Kobe Bryant vs. LeBron James: Who's Played Better This Year?
Kobe Bryant v. LeBron James is the marquee match-up of today's NBA and another installment is due on Christmas Day.
This year, however, will be the first post-"Decision" Kobe-LeBron showdown, and now that LeBron has Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in his corner, to match Pau Gasol, there is plenty of All Star talent on both sides.
Still, as good as Wade, Bosh, and Gasol are, everyone will be looking to King James and the Black Mamba to score 40, hit the game winner, and/or make the incredible dunk.
Both team's have 21 wins and are atop their divisions, but who has had the better season?
Check out this list to find out.
5. Kobe Bryant Has Had the Better Season
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Reason: Kobe Doesn't Have A Dwayne Wade
Bryant and James are putting up fairly similar statistics. Kobe's scoring a point-and-a-half more per game, LeBron is averaging a rebound better and a few assists better.
And overall, the numbers are pretty much a wash: even in terms of three point shooting and field goal percentage.
But the strength of the rest of the Lakers is up front: Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol. Together, those two are averaging nearly 36 per game. And since the Lakers backcourt isn't Shannon Brown and Derek Fisher, Kobe has to carry the bulk of the load. And he has.
LeBron has a great perimeter player beside him in Dwayne Wade and an All-Star big man in Chris Bosh and a decent performer in Zydrunas Ilgauskas.
Kobe is seeing a lot more attention away from the basket than James is.
5. LeBron James Has Had the Better Season
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Reason: Quick Assembly
The Lakers are working towards a third straight NBA championship partly because of the stability of the organization. Aside from his short hiatus, Phil Jackson has been with the club since 1999 and Kobe's been there every day of Jackson's two tenures.
So has Derek Fisher. And although last year was Ron Artest's first in a Laker uniform, this is Pau Gasol's fourth in Los Angeles.
The Heat, aside from Dwayne Wade and a few of the role players, were pretty much slapped together this summer when they acquired James, Chris Bosh, Zydrunas Ilgauskas.
It was a slow start, but that is to be expected under those circumstance.
For James to be pretty consistent from Day One, which he has, while the team is just developing as a uni, is nothing short of spectacular.
4. Kobe Bryant Has Had the Better Season
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Reason: Playing Less Minutes
Kobe's playing time has been slightly scaled back in recent years so the team can rely on him for more minutes in the postseason.
He was averaging over 40 minutes per game just a few seasons back, but this season, his average is down from 39 in 2009-10 to 33.
LeBron is at 37 minutes per game, a number that will probably go up as the season continues.
Although it isn't a tremendous difference, Kobe is playing four minutes fewer this year than James, yet he is still outscoring him and has excellent assist and rebound numbers.
4. LeBron James Has Had the Better Season
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Reason: Greater Expectations
The Lakers are gunning for a second three-peat under Phil Jackson, a feat that would put Kobe on par with Michael Jordan in terms of championship excellence.
And the team that won the Finals in June 2010, was (essentially) back in November to defend their title.
So it's hard to imagine that a player other than Kobe and a team other than the Lakers would have greater expectations in 2010-11. But LeBron James and the Heat do.
Before the season started, they were expected to win 70-plus games. And when they lost seven of their 14 November games, the pressure became 10 times more intense.
The Heat are now in full swing, and it's been James who has spark the recovery.
With the weight of the NBA world on his shoulder, James has played his best basketball.
3. Kobe Bryant Has Had the Better Season
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Reason: Kobe's Older
James is now in the prime of his career: not only is he just about to turn 26 years old, but he's had seven seasons in the NBA to hone his game.
Kobe is seven years older. And as the young stars in the league (Kevin Durant, for example) continue to emerge, Kobe continues to get older and suffer more injuries.
He's been beaten up a lot of the last few years and endured knee and hand injuries, including the finger that's bothered him recently.
Still, he's been able to post several huge games this year, 12 times going over 30 points and carrying the team (41 points in 40 minutes) in their 95-92 loss to Indiana.
And in a stat that's all about hustle, Kobe (36 steals) is also practically matching James (40) steal-for-steal.
3. LeBron James Has Had the Better Season
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Reason: More Impact On The Game
Kobe is a better scorer than LeBron. With the clock winding down there isn't another person in the NBA you'd rather have attempt the game-winning shot.
And although Bryant has been great at getting his teammates involved the last few seasons, James contributes to the Heat in more ways than Bryant does the Lakers.
He handles the ball more in the backcourt than Bryant and runs the offense a little more.
And on defense, he is the main reason why the Heat are allowing the fewest points in the NBA.
2. Kobe Bryant Has Had the Better Season
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Reason: The West Is Best
The East is certainly packed with great players and a few excellent teams. The Heat and Celtics certainly can win the NBA title and the Magic, Bulls, and perhaps the Knicks can make a run in the playoffs.
But the West is certainly deeper. There are just two teams in the East with 19 wins or more, compared to five in the West. Utah and Oklahoma City are off to great starts, while the Spurs (best record in the NBA) are being nipped at the heel by Dallas.
Not only are their more potentially great teams in the West, but the so-called "bad" teams are still pretty good. Houston is 12-16 and without Yao Ming, but they nearly defeated the Lakers on opening night, then did so in early December. The .500 Phoenix Suns and the 12-16 Grizzlies also stunned LA earlier this year.
And if the competition in the West isn't technically "better" at least you can say that they are repeatedly giving the two-time defending champions their best games.
2. LeBron James Has Had the Better Season
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Reason: Since Thanksgiving
The Heat did not off to a great start this year. They lost the opener to Boston, then at two different points in November lost three of four games in a row.
But since Thanksgiving, the Heat have by far the best record in the NBA: 13 wins, one loss. And they've blown opponents out in all but one of those victories. James has dominated during that stretch.
Los Angeles did got off to the ideal start: despite struggling in the opener at home against Houston, they won 13 of their first 15. But since Turkey Day, they have been a pretty average 8-5.
Granted, it's been a long road trip for them most of the way, but the loss at Memphis was almost inexcusable. And Kobe did not play well that day, shooting just 9-of-25. He also shot just 9-of-23 with a season-high six turnovers in the loss at Chicago.
1. Kobe Bryant Has Had the Better Season
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Reason: No Andrew Bynum
He may not quite be Shaquille O'Neal, but Andrew Bynum has blossomed into a very good NBA center during the Lakers consecutive NBA championships.
And although Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom have picked up the slack, they Lakers were not near their full complement of players until Bynum returned in Game 25 of the 2010-11 season.
Kobe's shooting may have struggled without Bynum (tougher to get to the lane without him out there) and that may have been the key factor in the team's woeful 5-6 stretch in mid-November, but he's back now.
But for Kobe to still average 26 points per night and dish out nearly five assists as well without a player like Bynum says a lot about the 32-year-old.
1. LeBron James Has Had the Better Season
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Reason: Two Signature Wins
Kobe has had some great individual games this season, including a 41-point effort against Indiana and a triple double against the Kings.
But LeBron has had two outstanding performances with the spotlight shining far brighter.
In the much-anticipated return to Cleveland, with boos constantly echoing through Quicken Loans Arena, James was magnificent, scoring 38 points (in just 30 minutes) on 15-of-25 shooting during a crushing 118-90 win over his former team.
Two weeks later he topped that with a triple double in Madison Square Gardens over the surging Knicks as the Heat crushed New York 113-91 and extended their winning streak to 11 games.
Those two wins could be considered the spark that lit the Heat's championship fuse.
Conclusion: Who Has Been Better?
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Answer: LeBron James
It hasn't even been one-half of a season, but James has to be considered the better player of the 2010-11 campaign.
Yes, he might have more All Star talent on his squad (even though that is debatable, considering Kobe has Pau Gasol, a very productive Lamar Odom, and Phil Jackson on his bench), but LeBron has been outstanding this year.
To do what he's done with a young coach looking over his shoulder at Pat Riley, a roster mainly pulled together this summer, and in a division that is very good, James and the streaking Heat are starting to live up to their billing.
