but he settled for jumpers...for 39 minutes. Even the hardest Lebron supporters at Realcavsfans.com were roasting him. Boston fan of all people should'nt mask his failure in this series.
I believe the Celtics was a better team than the Lakers in 2008. This is the reason why the Lakers lost Game 4 and was blown to pieces in Game 6. Pierce was'nt even the best player in Games 4 & 6.
pau is the diff ever since being traded 2 the fakers, not kome
Favored by whom?
Kobe in game 6 was pathetic.
That's nonsense. It's not the first horrible game LeBron has vs. this Boston team, not even the worse.
Fans always prefer to blame "effort". Cavs fans are so convinced of their superiority - most of them were predicting a sweep - that they can't wrap their mind around any other explanation except their team is beating themselves.
More importantly, if you think that LeBron is having a bad series I really don't know what to say.
The homer in me has to say that the 99 Spurs would slap those Celts in the defense department.
Shut up Kobefan. You can't discuss basketball outside of "X scored more points than Y, he's the better player".
so another kobe thread? wasn't there one that was stickied?
That doesn't answer my question.
Pierce outplayed Kobe in the 2008 Finals. It wasn't just Celtics being better than the Lakers.
Did you think Pierce was a better player than Kobe or not? Or did you just think the Pierce had a better performance but Kobe was still the better player?
Ummm, but he was the best player for the entire NBA Finals.
And game 6 was a 23 point game at halftime. It was a blowout. It didn't matter who was the best player in that game.
Anyone who watched the 2008 NBA Finals knows that Pierce outplayed Kobe for the series. Kobe had one or two better statistical games, but Pierce was the better player in that particular series.
Favored by every living body who knows that games are assesed far deeply than numbers. Look, we can go back and forth here but Boston had a HCA, trashed LA heavily in the regular season that year and LA was also missing two starters. The le that year had Boston's name written all year.
Its not so much from a statistical standpoint but from his effort which is non existent in Games 2 and 5. Lebron was not playing out there for anyone, not even for himself, which is a shame. Im not going to speak about his performance last night again. I believe one of the more credible posters in this site (JoeTait) fessed up and gave his honest opinion about Lebron's effort last night.
Actually, it was the Celtics being better than the Lakers. That's the bottom line.
I dont really know how else can you view it differently. Celtics team play and the lack of defender thrown by the Lakers to Pierce made all the difference.
It was Vice versa for Kobe's case. Its just a bad example from your end.
Did you think Pierce was a better player than Kobe or not? Or did you just think the Pierce had a better performance but Kobe was still the better player?
Media pushed his wheel chair incident and found to be a better story despite Ray Allen playing equally well, specially in crucial Games 4 & 6. Going into the 2008 season, the Celtics was also known as Pierce's team so its only fitting he gets the Finals MVP nod. Does'nt mean he was the unanimous best player in the entire NBA Finals. Allen had his hands in the series and Garnett was not that far behind because of his defensive contributions.Ummm, but he was the best player for the entire NBA Finals. .
If it was such a blowout then why bring Pierce's individual game in the conversation?And game 6 was a 23 point game at halftime. It was a blowout. It didn't matter who was the best player in that game.
Anyone who saw the series with an objective mind would'nt say Pierce outplayed Kobe. They offset each other. Ray Allen, Garnett and the rest of the Celtics outplayed the Lakers. Plain and simple.Anyone who watched the 2008 NBA Finals knows that Pierce outplayed Kobe for the series. Kobe had one or two better statistical games, but Pierce was the better player in that particular series.
Wow. I think you're in the extreme minority if you don't think Pierce outplayed Kobe for most of the 2008 NBA Finals.
But if that's what you want to argue so you can continue to avoid my question, so be it.
And I'm a fan of Kobe and I think Pierce is a grade A bag, so while I wouldn't be necessarily objective, I have no reason to want to think Pierce outplayed Kobe.
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