Those players (beside Kobe) have to have a deadly perimeter game cause they outside jumper/long range wont really kill you.

Who has tha meanest triple threat game, would that be catch n shoot?

Imma say:
1. Carmelo
2. Kobe
3. Paul Pierce

dwyane wade winning the pick and roll category? HE DOESN’T EVEN HAVE ANYONE TO SET PICKS/ROLLS WITH ON HIS TEAM EVER!

and catch and shoot? you guys are high. it should be something like:
1. rip
2. jesus
3. redd

PLUS lebron DOESNT PLAY BACK TO THE BASKET BASKETBALL.
1. carmelo anthony. he lives in the post and drills fadeaways ala MJ.

Who do you pick to take the last shot?

Lebron? PP? who?

I bet 90% of people in the NBA would have to choose Kobe…

Nuff said…

Btw, ditto on catch and shoot guys…

1. AI
2. R. Allen
3. Rip

Good analysis, but there are a few problems with your thinking:

- Kobe’s not a kid anymore; let’s not forget that even though he’s 30 or whatever, he’s an old 30, with a lot of miles on his chassis and a lot of deep playoff runs, too. He’ll definitely be in the mix for a few more years, but we’re already starting to see some slippage (just like with Timmy);

- Fisher’s solid, but… eh… he’s not really a difference-maker in the sense of making a team great. He’s a great player on a great team, but he’s not going to be the difference for the Lakers, and he’s also not getting younger;

- Pau and Odom (and for that matter, the rest of the crew, minus Bynum, who I’ll get to in a minute) are career underachievers, and I don’t anticipate anything changing;

- Bynum had a solid half-year last season before getting injured, but I’m not ready to anoint him yet, and you shouldn’t be, either. He’s playing solid ball this year, but he’s not dominating, which is what everyone expected. He’s definitely an asset for the Lakers, but as to whether he’s a difference-maker, that’s a quantity unknown.

Don’t get me wrong. I hate the Lakers, and hope for their demise every season, but they showed last year that they’re a legit contender, and collectively, they look great this season. I’m just not ready to close the books, as though they had anything locked up. There are a lot of x-factors there, and anything can happen.

Having said all that, credit to you for believing in your team, and for taking all the hate in stride. It’s fun to talk hoops with people who ‘get it’.

PP should not be in your list for ‘off the dribble’. As much as I have Tony Parker, I’d put him in there first.

At any rate, PP was a run of the mill star until he was surrounded by other stars. He is getting WAY more hype now because KG and Ray command so much attention. Put KOBE, D-Wade, LeBron, Chris Paul, Tony Parker…any of these other players in that system and they do the EXACT same things.

I like PP but everyone is riding his jock WAY too much lately.

So please, let’s not get ahead of the season and crown our teams the champs after 7 games.

@ Ian, man I ain’t mad at you or your team, I have MAD respect for Duncan, he always brings it. I can’t say I’m happy about the championship that was won @ the Lakers expense in 2003, but ’04 was a crumble in the Finals, and everyone in LA knew we had no chance at a chip ’05-’07. Last year was another crumble in the Finals.

I can’t blame Kobe for the crappy teams the last few years or unexpectedly running into a Detroit team clicking on all cylinders in ’04 (they destroyed the Lakers, completely), but a team w/ arguably the best player on the planet can’t give up a 25 point lead at home in the Finals. So yeah, I’m blaming that one on Kobe.

And until he wins another chip, my jury is out on him just like the rest of you. But Kobe is Kobe, he is the Lakers, and has my undying support as long as he’s got a Laker uniform on.

“It’s your hate that keeps me believing that we’re the greatest of all time.”