Prime Kevin Garnett vs Prime Kobe Bryant ?

[Vertical-24]

When Kobe was alone he wasn't getting his team out of the first round too.

Agree. Bad argument.

[MMM]

Agree. Bad argument.

Kobe has a greater legacy no doubt. While I don't like playing the what if game I do wonder how a KG/Shaq duo would work. Someone mentioned the lack of closers but when you have such a dominant front court i think you could cobble up enough role playing shooters to hit big shots, much like how those laker teams enjoyed.

[red1]

close but I take kobe

[ProfessorMurder]

I'm taking the guy who actually EARNED his MVP and 12 all-defensive team nominations.

Loyalty, defense, and a versatile player that didn't exist before he got into the league.

[Smoke117]

Kobe has a greater legacy no doubt. While I don't like playing the what if game I do wonder how a KG/Shaq duo would work. Someone mentioned the lack of closers but when you have such a dominant front court i think you could cobble up enough role playing shooters to hit big shots, much like how those laker teams enjoyed.

KG was crazy athletic back then. In his younger days he was more of a sf/pf hybrid or "tweener" but without the stigma that comes with that term as he was big enough to defend PF's and quick enough to guard sf's because he was so damn athletic. A lot of people forget how athletic he was because the Wolves were never on national television all that much for the most part because they didn't win that much. In other words I could see a Shaq and KG duo working because KG doesn't really have to be down in the post to be effective in his younger days.

[La Frescobaldi]

Both are 1st round fodder without stacked teams

so they are Michael Jordan level?

[Mr. I'm So Rad]

Garnett is closer to Kobe offensively than Kobe is in comparison to KG's defense. KG anchored all time great defenses and I'm not sure if Kobe has done the same equivalent on the offensive side of the ball. Although some of the greatest offenses in league history have not really been title contending type teams so I'm not sure how relevant that is to the discussion.

He has. From 2006 to 2008 (pre Gasol) the Lakers were top 10 in both scoring and offensive rating despite not having any consistent, reliable players on offense outside of Kobe. And in much of 2006 and 2007, the Lakers didn't run the triangle as much because Phil told Kobe he needed to shoot more to carry the Lakers. It was pretty much Kobe freelancing on offense (think LeBron in Cleveland). Considering the insane numbers he had to put up just for the Lakers to be playoff contenders I think it's safe to say he was elite in anchoring an offense. Scoring/Playmaking/Drawing Doubles. Everything.

[secund2nun]

KG is far superior to Kobe, who is the most overrated bball player of all time.