bbms wrote:No, Kobe's 17th is not at Durant level of efficiency. Kobe's TS is at 61%, Durant is at 64%. Kobe's eFG is at 53%, Durant is at 55%. Not an ocean between them, but that's a clear gap. Also Durant has consistency on Kobe. You almost never see Durant going 5/15, or 8/22, or this kind of games. Then you account turnovers...
Also, you say like it's any demerit from Durant if he were on Kobe's 17th season level on efficiency. This is the best shooting season Kobe Bryant ever had until now.
I agree with you. Kobe's more identified with Melo than with LeBron or Durant, so he'll always have an opinion towards melo. But I don't agree. Melo has a nice array of movements on the half court. A better polished isolation game, post moves, go-to moves, but his shot selection and ball-stopping traits in his carreer couldn't translate that into being a more efficient player than LeBron and Durant, so I find this meaningless in comparison against LeBron and Durant. Both are better scorers now and Kobe is probably better too.
Durant had a .61 TS% last season, the same that Kobe is on this season, so yes, it is at Durant levels.
I raised the 17th NBA season because its astounding that:
1. Someone has been able to produce at this level after so many years in the league
2. Is having his best offensive season in terms of efficiency this late in his career.
Who is comparing Melo and Durant to Carmelo?
Kobe certainly wasn't. He was just giving his opinion on who he feels is a tougher stop, yet some will read into this that its a planned shot at Durant, Wade, Lebron, Rose etc and not a guy sticking up for a friend, who was on record the previous day stating that the media have been horrible to Melo last year and now they are lauding him.
It was a positive PR stunt for a friend, not a shot or a comparison.