Ken Cheng <kencheng@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in
news:2febaf2c-9514-4e4e-9cec-cfc2462cb234@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> On Jun 21, 1:18 am, Rich Billionaire
> <f...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>> Kobe won three NBA finals and will definitely win some
>> more. I think after getting their ***** kicked by teams
>> with strong defense, Kobe will be more of a team player
>> than ever and the Lakers will work on improving their own
>> defense.
>
> People who constantly compare Kobe unfavorably to Michael
> Jordan often omit this fact: Jordan's champion****ps were
> always loaded with excellent defensive players in addition
> to Jordan himself. Kobe has been on some teams with potent
> offensive weapons (i.e. Shaq, Odom, Gasol, Butler), but
> seldom defensive stalwarts such as Pippen, Grant, and
> Rodman. The best of the Shaq/Kobe Lakers teams, the 2001
> edition, featured Grant (i.e. Horace) and Horry and Fox
> when the two were in their defensive primes. As the quality
> of the Lakers' defense slipped, so did their dynasty.
>
> Look at the team Kobe went into the Finals with this year:
> armed to the teeth with offensive weapons (Kobe himself,
> Odom, Gasol, Sasha...even guys like Radmonvic once in a
> while), but WHO among them was a defensive stalwart? Derek
> Fisher? Never. Gasol? No. Odom? Not consistently, no.
> Walton? None of these guys were renowned as defensive
> players during their careers...let alone be compared to the
> defensive crew that Jordan had in Pippen, Rodman, etc. The
> Bulls had among the best defensive teams ever, which took a
> great deal of pressure off of Jordan. The Lakers of '08
> had nothing close to that kind of defense, which put a much
> greater burden on Kobe on both sides of the floor that
> Jordan never had to deal with.
>
>
I think when Andrew is back next season the Lakers will play
better all around defense. Andrew is a great defender and will
take care of defense around the basket, leaving the others to
play much better perimiter defense.
Mark
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