Kobe Bryant or Tim Duncan?

[wildturkey]

Being an “alpha” is extremely overrated in a team sport.

Yeah, you need a leader. But Duncan was a great leader in his own way.

And a super dominant alpha personality like Kobe does not always lead in a positive way.

Duncan won more rings as the best player on his team and his team was more consistently good. That is directly attributable to his leadership.

I wasn't really meaning it in the a true leadership way. I was more thinking along the lines of "this dude is the most talented guy on the court". It's no different than when you're on the playground and everyone knows who the best player is. All the peers from that time period are looking at Kobe

 

[PPhan]

If Malone beat the MJ’s Bulls twice and Duncan won the ones he did, would that tilt it to Malone for you? Or would the number of Duncan’s wins win out?

Still Duncan. 5 on 5, Duncan is the better player. 1 on 1 though, Malone is beating Duncan.

Duncan could do it all on defense, Malone on the other hand great man defense…extremely difficult to score against one on one, but his help defense wasn’t all that.

 

[MHSL82]

Still Duncan. 5 on 5, Duncan is the better player. 1 on 1 though, Malone is beating Duncan.

Duncan could do it all on defense, Malone on the other hand great man defense…extremely difficult to score against one on one, but his help defense wasn’t all that.

I think you’re right, but Malone is 12th alltime in steals with 2085 steals and Duncan is 166th with 1025. 1.4 vs 0.7 per game. In blocks, of course, Duncan is 6th and Malone is 72nd. 2.2 vs 0.8. Obviously, affect on defense is more that steals, it is advanced metrics that forces teams stay away from an area of the court. I would say Duncan does that more, Malone is going to move around more because he’s not going to be playing to defend the rim. Moving around more tells me better help defense (Malone). Altering offenses, says better defensive impact (Duncan).

But that’s why I see Duncan as a center since he gets more blocks, more rebounds, considerably fewer points, fewer steals, his height, and doesn’t have the ball as often as a power forward since his assists (and shots) are 17% lower. I know that I’m in the minority. He did have a worse shooting percentage so maybe he did shoot a lot as a power forward instead of the Gobert like layups and dunks. Duncan just didn’t shoot as well and I think Malone was set up better with Stockton than Duncan was with Parker.

Duncan: 19.0 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 3.0 APG, 2.2 Blks, 0.7 SPG, 50.7% shooting, 69.9% FT.

Malone: 25.0 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 3.6 APG, 0.8 Blks, 1.4 SPG, 51.6% shooting, 74.2% FT.

Both Malone and Duncan decreased their per game averages their last year in the league by a lot by different roles or minutes.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Still Duncan. 5 on 5, Duncan is the better player. 1 on 1 though, Malone is beating Duncan.

Duncan could do it all on defense, Malone on the other hand great man defense…extremely difficult to score against one on one, but his help defense wasn’t all that.

No, because Tim Duncan wasn't a dirty player like Malone

 

[shopson67]

Kobe for me by a small margin. Generated 35 pts per game on average, plus 5 reb. Duncan generated generated 25 pts, plus 10 reb. Even if you give 2 pts per reb (probably closer to 1), Kobe comes out on top. Both are strong defenders and leaders.

Plus, bigs require someone else to get them the ball, so they always trail perimeter players slightly IMO.

 

[rmilia1]

I mean its 2 of the best 8-10 players of all time who play completely different styles and positions

Ive always felt those 2 guys wouldve complemented each other so well ( maybe better than any duo ever wouldve )

How many titles would a team with Kobe and Duncan won between 99 and the mid 10s??

8? 9? 10?

 

[msgkings322]

I mean its 2 of the best 8-10 players of all time who play completely different styles and positions

Ive always felt those 2 guys wouldve complemented each other so well ( maybe better than any duo ever wouldve )

How many titles would a team with Kobe and Duncan won between 99 and the mid 10s??

8? 9? 10?

Kobe and Shaq were almost perfect complements actually. Jordan and Pippen too. Malone and Stockton. There have been quite a few perfectly tuned star pairings.

 

[trojanfan12]

Kobe and Shaq were almost perfect complements actually. Jordan and Pippen too. Malone and Stockton. There have been quite a few perfectly tuned star pairings.

Kobe/Duncan is interesting though because, while he was mainly a post player, Duncan could also play on the perimeter, where Shaq couldn't. Have to wonder how much easier it may have been for Kobe to get into the lane if he played with Duncan.

Also, there may not have been the clash of egos with Kobe/Duncan like there was with Kobe/Shaq.

 

[Shanemansj13]

Kobe/Duncan is interesting though because, while he was mainly a post player, Duncan could also play on the perimeter, where Shaq couldn't. Have to wonder how much easier it may have been for Kobe to get into the lane if he played with Duncan.

Also, there may not have been the clash of egos with Kobe/Duncan like there was with Kobe/Shaq.

As great as Shaq/Kobe duo was...Kobe/Duncan maybe not as dominant but more sustained.

 

[trojanfan12]

As great as Shaq/Kobe duo was...Kobe/Duncan maybe not as dominant but more sustained.

Agree. Duncan was never the monster that Shaq was, but he was at or close to the top of his game for longer than Shaq was...so Kobe/Duncan may very well have won more titles because of that. Folks forget that Shaq declined pretty sharply a season or so after he left the Lakers. So I doubt the Lakers would have gotten more than 1 more title with Kobe/Shaq had they stayed together.

 

[tlance]

Kobe and Shaq were almost perfect complements actually. Jordan and Pippen too. Malone and Stockton. There have been quite a few perfectly tuned star pairings.

I don’t know man.

Easy to say that because we saw it work.

But is it possible Duncan might have been a better pairing for Kobe?

I think very.

Duncan’s personality would have allowed Kobe to take all the limelight he needed, IMO. Duncan would have been content as second fiddle offensively and the anchor of the defense.

I also think the Laker offense could have done more with TD’s skill set than they could with Shaq.

I believe TD and Kobe would have been an ideal superstar pairing.

 

[PackJason.]

If I was drafting and they were both on the board, I'd be drafting Duncan.

 

[DorianRo]

Kobe slightly Did more carrying for his career. . Duncan was 2nd fiddle for longer.

 

[msgkings322]

Kobe. Duncan was 2nd fiddle for longer

Well that settles it, now that Dorian has weighed in. Duncan FTW.

 

[Shanemansj13]

Kobe slightly Did more carrying for his career. . Duncan was 2nd fiddle for longer.

You literally don’t know a thing about basketball. It’s sad LOL but it’s funny from our point of view

 

[DorianRo]

You literally don’t know a thing about basketball. It’s sad LOL but it’s funny from our point of view

awweeee. Hurt your feelings or what? Kobe was carrying crap teams through a stacked west where smush Parker was his 2nd fiddle LOL. Duncan was riding leonard/ginobli/Parker for much longer.

Parker/Leonard elevated Duncan's career. These two guys got FMVP over him. Discuss that Idiot

 

[tlance]

awweeee. Hurt your feelings or what? Kobe was carrying crap teams through a stacked west where smush Parker was his 2nd fiddle LOL. Duncan was riding leonard/ginobli/Parker for much longer.

Parker/Leonard elevated Duncan's career. These two guys got FMVP over him. Discuss that Idiot

By “carrying”, do you mean missing the playoffs and losing in the 1st round?

Because that is what happened with those teams.