VolsFan4Ever-11
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2010
- Messages
- 6,867
- Likes
- 2
Player A: 30.7 PPG, 42.4% FG, 30.8% 3FG, 24.2 FGA, 10.5 FTA, 4.6 TO, 23.2 PER, 42.3 MPG.
Player B: 28.1 PPG, 42.4% FG, 29.1% 3FG, 23.5 FGA, 8.0 FTA, 3.7 TO, 22.1 PER, 38.6 MPG
Player C: 26.4 PPG, 45.8% FG, 34.5% 3FG, 19.0 FGA, 9.7 FTA, 3.0 TO, 20.9 PER, 41.8 MPG.
Player A: Allen Iverson's 2004-05 season, which happened right during the height of the whole "You can't win with Iverson, he monopolizes the ball!" craze.12
Player B: Kobe this season.
Player C: Iverson's 2007-08 season, which doubled as his last relevant season as an NBA player.
Look, I don't care if you're anti-Iverson or pro-2012 Kobe but you can't be both. You can't defend Kobe's current season as "He's a warrior, he's doing what it takes to win, he's only shooting so much because they don't have anyone else" while also dismissing the entirety of Iverson's career (which people love to do now, especially the statheads). You want to talk about a crummy supporting cast? In 2005, Philly's top five scorers for much of the season were Iverson, Marc Jackson, Kyle Korver, Kenny Thomas and Corliss Williamson. Not a misprint. They finished 43-39. Also not a misprint. The truth is, Kobe turned into a taller Iverson last season and it's staying that way. He's a 42 percent volume shooter who plays an ungodly number of minutes, shakes off every injury, fills the box score (good and bad), keeps coming and coming, and fervently believes he's always the best guy on the floor (even when it's not true).
I think the real comparison he is making is to Kobe's current Lakers teammates.
They sure as hell wouldn't have gone 43-29 without Iverson.