Well, either Kobe wasn't 100% during the series (my guess) or Christie spent a lot of time studying tape and preparing for the rematch, because Bryant ate him alive in the playoffs last year.
Whats wrong with him scoring 24 and Vince scoring 25? Either way its a win-win situation that hurt both of their career's winning wise. Can you imagine trying to guard those 2? Then Antonio is grabbing rebounds and scoring a little in the post, that would have been better than anything in the east. Yet he wanted his number called late in the games. Who's to say he wouldn't? He should never complain about help because he left a guy avg 25pt per to play with Mike Miller and Pat Garrity.
Yea but if McGrady was in the playoffs he would of hogged the ball since he doesnt have anyone else on his team. Kobe is giving it up more to shaq and let him do the work, i am pretty sure kobe could score 35 on christie.
Tmac......in everything excpet turn around Jordan-type jumpers. Reason I say Tmac is because of his size and certain abilities like scoring down low in the post that Kobe doesn't have, as well as a much more consistent 3-point shot. On the defensive end, both Kobe and Tmac can hold more than their own on guards, but Tmac is the better defensive player when larger sized guards, or certain "4s" in the League want to take them down low. Besides, 'til either Shaq or Kobe leave the Lakers, it's unfair to compare either of them to other teams with one superstar: Duncan, Tmac, Kidd, etc.
I would say Kobe right now, but Tmac is not far behind. Kobe just makes the plays when it counts. And I think the Tmac having a weaker supporting cast is offset by the fact that he plays in the leastern conference. Put that team in the western conference and they'd be lotto bound.
I STILL can't decide. For me, it's just too close to call, but I do like all the excellent arguments presented.
Kobe all the way of course, although I do like McGrady better and think that one day he will be better. Kobe has proven himself in the playoffs that he can get it done, although he does have Shaq on his team, he's shown he can play when it counts. McGrady simply needs some help and experience so that he can be better then Kobe. Kobe's defense isn't that great, personally i feel that McGrady is a better defender.
Kobe. As much as I dislike the guy, he elevates his game on a consistent basis in the crucial moments. Yeah, he has Shaq, but in the final minutes of close games, everyone knows the Lakers aren't going to Shaq. Because of his foul shooting, he rarely touches the ball. Everyone knows it's Kobe's time, the focus of the defense is totally on him, and he often finds a way to produce. When two players are close statistically, clutch performance means a lot. In those moments, McGrady is good, but Kobe is great.
Well after the way Shaq has been shooting his freethrows lately, I"m not sure if you can say because Shaq is a poor freethrow shooter. But yeah something good always seems to happen when Kobe has the ball in his hands late in the game, when it really counts, superstar time.
Kobe is way better than T-Mac. This is like the old question of who was better between Olajuwon and D-Rob.
Why do people care so much about how Kobe acts, or doesn't act? Unless Kobe tells you how to act, just shutup about it already.
Just to follow up on this ... Kobe averaged exactly 35 points per game on Christie in the playoffs last year (on 47% shooting), including 48 points in the final game.
OBEY YOUR THIRSTS oops. . i thought this was part of the commercial' Rocket River "Just don't move your head"
Why I think TMAC is better or will be better.. 1.Hes more physically gifted. Hes 6'9 with the speed of a point guard, and stronger then many power fowards, he benches well over 300. He has a good inside game, something Kobe doesn't really have, if his jumper isn't falling he can always post up inside and score. Also hes tuffer he doesn't back down from anybody Magilore, KMART, Williams etc etc..while Kobe has trouble with Childs and Reggie Miller (cheap shot, lol). 2.He'll always guard the other teams best player if the player is a 1-2-3 and sometimes 4. Whether it is Paul Pierce, Andre Miller, Baron Davis, Kobe Bryant,Vince Carter, Keith Van Horn. He likes the challenge, and takes pride in his defense. Kobe doesn't do this, he doesn't guard the other teams best player, he doesn't guard Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter..thats Rick Fox's job, he can guard point guards better then TMAC, but he gets abused downlow by Grant Hill, Bonzi Wells, Shandan Anderson(yes, Utah), Penny Hardaway hes not strong enough to guard the bigger guards. 3.McGrady is a 5 stat player, and Kobe is a 4 stat. All around McGrady is better. McGrady can score, rebound, pass, steal, and block shots. While Kobe can do 4 of the 5, hes not a shotblocker like TMAC. Kobe has never avg over a 1.0 blk for a season..look at TMAC's first 5 years.. 1.0blk, 1.3blk, 1.9blk, 1.5blk, 1.0blk. How many shooting guards have avg almost 2 blks in 31 mins for a season? 4.McGrady is the better passer. Kobe avgs 5.5ast, McGrady avgs 5.3 ast. I consider McGrady a better passer because he avgs less turnovers, and has Horace Grant, Andrew Declercq, Patrick Ewing, Don Reid missing lay ups down low, and Kobe has big Shaq who can finish anything that comes to him down low. If anybody on the Magic frontcourt could finish, he would EASILY be avging 7.5ast. You don't know how many times these guys either miss the lay up, or lose it out of bounds. McGrady can alley opp to Declercq, Mike Miller thats HARD to do. He was one of the big reasons Vince Carter was on a dunking rampage a couple of years back. Look at Vince now, hes lucky to get a dunk in a game. 5.McGrady is younger. Hes a year younger, and a year is big for a 22 year old. Another year of experience, another year to work on your weaknesses (FTs ). Another year to become a better leader, and get mature. 6.I always considered Kobe the better scorer, but right now I think its a toss up. This year's Kobe is different from last year. Last year Kobe would get 30 pts easy, this year hes shooting 41% in the playoffs and avg 26pts. McGrady has led the league in playoff scoring the past two seasons 33.8pts and 30.8pts. You can say its only 4 games each year, add both years up (8 games) and hes avgin 32.3pts on 44%FG. Kobe has the better jumper, fade away and FT shooter. Kobe also might be able to break down the defense better then TMAC because he has the speed, ball handling and Big Shaq down low, so teams cant double him. TMAC has a good inside game, hes the better 3pt shooter, has the better post up game, and its hard to find anybody who can really guard him well. McGrady is doubled by just about every team, while Kobe never faces the double much at all. Kobe also gets to pad his stats, something McGrady doesnt have the luxury of doing. Orlando has two of the best FT shooters in the league in Hudson and Armstrong, while Kobe gets to shoot any Technical, Illegal defense, and gets to hold the ball at the end of games to "pad" his scoring stats even more. I call that "free points", you didn't earn it by your talent just a mistake by the other team. McGrady doesn't get those, if he did he would avg 1-2 more pts a game. 7.Shaq factor. We all know Shaq makes people around him better. Penny Hardaway, Dennis Scott, Nick Anderson, Brian Shaw, Robert Horry etc etc..With Shaq..Kobe has the luxury of taking more chances on defense, he has the luxury of not being the focal point of the other teams defense, he hardly faces consistent double teams, he gets more assist with the big man down low. With Shaq getting doubled just about everytime, when he gets the ball he has lots of room to work with. Shaq might just hurt his rebouding. 8.McGrady is clutch, and Kobe is clutch. Kobe has had the stage to show it off, and McGrady really hasnt. I think Kobe is more clutch then TMAC right now, but TMAC was pretty clutch in the 2nd half of the season. He has hit game winning shots vs Sixers, Bucks, Pistons, Wizards, Knicks, Cavs etc..Kobe has made a lot of clutch shots, but hes "choked" as well..vs the Kings games 4 and 5, vs the Spurs when he passed it to himself. But the only thing people will remember is the times that players do make them. Clutch goes to Kobe, but I think 3-5 years from now, McGrady will be the BEST in the clutch. P.S I think McGrady will separate himself from Kobe next season. Kobe just has more luxuries right now, and hes in the perfect situation.
uhh...Paul Pierce. He does pretty much everything good like Kobe and Tmac. Some thing's he does better than both of them, other things he does not. There's no reason he shouldn't be on the same level as Kobe or Tmac. Plus, he doesn't come with the attitude and arrogance of the other two. I would have voted Paul Pierce for MVP long before I voted for Tmac or Kobe.
What has Paul Pierce ever said? Seems to me like he's humble enough to take a verbal bashing from a lesser player in Antoine Walker and use it to inspire his play. Kobe and Tmac never would allow someone to get in their face like that when they're playing bad. I don't know what you're talking about.
I came up with a new nickname for Bryant, let me know what you think: "Ko-wanna-be Like Mike" Pretty good huh?
A couple of thoughts: TradeMan---would you rather have the better individual player, or the better team? Kobe is learning things that will go with him his whole career---and he's probably earned himself a HOF berth already too. It will be A LONG TIME before TMac gets the things Kobe already has. Think about that. Steven Hunter has to become Tim Duncan or you've got to hope Hill is healthy and can be traded for a big man.
