Kobe making a case as game's best

Since Michael Jordan shuffled off to prove that building one team seems even trickier than carrying an entire league, the howling kings of basketball judgment have been auditioning for his successor.
For the record, the job description has little to do with marketing power or highlight credibility, although those can be fine perks. Instead, the watchdogs have been waiting for someone to definitively seize the title of World's Best End-To-End Basketball Player. As one of these self-appointed watchdogs, I believe the requisite World's-Best skills should include a competitive blaze underscored by a commitment to defense. This probably eliminates most of the candidates now lining up behind the guy who actually deserves the acclaim.
That guy is Kobe Bryant.
This week's show at the FIBA Tournament of the Americas simply serves to illustrate what most of you should have figured out much earlier. But before building Kobe's case, let's quickly review some of the suspects who are not (yet) the world's best player.
We'll start with Denver Nugget Carmelo Anthony, a splendid player whose scoring outburst in Team USA's collective romp has provoked grandiose declarations from a few national pundits. Best player on Team USA? That's just silly.
While it should be noted that playing power forward for Coach Mike Krzyzewski hasn't done his defensive rep any favors, 'Melo has yet to really pick on any offensive players his own size in the NBA. But the defensive comparison with Bryant that's been the most noticeable while working for Team USA occurs off the ball; Kobe is far better at anticipating an offensive maneuver and rotating into a team-defensive help situation. Due to experience and/or DVD study, Bryant just thinks the game better.
Like Kobe and his superior Team USA cronies, Anthony's wide-ranging offensive repertoire can command a double team. Unlike Bryant (whose L.A. Lakers teammates and own ego require it) Carmelo hasn't demonstrated the ability to consistently defeat it. As a Nuggets' employee, he may not have to or even want to. That's a plus.
I just can't wait to watch what happens when a full season of Anthony, Allen Iverson, J.R. Smith and Kenyon Martin kicks in with George Karl. That may be some hayride.
Anyway, accusing Anthony of not having a comprehensive game that equals Bryant's is hardly intended as a slam.
Kobe's off-the-court off-season has been turbulent. But on it? He looks like the game's best player. (Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)
The same is true when putting the comparison spotlight on LeBron James, who's been one of my favorite players since I first saw him play during a summer club tournament in Vegas six years ago.
Much like his pal Carmelo, LeBron's defense only seems to be ratcheted up when the moment suits him. That's a pity, because — as one of the world's most ridiculous combinations of size, strength, speed, quickness and agility — James should be an All-Defensive Team pick every year.
While it's true that — like Bryant — the offensive responsibilities he carries with his NBA team may inspire a few half-hearted defensive efforts, it doesn't excuse a lapse or two for Team USA.
On offense, LeBron is a more generous and skillful passer than Bryant. That's hardly a revelation. But, due to balance issues, his jump shot will continue to come and go. Sure, Kobe can be streaky and unleashes quite a few gymnastic field-goal attempts, but James still manages to lean back when his feet are set and he's wide open. He'll make some of those shots, but doesn't seem convinced that creating space when it's not necessary makes shooting a high percentage a lot more difficult.
Another serious candidate, Miami Heat superstar Dwyane Wade, will be spared from comparison (when he refines that jump shot, we'll talk) until suiting up for Team USA next year.
The marvelous Steve Nash is the world's best point guard, but won't be its best player unless he quits hiding behind screens on defense or pretending that playing the passing lanes is enough.
Dirk Nowitzki fails to make the cut because the world's best player doesn't back down when his team is figuratively punched in the mouth.
This brings us back to Bryant, who qualifies as the most relentless competitor the NBA has seen since MJ, who was the greatest player in league history. But despite checking in with three championship rings, Kobe's ascension often is dismissed due to perceptions (right, wrong ... how do any of us really know?) about his character.
He generally is credited with escorting Shaquille O'Neal out of Los Angeles, even though Shaq's contract demands and public attack on Lakers owner Jerry Buss did far more to expedite the trade. Kobe didn't push O'Neal out of town, but he could have stopped the deal.
Instead, he welcomed the opportunity to — like Jordan — lead his team to glory while surrounded by little more than an eager support group. We'll never know how Jordan would have responded if his career had begun as second fiddle to the league's most dominant inside presence. Maybe his quest to be the best player would have overwhelmed a sense of team that was instilled at North Carolina. Maybe his team would have won 10 consecutive titles. Had he not prematurely retired (twice), Jordan could have registered eight or nine in a row without the benefit of an above-average center.
We may never know if Bryant can win without a superior big because he has yet to be assisted by the likes of Scottie Pippen or a young Horace Grant. His task of winning with Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum is made even trickier by an abundance of powerhouse teams in the Western Conference.
As for Team USA, Kobe (to me, at least) clearly is better on both ends than his gifted young teammates. But even his presence can't guarantee U.S. gold in 2008. With Bryant, Anthony, James and Wade, Coach K will be obliged to continue hammering a ball-movement agenda that will be tested by zone-playing foes intent on slowing down the game. The stars listed above have grown into their current status by dribbling the ball through most of every offensive possession.

by Randy Hill

FoxSports.Com