Replace Kevin Durant with 2002-03 Kobe Bryant on the Thunder

[Milbuck]

7th season Kobe, replacing 7th season Durant. They were both around 25 years old.

How do the Thunder fare in the playoffs with 2003 Kobe instead of current Durant?

[Im Still Ballin]

DUANE UP IN THIS BITCH:
http://i.imgur.com/iltZI.gif

[Solefade]

7th season Kobe, replacing 7th season Durant. They were both around 25 years old.

How do the Thunder fare in the playoffs with 2003 Kobe instead of current Durant?


i'm shuttering at the thought of having kobe and westbrook together...


the only reason why they kind of work right now is because KD takes a back seat to westbrook, kobe would never allow that if he was on this team.

[rzp]

i'm shuttering at the thought of having kobe and westbrook together...


the only reason why they kind of work right now is because KD takes a back seat to westbrook, kobe would never allow that if he was on this team.

yup, kobe had a problem to give the ball to freakin Shaq, let alone Westbrook :lol. KB+WB= too mutch low IQ for the same team.

[J Shuttlesworth]

I think they'd make the finals, but probably not win against Miami. They would be a better team though. Kobe's man to man defense was a lot better than KD's current D.

[Mrofir]

Yeah I don't think Kobe, especially younger Kobe, could play with Westbrook. Older Kobe with Durant though would be scary and they could beat the Heat.

[TheMarkMadsen]

03 Kobe would be at the line 16 times per game in the playoffs if he was playing in this era of officiating

not even kidding

[RoundMoundOfReb]

03 Kobe would be at the line 16 times per game in the playoffs if he was playing in this era of officiating

not even kidding


You do realize that there are less FT/FGA today than in 2002-03, right?

[TheMarkMadsen]

You do realize that there are less FT/FGA today than in 2002-03, right?

:facepalm

playoffs

do you see some of the stuff that gets called flagrant fouls? Do you see the way superstars are being absolutely babied anytime contact is made in the lane?

that Kobe attacked way more than Durant does, he'd be at the line 6+ more times

[J Shuttlesworth]

Kobe and Westbrook would.. as crazy as it sounds.. work. They would both get theirs and not be fazed when one or the other is at their highs and lows.

Durant has plenty of looks/touches - I hate the fact that people are giving Westbrook flak for Durant's passiveness/bitchassness. He just relinquishes the alpha role, and Westbrook steps in and fills in that void.

It would be a fine balance, but Westbrook would be the clear #2 option here.

Also, Kobe loves competitive players.. he despises players that are lazy/soft. I think It would work believe it or not.
I feel the same way too. Kobe wouldn't let Westbrook be the #1 option on a team. That would solve all of the Thunder's problems. If KD would man up and actively get the ball on every possession, they would be champs.

[JUDGE WITNESS]

Kobe and Westbrook would.. as crazy as it sounds.. work. They would both get theirs and not be fazed when one or the other is at their highs and lows.

Durant has plenty of looks/touches - I hate the fact that people are giving Westbrook flak for Durant's passiveness/bitchassness. He just relinquishes the alpha role, and Westbrook steps in and fills in that void.

It would be a fine balance, but Westbrook would be the clear #2 option here.

Also, Kobe loves competitive players.. he despises players that are lazy/soft. I think It would work believe it or not.
this here

[RoundMoundOfReb]

:facepalm

playoffs

do you see some of the stuff that gets called flagrant fouls? Do you see the way superstars are being absolutely babied anytime contact is made in the lane?
Yes. But those flagrant calls really don't account for a lot of free throws. As for the second part in some cases yes there is a lot of head flopping but it has not lead to an increase in Free Throws at all. Defenders have adjusted.

[GimmeThat]

If Kobe had been practicing against Westbrook for as much time Durant/Westbrook practiced against each other.

Maybe it'll work as The Immortal suggest.

If not, no, Kobe 02-03 is not as good as a shooter as Durant is right now.

[Milbuck]

Kobe and Westbrook would.. as crazy as it sounds.. work. They would both get theirs and not be fazed when one or the other is at their highs and lows.

Durant has plenty of looks/touches - I hate the fact that people are giving Westbrook flak for Durant's passiveness/bitchassness. He just relinquishes the alpha role, and Westbrook steps in and fills in that void.

It would be a fine balance, but Westbrook would be the clear #2 option here.

Also, Kobe loves competitive players.. he despises players that are lazy/soft. I think It would work believe it or not.
This is exactly what I was thinking. On the surface it sounds like an awful fit, but it's really not.

Westbrook is at his absolute best as a point guard when Durant is aggressive, confident, and assertive. It forces Westbrook to respect that and gravitate towards being a traditional point guard. He makes better decisions, gets his teammates involved, and is overall a far more unselfish player.

With someone like Kobe, who is basically that aggressive, assertive, excessively confident player ALL THE TIME, Westbrook would develop into being that unselfish floor general on a far more consistent basis.

Even ignoring offense, they would be an absolute nightmare defensively. 2003 Kobe at his physical peak was an elite, lockdown defender. With both of them as intensely competitive and tenacious defensively, they could feed off each other and become the best perimeter defensive duo since MJ/Pippen.

[Rose'sACL]

:facepalm

playoffs

do you see some of the stuff that gets called flagrant fouls? Do you see the way superstars are being absolutely babied anytime contact is made in the lane?

that Kobe attacked way more than Durant does, he'd be at the line 6+ more times
13 flagrants have been called till now with nearly 70% of the games done.
2012-13 postseason- 11 flagrants.
2001 playoffs - 29 flagrants.
What are you talking about?

[IGOTGAME]

That would be a fun lineup. All types of daggers and intensity. Would love to see:

Westbrook
Kobe
Ariza
Rick Mahorn
Steven Adams

GOAT troll lineup

[Milbuck]

That would be a fun lineup. All types of daggers and intensity. Would love to see:

Westbrook
Kobe
Ariza
Rick Mahorn
Steven Adams

GOAT troll lineup
http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/309106/72629846.gif

http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3914361/Russ-Troll.gif

[Lebronxrings]

first round exit.

[tpols]

Their defense would be great WB Kobe and sefolosha locking the perimeter down with perk/ibaka down low. Top 3 defense easily.

And the offense couldnt be much worse than it is with durant.. since they just iso ball all game anyways. Kobe and WB would attack the rim all game long and parade to the FT line.. that was the best slashing version of kobe and WB is WB. .