Kobe Bryant: How He Matches Up with His 10 Potential Playoff Matchups
As Kobe Bryant continues the pursuit of his sixth championship ring, he will square off against many different opponents.
This slideshow ranks Kobe against the top shooting guard from the 10 teams the Lakers will most likely face.
To be objective as possible, I created a way to compare each opponent—Adjusted Player Rating.
Here is the formula:
Points per 48 minutes x 1.0
+ Rebounds per 48 minutes x 1.5
+ Assists per 48 minutes x 2.0
+ Blocks per 48 minutes x 2.0
+ Steals per 48 minutes x 2.0
+ Defense Rating
= Adjusted Player Rating
The statistics are from the 2010-2011 regular season and are adjusted per 48 minutes so the players can be compared apples to apples.
Since good defense is hard to measure by stats alone, I assigned each player a defense rating number from 1-10 and added it to the adjusted statistics.
Here is the Adjusted Player Rating for Kobe followed by his defense rating and regular season stats:
Kobe's Adjusted Player Rating: 71.9
Defense rating: 8.0/10.0
2010-2011 Stats: 25.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 4.7 apg, 0.1 bpg, 1.2 spg, 33.9 mpg
10. Jason Richardson, Orlando Magic
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Adjusted Player Rating: 42.8
Defense rating: 3.0/10.0
2010-2011 stats: 15.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.8 apg, 0.2 bpg, 1.2 spg, 33.9 mpg
Jason Richardson was having a great season before being traded from Phoenix. Despite playing more minutes in Orlando, his numbers were down across the board.
The Magic are one loss away from being eliminated by the Hawks, so it is unlikely he will have a chance to compete against Kobe.
If they do face off in the Finals, Kobe will dominate the matchup. Richardson is a streaky shooter, but a very poor defender.
We're more likely to see J-Rich and Zaza Pachulia have lunch together before Game 5 than see Richardson shut down Kobe.
Advantage: Kobe (Adjusted Player Rating differential of 29.2)
9. Ronnie Brewer, Chicago Bulls
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Adjusted Player Rating: 45.9
Defense rating: 7.0/10.0
2010-2011 stats: 6.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.7 apg, 0.3 bpg, 1.3 spg, 22.0 mpg
The Chicago Bulls have three players who split time at shooting guard, but Ronnie Brewer will most likely get the bulk of the minutes.
While Brewer may not wow anyone with a vast repertoire of offensive moves, he is very solid defense.
Kobe is superior on both ends of the court and should have no problem having is way against Brewer.
Advantage: Kobe (Adjusted Player Rating differential of 26.1)
8. James Harden, Oklahoma City Thunder
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Adjusted Player Rating: 46.1
Defense rating: 3.0/10.0
2010-2011 stats: 12.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.1 apg, 0.3 bpg, 1.1 spg, 26.7 mpg
James Harden is a subpar defender. While he has good hands, he is prone to make defensive mistakes and fouls frequently.
He cannot guard Bryant on his own and will need the assistance of a second defender to slow him down.
Harden is valued for his scoring ability and will force Kobe to work hard on defense—something Kobe does not want to do.
Advantage: Kobe (Adjusted Player Rating differential of 25.8)
7. Wesley Matthews, Portland Trail Blazers
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Adjusted Player Rating: 46.2
Defense rating: 7.0/10.0
2010-2011 stats: 15.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.0 apg, 0.1 bpg, 1.2 spg, 33.6 mpg
Wesley Matthews is an inch shorter than Bryant, but is 15 pounds heavier. He plays with a lot of energy and uses his strength to wear down opponents.
In his second year in the NBA, Matthews is a much improved offensive player. He is a threat from beyond the arc and can slash to the rim for easy buckets.
Bryant has had success against Matthews and would love to teach him a lesson in the playoffs. Kobe has the edge, but don't expect Matthews to shy away from Bryant.
Advantage: Kobe (Adjusted Player Rating differential of 25.8)
6. Shane Battier, Memphis Grizzlies
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Adjusted Player Rating: 46.3
Defense rating: 9.0/10.0
2010-2011 stats: 7.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.0 bpg, 0.8 spg, 29.0 mpg
In 2009, Michael Lewis wrote a great article about Shane Battier and referred to him as the "No-Stats All-Star." Battier may not fill up the stat sheet, but he continues to be a phenomenal one-on-one defender.
Battier has done a great job guarding Bryant in the past and takes a different approach than others. Rather than trying to block his shot, Battier is known for putting his hand in Kobe's face to block his vision.
Battier may be a strong asset on defense, but he isn't a big threat on the other side of the court. With that said, if Kobe leaves him open, Battier has a great three-point shot and will make him pay.
Advantage: Kobe (Adjusted Player Rating differential of 25.7)
5. Ray Allen, Boston Celtics
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Adjusted Player Rating: 46.7
Defense rating: 7.5/10.0
2010-2011 stats: 16.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.7 apg, 0.2 bpg, 1.0 spg, 36.1 mpg
Should the Lakers and Celtics meet in the Finals, it would be for the third time in four years. After losing in a seven-game series last year, Ray Allen wants nothing more than to take down Kobe and the Lakers.
At 35 years old, Allen is still a decent defender and loves the challenge of guarding Bryant.
While Allen may work hard to harass him, Kobe can shoot over Allen and score on him in the post.
The Celtics run a lot of screens for Allen and will try to force Kobe to expend a lot of energy. Bryant is better than Allen on both ends of the floor and should have no problem with this matchup.
Advantage: Kobe (Adjusted Player Rating differential of 25.2)
4. Jason Terry, Dallas Mavericks
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Adjusted Player Rating: 49.0
Defense rating: 4.0/10.0
2010-2011 stats: 15.8 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 4.1 apg, 0.2 bpg, 1.1 spg, 31.3 mpg
Should the Mavericks get by the Trail Blazers, Jason Terry will have the privilege of matching up with Bryant.
Terry is a poor defender and an undersized shooting guard. Shawn Marion and DeShawn Stevenson may spend most of the time guarding Kobe, but Kobe will definitely guard Terry.
On offense, Terry is a streaky shooter who can score in bunches. Kobe is the superior player, but will have to crack down on defense to make sure he doesn't get burnt.
Advantage: Kobe (Adjusted Player Rating differential of 23.0)
3. Joe Johnson, Atlanta Hawks
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Adjusted Player Rating: 52.8
Defense rating: 5.0/10.0
2010-2011 stats: 18.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 4.7 apg, 0.1 bpg, 0.7 spg, 35.5 mpg
If the Hawks and Lakers match up, the one thing Kobe won't have to worry about is getting his shot blocked. I don't know how it's possible, but Joe Johnson managed to block only seven shots the entire season.
Johnson is a serviceable defender and will be physical with Kobe, but does not have the ability to shut him down.
On offense, Johnson is an excellent mid-range shooter who has the size and strength to take advantage of most defenses.
He may be bigger and stronger than Bryant, but he is definitely not better.
Advantage: Kobe (Adjusted Player Rating differential of 19.2)
2. Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs
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Adjusted Player Rating: 64.4
Defense rating: 6.5/10.0
2010-2011 stats: 17.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 4.9 apg, 0.4 bpg, 1.5 spg, 30.3 mpg
Manu Ginobili is the most important player on the Spurs and the key to their success in the playoffs.
Ginobili is an intelligent player with great reflexes, but at 33 years old he has lost a step defensively.
He is very pesky and has been known to get under the skin of Bryant. With that said, Kobe should be able to score at will against Ginobili and the Spurs.
While Ginobili still has the ability to take over games, he only does so in short spurts. Even if Ginobili is healthy, Kobe has a clear edge on both offense and defense.
Advantage: Kobe (Adjusted Player Rating differential 7.5)
1. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
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Adjusted Player Rating: 71.9
Defense rating: 8.0/10.0
2010-2011 stats: 25.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 4.6 apg, 1.1 bpg, 1.5 spg, 37.1 mpg
Should the Heat and Lakers meet in the NBA Finals, watching Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant battle would be a treat for all basketball fans.
Bryant and Wade have an identical Adjusted Player Rating of 71.9.
While Dwyane's stats are slightly better than Kobe's, Wade averaged three more minutes per game. When you adjust their stats per 48 minutes, the two post nearly identical numbers.
Wade can get to the basket better than Bryant, but Kobe is a much better shooter.
They are both great defenders with Wade being the better shot-blocker and Bryant the better weak-side defender.
Wade's game is based more on burst and explosion while Bryant's game is based on physique and skill. Bryant and Wade are the best shooting guards in the NBA and no one else is even close.
If forced to choose between the two, Kobe has a slight edge because he has proven to be more clutch. But you really can't go wrong with either one.
Advantage: Even (No Adjusted Player Rating differential)
