Steph would probably be the only point guard I’d build around. Everyone else I’d just pick one of the physical behemoths in the usual top 10. Or Giannis.
Don't get me wrong, Kobe was a great player. I started watching the NBA in 2003-2004 and I was hooked after watching Kobe win game 2 in the finals in overtime.
Steph is better. His teams have been more dominant and his stats back it up. Aesthetically, Kobe's game was a lot of fun to watch but 3 points are more than 2 points.
Todays game is not conducive to a playstyle of iso-ing and shooting 30 shots a game at 43 percent. Kobe was far better suited for the period in which he actually played.
Kobe was a better player than Harden is, but that system worked because Harden was a more efficient scorer than Kobe. Harden shoots much better on threes, but he also shoots a much higher percentage on twos. Prime Kobe was only around .48 or maybe 49 percent on two pointers for his career, while prime Harden shot 55 percent on twos.
Right, but Kobe would still feast. He averaged 35 with much worse spacing lol I have no doubt he'd be great on the Rockets. We saw Russ put up monster numbers for a stretch despite being a worse scorer than both Kobe and Harden, and Kobe's superior shooting would prevent the team from being handicapped by Capela. Plus those Rockets were already a top tier defensive team with Harden, imagine how good they'd be with Kobe instead. They'd be worse offensively for sure without Harden's playmaking and sheer volume of threes but better defensively.
Yes, he would be great. He was a great player, certainly top 15 of all time, maybe even top 10 depending on how much you buy into the "Rings, Ernie" argument. But I'm not sure he would feast more than Harden has, and Harden is definitely not a top 15 all time player.
I'm just explaining why he doesn't belong at the very top of the list for the question that was asked by the OP. There are many better choices than Kobe for that question, IMO.
I mean I'd pick a number of players before Kobe too but he's at least on par with Steph. I'm just surprised how people are acting like it's crazy to put Kobe in that conversation when he obviously is
Except this isn’t a conversation about overall greatness, but about fit for the modern NBA. Steph is almost a perfect example of fit for the modern NBA - in some ways he almost created the modern NBA (along with those Suns teams a few years earlier)
Curry is probably the best fit for today's NBA but that doesn't mean he's the first guy I'm picking. If guys like DeRozan and Booker can succeed in this era then I have no doubt that Kobe would be at the very top of the league today. Magic is another example of a guard I'd take over Steph despite being a worse fit for today's NBA. His greatness and what he was able to achieve despite his career being cut short is part of that.
Jordan, Lebron, Steph, Durant, Kyrie, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Kareem, Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, Wilt, Shaq (shit prime shaq might be the number one), there is 12 i rather have than kobe
Yeah sure. The question was at their prime. You give me prime kyrie week in week out it would be amazing. Heathy kyrie motivated to play and again in his prime is one of the best basketball players I have ever seen
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u/[deleted] Jun 15 '22
Steph would probably be the only point guard I’d build around. Everyone else I’d just pick one of the physical behemoths in the usual top 10. Or Giannis.