[Maniac MaciejParticipant]

Although it wasn’t by a wide margin, T-Mac was statistically better than Kobe up through about 2004-05. If you could have either player for one season at the peak of their abilities, who do you take?

[FastAndFuriousParticipant]

 Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood question 

I’m taking TMAC tho, his ability to score the ball in Orlando was unreal, plus he had sick handles and crazy athleticism. Also good for 7 boards and 5 assist a game.

[gopack10Participant]

Kobe has 5 rings.  T-Mac has never made it out of the first round.  Why would I ever take T-Mac over Kobe for just one season?

Isn’t it about winning?

Looking at the stats are misleading in an argument like this.  T-Mac might have equalled Kobe for a certain stretch of his career but Kobe was playing with Shaq during that time and T-Mac was playing with Drew Gooden.

 

[GrandmamaParticipant]

In terms of skills, very close.  In terms of competitors and desire to win, not close.  Kobe hands down…. 

[FastAndFuriousParticipant]

Get the question confused the rings don’t matter in this question. It’s peak Kobe VS peak T-Mac.

Which player had the best ability at their peak. Of course Kobe winning wise wins, he had Shaq who was an absolute monster back then.

I think the question is more towards game vs game, not rings,accolades etc. Just pure basketball abilities.

I take T-Mac 

[Maniac MaciejParticipant]

T-Mac in 02-03 > Kobe in 05-06…in short, T-Mac’s best season was statistically better than Kobe’s.

Unfortunately, during T-Mac’s peak years with the Magic, the best player he played with was Darrell Armstrong. He left Toronto before he hit his peak, and then his knees shut down when he joined Yao.

[Tongue-Out-Like-23Participant]

I’ll take McGrady.

I don’t know of another 6’8-6’9 swingman with his ball-handling ability.  He handled the ball like Rose and Paul only he was about half a foot taller than Rose.  You add that much size with his elite athleticism along with a nice scoring touch and you get yourself a 30+ppg scorer.  He was also an underrated passer, his court vision is pretty incredible when you consider his size.  In his athletic prime, he was freakish and averaged nearly 8rpg while playing shooting guard.  He’s a guy that could you get 50 points easier than anybody in the league because of all of his athletic and physical strengths.  Not to mention, the dude is clutch, we’re not talking about some guy that could not get it done in the clutch, he loved the clutch, he was unstoppable in the clutch.  I’m a firm believe that if T-Mac and Yao would have stayed healthy, they would have won a ring or two.

He and Kobe pretty much revolutionized that SG position in terms of their length.  They both have extremely long arms and that’s what helps them shoot over smaller guards in fadeaway or turnaround situations.

[Maniac MaciejParticipant]

I also think T-Mac’s 13 in 33 is more impressive than Kobe’s 81.

[TyroberParticipant]

 13 points in 33 seconds is very impressive, but Kobe scored 81. 81 points!!! The second most in a game all time. I’ll take Kobe.

[Maniac MaciejParticipant]

If T-Mac kept up that pace for 48 minutes, he would have scored 1135 points, give or take. That would be far more than the previous single-game record. 

[KDThunder35Participant]

 T-Mac also played in a far weaker Eastern Conference at the time.  The Western Conference was at its peak when Kobe was killing.  Give me Kobe at his peak all day.

[Demarcus OnealParticipant]

That has got to be one of the stupidest things I have ever heard? If T-MAC kept the pace of 13 pointsin 33 seconds, I seriously hope your joking

[Maniac MaciejParticipant]

I seriously hope YOU’RE joking. 

[FastAndFuriousParticipant]

The NBA is the NBA T-Mac torched teams in both conference, T-Mac peak over Kobe peak.

[Juice1900Participant]

T-MAC all day

[JoeWolf1]

 T-Mac’s stats were better through -04-05 because Kobe was playing with the most dominant center of his generation.  The year T-Mac averaged 32 ppg the Magic’s 2nd leading scorer who played more than 50 games was Pat Garrity at 10.7 ppg.  He had to score that much, just like when Kobe was put in that situation he dropped 35 a better #2 in Lamar Odom.

I think Kobe was the better scorer, the better defender,  and has more desire.  T-Mac was a better rebounder and a better distributer, but I don’t think it’s even that close.  T-Mac had a great few years, but Kobe is an All-Time great.

Kobe, all day long, even when both players were in their primes.

 

[surveParticipant]

 and I have debated this before.  my unbiased answer is, its a toss up.  T-Mac was every bit the killer Kobe was at his peak.  my personal preference would be T-Mac because I think he was a better team player at his peak.  

as a disclaimer however, Kobe has more tunnel vision with the less talent around him but when Kobe has talent he can TRUST, he is just as good all around as T-Mac was.

[gopack10Participant]

The original post asked the following question:

If you could have either player for one season at the peak of their abilities, who do you take?

One season means that we are talking about a player on a team throughout the entire season which in my opinion includes the playoffs.

The question wasn’t who had the better stats when compared to the other or who would you take in a one on one matchup.

If you had to choose to one of those guys for a season then there should be zero question in anyone’s mind that it is Kobe.  I’ll say it again, he has 5 championship rings.  He has only missed the playoffs once in his entire career if I remember correctly all the while T-Mac has struggled to make the playoffs each year and has never made it out of the first round.  Sorry guys but this is no contest.

[Malik-UniversalParticipant]

@maniac maceji

if u really think tmac wouldve kept the pace of 13 points in 33 seconds for a WHOLE game, then u really need to get checked out by a doctor of some sorts

 

[FastAndFuriousParticipant]

 Kobe in his peak lost in the first round of the playoffs and averaged 27.9 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 5.1 APG

T-Mac in his peak lost in the first round of the playoffs as well and averaged 31.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 4.7 APG

I think them rings Kobe has get to people’s head a tad bit too much, Kobe by himself lost in the first round of the playoffs during his peak and didn’t even make the playoffs a year before or after that(can’t remember) 

T-Mac peak numbers are better than Kobe’s peak numbers regular season and playoffs.

Kobe is the better player of course, but as far as peak goes T-Mac has him beat.

[surveParticipant]

 I think T-Mac no less than Kobe’s equal as a scorer, but I believe maybe better.  T-Mac never was a guy to shoot every single time.  Thats not a diss to Kobe, its just that Kobe’s main game is Alpha Dog scorer and when he had no one he could trust he tried to score all the points.  T-Mac put Houston on his back against Utah in the playoffs, he could score too, but the way he did it was effortless.  Kobe has made some impossible shots, but with lesser talent around him he just seems hellbent on carrying the team scoring wise, like this year and those years dont equal to championships.  At the same time in T-Mac, you are talking about a guy who had many games with double figure assist totals.  Kobe was not bad either, but as you said, rebounding and assist edge goes to T-Mac.  I think if T-Mac had the same durability, his career would have been just as good and fulfilling as Kobe’s.

[Maniac MaciejParticipant]

If YOU really think I was being serious that anyone could keep that pace for beyond 33 seconds, then YOU still need to learn to spell out the word YOU.

[Tongue-Out-Like-23Participant]

Maniac Maciej

Are you 11?

[Maniac MaciejParticipant]

People argue that T-Mac’s stats were better because he had worse teammates, but then indict because his teams didn’t perform well enough in the playoffs. Does anyone see a problem with that?

Young Kobe was viewed as a great talent and a unquestionably selfish teammate( …kinda like 2011-12 Kobe). He seems like he was able to overcome that thanks to a Hall of Fame center early in his career and he put it aside to win later in his career. 

T-Mac never had the same questions, really…but he never had the same teammates either. Put prime T-Mac on any of those Laker teams in place of Kobe and I think they’d still win a championship.

[surveParticipant]

 do you have no regard as to who were on the respective player’s teams during those playoffs?  Kobe is a big time player in the playoffs and has 5 rings, but he didnt do that alone.  this post is comparing individually head to head and who you would rather have.  thats like saying injuries notwithstanding, T-Mac on the same team with Shaq, Odom, Pau, etc..etc… would get put out of the playoffs.

[gopack10Participant]

That all depends on your definition of Kobe in his peak.  Just because he averaged the most PPG of his career those two years that doesn’t mean it was his peak.  Players can have more than just one or two years at their peak.  I would argue that Kobe’s peak was the three year span from 2007-2010 when he won back to back titles and appeared in a third Finals against the Celtics.

You can’t just pick and choose certain years just to make your argument valid.

[Maniac MaciejParticipant]

11 and a half. 

[FastAndFuriousParticipant]

 Also while T-Mac stats are better all around.

T-Mac shot better from the field in their peak years.

Took better care of the ball in their peak years.

Shot a better 3pt% their peak years.

Had equal amount of steals peak years.

O and played LESS minutes as well.

 

[gopack10Participant]

No, this post isn’t comparing invididually head to head.  Go back and read the very first question that was asked.  Who would you take for one season.  Unless you know some league where you can play a one on one head to head season then you have to assume that we are talking about an NBA season with other players around him.  T-Mac made other players better no doubt but Kobe has won 5 rings and been to 7 NBA Finals.  He is clearly the player I take for one season at their peak.

[gopack10Participant]

You can toss out individual stats all you want.  We aren’t talking about who had better stats.  For the umpteenth time.  The question is who would you rather have for a single season and for that there is no argument.  Kobe…hands down.

[JoeWolf1]

Yeah, T-Mac was a great scorer, no doubt.  What I loved about T-Mac is that he could pretty much pull up from about anywhere, he had a great mid-range game and a couple of dribbles paired with his size and vert made him pretty unstoppable without even having to cut to the hoop.

I still disagree, though.  Although Kobe benefitted from the inside/outside game Shaq provided, he dropped 30 ppg as a 1B option.  Shaq didn’t hold him back, they were a great duo and won 3 titles together, but if Kobe were playing for the Magic or Rockets I feel he’d be a more prolific scorer than T-Mac was in those scenarios. He had just as good of a mid-range game and, in his prime, was quicker off the dribble and a better slasher. 

It’s close, it’s by no means Kobe by a landslide when it comes to which player was the better scorer, but I feel Kobe still takes the edge.

[mbunner23Participant]

 McGrady was a flat out beast! But give me Kobe. His desire to win is unmatched.

[Maniac MaciejParticipant]

"The question is who would you rather have for a single season and for that there is no argument. Kobe…hands down."

There is actually an argument…see the above posts.

[Maniac MaciejParticipant]

 Doesn’t anyone remember the Kobe that spent entire games passing the ball to prove how valuable he was?

[Knicksboy42Participant]

 Kobe. Always felt McGrady was overrated as a player, and he had some stinkers in the playoffs.

[FastAndFuriousParticipant]

 Anything to change it up just to give Kobe an edge lol

Kobe’s peak year is clearly 05-06

dude averaged 35.4 ppg

argubaly shot his best from 3(34% on 6 attempts per game)

got to the free throw line the most he ever has in his career 10.2 attempts per game.

scored 81 points in one game

and scored 62 points in 3 quarters

and won the scoring title

that’s his peak, he may not have been winning much, but he was playing the best basketball of his life.

 

[xavier328Participant]

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Without having to got check which player is which who your taking?

                               Peak Seasons

Player A                                                                                  Player B

PPG 31.2                                                                                 PPG 35.4

RBG 6.5                                                                                   RPG 5.3

APG 5.5                                                                                   APG 4.5

 

Player A                                                                                              Player B

PPG  28                                                                                               PPG 31.6

RBG 6                                                                                                  RPG 5.7

APG 5.5                                                                                               APG 5.4

 

Player A                                                                                              Player B

PPG 25.7                                                                                             PPG 28.3

RBG 6.2                                                                                               RPG 6.3

APG 5.7                                                                                               APG 5.4

 

[NJHooper95Participant]

When people mention titles as the ultimate criteria for a great player it bugs me at times. If rings are everything then Michael Jordan is NOT arguably the best player ever. If rings are everything, then Horace Grant is BETTER than Malone and Barkley. Forget rings and stats, the question is game for game, who would take. I will answer the question Kobe, because of a killer instinct that is matched by few.

Please people stop harping on rings when it comes to talent. In order to get rings you have to a team no matter how great you are. Oscar Robertson only has one ring, but many mention him as a top 3 player of all-time, why because individually he was as good as anybody to play. Many people say that Lebron is the best in the game today, he has no rings, but he is an extraordinary talent.

[FastAndFuriousParticipant]

 Player A is the all around better player, even if its a small margine.

So Player A

[Tobe BryantParticipant]

The first mistake we are making is our definitions of each player’s peak. Peak isn’t defined as the best statistical season, but more of the point at which a player arrives as a superstar in this league we call the NBA. Even if you observe the time when both playsrs elevated their games to elite status, you gotta give Kobe the nod. I’m not taking away from T-Mac’s game, but Kobe putting on his full aresnal of offense. And defense is ridiculous.

And even if you account stats, Kobe had stupid numbers in most rounds prior to reaching most NBA Finals matchups with his teammates Shaq.

[xavier328Participant]

 

[franfranParticipant]

 tracy mcgrady every day of my life, always had magic in his hands

[aamir543Participant]

Great qeustion, and I would take 03 T-Mac over 03 Kobe, but that’s it, Kobe was so great in evry season, even in 03, but a 6-8 shooting guard that can play the three, run the point, distribute, get boards, and score 30 a game, that is amazing, but I would take Kobe every other year.

[JoeWolf1]

I understand the ring arguement gets old, but Tracy McGrady played 4 years with, at the time, the best center in the league and never made it out of the first round of the playoffs.  It’s not just that McGrady has no rings, it’s that he’s never won a playoff series.  That is a big differance.  Lebron and AI losing in the Finals is one thing, but winning 50 games and getting dumped in the 1st round year after year isn’t the same.

I think Kobe’s 5 rings hold more weight in this comparison than they would if we were comparing him to Iverson or Lebron who willed average teams to the NBA Finals.

[Maniac MaciejParticipant]

Yao and T-Mac were rarely heatlhy at the same time. They missed the playoffs when T-Mac was injured most of the season, and Yao missed at least one postseason. Had they had four full injury-free seasons together, I imagine the results would have been different.

[mcbaileyParticipant]

McGrady was my favorite player when I first started watching basketball regularly. He was still in Orlando at that point. People say that Carmelo is the best scorer in the NBA right now, but McGrady was every bit the scorer that Melo is, and a better passer and defender to boot (I realize that Melo isn’t a part of this discussion, but I’m using him as an example based on what I’ve heard most NBA experts say about his scoring). It’s a shame that injuries to both McGrady and Yao hurt them in the playoffs, and the one time I can remember them both being healthy for a series, they went up to a quick 3-0 and let their foot off the gas. However, Kobe quit in 06 against the Suns, so I’m not going to use "killer instinct" as a way to defend him.

 

In the end, you honestly couldn’t go wrong choosing either, to be honest. I’d choose McGrady just because I’m biased. If we we’re choosing based on legacy, though, then there’s no debate to be had.

 

[CoachWorthyParticipant]

where Tmac killed Kobe, both in their primes. Kobe would not guard him while T Mac guarded Kobe the whole game. Kobe may have been slightly beyond prime but not by much. However T mac having no sucess in the playoffs ever…ever… is the best reason to go with Kobe. How can you take a guy at his peak when he doesnt win at the apex of the sport? McGrady always had good playoff numbers and showed cockyness in guaranteeing a series win before, so I give him credit, though. I have disgusted people all the time when I mention how I fill Garnet might be as good or better (yeah I said it) than Duncan. Team is sucess is how we ultimately judge guys. If Lebron wins 5, 6, or 7 he’s compared to Kobe and Jordan. If he wins one, then he wont be. Wilkins, Garnet, TMac were as good as the top players all time but no team sucess no talk of greastest, point blank. Reluctantly got to go with the Mamba.

Handles   Garnet

Post        Duncan

Passing    toss up

Shot       Garnet

Block     Garnet

Rebounding     toss up

Steals      Garnet

Defense    Garnet

Free Throws     Garnet

Great organization, rings, teamates (Drob, S. Elliot, Tparker, MGinobli, RC Buford) vs. (Cassel Good player but me first,Sprewell, WSwerbiak, McHale)   Duncan, Duncan, Duncan.

[JoeWolf1]

 @Maniac Maciej

Not many elite wings get to play with 20/10 centers and during two playoff runs McGrady got to.  Injuries did hurt both of their legacies, but I’m not buying it as an excuse as to why Tracy never got out of the 1st round.

The Orlando experiment was a failure due to Grant Hill’s ankle, but they were undable to move past very average Buck and Hornet teams.

 Both Ming and McGrady were healthy for the 04-05 playoffs and the 06-07 playoff where Yao dropped 25 and 10.  The West was strong back then, but I just can’t get past the fact McGrady has never won a playoff series when comparing him to 5 time NBA Champion Kobe Bryant.

I know this topic originally started out as which player would you choose during their prime and not who has the better career, so I’ll bow out of this side tangent, but that is my opinion on that matter.

[surveParticipant]

 when you do strictly a numbers view, its still too close to call.  player b looks like the better scorer on paper but player a looks like the better rebounder and assist guy.  this is why I hate just comparing on paper because there are so many other variables, starting with teammates.

as far as the question being for one season, I still stick with my answer.  non-biased, its a toss up because they were virtually even.  personally, I go with T-Mac.

another thing that gets really old here…..Kobe’s competitiveness and desire to win.  Although it cant be overstated (because he got that from MJ)…. when other players are compared, they will never measure up in people’s minds and that in fact is underrating.  Greg Oden can have the most competitive fire and will to win, but we may never know it if he doesnt get healthy.  Kobe is a winner no doubt, but there are other players who hate to lose just as bad and love to win just as much….circumstances may be different though.

[surveParticipant]

 check this out though….and tell me what you think of this argument….

if you argument is that T-Mac never got past the 1st round then let’s look at when Kobe didnt succeed in the playoffs.

now if T-Mac never got past 1st round, it doesnt matter who was on his team, its irrelevent because the fact is he never did, but this fact should not be used as some sort of implication that Kobe could.

Kobe never won a playoff series without All Star talent around him.  Unless you want to count Odom as All Star level, which I would say he was, but even with him, he did NOT win a series.

Post Shaq-Pre Gasol years, the Lakers didnt make it to the playoffs one year and the other two got put out by the Suns 1st round.  So any notion that Kobe can do more than anyone else without help around him is unfounded.  Likewise with MJ.  His Bulls were never above .500 until Pippen and Grant joined the team.

 

[Maniac MaciejParticipant]

Anyone remember Game 7 of that 2006 series vs. the Suns? 

[llperez]

Offensive skills, they were about equal. Defensively Kobe was miles ahead of tmac .Plus Kobe was mentally tougher in terms of putting his head down and attacking while tmac settled more often.

[HaleParticipant]

T-Mac was probably better for like one year. I was a huge T-Mac fan but I’d take Kobe every year but 2003.

[iguapops420Participant]

 Kobe 62 points in 3 quarters. Dallas mavericks, 61 points in the same 3 quarters. His scoring did in fact beat a team single handedly through 3 quarters. Wow.  lol.

I take Kobe hands down, because for all of those people saying that Mac is just as good a scorer are foolish, as he didn’t have the same jumper or post game.; Better(more willing) passer and nearly the same at handling the ball. Kobe’s defense during their prime’s was also on a completely different level. As Rick Fox once said in regards to Mac, " Tracy ran through everyone,…except Kobe." Kobe locked down everyone from Mac, to VC, to Pierce, to Nash. It’s not just about their offensive abilites which is mainly all I’ve seen people argue about so far.

Kobe won while Mac didn’t. IMO, T-Mac was the prototype for LeBron and the T1000 of Scottie Pippen.

 Different kinds of players both terrific. Personally they are 2 of my top 5 favorite players of all time and I appreciate what both did for the game of basketball in the early 2000’s. Shame Mac didn’t have a real work ethic, because that IMO is the one thing that truely seperates Mac and Bean. I always wanted the two to somehow end up playing together in their primes to create the 2000’3 Jordan/Pippen. 

I take Kobe simply off his will. Pretty damn equal players overall though.

[billykParticipant]

 Kobe because in his prime he was a lockdown defender and he was an elite scorer.. I don’t think McGrady was ever the type of on and off ball defender Kobe was in his prime..

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

 The Kobe hate in this threads atrocious. 

T-Mac could only match Kobe at the offense end. At the defensive end, it wasn’t even close. During Kobe’s peak, he was arguably the best wing lockdown defender in basketball. You could never say that about T-Mac.

And lol at the guy who said 13 points in 33 secs was better than 81. Smh.

[Maniac MaciejParticipant]

The 81 game is overrated. It was just Kobe basically taking aim at getting a really big number against a really bad Toronto Raptors defense. It’s a big number, but David Robinson also once scored 71 points in a game. Karl Malone once scored 61 points on 26 shots in 33 minutes…he also had 18 rebounds. Bottom line: I don’t think it’s even Kobe’s most impressive game. The 62 through 3 quarters against a good Mavericks team.

The 13 in 33 came against Bruce Bowen and a very good Spurs team. The unlikeliness of the Rockets overcoming that deficit in that short period of time just makes it more impressive to me.

Kobe does have T-Mac beat on the defensive side, but I don’t think the difference is as large as some of you make it out to be. T-Mac was certainly a very good defender as well, and if you just watched Kobe vs. T-Mac, you’d have a hard time telling who was the better defender.

 

[ItsVictorOladipoParticipant]

Anything to change it up just to give Kobe an edge lol

Kobe’s peak year is clearly 05-06

dude averaged 35.4 ppg

argubaly shot his best from 3(34% on 6 attempts per game)

got to the free throw line the most he ever has in his career 10.2 attempts per game.

scored 81 points in one game

and scored 62 points in 3 quarters

and won the scoring title

that’s his peak, he may not have been winning much, but he was playing the best basketball of his life.

————————————————————————————————————-

Frankly I don’t agree with that. Yes that’s the year he averaged a career high in ppg but I think 2003 was his best season.

It’s the year when he eclipsed Shaq as the focal point of the Lakers and put up the best all around numbers of his career; 30 ppg (3rd highest total for him), 5.9 APG (second highest mark of his career), 6.9 RPG, 2.2 APG and 38.3 3pt% (all career highs). He was one of the best perimeter defenders in the league and unstoppable offensively.

Now 2003 is also arguably the best year of McGrady’s career as well; 32.1 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 5.5 APG and 1.7 SPG.

Interestingly enough, McGrady had a PER of 30.3 to Kobe’s 26.2 and averaged 16.1 win shares to Kobe’s 14.9. Although Kobe finished one spot ahead of TMac in the MVP voting (3rd place with 496 points to McGrady’s 427 points). The comparison certainly is a lot closer than many people would like to admit.

[Future_Scout]

30 ppg on 49%. 7.5 ast 5 rebs 2.2 stls 1.3 BLKS 

wade’s prime

[mcbaileyParticipant]

 Let’s not keep dragging new players into this discussion, because eventually someone is going to bring Michael Jordan into it and the conversation stops entirely.

[Future_Scout]

 lol ok mb

[PulseGlazerParticipant]

I love how long it took to get to defense!  Thank you, Indiana!  Kobe is a far better defender and, as such, a far, far superior player.  Offensively, there is absolutely an arguement over who was superior – I like TMac’s passing enough more that I may even take him – but as a player, defense counts and Kobe owns TMac there. 

Also notable – Kobe had far superior teammates and coaching to pretty much everyone ever.  Can we keep that in mind for future debates please?  He wasn’t Mr. Super-Winner when Phil retired and his best teammates were Kwame and Smush.  It’s a team sport!

And Duncan was superior to KG, if for no other reason than Tim played more in the post, where he demanded double teams and made his team’s offense far more effective than KG.  I’d also argue that pre-Thibs defensive schemes, Duncan’s dominating low-post defense was superior to KG’s more versatile efforts.  That, in recent years, has changed.

[llperez]

here is a game between the two from 2003-04 season that i also think of when comparing the two. I actually remember this game well and was surprised to see it up on youtube right now. But it was tmac and the magic giving the lakers the business and then late in the third the lakers put kobe on tmac and it was an absolute clinic from there on out.

[iguapops420Participant]

 Perez, that’s what game I was referring to when I quoted Rick Fox as saying that T-Mac ran through everbody…except.

[aamir543Participant]

 Anyone that said T-Mac was better than Kobe for even one year, watch that video llperez posted and you’ll change your mind. He did it so flawlessly, we need to be reminded that even though stats say he was just as good then as he is now, he was so much more unguardable then than he is now. T-Mac may hve been the 2nd best perimeter player for many years, but Kobe was the best, end of story. The way Kobe so effortlessly dominated that game on both offensively and defensively, it makes me want to watch someon dominate a game like that again, I loved the NBA from 03-06, my favorite years.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

Wow at that video… Kobe just took that game over.

People forget how great of a defender Kobe was at his peak.

[surveParticipant]

we can argue a lot of these points but the fact is, its still up to interpretation due to so many variables.  I remember that game, but the Lakers was a extremely good defensive team, especially on help defense.   You guys also seem to forget that its easier to play help defense when other guys wont or cant make you pay.  Although Kobe has been the primary focus of offense for most of his career, he always had Shaq or Pau to make you pay for helping…..one of the reasons why Kobe is a good assist guy.  

T-Mac was never the defender that Kobe was, true, but when was he on as good a team with as good a coach?  I argue that T-Mac on a team with extreme talent was just as effective because even though Kobe was a better defender, T-Mac could drop his scoring and really distrubute if need be.  Team philosophy and coaching makes a huge difference as well.  regardless of if you feel Kobe was better, the gap was not that wide.

That game though….I mean come on, it was Shaq and Kobe w/ Fisher, Malone, and Payton vs T-Mac w/Juwan Howard, Drew Gooden, Deshawn Stephenson, Andrew DeClerq.  thats two 20 plus scorers with two other guys that avg over 14ppg against one 20 plus scorer and only one other guy that avg over 12ppg.  come on man.  its easy to lock someone up if nobody else can hurt you, also easy to run wild when you have so many other offensive weapons that can damage the other team.

If you were to switch their teams that year, I have no doubt that T-Mac wouldve been considered the better player that year.  No doubt whatsoever.

[Author]

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