Monday, October 29th, 2012 at 12:27 pm  |  201 responses

Top 50: Kobe Bryant, no. 4

The definitive ranking of the NBA’s best players for ’12-13.

by Myles Brown / @mdotbrown

What is there left to say about Kobe Bryant? Between his fans and critics, there isn’t an adjective or expletive left in the dictionary. But that’s just idle chatter, utterly useless in moving the discussion forward. A better question is, what do we know about Kobe Bryant?

As always, only these two things: He wants to win and he wants to win his way. They’re alternately admirable and aggravating desires that have driven him to fits of brilliance and at times, made him a bit of a bastard. But that comes with the territory, right? What we need to know is, after 16 seasons, what has Kobe learned about sacrifice?

He’s acknowledged that this iteration of the Lakers is probably the most talented he’s ever played with and many would undoubtedly agree. Yet the first retort would surely be the ‘03-04 Lakers lineup including Shaq, Gary Payton and Karl Malone. So let’s look back at that time, shall we?

All season, Kobe’s usage rate was as low as it’s ever been and he played smart, efficient basketball, often carrying the team through difficult stretches, as Shaq and Malone were hobbled by injuries. But then came the Finals. Tired of playing little brother to O’Neal, dogged by the looming threat of his legal troubles and fueled by his Game 2 heroics, Kobe played like a man possessed. He should’ve gotten an exorcism.

Call it conjecture if you’d like, but the facts remain: Kobe consistently took more—and made less—shots than anyone on the court, slumping through 10-27, 8-25 and 7-21 outings in the series. He clearly wanted to establish his dominance, only to learn that it doesn’t always equate with excellence.

Anyway, it’s been eight years. He’s grown, learned, changed, all that good shit, right? When asked whose team this year’s Lakers were, Kobe dismissed the question with a wave of the hand, asserting that such labels exist only for column fodder, right? That his skills are expertly complemented, just as everyone else’s, making them a dangerous team, long as it doesn’t devolve into a pissing match… right?

“It’s my team.”

Shit.

Kobe Bryant has claimed he doesn’t see himself renewing his contract, which expires in two years and I believe him. With a stacked roster and just enough health to capture two more Championships, Kobe may see himself racking up rings six and seven before riding off into the sunset as Michael should have. It’s the shrewd and appropriate move. “At least Kobe knew when to stop,” they’ll say. “And he did win more than Jordan, you know…” Kobe came in his way and he’ll go out his way; shooting, knowing full well the ire or immortality that awaits him.

These last two years could define his legacy as either ambitious or oblivious. Given his ranking this year, it’s clear that we trust he’ll make the right decision.


Where should Kobe Bryant rank in the SLAMonline Top 50?

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SLAMonline Top 50 Players 2012
Rank Player Team Position Pos. Rank
50 Greg Monroe Pistons C 8
49 Tyreke Evans Kings PG 14
48 Brandon Jennings Bucks PG 13
47 Stephen Curry Warriors PG 12
46 Ricky Rubio TWolves PG 11
45 Al Jefferson Jazz PF 14
44 Anthony Davis Hornets PF 13
43 Serge Ibaka Thunder PF 12
42 Al Horford Hawks C 7
41 Ty Lawson Nuggets PG 10
40 Danny Granger Pacers SF 6
39 Tim Duncan Spurs PF 11
38 John Wall Wizards PG 9
37 Monta Ellis Bucks SG 8
36 Zach Randolph Grizzlies PF 10
35 Roy Hibbert Pacers C 6
34 Tyson Chandler Knicks C 5
33 Eric Gordon Hornets SG 7
32 Kevin Garnett Celtics PF 9
31 Manu Ginobili Spurs SG 6
30 Amar’e Stoudemire Knicks PF 8
29 Marc Gasol Grizzlies C 4
28 DeMarcus Cousins Kings C 3
27 Paul Pierce Celtics SF 5
26 Andre Iguodala Nuggets SG 5
25 Rudy Gay Grizzlies SF 4
24 Josh Smith Hawks PF 7
23 Derrick Rose Bulls PG 8
22 Joe Johnson Nets SG 4
21 Steve Nash Lakers PG 7
20 James Harden Thunder SG 3
19 Pau Gasol Lakers PF 6
18 Chris Bosh Heat PF 5
17 Kyrie Irving Cavs PG 6
16 LaMarcus Aldridge Blazers PF 4
15 Tony Parker Spurs PG 5
14 Dirk Nowitzki Mavs PF 3
13 Andrew Bynum Sixers C 2
12 Blake Griffin Clippers PF 2
11 Kevin Love TWolves PF 1
10 Carmelo Anthony Knicks SF 3
9 Russell Westbrook Thunder PG 4
8 Rajon Rondo Celtics PG 3
7 Deron Williams Nets PG 2
6 Dwyane Wade Heat SG 2
5 Dwight Howard Lakers C 1
4 Kobe Bryant Lakers SG 1

Notes
• Rankings are based solely on projected ’12-13 performance.
• Contributors to this list include: Jake Appleman, Maurice Bobb, Rodger Bohn, Brendan Bowers, Franklyn Calle, David Cassilo, Bryan Crawford, Adam Figman, Eldon Khorshidi, Eddie Maisonet III, Ryne Nelson, Ben Osborne, Allen Powell II, Sam Rubenstein, Jonathan Santiago, Abe Schwadron, Leo Sepkowitz, Dave Spahn, Ben Taylor, Tzvi Twersky, Peter Walsh, Tracy Weissenberg, Yaron Weitzman, DeMarco Williams and Dave Zirin.
• Want more of the SLAMonline Top 50? Check out the archive.

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  • shutup

    Even though I don’t agree with the ranking (about imo he should be at least 5 or 6) I love this write up, actually its my favorite so far.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    Dwyane Wade.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    nobody is.

  • LakeShow

    Co-sign this comment. I like the way you think Drig. Understanding that players aren’t just a position, but that each provides different skills and strengths that could be better for one team than for another. Seems obvious, but not everyone seems to get it.

  • yourmomslover

    3. CP3
    2. LBJ
    1. KD

  • LakeShow

    Thanks for bringing up the hoopdata, I always read those numbers, but I don’t use them for arguments, because numbers lie pretty easily, but it’s funny how these guys truly do not understand the make up of each team and why Wade and Kobe have to shoot differently an therefor will have a FG% disparity.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    The same old 5 rings argument. Last one they won was 3 seasons ago in case you weren’t aware. None of those rings were won doing it his way. It was Phil Jackson’s way. Kobe’s way has included him deciding not to shoot in a playoff series where they should have eliminated the Suns in 06. It has also included him not shooting in a regular season game to prove a point. It has recently included him deciding to take shots he didn’t need to take and then instead of taking some of the blame himself, he threw Pau Gasol under the bus. You and those who are like you have yet to make any kind of intelligent argument for him. None. All you can say is “He’s won 5 championships”. Nevermind how they were won. All you know is he won them.

  • justin05

    Agreed lake. The people who don’t agree that Kobe is better than Wade neglect the fact that Kobe is the most hated, yet respected athlete in sports. Every night the opposing team/opposing defender is trying to stop him and make themselves look good and he still puts his team in positions to win. Other than Lebron, idk another player in the league who has the kind of load on their shoulders that Kobe has.

  • justin05

    Dwight will have better stats and more control on the defensive end of the floor but Kobe is still the go-to-guy w/ 5 minutes left in the game.

  • lakers2013

    cuz its Kobe Bryant

  • Omar

    He’s seventh on my list.

  • Omar

    I thought he was going to be.

  • justin05

    Ignorant statement. People will lose respect for your opinions when you make dumb comments like this one. Because he’s going to take more shots? Please kid.. He’s the best player on the Lakers because he’s going to take the most shots during the last few minutes of a game. Just like Lebron, Durant, and Paul. Kobe is #4

  • keyon dooling

    Lol @ “if Dwight messes up , Kobe is screaming at him.” Complete Bull$#!+ intangibles argument to defend this pick! hahahah Watch more basketball

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    LeBron and Chris Paul make the best decisions at the end of games whether it’s a shot for themselves or for someone else. Kobe’s not in that group. He will take the most shots whether he needs to or not at the end of games. Durant will take the best shots at the end of games and he’s made more of those shots than Kobe has the last few seasons.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    D-Wade would fit on any team and be more valuable than Kobe. You can compare guys who play the same position. D-Wade would not only score better but he would involve his teammates a lot better. He’s just a better overall player and has been for 4 seasons. Anyone who doesn’t see this either has some sort of love affair with Kobe or just hasn’t watched them play.

  • http://www.facebook.com/Brill86 Andrew Woods

    yea i would place him at 7 too which is no slap in the face.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    You piggy bank off of other people’s arguments and present nothing yourself. One solid argument for why Kobe is better than Wade. Just one. I’d be interested in hearing you say one thing besides the championships argument or the skill argument that you can’t back up.

  • LakeShow

    The same old “Kobe is over rated argument.”
    Funny how they coincide huh.
    .
    Could you link me to KB throwing Pau Gasol under the bus. I missed that.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    I think we will learn a lot about Kobe and whether winning or winning his way is more important to him.

  • LakeShow

    Precisely.

  • LakeShow

    “piggy back”

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    For this season, he is overrated. The past four seasons, for anyone to think that he has been better than Wade, that is also overrating him.

    “No, Pau’s gotta be more assertive. He’s the guy that they’re leaving…He’s gotta be more aggressive.” Kobe’s comments after Game 4. Scoring a lot of points doesn’t make you a great leader. If Kobe wanted Pau to be more aggressive, giving him the ball and letting him get a rhythm would have been the best way to go. He took no responsibility. It’s easy to look at his point totals and figure that it wasn’t his fault that they lost. But if you’re the leader of that team and you know that you can turn it on and off every once in a while when needed, you get Pau going. If you don’t like his aggression level, get him going at the beginning and sacrifice some of your shots. Look at the comparison between the Lakers two best players and the Thunder’s two best players in that series. For the series, Kobe played 5 more minutes and took 75 more shots than Pau…75. Pau didn’t forget how good he was all of a sudden. Durant played 7 more minutes yet took 36 less shots than Kobe. Durant actually took 8 less shots than his 2nd best player, Westbrook. If you think that all of that can be explained by simply saying that Gasol wasn’t aggressive enough, you’re out of your mind.

  • ssef

    I really don’t get it. You give the dude a terrible write-up the past few years AND you drop him lower on your list. It’s all good though, placing Durant at 2 while he still plays no D is acceptable, right? I will say that though I think Kobe is still at 1 till he retires, I agree his recent body of work hasn’t been up to par. I expect this season to be a monster one for him and LA.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    i’m going to lose respect for saying that? whose respect? LOL, and with that reasoning, Jamal Crawford has been the best player on most of the teams he has ever played on. You realize that?

  • zogs19994

    LEBRON HAS 1 CHAMPIONSHIP YEAR AND EVERYONE JUMPS ON HIS D
    JUST LIKE LAST YEAR WITH DIRK….REMEMBER?
    -
    KOBE HITS A BUZZER BEATER, EVERYONE “KOBES THE BEST MAN”
    LEBRON MISSES A BUZZER BEATER, “OH HE’S NOT CLUTCH”
    -
    #FAIR WEATHER FANS

  • shockexchange

    For the past two seasons Horry Jr has played on teams with “exceptionally more talent” than the rest of the league and the Lakers still got bounced early in the playoffs. Any amount of Lakers success has come in spite of Horry Jr, not because of him. The Shock Exchange wouldn’t even put Horry Jr in the top 20.

  • LakeShow

    Wait…. that was him “throwing Gasol under the bus”

    LOL.

    I can’t even take you serious man.

    Don’t forget the sentence that he capped it off with: “He will be the next game.”

    Big time bus throw under there…. lol…

    Kobe never threw Gasol under the bus. Nice try, good effort, though.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    Him being the “most hated, yet respected athlete in sports” has absolutely nothing to do with it. Strictly on the floor, he hasn’t been better than Wade for 4 seasons. Many good arguments have been made to back that up. No argument has been made to refute those arguments. Kobe’s load is there only because he puts it there. For the past 2 seasons, his load could have been lighter if Bynum and Gasol had the offense ran through them. You do realize that you just said that Kobe has had such a heavy burden on him when the Lakers were projected by a lot of people to be in the top 3 of the conference each of the last few seasons, right? Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, all of these guys had more on them than Kobe.

  • russian guy

    Agreed.But I thought that the improvement of Howard over Bynum would make it easier for the Lakers to defend it..but again,with the trade it all went up to smoke.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    No one should take you seriously. You’re just here to be a cheerleader. You do it well.

  • LakeShow

    I figured you couldn’t defend that.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    that’s such a load of bullsh*t. Even when Wade was the only player on his team he shot 49%, while Kobe still shot 45% as the only player on his team. Wade just takes smarter, more high percentage shots. It’s cut and dry. It is not Kobe’s job to take sh*tty shots.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    Defend what? What have you ever defended when it comes to the Lakers? Like I said, all you have to say is “5 championships” or you laugh. You know you’re just a cheerleader.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    You also ignored the facts I gave you. Facts..those things you don’t have to back you up on the few instances that you do have something original to say.

  • http://www.facebook.com/jay.brodes Jay Brodes

    mamba should be about 3! just my opinion but i think that is fair..average 28 last year playing thru several injuries..i expect his shooting percentage to up this year!

  • D-Bo

    so final three CP3, KD, and LBJ I could mess with that

  • Junior Taylor

    For the 1st time in a long time, Slam has the Top-3 correct. Bravo!!!

  • Junior Taylor

    Stop with the excuses. Every great player at some point in their career were the only viable option on the perimeter for their respective teams.(MJ with the mid-to-late-80s, LeBron with the Cavs, Mac with Orlando, AI with Philly, Nique with Atl, Wade with MIA after Shaq and before CB/LB. Lebron, MJ, Wade were able to keep their efficiency at a high level while AI and Kobe’s efficiency suffered.

  • LakeShow

    lol.

    How are the book sales going? How many have you guys sold? I’m honestly curious.

  • LakeShow

    No D?
    Really?
    What’s with everyone’s infatuation with people playing stellar D. It’s just not going to happen. Durant is above average defensively. He’ll get better too. You can’t expect every player to play D like Iggy, T. Allen, Bradley, or Shump.

  • shockexchange

    Sales are going well. I had my first book signing at my alma mater this past weekend. Everybody is drooling over the book cover. It was selling electronically before the print version came out. I am negotiating sell through Barnes & Noble and some local bookstores in the NYC. That SLAM Q&A set things off though.

  • The Seed

    Kobe at 4 is fine, he will play great, get hated, get called old, get called ball hog, get called MJ wanabe, get called arrogant, get called jawface and still win rings in suppose Lebron league, like he did for two straight years.

  • keyon dooling

    no. LeBron has actually been the best player in the league (and SLAM’s rankings) for about 5 years now. No one is “jumping on his D.” The only thing that’s changed is that he’s getting better and Bryant is getting worse.

  • Karl

    And the lifetime achievement award goes to… Kobe Bryant.

  • Kevin45

    34 years old and being mentioned in the top 4 in the league full of young stars?! I’ll take it! Mamba is 1 in rings tho!

  • Kevin45

    Obviously you dont watch the Lakers or no anything about basketball. Take Kobe away and there a average team

  • Conor

    Why? If you honestly believe that there is any similarity between Kobe & Wade versus Miller & Bryant, why even offer your opinion? The primary difference between your theory and reality is that Kobe can still outplay Wade on any given night, despite his physical erosion, while Kobe of 2001 would dominate Miller on every given night.

    Comparing Kobe of ’12-’13 to Miller of ’00-’01… I don’t know what to offer other than my theory that must be blind.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    Lol Dwight, Steve, Pau is an average team? Genius, why didn’t anybody else realize that? .
    What you meant to say was, Take Kobe away and they are not championship contenders. Which is true of him and Dwight. — but that doesn’t make him the better player at all.
    .

  • Conor

    Kobe can still be the best player in the League on any given night & that is the only projection that needs to be written. Anybody who thinks otherwise is a media-saturated dunce.

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