My comparison "statistical wise" was between LBJ and Kobe and when you compare those two guys only then LBJ out-performs Kobe in "technically" in every Basketball category except Field Goal Attempts.....which KOBE is #1....he jacks up more shots than anyone in the NBA.
What are we to measure an athlete's perfomance by, if we are to disregard the numbers? It's almost like saying (for example) I like these workers on my production line that works 8 - 5 pm shift and they are my best workers but in actuality the the 6 pm - 2 am production line produces more than the other line and is the shift that exceeds and outperforms all other shifts......
This is now becoming a popularity contest and who people really like or prefer or are fans of as oppossed to evaluating what they are doing on the floor.
Of course, LBJ does not have more rebounds than D. Howard and yes many guards will have more assists than LBJ.....But as the saying goes, "pound for pound.....who is the best all around player in the NBA.....well then you have to look at "POINTS, REBOUNDS, ASSISTS, STEALS, BLOCKS....because those are the measurement criterias that are used to assess BB players......and if there is a Power Index to show who is really getting it done OR in this case (our debate -- who is the best player?) then the power index, IMHO, will show that LBJ is a stat sheet stuffer and is better than KOBE...............Also worth mentioning, the guy probably with the most points in a FANTASY LEAGUE where points are accumulated....would also reveal LBJ as having more points than Kobe as well which could be another objective way to measure athletes and remove all this subjectivity stuff.....and I think LBJ would have more points than Kobe.
The debate is not who is the best shooter? It is who is the best player.......to me that is LBJ....and there are many players that are better shooters than Kobe in the NBA as they are also better shooters than LBJ
We all have our own truths
"We will see what we want to see
Hear what we want to hear
Believe what we want to believe
Then we will believe everything else
Then there is the truth"
(taken from the movie "The International")
My truth and belief and how I evaluate players is looking at a players total game.....and LBJ and D Wade to me are the two players that have the total game. Kobe shoots a lot of shots and hits a lot of shots and has proven to be clutch......but if I was starting a franchise and all things were even then I would defintely take LBJ over Kobe
Now as for your point about Mo Williams,"Z" and D West performance in the Magic series..........You Are Correct......Those guys didn't bring it......but was that LBJ's fault?.....He averaged 38pts...8rebs...8assists for the series...those guys missed shot after shot after shot and the series was ULTIMATELY LOST because they could not DEFEND and get cricitical stops vs the Magic....not because there was a flaw in LBJs performance....or his efforts to make "Z" quicker or the backcourt taller
In the end, what the Cavs now realize (and what my point is to the group) there is a difference between having a team that will give you regular season success & a lot of WINS (like the Dallas Cowboys this decade and in the 1980s, + the Atlanta Braves last decade, etc...etc...) and having a team that is truly built to win Titles......the Cavs has a team that will be successful in the regular season.....but their GM has not built a Championship Roster yet......
Laker fans, think back to the 81 point Kobe Bryant after the Shaq trade.....could that team (Smush Parker...Kwame Brown) really win a title? I say no
or even the team where Kobe was young and was playing with Nick Van Excel and Eddie Jones.....could that team win a title? Again I say No...........actaully I think the Nick (the quick) Van Excel and Eddie Jones with Elden Campbell or Vlade Divac is comparable to the type team that everyone is trying to claim that LBJ should have led to a title in Clev (D West, Mo Williams, and "Z")...............which is a further BIG TYME plus for LBJ that he got that small backcourt team with a slow center to contend the way they did..............BUT again, that team (Before Shaq Acquisition) is built to win regular season games and will not get pass the Magic....w/o making any changes to their roster.
It will be intersting to see what LBJ does with this Shaq
Remember, this is not the good 'ole' Shaq that Kobe won titles with;
This is an old Shaq (38 yrs old that now 3 teams has given up on and traded)
BUT, that being said, LBJ may be able to get something out of the Big guy.
Time will tell.
My truth says LBJ > Kobe yours say Kobe is the man.
I just posted since the thread was begging for someone to join the debate --- so I did.
Peace.
LBJ has not yet played with a dominant player like Shaq (a young Shaq) or even Gasol (who is not real dominant....but he does shoot a high percentage on the block)
And once he gets that true "dominant sidekick" then I believe that his game will get even Better....can everyone imagine that?
I think he will be even better next year with Shaq...if Shaq plays like he played down the stretch with the Suns.
Hot Forum Topics
