Burns' (Mailbag) Baby Burns' (Mailbag)

Upon reading SI.com writer Marty Burns’ mailbag column (which featured backlash from LeBron James supporters crying foul at Burns’ choice of Kobe Bryant for MVP), I had a great idea. How about I take comments from his readers and rebut them in the way I see fit? This works in two ways, one, because I agree with Burns, and two, because I do not have any readers, thus, no mailbag. Let’s get to it:

Ryan Jay Pacuma from the Philippines summed up the feelings of many LeBron James backers when he asked, "How is Kobe ahead of LeBron, when Kobe has more help and James has only himself?"

Valid point, Ray (this is fun, I feel like I have a reader-base now). Perhaps it would have provided a valid point over the last two seasons as well, when LeBron had a better supporting cast than Kobe AND played in a much weaker conference.

Brian from Cleveland echoed that sentiment, while adding a plug for LeBron's leadership qualities: "Who had his team in the Finals last year?!"

And who got swept by a team representing the conference that Kobe’s team must play against to compete for playoff positioning?!

Then there was a lengthy missive from Jonathan of Queens, N.Y., who quibbled with my contention that Kobe does more on the defensive end. "Can we stop the Kobe-as-great-defender and Lebron-as-a-poor-one myth yet?" he wrote. "Lebron averages just as many steals, twice as many blocks and more defensive rebounds."

I’m going to put forward a theory right now: LeBron James gets more credit than he deserves thanks to the rise in popularity of fantasy sports. And I realize that stats are a key aspect of the game, but everyone throws out the “look at LeBron’s rebounds and assists” card, which I found particularly maddening (especially since LeBron goes out of his way to pad stats; you know it’s true). For starters, the Triangle Offense does not allow one to put an emphasis on individual stats. Often times the player responsible for a great play set off a chain reaction of passes, but does he get the assist? No. And if anyone watches the Lakers play, you can see many instances of Kobe managing games in ways that do not show up in the stat book. (‘What about the Triangle when Kobe dropped 81?’ You may ask. It did not exist. Kobe carried the team while the younger players tried to learn the system.) As for rebounds, you never see LeBron (or Kobe for that matter) banging the boards on a consistent basis. Generally, you see these guys swoop in for a shot that clangs far off the rim. It isn’t as if LeBron is going toe-to-toe with Dwight Howard to reel in his rebounds.

As far as blocks go, that 1.0 per game average really puts Kobe in his place. Checkmate.

…

I kid.

But in all seriousness, if you want to argue that LeBron touches Kobe as a defender (especially after Kobe’s rededication at the end of the floor this season [when he was already playing at an All NBA Defensive level]—at Phil Jackson’s insistence), go ahead. Just don’t expect me to dignify that line of thinking with a response.