Best Versus Boston?
Posted on February 10, 2009
In the aftermath of the Lakers’s second regular season victory over the Celtics, Kobe Bryant’s poor shooting night in Boston led Henry Abbott of TrueHoop to question the efficacy of Bryant’s style of play against the Celtics. Comparing him to LeBron James and glancing at shot charts, Abbott concluded that James’ ability to get to the hoop enables him to be more successful against Boston’s impressive defense.
His theory makes a lot of sense. In the NBA, getting into the paint is considered a Good Thing™, and no one does this better than LeBron James. But does it hold true in practice? Does LeBron’s ability to get closer to the basket more frequently make him more efficient and effective against the Celtics?
By expanding the sample size to a minimum of eight games and digging into each player’s performances against Boston since last May, I’ve answered the question — and the result may surprise you!
Filed Under 3-Point Shooting, Boston Celtics, Defense, Free Throw Shooting, Kobe Bryant, Lakers, LeBron James, Mid-Range Jumpshot, Playoffs, Statistics, poor shooting, turnovers, weaknesses | 10 Comments
Clutch When It Mattered Most
Posted on December 8, 2008
The last in a series of three posts inspired by a single TrueHoop bullet, I’m back to weigh in on the question of who is “more clutch” — Kobe Bryant or LeBron James?
The overall “clutch” numbers, as defined by 82games.com, seem to indicate that LeBron edges Kobe out in this area. But here is the all-important question: Do the numbers tell the full story?
Here’s a hint: They don’t. But I know what does.
Filed Under Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, Free Throw Shooting, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Statistics, assists, big games, clutch, leadership | 18 Comments
LeBron James: Getting Better
Posted on December 7, 2008
Here at Respect Kobe, we pride ourselves on being fair and rational in our evaluation of players — including our beloved Kobe Bryant, as well as any challengers to his title of “best basketball player alive.” Yes, we do happen to think that Kobe Bryant is decidedly better than LeBron James. But we also think that any Kobe fans who deny that James is closing gap are in denial, while those who say, “LeBron sucks!” are just plain stupid. Yeah, I said it.
Filed Under 3-Point Shooting, Defense, Free Throw Shooting, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Mid-Range Jumpshot, Statistics, poor shooting | 30 Comments
LeBron’s Fabled Mid-Range Improvements
Posted on December 6, 2008
This may surprise you — if you’ve read some of my past work, you may have gotten the opposite impression — but I’m a big fan of LeBron James. How can I not be? Much like Kobe Bryant, I can’t help but respect the rare combination of incredible talent and the work ethic to match.
The problem is that fans of LeBron tend to want to give him credit even for things he has not yet accomplished. That’s not only unfair to other players, but it’s also a disservice to LeBron James himself.
Case in point: LeBron’s supposed “improved mid-range shooting.” The question is: Has he actually improved?
Filed Under Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Mid-Range Jumpshot, Statistics, poor shooting | 13 Comments
MVP, But Not Without Weakness
Posted on May 15, 2008
Kobe Bryant is good at most things on the court. He has, without a doubt, the most complete and well-rounded basketball skill set currently in existence. He is, and has been for the last half-decade, the best player in the world, and he is this season’s MVP — and he is completely deserving of that honor. But he is not without weakness, even on the hardwood court that he so thoroughly dominates.
There will be time — very soon, I promise — to celebrate his MVP season. But right now, I want to focus on four of Kobe’s on-court weaknesses: complaining to the referees, “lost ball” turnovers, jumpshooting when cold, and inconsistent assisting.
Filed Under Kobe Bryant, Lakers, LeBron James, MVP, Statistics, Teammate, assists, complaining, officiating, poor shooting, referees, turnovers, weaknesses | 18 Comments