R E D B A K S

The never-ending Lebron vs Kobe

Sunday, May 17th, 2009

For those who are fans of basketball and the NBA, there’s a popular belief that Kobe is better than Lebron mostly because of Kobe’s almost perfect mid-range jumpers. I say no contest to that, and i am saying this as a diehard Cavs Lebron James fan. (I would’ve said i’m a Cavs fan, but really i’m just a fan of Lebron and ‘his’ team and there’s a difference). 

Lebron’s mid-range jumper is one of the gray areas of his skillset, though his 3pt shooting has become one of his deadliest weapon, and has shown a lot of potency in this post-season. I have to admit that Lebron’s shots are a weetle beet awkward  against Kobe’s finesse ninja-like moves.

ESPN, to hype everything up, just published an article asking ESPN writers who’s the really really better between these two enormously talented and gifted players. But i just couldn’t agree more with this argument, pertaining Lebron’s and Kobe’s strengths…

Taken From Cavs: The Blog » Blog Archive » Kobe/LeBron Day: Director’s Cut

Furthermore, pretending that LeBron predicating his game on driving to the basket while Kobe prefers to go with mid-range shots as some sort of stylistic difference is just wrong. Going to the basket is, universally, the way to get efficient baskets, followed by shooting threes. Midrange jumpers are the easiest shots to get, but the trade-off is that they’re a victory for the defense over time-not one player in the league shot better than 50% on midrange jumpers this season. Kobe’s percentage on mid-range jumpers was 44% this season, one of the better marks in the league. Keep in mind that mid-range shots rarely produce free throws or offensive rebounds. The worst offensive team in the league, the Clippers, had a TS% of 52%. So if your offense were to be entirely Kobe Bryant shooting mid-range jump shots, you would have the worst offense in the league by a very wide margin. 

 The mid-range game is definitely the weakest part of LeBron’s game, something he should definitely work on (especially his footwork in the post), and a great plan B late in the clock if you can’t get the corner for a drive or open three. But to say that LeBron’s lack of development and devotion to the least efficient shots in basketball are what keeps him from being as good as Kobe is just fallacious. Not only are mid-range shots inefficient in the long run, but they keep the team from getting involved; instead of getting into the paint, scattering the defense, and opening up teammates, the possession ends with little ball movement and few other players getting involved. On a micro, individual level, a perfectly executed midrange move is pretty and a solid way for one player to score against a defense, but over time the only way to consistently attain offensive success is to get to the basket, which LeBron James does better than any player in the league, not only getting dunks and layups but involving his teammates and opening up the floor.

Yeah, i still love Kobe’s game, specifically the post-Shaq Kobe. He is more Jordanesque than any player in the NBA, except maybe for the D-Wade, but that’s another story. Kobe has acquired his skills thru experience, having played with the best. Even Lebron admits that Kobe’s game is more complete. And Kobe’s already got 3 rings. (To which his fans seems to overcompensate, forgetting the fact that it’s Shaq’s)

But to date, Lebron is hungry for a ring. Hungry like a hungry bear that hibernated for 5 years and woken up by noisy fat campers in the middle of the woods. 

Posted by redbaks at 9:30 AM | permalink | comments[116]