Gasol=Bosh?

[DayofMourning]

Pau enjoyed a huge transformation to his rep from Memphis to LA.

Bosh will receive the same from Toronto to Miami. Canada isn't the sportscenter capital of the world, LA and NY are.

If you asked me to take the Memphis Pau vs. the Toronto Bosh, then I take Bosh every time. JMO, no homerism because I followed that Pau, JWill, MM, Battier, Stro, Wright team as a backup to our meager years with CB4 and others.

[Rick45]

Pau enjoyed a huge transformation to his rep from Memphis to LA.

Bosh will receive the same from Toronto to Miami. Canada isn't the sportscenter capital of the world, LA and NY are.

If you asked me to take the Memphis Pau vs. the Toronto Bosh, then I take Bosh every time. JMO, no homerism because I followed that Pau, JWill, MM, Battier, Stro, Wright team as a backup to our meager years with CB4 and others.

Could not be more accurate

[CreaM]

As a Raptor fan who has watched Chris Bosh play for the past 7 years, my sentiment is that there is no way Pau Gasol is better than Chris Bosh. You guys will find out this season that Chris Bosh is one of the most underrated players in this league.

[TheTriforce]

Not trying to troll, but coming from a Raptors fan.. THe most important aspect of the game is defense, and Bosh has none of it. We had this debate on the Raptor board many times and Bosh always had a very slight edge because he played for us. But now that we have moved on, we can be honest to ourselves and say Gasol is a better fit on the Lakers than Bosh would be.

And there is no Way D Wade and Bosh would have been the next Kobe and Gasol. Thats just crazy talk. Nobody in this league will come to Kobe Bryant in a long time. (This is honest criticism because Dwade and LeBron are my 2 favorite players)

Yea what a shame you have neither player on your team so you have to talk about them as an outsider.

I have seen all your posts on the Heat board.

"Bosh could not carry the Raptors far...."

"Gasol > Bosh"

We ge it. In your opinion Bosh is a 2nd option that is not as good as Gasol. Now, go run along and enjoy watching Alabi, Amir, bargnani and the rest of those guys fight to make the playoffs again and then lose in the 1st round. Bosh was so bad, now that he is gone, I am sure you will enjoy watching your team so much more, cheers!

BTW Wade > Kobe right now and Lebron > Kobe right now. But again, why do you care, none play for Toronto.

OT - Bosh is better overall.

Gasol has always been called soft. He is not as good attacking the basket as Bosh over people. Also, he is slower than Bosh, so CB blows by guys a lot more. Bosh has a sweeter outside touch. Rebounding they are about equal. Defense edge goes to Gasol, as well as passing and intelligence. Bosh plays with more fire even though Gasol also plays with emotion.

Bosh is just a more explosive player that can do almost everything Gasol does, but better.

[AllBall]

Pau Gasol and Chris Bosh are about equal.

Gasol is more skilled all around, a way better passer, a better defender (but not by as much as some will claim) and he has championship pedigree that Chris Bosh has NONE of..........

that being said, Bosh brings his own skill set that is equally as great as Gasol just in different ways.

if you were to give Kobe Chris Bosh back when LAL acquired Gasol I dont think anyone would doubt they would have the same amount of rings and Bosh would be looked at as a better player then Gasol because of the exposure being a LALaker brings.

either is a great #2 option on a championship level team. Period.

only thing is Chris Bosh is our 3rd option

Seriously, I really feel that some people are still either in shock or pure denial mode, because they seem to not register what has really transpired here with these 3 Heat players. There will be some furious scoring almost non stop. You will have one assassin rotating to spare another assassin for a entire game... BENCH? ..WHAT BENCH?

This. This what brings a smile to my face. If you really sit down, and think about it. Bosh is our 3d option. H O L Y C R A P! A lot of this is going to happen when reality settles in.

[Lane1974]

I still have to remind myself we got Lebron and Bosh. Like every day. And I still don't think I grasp it yet, fully.

LEBRON F'ING JAMES. I MEAN, REALLY.

[TheTriforce]

I still have to remind myself we got Lebron and Bosh. Like every day. And I still don't think I grasp it yet, fully.

LEBRON F'ING JAMES. I MEAN, REALLY.

Yes!!! It is truly amazing isn't it.

It feels like we have assembled a videogame dream team.

[EventHorizon]

Bosh>Gasol

[Unt0uchabl3]

I wonder if miami will have bosh put on some more muscle or just stay the same. Either way i think he's going to be a beast next year...class of 03 baby,,,go heat

[TheAnkh]

I would say right now, because we have not seen how Chris can elevate his game on both ends when playing with another threat(s) that require equally if not more attention, that Gasol is better. This topic can be more thoroughly addressed at the end of the season though, we'll know for sure if Chris is the type of difference maker on a championship team that Gasol is.

[Stu Scott]

We will witness gasol eating bosh alive in the post in the nba finals WATCH.

[Lane1974]

Boo Yah!

Cooler than the other side of the pillow!

[andre316]

We will witness gasol eating bosh alive in the post in the nba finals WATCH.

And here I thought Stu Scott was the least biased ESPN talking head...

[Hit Em Up]

I truly believe Bosh is better than Gasol...

Now that Bosh has a solid team around him.. I expect his game to reach another level..

Bosh has more range, more athletic, more explosive and is quicker

[DWadeno3]

I've always believed that Bosh is a better player than Gasol. The hype around Gasol started when he joined the Lakers and increased when they won the championship so as it happens, the media hyped him because he was successful. It'll all turn around once we win a couple of championship and Bosh contributed to it nicely by dominating the likes of Gasol and who else got hyped.

But honestly, I don't care about these discussions. D-Wade never got the credit he deserved for his performances but he has a championship ring on his finger. That's all that matters at the end of the day.

[Rox_Nix_Nox]

BTW Wade > Kobe right now and Lebron > Kobe right now. But again, why do you care, none play for Toronto.

cmon. Everyone would take Kobe over wade . Kobe's all-around game, even passing his prime, is still superior to wade. Let that sink in. And Lebron could have ">" kobe but it turned out he's a pussy.

[andre316]

BTW Wade > Kobe right now and Lebron > Kobe right now. But again, why do you care, none play for Toronto.

cmon. Everyone would take Kobe over wade . Kobe's all-around game, even passing his prime, is still superior to wade. Let that sink in. And Lebron could have ">" kobe but it turned out he's a pussy.

Ehh. At this point, I'd take Wade. Injury-free for two years, while Kobe has a **** up hand that keeps forcing him to alter his shooting form and is getting his knee drained more and more often (never a good sign). The only thing Kobe has over Wade is shooting from 18 feet out, and even that is increasingly shaky with all of Kobe's wear and tear.

As for LeBron, guy flat-out owned in three straight playoffs (2007-2009). He even had three ridiculously good games against the Celtics this year, and overall was affected by their defense to the same extent Kobe was, so I'd still welcome his freakish talents on my team.

[dflash3]

BTW Wade > Kobe right now and Lebron > Kobe right now. But again, why do you care, none play for Toronto.

cmon. Everyone would take Kobe over wade . Kobe's all-around game, even passing his prime, is still superior to wade. Let that sink in. And Lebron could have ">" kobe but it turned out he's a pussy.

I honestly don't see it. Kobe is a great scorer, but he is also extremely inconsistent due to his shot selection. He doesn't seem to know how to pick his spots or get teammates involved when he is getting double and triple teamed. He is capable of distributing, but more often than not you will see him launching off difficult shots. It was understandable when he played with prime Shaq since he was still young, and when he was playing with Smush and Kwame. But, it isn't like he doesn't have any players who aren't offensively capable of carrying the load anymore. Kobe is a clutch player, but his cold streaks can put his team in a situation where a last second shot shouldn't even be needed if he had played smarter and not wasted possessions earlier in the game. He has all the talent and the tools to be even deadlier than he is, but his mental approach to the game is the biggest obstacle to his game than whoever happens to be guarding him.

I feel that was one of the main reasons why it was difficult for Kobe to score at an efficient rate during the Olympics despite playing with NBA All Stars against international squads. He needs to shoot the ball several times to get on a hot streak, but luckily he did get it going in the last few minutes of the Gold Medal game. When he comes to the clutch Kobe is still the best. Wade on the other hand, due to being able to score within the context of the offensive system, was able to come off the bench and still be an instant offensive spark. He is a smart player who is used to knowing when to pass the ball and when he needs to score without taking away from his teammates. It is the main reason why it was difficult for the Boston defense to stop Wade despite him not being as good of a shooter as Kobe, and the lack of a supporting cast. In theory, guarding Wade is simple, since all you should have to do is give him space and force him to shoot jumpers and pack the paint.

Also, Wade has shown that when he has adequate help around him he can lead a team deep in the postseason, and still score at a highly efficient rate despite the defense attempting to take him entirely out of the equation. The last several seasons have been a waste, and he has nothing to show for it because he hasn't had enough help. But, Kobe couldn't get past the first round either until he got Gasol to keep the defense honest, yet people still recognize his performance against the Suns. The Lakers have won several game in the postseason despite poor offensive outings by Kobe such as 23point/25% fg, 29point/34.5%fg, 21point/31.6%fg performances. Kobe is one of the best NBA players in the league, he is the most talented, and a better defender than Wade or Lebron, but the Lakers could be a lot more deadlier if he played smarter.

For those reasons, while I could see someone saying Kobe is better than Wade he is not superior as you claim he is. And Wade has been overlooked a lot by casual basketball spectators, so his performances and impact do have a tendency to be overlooked. Even during the media circus this offseason the focus has been on Lebron. And during the course of the Olympics Wade could have been argued to be the best player on Team USA the two players always talked about were Kobe and Lebron due to their greater public focus. Wade has always had to create his own hype, since entered the league. I still remember people saying Wade couldn't win without Shaq as if the player that Wade played with was equivalent to prime Shaq. Some people just don't seem to realize what he is capable of.

Now in terms of legacy Kobe will be ranked higher, and Wade won't get another chance to carry a team like he did against the Mavericks. That is something Wade and Lebron have given up the moment they teamed up together, but from just an individual perspective I would take Wade or Lebron with the Lakers supporting cast over one with Kobe. Lebron has also shown the ability to lead a team deep into the play offs, and while he might not be as deadly of player in the final stretches of the game as Kobe his overall impact is bigger. I honestly think had Lebron or Wade been replaced by Kobe on the Lakers squad that it wouldn't have taken seven games to beat the Celtics, and it would have been much more difficult to shut either of them down offensively. I definitely have my bias, and I admit it. But, I stand by it.

[TheAnkh]

BTW Wade > Kobe right now and Lebron > Kobe right now. But again, why do you care, none play for Toronto.

cmon. Everyone would take Kobe over wade . Kobe's all-around game, even passing his prime, is still superior to wade. Let that sink in. And Lebron could have ">" kobe but it turned out he's a pussy.

Wade has been better than Kobe for quite some time. Wade with a vastly inferior supporting cast kept games equal or even beat the Lakers every time they played. In fact they were a Kobe admittedly lucky shot from winning the season series. When Kobe had a poor cast and the shoe was on the other foot, the Heat wins were often blowouts. Wade has been better than Kobe for quite some time. Compare what he did to the Celtics with Ray Allen guarding him (and several other defenders simultaneously might I add) and what Kobe did. Check Wade's finals performances against Kobe's. I don't want to say its not all that close because I don't want to start an argument, but I can say definitely that Wade is better.

I honestly think the only real argument about who is better than who exists between Wade and LeBron. So its a wonderful luxury to have both of those guys on our team. Kobe had his time but that has been over since 2007. Its Wade (and LeBron's) time now.

[dflash3]

BTW Wade > Kobe right now and Lebron > Kobe right now. But again, why do you care, none play for Toronto.

cmon. Everyone would take Kobe over wade . Kobe's all-around game, even passing his prime, is still superior to wade. Let that sink in. And Lebron could have ">" kobe but it turned out he's a pussy.

Ehh. At this point, I'd take Wade. Injury-free for two years, while Kobe has a **** up hand that keeps forcing him to alter his shooting form and is getting his knee drained more and more often (never a good sign). The only thing Kobe has over Wade is shooting from 18 feet out, and even that is increasingly shaky with all of Kobe's wear and tear.

As for LeBron, guy flat-out owned in three straight playoffs (2007-2009). He even had three ridiculously good games against the Celtics this year, and overall was affected by their defense to the same extent Kobe was, so I'd still welcome his freakish talents on my team.

People will discredit Wade or Lebron's offensive performance by giving more credit to players who have a longer range, since they assume players with range won't be as shut as easily. However, when a player still produces at a high level despite whatever type of defense he may encounter shouldn't people start focusing on offensive production as opposed to the methods of scoring? Also, when a player with better range doesn't seem to perform any better giving the edge to either player doesn't seem fair, since a point is point. However, when a player starts suffering offensively after the painted area is taken away while the better jumpshooter doesn't seem affected against the same defense then it becomes a valid point.