Is Kobe Bryant a Top Flight Defender?

Kobe is a member of the NBA all defensive first team, ahead of the Rockets' two super defenders, Shane Battier and Ron Artest. As I have watched the Rockets-Lakers series, I have come to question the idea that Kobe is an elite defender. Last year during the MVP race, the argument was made that Kobe was a much better defender than Lebron, and, therefore, he deserved to win the MVP. He did win the award, so his reputation as an elite defender was recognized. Then, this summer a lot of time was spent discussing Kobe's role on the national team as a defensive specialist. This solidified his reputation as a great defender. Because most basketball writers do not pay attention to the defensive side of the game and because the standard stats devoted to defense do a poor job of identifying good defenders, most selections to the all-NBA defensive teams are based on reputation and hype. Once Kobe was called a good defender by ESPN and the other propaganda machines of the NBA, he was bound to be voted to the all-defensive team. The question is whether he deserves it:


THE CASE FOR KOBE: -He is twelfth in the NBA in steals per game this year (1.46) However, as I said before, standard defensive stats are a poor measure of defensive prowess, and the always great Rafer Alston is thirteenth in the league.

-He is a great athlete and competitor He is athletic, but being a great athlete is not a guarantee of being a great defender (see: Carter, Vince and Wafer, Von)

-He guards the other teams best player Oh really? So Shane Battier is our biggest scoring threat? I would expect him to want to guard Artest, but he has spent the whole series on Battier


MY CASE AGAINST KOBE: -He gives Shane Battier the open three every time down the court This worked out real well for the Lakers last night when Battier went off

-He spends too much energy trying to run the Lakers' offense With terrible point guards, a 3 that can't do anything, a head case named Lamar Odom, and a Spaniard at center, Kobe is forced to do everything for the Lakers offense. He always ends up with the ball in his hands and is required to score, to make plays, and to save enough energy for the fourth quarter. All of this activity puts a toll on Kobe's body and he is unable to play his hardest on defense all the time

-He is almost never called for a foul Oftentimes, a foul is the result of a good, aggressive defensive play and hustle. Being a great defender requires hustle and effort, and Kobe's lack of fouls seem to indicate a lack of both of these crucial defensive traits

THE VERDICT: Kobe has elite defensive ability; however, his incredible expenditure of energy on offense forces him to pick his spots on defense when he really locks on. Because he doesn't always bring it, his inconstancy means that he doesn't deserve a spot on the All-NBA defensive team instead of Shane Battier.


Shane Battier demonstrating good D