Got a random “yo ya waves spinning” comment just now… oh I’m definitely getting a pre c-day shape up this week & I ain’t even wear my durag last night lol
I have no clue where I’m watching this game tn. Initially was going to watch outside the Garden but that’s shot cause of Trump coming in. Bryant Park website was a disaster. Going to have to dig deep.
During the first two games of the Finals, Victor Wembanyama has rolled 47 times as the screener in pick actions. At least one of New York's off-ball defenders has tagged Wemby on 27 of those rolls, allowing him just two touches on those plays and only one point.
Certainly debatable
But I thought Kobe was still better than Bron in 09 , he presented a better floor game in the half court in a playoff setting
There tends to be a revisionist history about how well-rounded LeBron was in his early years. Now, of course, LeBron was fucking incredible in 2008-2009 and he ran away with the MVP, while leading a cast of role players to 66 wins. However, he was still in the early stages of building a reliable three pointer. He shot 34.4% on 4.7 attempts in 08-09. Kobe also wasn't a thee point specialist, but he shot 35.1% that season on similar volume (4.1 attempts).
The primary argument I would make for Kobe that season was that he was still at the tail-end of his athletic peak, while building the most well-rounded offensive arsenal in the game. There was no defense you could build to beat him, and when it came to the finals, Dwight's rim protection was in large part mitigated by Kobe's mid-range game.
LeBron, on the other hand, was incredible at getting to the rim, but that was basically his offensive repertoire at that point. He was not a great shooter, he didn't have a post-game, and he didn't have a remarkably diversified offensive skill-set.
With respect to the argument that his team wasn't good - well I don’t agree , Sure, he didn't have anyone like Pau, but we have learned from later LeBron that he functions best with role players who fit perfectly around what he wants to do. Whose to say LeBron would have altered his game to allow Pau to work around the low post - something LBJ would not do for Love when he was at the stage of his career where Kobe was in 09. In 09 - for Cavs players who played a minimum of 15 MPG and shot a minimum of 1.5 3PA per game - he was surrounded by FIVE PLAYERS who shot at least 38% from three, and three of those players shot at least 41%.
People cite LeBron's numbers in the Magic series, but negate that their entire game plan was built around staying home on shooters and letting LeBron get whatever he wanted. Over the six game series, LeBron shot 29.7% from three on over six attempts per game. He shot 26 times per game, which is a huge statistical outlier for Bron. The Magic took away the three from the role players (Delonte - 32%; Sasha - 20%; Wally - 17%) and the Cavs lacked a secondary creator to take pressure off Bron. Bron had a historically good series and scored 38.5 per game, but you have to consider that was the Magic's entire strategy ... and it worked.
Overall, between Kobe and Bron that season - I think it's close and you can make an argument either way. Kobe was starting a gradual decline and Bron was ascending rapidly, but I'd say this was still a season where Kobe put it all together, whereas LeBron was still figuring out how to win and how to best utilize his talents.
Several things happened that game… Firstly seeing the Celtics and Paul Pierce especially be on the losing end of anything brought me joy.. But that was the moment I really realized Bron was everything everybody had said he was up to that point lol, I just didn’t want to believe