Myth: Kobe Was an Inefficient Scorer

[dankok8]

There is this myth flowing around not just this forum but also other basketball communities like RealGM that Kobe was an inefficient scorer. People just throw out epithets like "chucker", "poor shot selection" etc. and they never get called out on it. Given his scoring volume he was actually quite efficient and well above league average efficiency. I'm only going to look at playoff numbers here and only since 2001 when he became a superstar player.

Kobe Bryant Playoff Scoring:

2001: 29.4 ppg on 55.5 %TS (+3.7 rTS)
2002: 26.6 ppg on 51.1 %TS (-0.9 rTS)
2003: 32.1 ppg on 53.1 %TS (+1.2 rTS)
2004: 24.5 ppg on 50.6 %TS (-1.0 rTS)
2006: 27.9 ppg on 58.7 %TS (+5.1 rTS)
2007: 32.8 ppg on 56.1 %TS (+2.0 rTS)
2008: 30.1 ppg on 57.7 %TS (+3.7 rTS)
2009: 30.2 ppg on 56.4 %TS (+2.0 rTS)
2010: 29.2 ppg on 56.7 %TS(+2.4 rTS)
2011: 22.8 ppg on 53.6 %TS (-0.5 rTS)
2012: 30.0 ppg on 52.5 %TS (-0.2 rTS)

Average (2001-2012): 28.5 ppg on 54.6 %TS (+1.5 rTS)

For a 12-year stretch Kobe scored 28.5 ppg in the postseason on comfortably above league efficiency. That of course includes four championship runs in 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2010. In three out of four of those runs, he shot at least 2% above league efficiency and averaged >29 ppg as well. In his 5-year peak from 2006-2010, Kobe averaged 29.8 ppg on 57.0 %TS (+2.9 rTS).

Generally speaking in all years he shot poorly he only shot up to 1% below league efficiency. Even those runs you can hardly call inefficient.

[warriorfan]

Because trolls make intellectually dishonest comparisons using only FG%.

[Hey Yo]

There is this myth flowing around not just this forum but also other basketball communities like RealGM that Kobe was an inefficient scorer. People just throw out epithets like "chucker", "poor shot selection" etc. and they never get called out on it. Given his scoring volume he was actually quite efficient and well above league average efficiency. I'm only going to look at playoff numbers here and only since 2001 when he became a superstar player.

Kobe Bryant Playoff Scoring:

2001: 29.4 ppg on 55.5 %TS (+3.7 rTS)
2002: 26.6 ppg on 51.1 %TS (-0.9 rTS)
2003: 32.1 ppg on 53.1 %TS (+1.2 rTS)
2004: 24.5 ppg on 50.6 %TS (-1.0 rTS)
2006: 27.9 ppg on 58.7 %TS (+5.1 rTS)
2007: 32.8 ppg on 56.1 %TS (+2.0 rTS)
2008: 30.1 ppg on 57.7 %TS (+3.7 rTS)
2009: 30.2 ppg on 56.4 %TS (+2.0 rTS)
2010: 29.2 ppg on 56.7 %TS(+2.4 rTS)
2011: 22.8 ppg on 53.6 %TS (-0.5 rTS)
2012: 30.0 ppg on 52.5 %TS (-0.2 rTS)

Average (2001-2012): 28.5 ppg on 54.6 %TS (+1.5 rTS)

For a 12-year stretch Kobe scored 28.5 ppg in the postseason on comfortably above league efficiency. That of course includes four championship runs in 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2010. In three out of four of those runs, he shot at least 2% above league efficiency and averaged >29 ppg as well. In his 5-year peak from 2006-2010, Kobe averaged 29.8 ppg on 57.0 %TS (+2.9 rTS).

Generally speaking in all years he shot poorly he only shot up to 1% below league efficiency. Even those runs you can hardly call inefficient.

That's because they're not referring to his uncontested foul shots. FT% can help make up for a shitty FG%. That's what makes him a prime candidate to use FG% only and not TS%

[eliteballer]

That's because they're not referring to his uncontested foul shots. FT% can help make up for a shitty FG%. That's what makes him a prime candidate to use FG% only and not TS%

His FG% was not “shitty” for his era you dope.

[Hey Yo]

His FG% was not “shitty” for his era you dope.

[tpols]

I think when people criticize kobes efficiency his numbers are being compared to his star contemporaries, not league average shooting.

That being said he was very efficient in his 2001, 2008, 2009, and 2010 playoff runs per ORTG. His teams had top ranked offenses, and were top assist teams as well so he got his 30+ within a system that benefited everybody.

Compare that to guys who hijack the whole system to suit themselves and shy away from all the tough shots you can see why his efficiency was never like 60-65+ TS super elite. But MJs wasn't either. When you have to bail out your team on 5+ broken possessions a game its going to dip your efficiency a little bit. All those hero shots Kobe took he couldve passed it to Fish and saved himself 5 extra TS or so but the team wouldve been worse off. And Fishers numbers wouldve taken the dive.

[Rysio]

For the shots he took he was very efficient but its not efficincy that made kobe great but being able to create shots no matter how good the defense was and hit them consistently.

[HunterSThompson]

kobe was so good he didn't even have to get open. he was one of a few rare guys that could shoot from anywhere over anyone regardless of what the defense did and still be efficient


kobe, durant, bird, dirk and prime tmac. maybe a few others.. these are the greatest contested shooters/scorers ever


and no curry doesn't belong on that list. under tight defense hes useless

[SouBeachTalents]

He was not efficient in 6 of his 7 Finals. Or in several elimination games

[RRR3]

kobe was so good he didn't even have to get open. he was one of a few rare guys that could shoot from anywhere over anyone regardless of what the defense did and still be efficient


kobe, durant, bird, dirk and prime tmac. maybe a few others.. these are the greatest contested shooters/scorers ever


and no curry doesn't belong on that list. under tight defense hes useless

You don’t watch Curry play. You’re also a 50 year old man who spent months impersonating a dead players spirit on a ghost town message board.

[ImKobe]

Kobe 08-10 Playoffs: 29.8 ppg 46.4%FG/56.9%TS

league average at the time was ~46%FG and ~54%TS.

And the early 2000s stats have to be taken with context as well, the league average in 00-02 was 44-45%FG and 52%TS.

For the shots he took he was very efficient but its not efficincy that made kobe great but being able to create shots no matter how good the defense was and hit them consistently.

Yup. the '06 and '07 seasons are ridiculous considering how little help he had on offense. Especially '07 with all the injuries and him averaging 31.6 ppg on 58%TS, he averaged 36.7 ppg post-ASB that year.

[Charlie Sheen]

There is this myth flowing around not just this forum but also other basketball communities like RealGM that Kobe was an inefficient scorer. People just throw out epithets like "chucker", "poor shot selection" etc. and they never get called out on it. Given his scoring volume he was actually quite efficient and well above league average efficiency. I'm only going to look at playoff numbers here and only since 2001 when he became a superstar player.

Kobe Bryant Playoff Scoring:

2001: 29.4 ppg on 55.5 %TS (+3.7 rTS)
2002: 26.6 ppg on 51.1 %TS (-0.9 rTS)
2003: 32.1 ppg on 53.1 %TS (+1.2 rTS)
2004: 24.5 ppg on 50.6 %TS (-1.0 rTS)
2006: 27.9 ppg on 58.7 %TS (+5.1 rTS)
2007: 32.8 ppg on 56.1 %TS (+2.0 rTS)
2008: 30.1 ppg on 57.7 %TS (+3.7 rTS)
2009: 30.2 ppg on 56.4 %TS (+2.0 rTS)
2010: 29.2 ppg on 56.7 %TS(+2.4 rTS)
2011: 22.8 ppg on 53.6 %TS (-0.5 rTS)
2012: 30.0 ppg on 52.5 %TS (-0.2 rTS)

Average (2001-2012): 28.5 ppg on 54.6 %TS (+1.5 rTS)

For a 12-year stretch Kobe scored 28.5 ppg in the postseason on comfortably above league efficiency. That of course includes four championship runs in 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2010. In three out of four of those runs, he shot at least 2% above league efficiency and averaged >29 ppg as well. In his 5-year peak from 2006-2010, Kobe averaged 29.8 ppg on 57.0 %TS (+2.9 rTS).

Generally speaking in all years he shot poorly he only shot up to 1% below league efficiency. Even those runs you can hardly call inefficient.

Kobe is an all time great. The fact that his TS% compares favorably to a league average isn't some revelation.

When people are knocking Kobe's efficiency, it's always in a discussion against his peers. Not a league average player.

[ralph_i_el]

Kobe's prime was before people realized that FG% was pointless, and before many people were shooting his volume of 3's. He was ahead of his time for shot selection for a while.

[HBK_Kliq_2]

You can do rTS this season and make guys look real good as well because shooting percentages across the league are down. That's why I don't care for that stat. The fact is kobe was just never as efficient as guys like Jordan, kawhi, lebron

[dankok8]

I think when people criticize kobes efficiency his numbers are being compared to his star contemporaries, not league average shooting.

That being said he was very efficient in his 2001, 2008, 2009, and 2010 playoff runs per ORTG. His teams had top ranked offenses, and were top assist teams as well so he got his 30+ within a system that benefited everybody.

Compare that to guys who hijack the whole system to suit themselves and shy away from all the tough shots you can see why his efficiency was never like 60-65+ TS super elite. But MJs wasn't either. When you have to bail out your team on 5+ broken possessions a game its going to dip your efficiency a little bit. All those hero shots Kobe took he couldve passed it to Fish and saved himself 5 extra TS or so but the team wouldve been worse off. And Fishers numbers wouldve taken the dive.

MJ had better rTS than Kobe including much higher volume. Then again MJ's scoring is an outlier over any other player in history.

But you said star contemporaries... which stars in Kobe's era had a better combination of volume and efficiency?

For the shots he took he was very efficient but its not efficincy that made kobe great but being able to create shots no matter how good the defense was and hit them consistently.

I agree. Kobe's scoring was very resilient.

He was not efficient in 6 of his 7 Finals. Or in several elimination games

I agree but he faced some insanely good defensive teams in the finals which has to be taken into account. In fact 2002 Nets, 2004 Pistons, 2008 Celtics and 2009 Magic were the best defenses in the league in those years. 2001 Sixers and 2010 Celtics were also really good on D and there were plenty of league-best defenses like the 2001 and 2003 Spurs that Kobe torched yet people rarely seem to mention it.