Thread: Official 108,398,433rd Kobe v. LeBron Slugfest
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Old 03-05-2008, 02:33 AM   #200 (permalink)
EHL
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Re: ESPN Poll: Who's the best Player Kobe or LeBron
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Originally Posted by Hakeem View Post
Wouldn't you have to say though that Kobe passing more readily this season, playing with greater intensity on the defensive end and being more efficient controlling the ball has a lot to do with playing with better teammates? I know Gasol is only a recent acquisition, but if you combine his and Bynum's games, that's over 80% of the season so far. Also, Derek Fisher, Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic have all been really good. Yet, with all these upgrades, the Lakers have only gone from the 8th best offensive side in the league to the 4th. That's certainly a significant climb, but it's not huge. If Kobe really has become a more impactful player on the offensive end, you would expect a greater rise than that, given the sizable improvement in the supporting cast.

I don't think he's any better now than he was that season. The situation has simply allowed him to do different things.
I have no doubt that the other players around him have helped, but that applies to any player. And while the improvements in Bryant this season have been subtle, they are real. I was merely pointing out that the context of the situations should be heavily weighted, perhaps as heavily weighted as PER itself.
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