Kobe Bryant Ranked 93 Overall — ESPN NBAranks

Kobe Bryant was placed at No. 93 on ESPN’s #NBArank list, so of course everyone had calm, measured reactions.

Can Bryant beat Father Time?

“I don’t need to defend that (ranking)”. “Please don’t ask me about silly stuff like that”, the Laker legend said. Last year, the Lakers’ fanbase made a pretty big stink when Bryant was ranked the #40th best player in the league despite coming off of a severe achilles injury.

“I’ve known for a long time [that] they’re a bunch of idiots”, Bryant said last October, referring to the ranking as “silly” and “laughable”. To decide, voters on the poll had to consider both the quality and the quantity of each player’s contributions to his team’s ability to win games.

The panel, founded in 2008, has been ranking National Basketball Association players since the lockout of 2011.

During the past three seasons, Kobe managed to play only 119 games out of a maximum 246. I understand that Kobe has been hurt in recent years.

“This ranking puts him much higher than advanced stats suggest”.

Bryant has only played two preseason games this year, which were likely the source of this analysis.

Though coming in at 93rd overall, one spot above Trevor Ariza and one below Luol Deng, is the issue for most fans, the “Insider Profile” explaining the ranking should also be noted.

Of the 172 players who took at least 500 shots last season, only Utah Jazz guard Trey Burke shot worse from the field. “Nobody does, really”, Bryant said per ESPN.

Battling age and injuries in the past several seasons, Bryant has seen his stock dip dramatically when it comes to his standing among the NBA’s elite players.