Two NBA polls this week; two polls where Kobe comes out on top of LeBron.
First, Sporting News unveiled their Top 50 Players list, which was compiled by votes from a smorgasbord of "107 Hall of Famers, major award winners, executives, current players and coaches and other basketball experts." Craig Ehlo is on the list of voters. I don't know which of the aforementioned categories he falls into, but whatever.
Kobe took the top spot with 62 first-place votes compared to just 34 for LeBron.
The top ten looks like this:
1. Kobe Bryant, SG, Lakers
2. LeBron James, SF, Cavaliers
3. Dwyane Wade, SG, Heat
4. Dwight Howard, C, Magic
5. Tim Duncan, PF, Spurs
6. Chris Paul, PG, Hornets
7. Kevin Garnett, PF, Celtics
8. Dirk Nowitzki, PF, Mavericks
9. Carmelo Anthony, SF, Nuggets
10. Paul Pierce, SF, Celtics
Second, The Oklahoman recently ran a pool looking for the NBA player with the highest "Basketball IQ" — whatever that means. A quasi-coherent description that ran with the poll: "It's instinctive ability that a player has, knowing when to shoot and when to make the extra pass. Knowing how to set a screen on one possession and play off it on the next. Knowing when to employ subtle defensive schemes such as 'pulling out the chair' in the post."
Kobe tops this list also, and I have no problem with that. As high as LeBron's "Basketball IQ" is now — and it's pretty freaking high — Kobe just has more time in the league than The King. I would argue that LeBron should be above Chris Paul, but that's a small quibble over a pretty bizarre poll. Check back in five years or so after LeBron continues to grow, mature, and get better, and things will look different.
The OK rankings:
1. Kobe Bryant, Lakers
2. Jason Kidd, Mavericks
3. Steve Nash, Suns
4. Chris Paul, Hornets
5. LeBron James, Cavaliers
