Celtics-Lakers - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

Hoopsmeister · 11-07-2002, 09:58 PM

Kobe was 17 of 47. Including 0-8 from 3. And his team is 2-4. Someone please explain to me again how he is the 'best' player in basketball? Is it just that sports writers have trouble spelling McGrady?

Epitome22 · 11-07-2002, 10:29 PM

Kobe played stupidly tonight. He plays better when he gets his teammates involved. But Yes, he is the best player in the game, the best guard anyhow. Mcgrady is good however. Probably second best.

Drbio · 11-07-2002, 11:58 PM

showbe is overated!

FINtastic · 11-08-2002, 12:20 AM

Kobe the best player in the game? Hardly. The best player in the game is sitting on the bench right now in street clothes. Kobe, your teammates do enjoy touching the ball too.

Epitome22 · 11-08-2002, 01:17 AM

Kobe is the best, most talented player in the game, sorry you disagree. I have no idea why he shot the ball so many times tonight but that's usually not like him. I think Kobe will win the MVP this year. He's looking to be scarily good this season.

ocelot_ark · 11-08-2002, 01:49 AM

I pity the day where the NBA's best player misses 30 shots combined in two games.

30 shots in ONE game...ONE game? Kobe Bryant is the best player in the game? He missed thirty shots in one game! That's horrendous. Horrible. Scary even...

Of course, if he played for the Mavs Epitome would think he was well behind TMac...but he's a bit of a pessimist.

Epitome22 · 11-08-2002, 03:03 AM

The team he plays for has little to do with it. I don't particularly care for Kobe Bryant personality wise or am a big fan, but I no longer ignore his tremendous talent which will be more evident this season than any other. McGrady may well be the second best in the league (toss up between him and Duncan IMO) but the Kobester is the best at this moment. I believe in at least 2 years Mcgrady will be a slightly better scorer than Kobe, but Kobe has him in virtually every other department IMO.

MavsRich · 11-08-2002, 03:13 AM

Umm 1 game does not a player make, Kobe Bryant is without a doubt the best player in the game behind his teammate Shaq of course. When McGrady put up 2 triple doubles back to back, and come close to a 3rd 1 then get back with me. And when Kobe had his TD they weren't like some of the normal ones by guys in this league, they were like 33pts, 14bds(a guard) and 12 asst. He is easily the best player in the game, behind Shaquille O'neal. I am no big fan of the Lakers, but I wont hate on them or their players and say another player is better than Kobe when he obviously isnt. It's funny that when he had the 2 trip doubles and almost 3, he didn't have a thread dedicated to him, why now? Let's put the Lakers hate behind us when making calls like who is the best players in the game, shall we?

Fidel · 11-08-2002, 06:00 AM

Well no, Kobe is not the best. Not even close. As far as any stats based ranking goes he just made the top ten last season. Anything else is just talk. You can say he´s the best or second best all day long, there´s no way to back it up with stats (and if he´s soooo great why can´t he win without Shaq?)

David · 11-08-2002, 06:53 AM

Kobe has a lot of talent but until he learns how to play the game, team-wise, he's not the MVP. He needs to learn how to play within the framework of a team. He is nothing but a glorified ballhog, right now. Without Shaq, the Lakers won't when the championship until, or unless, Kobe gets the rest of his team involved. Who does he think he is, Allen Iverson?

Hoopsmeister · 11-08-2002, 02:41 PM

<< I have no idea why he shot the ball so many times tonight but that's usually not like him. I think Kobe will win the MVP this year. >>

Did you watch the game? Kobe put up so many shots because he couldn't manage to do anything else against the Celtics (not exactly world-beaters themselves right now) except keep tossing up shots on the theory that eventually a few of them would go in.

MVP? MVP goes to a guy who gets his team wins. And the Lakers without Shaq are not even a .500 team much less a playoff team. Garnett (with Szerbiack out) is playing with the same kind of mediocre role-players Kobe is--and Garnett's team is 4-2. McGrady played all last season with a bunch of role-players and not one legitimate big man and went 44-38.

So he got two triple-doubles in a row? Hey, 2 years ago, Antawn Jamison got 50 two games in a row. Anyone want to trade Dirk or KG (neither of whom has ever gotten 50) for him? What counts is leading your teams to wins and until KG can prove he can do that, he doesn't deserve to be listed close to KG, McGrady, Duncan, etc. He's just a guy who puts up big numbers on a bad team.

FilthyFinMavs · 11-08-2002, 04:09 PM

First off Kobe is the most talented player in basketball. I agree the best person in the NBA is in street clothes sittin there thinking he can't wait to beat the Kings in the playoffs. Kobe isn't even second best nor 3rd best. Kobe has 0 on T-mac or Duncan and as far as a player goes? Right now he is playing as if he has nothing on Jkidd. The sad part about this though is that he is learning how to run a team by himself so I guess good things do come out of this situation with Shaq being hurt.

Epitome22 · 11-09-2002, 12:02 AM

<< Well no, Kobe is not the best. Not even close. As far as any stats based ranking goes he just made the top ten last season. Anything else is just talk. You can say he´s the best or second best all day long, there´s no way to back it up with stats (and if he´s soooo great why can´t he win without Shaq?) >>

Stats are not an accurate measure of a player's worth. Chris Webber was the second most statistically productive player last season behind Shaq. Is Webber the second best player in the NBA? My assessment that Kobe is currently the most talented player on the game is not based on statistical files but instead watching the man play and seeing how amazing he can be. That being said, 29.9 points per game, 11.8 rebounds per game and 7.3 assists per game? not to mention a whopping 2.5 steals per game? a 2 guard who is a top 5 caliber scorer, rebounds like a powerforward, gets you 2-3 steals a game, can run the offense and average more assists than some of the starting point guards in the league while doing it? Talk about a coach's wet dream. Tracy who?

Epitome22 · 11-09-2002, 12:08 AM

<< Kobe has a lot of talent but until he learns how to play the game, team-wise, he's not the MVP. He needs to learn how to play within the framework of a team. He is nothing but a glorified ballhog, right now. Without Shaq, the Lakers won't when the championship until, or unless, Kobe gets the rest of his team involved. Who does he think he is, Allen Iverson? >>

Allen Iverson couldn't hold Kobe's jock.

Kobe does work best when he tries to get his team involved. If he tries to do it all himself, he will ultimatly fail. Both Isiah Thomas and Michael Jordan realized this. But Kobe is having identity problems because even when he tries to play it safe and just run the offense and take less shots than usual there's nobody on his team who would even be considered a good third option much less a second option. He would have had 3 triple doubles in a row if somebody on his team could hit a jumpshot. But it doesen't really matter though. Sans-Shaq, Kobe and the Zen Master will find a way.

Fidel · 11-09-2002, 05:53 AM

<< My assessment that Kobe is currently the most talented player on the game is not based on statistical files but instead watching the man play and seeing how amazing he can be. That being said, 29.9 points per game, 11.8 rebounds per game and 7.3 assists per game? not to mention a whopping 2.5 steals per game? a 2 guard who is a top 5 caliber scorer, rebounds like a powerforward, gets you 2-3 steals a game, can run the offense and average more assists than some of the starting point guards in the league while doing it? Talk about a coach's wet dream. Tracy who? >>

You know, Kobes stats are nice. But if you think those 11 rb are no fluke you´re crazy. Those will be down pretty soon, same goes for assits. 6 and 6 would be a great accomplishment. And the 29.9 points do not impress me at all because Kobe is shooting just 43%. T-Mac is scoring 30.7 while shooting almost 51%. Now THAT is impressive. BTW the Lakers are 2-5 now. Talk about putting up huge numbers on a bad team. I agree that Kobe has amazing tools, he´s great to watch, but the best he´s not.