KB24 vs. LBJ. The gap is closing...

[Benedict Miller]

If the Lakers don't win it all this year, LBJ is clearly the best player in the world. Can you imagine LBJ with Gasol, Bynum, and Odom? Would Kobe make that Cavs team made up of Szcerbiak and declined Ben Wallace better?? Questions that you should ask yourselves and honestly answer. Lebron is a dominant force, can you just picture him in that Lakers uniform?

[magic1fan]

If the Lakers don't win it all this year, LBJ is clearly the best player in the world. Can you imagine LBJ with Gasol, Bynum, and Odom? Would Kobe make that Cavs team made up of Szcerbiak and declined Ben Wallace better?? Questions that you should ask yourselves and honestly answer. Lebron is a dominant force, can you just picture him in that Lakers uniform?

Says who? you. Putting lebron with anyone doesn't guarantee anything. I am willing to bet that kobe with the current cavs team would have beaten the celtics. Like I said in an earlier post,if lebron had just shot 40% like kobe did,the cavs would have beaten the celtics.

[BitonKOBE]

obv, i am a huge KOBE fan..

and i agree that as of now KOBE is the best player in the nba and, as of now, i expect him to be the best player next year as well.

but he's not the best player on teamUSA so far. not even considering the bad shooting, which is no big deal at all.

lbj's blockeboundassist was the best single play of the tournament. and he's pulling that kind of **** all the time.

[tracey_nice]

If you want to add Chris paul in the discussion for the top 3, there is no way you can ignore Deron Williams either. He's a better defender than Chris Paul though he lacks the creative offensive arsenal that CP3 has. Yet, he has always proved better in their match ups. If the seedings ended a bit differently and the Jazz played Hornets in the 2nd rd instead of Lakers, you wouldn't be lavisihing the same praise on CP3 as you are doing now.

Chris Paul is an amazing player, no doubting that but he's not way over his competition yet.

Are you sure about that?

[Dome]

So far what I've seen in the Olympics (and by that I mean just these 2008 Olympics), I thought LBJ looked like the best player in the world, also better than Kobe.

However, off the court I've liked Kobe's attitude a lot more. That is something I definitely wouldn't have guessed, since I wasn't exactly a Kobe-fan (but wouldn't call myself a hater either). Particularly in the "Road to redemption" video's on ESPN (check out the video page on ESPN for four 25-minute video's, a bit overdramatic IMO but still pretty nice) I liked what Kobe has been saying (and doing) on and off the court. I get the feeling he's one of the players that's buying the whole team concept and defense/rebounding first concept the best out of the entire USA Team, which is just about the exact opposite from what I would've expected. I've definitely gotten a lot more respect for Kobe as a player this past NBA season and these Olympics (even though he hasn't really shined yet there).

Anyways, back to the topic. I definitely think the gap is closing. Kobe's extremely developped midrange game, defense and mental game are the only parts I can think of that he's still clearly better at than LeBron at this time, IMO. If LeBron keeps developping the way he has (along with Kobe getting older), I think he'll pass Kobe as far as generally being considered the best player in the game within the next few seasons.

[CX44]

Lebron lacks a killer instinct and even he said he wishes he had Kobe's mental approach to the game.

[DubaLakers]

If you want to add Chris paul in the discussion for the top 3, there is no way you can ignore Deron Williams either. He's a better defender than Chris Paul though he lacks the creative offensive arsenal that CP3 has. Yet, he has always proved better in their match ups. If the seedings ended a bit differently and the Jazz played Hornets in the 2nd rd instead of Lakers, you wouldn't be lavisihing the same praise on CP3 as you are doing now.

Chris Paul is an amazing player, no doubting that but he's not way over his competition yet.

Are you sure about that?

Yeah Tracey Deron is a superior defender to CP3. He gets ripped on a lot for his defense. Deron has been known as a terrific defender for a long long time. It helps that hes 3 inches taller, longer and stronger. But of course CP3 is tremendous offensively.

[DubaLakers]

Lebron lacks a killer instinct and even he said he wishes he had Kobe's mental approach to the game.

Very true CX, and I didn't say LBJ had passed up Kobe, but I just continue to be floored by LBJ's dramatic improvement from game to game. The game is so effortless, his atheltisism is second to none. He barely has to work for anything because of it. Kobe has been excellent for a long long time, so stable, but he has to bust ass night after night to achieve his stable greatness. I don't know what the F I'm saying anymore in this thread, LBJ just blows me away more from the time before everytime I tune into watch. Kobe is still my favorite player and I'll take him over any, he brings so much to the Lakers beyond the court.

[tracey_nice]

2007-08 NBA ALL-DEFENSIVE FIRST TEAM
Position Player, Team 1st 2nd Points
Forward Kevin Garnett, Boston 24 4 52
Guard Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers 24 4 52
Center Marcus Camby, Denver 14 9 37
Guard/Forward Bruce Bowen, San Antonio 13 10 36
Forward Tim Duncan, San Antonio 12 9 33

2007-08 NBA ALL-DEFENSIVE SECOND TEAM
Position Player, Team 1st 2nd Points
Forward Shane Battier, Houston 9 11 29
Guard Chris Paul, New Orleans 10 6 26
Center Dwight Howard, Orlando 8 9 25
Forward Tayshaun Prince, Detroit 3 14 20
Guard Raja Bell, Phoenix 4 10 18

[EMB6903]

2007-08 NBA ALL-DEFENSIVE FIRST TEAM
Position Player, Team 1st 2nd Points
Forward Kevin Garnett, Boston 24 4 52
Guard Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers 24 4 52
Center Marcus Camby, Denver 14 9 37
Guard/Forward Bruce Bowen, San Antonio 13 10 36
Forward Tim Duncan, San Antonio 12 9 33

2007-08 NBA ALL-DEFENSIVE SECOND TEAM
Position Player, Team 1st 2nd Points
Forward Shane Battier, Houston 9 11 29
Guard Chris Paul, New Orleans 10 6 26
Center Dwight Howard, Orlando 8 9 25
Forward Tayshaun Prince, Detroit 3 14 20
Guard Raja Bell, Phoenix 4 10 18

I dont think you can take that seriously... Hell Camby and Kobe were 1st team defenders over Dwight and Battier... so I wouldnt put to much stock into Chris Paul being a better defender because of a 2nd team defense award....

[LLcoleJ]

2007-08 NBA ALL-DEFENSIVE FIRST TEAM
Position Player, Team 1st 2nd Points
Forward Kevin Garnett, Boston 24 4 52
Guard Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers 24 4 52
Center Marcus Camby, Denver 14 9 37
Guard/Forward Bruce Bowen, San Antonio 13 10 36
Forward Tim Duncan, San Antonio 12 9 33

2007-08 NBA ALL-DEFENSIVE SECOND TEAM
Position Player, Team 1st 2nd Points
Forward Shane Battier, Houston 9 11 29
Guard Chris Paul, New Orleans 10 6 26
Center Dwight Howard, Orlando 8 9 25
Forward Tayshaun Prince, Detroit 3 14 20
Guard Raja Bell, Phoenix 4 10 18

I dont think you can take that seriously... Hell Camby and Kobe were 1st team defenders over Dwight and Battier... so I wouldnt put to much stock into Chris Paul being a better defender because of a 2nd team defense award....

right and Battier is a forward and Kobe is a guard. So there is no leap frog going on. On top of that, Kobe earned his 1st team. Defensive teams are voted on by the coaches. You dont substitue positions in this instance.

[Gerald3Wallace]

As far as lebron 7 dimes go,still not the samething. Kobe plays in a offense that is more about ball movement,plus odom has the ball alot also.

odom doesnt even have the ball in his hands a lot...he just brings it up..then passes it..lol

Like i said,considering all the two extra assists don't really impress me. Also he had a legit second option in hughes,people love to put hughes down but he put up some nice numbers before he went to cleveland.

oh no..larry hughes?? a second option? maybe in washington but it was clear he wanted a contract..

Lebron being a better rebounder isn't as big a difference as people claim. He is 2 to 3 inches taller than kobe so of course he should get more boards imo.

being a better rebounder has nothing to do with height..well maybe it does lol..but look at jason kidd..he rebounds twice as much as most guards when he was with the nets.

His passing is good,but just because he get's more assists doesn't make him a better passer.

have u even seen him play?? dude can definitely pass..not because he has more "assists"

at the end of the day...like ive said..kobe WILL be the best player for the next 2 years...after that..i believe bron will take it, but as someone stated..if we're winning the championship..im all for it

[magic1fan]

As far as lebron 7 dimes go,still not the samething. Kobe plays in a offense that is more about ball movement,plus odom has the ball alot also.

odom doesnt even have the ball in his hands a lot...he just brings it up..then passes it..lol

Like i said,considering all the two extra assists don't really impress me. Also he had a legit second option in hughes,people love to put hughes down but he put up some nice numbers before he went to cleveland.

oh no..larry hughes?? a second option? maybe in washington but it was clear he wanted a contract..

Lebron being a better rebounder isn't as big a difference as people claim. He is 2 to 3 inches taller than kobe so of course he should get more boards imo.

being a better rebounder has nothing to do with height..well maybe it does lol..but look at jason kidd..he rebounds twice as much as most guards when he was with the nets.

His passing is good,but just because he get's more assists doesn't make him a better passer.

have u even seen him play?? dude can definitely pass..not because he has more "assists"

at the end of the day...like ive said..kobe WILL be the best player for the next 2 years...after that..i believe bron will take it, but as someone stated..if we're winning the championship..im all for it

Odom has the ball in hsi hands enough. Alot of times odom breaks down defenses,so to say he just brings it up and passes is not the truth. As far as larry hughes not being a second option,well he sure was better in washington,and I thought lebron made people so much better? Lastly I have seen lebron play alot,and his passing does not blow me away. I have seen many players kobe,deron,cp3,wade,kidd,and a few others be able to make the same passes. We both agree that we will take kobe,and in two years who knows you might be right.

[microfib4thewin]

Deron is a pretty average defender. When he and CP3 play against each other Deron is never assigned to CP3 because he doesn't have the lateral quickness. He's not a pushover, but he's nowhere near an elite on either man to man or help defense. CP3, although undersized, makes up for it by hustle and effort, instead of contesting shots, he puts himself infront in order to seal the paint, and when the man he's guarding is playing without the ball, he will try to surprise by reading the passing lanes(Tim Duncan look like a newbie when reacting to CP3 double teaming). Still, I would rather the team play a CP3 led team than a Deron led team because CP3 overdribbles too much and can be forced to go left making him less effective, Deron will just bulldoze his way to the paint and knows when to give up the ball when he needed to. He's also one of the most dangerous 4th quarter shooter alongside Nash. When Fisher was interviewed on which young PG he had the most difficult time with, he mentioned Deron because he doesn't have any weaknesses you can exploit, and his performance against the Lakers is an indication of just how good he is.

Even at this point I would say it's a tie between Kobe and Lebron, if Lebron surpasses Kobe next year I wouldn't be surprised.

[semi-sentient]

1.Lebron guy was the leading scorer in the NBA last year without a midrange game... averaged more ppg,rpg, and apg then Kobe... I dont think there is anything you could argue about Kobe being better aside from ball handling and shooting the defense isnt that far apart... Kobe probably the most over-rated defensive player ive ever seen though (no offense)

You thinking he's overrated holds no merit here. Fact is he's a better defender than LeBron, Wade, and most certainly Chris Paul, overrated or not. Also, leading the league in scoring means next to nothing. LeBron is in the same situation that Kobe was in where he doesn't have any option but to score. Put Kobe on the Cavs, and well, 35.4 PPG and stuff.

2.Chris Paul- probably the most consistant player in the NBA a walking double double that could be top 5 in scoring in the NBA if he wanted too.

So Chris Paul is now better than Kobe? Is that what you're saying? You're in a league of your own if you truly believe that nonsense.

3.Kobe- cant argue with how talented he is, probably the most skilled scorer ive ever seen, the mentality of James and Paul puts them over Kobe... they both can impact the game on a consistant basis without scoring the ball.... you cant say that about Kobe night in night out.

What mentality would that be, exactly? Kobe scored less points than LeBron and your going to talk about impacting a game without scoring? Do I need to remind you that the Lakers finished 1st in the West? You forgetting defense?

Sounds like a piss-poor attempt at trolling if you ask me. There are certainly some good points to be made to support those other players. Unfortunately they aren't coming from you.

PS: Just read miles post and he owned all you jokers that can't see past 1 or 2 games, in addition to being clueless about the game of basketball.

[semi-sentient]

Did he, really?

Lebron only averaged 27ppg, 8rpg, and 5apg on 49% vs San Antonio last season.

I believe he's referring to the NBA Finals, not the regular season, which is an entirely different story as I'm sure you kno.

Against Boston (all games), Lebron averaged 32ppg, 7reb, and 10apg.

Again, look at what happened in the playoffs, particular LeBron's shooting percentages and his turnovers.

26.7 PTS (.355 FG, .231 3P), 6.4 REB, 7.6 AST, 5.3 TOV

Against that same Boston team, Kobe put up the following.

25.7 PTS (.405 FG, .321 3P), 4.7 REB, 5.0 AST, 3.8 TOV

Everyone seems to remember the last game that LeBron had but completely forget the others where he completely stunk it up. This is the opposite of what I see in regards to how Kobe is treated where everyone forgot how damn good he was in the playoffs until he faced a team that threw everything but the kitchen sink at him defensively. And yet, he still played no worse (and slightly better, IMO) than LeBron.

[Gerald3Wallace]

As far as larry hughes not being a second option,well he sure was better in washington,and I thought lebron made people so much better?

larry got what he wanted..a contract...

[semi-sentient]

PS: I don't think it should be a surprise to anyone that LeBron is catching up (or perhaps has caught) Kobe. One guy is getting older and entering his 13th year in the league, while the other is entering his prime soon. I don't think LeBron will ever be as skilled as Kobe overall, but in terms of impact he's already right there. With LeBron becoming better and better on the defensive end, it wouldn't shock me if he dethroned Kobe next season in the minds of the majority. It's bound to happen.

[magic1fan]

Did he, really?

Lebron only averaged 27ppg, 8rpg, and 5apg on 49% vs San Antonio last season.

I believe he's referring to the NBA Finals, not the regular season, which is an entirely different story as I'm sure you kno.

Against Boston (all games), Lebron averaged 32ppg, 7reb, and 10apg.

Again, look at what happened in the playoffs, particular LeBron's shooting percentages and his turnovers.

26.7 PTS (.355 FG, .231 3P), 6.4 REB, 7.6 AST, 5.3 TOV

Against that same Boston team, Kobe put up the following.

25.7 PTS (.405 FG, .321 3P), 4.7 REB, 5.0 AST, 3.8 TOV

Everyone seems to remember the last game that LeBron had but completely forget the others where he completely stunk it up. This is the opposite of what I see in regards to how Kobe is treated where everyone forgot how damn good he was in the playoffs until he faced a team that threw everything but the kitchen sink at him defensively. And yet, he still played no worse (and slightly better, IMO) than LeBron.

Nuff said. This sums it up right here,great post semi-sentient

[Gerald3Wallace]

PS: I don't think it should be a surprise to anyone that LeBron is catching up (or perhaps has caught) Kobe. One guy is getting older and entering his 13th year in the league, while the other is entering his prime soon. I don't think LeBron will ever be as skilled as Kobe overall, but in terms of impact he's already right there. With LeBron becoming better and better on the defensive end, it wouldn't shock me if he dethroned Kobe next season in the minds of the majority. It's bound to happen.

end the thread...that post was on point