Anytime expert analysts and writers are tasked with ranking the competitors within their industry, unless it is based solely on statistics and analytics, people will always find fault with them.
Such is life.
No one can perfectly judge a group of individuals—much less 500 of them—when weighing their value, ability, talent and skill when using a blend of factual numbers and subjective opinions and biases.
Yet, that seems to be the expectation.
Once again, while compiling its complete 1-500 NBA preseason player rankings, the four-letter network has people complaining.
Entering his 18th NBA season having finished second in total points at the age of 34 and coming off of a ruptured Achilles, Kobe Bryant was ranked 25th among all active players.
His ranking places him just behind Miami Heat big man Chris Bosh, which might be perceived as an insult by some.
Certainly, it ruffled the feathers of a few NBA players.
Denver Nuggets forward Quincy Miller was among the displeased, as was Utah Jazz wingman Brandon Rush.
Kobe ranked #25 among NBA players. How disrespectful
— Quincy Miller (@qmillertime) October 16, 2013
Kobe ranked #25 smh
— Brandon Rush (@BRush_25) October 16, 2013
Oklahoma City Thunder superstar and NBA MVP runner-up Kevin Durant took a much sterner stance on the matter.
Players should rate players..just like the nfl do..these analysts never played at this level before! Just being real
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) October 16, 2013
Surely, what the folks at ESPN have to say about Kobe Bryant will never stack up to the opinions of players—current and former. The choice to rank him as low as 25th was not without reason. As ESPN NBA writer Kevin Pelton suggests, the decision was largely based on the severity of his injury.
Let’s put to rest any suspicion that the #NBArank voters are Kobe haters. As recently as April, when the same panel was asked to rate the league’s top players, Bryant came in fourth… The same week Bryant’s ranking was posted, he ruptured his Achilles’ tendon in a game against the Golden State Warriors. Concerns about his recovery from that injury — especially at the age of 35 — explain his 21-spot drop in the rankings.
He also states that the rankings are based more on a players value, not just their skill, which explains why Kobe’s health would be such a decisive factor.
While some players are outraged at the ranking, there will always be those that are purely indifferent.
Such is the case for Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert.
I could care less about #NBArank or #NBA2K14 ratings for real. — Roy Hibbert (@Hoya2aPacer) October 16, 2013
Certainly Hibbert is concerned with more important things, such as overcoming the Miami Heat to help lead the Pacers to their second ever NBA Finals appearance.
That would seem to be the high road to take here, as it really doesn’t matter what people say about your team or the players on its roster.
For a competitor, what really matters is the ability to perform and to win.
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Michael writes the Tweet of the Day for SheridanHoops.com.
See what happens when you get rid of Magic from your current analysts!!! You get BS like Kobe being ranked 25’th!!!!
While it can’t be argued that Magic would have good analysis and make good judgements on things like this list, I’m not sure his singular vote would make too much of a difference when weighed against ESPN’s other analysts and writers.
Normally no one bothers to leave comments on this Blog, yet when Kobe’s name is mentioned we see 5 immediate comments. As long as that is true ABC/ESPN/TNT will ax out on Lakers games (25 this season – same as Knicks and Heat) and ESPN will continue to “pump up” the subject, whether good or bad news.
ESPN thrives on controversy – good or bad – about the star players of the NBA.
The fans are the Suckers to even pay attention. No one knows yet how good Kobe will be this season, so a #25 best player is clearly a possibility. I doubt if Kobe plays before December (because Kobe now wants to have a long career to improve his career stats), so that alone should subtract from his ranking.
However, one thing is clear, and that is the Lakers will be Irrrelevant this year and in coming years. Nevertheless, people Will tune in, until the day Kobe retires, still with 5 championships.
Roy Hibbert was correct. No one should care what ESPN thinks. They are usually wrong anyway.
However, that doesn’t change the overall result:
Lakers are irrelevant
Lakers are irrelevant
Lakers are irrelevant
Correction on line 3 “max out” not “ax out” on Lakers games.
I do agree with Hibbert, what matters most is what happens on the court, not in some list that is made with the intent of sparking debate.
Jerry go kick rocks! L4L
Yoghurt
ESPN has become a LeBron sucking contest among analyst.
No way Kobe should be rated below Chris Bosh or at #25 for that matter.
what a joke?1
The problem here is truehoop network of bloggers who have no idea what their doing. These guys have turned ESPN into a cheap New York Tabloid. ESPN.com is a Joke
ESPN.com has turned into cheaper version of TMZ. These guys have destroyed ESPN reputation in Sports. Get rid of Henry Abbot and his fellow Bloggers and bring back guys like sheridan