Kobe or Timmy...Best Player of their Generation?

[Gooch1034]

3 reasons why Duncan, not Kobe, is his generation's best

Saw this article and thought it brought up an interesting argument.

 

[CitySushi]

Didn't read the article but here's my thoughts:

I'm going with Timmy, only because he played in a time where there were tons of really great PF's out there and he battled them all on both ends of the court. Kobe was really in a class of his own for the longest time until a few year period of Wade greatness.

Both needed really strong supporting casts to win their championships and I don't really view either as more or less important than the other in their success. I give the nod to Duncan, just on personal preference.

 

[Arizona_Sting]

Tim.

His individual accomplishments along with team accomplishments are greatly underrated not just when talking about current players, but all-time. Best player since Jordan imo. I'd put him top 6 all-time. His game isn't flashy but he is one hell of a player.

 

[lakersrule]

Both were great and a pleasure to watch. A lot of the players consider Kobe the best of his generation. Kobe's worldwide impact has been much more significant as well.

 

[Gooch1034]

Tim Duncan is one of those rare pro athletes that succeeds and doesn't get the hate like so many others and I think that says a lot about him. Both are worthy but I think Duncan has the edge. Tough to criticize him with so little ammo to use.

 

[GNG]

Tim Duncan because he was just a more unselfish player. Both are great talents.

 

[The Derski]

Mr. Fundamental

Killing them softly his whole career

 

[tlance]

Tim Duncan because he was just a more unselfish player. Both are great talents.

This....

Duncan is such an awesome teammate and leader by example. Popovich is a fantastic coach, but his career would have looked much different without Duncan. When the best player buys in, everybody else has no choice but to step in line too. Kobe has not always been so easy to coach.

 

[trojanfan12]

Kobe has had a much bigger impact on the game than Timmy.

Timmy has had the more consistent career as far as winning.

They each have 5 titles.

Kobe's have come in 3-5 year bursts. Timmy has spread his out over his entire career.

Timmy has 2 MVP's. Kobe has 1.

Both are certain first ballot HoF'ers.

Very, very close. I give Timmy a slight edge because the only 2 seasons in his career in which the Spurs didn't win at least 50 games were because they were strike shortened seasons.

My guess is though, outside of this board, Kobe would win most polls of this kind because he "moves the needle" a lot more than Timmy.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Kobe.

Timmy wouldn't have had half the career he's had without Popovich all this time. Argue that Kobe had Phil, but he's also had Del Harris, Mike Brown, D'antoni and Byron.

If Kobe had Pop on the Lakers his entire career and he'd probably be fighting MJ for top spot in the GOAT discussions.

 

[Bolts]

Tim Duncan, and that's not just because I hate Kobe and the Lakers.

 

[trojanfan12]

Tim Duncan, and that's not just because I hate Kobe and the Lakers.

Hater.

 

[Bolts]

Hater.

 

[Hornsstampede2.0]

Timmy wouldn't have had half the career he's had without Popovich all this time..

Has Kobe even won a single playoff series without Phil?? Has Michael Jordan?

Maybe Kobe wouldn't have any titles without Phil and half the career.

He might have been Tracy McGrady. Any year without Phil, Kobe looks eerily similar to T-Mac results.

As for Popovich, he did not win a damn thing when he coached without Timmy that first year.

 

[trojanfight]

Tough to judge. Different positions. Different quality of teams. The Spurs to my knowledge have never missed the playoffs since Duncan was drafted. Goes without saying he hasn't ever been on a bad team. Kobe was on a bad team and put up 81 points. Surround Tim Duncan with the Smush parkers and kwame Browns of the world and then what. He's had Parker, ginobli among many other solid players his whole career. He's still a great player I just give nod to Kobe with talent and system Duncan has had around him his entire career

 

[Nosferatu]

Tough to judge. Different positions. Different quality of teams. The Spurs to my knowledge have never missed the playoffs since Duncan was drafted. Goes without saying he hasn't ever been on a bad team. Kobe was on a bad team and put up 81 points. Surround Tim Duncan with the Smush parkers and kwame Browns of the world and then what. He's had Parker, ginobli among many other solid players his whole career. He's still a great player I just give nod to Kobe with talent and system Duncan has had around him his entire career

So Kobe is better because the Lakers didn't surround him with better players? That's stupid. You ever think Manu and Tony are what they are because they played with Duncan? There is nothing really special about Manu, 45% shooter, decent 3 point shooter, has never been a great rebounder, not a great defensive player, he's just a high energy guy. Parker also not a great defender, not a great outside shooter, great driver and good passer but put him on the Bucks his entire career and he's just a decent PG. These guys are great because of Timmy.

I like Kobe I just think Timmy is the better player.

 

[trojanfan12]

So Kobe is better because the Lakers didn't surround him with better players?

That's what you got out of that post?

And you called his post stupid?

Wow.

 

[Gooch1034]

Tough to judge. Different positions. Different quality of teams. The Spurs to my knowledge have never missed the playoffs since Duncan was drafted. Goes without saying he hasn't ever been on a bad team. Kobe was on a bad team and put up 81 points. Surround Tim Duncan with the Smush parkers and kwame Browns of the world and then what. He's had Parker, ginobli among many other solid players his whole career. He's still a great player I just give nod to Kobe with talent and system Duncan has had around him his entire career

Any chance Duncan could be that reason the Spurs never missed the playoffs since he arrived?

 

[tlance]

Kobe.

Timmy wouldn't have had half the career he's had without Popovich all this time. Argue that Kobe had Phil, but he's also had Del Harris, Mike Brown, D'antoni and Byron.

If Kobe had Pop on the Lakers his entire career and he'd probably be fighting MJ for top spot in the GOAT discussions.

This is just wrong on so many levels.

Pop is an awesome coach, one of the greatest ever, but, he is also a coach without professional playing experience. Had he not landed in such an amazing situation with highly coachable stars, his career might have looked like Dell Harris.

It does not matter how brilliant a basketball mind the coach has if he can't get the players to buy in. Robinson and Duncan were highly coachable and helped create the amazing culture in San Antonio. They did not care that Pop was not a former NBA player. They gave him their full attention from day 1 anyway. Just look at LeBron and David Blatt if you want to see how a star player can completely derail a coach if they don't buy in. Blatt could be just as knowledgable as Pop, but because LeBron is a dick, he never had a chance.

Kobe needed Phil a lot more than Duncan needed Pop. History has shown that no other coach has been able to get a Kobe led Laker time to serious contender status despite the fact that they had a couple squads talented enough to be there.

 

[bksballer89]

Obviously Duncan