Who has had more elite seasons? (top 5)

[DMAVS41]

I forgot how I ordered them, but I had Tmac Dirk and Kobe all next to each other with Kobe at #5. Kobe put up 30/7/6 and was still playing good defense while averaging 2 steals and a block. His efficiency dropped a bit in the playoffs, especially with his torn labrum, but he still put up 32/5/5

In 04, I had Kobe at #4 or #5 behind the players you mentioned, with Tmac being in the mix.. playing for the worst team in the league has to be factored in though. 04 was just a down year for individual years it seems.

'13 I had Kobe at #4 behind Lebron, KD, and CP3. I think either you're mixing up 2013 Westbrook with 2012 or that's revisionist, because I thought he was better the year before and don't recall him being in the mix as a top 5 player. Melo was very good and underrated on ISH. While he got really hot late, I thought Kobe had a better body of work and was a much better facilitator while being nearly as good of a scorer. Close though

Yea, we aren't going to far off on any of these, Kobe put up great numbers in 03...don't think he played good defense. 02 was when he started his, virtually no impact at all, defensively for the remainder of his career. So if defense matters a lot to you...I'd submit Kidd definitely needs to be ranked over Kobe here. Kidd was an actually an impact defender...Kobe just really wasn't.

Also, hard to ignore the chemistry issues...Kobe trying to prove himself at the cost of the team. And just losing with Shaq...we can make excuses because of the 3 peat and such, but if we are judging each year individually...I have Kobe at like 7th. Certainly a case can be made for top 5, but it's certainly not definitive.

04 is more just an opinion from both of us. You take Kobe. I take T-Mac and Wallace and we can both defend our positions. I'd say Kobe's pathetic finals has to be factored in to your assertion about T-mac. Just hard to give the benefit of the doubt to the guy that played horrible in the most important games of the year.

13. I'm confused here. Why would public opinion at the time matter so much to you? WB put up 23/7/5 on 53% TS in 13 vs 24/5/6 54% TS in 12...

I'm not confused nor is it revisionist. I thought WB was a better player in 13. The Thunder went from having the 2nd offense and 11th defense in 12...to the best offense and 4th best defense. WB also played 16 more games in 13 than he did in 12.

And considering Kobe missed more games and the playoffs...WB getting hurt can't be held against him.

So I'm not really concerned with what people were saying...just with actual what was going on.

I had a blast watching Kobe in 13, but he completely abandoned any defense and really just played for himself...not surprising Howard is on another team given that.

[eliteballer]

Kobe's been elite since 2000, arguably 1999 ISHiot.

[DMAVS41]

Kobe's been elite since 2000, arguably 1999 ISHiot.

If elite is "top 5"...no...Kobe's first year in which he started that top 5 status was 01 through 13

[chazzy]

And oh yeah, Kobe was obviously not top 5 in 2004...the first year without Shaq.

While he wasn't all that good compared to his other prime years in 04, you could def make a case he was top 5 when you actually start to rank the players that year. A lot of guys had down years - only definite players above are KG, Shaq, and Duncan.

[DMAVS41]

While he wasn't all that good compared to his other prime years in 04, you could def make a case he was top 5 when you actually start to rank the players that year. A lot of guys had down years - only definite players above are KG, Shaq, and Duncan.

Absolutely...you can make a case for any of the years you mentioned.

I just don't think it's definitive in the years I mentioned...but the truth is...is that it's just nitpicking if one ranks a player at number 5 (you) and I rank him at number 6 or something....we basically just agree.

[I<3NBA]

Russel i think had like 11 or something.