Peak only - Kawhi vs Kobe

[MrGoat]

Kobe, he was a lockdown defender and his offense is now underrated because of the era he played in

Kobe was a better defender than Kawhi? I have read one of the most insane argument ever

I never said he was better, check your reading comprehension, but Kobe was no slouch on defense either. I have Kobe in front of Kawhi because of offense, Kobe was a killer offensive player in the worst era of offensive basketball

[TheGOATRises007]

I do not think Kobe could have done what Kawhi did in 2019. Kawhis peak, as short as it is, was GOAT tier. He just didn't do it long enough to be in the convo and that's why no one will say Kawhi had the better career.

It wasn't, and Kawhi was better in 2017 than 2019.

[srhcan]

Kobe, he was a lockdown defender and his offense is now underrated because of the era he played in

Kobe was a better defender than Kawhi? I have read one of the most insane argument ever

I never said he was better, check your reading comprehension, but Kobe was no slouch on defense. I have Kobe in front of Kawhi because of offense

Dont change the goal post. You made the case of Kobe better than Kawhi and said he was lockdown defender which implies Kawhi was not a lockdown defender. The reality is Kawhi is a lockdown defender while Kobe was never a lockdown defender.

[TheGOATRises007]

I would probably pick Kawhi in 2017 over any version of Kobe, but we don't get to see how he would have fared against the Warriors since Zaza cheap-shotted him. He was destroying them in game 1, but it is just 1 game.

[FrobeBryant]

Kobe! His scoring was insane even in an offensively challenged era and at his best he was just as good of a defender.

[makubesu]

Peak Kawhi is probably 2017, but he couldn’t even beat out Harden or Westbrook for MVP? Are those guys better than peak Kobe? What a joke.

[dygaction]

Boi is ya sick?

Kobe and it ain't even close!

Peak easily Kawhi, career Kobe and it ain't close.

[TheGOATRises007]

Peak Kawhi is probably 2017, but he couldn’t even beat out Harden or Westbrook for MVP? Are those guys better than peak Kobe? What a joke.

Comparable RS to Harden/Westbrook.

Miles and I mean miles better than both in the playoffs(albeit on a small sample size).

Kawhi in the 2017 playoffs is one of the greatest playoff runs ever marred by his injury vs the Warriors, so it's hard to gauge.

[Bornstellar]

Peak Kawhi is probably 2017, but he couldn’t even beat out Harden or Westbrook for MVP? Are those guys better than peak Kobe? What a joke.

That was before people realized stat padding triple doubles weren't that impressive. Westbrook and Harden were dropping triple doubles left and right and people became enamored with that forgetting there are two sides of the court. Kawhi was robbed of the MVP in 2017

[JustBuzzin]

Boi is ya sick?

Kobe and it ain't even close!

Peak easily Kawhi, career Kobe and it ain't close.

Nah give me peak Kobe.

More rings and the better player.

Y'all must forgot who Kobe is.

#MambaMentality

[Tor_Raps]

I do not think Kobe could have done what Kawhi did in 2019. Kawhis peak, as short as it is, was GOAT tier. He just didn't do it long enough to be in the convo and that's why no one will say Kawhi had the better career.

It wasn't, and Kawhi was better in 2017 than 2019.

Ya he was better in the regular season and the short playoff run in 2017 but him being able to finish the job in 2019 while going up against a stacked Sixers/Bucks squad was better.

Raptors were underdogs in 3 of the 4 series. And yes, they were underdogs against the Warriors even without KD where they should have won that series in 5 games with Klay there

[One_and_Done]

In 2017 Kawhi put up 39/9/5 per 100, 121 Ortg/102 Drtg and 610 TS% in the RS, and a ridiculous 40/11/7, 136 Ortg/110 Drtg and 672 TS% in the playoffs. Seems pretty clear Kawhi was better than Kobe on offense too.

[MrGoat]

Kobe was a better defender than Kawhi? I have read one of the most insane argument ever

I never said he was better, check your reading comprehension, but Kobe was no slouch on defense. I have Kobe in front of Kawhi because of offense

Dont change the goal post. You made the case of Kobe better than Kawhi and said he was lockdown defender which implies Kawhi was not a lockdown defender. The reality is Kawhi is a lockdown defender while Kobe was never a lockdown defender.

No I didn't. They're both lockdown defenders. A lot of people forget Kobe was, though.

[MrGoat]

In 2017 Kawhi put up 39/9/5 per 100, 121 Ortg/102 Drtg and 610 TS% in the RS, and a ridiculous 40/11/7, 136 Ortg/110 Drtg and 672 TS% in the playoffs. Seems pretty clear Kawhi was better than Kobe on offense too.

Except that was in 2017. The eras were so different that means nothing

[One_and_Done]

Kobe's D was always overrated, comically so at times, but more than that the era he played in hid how much worse his D was than Kawhi's. In Kobe's day you could chill on D mostl while guys played iso ball. Today you have to move all over the court like a demon non-stop to cover guys. Kobe's lazy approach would have seen his team get cooked.

[One_and_Done]

In 2017 Kawhi put up 39/9/5 per 100, 121 Ortg/102 Drtg and 610 TS% in the RS, and a ridiculous 40/11/7, 136 Ortg/110 Drtg and 672 TS% in the playoffs. Seems pretty clear Kawhi was better than Kobe on offense too.

Except that was in 2017. The eras were so different that means nothing

Yeh. Kobe did it against inferior teams, while Kawhi did it in a far superior league. The 2008-10 Lakers wouldn't make it out of the 2nd round in 2016-2019.

[maradro]

05-11, Kobes lowest minutes played are higher than any of kawhis seasons, and kawhis highest total points (2017) is only 60 points better than Kobes worst.. if you are considering peak seasons and using total points, Kobes best season is nearly 1000 points better than kawhis best!
Leonard is a really unique situation where he is injured a lot but manages to have really dominant stretches in between, his "peak" is really difficult to pin down

[Cubbies2120]

Kobe, he was a lockdown defender and his offense is now underrated because of the era he played in

It's not at all underrated.

You'd have an argument if Kobe was at elite efficiency for his era/peak, and then during Kawhi's peak, league-wide efficiency rose...

Kobe, in his era, did not have elite efficiency (disregard today's era).

Kawhi, in his high-efficiency era was still elite during his playoff runs. So not only was he more efficient than Kobe, Kobe's era, he was also more efficient than his already (on average) more efficient peers.

[Cubbies2120]

Peak only, no question IMO, Kawhi.

Kobe was Kobe for 16 years of his 20 year career though...

[Cubbies2120]

Kobe's D was always overrated, comically so at times, but more than that the era he played in hid how much worse his D was than Kawhi's. In Kobe's day you could chill on D mostl while guys played iso ball. Today you have to move all over the court like a demon non-stop to cover guys. Kobe's lazy approach would have seen his team get cooked.

This is an extremely underrated aspect of the whole argument for Kobe.

"Kawhi's era is more efficient" - This is a product of offenses getting more complex & innovative, meaning they're harder to guard.

Now, imagine Kobe having to expend all that energy on the defensive end of the ball...instead of guarding one guy 1 on 1, or chilling like you said...you're having to jump all around the court (or give up ez buckets).