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June 9, 2009
I realize that the most likely, and perhaps best, answer to the following question is “nobody” but let’s toss it out there anyway.
Which former Jayhawks would have the best shot at guarding Kobe Bryant?
In the history of this game only a handful of players — maybe 3-5 at most — have proven themselves to be unguardable.
Michael Jordan certainly was one, LeBron James is on his way to becoming another and maybe, if you’re stretching things a little, guys like Wilt, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabar and Magic Johnson are on the list as well.
One guy who’s definitely on that list just happens to still be playing this season. His name, like him or hate him, is Kobe. Like Pele, Shaq (go figure, right) and Tiger, he needs only one name to be known and two or three bodies to be guarded.
In 20 games this postseason, Kobe is averaging 30.1 points per contest, has shot 47 percent from the floor, 34 percent from three-point land and 90 percent from the free throw line.
But those numbers barely begin to tell the story. Although guys like Houston’s Shane Battier (6-8, 220), Utah’s Ronnie Brewer (6-7, 227) and Denver’s Dahntay Jones (6-6, 210) tried admirably to guard him but failed, Kobe’s rare blend of size, speed, smarts and quickness makes him nearly impossible to check.
So, with that in mind, which former Jayhawks would you give half a chance to guard the league’s best player?
Here’s my list:
1. Brandon Rush, 6-6, 198:
Ironically, Rush is listed on nba.com to stand 6-foot-6, 198 pounds, the exact same measurements as Bryant. But that alone does not make Rush a worthy defender. In addition to his great athleticism and size, Rush has the length it takes to keep Kobe’s drive at bay with one hand without taking away the ability to challenge his jumper in a split second.
2. Kirk Hirnich, 6-3, 191:
Once called by Allen Iverson one of the toughest defenders he’s ever faced, Hinrich certainly would have to be in the conversation here. What he lacks in size, he more than makes up for in athleticism. Perhaps his best attribute, and the one thing that might give him a chance, is his ferocious competitiveness. Former KU coach Roy Williams once grouped Hinrich with Michael Jordan when listing the most competitive players he’d ever coached.
3. Alonzo Jamison, 6-6, 225:
Known back in the day as KU’s defensive stopper, Zo certainly has the size and strength to keep Kobe out of the post and to make his drives miserable. The tough part for Jamison would be matching Kobe’s quickness.
Anyone I’m overlooking? Keith Langford, Danny Manning, BJ Williams, Mario Chalmers?
It’s not an enviable task, but there have to be a few former Jayhawks who would be up for the challenge..... Right?
Comments
d_prowess (anonymous) says...
I think this was a pretty easy one, but you nailed the list. My only question would be if there are any pre-1980 Jayhawks that older fans could mention?
June 9, 2009 at 8:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
52vincent (anonymous) says...
Is there any particular reason Paul Pierce was left out? I mean, he did guard Kobe in the NBA finals last season.
June 9, 2009 at 9:46 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
matt_tait (Matt Tait) says...
Pierce guarded Kobe in last year's Finals, largely because the Celtics needed him to. I'm not sure he would've been their first choice, much the same way the Denver Nuggets would not have picked Carmelo Anthony first to guard Kobe in this year's Western Conference Finals... But still, Melo guarded him.
The only reason I left Pierce off is because when you're talking about all of the former Jayhawks of all-time, he's not the one I would pick.
Although he did an admirable job of checking Kobe last year, I don't think Pierce is ideally suited to try to shut him down.
June 9, 2009 at 10:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
plasticJHawk (anonymous) says...
I definitely wouldn't stick Mario on him. Mario is way to small to guard Kobe. Robinson was a better on-ball defender than Mario. I like Rush best. But ideally you would want someone who's bigger than Kobe so that he can contest the shot without having to play too tight on the ball. Danny Manning in his athletic prime may have been just the physical specimen to guard Kobe, tall enough to contest the shot while playing soft enough that Kobe can't just take him off the dribble. It would have to be when Danny was younger so that he could keep up. Julian Wright has the same kind of attributes, but niether Danny nor Julian were perimeter defenders... so Kobe would probably still light them up. You've not got a lot of guards who are big enough to defend Kobe.
June 9, 2009 at 10:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
matt_tait (Matt Tait) says...
Julian Wright's an interesting call. Certainly quick enough, long enough and athletic enough, but I picture Kobe playing Julian like a puppet.... making him slack off to respect the drive and then busting the jumper on him and then making him crowd the jumper and blowing right by him.
Like I said, the best answer is probably nobody, but there are at least a few former KU guys that would've given it a decent shot.
Putting Manning on him, pre-knee injuries, would have been real interesting to see.
June 9, 2009 at 11:04 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
waywardJay (anonymous) says...
That's slightly offensive on many levels....
Paul Pierce is one of the top 5 jayhawks of all time, Paul Pierce is the best jayhawk we have had at the small forward period. and much like Michael jordan the only person who could hold pierce under 20 was Roy Williams in college.
How to guard Kobe..... ( and this is pretty much the only answer )
Just ask Dukie Battier and JOhnny Artest.... they had the answer and could have ended this question before it began.....
Play physical on his drives, get into his head when he tries to drive, force him to make outside shots...... If he still hits them ... you just gotta accept that.......
You won't need a TON of speed, but you need quick feet and alot of size....
that being said..... ( in no particular order but how they came to mind )
1. Paul Pierce. Again, You write for a sports paper, you should know more about sports. PP did exactly That and it won him a championship.
2. Julian Wright, Long lanky, quick feet.
3. Bryant Nash, not the best scorer but by his senior year he may have been one of our best defenders. Long active, Quick feet and memory serves he did pretty well when we couldn't use Langford on Melo because of foul trouble.
4. Keith Langford, again decent defender by the latter years......
5. Brandon Rush, going forward we will see if he is "artest" enough to bother Kobe.... they will play against each other twice a year for the next 5-7
I can't think of anyone else..... Hinrich was great on defense, but does not have the size to bother kobe's shot...... AS for Jamison, he does have the hieght and the weight i just don't remember enough of his game to say for sure......
Again, shameful not including the reigning Finals MVP, and the only person who successfully guarded kobe in his MVP year.
June 9, 2009 at 11:20 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
justanotherfan (anonymous) says...
The key to guarding Kobe is not quickness, because he is so quick. He's so skilled with the ball, your only real hope is to body him like Artest and Battier did, and keep a hand in his face on jumpers. Oh, and get help when he gets a step on you in the lane. I'd say size is more important than quickness when guarding Kobe.
For that reason, I would take Hinrich off the list of Kobe defenders, and replace him with either Paul Pierce (as others have mentioned) or Drew Gooden. While Gooden is nowhere near as quick as Kobe, he has the length, strength and athleticism to make Kobe either try to blow by him every time on the drive, or force contested jumpers. And those are your best bets against somebody like Kobe. Forcing difficult contested shots.
June 9, 2009 at 12:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
KWufan (anonymous) says...
What an interesting equation you've presented. Sorry, Paul didn't stop Kobe, KG behind him and help defense did. Drew Gooden, are you smoking dope, lol? Size wise, good idea, but the man has never put forth the EFFORT to play defense his entire life combined to stop Kobe. Hinrich is small but gives the effort. I almost want to say Jerod Haase because of his insane ability to push his body to the max, you know he would love the challenge, but he may not have had the quickest feet. I know Rush was a good college defender, but I don't see the mental ability to mess with Kobe, ala the puppet comment about Julian. Kobe's would just put counter move, upon counter, upon counter on B-Rush. Of course that's what he does to almost everyone. I am going to have to go with Kirk for my final answer, if AI says someone can play tough D, as quick as he is, you have to listen.
June 9, 2009 at 1:15 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
justanotherfan (anonymous) says...
Hinrich is a nice idea, but if you look through Kobe's career, he has really abused smaller defenders because they can't bother his jumpshot when he elevates. It's not effort that concerns me with Hinrich, because he will push himself to the max. It's size. When Kobe gets matched on a smaller defender, he just shoots over them. That's why Battier and Artest gave him problems. Not because of their quickness, but their length. That's why Tayshaun Prince always presented Kobe with a difficult matchup - Length.
For all of Hinrich's qualities, his height would put him at a serious handicap guarding Kobe. It's the same reason I wouldn't put RussRob (one of our best defenders ever at KU) on this list. He's just not big enough. Julian Wright is another interesting call. Nick Bradford also had that type of reach, although he and Wright both lacked the lower body strength to prevent Kobe from using his strength to create space to get shots off.
Nobody can stop Kobe one on one. He's too good. Of course you will need help defenders. You can't put somebody on an island and not send help when they are guarding one of the best scorers ever. Kobe would destroy anybody one on one. For that reason, the best and most effective Hawk has been Pierce. He can use his body against Kobe, plus he can score enough to offset the fact that Kobe will get his points.
June 9, 2009 at 2:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ChicagoJHawk (anonymous) says...
WaywardJay,
that's hilarious! Bryant Nash? I sure hope you're kidding. He was by no means one of the best KU players. The guy didn't even make it to the NBA. How would he be able to guard one the best NBA players of all time???
Regarding the Jordan/Wilt comparisons, Wilt is better hands down. They had to change all kinds of rules of the game, because of him. Wilt has the numbers to back it up too. I know it was a different era but I still think he dominated way more than Jordan.
June 9, 2009 at 4:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Hawksboy88 (anonymous) says...
Tait,
How bout Paul Pierce?
Sure he didnt keep kobe form 20 points every gamebut he was as good as anybody on that list at doing it.
June 9, 2009 at 4:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
matt_tait (Matt Tait) says...
True.
Pierce is a great player and he rose to the challenge big-time last season in the Finals. That said, I still wouldn't pick him (out of all of the former Jayhawks out there) to guard Kobe.
Could he do it? Sure. But I like the other three I mentioned ahead of him. No disrespect was meant, nothing shameful about leaving him off. Just one guy's opinion.
I think a lot of it depends on when you're talking about. Pierce has developed a lot of defensive savvy in the past few seasons that he didn't always have.
June 9, 2009 at 5:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ChicagoJHawk (anonymous) says...
Hawksboy88,
I agree, Paul Pierce is definitely a good choice. It doesn't matter who's guarding Kobe, he will get 20+ points, he's just that good.
It's like when Kevin Durant & Beasley played in college, it didn't matter who guarded them, they were just on another level & it was almost inevitable that they'd get their 20-30+ points.
June 9, 2009 at 5:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
njjayhawk (anonymous) says...
Jo Jo White
June 9, 2009 at 8:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
waywardJay (anonymous) says...
Chicago jayhawk.....
I raise you on this one.... Not only would i suggest using bryant nash..... i would endorse it wholeheartedly.... And here's why.....
Keith Langford, Russell Robinson, Aaron Miles, wayne simien... tj pugh....Raef Lafrentz..... these are all great jayhawks.... that are on their way out or are not currently in the NBA.....
Bryant Nash never made the NBA.... Bryant nash, to my knowledge never scored more than 6-8 point in a game..... Bryant nash never really rebounded either.... he was not one of our best players..... however..... Just because your a great player does not mean you aren't up for the challenge... and i believe BRyant Nash could SLow down kobe....
No one is going to STOP Kobe..... until Kobe slows down... Kobe's going to be Kobe.... Paul pierce didn't stop Kobe ( KWU...., ) but it wasn't all KG's doing either and i seem to remember Kobe wearing down having to play Paul both sides of the court..... i watched almost every game of that series last year...and Paul has done more than ANYONE in stopping Kobe man to man... and this is what we are talking about..... Paul will not shrink from the cahllenge.... and paul has past history of slowing him down.....
Back to Bryant Nash..... he was 6'7 210 and had quick feet..... as i stated earlier and as the magic proved earlier..... to GUARD Kobe..... you need to force him away from the Lane..... stick a hand in his face..... and foul him if he gets past you, hard enough where he can't make it a three point play...... bryant nash has all those tools......... we are not comparing ppg, or rbg or apg..... we are not talking about the scoring differential.... we are talking about Jayhawks who i would send out there to guard the best one on one ball player in the game right now..... and Bryant Nash is one of the tops on my list, as far as Jayhawks.... to GUARD him.
June 9, 2009 at 11:23 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )