Given Kobe's age and the mileage he's put on his legs, it's an absolutely fair assessment that he's taken a step back. In fact, I would certainly agree with you that he has. He doesn't attack nearly as much as used to, and he relies a lot more on his strength and ability to score in the post and with his mid-range game than he ever before. Despite this though, he still manages to score 25ppg and shoot a very good 45% from the floor. And despite this, he's still probably the best SG in the NBA. That being said, I still don't see Rose as the better shooter or clutch scorer. Kobe's got the best mid-range shot in the game, and his range extends to well beyond the three point line. He's also shooting a marginally better percentage from the floor overall, while Rose is marginally better from the arc. However, I'd still take Kobe if I needed a last second three ball. He's proven time and again that he's the best clutch player in basketball, and a top three clutch player of all time (with Jerry West and MJ being the only people who I'd put ahead of him). All that being said, I can understand your argument for Rose. He's greatly improved basically every facet of his game this year, and is probably second only to LeBron on the ability to get to and finish at the rim. Thibodeau has also done marvels for him defensively, because he's improved exponentially this year over his first two years in the NBA. Derrick Rose is certainly racing his way up the list of best players in the NBA, and if he keeps improving, you'll absolutely start hearing him mentioned as arguably the best player in the NBA, to go along with already being the best PG in the NBA.
for what its worth... unless im reading it wrong kobe is still the clutch master holding better shooting percentages as well, although both kobe and rose's percentages are fairly weak
I think you may underestimate Kobe (or are too collegial on another team's board ) when you say that Kobe is probably the best shooting guard in the NBA. Kobe is the best shooting guard in the NBA and the player that has defined his generation. You can toss out shooting percentage as far as I'm concerned. Kobe has the heart of a champion and drives his teams towards greatness. That's why he has five rings. I remember being threatened by Kobe when people started making the Jordan comparisons. They turned out to be silly -- you just can't compare players like that, no matter how many similarities there are between their games. I felt the same way about Lebron to a much lesser extent. I remember seeing Lebron's ugly off-balanced fall away jumper early in his rookie year and thinking he would never learn how to shoot . . . only to see him a couple of months later having fixed a majority of his flaws. If I have point it's that the generational players don't abide by anyone's schedule. They go out and take greatness, all of the pundits statements about what should happen be damned. I think Rose has established himself as Kobe's most likely successor in that both of them share that unhealthy, manical will to win. That's a legacy you can trace back from Kobe to Jordan to Bird (not Magic right?) and then I lose track because it's beyond my years. Bill Simmons wrote a staunch defense of Rose's season in his last column in which he belittled all of the people who point to advanced statistics to argue against Rose. I think Simmons misses the point to a certain extent. If it wasn't advanced statistics it would be pass-first nonesense or imagnied flaws in Rose's defense. The truly great players go out and take the accolades and don't wait for the league to bestow them as legacy gifts when they're nearing retirement. I think Rose will take the mantle from Kobe in the playoffs. Kobe is never going to give it up on his own volition. And no one is lining up to bestow accolades on Rose either. Bill Simmons called this the greatest regular season in the history of the NBA. I can't disagre with him. I see no reason to think the playoffs won't live up to all of our expectations.
what would make these playoffs live up to the hype? every series goes 7 games? i could see the celtics just steamrolling the bulls, or vice versa.
I'm actually a Bulls fan, too, and have been since I was a kid. MJ was the reason why I started watching basketball. Beyond that though, I say probably because I think a lot of people will argue for Wade as the best SG in the NBA, and I can understand the argument to an extent. I'm with you though, and I think Kobe IS the best SG in the NBA, and is probably the best player of the current generation. LeBron is more Magic and Oscar than he is MJ, and always has been. He doesn't have the mentality to be a player like Michael or Kobe. Oh, and I still don't think he can really shoot. His jumper isn't nearly as ugly anymore, but it's still not overly smooth. His biggest problem isn't form though, it's confidence. When he doesn't have confidence in his jumper, you can tell, because he bricks everything and it just never really looks good. I don't know if LeBron doesn't have a will win, but it certainly doesn't match what Kobe and Michael bring to the table. I think his want to win was shown over the offseason, at least to an extent, when he chose to sign with the Heat and play with Wade and Bosh. That also shows his passiveness though, too, which is what separates him from Kobe. Kobe stayed in LA to be the man, and it's worked out. LeBron could have done the same thing in Cleveland and had them build around him even more, but he chose to go to the Heat. And while some may still argue that he's "the man" for them, he has an equal in DWade. I think, if Rose explodes in the playoffs, he definitely puts his name up there with Kobe, Wade, and LeBron as one of the best players in the NBA. I think he's already right there and is more than ready to be up there with the greats in the NBA right now. However...I don't think that mantle is being handed off from Kobe yet. He may be getting older, but he's still got a few really good years of basketball in him, and I think he's still got a chance of another couple of titles.
That's a great question. What do you think? I would say for the playoffs to live up to the hype it has to define the legacies of the NBA's previaling stars. If the Bulls or Heat win the championship they announce to the world that they are the dominant team for the next three or four years. Those predictions would also be tied to Rose and Lebron palying well and carrying their teams. If the Lakers beat either the Heat or the Bulls on Kobe's back (dropping 50 point games like they're going out of style) than I also think it's a high water mark of Kobe's career. It's a little bit tougher with the Cletics. I see them as a declining team; and if they have one year left in them it doesn't predict dominance for any length of time. Maybe if Shaq were to rekindle his youth and have a monster series against the Lakers it would be especially meaningful because of the Shaq-Kobe rivalry. I don't see the Spurs winning as making the playoffs, but then they're not going to win either. If the Thunder find some way to win I think that defines Durant's trajectory and would make it a great playoffs.
i think there will be a surprise team making a run, be it the thunder, hawks, blazers, something like that...but end up lakers celtics again, and celtics take it in 7
Honestly, I don't think the Celtics can make it this year. They're lacking chemistry since the trade and they're also lacking size. I understand why they made the trade, because they needed to get younger and they needed another guy to build around around with Rondo, but I think it cost them any chance at a third run to the Finals. I think the Bulls and the Magic are both fully capable of beating them.
I'm well aware. My point is though is that he's not really a player you can build around. He's a nice piece to have, but he's rather obsolete on offense. Jeff Green still has a lot of potential he can live up to and continues to get better and better, and I think he could be a really nice player, both offensively and defensively, for that team.
Yeah. But Green is much more talented and has a higher ceiling than Perkins. The Celtics needed Perkins because he tied the team (the existing vets) together. Green offers them a new core to build around, even though he's less conducive to winning right now. I think it was a dumb trade because you have to go for a championship whenever it presents itself. But I understand Ainge's move.
How? They each have career PERs of 12.8. Actually, a center that is happy with very few shots yet is willing do do all the dirty work is pretty damn valuable. As compared to a tweener forward that is too stiff and not a good enough scorer to excel at SF and not strong enough in the post at 4. I don't think Ainge was thinking long-term at all with this deal. He thought Shaq, KG, Big Baby were fine as the bigs and wanted another perimeter player that could guard LeBron. For the playoffs this year. While I would be gleeful of a team that in our conference that wants to build Green, I don't think that is the case here.
Yeah, i'm not sure how Jeff Green is the better player. He's nowhere near the impact player on D that Perkins is, and he's not a great rebounder despite being a PF.
Bulls have lost 4 games since the ASB. I think they win out. Miami's lost 8. Boston's lost 10. We're not just a team on a hot streak, it's been consistent winning and moreso than those other teams. The Lakers have lost 2 since the ASB. I am feeling good about predicting the Bulls and Lakers meet in the finals at this point.
I think it's worth noting that all of the Bull's losses since the December 3, 2010 game against Boston (five months ago) have been against medicore teams -- the type of teams you lose to when you're not playing focused ball. Since December 3, 2010, the Bulls have blitzed the Celtics (1x), the Heat (3x), San Antonio (1x), the Lakers (1x), Orlando (2x), OKC (1x). and Dallas (1x, 2x on the season). That's a hell of a run.
Gasol,Bynum, Odom > than Boozer,Noah and Tajisk. Rose and Bryant cancel out. Lakers win upfront. The End.
