Defend KG's honor (RealGM related)

[YBBR]

Kobe ain't carrying any of those KG teams to a better record. Once Shaq left, 35, 45, 42 wins. Kobe only started winning because he got the legendary Pau Gasol who lead the team in win shares. Kobe also lost to KG lead team in the finals and were lucky KG started to break down or that Celtics team would have won more.

Kobe was carried by Shaq and Gasol. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Pau Gasol rules.

[zeitgeist]

Kobe ain't carrying any of those KG teams to a better record. Once Shaq left, 35, 45, 42 wins. Kobe only started winning because he got the legendary Pau Gasol who lead the team in win shares. Kobe also lost to KG lead team in the finals and were lucky KG started to break down or that Celtics team would have won more.

Kobe was carried by Shaq and Gasol. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Well that's the funny thing, first of all, the team KG went to in Boston, they weren't even favorites to win the East that year. People look at it as some big super team now but it wasn't.

Let's look at the first three years KG was there:

2008 - championship
2009 - lose in 2nd round (No KG)
2010 - lose the finals in 7 games to the Lakers, and KG had clearly declined after that leg injury.

Kobe would have won fewer games than KG because he simply didn't have that level of impact that KG did. I do think you're overplaying the Gasol bit though, Kobe was definitely the best player on that team, even though Gasol is a Hall of Fame talent.

[zeitgeist]

No offense to you Zietgiest I just strongly disagree with that list.

That's fine. It's all good, no hard feelings.

[j2j]

Multiple Finals MVPs are a requirement for my top 10, with exceptions to Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain for obvious reasons.

The fun argument is where Durant and Kawhi fall.

[zeitgeist]

Multiple Finals MVPs are a requirement for my top 10, with exceptions to Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain for obvious reasons.

The fun argument is where Durant and Kawhi fall.

Durant will end up in the 11-15 range. Kawhi is a difficult one because there's really no one to compare him to. I think longevity is really important and Kawhi doesn't have it, not only that but he's already receiving heavy minute management too. Kawhi is definitely one of the most impressive playoff scorers ever though over a two year period anyway. I'd put his peak playoff scoring above even Durant and Curry, though Curry's offensive value may still be better because of his shooting gravity on and off the ball.

[RubeTube]

Multiple Finals MVPs are a requirement for my top 10, with exceptions to Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain for obvious reasons.

The fun argument is where Durant and Kawhi fall.

I think Kawhi is the better player. Durant wasn't winning and won't win anything again until joining a All Star team.

I don't think Durant will ever be the same either. Durant has the better career as of right now but Kawhi has some years to catch up to him and right now, Kawhi is better than Durant was in any single season imo.

It is a talker though.

[Moses Scurry]

The question I always ask: Does Durant carry the Raptor to the NBA championship? I say hell no. Kawhi can do whatever you need on a basketball court: Want me to defend the other team's best player, done. Need me to run the point, got it. Need me to shoot three's, can do. Post up, anytime.

Though his career numbers won't come close to Durant levels, at his apex, Kawhi is better than Durant.

[YBBR]

The question I always ask: Does Durant carry the Raptor to the NBA championship? I say hell no. Kawhi can do whatever you need on a basketball court: Want me to defend the other team's best player, done. Need me to run the point, got it. Need me to shoot three's, can do. Post up, anytime.

Though his career numbers won't come close to Durant levels, at his apex, Kawhi is better than Durant.

Durant is still a better bucket getter to me. Kawhi has more avenues to his game. But when Durant is on, good fucking luck trying to slow him down. The guy Is so long and shifty and takes these bat shit crazy hard shots and its whatever another walk in the park.

[YBBR]

Obviously KD sucks now and is lame. Kawhi not as lame.

[RubeTube]

I think if durant was never paired with westbrook he would be viewed differently. I think Hes better than kawhi and think he could carry his own team. The thunder teams might have won a title if not for golden state, and that was with a poorly designed offense and poor fit with westbrook imo. Take away westbrook and harden, two great but extremely ball dominant players, and I think kd brings the likes of roberson/Adams/ibaka and an average starting pg deep.

Westbrook means nothing in the equation for me. He completely choked in the series against GSW before leaving OKC.

He also got his shit pushed in by Lebron against the Heat in the Finals. He was very young when that went down though.

[j2j]

Multiple Finals MVPs are a requirement for my top 10, with exceptions to Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain for obvious reasons.

The fun argument is where Durant and Kawhi fall.

I think Kawhi is the better player. Durant wasn't winning and won't win anything again until joining a All Star team.

I don't think Durant will ever be the same either. Durant has the better career as of right now but Kawhi has some years to catch up to him and right now, Kawhi is better than Durant was in any single season imo.

It is a talker though.

My post wasn't about comparing those two against each other, but rather where do they fall in amongst the all time greats. Top 20? 15?

I've always had a top 11, but wasn't sure beyond that. I think the discussion has grown.

[RubeTube]

Multiple Finals MVPs are a requirement for my top 10, with exceptions to Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain for obvious reasons.

The fun argument is where Durant and Kawhi fall.

I think Kawhi is the better player. Durant wasn't winning and won't win anything again until joining a All Star team.

I don't think Durant will ever be the same either. Durant has the better career as of right now but Kawhi has some years to catch up to him and right now, Kawhi is better than Durant was in any single season imo.

It is a talker though.

My post wasn't about comparing those two against each other, but rather where do they fall in amongst the all time greats. Top 20? 15?

I've always had a top 11, but wasn't sure beyond that. I think the discussion has grown.

Well we can't come to that conclusion yet. Too much time left.

If their careers ended today, neither make my top 25.

[Beef Supreme]

Kobe ain't carrying any of those KG teams to a better record. Once Shaq left, 35, 45, 42 wins. Kobe only started winning because he got the legendary Pau Gasol who lead the team in win shares. Kobe also lost to KG lead team in the finals and were lucky KG started to break down or that Celtics team would have won more.

Kobe was carried by Shaq and Gasol. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I’m buying that story. High-volume chucker with some of the best big men of his era carrying the water. I give him his “closer” chops, but if he’d played his career in Charlotte where he was drafted, he’d have exactly 0 titles. Shaq may have ended with fewer than the 4 he got, but he still would have gotten there.

[RubeTube]

Kobe ain't carrying any of those KG teams to a better record. Once Shaq left, 35, 45, 42 wins. Kobe only started winning because he got the legendary Pau Gasol who lead the team in win shares. Kobe also lost to KG lead team in the finals and were lucky KG started to break down or that Celtics team would have won more.

Kobe was carried by Shaq and Gasol. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I’m buying that story. High-volume chucker with some of the best big men of his era carrying the water. I give him his “closer” chops, but if he’d played his career in Charlotte where he was drafted, he’d have exactly 0 titles. Shaq may have ended with fewer than the 4 he got, but he still would have gotten there.

Lol. Cripes.

[T_J]

The whole Durant vs Kawhi debate is pretty good. Those two are nearly dead even to me. Durant has a tremendous amount more regular season accolades than Kawhi. They're both proven killers in the Finals. They've both beaten and lost to Lebron in the Finals.

Kawhi seems to have a better path to more titles, being younger and not having just blown his Achilles. I don't know if that's the true decider anyway.

Maybe the basketball gods could settle this in the Finals over the next couple years. A healthy KD and Kyrie could conceivably make the Finals out of the east to face any Kawhi team, especially with PG out of the west. I'm rooting to see it.

[YBBR]

Would be a good matchup. Especially at the top of their games. PG too. Would like to see those two try and defend Durant. Kawhi still a tier above George when it comes to his perimeter defense.

[LordNu]

Fuck RealGM, they let idiots run with anything on there and you can’t upset them by shutting them down with conviction, lest you be banned. What a clown

Preach!

I've never seen the normally level headed LordNu get so worked up!

I was asked to defend our beloved KG, and I will do so with aggression! Maybe its because I have been on s drinking binge in Estonia....

[Beef Supreme]

I saw this somewhere on social media and lol'd:


Me: Nails a game-winning shot. "Cobain."
Friend: "Don't you mean 'Kobe?'"
Me: "No, Cobain didn't miss his last shot."

[T_J]

I saw this somewhere on social media and lol'd:


Me: Nails a game-winning shot. "Cobain."
Friend: "Don't you mean 'Kobe?'"
Me: "No, Cobain didn't miss his last shot."

Geeeeeezus.