More dominant: Kobe or Tim Duncan?

[SP33Demon]

IF Duncan and co knock off the Heat and he gets his 5th ring, he will be 5 for 5 in the NBA Finals, something that Kobe cannot say. Who has had the more dominant career at their position? While Duncan is quiet, is he a better leader than Kobe? Also consider support casts, both have had strong ones during their championship runs.

 

[tboo]

Timmmmaaaaayyyyy!!!!!

 

[tHa ShIzNiT]

I think Kobe has been responsible for more of his team's success than Duncan. However, I am an extremely biased Laker fan.

 

[randomrogue]

No clue how to fairly compare. I don't think rings are the way to do it though regardless.

 

[vi edit]

Tough to compare the two. Lakers have had about a dozen roster turnovers and what..6 head coaches in Kobe's tenure there. Lots of moving pieces to continuously adapt to.

Duncan has had Parker and Ginobili for the last 10 years and the same coach since he entered the league. It's a much more stable environment.

 

[darkewaffle]

They're different kinds of players. I think of Tim as a more consistent, reliable force but with a smaller upside than Kobe. I think in the way we think of dominance in the NBA, I'd give it to Kobe since he's a superior scorer and that typically defines NBA value.

 

[sactoking]

Tough to compare the two. Lakers have had about a dozen roster turnovers and what..6 head coaches in Kobe's tenure there. Lots of moving pieces to continuously adapt to.

Duncan has had Parker and Ginobili for the last 10 years and the same coach since he entered the league. It's a much more stable environment.

There's a case to be made that that's related to the fact that Kobe plays for the Lakers and Duncan plays for the Spurs, and the types of people those two individuals are.

 

[Gibsons]

"Dominant" might be Kobe. But if I was starting a team by drafting a 20 year old version of either, I'd go with Duncan.

 

[mkrohn]

Duncan hasn't been dominant in ANY form of the word. He reliably night in and night out gives you 20/10 and doesn't have that Shaq beat the crap out of you kind of dominance.

Duncan has also always been surrounded by a fantastically run team. Think of Duncan as say Tom Brady... Centerpiece of the best organization with plenty of players that do anything to win. I hate tom brady but the patriot way is superior and is long lasting success.

Then again Kobe is nothing without a supporting cast. Kobe never single handedly took the team anywhere.

My vote goes for Kobe but I dont believe he ever truly dominated. MJ dominated... Kobe fired away while guys like shaq did the real work. Shaq dominated

 

[Red Storm]

Kobe. Duncan has had a more consistent supporting cast over the course of his career. I would have liked to see Duncan lead a team to the playoffs that had a startling lineup including Smush Parker, Luke Walton and Kwame Brown. Seriously, how the hell did that team get into the playoffs?

Also, Duncan is not even the Spurs best player. Tony Parker took that crown a couple years back, and this year against a team that's weak to big men, Danny Green is looking like the Finals MVP, not Tim Duncan. If Duncan were truly dominant he would be owning the Heat.

Tim Duncan is the best power forward ever, but Kobe is the better player now and overall.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Who has had the more dominant career at their position?

Duncan. There's an easy argument to be made for Kobe being more dominant overall than Duncan, but Duncan is the best power forward of all time and Kobe is not the best shooting guard of all time, so based on the "at their position" qualifier, Duncan takes it.

 

[dougp]

Duncan hasn't been dominant in ANY form of the word. He reliably night in and night out gives you 20/10 and doesn't have that Shaq beat the crap out of you kind of dominance.

Duncan has also always been surrounded by a fantastically run team. Think of Duncan as say Tom Brady... Centerpiece of the best organization with plenty of players that do anything to win. I hate tom brady but the patriot way is superior and is long lasting success.

Then again Kobe is nothing without a supporting cast. Kobe never single handedly took the team anywhere.

My vote goes for Kobe but I dont believe he ever truly dominated. MJ dominated... Kobe fired away while guys like shaq did the real work. Shaq dominated

Nope, not dominant at all ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nejQMtkyLgY

 

[swanysto]

Apples to Oranges. You look at the Spurs, and they are a team that drafts extremely well and typically does not keep an unruly payroll. The Lakers are a team that trades well, and throws a bunch of money at their rosters. It would have been interesting to see Kobe with a franchise that couldn't afford a 100 million dollar payroll.

I would probably choose Duncan cause even after all the rings, all-star appearances, and stuff, he has not financially strapped the Spurs. He is unselfish and someone I would love to represent my team on and off the court.

 

[Ayrahvon]

All this post has made me realize is that there is no good webpage to look at statistics for the NBA. Where's fangraphs for basketball?

I say Duncan, but I am biased against the Lakers and NBA fanatics. Heard on the radio the other day that Duncan wasn't elite because he never played in one of the big cities. Infuriating.

 

[dougp]

All this post has made me realize is that there is no good webpage to look at statistics for the NBA. Where's fangraphs for basketball?

I say Duncan, but I am biased against the Lakers and NBA fanatics. Heard on the radio the other day that Duncan wasn't elite because he never played in one of the big cities. Infuriating.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/
http://www.82games.com

LOL, 82games.com's "Simple Stats" has Duncan and Parker over Kobe - http://www.82games.com/1213/ROLRTG8.HTM

They supposedly also upgraded www.nba.com/stats to be a better reference for fans.

 

[raildogg]

I remember when Duncan entered the NBA. They used to call him and David Robinson the "Twin Towers." Great days of watching basketball.

Each player is good in his own way, so no need to compare. Kobe does his thing and Duncan his.

 

[Corporate Thug]

Kobe because Pop wouldn't let Kobe-like play happen on his team.

 

[Shlong]

Duncan.

For three of Kobe's titles, I would say he was the #2 guy on his team (behind Shaq). While Duncan is the clear #1 guy for all of his titles (Robinson in 1999 was an old man & Duncan was Finals MVP).

 

[manly]

They're different kinds of players. I think of Tim as a more consistent, reliable force but with a smaller upside than Kobe. I think in the way we think of dominance in the NBA, I'd give it to Kobe since he's a superior scorer and that typically defines NBA value.

sorry but you and mkrohn are probably wrong. Read Grantland's recent piece on Timmy. Outside of the last few years, he's absolutely been a dominant player in the Spurs playoff runs.

My definition of "dominant" isn't scoring 28 points on 26 shots.

 

[Deeko]

Kobe; in related news, who is better - Peyton Manning or DeMarcus Ware?

(I voted apples and oranges)

 

[SP33Demon]

Kobe; in related news, who is better - Peyton Manning or DeMarcus Ware?

(I voted apples and oranges)

When each of them get 5 rings we'll create the thread/poll.

 

[sactoking]

I remember when Duncan entered the NBA. They used to call him and David Robinson the "Twin Towers." Great days of watching basketball.

Each player is good in his own way, so no need to compare. Kobe does his thing and Duncan his.

I loved it when they played Duncan at the three, Robinson at four, and Will Perdue at center.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

If I'm starting a team and both guys are 20 I'm going with Kobe. Tim is the more solid pick but Kobe is much more fun to watch. I think you'd win championships with either but you'd find an easier time building around Duncan IMO.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

I loved it when they played Duncan at the three, Robinson at four, and Will Perdue at center.

Sactoking? Sacramento Kings?

Easily one of my all time favorite teams was the Kings with Bibby, Divac, Webber, Christie, Jackson, Peja. Those were some of the most brilliant display of offense ever seen in the nba. The passing was a thing of beauty.

 

[Deeko]

When each of them get 5 rings we'll create the thread/poll.

Obviously irrelevant to my point.