Is Kobe Bryant A Top 5 Player in the NBA At This Very Moment?

[xxxAir23xxx]

Me and a few people got into an argument about this topic, and I'm not sure if I'm crazy for thinking it or what but I wouldn't put Kobe in my top 5 right now.

After watching Kobe play this entire season and seeing him shoot his Lakers out of the playoffs, I just can't do it. His game was incredibly ineffective and inefficient this year and his stock really took a hit in my mind.

The question is this - if you could pick any ONE player in the league at 100% health to play for your team during the 2012-2013 season, who would you choose?

My top 5 picks would have to go:
1. LeBron James
2. Kevin Durant
3. Derrick Rose
4. Dwight Howard
5. a tossup between Dwyane Wade/Chris Paul/Russell Westbrook

What's OS's opinion on this? Who would you pick? Am I "out of line" for not choosing Kobe?

[TheShizNo1]

Interesting. I still feel if I needed a player to win me a game, my ball goes to Kobe.

[Sportsbuck]

Re: Is Kobe Bryant A Top 5 Player in the NBA At This Very Moment?

Interesting. I still feel if I needed a player to win me a game, my ball goes to Kobe.

I would've said the same thing a year or two ago, but right now I'm leaning towards Durant.

[JerzeyReign]

Re: Is Kobe Bryant A Top 5 Player in the NBA At This Very Moment?

Not sure how you keep Rose on your list at this moment. Howard is also a head scratcher for me -- maybe when he becomes the focal point of the offense.

I hate Kobe -- I think he's a ballhog who has been getting away with gunning his whole career -- but he puts up numbers -- at the end of the day, thats all that matters.

Not sure who you remove though but Kobe should be on there.

[DieHardYankee26]

Re: Is Kobe Bryant A Top 5 Player in the NBA At This Very Moment?

IMO, I would have him at 5 behind:

1. LeBron
2. Durant
3. Wade
4. CP3
5. Kobe

But I could certainly see a number of players being ahead of him, and could also see an argument being made for him being better than CP3. Just my opinion, but that's how I see it.

[xxxAir23xxx]

Re: Is Kobe Bryant A Top 5 Player in the NBA At This Very Moment?

Not sure how you keep Rose on your list at this moment. Howard is also a head scratcher for me -- maybe when he becomes the focal point of the offense.

I hate Kobe -- I think he's a ballhog who has been getting away with gunning his whole career -- but he puts up numbers -- at the end of the day, thats all that matters.

Not sure who you remove though but Kobe should be on there.

The list is based on if the player is 100% healthy. Right now Rose at 100% is a scary thought. A lot of people seem to have forgotten that he dominated the entire league last season, and was poised to be even better this year until injuries stopped him. He'll be back at 60-70% for half of next season + the post-season. If he stays healthy through that, he'll be back 2013-2014 at 100% and only 24.5 years old. Dude is a monster.

Dwight's offensive post-game lacks the polish it should have at this point in his career, no doubt, but the things he does do well can't be coached. His size and athleticism alone make him formidable. NBA GM's had Dwight being the player you have to make the most adjustments to (http://www.nba.com/news/features/201...vey/index.html). Dude averaged 20 points, 15 boards, and 2 blocks with basically no help and defenses creating their entire gameplan on stopping him offensively. If Dwight had the support on his squad that LeBron, Kobe, Durant, or CP3 have, there's really nothing you can do to stop him. I will, however, call him out on that bitch move he pulled at the end of the season. It has nothing to do with his play though, he's great.

[Vni]

Re: Is Kobe Bryant A Top 5 Player in the NBA At This Very Moment?

Wade hardly deserves to be top 5.

[Scott]

Re: Is Kobe Bryant A Top 5 Player in the NBA At This Very Moment?

1. Durant
2. James
3. CP3
4. Kobe
5. Howard

[Vni]

Re: Is Kobe Bryant A Top 5 Player in the NBA At This Very Moment?

Does it really make sense anyway to compare players from different position? Is Cp3 better than James? Is Durant better than Howard?

Doesn't really make sense to me.

[TajDeni]

Re: Is Kobe Bryant A Top 5 Player in the NBA At This Very Moment?

to me this entire thread is a lil disrespectful and flattering at the same time.

because Kobe is now headed into his 17th season and yet its still reasonably arguable that Kobe is a top five player.

At this point in his career Kobe should be above trival conversation of comparision to players currently in the league. they are like babies to him. he's chasing ghosts of players past.

lebron has played 9 long season and yet Kobe has still double his career in yrs and minutes played

i look at it like this, imo the only reason Kobe isnt still the best player in the league is father time. he still has the most complete skillset in the league today, he is just older and slower now. he completely revamped his entire game to account for this slippage in athleticism. is P4P the best post player in the nba today and has the best footwork in the post since maybe young Timmy or the Dream.

when he was in his prime (2 yrs of which the Lakers organization wasted) and when he was Durants age he was way more killa that Durant, Rose, or Lebron is now. ppl 4 get when Kobe was 22-23 he had already won 3 chips and was the closer for his teams. alot of those series he was the mvp of the real playoffs, the WCP

him and shaq both were avg 30pt/g for an entire playoff run. let me say that again, 30pts/g not being the 1st option. all b4 the age of 23.

but here's the real question. when all the guys you named are in their 17th season provided they make it that far will they still be as cold as Kobe or up for discussion as a top 5 player. when these guys athleticism starts to slip will they be Kobe or MJ or will they become TMac and V.Carters.

so disrespectful this thread is.

[DieHardYankee26]

Re: Is Kobe Bryant A Top 5 Player in the NBA At This Very Moment?

to me this entire thread is a lil disrespectful and flattering at the same time.

because Kobe is now headed into his 17th season and yet its still reasonably arguable that Kobe is a top five player.

At this point in his career Kobe should be above trival conversation of comparision to players currently in the league. they are like babies to him. he's chasing ghosts of players past.

lebron has played 9 long season and yet Kobe has still double his career in yrs and minutes played

i look at it like this, imo the only reason Kobe isnt still the best player in the league is father time. he still has the most complete skillset in the league today, he is just older and slower now. he completely revamped his entire game to account for this slippage in athleticism. is P4P the best post player in the nba today and has the best footwork in the post since maybe young Timmy or the Dream.

when he was in his prime (2 yrs of which the Lakers organization wasted) and when he was Durants age he was way more killa that Durant, Rose, or Lebron is now. ppl 4 get when Kobe was 22-23 he had already won 3 chips and was the closer for his teams. alot of those series he was the mvp of the real playoffs, the WCP

him and shaq both were avg 30pt/g for an entire playoff run. let me say that again, 30pts/g not being the 1st option. all b4 the age of 23.

but here's the real question. when all the guys you named are in their 17th season provided they make it that far will they still be as cold as Kobe or up for discussion as a top 5 player. when these guys athleticism starts to slip will they be Kobe or MJ or will they become TMac and V.Carters.

so disrespectful this thread is.

I think that's the point of the whole at this very moment part of the thread title. We're ignoring all of that stuff and looking at it today. History, thrown away and everyone 100% of what they are today.

[TajDeni]

Re: Is Kobe Bryant A Top 5 Player in the NBA At This Very Moment?

I think that's the point of the whole at this very moment part of the thread title. We're ignoring all of that stuff and looking at it today. History, thrown away and everyone 100% of what they are today.

i get that, but the man is going into his 17th season, when the next closest person on the list hasnt even played half his career yet.

to me he is still top 5 but at his age he should be grandfathered above convos like this imo.

on top of the fact when he was their age, he wouldve set fire to all their behinds.

this entire thread says more about Kobe's greatness than it does any player on his list greatest. to be this far into your career and still top 5, thats why i say this entire thread is disrespectful imo

but ive said what i wanted to say...

[Yeah...THAT Guy]

He wouldn't be in my top 5. I'd have LBJ, Durant, Howard, CP3, Rose and a few others ahead of him.

[KSOR24]

Re: Is Kobe Bryant A Top 5 Player in the NBA At This Very Moment?

What I don't get is why Kevin Durant is at 2 but Kobe isn't even on here. Kobe almost averaged more points this season if it weren't for his injury and he averages one more assist a game. Durant is 23, while Kobe is 33 and still getting it done. So what exactly does Durant do better that puts him so far above Kobe? I think you're basing this question just off of one playoff series. When nobody else stepped up their game, Kobe took over (game 5 to be specific) and had to put the team on his back. You probably think that he isn't a top 5 player because of his tendency to shoot a lot of contested shots. You can't forget that some games Durant does virtually nothing while Westbrook is scoring the entire game and puts Durant in a position where all he has to do is take the final shot. So here's my list:

1. Kevin Durant
2. LeBron James
3. Kobe
4. Dwight Howard
5. Chris Paul or Deron Williams

[Vni]

Re: Is Kobe Bryant A Top 5 Player in the NBA At This Very Moment?

Better field goals percentage makes the difference.