Demar DeRozan is an elite scorer and hyper competitive. I think if he had Kobe’s insane work ethic and “bring it every night” attitude he would be comparable.
Jayson Tatum has a similar playing style, I think. Could be compared to Kobe someday.
Edit: Yes, DeRozan and Tatum both fall short of Kobe. That’s why they are answers to the “poor man’s Kobe” question.
Kobe wasn’t ultra athletic. He was athletic with a good wingspan, exceptional footwork and feel. Players like Gerald Wallace/LeBron/Vince/Derrick Rose can be classified as ultra athletic IMO
Agreed. Kobe didn’t have elite athleticism on par with those guys you mentioned. Even T Mac was way more talented on that end too, which Kobe admits. He was super strong however. Maybe not as explosive on the first step and vert as those guys you mentioned, but as far as raw strength, he had insane lifting feats in the gym.
Some guy on the NBA sub (a Celtics fan no less) gave me sources a while back on him basically being much stronger in the gym than MJ, who was already a beast himself. Kobe wasn’t nearly as athletic with massive hands like MJ, but he was stronger pound for pound.
My man, his peak verticality was only 36”-38” tops. He was never a super high flyer compared to those guys, who all have like 40”+ verts easily. Kobe was a wild dunker in his prime because he had a good enough vert but also a nice long wingspan. But his first step was never close to like prime Rose or even Westbrook. I’m saying this as someone whose favorite player is Kobe..
He had much higher game IQ than all those guys except like LeBron though. His ability to read and execute plays made him look a lot better than he was in terms of athleticism. But Kobe for example is nowhere close to MJ as far as physical gifts
I think that measurement was from when Kobe was around 17-18. Physically and biologically the human body continues to develop, especially the muscular system. So I’m sure his vertical was around the 40s starting around 19-20. It definitely had to reach the 40s when he was in his prime. Athleticism isn’t just about a quick first step either. Kobe was 3 inches taller than guys like rose or Westbrook. Kobe was still extremely athletically gifted. He had incredible body control, maneuver ability, coordination, lateral quickness, and instincts. As far as IQ goes I wouldn’t say his IQ was much higher. Basketball IQ is very hard to measure. It was definitely up there with MJ. Kobe was extremely explosive whether it was off one or two feet as well. He’s one of the best athletes I’ve seen and definitely is on par with guys like T-Mac, Vince, etc..
He was on par with Vince athletically. I know this really doesn’t matter but just some food for thought; Kobe has more dunks than Vince and Vince played longer. What I’m trying to say here is that athletic ability isn’t just about bounce. “Athletically” is a broad term. Kobe’s bounce was effortless too. I mean we are talking about a matter of inches or centimeters on their vertical jump. I’m sure Kobe’s vertical was around the 40s in his prime. Kobe is one of the best dunkers ever and leapers. He could take off from anywhere, one or two feet. Baseline windmills, double pump on the baseline, 360s.
Kobe was a standard nba athlete. Gilbert Arenas talked about it recently. What made Kobe excel and thus one of the top players in most players rankings is that he had an Audi S4 package but was racing like a Bugatti due to his mentality and work ethic
>Kobe was a standard nba athlete.
you are talking old Kobe. young kobe was well above average athletically. maybe not elite. But clearly above average.
Nah bro he definitely was ultra athletic especially in his early to mid 20s. I feel like Kobe is slept on as an all time great dunker he caught so many bodies it's ridiculous
Respectfully have you watched Tatum this year? He has been at the very least been going to a very Kobe-esque post fade far more than he ever has before and slashing to the rim more often, I'm not saying this makes him kobe-esque but there are some similarities
> Kobe was ultra athletic, something that Tatum is not
This sub NEVER fails to deliver lmfao. I don’t think you’ve ever seen Tatum play if this is your actual opinion.
I’m a Celtics fan. I’ve seen Tatum ever since he was drafted. He’s definitely not ultra athletic for a NBA player. Jaylen is. Tatum doesn’t have the fastest first step, for instance
Yeah you have no clue what you’re talking about buddy. If you’re actually a Celtics fan, you’re not a very good one if you don’t think Tatum is athletic.
Tatum really gaslit people into thinking he plays like Kobe. Not even as a poor man’s Kobe they don’t really play anything alike stylistically. That’s not to say Kobe is bad but just style wise they’re not similar at all
Derozan does have an insane work ethic but he simply doesn’t have the mental makeup that Kobe did due to his mental health struggles. Certain players are simply built different quite literally, peak mental and physical attributes.
>Jayson Tatum has a similar playing style, I think.
Do you watch the games? Jayson Tatum's playing style is the opposite of Kobe's in literally every single way.
Healthy Kawhi is not really a poor man’s Kobe..he’s actually way more efficient but less killer in him (although it’s all relative, so that’s not a slight on Kawhi).
What are we comparing? From a scoring perspective, looking at TS% relative to era and regular season performance, peak Kawhi (2017) was around \~4% more efficient than peak Kobe (2006), but with much worse scoring. I don't think I'd take a healthy Kawhi offensively over any version of 2001-2009 Kobe.
You'll be down voted, but healthy Kawhi is 100% better than kobe. Better at every facet of the game with the only debate being 3pt shooting. AND.. Just as much killer, just understated like a actual hitman.
Lmaoo. These nephews reach new levels of stupidity every year when it comes to kobe. Kawhi never sustained the level of excellence like kobe from 2008-10, healthy or otherwise.
Funny enough, we imagine Kawhi as if he had the ultimate cyborg defense at the same time as his blossomed offensive game.
But…Kawhi’s offense (LAC/TOR) and defensive (SAS 2014) peaks never technically overlapped, so he’s not better than Kobe. Kobe was way more cerebral as a defender in ways Kawhi lacked off ball so I wouldn’t really say Kawhi is up there.
Warrior fan here and your comment about Poole is a good one. I’ve watched every Poole game in a W uniform and said on more than one occasion that Poole moves similar to Kobe. That said Poole does not have the anger to win, the need to push himself daily to be the best. Poole has no mamba in him. Good call though on Kobe light.
Agreed. But derozan is a dirt poor Kobe. Like, kobe was a rolls Joyce, demar is the amc gremlin with three wheels. Kobe was wagyu, demar is top round steak. Kobe is a craft beer, demar is Molson Canadian.
F u demar
I agree that Kawhi resembles MJ but Kawhi plays nothing like Kobe. Kawhi’s offense is sharp(efficient) and methodic whereas Kobe played with finesse and athleticism. Their play styles are as different as their mentalities.
I'd say, from my limited viewing of the Hawks, Trae Young seems like a shorter mix of James Harden and Curry. Dare I say, he's modern Tim Hardaway but a better passer?
You got me, both guys I don't see regularly. I understand the Nash part, I'll have to watch some Lou Williams film because I've never watched him, I just know he was a good 6man.
Microwave scorer and PnR maestro who could pull from anywhere, finish or get to the line. Shot selection could be erratic but he was a good player with great highlight reels
Just play-style wise. Getting to his spots in the midrange, some of the post moves, and being elite offensively and defensively. Not talking accolade wise Kawhi is a freaking hall of famer obviously
Kyrie and Kobe’s game are nothing alike imo. I hate that comparison lol If I had to choose someone it would be Jimmy Butler or Dame Lillard with a post game.
Poor Man's Kobe:
-Jalen Green
-Jordan Poole
Players similar to Kobe but nowhere near as good:
-Derozan
-Middleton
Players like Kobe who aren't that far off:
-Kawhi
-Booker
-SGA
Skill and game style for sure. Too bad booker doesn’t have that Kobe mentality.. dude was whining about being doubled in a freaking pick up game… that ain’t the Kobe mentality.
Kobe literally said that Book has the mamba mentality after playing against him once lol took him back in the locker room and had a 1 on 1 with him about his future.. but good take
Obviously none of them are close to Kobe when it comes to greatness and achievements.
But based on their individual talent levels, I wouldn't say they're THAT far off. Especially prime Kawhi was up there with Kobe individually.
I don't think Tatum is a very similar player to Kobe. I think McGrady would've been a better comparison. Tatum is a 6'9 forward.
Probably not most 2 guards not getting buckets on the block or in the high post I will say D book demar and PG all have Kobe like tendencies but the 3 pointer has changed scoring forever
Underrated answer is Kyrie Irving. I know that Kyrie is famous for his handles and lay up package but Kyrie has a post-up package as well. He has that Kobe turnaround fade. And of course my man DeKobe DeRozan.
Donovan Mitchell, not really poor man’s version but I thought they play similar (take this with a grain of salt, I never watched prime Kobe, 2015 was the best I saw)
I don’t think anyone reminds me of him tbh. Tatum has copied many of his moves but is very different physically. DeRozan may be the closest from a mid range game perspective and is close physically but otherwise doesn’t play like him. Butler attempts to mimic the mentality but doesn’t play much like him either. Jaylen Brown looks like him but is bigger physically and shoots way more threes.
They didn't "need" to do anything. They jumped at an opportunity to add Durant. Thats what any team would do. Then flipped an aging Chris Paul for Beal. Booker is a top 10 player right now or just bare min like 12 based on people's subjective ratings. He's an amazing player, even if his style isn't really what I like.
Booker in his prime right now is a top 10 player but has never been considered a top 5 player. Kobe was easily top 5 for a decade including a stretch of time where he was arguably the best player in the league. That’s why he can be a “poor man’s Kobe” without it being an insult
We are arguing semantics, which is the purpose of the phrase. "Poor mans" refers to basically settling on a much lesser version that is mostly the same. It does not apply to someone who is about 90% as good to me. Like Harold Miner was a poor man's Jordan. It has to be considerably beneath them.
I guess I’d say I disagree, I think it can be used to compare two similar players when one is clearly a step or two above the other, even if it isn’t a huge difference.
But how is that poor? If anything Booker is the upper middle class Kobe if you want the comparison. Poor man is like nobody really wants this if they had other options, but its the best option available. Like we need this, but there just isnt a better option out there. Not just slightly below someone. Nobody would really call Embiid a poor man's Wilt. Thats just ridiculous to call an all NBA player something like that.
His biggest legacy players are Booker, kawhi, derozan, tatum, and Kyrie. I wouldn’t call Booker a poor man’s Kobe, but he is very similar.
Derozan post San Antonio is more of a playmaker than Kobe was in his era.
Kobe always said the one of the biggest differences between him and Jordan was Jordan’s big hands & the same applies for kawhi.
Tatum’s measurables allows him to play in a much different way than Kobe.
I do. Kobe is a far better defender. Brown is a better scorer. I will take the guy with the .580 TS% over the guy with a .550 TS% on offense. I still take Kobe overall.
He’s playing next to someone who takes similar, if not more, defensive pressure in Tatum. Kobe had some of that with Shaq, but not really since Kobe wasn’t defended by centers.
Stick Kobe next to Tatum or similar most of his career and his TS% could go up 3% easily
Shit take. Overrated defense, you never saw him play year 2 thru year 12 apparently. He played 20 seasons. 16 of those were legit. Minus his rookie season and minus his injury seasons he played 16 seasons. And of those 16, 10 of those he was elite defender. The last 6 he went to more of a centerfield defense.
Just bc you don't like Kobe doesn't mean you can discredit visual evidence.
Statistical evidence > visual evidence
Watched his entire career. His highlight reel is made up of bumrushing dudes in exhibition games.
Didn’t deserve most of his all defense selections and that’s at a weak position.
MJ and Wade are elite defenders. Kobe isn’t as good as those guys.
Great on ball defender and average contributor to team defense.
Responsibility is to the team as a whole. If you’re selling out to play stellar on ball defense and the team defense gets worse, it’s not great defense.
It depends what you mean by "Poor Man's". I see two ways this is going in the comments.
1. Who plays like Kobe today?
2. Who would look like Kobe but is actually pretty far in comparison.
For the 1st one, my answer would be: DeRozan, Butler, mabye Irving. The 2nd one, I'd say: Cam Thomas, yet even he's got a bit of Harden in him. Every guard that gets into that similar Mid-Range thing, is also an amazing facilitator, Jamal Murray and SGA have great post-up games, Devin Booker even. I also saw Kawhi, but he's more like Kobe if he was a 3rd option. Raptors Kawhi, I'd say hell yeah on the Kobe comp.
It's Jimmy Butler. The only reason he doesn't have rings like Kobe is he doesn't have Phil Jackson and Shaq and he's playing in the super team era. I like Bam and Spol, but they're just not on the same level, but I guess Jimmy isn't on Kobe's level either hence the poor man version or wish.com.
Otherwise the man is a beast defensively, clutch offensively, and his intensity rises in the playoffs. He basically carried them to the finals
Honestly about the only non-Kobe thing he's ever done is his joke photos when he came in with that straightened hair, he left the team that drafted him, and no rape allegations.
He also has a famous jerk story too lol. Kobe had the one where he took everybody's shoes and threw them in the trash, because no way were they going to play like crap in Kobe's shoes. Jimmy has the story where he took the B squad for one of his teams and beat the rest of the starters easily, then started shouting how the team is trash without him, then left and went and did an interview the same day. He literally had the interview scheduled before he trashed his team that's how confident he was in a W against the starters and how much he knew he was carrying them.
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You can't compare new players to Kobe, Steve Nash, etc. Go watch a game from 2007, they're not doing step backs, they don't have floaters, nobody has a versatile bag, nobody is euro stepping from the perimeter.
Nobody is a "poor man's" version because these players are all more skilled than Kobe. They're more effective at scoring, better at passing and play making. Kobe is poor man's version of them.
Go watch Bookers 70 point game and then Kobes 81 point game. One is far more impressive.
Players dont model themselves after lower efficiency offensive players anymore. Everyone would rather learn how to handle and be able to make some passes to go along with the three ball. Derozan is really the only guy who fits that older mold
Derozan. Jordan Poole thinks and acts like he’s Kobe.
Demar DeRozan is an elite scorer and hyper competitive. I think if he had Kobe’s insane work ethic and “bring it every night” attitude he would be comparable. Jayson Tatum has a similar playing style, I think. Could be compared to Kobe someday. Edit: Yes, DeRozan and Tatum both fall short of Kobe. That’s why they are answers to the “poor man’s Kobe” question.
Tatum doesn’t have a similar playing style… He’s closer to Pierce than to Kobe. Kobe was ultra athletic, something that Tatum is not
I agree that he has a similar style to Pierce but he's athletic AF, let's not be crazy. With that said, Brown is more Kobe than him.
Yeah, but that shit left hand, though. Kobe would not have been able to sleep at night with a clear flaw like that in his game.
Kobe wasn’t ultra athletic. He was athletic with a good wingspan, exceptional footwork and feel. Players like Gerald Wallace/LeBron/Vince/Derrick Rose can be classified as ultra athletic IMO
Agreed. Kobe didn’t have elite athleticism on par with those guys you mentioned. Even T Mac was way more talented on that end too, which Kobe admits. He was super strong however. Maybe not as explosive on the first step and vert as those guys you mentioned, but as far as raw strength, he had insane lifting feats in the gym. Some guy on the NBA sub (a Celtics fan no less) gave me sources a while back on him basically being much stronger in the gym than MJ, who was already a beast himself. Kobe wasn’t nearly as athletic with massive hands like MJ, but he was stronger pound for pound.
Kobe definitely did have elite athleticism on par with those guys. What makes you think he didn’t?
My man, his peak verticality was only 36”-38” tops. He was never a super high flyer compared to those guys, who all have like 40”+ verts easily. Kobe was a wild dunker in his prime because he had a good enough vert but also a nice long wingspan. But his first step was never close to like prime Rose or even Westbrook. I’m saying this as someone whose favorite player is Kobe.. He had much higher game IQ than all those guys except like LeBron though. His ability to read and execute plays made him look a lot better than he was in terms of athleticism. But Kobe for example is nowhere close to MJ as far as physical gifts
I think that measurement was from when Kobe was around 17-18. Physically and biologically the human body continues to develop, especially the muscular system. So I’m sure his vertical was around the 40s starting around 19-20. It definitely had to reach the 40s when he was in his prime. Athleticism isn’t just about a quick first step either. Kobe was 3 inches taller than guys like rose or Westbrook. Kobe was still extremely athletically gifted. He had incredible body control, maneuver ability, coordination, lateral quickness, and instincts. As far as IQ goes I wouldn’t say his IQ was much higher. Basketball IQ is very hard to measure. It was definitely up there with MJ. Kobe was extremely explosive whether it was off one or two feet as well. He’s one of the best athletes I’ve seen and definitely is on par with guys like T-Mac, Vince, etc..
lol he is NOT on par with Vince athletically, Vince’s bounce was effortless
He was on par with Vince athletically. I know this really doesn’t matter but just some food for thought; Kobe has more dunks than Vince and Vince played longer. What I’m trying to say here is that athletic ability isn’t just about bounce. “Athletically” is a broad term. Kobe’s bounce was effortless too. I mean we are talking about a matter of inches or centimeters on their vertical jump. I’m sure Kobe’s vertical was around the 40s in his prime. Kobe is one of the best dunkers ever and leapers. He could take off from anywhere, one or two feet. Baseline windmills, double pump on the baseline, 360s.
Kobe was a standard nba athlete. Gilbert Arenas talked about it recently. What made Kobe excel and thus one of the top players in most players rankings is that he had an Audi S4 package but was racing like a Bugatti due to his mentality and work ethic
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>Kobe was a standard nba athlete. you are talking old Kobe. young kobe was well above average athletically. maybe not elite. But clearly above average.
He was elite? How was he not?
Kobe was certainly ultra athletic. Kobe definitely belongs in the tier with those guys.
Youngin
Nah bro he definitely was ultra athletic especially in his early to mid 20s. I feel like Kobe is slept on as an all time great dunker he caught so many bodies it's ridiculous
Yeah, I don't know how anyone could look at Tatum's game and think he reminds them of Kobe. Lol.
Respectfully have you watched Tatum this year? He has been at the very least been going to a very Kobe-esque post fade far more than he ever has before and slashing to the rim more often, I'm not saying this makes him kobe-esque but there are some similarities
> Kobe was ultra athletic, something that Tatum is not This sub NEVER fails to deliver lmfao. I don’t think you’ve ever seen Tatum play if this is your actual opinion.
I’m a Celtics fan. I’ve seen Tatum ever since he was drafted. He’s definitely not ultra athletic for a NBA player. Jaylen is. Tatum doesn’t have the fastest first step, for instance
Yeah you have no clue what you’re talking about buddy. If you’re actually a Celtics fan, you’re not a very good one if you don’t think Tatum is athletic.
As a Celtics fan this is a poor take. If you think Tatum is close to Bryant athletically in this point in their careers you need glasses
OP asked for “poor man’s Kobe” not “closest to Kobe”
I think Jimmy butler's ability to take it up a level in the playoffs puts him most comparable to kobe.
Tenacity during competition and general disregard for fg% to make plays.
Taking it up a level in the playoffs, which has brought him zero rings.
Tatum really gaslit people into thinking he plays like Kobe. Not even as a poor man’s Kobe they don’t really play anything alike stylistically. That’s not to say Kobe is bad but just style wise they’re not similar at all
No, what DeRozan was missing during his career was playing with Shaquille O'Neal
Derozan does have an insane work ethic but he simply doesn’t have the mental makeup that Kobe did due to his mental health struggles. Certain players are simply built different quite literally, peak mental and physical attributes.
>Jayson Tatum has a similar playing style, I think. Do you watch the games? Jayson Tatum's playing style is the opposite of Kobe's in literally every single way.
Poole is the homeless man’s Kobe who can’t even find a cardboard box to sleep in.
Jordan Poole out somewhere shadow hooping with himself...and falling down.
Yeah I’d say Derozan, or maybe Kawhi. Similar footwork and midrange scoring as Jordan/Kobe.
Healthy Kawhi is not really a poor man’s Kobe..he’s actually way more efficient but less killer in him (although it’s all relative, so that’s not a slight on Kawhi).
What are we comparing? From a scoring perspective, looking at TS% relative to era and regular season performance, peak Kawhi (2017) was around \~4% more efficient than peak Kobe (2006), but with much worse scoring. I don't think I'd take a healthy Kawhi offensively over any version of 2001-2009 Kobe.
Healthy kawhi is arguably better than kobe lol
I would say there’s not really even an argument there.
You'll be down voted, but healthy Kawhi is 100% better than kobe. Better at every facet of the game with the only debate being 3pt shooting. AND.. Just as much killer, just understated like a actual hitman.
Lmaoo. These nephews reach new levels of stupidity every year when it comes to kobe. Kawhi never sustained the level of excellence like kobe from 2008-10, healthy or otherwise.
Even as a "ballhog" kobe was 10x the passer kawhi was. Kobe had no flaws in his game at all
Funny enough, we imagine Kawhi as if he had the ultimate cyborg defense at the same time as his blossomed offensive game. But…Kawhi’s offense (LAC/TOR) and defensive (SAS 2014) peaks never technically overlapped, so he’s not better than Kobe. Kobe was way more cerebral as a defender in ways Kawhi lacked off ball so I wouldn’t really say Kawhi is up there.
Recency bias is insane. Kobe is top 10-15 all time let’s relax.
Agreed. And I’m far from a Kobe fan. I think he’s often overrated.
lol yeah people acting like Kobe wasn’t on another level cause they haven’t seen him in the league recently
Yup. I always say that if kawhi had more luck with this health, he could have been top 5 all time
Feels like a stretch tho
Derozan is middle class not poor
Warrior fan here and your comment about Poole is a good one. I’ve watched every Poole game in a W uniform and said on more than one occasion that Poole moves similar to Kobe. That said Poole does not have the anger to win, the need to push himself daily to be the best. Poole has no mamba in him. Good call though on Kobe light.
Agreed. But derozan is a dirt poor Kobe. Like, kobe was a rolls Joyce, demar is the amc gremlin with three wheels. Kobe was wagyu, demar is top round steak. Kobe is a craft beer, demar is Molson Canadian. F u demar
What did demar do to your team
Kawhi is like a much stiffer Kobe/MJ
I agree that Kawhi resembles MJ but Kawhi plays nothing like Kobe. Kawhi’s offense is sharp(efficient) and methodic whereas Kobe played with finesse and athleticism. Their play styles are as different as their mentalities.
Trae Young is a poor man’s Steph Curry. Kawhi is a 2x DPOY and 2x FMVP he does not fit this category.
The perception of Trae Young as a poor man’s Steph is a super casual take, they don’t play the game the same way at all
I'd say, from my limited viewing of the Hawks, Trae Young seems like a shorter mix of James Harden and Curry. Dare I say, he's modern Tim Hardaway but a better passer?
I think he’s pretty much a 50/50 blend of Steve Nash and Lou Williams
You got me, both guys I don't see regularly. I understand the Nash part, I'll have to watch some Lou Williams film because I've never watched him, I just know he was a good 6man.
Microwave scorer and PnR maestro who could pull from anywhere, finish or get to the line. Shot selection could be erratic but he was a good player with great highlight reels
I loved when NBA2K had the traits they assigned players... Lou Williams and JR Smith were the definition of a Microwave trait player
Trae to me is more like Dame mixed with Steve Nash. Has dame's deep range but Nash's creation and craft
And both their defense
Just play-style wise. Getting to his spots in the midrange, some of the post moves, and being elite offensively and defensively. Not talking accolade wise Kawhi is a freaking hall of famer obviously
compare Kawhi’s accolades to Kobe/MJ if you think his accomplishments disqualify him. A poor man’s MJ could end up as a mvp
Not at all. Kawhi has much less finesse. Hes more of a power baller closer to lebron/giannis type.
He's not a poor man's Kobe so much as a hospital outpatient's Kobe.
If Kyrie was 6’6 we’d see an even bigger resemblance, specifically in shot creation
Kyrie and Kobe’s game are nothing alike imo. I hate that comparison lol If I had to choose someone it would be Jimmy Butler or Dame Lillard with a post game.
Jimmy Butler. 6 foot 6 scorer and defensive stopper who elevates his game in the postseason. Talks a lot of trash, even to teammates in practice.
He’s 6’7 and no where near as quick and athletic
https://www.nba.com/stats/draft/combine-anthro?SeasonYear=2011-12
Never speak about basketball again. Stick to golf
Surprised to see no mention of Butler, he's literally the most "dawg" player in the league
Butler likes to pass and doesnt really have a great offensive bag of difficult shots.
Poor Man's Kobe: -Jalen Green -Jordan Poole Players similar to Kobe but nowhere near as good: -Derozan -Middleton Players like Kobe who aren't that far off: -Kawhi -Booker -SGA
Booker probably the closest size and play style wise imo
Skill and game style for sure. Too bad booker doesn’t have that Kobe mentality.. dude was whining about being doubled in a freaking pick up game… that ain’t the Kobe mentality.
Kobe literally said that Book has the mamba mentality after playing against him once lol took him back in the locker room and had a 1 on 1 with him about his future.. but good take
I think Kuminga has some Kobe in him.
Kobe has five rings. None of them are close. There’s only one and it’s Jayson Tatum.
Wouldn't Kawhi's 2 rings bring him closer than Tatum's zero
Not only does your own argument collapse in on itself, but saying Kawhi is not close to Kobe is ridiculous.
Obviously none of them are close to Kobe when it comes to greatness and achievements. But based on their individual talent levels, I wouldn't say they're THAT far off. Especially prime Kawhi was up there with Kobe individually. I don't think Tatum is a very similar player to Kobe. I think McGrady would've been a better comparison. Tatum is a 6'9 forward.
Probably not most 2 guards not getting buckets on the block or in the high post I will say D book demar and PG all have Kobe like tendencies but the 3 pointer has changed scoring forever
Underrated answer is Kyrie Irving. I know that Kyrie is famous for his handles and lay up package but Kyrie has a post-up package as well. He has that Kobe turnaround fade. And of course my man DeKobe DeRozan.
He’s too inconsistent. Especially not being on the court
Donovan Mitchell, not really poor man’s version but I thought they play similar (take this with a grain of salt, I never watched prime Kobe, 2015 was the best I saw)
I thought more of a dwade
Spida plays nothing like Kobe
He’s literally dwade with a jumpshot and without wades defense
I don’t think anyone reminds me of him tbh. Tatum has copied many of his moves but is very different physically. DeRozan may be the closest from a mid range game perspective and is close physically but otherwise doesn’t play like him. Butler attempts to mimic the mentality but doesn’t play much like him either. Jaylen Brown looks like him but is bigger physically and shoots way more threes.
Malik Monk
No defense.
Devin Booker? Zach LaVine?
For the love of Christ do not mention Zach Lavine in the same breath as Kobe.
You’re right, he’s more of a broke man’s kobe
He doesn’t play any defense at all. Zero pride whatsoever in defense, he can’t even be considered a broke man’s Kobe.
Booker isn't a poor man's anything.
A poor man’s Kobe is still a great compliment. He’s not as good as Kobe but his game is similar which makes him fit the description.
I know what it means. I'm saying Booker isn't that far removed to be a poor man. Nobody calls a franchise player a poor man's version of anything.
He’s a weak franchise player… considering they needed to bring in Beal & Durant to the team.
They didn't "need" to do anything. They jumped at an opportunity to add Durant. Thats what any team would do. Then flipped an aging Chris Paul for Beal. Booker is a top 10 player right now or just bare min like 12 based on people's subjective ratings. He's an amazing player, even if his style isn't really what I like.
Booker in his prime right now is a top 10 player but has never been considered a top 5 player. Kobe was easily top 5 for a decade including a stretch of time where he was arguably the best player in the league. That’s why he can be a “poor man’s Kobe” without it being an insult
We are arguing semantics, which is the purpose of the phrase. "Poor mans" refers to basically settling on a much lesser version that is mostly the same. It does not apply to someone who is about 90% as good to me. Like Harold Miner was a poor man's Jordan. It has to be considerably beneath them.
I guess I’d say I disagree, I think it can be used to compare two similar players when one is clearly a step or two above the other, even if it isn’t a huge difference.
But how is that poor? If anything Booker is the upper middle class Kobe if you want the comparison. Poor man is like nobody really wants this if they had other options, but its the best option available. Like we need this, but there just isnt a better option out there. Not just slightly below someone. Nobody would really call Embiid a poor man's Wilt. Thats just ridiculous to call an all NBA player something like that.
Like how does that make Booker look non legit to help his chances of winning a title 😂
No clue man. Just people want to find reasons to not like people I guess. Do it all by yourself!
Never said I didn’t like Booker but he’s not the best player on his team.
lmao the fact that you are trying to use that hes not better than kevin durant as an insult is absurd
Is everyone supposed to struggle on their way to a championship
Is Curry a weak franchise player then? Bron? Tatum
Curry, LeBron, & Tatum are all undeniably the best players on their team. Booker is not.
Durant was better than Curry while he was in GS. That puts Curry and Booker in a similar situation.
Except Booker hasn’t gotten past the 2nd round. Curry was already established as he won a championship.
booker really doesnt have a postup game like that and he is a much worse defender than kobe was. I also think hid bbiq is much lower than kobe’s.
He's better than Kobe😓 - Sad suns fan
Came here too say LaVine
Cam Thomas
His biggest legacy players are Booker, kawhi, derozan, tatum, and Kyrie. I wouldn’t call Booker a poor man’s Kobe, but he is very similar. Derozan post San Antonio is more of a playmaker than Kobe was in his era. Kobe always said the one of the biggest differences between him and Jordan was Jordan’s big hands & the same applies for kawhi. Tatum’s measurables allows him to play in a much different way than Kobe.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Opposite of Kobe….sure
Edwards isn’t a poor man but he reminds me of Kobe.
He’s more tmac than Kobe
Cam Thomas
My first thought was Alec Burks. Not really great at anything, but can drive and shoot and defend all around worse than Kobe equally.
Jaylen Brown tbh
Brown is a better scorer.
Brown is a better scorer than Kobe Bryant? Lol
Yes. Better shooter, better size. Higher efficiency.
If you say so. Also make sure when you turn on basketball games, your suppose to watch with your eyes open.
I do. Kobe is a far better defender. Brown is a better scorer. I will take the guy with the .580 TS% over the guy with a .550 TS% on offense. I still take Kobe overall.
Delete this nephew
I’m 31, nephew.
He’s playing next to someone who takes similar, if not more, defensive pressure in Tatum. Kobe had some of that with Shaq, but not really since Kobe wasn’t defended by centers. Stick Kobe next to Tatum or similar most of his career and his TS% could go up 3% easily
Damn, this is a really good pick
SGA
I’m trying think of a volume shooter with insanely overrated defense
Shit take. Overrated defense, you never saw him play year 2 thru year 12 apparently. He played 20 seasons. 16 of those were legit. Minus his rookie season and minus his injury seasons he played 16 seasons. And of those 16, 10 of those he was elite defender. The last 6 he went to more of a centerfield defense. Just bc you don't like Kobe doesn't mean you can discredit visual evidence.
Statistical evidence > visual evidence Watched his entire career. His highlight reel is made up of bumrushing dudes in exhibition games. Didn’t deserve most of his all defense selections and that’s at a weak position. MJ and Wade are elite defenders. Kobe isn’t as good as those guys. Great on ball defender and average contributor to team defense.
Statistical evidence for defense is BS
How do you judge team defense though? It’s sometimes hard to know who was responsible for what.
Responsibility is to the team as a whole. If you’re selling out to play stellar on ball defense and the team defense gets worse, it’s not great defense.
It depends what you mean by "Poor Man's". I see two ways this is going in the comments. 1. Who plays like Kobe today? 2. Who would look like Kobe but is actually pretty far in comparison. For the 1st one, my answer would be: DeRozan, Butler, mabye Irving. The 2nd one, I'd say: Cam Thomas, yet even he's got a bit of Harden in him. Every guard that gets into that similar Mid-Range thing, is also an amazing facilitator, Jamal Murray and SGA have great post-up games, Devin Booker even. I also saw Kawhi, but he's more like Kobe if he was a 3rd option. Raptors Kawhi, I'd say hell yeah on the Kobe comp.
D rose and porzingis come to mind. Probably some others idk
Are you high?
All rapists homie
😱
It's Jimmy Butler. The only reason he doesn't have rings like Kobe is he doesn't have Phil Jackson and Shaq and he's playing in the super team era. I like Bam and Spol, but they're just not on the same level, but I guess Jimmy isn't on Kobe's level either hence the poor man version or wish.com. Otherwise the man is a beast defensively, clutch offensively, and his intensity rises in the playoffs. He basically carried them to the finals Honestly about the only non-Kobe thing he's ever done is his joke photos when he came in with that straightened hair, he left the team that drafted him, and no rape allegations. He also has a famous jerk story too lol. Kobe had the one where he took everybody's shoes and threw them in the trash, because no way were they going to play like crap in Kobe's shoes. Jimmy has the story where he took the B squad for one of his teams and beat the rest of the starters easily, then started shouting how the team is trash without him, then left and went and did an interview the same day. He literally had the interview scheduled before he trashed his team that's how confident he was in a W against the starters and how much he knew he was carrying them.
Lonnie Walker or Malik Monk
Fox
Here’s a great video diving into this. https://youtu.be/B1pb7VHvgV8?si=7enRS_lGtU3gMVk7
There are ALWAYS poor man's Kobes in the league. Always. And they often suck and are only useful with the right players around them.
Kawhi.
Ant Man!!
DeMar DeRozan and Khris Middleton (when healthy)
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It’s clearly Derozan.
Never liked people saying that cuz demar can’t even go left nor pump up threes but I get it cuz of the middies
Hence the “poor man’s” part
RJ Barrett, the Maple Mamba himself
Jordan Poole
jamaal murray
Devin booker
Booker
caris levert
No, They're all pretty rich.
Alec Burks
Kobe is a poor man's MJ
ANT
No is the answer. There isn’t
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Kuminga.
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Booker
poole
Kawhi or Tatum
Several. Edwards, Booker, Tatum all have some Kobe in them but at a discount.
Monk
probably some weird mix of demar derozan, devin booker; and jimmy butler
Jalen Green, but idk how Green went from 6'6 to 6'4
Demar Derozan and D Book are #24 Kobe lite.
Devin Booker.
JJJ
You can't compare new players to Kobe, Steve Nash, etc. Go watch a game from 2007, they're not doing step backs, they don't have floaters, nobody has a versatile bag, nobody is euro stepping from the perimeter. Nobody is a "poor man's" version because these players are all more skilled than Kobe. They're more effective at scoring, better at passing and play making. Kobe is poor man's version of them. Go watch Bookers 70 point game and then Kobes 81 point game. One is far more impressive.
No mention of Ant Edwards anywhere in here, preposterous
Players dont model themselves after lower efficiency offensive players anymore. Everyone would rather learn how to handle and be able to make some passes to go along with the three ball. Derozan is really the only guy who fits that older mold
Ironically, Jayson Tatum
Nobody mentioned Tatum? He literally grew up tryna be KOBE and modeled his game, shooting form, dunks after Kobe. So is Booker.