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The accepted rhetoric here is that Kobe has the more talented supporting class, I agree, but I don't think people are giving enough credit to LeBron'ssupporting cast.
The Lakers have a core talent of Bynum, Pau and Odom to surround Kobe. All three players have tremendous length and can score around the basket. Not only thatbut Pau has begun to play some very productive help defence. Lamar has accepted his role on the bench and Bynum continues to grow as a player. In the triangleall three players represent a tough match-up for almost any team.
The Cavs core rests upon Moe Williams, Delonte West and Zydruanas Ilgauskas. Moe is doing the same things he's been doing for the last three years. Thedifference is that now Moe plays defence, and he plays on a team that receives television time. Delonte was cherished by Ainge before he was included in thetrade for Ray Allen. Delonte is a unique guard who plays relentless defence and is a force against opposing guards on offence around the basket. Ilgauskasprovides a solid center presence, can score, and helps facilitate the motion within the Cavs offence.
The Lakers core appears to be more talented because they make sexier plays, , they can all pass and run the break, but I don't really there is a realdifference in basketball talent right now. What the Lakers have in offencive potency the Cavs account for in defensive hustle. The Lakers are more talented onoffence, but the Cavs players (Moe, Delonte and Z specifically) bring a tremendous amount of hustle on defence: something that is noticably missing from theLaker roster.
No the Cavs don't have a bunch of All-Stars, but ask the Spurs how many All-Stars they needed to win their first couple championships. Tony and Manu werechampions before they were All-Stars. Chauncey too. The Cavs have effective role players, while that doesn't sound sexy, it does win games.
The advantage for the Lakers appear when we begin to examine their depth: Brown, Ariza, Farmar, Fisher, Walton, Vujacic. The Cavs reserves aren't asappealing; Gibson, Varejao, Kinsey and Hickson. This doesn't really need much analysis, the Lakers simply have a deeper line of talent coming off thebench.
But in the playoffs most coaches tend to run an 8-man rotation outside of blow-outs. While the Lakers have a high-powered offence, their supporting cast lacksthe kind of defencive utility and hustle showcased by the Cavs. And as defence tends to matter most when it counts, it might appear that LeBron has a morevaluable, yet less talented, supporting cast?
The Lakers have a core talent of Bynum, Pau and Odom to surround Kobe. All three players have tremendous length and can score around the basket. Not only thatbut Pau has begun to play some very productive help defence. Lamar has accepted his role on the bench and Bynum continues to grow as a player. In the triangleall three players represent a tough match-up for almost any team.
The Cavs core rests upon Moe Williams, Delonte West and Zydruanas Ilgauskas. Moe is doing the same things he's been doing for the last three years. Thedifference is that now Moe plays defence, and he plays on a team that receives television time. Delonte was cherished by Ainge before he was included in thetrade for Ray Allen. Delonte is a unique guard who plays relentless defence and is a force against opposing guards on offence around the basket. Ilgauskasprovides a solid center presence, can score, and helps facilitate the motion within the Cavs offence.
The Lakers core appears to be more talented because they make sexier plays, , they can all pass and run the break, but I don't really there is a realdifference in basketball talent right now. What the Lakers have in offencive potency the Cavs account for in defensive hustle. The Lakers are more talented onoffence, but the Cavs players (Moe, Delonte and Z specifically) bring a tremendous amount of hustle on defence: something that is noticably missing from theLaker roster.
No the Cavs don't have a bunch of All-Stars, but ask the Spurs how many All-Stars they needed to win their first couple championships. Tony and Manu werechampions before they were All-Stars. Chauncey too. The Cavs have effective role players, while that doesn't sound sexy, it does win games.
The advantage for the Lakers appear when we begin to examine their depth: Brown, Ariza, Farmar, Fisher, Walton, Vujacic. The Cavs reserves aren't asappealing; Gibson, Varejao, Kinsey and Hickson. This doesn't really need much analysis, the Lakers simply have a deeper line of talent coming off thebench.
But in the playoffs most coaches tend to run an 8-man rotation outside of blow-outs. While the Lakers have a high-powered offence, their supporting cast lacksthe kind of defencive utility and hustle showcased by the Cavs. And as defence tends to matter most when it counts, it might appear that LeBron has a morevaluable, yet less talented, supporting cast?
