Kobe: Carmelo More Difficult To Defend Than LeBron

[Black Feet]

Right... as if Kobe gets assigned to guard the opposing team's best player.

When you guarded both Melo & LeBron, which one did you think was the toughest to guard? Because if you're saying it's not Melo, many NBA players disagree with you.

Kobe's never defended either play in the last 2 years for a full game either, because he's not good enough on the defensive end. I could listen to Rudy Gay if he said it because he's defended both, but Kobe? Nah, Ron Artest would have an opinion worth hearing too.

Lol of course Heat fans are butt hurt. Kobe has guarded both plenty enough to form an opinion, deal with it.

[ShowTimeERA]

I don't think Kobe has even defended either guy in the last 4 years, he's become that much of a defensive liability that they've always had to hide him onto somebody else.

Kobe defended Melo and Lebron for a bulk of minutes during 08-10. In fact Kobe stated before, during, and after the 09 WCF that Melo was the toughest player to defend because he's such a complete offensive player. I am not sure why your getting defensive to an opinion of another man...

[ShowTimeERA]

Kobe cant guard either of them, so its sort of a moot point isn't it?

I'd like to see Lebron and Melo during their 17th season (preferably with 50,000 minutes logged) try to defend two of the top wing players in the NBA....

[EvilSperm]

Kobe cant guard either of them, so its sort of a moot point isn't it?

I'd like to see Lebron and Melo during their 17th season (preferably with 50,000 minutes logged) try to defend two of the top wing players in the NBA....

they'll be in China in their 14th season

[DowJones]

-If Carmelo Anthony is a better offensive scorer, why does LeBron James average more points per game for his career?

-If Carmelo Anthony is a better offensive scorer, why does LeBron James shoot a higher FG% for his career?

-If Carmelo Anthony is a better offensive scorer, why does LeBron James shoot a higher % from 3 for his career?

Carmelo>LeBron as a "scorer" is starting to become like the "Kobe is King in Clutch" argument.

As far as Kobe goes...the guy makes some DUMB statements from time to time. He was the one who was begging LA to trade Bynum/Odom for Jason Kidd. He said Brandon Roy would be the best player in the NBA...something that was absurd even if Roy never had a knee injury. He said that Evan Turner was one of the best prospects had had seen. He just tries way too hard sometimes.

[TheGarden]

I think people under estimate Carmelo's passing ability to be honest anyway Carmelo is a tough cover for a lot of guys because he's so diverse, LeBron is a guy coaches like to force into shooting long jumpers instead of attacking with Carmelo its kind of like pick your poison any knowledgeable fan can see that

[Tien]

I'm still trying to figure out how anyone can make the statement that .45fg% player is a better scorer than a .54fg% player.

Can't explain that!

[Teens On Acid]

it's amazing to think so many people here know what the difference between guarding Melo and LeBron is better than Kobe.

[DowJones]

I think people under estimate Carmelo's passing ability to be honest anyway Carmelo is a tough cover for a lot of guys because he's so diverse, LeBron is a guy coaches like to force into shooting long jumpers instead of attacking with Carmelo its kind of like pick your poison any knowledgeable fan can see that

Explain to me why LeBron shoots better from 3 for his career than Melo?

[tsherkin]

I think it important to mention that "more difficult to guard [for me]" doesn't necessarily mean "is a better offensive player."

In the time Kobe guarded both, Lebron's shot wasn't as developed and didn't have the post game he's developed the last little while, so his point of reference isn't there. Lebron's physical tools and passing were and remain superior to Melo, which helped carry him, and a screen is a screen mostly regardless of the guy taking it.

For my money, diversity without efficiency (especially with a pattern of folding against elite defense) doesn't mean a player is a better scorer... But Kobe is entitled to his opinion, especially phrased the way it was.

[Buckeye-NBAFan]

paul pierce has also stated this when asked about bron an melo. Guess cause bron doesnt really try to score like melo. hes more of a get my teamates going than I'll get mine.

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I would agree Melo likes to shoot more than LeBron. But LeBron's outscored Melo in 7 of the last 8 seasons on better shooting efficiency all 8 years.

Perception vs reality I guess. But I'd never say the guy scoring 24.7 ppg on 45.7% shooting was a better scorer and harder to guard than the guy scoring 27.6 ppg on 48.5% shooting.

It's pretty obvious LeBron has been the better scorer than Melo since 2004...

[Joker]

I'm still trying to figure out how anyone can make the statement that .45fg% player is a better scorer than a .54fg% player.

Can't explain that!

I can`t either.

Maybe players only think of the defensive challenge in terms of one-on-one guarding in a half-court setting, and don`t count all of the fast break dunks Lebron gets as part of the defensive challenge?

[DreDay]

I've watched LeBron and Melo play the Warriors and I am scared more when LeBron touches the ball than Melo. Just my 2c.

[jc23]

I would say that melo is the tougher guard but i also noticed that kobe did not say melo is the more difficult player to score on.

[MisterWestside]

I think it important to mention that "more difficult to guard [for me]" doesn't necessarily mean "is a better offensive player."

Right. Not the same sport of course, but it reminds me of when some all-star hitters in baseball actually name journeymen pitchers as the players who give them fits, not the Cy Young winners.

[NBA Analyst+]

A lot of NBA players have come out and said Melo is the toughest player to guard in the NBA.

[hokageinfamus]

Carmelo is the best offensive player in the game next to Kobe, going by what i've seen not going by PER and that other nonsense. Lebron's offensive game is not as rounded as Kobe, KD, Melo

[Joker]

Carmelo is the best offensive player in the game next to Kobe, going by what i've seen not going by PER and that other nonsense. Lebron's offensive game is not as rounded as Kobe, KD, Melo

And Gasol had a more well-rounded offensive game than Shaq did --- it's beside the point.

[poopdamoop]

I'm sure some people found Clyde Drexler harder to guard than Michael Jordan too. Doesn't mean anything.

[diablerouge]

I think Melo's scoring is magnified by the fact that he cant do anything else.

LeBron scores more points, with a 10% higher fg (!). And Im not sure where the notion that Melo is a better 3 point shooter comes from since Bron shoots a better percentage from deep too.

In short, LeBron has a higher scoring average and is more efficient at the rim, from the post, from mid range and from 3. But Melo is smooth as hell.