CP4 - Look, go to Michael Jordan's page here and see how many years he led the league in Win Shares. Then see how many times Kobe has done it.

Kobe Bryant is a great basketball player. In his career, he has consistently been in the top fifteen players in the NBA. Some years he has been in the top five. But he has never been the best player in the game and he certainly isn't an all-time great like Jordan, Wilt, Magic, or Bird. He isn't close.

If Kobe hadn't landed on the same team as Shaq his rookie year you would be agreeing with me.

I don't know where that insight about the triangle offense comes from, but Kobe's assist rate this year is pretty much exactly where its always been.

You can have the versatile guy if you want, I will take the guy who scores more and more efficiently. At the end of the day versatility is simply a means to an end, which is to score as efficiently as possible and win as many games as possible. It's not an art competition.

Yocar - I am not a hater, I just don't wear Kobe goggles. I don't think Kobe has been the best player in the league any year in his career, which makes sense since for the first 8 years of his career he was the second best player on his own team.

Kobe is a great player but his reputation has always exceeded his actual ability. Michael Jordan set the standard for point guard play and Kobe falls so far short of that standard I really see no reason to consider him an all-time great.

as for the Wade and Lebron comparisons. lets remember that right now they are 6-7 years younger than Kobe. they are running around in the physical peak of their careers. Kobe was like that back when he was with Shaq, and of course, he had to sacrifice a lot of his game back then.

There's a -1% difference in FG%, +6% in 3pt%, and +10% in FT%, and -0.6ppg from Kobe to LeBron. This year, I really don't think there is a difference in efficiency. No one in the triangle offense gets high assist numbers so I wouldn't expect Kobe's to be high, especially since he's playing low minutes this year. Per 36min, Kobe is scoring more.

So it really is debatable. From an offensive versatility standpoint, there is no question who's the better scorer. Check the shot charts.

And why you would prefer Kobe's offense to Lebron's offense this year? Lebron is more efficient than Kobe this year, scores more, and assists more, while playing at the fifth slowest pace in the league.

Kobe has a prettier game, but Lebron is the better offensive player, no question about it.