educated answers only please?

Question

which defense is it harder to score against?

mj going up against defenders who could hand check him?
OR
kobe going up against zone defenses

Answer 1

You know Kobe gets grabbed, pulled, pushed, hand checked, etc etc AND they play zone defense on top of that?

Ask Laker fans how unfair the refs are to Kobe...especially on the road!

watch these videos and you'll understand what im talkin about

http://youtube.com/watch?v=f8X7jPPi_4M
(Gets grabbed by 3 guys and still scores...no foul..this was towards the end of the game)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=XhqDI-ODgz0
(Game 1 of 2006 playoffs...less than 30 second left in the game, Kobe gets smacked on the head at Phoenix, no call)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVTIYTSCG90&NR=1
(He gets mauled in Boston and still finds a way to score...but lakers win)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=w6rl4-7YtXo
(Lakers had a double digit lead late in the 4th quarter but vanished after the refs made ridiculous calls, especially against Kobe and SEVERAL obvious fouls that went as No-calls. You can hear the commentators even saying he was fouled in multiple possessions. This was at Cleveland)


Look I understand that a superstar is not gonna have his way every night and he's not gonna get the calls every night and playing thru physical play is part of the game, but this is the kind of unfair treatment that Kobe gets NIGHT IN AND NIGHT OUT.

THey don't call the handchecks when defenders use that maneuver on Kobe...on top of that he has to deal with 3 other guys pressuring him at the same time.

You can't deny that the league has screwed Kobe over

How bout those "elbows"?

unnatural act eh?

then are these elbows to the head/face considered unnatural and doesn't warrant any suspension??

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Goa_LUv6Poo
(Pau Gasol)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=GGnnN5BMXwE
(Lebron James)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=aRhNzT9dfrI
(Lebron again)

Yes MJ faced Physical defense back in the day but you can't deny the special treatment he gets night in and night out by the refs and the league back then...the league needed MJ to succeed to keep the ratings up!

And besides I'm sure MJ was hand checked by only one defender since MJ didn't see that many double/triple teams out in the perimter (3 second rule remember? Can't be away from the guy you're guarding for more than 3 seconds)...Kobe played under those rules until 2001 when Jerry Colangelo and co. changed the rules and make the hand check illegal and the 3 second rule (paint) was implemented

WHat Kobe is doing now is amazing..against all those odds while playing alongside average teammates, he finds a way to light up the league (leading scorer for the past 2 years) and still keeps them in games (margin of difference in losing games 5th lowest in the entire nba in the past 2 years).

Answer 2

Definitely the hand checking defense. When hand checking was allowed in the NBA, a defender who was adept at the hand check (like Gary Peyton) could actually use it to control where the person with the ball was dribbling. Imagine getting pushed on your hip each time you come within reach of the defender; and NOT just pushed with a simple forearm but pushed with an open hand that would actually twist your hips if you were even a bit off balance. Now imagine that the defender pushes you with his hand(s) to your weaker driving hand and THEN really pushes you so you can't possibly go around him. No, that was never called a foul (without theatrics from the offensive player), it was regarded as good containment defense.

Zones are easy enough to shoot over. Plus, the way man to man defenses were played (and are still by those who do not zone) was a match-up man to man. It used zone principles and helping. So when you beat your man, others would collapse to you very much like a zone.

Having played against both types of defenses in my lifetime (I'm 51) I'd have to say that I preferred playing a hand checking man to man and preferred playing against a zone.

Answer 3

The only problem with this Question is that if you "Hand checked" MJ you would get a foul called on you!...if you looked at MJ wrong you would get a foul called on you!..

The game has evolved!....the FG%(leaguewide) has been dropping steadily since the early 90's.....the game is slower and more defensive minded then ever!..Jordan in this era would have to be a more perimeter oriented player....he could'nt even shoot a 25 footer for the first half of his career!........

Answer 4

Of course Jordan going against hard physical play, with hand checking, is much more difficult to go up against than Kobe facing Zone D's every night.

I'm sure you seen the battles Jordan faced going against the Pistons, Kicks, Heat, they were out to injure him, to beat him up, knock him around, to scare him from going to the hoop. But this made Jordan better, and tougher, he played against the best.

Kobe has never faced a team like these, you touch Kobe and he starts crying....the NBA is much softer compared to back in the day, too many rules.

Answer 5

For me, anyone going up against zone defenses. The first instance can be beaten up by players who have exceptional offensive talent, unlike zone defenses, 5 men can collapse on you when you get inside the lane(remember : Jordan Rules by the 1989 and 1990 Detroit Pistons

Answer 6

kobe against a zone.. becoz wen kobe is having an off night, he usually drives to the lane, gets fouled, and he gets his game going by shooting mre freethrows.. but penetrating a zone defense is very very hard.. n besides we did see jordan play against hand checking defense, he did pretty well, right?? he juz scored a few 40 or 50 points.. hehe :))

Answer 7

The first one's definitely much harder because the defenders were there waiting like mob hitmen to ambush MJ and take him down. And Michael did go down a lot of times especially against the Detroit "Bad Boys" who even had this "Jordan Rules" designed to literally take him out. Same thing with the Knicks of the early 90's - guys like Starks, X-man, Oakley and Ewing - who'd get physical with Jordan night in and night out. Kobe wouldn't be averaging even 20 had he played against those guys and under the rules of that time.

Answer 8

I would say Kobe on a zone would be harder because all it takes is having an off shooting night and you could be done. If someone is out hand checking Jordan he just goes around them. No matter who is was guarding him.

Answer 9

the hand check sucked! that was worse than the zone.

Answer 10

kobe when he plays the game actually comes to life...he has his strategies down and ready