[WälseParticipant]

Welcome everyone to the forum dedicated to the second greatest basketball thinker in the world. Just ask a question, and prepare to be educated by The Great DHAMP. Class is now in session.

I’ll go ahead and get us started. Mr. DHAMP, would you please explain the merits of Syracuse’s Eric Devendorf and tell us why he belongs on an NBA roster?

[wowthisisneatParticipant]

DHAMP overrated…it takes him saying it hundreds of times after his own posts to certify it

[sheltwon3Participant]

Wow this is the funniest post ever. I do wonder about D Hamp’s background for real because either it is all for jokes or dude is a young un because I don’t understand how his mind works. He does know a lil bit about basketball though. That Greatest basketball thinker sense Hubie Brown is funny. I am a 28 black male living in Texas I aint hard to find just in case he thinks I am hating but him and that dude that calls himself that one Wake Forest player are so funny to me.

[bdoody42Participant]

This should be good, is all I have to say. I would love to debate him one on one sometime.

[sheltwon3Participant]

No you wouldn’t lol. It is frustrating.

[bdoody42Participant]

I can deal with stupidity, I have thou far from him.

[HaleParticipant]

Hahahahahahah omg this is the funniest forum topic ever!

[bdoody42Participant]

Can someone tell me why people have him as lottery pick?

[dsal]

same reason corey brewer went 6th a few years back cause he had a good tourny and was named final four MVP

[bdoody42Participant]

In my draft I have him going 27th. I just don’t think he can be a starter in NBA at this point. He is good shooter, when he gets good looks. If he is maybe a 7th or 8th man, I think he can be fine, and play his role.

[pistonsmanParticipant]

He sucks craip, With his little slogan. So he is a retard who can’t do much.

[WälseParticipant]

where are you? you’re the only one who can quench my thirst for basketball knowledge!

[bluedevils12Participant]

ppl plz get off dhamp dick. especially the personwho created this. not hatin or nuthin but this is kinda gay.

[sheltwon3Participant]

It is funny. Wayne Ellington even with his good tourney did not surpass all the other top shooting guards so if he gets drafted high , he wont be consider so much a bust as other people will know that team has a dumb GM like Atlanta who draft Sheldon Williams.

[sheltwon3Participant]

This DHAMP post is funny. This is funniest post I have been a part of. Only problem is DHAMP has not shown up yet.

[NYKnicksuperFanParticipant]

DHamp vs Al Farouiq Aminu in a survivor-style game if you say somethin stupid u stay on the island, but if one of your posts has a shred of intelligence your voted off and you lose

[Clippers DarrellParticipant]

1st of all, NYKnicksuperFan, you are spelling my name wrong…and you should stop posting ‘il the Knicks make the playoffs..

D Hamp is not as arrogant as what some of ya’ll are saying, he is simply just trying to get ppl’s attention in his posts…

Stay real !!!!

[WälseParticipant]

you guys are too funny. where is DHAMP when you need him? lol. that survivor style game would be epic, i’m sure! Al Farouq, dont defend DHAMP. you’ll just make us hate you if you do that! just pile on.

[WälseParticipant]

he’s here! i cant believe you even said you’re sometimes wrong Dr. DHAMP! fair enough, Dr. DHAMP. i maintain that Devendorf has a 0% chance of getting drafted, but this is your class so i digress. could you school me as to why you believe Kobe Bryant deserved the MVP over Lebron James?

[D HampParticipant]

Welcome students! Class is now in session. A little about me. I’m a black guy, 28 years old and I reside in Oklahoma. Like everyone on here I’m a basketball fanatic and I’m really flattered to be an overnight professor. This Web site is supposed to be about fun! So let’s relax! Also, I really do believe D Hamp is the greatest basketball thinker in the world. Next to Hubie Brown anyway.

Make sure to fire away all the questions you want!

Though I sometimes joke around about Devendorf, he has a 50 percent chance of being drafted late in the second round. Seeming how I’m always misquoted by someone about him, I’ve always maintained that Devendorf would be drafted. I never said he would be a superstar, a starter or even make the team.

The basic answer is every team needs a shooter and he shot 39 percent from behind the arc. OK, but that doesn’t work because if it did, Trajan Langson isn’t in the NBA.

So what does Devendorf bring to a NBA team? Point guard skills. If you look closely, he’s a 6 foot 3 1/2 (listed at 6 feet 4)point guard and has been one until last season. The only reason people say he can’t play the position in the NBA is becuase he’s turnover prone and doesn’t have the speed because he tore his ACL. Cool, that’s a fair point. But what about when he fully recovers from the injury much like his former AAU teammate Brandon Rush? And what about if he is drafted by a veteran team who will coach him to channel his emotions, which would cut down on the turnovers. Steve Jackson, who declared for the NBA out of highschool because he couldn’t pass the ACT and play with Mike Bibby at Arizona, focused on his emotions. Rasheed Wallace did too. Now their emotional by nature, which makes them good players. Take emotion away from Devendorf and he’s a regular player whose passion is nonexistent.

Now, last season he played the shooting guard postion at Syracuse and rightfully so. Why would any head coach turn away the nation’s top point guard for Devendorf. He’s good, but not better than Jonny Flynn. But remember, Devendorf and not Flynn was the team’s go to player. Don’t forget, while Flynn got all the praise from the Big East Tournament, Devendorf broke the tournament scoring record. He also had played more minutes than Flynn in the game against UCONN, until fouling out in the fifth overtime. It was his play, especially against Rugters, that kept the team in that tournament.

Furthermore, how many times have we seen a player drafted based off the university prestige or the pedigree of the head coach. I would argue that Syrause and Jim Boeheim fits that bill.

Many people question his character, but how many times have we heard of players being busted for smoking marijuana and it affecting their draft stock to the point of not being drafted? He’s never really been in trouble besides the incident with the female student in which he was falsley accused. Remember he only missed three games. He was never arrested by campus or the city of Syracuse police. He’s even graduating on time. His problem: he’s arrogant and talks too much and it brings the wrong attention which stands out more. Much like me on this Web site, the reaction builds and mounts until people’s vision or judgement is impaired.

Despite what people say, he’s a good defender. Check his stats. The year before the injury, he nearly averaged two steals a game. He’s the best in the country and finishing with either hand. I haven’t see anyone as good as him with that skill since Jason Sasser of Texas Tech in the late 90s for those of you who remember.

Trust me, you guys don’t want to go there. I’m hardly wrong. Sometimes, but not often. Mainly i was wrong about Ray Young of UCLA being drafted and only becuase then head coach Steve Lavin redshirted him in the wrong season.

ANY MORE QUESTIONS!!!!!!!!

D Hamp is the greatest basketball thinker in the world. Next to Hubie Brown anyway.

[D HampParticipant]

And another point, how many times do GM’s pick wild cards late in the second round based off of potential and nothing to lose, but leave us scratching our heads. Watch out, Devo is a sleeper.

D Hamp is the greatest basketball thinker in the world. Next to Hubie Brown anyway.

[D HampParticipant]

Kobe Bryant has been in the league 13 years and he has one MVP? That in itself is mind blowing since for many of those years he was the best player in the NBA. But depending on who you ask, the MVP voting is all about interpretation. But that still doesn’t explain this year.

The league, critics, experts, etc. rode Lebron James all year. He could do no wrong. Unless Cleveland had a major second half meltdown, he had the MVP won by the all-star break. Honestly, the media doesn’t like Kobe Bryant and Lebron is the fresh face the league wants to market. Everyone created all of this buzz about The Cavalers having a better record than the Lakers, but come on, only by one game. Had the Lakers played in the East, there’s a good chance they would have headed for Jordan and his Bulls 72 win mark. Seriously. When the Lakers played the Cavs, the Lakers won 2-0. And had the Cavs played in the West, where it took 49 wins instead of 38 in the east, to make the playoffs, the Cavs wouldn’t have won nearly the amount of games that they did.

Now, going off years past, the big knock on Kobe was that he was too selfish, so they opted to give Dirk Nowitzi an MVP award and then Steve Nash two in a row; eventhough Kobe was putting up 31.6 and 35.4 points per game. Really, who scores that much. So his numbers began to dip last year because he became more of a facilatator, unless it was crunch time or his team went on a losing skid. At which point, he would become an assissin and score like crazy. I really want to say heading into the season, the public had their mind made up that Lebon would win and Kobe wouldn’t because of all of the hype of sportcenter anchors, etc which influence public opinion. Kobe is the best player in the NBA when he wants to be. He can’t keep it up forever and barring injury, Lebron will one day pass him, but not yet. He defensive skills aren’t up to par with Kobe’s, eventhough he takes plays off. If there was ever a time when Phil Jackson told Kobe not to ever worry about offense and focus strictly on defense, I’m not sure one person would score him for 25 points on any given night.

D Hamp is the greatest basketball thinker in the world. Next to Hubie Brown anyway.

[Meditated StatesParticipant]

Funny post. I learned a lot listening to Hubie Brown’s commentating too. I also like Devendorf’s skills. I don’t know if he will get drafted, but he can take people off the dribble and shoot it from deep well. I think him with millions might scare a GM though. His defensive ability is hidden in the zone defense,but I suspect it is suspect. Could make a roster if he does well in workouts verse quick guards. I still don’t see him getting drafted, but he will get invited to a camp for sure. Anything can happen from there.

[WälseParticipant]

i’m not gonna respond, but is there anyone here who agrees with this?

[michaelds911Participant]

hahahaha I love this guy.

D Hamp is the greatest basketball thinker in the world. Next to Kwame Brown anyway.

[sheltwon3Participant]

I don’t know much about dude from Syracuse but maybe he is nice. The Kobe thing is up for debate but Lebron did outplay him this year. He does deserve more MVPs and I know that but this year Kobe had a decent year and mainly because he doesn’t have to carry a team as much. Lebron was phenominal. I mean other than that you would have to give it to either Wade or Paul who had to carry their team by theirselves. Kobe is still the best player in the game but this was not his MVP year. I will admit Lebron got hype but he did enough to keep that in his favor.

[deuce4off]

Did Hamp really waste 4 hours of his life to type out these messages that nobody read? Maybe you should focus your time on writing to the GM of your favorite NBA team, laying our the reasons on why Devendorf would help the franchise. This guy actually posted his age and race, like anyone could care…..saying he was 15 would have given himself a little more credibility, but this guy is actually 28 and is still on training wheels with regards to his bball IQ. Go make something of yourself instead of making a fool out of yourself.

[sheltwon3Participant]

Also Dhamp while I do disagree with you and how you think sometimes, I will give you credit with at least knowing some basketball stuff. I have also not been wrong as much when it comes to basketball but I have not watched college like I used to but you have to admit that Hubie Brown thing is funny. I will offer this though, before you starting putting that at the end of the thoughts no one paid much attention to you lol.

[Mr.Duke 1426Participant]

DHAMP… I love your personality you seem like a cool dude. Although cocky. But there is nothing wrong with confidence. Now about the MVP. So what if Kobe has been in the league for 13 years. That does not mean that he disserves the MVP this year. Now should he have recieved more than one for his career? Of course!!! But that is no reason to just give him the award. The LA lakers are a playoff team even if Kobe isn’t on the team. Let’s face it. Gasol would get the most touches, fisher is there get PG, they have talented young players and a solid bench. They have andrew bynum and Lamar odom! They are a playoff team regardless of wether Kobe was on the team or not. Now the CAVS? They would be only a decent team if lebron were to be takin off the Cleveland cavaliers. Lebron had better numbers, is a better passer, better defender, better rebounder and just as good of a leader. Lebron should have been unanamus for the MVP award.

Mr.Duke the greatest basketball mind since Arnold “Red” Auerbach that is.

[WälseParticipant]

honestly, at this point, anyone who thinks Kobe deserved MVP or is even as good a player as Lebron is out of touch with reality. These playoffs should drive that point home even more. Lebron is on another level.

Moving along, Dr. DHAMP could you enlighten us all and tell us why Chauncey Billups was more deserving of this year’s DPOY than Dwight Howard?

[sheltwon3Participant]

I have to disagree with on there alpha, Kobe can still put up number and has better defense than Lebron but he has not always showed that this year. Also I will say that that Cavs without Lebron are still a playoff team in the East but the Lakers could possibly be a 5th seed in the West without Kobe and that is not Kobe’s fault. The Celtics would not have any rings if they did not bring in 3 hall of fame types. Talent get wins and in the West without talent you will not get in the playoffs. Chauncey Billups is not a one on one great defender. He is a system player that demands his team to play defense and play with structure. He should win a leadership award and also saving my coach’s rear end award but not defensive player award. Even when Howard does not block shots people are thinking about him when they shoot. He can own the paint and for a tall player to get a clean block with no contact on super quick guards going to the basket, that is incredible. The Lakers wish they could get Bynum to start doing that again to get Brooks from scoring.

[WälseParticipant]

Kobe’s defense isnt even as good as Lebrons anymore. How else is Battier getting 20? 82games.com has documented how Lebron limits his opponents moreso than Kobe. Throw blocks and steals on top of that. stop hanging on to this Kobe is the best player garbage. the torch has been passed. The Cavs without Lebron are the Milwaukee Bucks. The only reason anyone thinks the Cavs supporting cast is good is because Lebron makes them that way. Let’s be honest here. here we have the Lakers struggling against a team playing without its 2 best players and all yall wanna do is make excuses for Kobe. If Kobe is a leader, then LEAD. Meanwhile, Lebron is running roughshod over the Eastern conference. Nothing but blowouts. at what point will you stop making excuses, and read the writing on the wall. the best player in the league resides in Cleveland.

[WälseParticipant]

these current Rockets couldnt even make the playoffs in the east. they couldnt make the playoffs in the AFC West. they couldnt win the Big East! lol they have no business winning any games and yall know it. stop making excuses and be objective.

[tuck243Participant]

LOL… This guy… I used to believe you were an idiot but you showed me some stuff….

Although I feel LeBron had a SLIGHT edge over Kobe for MVP, it doesn’t mean he is the better player…

Actually D-Wade should have won… For the true meaning of MVP,,,,

First Kobe…

Kobe always been hated on regardless of what he does… He scores 81 and people say he only had 4 assists… He has a team that won 1 game less than the Cavs and people say he is too selfish or he has a incredible team… Even the freaking president said the East is a horrible conference, exact words “Teams getting into the playoffs with a losing record, come on thats not right.” But for some reason people feel that LeBron took his team to the promise land because he averages a block shot a game? LOL… That means he know how to play defense? I’ve never seen LeBron lock down anyone… NEVER… Not to mention he has a losing record against the teams that are still in the playoffs (0-2 vs Kobe)… Kobe has a better team? Lets look at Kobe’s team vs. LeBron… Kobe has the same team that he had when he lost to the Suns in the 1st round… The only difference is Gasol… Thats 2 former All-Stars, Kobe and Pau… Now lets look at the Cavs, Ben Wallace (1), LeBron (2), Big Z (3), Wally (4), and Mo Will (5)… Who has the better team, when 2 of those players are coming off the bench? The Lakers trade for players that were bums getting 0 minutes on other teams and now producing… Josh Powell? Chris Brown look alike Shannon Brown? Trevor Ariza? The Cavs picking up solid road players for nothing… Joe Smith? I’m trying to figure out who has LeBron made better… When you do let me know… Its just so crazy to me how people are trying to crown LeBron, when Kobe is in his prime… People just need to take a step back and realize how special Kobe really is… Even the great mind Charles Barkley is drinking the media juice… He thinks Melo is a better scorer than Kobe? HOW? This man scored 81 points in a game when they were losing… That 81 was BY FAR, more meaningful than Wilt’s 100 (unsportsman like conduct)… Accept it… Kobe deserves another MVP… Think about this… In the past 5 years of the top MVP candidates, the Media gave MVP to the player with the better record… How is that? MVP is Most Valuable Player not the best team… Why in the hell are writers controlling who wins anyway? Last year I heard numerous of analyst and writers say whoever has the better record (Kobe or CP3) that’s who they are going to vote for… WHAT? How do you do that? But back to my point, Kobe will never get his proper respect… He won 3 rings (oh he had Shaq), if he win now (oh he had a team), if he loses (oh its his fault, he’ll never be Jordan, Go LeBron!!), and look now… Kobe has a good 3 years left in his prime and people are already saying the 2nd best player EVER isn’t better than a player that haven’t did half the things he has? It’s a reason why Spike Lee chose to do “Kobe Doin Work” because he has to show people that they don’t realize what they have till its gone…

[tuck243Participant]

I like Devondorf, he has a 2% chance of being drafted but I honestly feel like he could be a solid role player… He reminds of Delonte West with more fire in him… Im tired of seeing players hugging one another after a game… Compete and talk sh!t… Jordan did… Eric makes BIG shots, what team wouldn’t want that? But the issues that come with him will force him to be a free agent, so I wonder who will take a chance…

[Tha King2121Participant]

HAHA this is funny D HamP is almost as bad as Al-Farouq Aminu

[JNixonParticipant]

This is funny

[ch15r36isParticipant]

I appreciate that D-Hamp has his convictions and sticks to em…even if I don’t always (or never) seem to agree with them, and he has that ridiculous slogan. He certainly creates discussion, at the very least.
– Devendorf’s ceiling is probably Anthony Roberson.
– Kobe seems to be in the exact same position as Dwight Howard right now…well, except I imagine the Magic would have beaten the Rockets by now with Yao out, and the Lakers lost to the Celtics in 5 last year. That creates quite the D-Hamp internal conflict now, doesn’t it? The Magic were 2-0 vs. the Lakers this season, too. So maybe it’s Kobe who is overrated?

[joecheck88Participant]

yea D Hamp has his moments. Lebron deserved MVP for real. Kobe needs atleast 2 more mvp’s. Take one from steve nash a few years ago. I agree Kobe is the best player right now. Lebron, deserved the award, but he won MVP before the season even started. He won it when they got Mo Williams. Everyone talks about Lebrons D. Yea he stepped up but he is 6 foot 8 with a 4.4 forty and like a 42″ vertical. He should block a lot of shots. But lets look a D Wade, he is 6 foot 4 and I believe he had more blocks than LeBron. D Wade didn’t get nearly the publicity he should have for his year. Kobe was a serious candidate this year. Lebron deserved it though. Let’s just not keep overhyping everything about him.

[HaleParticipant]

Your all star appearances argument is irrelevant. None of them are all stars now, actually only Mo and Z produce. Z was never even an all star player, he is a decent big man who compliments LeBron very well. The Lakers roster w/o Kobe is a lot better then the Cavs w/o LeBron. It’s that simple. Gasol, Odom, Bynum, Ariza, Fisher is better then Mo,Z,Varejao,Delonte West and your choice of Wally, Hickson, or Big Ben. Do I respect the Lakers and Kobe? Yes. LeBron deserved the award this year though, and that is that.

[sheltwon3Participant]

Number one if your teamates are not playing good defense and you have to cover them, it makes it harder to lock down on someone. I will say this after someone else just broke it down for me. The Cleveland Cavalier do have a better team now. They have some former Allstars and 20 point scorers coming off the bench. The Lakers have a lot of role players after the big 3 of Kobe Gasol, and Odom. Odom is banged up, and Bynum is still getting back into game shape after coming off an injury. You can not always measure someone ability based of what happens in a few games because Kobe has a lot of responsibility on his team considering they are not a team made up of veterans. They have a lot of young players. Most of the Cleveland Cavalier that play are veterans. Also I believe that this Houston Lakers series is rigged for making money purposes because even though Houston is playing with Heart, Lakers stood still beat them when they only have like two people they may be able to get their own shot and really noone you should double team. Kobe can shut Brooks down. Artest is streaky. Everyone are quality role players.

[sheltwon3Participant]

Alpha Male, I have watched Kobe a lot and I know what he can and can’t do. Battier is not scoring over Kobe on defense. He is scoring when Kobe helps out off of him. Everyone knows Batter is not a player that can regularly get his on shot off he needs to be set up. Cleveland is built with players that play defense so that Lebron only has to worry about his man if that and Lebron would never guard the opposing point guard. He has improved his defense but that is out of his range.

[billykParticipant]

Sheltwon why you hating on Houston??? The Lakers have more talented but the Rockets play better as a team, the Rockets just match up really good with the Lakers. The Lakers should BEAT them but because they dont have the HEART or the WILL to beat them dont accuse the NBA of rigging the series, I have watched all the games and the calls have been pretty even the Rockets just have some savvy players….. The MVP vote is trash they are just a product of the media prefrence. As far as hwo is a better player Kobe > Lebron because Kobe has WON a championship he reached the peak of the NBA mountain (regardless of who was on his team) when Lebron gets a championship then we can put him on the Kobe level. If Lebron does win people will have all kinds of excuses of why he didnt win.

[billykParticipant]

Is it me or doesnt somebody NEED to hit Lebron James in the mouth (not literally) to see his true colors everybody seems scared of this guy. I would like to see Lebron alter-beast similar to Jordan aganist the Knicks, I wanna see Lebron really get angry and go on a rampage but we may never see that becasue nobody wants to piss him off….

[WälseParticipant]

when the season began, all i heard was how talentwise, top to bottom, the Lakers were in a class by themselves. Suddenly, they struggle, and they’re just a bunch of role players and Kobe. I’m so sick and tired of these excuses. Now Lebron needs a title to be on Kobe’s level? do you need a title to be a great player or what? can someone please decide already? are the Lakers the most talented or not? make a decision…if they are, then the finger must be pointed at Phil and Kobe. i’m so tired of yall altering your perceptions in order to cover for Kobe. The guy is not a leader. Furthermore, i’m sick of Kobe screaming that Battier cant guard him. if he cant guard you, go by the guy. get to the rim. get to the line. set up your teammates. or you could just continue jacking up contested jumpers while averaging 3 assists. yall are mad at the media for christening Lebron? i blame the media for building Kobe’s reputation to the point where he can do no wrong in most of your eyes. yall act as though he could lock down GOD on the perimeter, and never misses in the 4th quarter….let the excuses rain down on me! i’m prepared and used to it at this point

[D HampParticipant]

Question 3: Why should Billups was more derserving of the DPOY award over Howard.

Let me clarify, I never said Billups deserved the DPOY award. But he is more deserving than Howard for the award. My evidence: How about this year’s playoffs. LOL! When have the Nuggets ever been known for defense. And after trading away Marcus Camby no less.

D Hamp is the greatest basketball thinker in the world. Next to Hubie Brown anyway.

[ch15r36isParticipant]

Number 1, the dude is 6’8, 270 pounds of pure muscle.
Number 2, the only time I saw him get truly mad was in the All-Star game in ’06 when Kobe started trying to get physical towards the end. He basically took over from that point on and carried the East to the win. If I remember correctly, I think the Pistons also tried to play him pretty physically, and he decided to score 21 or so straight points and carry the Cavs to a win.

So, no, I don’t think you want to get him mad.

He’s the only one in the game that has a chance to overtake Jordan, but never underestimate the accomplishments of that man. It’s silly what he did in winning 6 out of 8 championships with all the talented players that were denied a shot at the title as a result. We have a long way to go before Lebron gets close.

[ch15r36isParticipant]

He’s obviously a very good defender, but it only seems like he applies the effort about 25% of the time. His defensive numbers have always been a big step below those of MJ or Scottie, who I would consider the standard-bearers for perimiter defense.
Also, FYI…
http://82games.com/gamewinningshots.htm

[ch15r36isParticipant]

“Now we’re not Kobe haters by any means and I will readily give him his due as one of the best NBA players (note however, I didn’t say the best) but he certainly has an overblown reputation when it comes to the clutch shot: people remember the ones he hits, but not the ones he misses, and heck you think a 56 FGA to 1 assist ratio might be part of the problem? He does have a better record in the playoffs though, which we’ll get to down below.”

Being “clutch” is a myth. Some players obviously take more shots than others in the 4th quarter, but rarely do the statistics vary much from what they do in the rest of the game…so that’s kind of a weak argument.

[joecheck88Participant]

So many people could have won the DPOY award. I don’t know if anyone was more deserving than Howard though. He led the league in blocks and rebounds which is critcal to any teams defense. And the Magic were one of the best defensive teams if I am not mistaken, and most of that is Howard sitting down there on defense. I know someone will say his stats are inflated because he is the only big guy and that he only blocks guards. My argument to you is Orlando has size, just not from the typical pf & center spots. Rashard is 6’10” and Hedo is about 6’9″, they have athletic active guys on the team capable of rebounding. The blocks are easy to defend because no matter who he blocks, he blocks them more than anyone else. Not to mention all the shots that don’t get taken around the rim or the ones he alters with just his presence. You can say D Howard is overrated on O but give the man his due where needed. He is a defensive stud.

[D HampParticipant]

Howard is a top 15 player in the NBA.

Today, for one game only, I would take, Yao Ming, Chis Paul, Deron Williams, Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Chris Bosh, Dirk Nowitzki, Chauncey Billups, Tony Parker, Amar’e Stoudmire, all before Howard.

This is totally seperate from Trajoe. I just posted this on another post.

D Hamp is the greatest basketball thinker in the world. Next to Hubie Brown anyway.

[HaleParticipant]

I thought Amare was the most overrated player in the NBA, DHAMP.

[WälseParticipant]

Gasol? I have a feeling if the Lakers had Dwight Howard that series would have been over long ago….

[WälseParticipant]

does Lebron have to win a title to be on D. Wade’s level? besides, Kobe’s titles were how many years ago? right now, today, Lebron is a better player than Kobe.

[D HampParticipant]

Amare for one game, not a series or a season. Because he can make free throws.

D Hamp is the greatest basketball thinker in the world. Next to Hubie Brown anyway.

[billykParticipant]

ch15r36is, as a baskeball fan I do want to see him get mad.. If a player is supposed to be an all-time great should he have a title on his resume????

[tuck243Participant]

LeBron only clutch shot was against the Warriors this year… His only buzzer beater… Meaningless stats that you and sportcenter bring out is ridiculous… No one remembers when LBJ was getting a rep for not taking the last shot? YEA thats clutch…

Also, since you such in love with MJ… Jordan was a F)CKING ball-hog when he came into the league… Team player? He literally punched Steve Kerr (2nd 3peat)… Jordan missed a lot of buzzer beaters… But people only see the shots that he made… Even the GREATEST isn’t perfect!!! So take your head out your a$$ and give Kobe his proper due…

[WälseParticipant]

i remember vividly the time when Lebron had that rep. it was totally misguided and stupid…. are you in agreement with sportcenter or not, because the people that have given Lebron all the credit and throw out “meaningless stats” are the same people who built Kobe’s reputation as a clutch assasin. thats what they do. hype players up for ratings….. is 56 fga to 1 assist meaningless to you? 25% field goals? can’t help but notice that every meaningless stat known to man goes in LBJ’s favor. i dont think there is 1 stat anymore that favors Kobe. that’s fairly telling in itself. you can argue for Kobe all you like, and that’s cool, but all you can rely on at this point is opinion, while everything said about Lebron is backed up by statistics. how about you give LBJ his proper due? ……as far as taking the head out of his a$$, i think ch15r36is has proven to be pretty knowledgable.

[tuck243Participant]

Delonte West stats…. The freaking same!!!
Year Team G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% OFF DEF RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
06-07 BOS 69 47 32.2 0.427 0.365 0.853 0.5 2.6 3.0 4. 4 1.1 0.5 2.03 12.2
08-09 CLE 64 64 33.6 0.457 0.399 0.833 0.5 2.7 3.2 3.5 1.5 0.2 1.44 11.7

Mo Williams stats… The freaking same!!!
07-08 MIL 66 66 36.5 0.480 0.385 0.856 0.6 2.9 3.5 6.3 1.2 0.2 2.76 17.2
08-09 CLE 81 81 35.0 0.467 0.436 0.912 0.6 2.9 3.4 4.1 0.9 0.1 2.21 17.8

Wally… I guess he’s too old… LOL…
06-07 BOS 32 19 28.1 0.415 0.415 0.897 0.5 2.6 3.1 1.7 0.6 0.1 2.00 15.0
08-09 CLE 74 5 20.6 0.450 0.411 0.849 0.6 2.6 3.1 1.1 0.4 0.1 0.74 7.0

Ben Wallace… I guess he not the Big Ben they got from Chi-town… LOL…
06-07 CHI 77 77 35.0 0.453 0.200 0.408 3.9 6.7 10.7 2.4 1.4 2.0 1.31 6.4
08-09 CLE 56 53 23.5 0.445 0.00 0.422 2.4 4.0 6.5 0.8 0.9 1.3 0.61 2.9

Now, the Lakers…
D-Fish… He’s an all-star at 34 years YOUNG… LOL… These numbers pop out…
06-07 UTA 82 61 27.9 0.382 0.308 0.853 0.4 1.5 1.8 3.3 1.0 0.1 1.46 10.1
08-09 LAL 82 82 29.8 0.424 0.397 0.846 0.3 2.0 2.3 3.2 1.2 0.1 0.88 9.9

Ariza was such a star in Orlando!!! LOL…
07-08 ORL 11 0 10.5 0.452 0.000 0.533 0.5 1.7 2.2 0.7 0.4 0.3 0.45 3.3
08-09 LAL 82 20 24.4 0.460 0.319 0.710 1.4 2.9 4.3 1.8 1.7 0.3 1.06 8.9

Since Big Z, Bynum, and Odom was with the team for a while, I will take the stats from last year to this year… Before and after Pau…
Z… Not a great player… LOL…
06-07 CLE 73 73 30.4 0.474 0.000 0.802 3.6 5.7 9.3 1.4 0.5 1.6 1.85 14.1
08-09 CLE 65 65 27.2 0.472 0.385 0.799 2.4 5.1 7.5 1.0 0.4 1.3 1.38 12.9

Pau…
06-07 MEM 59 59 36.2 0.538 0.273 0.748 2.5 7.3 9.8 3.4 0.5 2.1 2.75 20.8
08-09 LAL 81 81 37.0 0.567 0.500 0.781 3.2 6.4 9.6 3.5 0.6 1.0 1.94 18.9

Bynum… SUPERSTAR!!!
06-07 LAL 82 53 21.9 0.558 0.000 0.668 1.7 4.2 5.9 1.1 0.2 1.6 1.40 7.8
08-09 LAL 50 50 28.9 0.560 0.000 0.707 2.7 5.2 8.0 1.4 0.4 1.8 1.70 14.3

Odom… Still waiting on him to be an all-star….
06-07 LAL 56 56 39.3 0.468 0.297 0.700 1.8 7.9 9.8 4.8 0.9 0.6 2.91 15.9
08-09 LAL 78 32 29.7 0.492 0.320 0.623 2.3 5.9 8.2 2.6 1.0 1.3 1.77 11.3

LOL… Here’s my point… A year before the former All-Stars were on the Cavs their stats either A stayed the same or B went down… It has nothing to do with them not producing but what team they are on and how they are utilized… Who has the better team? You tell me? You take away LBJ and you have a defensive team in the East going to the playoffs… Look at this I didn’t mention how Larry Hughes and Marshall went down hill after playing with LeBron… He had a team, for some years now he had one… It’s just crazy how people OVERRATE Kobe’s team and UNDERRATE Lebron’s…

And Alphamale… Are yu a member of Gay Phi Gay? LOL…
Who said the Lakers were stacked top to bottom? The Media, the same media who says the Cavs isn’t as good as the Lakers- Talent wise? LOL… I’ve always thought the Lakers was overrated just KNEW the best player on the Planet was taking them further than they were suppose to be…

Put it like this… I’ve only seen LBJ actually put his team on his back once… VS. the Pistons but that’s it… He’s improved a lot this year, I give you that… But it isn’t enough to give him the nod over Kobe…………………………..

[WälseParticipant]

i’m not gonna get into that mess you just posted. i commend you, however, for taking the time to do that. if these playoffs dont prove to you that Lebron is a better player, nothing will. Gay Phi Gay! lol…you’re hilarious…

[sheltwon3Participant]

I like both Kobe and Lebron as players. I feel like the MVP race this year was a toss up with Lebron getting more hype because of his numbers and supposed lack of talent. He did enough to earn in this year. I do not believe he is a better player than Kobe as yet. I believe his raw talent will take him there though. Please people unless you are all knowing being don’t say I am making excuses when everyone that watches sports can notice that these playoffs and how they are going do not make normal sense in a time when the NBA is losing money. Also let me give you a little background on me homie, I have worked in message traffic in my military career and be in position where I knew stuff that no one outside that area knew and we had to keep it silent and if anyone asks we didnt know. I understand the thought process and structure when you are trying to do business and keep the truth from people. in business it is a necessary evil. More games equal more money and the old CBA is about to be up. The only team that is sweeping people in the Cavs who have Lebron and is not only a major draw but this is his year. The NBA is hyping him this year like they did Wade when he won it all. I have talked to many NBA fans about basketball and we all agree that the game is a rigged to some degree. We just don’t know how far and since people continue to put up with it why should they stop. Millions of viewers can see something the refs missed while the refs was looking in that direction and some have it in HDTV and yet the league will uphold that refs decision. Are you serious? I am not saying that the refs control the Lakers game but I find it wierd that the Lakers could be beaten by a team twice with the same offensive strategy and with a hall of fame coach and with more than a surplus of talent advantage. A team that blew out by 40 or so and the only stupid excuse they could say was well hey you never know what team will show up. Do you really believe that? Somebody is paid off period. I am not only a basketball fan but I was going to pursue a coaching job by getting my degree in college but switch that up but there is a no way a regular coach makes these kind of mistakes so for Phil to be out coached by Rick Adelman using the same offensive strategy and only having one or two players that can get their own shot. I could understand it happening once but not twice. On top of that there has been know questionable calls in a whole bunch of other games. I do hope people are not taking this in and believing it is fact.

[WälseParticipant]

i will say this. i wouldnt expect anyone’s numbers (ppg, ast, reb etc…) to go up playing with Lebron because when you play with a player that dominant that has the ball so much, your role will be slightly diminished. i would, however, expect their shooting percentages to go up.

[JNixonParticipant]

Andre Iguodala is the best perimeter defender in the league. Listen to these stats of players he has defended this season: D. Wade: 19 points Kobe: 15 points Joe Johnson:5 points Hedo Turkoglu: 3 points LeBron:12 points…he has held every player he is called to guard 10 points or lower than their season average..he isnt on an all-NBA team..a disgrace

[WälseParticipant]

perhaps you dont understand the format for this topic…you ask DHAMP a question. After he educates us, you can then speak your mind. lol….rookie

[D HampParticipant]

Kobe is better than Lebron. I’ve been saying it all along.

Since this is my post. Are there any more questions for me. Or did I answer them all.

D Hamp… the most intelligent basketball thinker in the world. Next to Hubie Brown anyway.

[D HampParticipant]

Good timing Alphamale!

D Hamp… the most intelligent basketball thinker in the world. Next to Hubie Brown anyway.

[HaleParticipant]

Who is the best big man in the NBA today, and who rounds out the top 5. Big man being both pf and c.

[tuck243Participant]

Josh Tucker, Silver Screen and Roll: LeBron James is the MVP; Kobe Bryant is the better player.

Both are lockdown defenders, fantastic passers, capable of scoring or facilitating and excellent leaders of their teams. The primary differences lie in each player’s individual offensive repertoires, and the key here is the versatility, polish, and completeness of each player’s game.

LeBron James is a player with one primary, ultradeveloped offensive skill: his ability to get to the hoop for layups and dunks. At the same time, there are several areas that he has yet to develop. He has improved his 3-point and free throw shooting this year, but even so, both are average at best. He has no midrange jumper, he doesn’t use screens effectively, and his post game is suspect. His athleticism and quickness are his primary tools, and his footwork at this point is still fairly rudimentary — which, in part, explains why he’s not better in the post. (Imagine what a player of his size, strength, and athleticism could do in the post with Kobe’s footwork!)

Kobe Bryant doesn’t have a single dominant skill that far outweighs all others, like LeBron does. Instead, he has the most complete, versatile, and polished skill set in the NBA. Pull-up jumper, leaner, runner, floater, fadeaway, fallaway, midrange, long-range, close-range, pump fake, jab step, up-and-under, dunk, layup, left hand, right hand, face-up, post-up, driving, elevating, strength, savvy, power, finesse, balance, body control, footwork. Bryant can do it all. His footwork, in particular, is unparalleled, and because of it, he is extremely effective in the post, making easy work of smaller players and even taking advantage of larger players without the fundamental skill set to compete with his own.

Simply put, the difference between the two boils down to unprecedented raw athleticism versus unequaled, finely honed skill.

And another dude said this…. and it may be the realist thing ever…

In some sense, we’re not really debating the greatness of Kobe versus the greatness of LeBron. We’re debating “how” we measure greatness.

[ch15r36isParticipant]

I think that is dead-on:
“In some sense, we’re not really debating the greatness of Kobe versus the greatness of LeBron. We’re debating “how” we measure greatness.”

Lebron is also a better rebounder and has far better court vision and passing skills than Kobe.

I will also say this, I’ve never understood why there seems to be such a facsination with Kobe’s shooting ability…his career-high FG% is still 47% Jordan’s career average was 50%. Kobe shoots 34% from 3 for his career. Lebron shoots 33% from 3. Jordan also shot 33% from 3. Is that 1% difference really that convincing?
Lebron and MJ have him beaten in every other statistical area, yet Kobe still gets mentioned in the same sentence. Kobe’s a fine performer and his skill set may be ultra-polished, but the accomplishments and stats have never matched up to the “finely honed skill” and that’s where I put him a solid step below those two.

[tuck243Participant]

What accomplishments does LeBron have? Name one? He won MVP? Kobe got 1… He has the best record in the league? Kobe was a game off (not to mention Kobe won every game vs. LBJ)… Scoring titles? All-defensive team? All-Star apperances? Gold Medal (LBJ didn’t win that till Kobe came, lets not get on how Kobe influenced LBJ to play D)? I mean, be serious what has LBJ accomplished? The game is much deeper than stats… MJ and Kobe share something that LBJ don’t have… A CHAMPIONSHIP… The true meaning of playing the game… I’m not saying LeBron won’t win one, but RIGHT NOW… Looking at right now… Kobe is the better player… The “finely honed skills” just reiterate that…

How does the son overtake the father, when the father is still in his prime? LBJ plays D (block shots?) one year and he’s automatically the best player alive? LOL…

[tuck243Participant]

Stats and this PER ish I continue to hear… WILT CHAMBERLAIN is the greatest of all-time… NO ONE will touch what he produced… NO ONE… NOT EVEN JORDAN…. Since we love stats so damn much… LeBron wouldn’t touch Wilt’s pinky toe as far as stats…

[ch15r36isParticipant]

Sorry, but I choose stats and PER and Win Shares over “finely honed skills.” I know how much some of you HATE those stats, but I think they are the most accurate indicators of overall value.
Kobe won 3 championships…with Shaq…who was the Finals MVP every time. Again, tired argument, but Lebron would have won 3 championships (probably more) in the same situation.
I’ll take Lebron. You can have Kobe.
ps. Wilt’s career PER is lower than Jordan’s and Lebron’s…but well above Kobe’s.

[tuck243Participant]

Jordan had Pippen… A ring is a freaking ring… At the end of the day, Kobe has 3… An MVP without Shaq and a Finals trip… What are you saying? Where is Wilt’s PER? It doesn’t include block shots because they didn’t record that… Wins? LOL… You can’t be serious… Here’s a stat 2 and 0 versus the Cavs….

[ch15r36isParticipant]

Here’s another stat: Cavs were 2-0 against the Lakers last year.
Steve Kerr has 5 rings, Kobe has 3 and Lebron has 0. None of them have ever been the best player on a team to win a championship, and none of them have won a championship in the past 7 years. I think that changes starting this year…and I think Lebron is currently the better player, will be the better player for the next 10 years, and will always be remembered as the better player.
We can argue it all day long…I’m not changing my mind, you’re not changing yours, and I’m fine with that. I’ll take the guy that gets to the hoop, distributes, rebounds and plays more consistent all-around defense.

[tuck243Participant]

LOL.. LeBron learned from Kobe… He was a liability on Defense his whole career… He blocks weak side shots now he’s a lock down defender? LOL… I never said LeBron wasn’t GOING to be the greatest of all-time… Just said stats is very misleading… LeBron gets a lot of good looks (I would rather him NOT drive too)… A lot… When was the last time you saw Kobe miss a open jumpshot? LOL…

Rings… Come on now… Steve Kerr wasn’t even a starter… Charles Barkley and Karl Malone never won a ring… But they won’t be considered better than Tim Duncan… NEVER… And Malone owns one of the highest point totals in history… WHY? That ring… A ring helps measure greatness… And never say “I think”… That means you don’t KNOW ish… In the Air Force they say “You don’t get paid to think, you get paid to know”…

And where the hell is my PER for Wilt? LOL… You don’t have it huh? Wilt average 30 and 22 for his career… He average 50 points per game for a season… Im so sure that his “PER” blew Jordan’s and LeBron’s out of the water… KNOW YOUR ISH….

[ch15r36isParticipant]

That’s too much talking, my man. Not sure what your point is any more.

My point is that rings are not freaking rings…you just said so yourself…history will always judge the circumstances under which you get those rings. The fact is that Kobe was playing with a top-10 player in his absolute prime. Otherwise, he has no rings. Scottie’s rings and James Worthy’s rings will always mean less than MJ’s or Magic’s rings.
I think Lebron is better than Kobe right now, and yes, he is a better all-around defender than Kobe right now, regardless of who he learned it from…I don’t care if he watched Red Auerbach defensive drills videos all summer long, he is a better, more consistent, all-around defender than Kobe right now.
You seem to think that Kobe is better than Lebron right now…although, I’m not sure what you are saying now. It’s a debatable issue, I’m not in the Air Force, and I’m not getting paid to write on here.

ps. Wilt’s career PER is 5th all-time according to basketball-reference.com. Although, I agree that comparing 1960’s stats to anything after 1980 is a waste of time, because they would record 80+ rebounds in a game with only 50 missed shots back in the day. However, comparing Jordan’s stats to Lebron’s stats to Kobe’s stats is more apples to apples, and Kobe’s stats are not on par with the other two.

[WälseParticipant]

Dr. DHAMP…if there are 2 players with otherwise equal resumes, but one guy has 5 rings & no MVPs, and the other player has 5 MVPs & no rings, who had the better career?

ALPHAMALE…the Ghandi of basketball fans.

[nthegoodlifeParticipant]

Is like the dude who hates on TMAC, except he hates on Kobe. Seriously man, is that what you live for. You’re somewhat absurd too.

[michaelds911Participant]

The only reason Wilt’s PER is lower than everyone else is because they didn’t record blocks when he played, and I’m sure he averaged around 4 or 5.

[WälseParticipant]

that question has nothing to do with Kobe! but when guys like you can’t see the light, i try to help you see it. when a guy who struggles through a playoff series against a team without its 2 best players is considered better than the league MVP who goes 8-0 through the 1st 2 rounds of the playoffs and puts up better numbers across the board without playing in 4th quarters, something has to be said. i feel like you live to heap praise on Kobe. when countless posters, writers, and analyst give you all types of evidence for why Lebron is the better player and all you can muster is “stats arent everything”, i consider you absurd. i get the feeling that if Lebron sweeps these entire playoffs straight to the championship you’ll still come up with some excuse as to why Kobe is the best player in the NBA. something like “he didn’t hit any game-winners in the finals, so Kobe is still better”. i’ll fight for Lebron until he’s the consensus best player in the NBA. he’s not even one of my top 5 faves, but the dude is remarkable and he deserves the praise. besides, what have i posted in seriousness thats so absurd?…and dont call me out here. this is DHAMPs time to shine. this is not about us. lol…

[D HampParticipant]

That’s a nice trick open-ended question. It’s subjective.

While one player may have five rings, that doesn’t mean he played an important role on the championship teams. He could have been the 12th man on those teams for his last five seasons. Or, maybe he jumped out of the gate early in his career such as Ron Harper or Bill Walton, both of whose first few seasons were pretty good, but too many injuries derailed their careers and by the end, they were defensive enforcers.

Now, what if a guy wins five mvp’s had no championships. Again it depends. Sometimes players measure success by championships. Others by money. Personally, I would pick the player with the five mvps because it shows that the player dominated for a long time in the league.

DHamp… the greatest basketaball thinker in the world. Next to Hubie Brown anyway.

[WälseParticipant]

agreed. it wasnt meant to be a trick. what i was basically asking is: do you place higher value on rings or MVPs? i agree with you on this one.

[McWinningParticipant]

classic.

[Author]

Posts