He was actually at home. I was at that game, the real bummer was he had some very questionable fouls called on blocks that would have put him over the top.
Duncan absolutely would have thrived with Phil. Duncan is one of the most intelligent players ever to play the game and he has a psychology degree. He and Phil would have been a great match.
Kobe likely would not have meshed as well with Pop though. Kobe likes to play 1 on 1 and takes a LOT of bad shots (which he makes many). He also has a monster ego and if things aren't going his way he whines like a little girl. Maybe it would have worked, maybe not.
Kobe was clearly the better scorer of the two but Duncan could fill it up as well. He was just a guy that hated taking bad shots. If you doubled him he dumped it to the open guy for a 3 or to the guy slashing open down the lane. He had some 50+ point games but it was just rarely necessary.
As for the talent around Duncan. Outside of maybe when Duncan first came in the league with Robinson and more recently with Parker hitting his stride he has never had another Top 10 player around him. Parker and Manu were generally considered Top 25 type players in the mid '00s until more recently (where Manu is now a role player and Parker is Top 10 or higher).
Kobe has only won with significant talent around him.
They are both great players without question and very hard to compare. Their games couldn't be more different. Much of it depends on what you value most in a player.
Duncan absolutely would have thrived with Phil. Duncan is one of the most intelligent players ever to play the game and he has a psychology degree. He and Phil would have been a great match.
Kobe likely would not have meshed as well with Pop though. Kobe likes to play 1 on 1 and takes a LOT of bad shots (which he makes many). He also has a monster ego and if things aren't going his way he whines like a little girl. Maybe it would have worked, maybe not.
Kobe was clearly the better scorer of the two but Duncan could fill it up as well. He was just a guy that hated taking bad shots. If you doubled him he dumped it to the open guy for a 3 or to the guy slashing open down the lane. He had some 50+ point games but it was just rarely necessary.
As for the talent around Duncan. Outside of maybe when Duncan first came in the league with Robinson and more recently with Parker hitting his stride he has never had another Top 10 player around him. Parker and Manu were generally considered Top 25 type players in the mid '00s until more recently (where Manu is now a role player and Parker is Top 10 or higher).
Kobe has only won with significant talent around him.
They are both great players without question and very hard to compare. Their games couldn't be more different. Much of it depends on what you value most in a player.