--My favorite part of Washington's 36 point victory over: In the midst of the blowout, King James strolled to the foul line to a chorus of "OVERRATED!" chants...and promptly clanked his free throw.
--This thought literally popped into my head, as I just put it together that the Energy Solutions Arena took the sponsor's mantle from Delta Airlines. I might be wrong, but didn't Delta go bankrupt? If so, would that not be the ultimate scenario for any ball club whose stadium naming rights are tied up to a sponsor? Think about it. Team gets paid. Sponsor goes bankrupt. Team finds new sponsor. Team gets paid again.
--I'm calling it here first: If Pac-Man Jones struggles through next year, expect the Cowboys to kidnap Jones, take him to a strip club, and have an undercover agent open fire with a guy containing Pac-Man's fingerprints.
--I hope to God that anyone and everyone reading this has seen the video put together by the Inside the NBA crew, spoofing Kobe Bryant's Aston Martin jump, substituting Kenny Smith as the leaper. Youtube it if you haven't.
--Anyone else remember when Shane Battier had his hair cut a little too short? And he looked like an alien?
--You'll have to be very persuasive to convince me that Mehmet Okur does anything in practice besides jacking up three pointers and putting down Yodels.
--Sadly, these past few ramblings have been of lower quality than usual. Ergo, I'm signing off. One last piece of information to get to: NATHAN DON'T WASTE YOUR VOTE! LISTEN TO ME! Sorry if you are reading this and lost, but the person I'm trying to reach will know what I'm talking about.
Showing posts with label Kobe Bryant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kobe Bryant. Show all posts
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Why Deny The Raja Bell!? Beast?
You weren't aware of it, but you were robbed of NBA history this past Friday. A perfect storm of factors presented the ideal forum for Kobe Bryant to showcase his superior basketball talents to the world. Just a couple of nights earlier, Bryant received his fourteenth and fifteenth technical fouls on the season. The following morning, anyone and everyone in the media decided that the technicals would derail his MVP campaign. This brings us to reason number one why Friday night should have been one of the five greatest performances in NBA history:
1) Kobe was mighty pissed.
You could tell by the look on his face that tonight was the night he was going to prove himself yet again to his many detractors. However great an angry Kobe may be, this season has been the ultimate display of team basketball for the Los Angeles Lakers. So much so that we only see Kobe unleash his "I'm gonna score on anyone and everyone" powers (here-to-fore known as the Raja Bell!? Beast) for brief stretches of the game and usually only in clutch situations. This leads us to reasons two, three, and four that Friday night should have been one of the five greatest performances in NBA history:
2) The Lakers have been playing short-handed for most of the season, glaringly so over the past two weeks; Kobe could take over during games where the team is undermanned.
3) In Friday's game, Lamar Odom played, but did so with an alleged case of the flu.*
4) Also playing in Friday's game, Derek Fisher, complete with a torn tendon in his foot.**
Now, what other reason could there be for Kobe Bryant to post one of the five greatest performances in NBA History. Oh, yeah! Maybe because...
5) The Lakers were playing against the lowly Memphis Grizzlies.
Don't get me wrong, the Grizzlies would not detract from a dominant performance by Kobe, but it would provide a good excuse for him to go for the solo kill: 'Our team was flat and I didn't want to lose to Memphis, so I took over.' That's all Kobe would have needed to say. And it looked for a while like Kobe might have been able say it after the game, but his teammates had other ideas.
You see, Kobe came out of the box hot. He scored 18 of the team's first 23 points. He had notched 34 by halftime, but his teammates decided to deny him the ball in the final two minutes.*** Initially, I consoled myself by thinking 'hey, they are just trying to make sure that the ball movement stays key.' My level of happiness rose again in the third quarter when the Raja Bell!? Beast came out to play. However, midway through the period, his teammates decided that feeding the hot hand was not the wise thing to do. Ultimately, he spent the last few minutes of the third on the bench, but not before tallying up 47 through three quarters.
Still, history was slipping away. It was apparent that Kobe was on all night, and there is no excuse for him not having sixty heading into the fourth. But again, his teammates seemed to have other ideas. Maybe they were punishing him now for all the drama stirred up at the beginning of the season. Who knows? The problem now was not the lack of touches for Kobe, but rather that they needed to keep up with Memphis. It's ironic, but I spent the first 5/8 of the game rooting for Memphis to keep it close so Kobe would stay in. Now, it got to the point that I needed anyone to score to notch the 'W.'
And apparently, the mindset of the Lakers was that they needed anyone but Kobe to score to garner the win. He ended up with just 53 points (further proof that he deserves the MVP this year: there is no other player in the league who would end up with just 53 points), but at least the Lakers wised up during the game-deciding possession.
With 0.9 seconds remaining in the game, the lakers faced a 114-111 deficit. Luke Walton, he of the multiple boneheaded last-second inbound plays, was set to throw it in. With all four players on the floor swarming in and out traffic, Walton decided to hold the ball until the last possible second, lobbing a weak pass into Kobe's direction--unfortunately Kobe found himself draped by two Grizzlies at that particular juncture. The Lakers fell to the Grizzlies by a final of 114-111 in a loss that taught us two things:
1) Don't ever deprive Kobe of the ball whenever the Raja Bell!? Beast is on the prowl.
and
2) NEVER LET LUKE WALTON INBOUND PASSES IN CLUTCH SITUATIONS...EVER!!!
Maybe I'm being too melodramatic, but if Kobe scored 53 with a somewhat limited shot selection, just imagine the havoc he could have wreaked were his teammates open to deferring to him. This post started out strong, but kind of turned into drivel. Nevertheless, the basic idea remains true: Kobe was denied one of the five greatest performances in NBA history on Friday night.
*Ever since Michael Jordan's flu game, I have made a point out of being very, very suspicious about any player who claims they are playing with the flu. I've had the flu before and even if a person is tough enough to play in a basketball game, I think the activity would stimulate some purging, if you know what I mean. In actuality, I envision a player walking into a coach's office and saying "I got the sniffles real bad, coach;" with the coach responding "fuck that, son, you have the flu!"
**Torn tendons, on the other hand, are very believable ailments.
***For those keeping score at home, Kobe had 36 at the half of the 81 point game.
1) Kobe was mighty pissed.
You could tell by the look on his face that tonight was the night he was going to prove himself yet again to his many detractors. However great an angry Kobe may be, this season has been the ultimate display of team basketball for the Los Angeles Lakers. So much so that we only see Kobe unleash his "I'm gonna score on anyone and everyone" powers (here-to-fore known as the Raja Bell!? Beast) for brief stretches of the game and usually only in clutch situations. This leads us to reasons two, three, and four that Friday night should have been one of the five greatest performances in NBA history:
2) The Lakers have been playing short-handed for most of the season, glaringly so over the past two weeks; Kobe could take over during games where the team is undermanned.
3) In Friday's game, Lamar Odom played, but did so with an alleged case of the flu.*
4) Also playing in Friday's game, Derek Fisher, complete with a torn tendon in his foot.**
Now, what other reason could there be for Kobe Bryant to post one of the five greatest performances in NBA History. Oh, yeah! Maybe because...
5) The Lakers were playing against the lowly Memphis Grizzlies.
Don't get me wrong, the Grizzlies would not detract from a dominant performance by Kobe, but it would provide a good excuse for him to go for the solo kill: 'Our team was flat and I didn't want to lose to Memphis, so I took over.' That's all Kobe would have needed to say. And it looked for a while like Kobe might have been able say it after the game, but his teammates had other ideas.
You see, Kobe came out of the box hot. He scored 18 of the team's first 23 points. He had notched 34 by halftime, but his teammates decided to deny him the ball in the final two minutes.*** Initially, I consoled myself by thinking 'hey, they are just trying to make sure that the ball movement stays key.' My level of happiness rose again in the third quarter when the Raja Bell!? Beast came out to play. However, midway through the period, his teammates decided that feeding the hot hand was not the wise thing to do. Ultimately, he spent the last few minutes of the third on the bench, but not before tallying up 47 through three quarters.
Still, history was slipping away. It was apparent that Kobe was on all night, and there is no excuse for him not having sixty heading into the fourth. But again, his teammates seemed to have other ideas. Maybe they were punishing him now for all the drama stirred up at the beginning of the season. Who knows? The problem now was not the lack of touches for Kobe, but rather that they needed to keep up with Memphis. It's ironic, but I spent the first 5/8 of the game rooting for Memphis to keep it close so Kobe would stay in. Now, it got to the point that I needed anyone to score to notch the 'W.'
And apparently, the mindset of the Lakers was that they needed anyone but Kobe to score to garner the win. He ended up with just 53 points (further proof that he deserves the MVP this year: there is no other player in the league who would end up with just 53 points), but at least the Lakers wised up during the game-deciding possession.
With 0.9 seconds remaining in the game, the lakers faced a 114-111 deficit. Luke Walton, he of the multiple boneheaded last-second inbound plays, was set to throw it in. With all four players on the floor swarming in and out traffic, Walton decided to hold the ball until the last possible second, lobbing a weak pass into Kobe's direction--unfortunately Kobe found himself draped by two Grizzlies at that particular juncture. The Lakers fell to the Grizzlies by a final of 114-111 in a loss that taught us two things:
1) Don't ever deprive Kobe of the ball whenever the Raja Bell!? Beast is on the prowl.
and
2) NEVER LET LUKE WALTON INBOUND PASSES IN CLUTCH SITUATIONS...EVER!!!
Maybe I'm being too melodramatic, but if Kobe scored 53 with a somewhat limited shot selection, just imagine the havoc he could have wreaked were his teammates open to deferring to him. This post started out strong, but kind of turned into drivel. Nevertheless, the basic idea remains true: Kobe was denied one of the five greatest performances in NBA history on Friday night.
*Ever since Michael Jordan's flu game, I have made a point out of being very, very suspicious about any player who claims they are playing with the flu. I've had the flu before and even if a person is tough enough to play in a basketball game, I think the activity would stimulate some purging, if you know what I mean. In actuality, I envision a player walking into a coach's office and saying "I got the sniffles real bad, coach;" with the coach responding "fuck that, son, you have the flu!"
**Torn tendons, on the other hand, are very believable ailments.
***For those keeping score at home, Kobe had 36 at the half of the 81 point game.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
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.
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.
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