Look at this clown.

Discussion in 'Los Angeles Lakers' started by huevonkiller, Mar 3, 2008.

  1. huevonkiller

    huevonkiller Change (Deftones)

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Why ... Kobe Bryant is not your MVP

    By Kelly Dwyer

    Monday, Mar 3, 2008 2:20 pm EST

    Let's start with the obvious, a line of predictable reasoning that (for some reason) we need to be reminded of from time to time: Kobe Bryant is freakin' awesome.

    He probably should have been the MVP in 2005-06, though Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki and LeBron James were all justifiable winners (I still can't believe Steve Nash, my second favorite player since high school, won that thing). Bryant shouldn't have been punished for having to do his damage on an otherwise crummy team. Kobe faltered a bit last season, but you'd probably lose your mind sharing a backcourt with Smush Parker or having to run screen-and-roll plays with Kwame Brown.

    This year, the man has been fantastic, running one of the NBA's most devastating offenses while regaining the defensive edge that he appeared to have lost last season. He put on a brilliant performance on national TV yesterday, registering 52 points (30 in the fourth quarter and overtime alone) and 11 rebounds while carrying the Lakers offensively in a win over Dallas.

    When Bryant went to the free throw line, the Staples Center crowd chanted, "M-V-P! M-V-P!"

    And they should stop it.

    Actually, they can chant whatever they want. Chant it for Sasha Vujacic, see if he has a Slovenian sense of humor. My issue is in the incessant (in El Lay and on the national airwaves) proclamations of Kobe Bryant as the NBA's best player.

    He isn't. Sorry, but he isn't. He's awesome, but he's not the game's best player. He has the best chance of any NBA talent at dropping 75 points on your ass, and that's impressive, but Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony and Wade (when he's healthy) aren't far behind. And "best scorer" doesn't always mean "best player."

    And, while we're at it, Kobe's not even the best scorer any more. James is.

    And, in this case, "best scorer" means "best player."

    And, to anyone who takes the game seriously, "best player" should mean "M-V-P!"

    It's not a huge edge, but it's decisive enough: James has Bryant licked in scoring per game (30.3 to 28.2), assists (7.5 to 5.4), rebounds (8.1 to 6.0) and shooting percentage (48.6 to 46.6). Bryant shoots better from long range (35 percent to 30), and has James' number from the line, but so does Kyle Korver. Otherwise, they're even on steals and turnovers, and James blocks nearly twice as many shots.

    James may play two more minutes per game, but he still owns a decisive edge in the per-minute numbers, and has to do his damage on a slow-down team (20th in the NBA in possessions). Kobe has a chance to pad his stats (not that he is, kindly read that carefully) with about five more possessions per game on the Lakers. That's significant.

    But that's a mere nuance to national TV types and multi-sport columnists who want to hand the mantle over to Kobe just because his team is winning more. Bryant was working his tail off for years just trying to get a sorry bunch of Lakers up around the .500 mark, and he shouldn't be handed an MVP just because Andrew Bynum can ball now and the Grizzlies decided to hand the Lakers Pau Gasol.

    Meanwhile, James is just destroying people in Cleveland. Pulling in more rebounds on a team that owns the boards even without him (there's not a lot of stray rebounds to go around) and racking up assists on a team that can't shoot straight (44.1 percent, 24th in the NBA).

    His defense isn't on par with Kobe's, but it's not far off, and it's still pretty damn good. Certainly not bad enough for Bryant to overcome being outscored, outassisted and outrebounded by LBJ. And while both are studs in the clutch, LeBron is better. He significantly outscores, outassists and outrebounds Kobe when it matters.

    Worse, James is going to get burned by voters who will credit him for MVPs likely won from 2009-2019 and hand it to Kobe just because he's playing "unselfish" basketball." No, Kobe's playing the same brand of competitive basketball he always has, just for a championship-level team. If he wasn't "selfish" in 2005-06 and 2006-07 then the Lakers win 30 games. Replacing a Chris Mihm with a Gasol shouldn't mean James should be denied.

    It stinks, but you watch the groundswell: The "best player in the game" bit will start to become accepted as fact, and voters just make up their mind based on what sounds right instead of doing their due diligence. Then I'm stuck in the unenviable position of having to denigrate one of the best players of my generation, if only to open people's eyes in regards to the sort of -- MVP, mind you -- season LeBron James is having.</div>

    http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/nba_exper...F?urn=nba,69681

    Lol, better scorer? He averages more Points per game, but Kobe creams him as a scorer, especially with TS%.

    Wow if there's one thing I can't stand is people who have no idea that volume based statistics are incredibly flawed.

    Now only is Kobe's +/- rating comparable to LeBron's, but he plays in a tougher conference which LeBron struggles against compared to the East.

    Mamba brought this up very amusingly, LeBron also missed 5 games from a bitch injury. I also want a make-up call for the 2005-2006 season.
     
  2. Mamba

    Mamba The King is Back Staff Member Global Moderator

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    I love how ESPN focuses on 4th quarter points scored, when Kobe Bryant has sat more 4th quarter minutes than LeBron could dream of. Don't the Lakers have the most blowout wins in the league?
     
  3. Moo2K4

    Moo2K4 NBA West Producer

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    This dude is nuts. LeBron may be dominating, but he's beating on much weaker competition than Kobe. LeBron isn't playing the Spurs, Cavs, Suns, Hornets, Nuggets, Rockets, etc. four times a year. No, the only quality teams he plays four times a year are the Celtics and Pistons. Most of the competition he goes against is pitiful.

    And to call LeBron a better scorer? Yea, in his wildest dreams maybe. While LeBron is unstoppable going to the hoop, that's it. He has no consistent jump shot and is a terrible free throw shooter with a man of his skill set. Kobe Bryant, however, can hit from anywhere on the court, gets to the rim with the best of them, and is one of the best FT shooters in the league.

    As for the 4th quarter crap that ESPN was talking about, I agree with Mamba. Kobe has sat the 4th quarter on numerous occasions because the Lakers have gotten some big leads and don't need him in there. LeBron however, is playing heavy minutes in the 4th nightly, giving him more opportunities. And obviously, if you get more chances, you're going to get more points. That seems like fact to me.

    By the way, I'm diggin' the last part of your sig Mamba. Shows how tough Kobe is how much of a puss Princess James is.
     
  4. sweetness

    sweetness JBB JustBBall Member

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    what a stupid biased article. kyle dwyer needs to be surgically excised from lebron's nuts
     
  5. kobe23

    kobe23 JBB JustBBall Member

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    thats retarded
     
  6. Sikwitit

    Sikwitit JBB JustBBall Member

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    This is the rebuttal from David Neiman.

    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>KELLY DWYER AND LBJ: A CASE IN POINT
    In his recent post on Yahoo! Sports “Ball Don’t Lie” blog, Kelly Dwyer made an argument for why LeBron James, and not Kobe Bryant, should be the MVP. It’s a perfect example of how well-intentioned research and thought, in an inherently limiting context, can lead one astray.

    As he made his argument, he was forced to make several logical reaches to substantiate it. I’ll focus solely on the statistics Dwyer cites, which form the basis of his post, and ignore some of the other logical inconsistencies. He wrote:

    It’s not a huge edge, but it’s decisive enough: James has Bryant licked in scoring per game (30.3 to 28.2), assists (7.5 to 5.4), rebounds (8.1 to 6.0) and shooting percentage (48.6 to 46.6). Bryant shoots better from long range (35 percent to 30), and has James’ number from the line, but so does Kyle Korver. Otherwise, they’re even on steals and turnovers, and James blocks nearly twice as many shots.

    James may play two more minutes per game, but he still owns a decisive edge in the per-minute numbers, and has to do his damage on a slow-down team (20th in the NBA in possessions). Kobe has a chance to pad his stats (not that he is, kindly read that carefully) with about five more possessions per game on the Lakers. That’s significant.

    With very little effort, it’s easy to see how someone could draw different or completely opposite conclusions from these statistics. For example:

    * James has arguably only one other person on his team that can score consistently; Kobe had several even before the arrival of Pau Gasol, yet he still nearly outscores LeBron.
    * LeBron handles the ball more, which could easily account for the differential in assists. (I wonder, on a side note, how Kobe compares to other shooting guards when it comes to dishing the rock.)
    * LeBron (6′8″, 250 pounds) is significantly taller and bigger than Kobe (6′6″, 205 pounds), which alone would give him a rebounding advantage. Yet Kobe manages to grab six rebounds a game while playing all season with two seven-foot double-double machines (Bynum/Odom, now Gasol/Odom).
    * As Dwyer notes, Bryant shoots significantly better from long range. That’s not trivial, particularly when Dwyer tries to suggest that LeBron is a better overall shooter. Through Tuesday, Kobe had taken 42 more three pointers than LeBron (292 for Kobe, 250 for LBJ) and made 27 more of them (102 for Kobe, 75 for LBJ), so when you factor that into their overall shooting percentages, Kobe’s is pretty impressive. (I also wonder how many of LeBron’s shots come on dunks or layups. And if a significant number do, is that a strike against him, or a fact in his favor?)
    * I would suggest that superior free throw shooting is not something to breeze by. Particularly with the game on the line.
    * Given his size advantage, LeBron should have more blocks than Kobe, so that’s neither here nor there.
    * Regarding all of the above, it makes sense that LeBron would have better per minute numbers.

    To be clear: I’m not even saying that I agree with the points I’m making here. But most of the conclusions I reach are just as sound — at least to me — as any Dwyer makes, for whatever that’s worth. What I’m getting at is that basing your entire argument on a comparison as Dwyer has — between elite players such as these, playing at the top of their game — diminishes the chance of making a compelling case for LeBron or anyone. Everything becomes relative, which is particularly problematic if the two players you’re comparing are actually quite different. You’re reduced to statements like this:

    His defense isn’t on par with Kobe’s, but it’s not far off, and it’s still pretty damn good. Certainly not bad enough for Bryant to overcome being outscored, outassisted and outrebounded by LBJ. And while both are studs in the clutch, LeBron is better. He significantly outscores, outassists and outrebounds Kobe when it matters.

    And that’s really little more than subjective opinion laid atop statistical conclusions that, in my view, aren’t that strong.</div>

    http://www.sportshubla.com/2008/03/05/the-...-dwyer-part-ii/
     
  7. shankyoass

    shankyoass Ceci n'est pas une pipe.

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    The argument saying Kobe shoots better than Lebron from 3, but so does Korver, is stupid.

    I can say Lebron is shooting better from the field than Kobe, but so is Andre Biedrins.

    Just a dumb argument (out of many)
     
  8. huevonkiller

    huevonkiller Change (Deftones)

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Sikwitit @ Mar 7 2008, 12:44 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>This is the rebuttal from David Neiman.

    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>KELLY DWYER AND LBJ: A CASE IN POINT
    In his recent post on Yahoo! Sports ?€œBall Don?€™t Lie?€? blog, Kelly Dwyer made an argument for why LeBron James, and not Kobe Bryant, should be the MVP. It?€™s a perfect example of how well-intentioned research and thought, in an inherently limiting context, can lead one astray.

    As he made his argument, he was forced to make several logical reaches to substantiate it. I?€™ll focus solely on the statistics Dwyer cites, which form the basis of his post, and ignore some of the other logical inconsistencies. He wrote:

    It?€™s not a huge edge, but it?€™s decisive enough: James has Bryant licked in scoring per game (30.3 to 28.2), assists (7.5 to 5.4), rebounds (8.1 to 6.0) and shooting percentage (48.6 to 46.6). Bryant shoots better from long range (35 percent to 30), and has James?€™ number from the line, but so does Kyle Korver. Otherwise, they?€™re even on steals and turnovers, and James blocks nearly twice as many shots.

    James may play two more minutes per game, but he still owns a decisive edge in the per-minute numbers, and has to do his damage on a slow-down team (20th in the NBA in possessions). Kobe has a chance to pad his stats (not that he is, kindly read that carefully) with about five more possessions per game on the Lakers. That?€™s significant.

    With very little effort, it?€™s easy to see how someone could draw different or completely opposite conclusions from these statistics. For example:

    * James has arguably only one other person on his team that can score consistently; Kobe had several even before the arrival of Pau Gasol, yet he still nearly outscores LeBron.
    * LeBron handles the ball more, which could easily account for the differential in assists. (I wonder, on a side note, how Kobe compares to other shooting guards when it comes to dishing the rock.)
    * LeBron (6?€?8?€?, 250 pounds) is significantly taller and bigger than Kobe (6?€?6?€?, 205 pounds), which alone would give him a rebounding advantage. Yet Kobe manages to grab six rebounds a game while playing all season with two seven-foot double-double machines (Bynum/Odom, now Gasol/Odom).
    * As Dwyer notes, Bryant shoots significantly better from long range. That?€™s not trivial, particularly when Dwyer tries to suggest that LeBron is a better overall shooter. Through Tuesday, Kobe had taken 42 more three pointers than LeBron (292 for Kobe, 250 for LBJ) and made 27 more of them (102 for Kobe, 75 for LBJ), so when you factor that into their overall shooting percentages, Kobe?€™s is pretty impressive. (I also wonder how many of LeBron?€™s shots come on dunks or layups. And if a significant number do, is that a strike against him, or a fact in his favor?)
    * I would suggest that superior free throw shooting is not something to breeze by. Particularly with the game on the line.
    * Given his size advantage, LeBron should have more blocks than Kobe, so that?€™s neither here nor there.
    * Regarding all of the above, it makes sense that LeBron would have better per minute numbers.

    To be clear: I?€™m not even saying that I agree with the points I?€™m making here. But most of the conclusions I reach are just as sound ?€” at least to me ?€” as any Dwyer makes, for whatever that?€™s worth. What I?€™m getting at is that basing your entire argument on a comparison as Dwyer has ?€” between elite players such as these, playing at the top of their game ?€” diminishes the chance of making a compelling case for LeBron or anyone. Everything becomes relative, which is particularly problematic if the two players you?€™re comparing are actually quite different. You?€™re reduced to statements like this:

    His defense isn?€™t on par with Kobe?€™s, but it?€™s not far off, and it?€™s still pretty damn good. Certainly not bad enough for Bryant to overcome being outscored, outassisted and outrebounded by LBJ. And while both are studs in the clutch, LeBron is better. He significantly outscores, outassists and outrebounds Kobe when it matters.

    And that?€™s really little more than subjective opinion laid atop statistical conclusions that, in my view, aren?€™t that strong.</div>

    http://www.sportshubla.com/2008/03/05/the-...-dwyer-part-ii/
    </div>

    Very nice points, obviously LeBron is going to rebound more since he plays the 3 and doesn't have to deal with some of the rebound machines the Lakers have. Lamar has even made Gasol's rebounding look somewhat mediocre, since he's the one that cleans up the boards with Pau getting all the attention in the Front court.

    Kobe is indeed a better scorer, and defensive player. I'd only give LeBron a real edge in passing, but then again comes the issue of him playing in the East.

    Based on the past criteria, stat whores shouldn't win anyway, they need to accumulate victories. Not that I agree with that, but it's the way it was when Kobe empirically dominated the League two years ago.
     
  9. The Dream

    The Dream mama there goes that man!

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    although you can make a case for Bron being the best in the league and being MVP, Kobe still isn't a bad choice, lol.............as far as the scoring thing I think the writer of the article was talking about this season, and this season Bron has been a better scorer (no disputing that).............and although Kobe has had more blowout victories than Lebron, Lebron has been the best clutch player in the league this season (even against Kobe himself), he's had games on the line more than Kobe, but he's delivered and that's what counts......as far as the conferences are concerned, I don't think it really matters, because I see Lebron do the same exact thing against WC teams as he does against EC teams, when it comes to big games, clutch moments, etc (Mavs, Spurs, Lakers all come to mind)....great players are going to be great no matter what conference they play in.......................I think you'll are kinda overreacting to the article, I think Kobe should definitely be considered for MVP (unlike what the writer says), but all of the things that he states Bron has been doing better than Kobe "this season" are true.
     
  10. The Dream

    The Dream mama there goes that man!

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Kobe is indeed a better scorer, and defensive player. I'd only give LeBron a real edge in passing, but then again comes the issue of him playing in the East.</div>

    overall I'd agree Kobe is the better scorer, and slightly better on the defensive end. But Bron is a better passer, rebounder, and..............................closer than bryant. *DREAM ducks as laker fans throw things at him*.................I'll take Bron over Kobe in the 4th quarter for the simple fact nobody gets to the rim like he does. Kobe is a better jump shooter, but I'll take my chances with a guy shooting a layup then a guy shooting a jumper with a hand in his face. And while Bron isn't a great FT shooter, he isn't absolutely terrible either.....I haven't really seen him lose any games, because of missed FTs down the stretch this season.......
     
  11. Elude

    Elude JBB JustBBall Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (The Dream @ Mar 7 2008, 11:01 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Kobe is indeed a better scorer, and defensive player. I'd only give LeBron a real edge in passing, but then again comes the issue of him playing in the East.</div>

    overall I'd agree Kobe is the better scorer, and slightly better on the defensive end. But Bron is a better passer, rebounder, and..............................closer than bryant. *DREAM ducks as laker fans throw things at him*.................I'll take Bron over Kobe in the 4th quarter for the simple fact nobody gets to the rim like he does. Kobe is a better jump shooter, but I'll take my chances with a guy shooting a layup then a guy shooting a jumper with a hand in his face. And while Bron isn't a great FT shooter, he isn't absolutely terrible either.....I haven't really seen him lose any games, because of missed FTs down the stretch this season.......
    </div>
    Slightly better on the defensive end? I donno about that... I think he is alot better. I donno who wouldn't take Kobe in the 4th the guy is money in the clutch.
     
  12. The Dream

    The Dream mama there goes that man!

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    Lebron is "money" clutch also, lol.....and yes I think he's better on the defensive end, but not by much. When Lebron decides to lock into a guy he can irritate him on the defensive end (just look at the game a few weeks back when he locked down Kobe in the 4th period). Whether you think Kobe is better (and he might be) or not better than James, you'd have to be biased to say that these 2 men aren't incredibly close when saying "who's the best player in the game"......Personally I don't think you could go wrong with either...........
     
  13. Fiyah

    Fiyah JBB JustBBall Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (The Dream @ Mar 7 2008, 11:20 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Lebron is "money" clutch also, lol.....and yes I think he's better on the defensive end, but not by much. When Lebron decides to lock into a guy he can irritate him on the defensive end (just look at the game a few weeks back when he locked down Kobe in the 4th period). Whether you think Kobe is better (and he might be) or not better than James, you'd have to be biased to say that these 2 men aren't incredibly close when saying "who's the best player in the game"......Personally I don't think you could go wrong with either...........</div>

    You can go wrong.

    Its simple to me really: When Kobe had a piss poor team in the West and was forced to do everything in his power just to keep the Lakers competitive he had the best statistical season in the NBA. He had Jordanesque numbers and lead the league in scoring with 35 ppg. Back then Kobe was routinely penalized for having those stats because he HAD to. His teams sub par record (in the West mind you... it was a good record in the East) also factored against him. Now the shoe is on the other foot and Lebron's Cavs are just as bad as Kobe's 2005-06 Lakers... BUT in the Leastern conference. Lebrons stats are amplified by the fact that he has had to be ridiculous to keep the Cavs competitive at times. And even then he still can't score as much as Kobe did when he let loose that one season and his other stats are more by products of his size and role on the Cavs than anything else. Lebron's stats even last year and the year before trumped Nowitzki and Nash. But people know they are different players... no one expects Nash to have a ton of rebounds or even score that much. Yet here we are with people comparing the rebounding numbers of a small-forward to a shooting guard?! Lebron's only real edge to me is his FG% and assists.

    So if no one is willing to retroactively award Bryant the MVP two seasons ago then Lebron does not deserve it this season. To do that would be hypocritical.
     
  14. The Dream

    The Dream mama there goes that man!

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>You can go wrong.

    Its simple to me really: When Kobe had a piss poor team in the West and was forced to do everything in his power just to keep the Lakers competitive he had the best statistical season in the NBA. He had Jordanesque numbers and lead the league in scoring with 35 ppg. Back then Kobe was routinely penalized for having those stats because he HAD to. His teams sub par record (in the West mind you... it was a good record in the East) also factored against him. Now the shoe is on the other foot and Lebron's Cavs are just as bad as Kobe's 2005-06 Lakers... BUT in the Leastern conference. Lebrons stats are amplified by the fact that he has had to be ridiculous to keep the Cavs competitive at times. And even then he still can't score as much as Kobe did when he let loose that one season and his other stats are more by products of his size and role on the Cavs than anything else. Lebron's stats even last year and the year before trumped Nowitzki and Nash. But people know they are different players... no one expects Nash to have a ton of rebounds or even score that much. Yet here we are with people comparing the rebounding numbers of a small-forward to a shooting guard?! Lebron's only real edge to me is his FG% and assists.

    So if no one is willing to retroactively award Bryant the MVP two seasons ago then Lebron does not deserve it this season. To do that would be hypocritical.</div>

    I personally thought Lebron or Kobe should've gotten the MVP a couple of years back over Nash (point being I don't think Kobe was a clear cut favorite). As far as the rebounds go, SF or not, he's a better rebounder than Kobe. Using the "product of his size" argument is silly, because every single player that has picked up a basketball has advantages in certain areas, because of their body size, weight, height, length, etc........just give the guy his props
     
  15. bronbron23

    bronbron23 JBB JustBBall Member

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    I don't post much anymore but this guy is a complete anus
     
  16. The Dream

    The Dream mama there goes that man!

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  17. huevonkiller

    huevonkiller Change (Deftones)

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (The Dream @ Mar 7 2008, 12:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/nba_exper...o?urn=nba,69942

    this another article by the same guy, where he clarifies his first article............he's not a kobe hater, because he himself thought Kobe should've won the MVP a couple of years back.....</div>

    It doesn't matter what that guy thought in 2005-2006, the AP writers have a certain fashion of thinking. They're the ones that vote based on victories so the double-standard needs to ****ing stop.

    LeBron is not a better scorer, because scorer is not just about PPG. LeBron has a lower TS% than Kobe, and Kobe is not asked to score as much this year. As far as their talent level though, Kobe is still the better scorer, they even average almost the same amount of points per-36 minutes.

    LeBron does not play as well against the West either, that is an empirical fact, and Kobe's +/- numbers on a great team are impressive. LeBron gets far more garbage time especially in that conference.

    LeBron's clutch numbers are also not much better, and Kobe can't hog the ball all to himself in the fourth this season.

    Stat sluts have not won the MVP in ages.
     
  18. Fiyah

    Fiyah JBB JustBBall Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (The Dream @ Mar 7 2008, 11:54 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I personally thought Lebron or Kobe should've gotten the MVP a couple of years back over Nash (point being I don't think Kobe was a clear cut favorite). As far as the rebounds go, SF or not, he's a better rebounder than Kobe. Using the "product of his size" argument is silly, because every single player that has picked up a basketball has advantages in certain areas, because of their body size, weight, height, length, etc........just give the guy his props</div>

    Don't get me wrong. I give him his props. But how do you ever give a point guard the MVP? How do you justify giving it to KG when statistically he hasn't even had his best season? Its because of other things besides stats. I don't mean to discount Lebron's rebounds... but to use them to insist that he should get the MVP over Kobe isn't quite fair. Not based on history at least.

    Like I said before... Kobe Bryant was statistically the best player in the NBA 2 seasons ago and some writers didn't even vote him in the MVP discussion. Its not like he was a close second or third in voting. Based on that precedent alone you just cannot choose James over Bryant so far this season. Kobe has his team in contention to win the regular season in the West. He has kept them there through injury to various players. He has done it on a mangled pinky finger (you know lesser players would have been out injured). He has the Lakers playing as well as they have played in years, making younger players better, and incorporating others into the mix. And all while almost keeping pace with Lebron in same minute stats. Thats incredible!
     
  19. Fiyah

    Fiyah JBB JustBBall Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (The Dream @ Mar 7 2008, 12:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/nba_exper...o?urn=nba,69942

    this another article by the same guy, where he clarifies his first article............he's not a kobe hater, because he himself thought Kobe should've won the MVP a couple of years back.....</div>

    The guy is clearly a hypocrite...

    Here is an article calling him out on the claim that he thought Kobe should have won the MVP seasons ago:

    http://forums.lakersground.net/viewtopic.php?t=57461

    Kelly Dwyer shared his sentiments in a recent article at Yahoo Sports. He would say in that article that Kobe probably should have been the MVP in the 2005-2006 MVP race, and not have been punished for playing on an otherwise poor team. He would then explain his thoughts of why Lebron has been a better player this season and deserves the award this season. The problem here is that Kelly Dwyer wrote an article two years ago at when he picked Lebron James as his MVP then. Why the change of heart now? Does anyone honestly believe that the Cavs supporting cast is weaker right now than the Lakers was two seasons ago? If next season Kobe averaged 50 points a game beause the rest of his team died in a plane crash but the Lakers struggled, would the criteria change yet again?
     
  20. Moo2K4

    Moo2K4 NBA West Producer

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    First and foremost, LeBron is not a better scorer. His jumpshot is highly inconsistent and isn't even close to on par with Kobe's. In fact, I'd go to say that his FG% is highly inflated because of how many easy dunks he gets.

    Beyond that, once you factor in FT% and 3PT%, it's pretty clear who the better scorer is. You can actually trust Kobe to hit a FT in the clutch, you can't always do that with LeBron.

    Clutch numbers are also horseshit this year. Kobe hasn't had the ball in his hands as much this year in the 4th because of the way he's played. He's been deferring to others because the team has been benefiting more from that than from him being selfish in the 4th. LeBron on the other hand, is the only player on that team that can really create a shot for himself or for others, so he's going to have his hands on the ball a lot more than Kobe is.

    Next thing to point out is something I've been saying a lot this year, and that's the issue of the conferences. Kobe plays in the HIGHLY competitive West, LeBron plays in the craptastic East. Need I really say more? LeBron's team is going to limp to 50-52 wins against piss poor competition while Kobe's Lakers are going to get anywhere from 57-62 wins against a conference that could see up to 9 teams win 50 games this year and 10 teams finish with around 45 or 47 wins. The East MIGHT see six teams finish at .500. Slight discrepancy in competition? I think so.

    The last couple things I want to throw out there is, first, people are going to throw out the rebounding statistic. LeBron does average more, this is true. But he plays most of his game at the 3/4, and when you play a forward spot, you're supposed to get rebounds. Kobe is almost exclusively a 2, a position he really doesn't have to rebound at, but still does an effective job there. The other thing you have to point out is that LeBron isn't on a team with one great rebounder. Kobe has been consistently playing with 2 very good rebounders all season long, yet still manages to grab 6 per.

    Lastly, look at the wins. Last I knew, that's what matters. If the Lakers win close to 60 games this year, Kobe deserves the MVP. The last 3 MVPs have gone to players who've been on two 60+ win teams and another 50+ win team. So why not stay consistent and give it to the player on a team with a bunch of wins? In the Western Conference especially, 60 wins is damn impressive. At the very least, the Lakers are going to get close to 60, if not eclipse, the Cavs might break slightly over 50 in a terrible conference. At that point, considering stats are basically a dead heat, why not give it to the player on the team that dominated the superior conference? Makes sense to me.
     

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