After LeBron's collapse, I made a big deal about Game 5's of series especially when they were knotted at 2-2 and proclaimed that Kobe Bryant really hasn't cost a team a game five defeat. Honestly, he played a great game Sunday but this sums up Kobe's career without Shaq.
It was the perfect example of Kobe Bryant and why people can never say he is the best player ever. The Lakers needed their best performance out of Kobe and they sure as hell got it, but here's the thing when Kobe is at his very best he will go into a mode where he makes nobody better, just himself. Then after the game, calling out his teammates for not playing defense is ridiculous.
I think Kobe thinks he is playing with the 2005/2006 teams and completely forgot that when the Lakers were at their best this playoffs, Kobe dropped around 10 assists a game and still got his points. Nobody is getting involved and Kobe just went into a mode where he said 'fuck it' I am going to have win this game myself because no one else hit shots in the first half. Sure what we saw in the third quarter was amazing but still, the Lakers were still trailing in the ball game. I remember seeing performances like that out of Michael Jordan but he will spread his 38 points over four quarters which in turns leads his team to victory because he is doing other things than scoring. People who hate Kobe loved Sunday night for this reason, they can play this tape back and say 'no way would MJ lose a game where he had this kind of shooting night.' Kobe lost it mentally and now if you're a Laker fan, you have to worry that the series might be over.
How do the Lakers respond? I mean the first quarter will be the key for sure because we will get a sense of what Los Angeles team came to play. I personally believe emotionally other Lakers not named Kobe are shot, I mean Ron Artest looked shaky at best after Bryant told Coach Phil Jackson that he wanted to 'cover Paul Pierce. Then add the fact, Artest missed two free throws to cut the lead to three is just the evidence I need. Tonight could be a very weird game and the Lakers will need Kobe at a level where he drops 25 and 10 or so instead of 40 5 4.
I think the Celtics end it tonight, the Lakers are rattled and Andrew Bynum not being able to be 100 percent is killing their team. I think Boston is poised and ready to go back to L.A. to win this game. Also if the Lakers win tonight, they will take the series in Game 7. Boston has them on the ropes, they just need to deliver the knockout punch.
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Showing posts with label Kobe Bryant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kobe Bryant. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Opinion on Kobe and Quick Laker Tangent
I should have never opened my mouth when it came to the argument of whose better Kobe or LeBron. I had always been an ardent Kobe guy and probably hurting my credibility even by making some ridiculous cases in defense of Kobe. Finally, I gave into all of the LeBron fans and said earlier this month, that LeBron was indeed the best player in the game hands down. Sadly after these playoffs, we have to tweak that statement a little bit.
LeBron James: The player I would draft first in a fantasy draft if I had to start a franchise from scratch and a guy I would want on my team throughout the regular season because he would make our team that much better. In addition, he is a great teammate so he will keep the guys together during the season.
Kobe Bryant: The player I want from the fourth quarter and on, a true warrior who hasn't missed a clutch shot in ages (look at the one he sank last night with Grant Hill in his jock, drilled it.). He might be an asshole but that's a quality you need in the playoffs. No nice guy has really ever won a title, even Magic Johnson got a bit nasty in his later years.
With all that being said, Kobe Bryant finds himself in the NBA Finals for a seventh time and in search of his fifth title. Everybody rode off Kobe in the Oklahoma City series claiming he was tired and the hype around LeBron James grew to mammoth proportions before the Boston series. What did Kobe do? He took his game to a second gear and started dropping 30 points a game like it was nobody business. Then after LeBron exited in the semifinals and everybody talked about the off season when the Mamba was still in there, he goes off for 40 to throw the focus back on him.
I think we cannot make an argument for either player right now because they are so valuable in different ways and both players are the best right now. One is number 1 and the other is 1a. So let's put this discussion to rest and then when we look at it in ten years we can then form our opinion.
Real quick about the Lakers, I said earlier I think they are in big trouble with Derek Fisher trying to guard Rajon Rondo and I doubt they throw Kobe on Rondo because they have to keep Ray Allen in check. Ron Artest versus Paul Pierce will be a great battle plus can we get odds makers on a Ron vs. Rasheed Wallace fight? I would bet this happens but I have been asking for a good ole NBA brawl for the last two weeks. The uncertainty of Andrew Bynum could be the difference because no matter what, he will get beat up even more by the front line of the Celts.
More on the NBA Finals later this week on Chuck's Corner, gotta love it. Boston and Los Angeles, like it should be.
LeBron James: The player I would draft first in a fantasy draft if I had to start a franchise from scratch and a guy I would want on my team throughout the regular season because he would make our team that much better. In addition, he is a great teammate so he will keep the guys together during the season.
Kobe Bryant: The player I want from the fourth quarter and on, a true warrior who hasn't missed a clutch shot in ages (look at the one he sank last night with Grant Hill in his jock, drilled it.). He might be an asshole but that's a quality you need in the playoffs. No nice guy has really ever won a title, even Magic Johnson got a bit nasty in his later years.
With all that being said, Kobe Bryant finds himself in the NBA Finals for a seventh time and in search of his fifth title. Everybody rode off Kobe in the Oklahoma City series claiming he was tired and the hype around LeBron James grew to mammoth proportions before the Boston series. What did Kobe do? He took his game to a second gear and started dropping 30 points a game like it was nobody business. Then after LeBron exited in the semifinals and everybody talked about the off season when the Mamba was still in there, he goes off for 40 to throw the focus back on him.
I think we cannot make an argument for either player right now because they are so valuable in different ways and both players are the best right now. One is number 1 and the other is 1a. So let's put this discussion to rest and then when we look at it in ten years we can then form our opinion.
Real quick about the Lakers, I said earlier I think they are in big trouble with Derek Fisher trying to guard Rajon Rondo and I doubt they throw Kobe on Rondo because they have to keep Ray Allen in check. Ron Artest versus Paul Pierce will be a great battle plus can we get odds makers on a Ron vs. Rasheed Wallace fight? I would bet this happens but I have been asking for a good ole NBA brawl for the last two weeks. The uncertainty of Andrew Bynum could be the difference because no matter what, he will get beat up even more by the front line of the Celts.
More on the NBA Finals later this week on Chuck's Corner, gotta love it. Boston and Los Angeles, like it should be.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Ron-Ron Really?
One thing that is great about sports is that a player can go from being the biggest goat of the game and somebody everybody will blame the defeat on, then hit the game-winning shot and be portrayed as this clutch player. I nearly threw my drink at the TV when I saw SportsCenter headline of "Big Shot Ron." I understand he hit the game winner but seriously, does a guy who goes 1 for 9 really deserve the credit?
A guy who deserves big time props is Derek Fisher, a guy I have ragged on during these playoffs came up huge once again in a big game dropping 22 points and hit a couple of big shots down the stretch. Fisher should have been the guy that everybody talked about on Friday. He was the reason the Lakers won on Thursday night picking up the slack for the 'supposed' twin towers of Andrew Bynum/Pau Gasol. Fisher did his thing and I wonder if he factors into tonight's game. This one is an obvious but another guy who stepped his game up was the Black Mamba himself.
Remember about two weeks ago when we discussed how the great ones handled critical 2-2 Game 5s? Once again, Kobe pulled it out with a ridiculous 30 pts 9 rbs 11 assts. While the LeBron James fan club will tell me that's a normal night for LBJ, my counter is he is a monster inside and has great vision, two different styles relax. For whatever reason in the playoffs, Kobe has figured out how to pass the ball to his teammates at a high rate and still get his points. I haven't seen this type of Kobe and it's really makes you wonder, is this guy unlike any other player? I don't believe you can compare him to anyone because he played so many roles in his career, you could call him chameleon more so than a mamba.
I think the Lakers end the Suns run tonight, I just think the Ron Artest Queensbridge Knockout might be too much for them to come back from but I could see a very close battle to the very end. Not to be John Madden, but the key for the Suns really how good their bench plays. When the bench is successful, it results in good things.
-Charlie.
A guy who deserves big time props is Derek Fisher, a guy I have ragged on during these playoffs came up huge once again in a big game dropping 22 points and hit a couple of big shots down the stretch. Fisher should have been the guy that everybody talked about on Friday. He was the reason the Lakers won on Thursday night picking up the slack for the 'supposed' twin towers of Andrew Bynum/Pau Gasol. Fisher did his thing and I wonder if he factors into tonight's game. This one is an obvious but another guy who stepped his game up was the Black Mamba himself.
Remember about two weeks ago when we discussed how the great ones handled critical 2-2 Game 5s? Once again, Kobe pulled it out with a ridiculous 30 pts 9 rbs 11 assts. While the LeBron James fan club will tell me that's a normal night for LBJ, my counter is he is a monster inside and has great vision, two different styles relax. For whatever reason in the playoffs, Kobe has figured out how to pass the ball to his teammates at a high rate and still get his points. I haven't seen this type of Kobe and it's really makes you wonder, is this guy unlike any other player? I don't believe you can compare him to anyone because he played so many roles in his career, you could call him chameleon more so than a mamba.
I think the Lakers end the Suns run tonight, I just think the Ron Artest Queensbridge Knockout might be too much for them to come back from but I could see a very close battle to the very end. Not to be John Madden, but the key for the Suns really how good their bench plays. When the bench is successful, it results in good things.
-Charlie.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Thoughts From Game 1: Kobe's Rest, Look out for LO, Gasol's Respect
I think everyone I have talked to you enjoys the NBA were pretty excited for the series between the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers. I know that I am pumped for that one for a variety of reasons and it's one of those series where I am torn. I enjoy the Los Angeles Lakers because I consider myself someone who stands in Kobe's corner even though I would put LBJ ahead of him as best overall and who I probably built my team around (age reasons) but he is the best closer in the game, no one better. But I like Steve Nash plus a variety of others on the Suns. There are only a few teams I actually don't like which is the Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, Utah Jazz (except for Wes!), Chicago Bulls (sorta), and Cleveland Cavaliers
Anyways here are a few thoughts about last night blow out where the Lakers dominated 128-107 and if things continue this could be another quick series for the Lakers, which I think is a big reason L.A. is playing that much better. The Lakers have a variety of old and young players but I think they are a team who needs rest to regroup and it makes the team that much better.
Whose benefits the most out of this? Kobe Bryant, he looked tired against Oklahoma City, and then things seemed to get better against Utah, then last night Bryant dropped 40 pts (13/23) 5 5. He only shot 23 times, got to the line twelve times and basically lived up to the ill-advised Spike Lee documentary because Bryant did work. There is no one on the Suns who can keep up with a rested Kobe and that is a big fat rut-roh for the Suns.
Another rut-roh for the Suns is the play of Lamar Odom. We saw this last year in the Western Conference Championship and the NBA Finals. I devoted an entire post to him last year because LO was that damn good deep in the playoffs and he came up with a 19 and 19, abused Amar'e Stoudamire on the glass in Game 1 today. Odom is a type of guy who needs one good game and he appears to take off for the next couple of games. I expect some big things out of Odom in the coming weeks and the fact you can have a front line of 6'11 7'0 7'1 is just plain scary and no one in the NBA can stop that combination when they are playing like they did in Game 1.
When are we going to all agree that Pau Gasol is a top three power forward right now in the NBA? He plays pretty good defense and I believe he has washed off the reputation of being softer than Charmin inside the lane. I personally would love him on my team and I can only think of a couple big men that I would rather have on my team. I believe people don't like him because he yells alot, complains about calls, and looks like he lives outside of the Staples Center. I can't blame those people but you gotta give respect when it's due.
Finally, a quick thought on the Suns. They cannot have Steve Nash only shooting the ball twelve times and getting to the line only twice in a game. They need more out of Nash and he can exploit the Lakers in the lane with Derek Fisher inside. They can win the second game but they will need ten times a better defensive performance.
-Charlie.
Anyways here are a few thoughts about last night blow out where the Lakers dominated 128-107 and if things continue this could be another quick series for the Lakers, which I think is a big reason L.A. is playing that much better. The Lakers have a variety of old and young players but I think they are a team who needs rest to regroup and it makes the team that much better.
Whose benefits the most out of this? Kobe Bryant, he looked tired against Oklahoma City, and then things seemed to get better against Utah, then last night Bryant dropped 40 pts (13/23) 5 5. He only shot 23 times, got to the line twelve times and basically lived up to the ill-advised Spike Lee documentary because Bryant did work. There is no one on the Suns who can keep up with a rested Kobe and that is a big fat rut-roh for the Suns.
Another rut-roh for the Suns is the play of Lamar Odom. We saw this last year in the Western Conference Championship and the NBA Finals. I devoted an entire post to him last year because LO was that damn good deep in the playoffs and he came up with a 19 and 19, abused Amar'e Stoudamire on the glass in Game 1 today. Odom is a type of guy who needs one good game and he appears to take off for the next couple of games. I expect some big things out of Odom in the coming weeks and the fact you can have a front line of 6'11 7'0 7'1 is just plain scary and no one in the NBA can stop that combination when they are playing like they did in Game 1.
When are we going to all agree that Pau Gasol is a top three power forward right now in the NBA? He plays pretty good defense and I believe he has washed off the reputation of being softer than Charmin inside the lane. I personally would love him on my team and I can only think of a couple big men that I would rather have on my team. I believe people don't like him because he yells alot, complains about calls, and looks like he lives outside of the Staples Center. I can't blame those people but you gotta give respect when it's due.
Finally, a quick thought on the Suns. They cannot have Steve Nash only shooting the ball twelve times and getting to the line only twice in a game. They need more out of Nash and he can exploit the Lakers in the lane with Derek Fisher inside. They can win the second game but they will need ten times a better defensive performance.
-Charlie.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Stunned. Shocked. Bamboozled.
Obviously, you all know who this is about... LeBron James. We all saw one of most mesmerizing games of an NBA MVP that we have ever seen. LeBron's line last night was 15 pts (3/14) 7 rebs 6 asst and for a superstar that is bad. Comparable to Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez's making a movie and naming it Gigli, LeBron was Gigli bad. In addition, I made an Entourage comparison about LBJ and here's another one, this is his Medellin. Obviously, Vinnie Chase is LBJ, Mo Williams is E (someone who cannot bail Vince out of this shitty movie), and Billy Walsh is Mike Brown (Hey Suit! Go fuck yer motha! Love Walsh, I hope he is back this year). Now it took awhile for Vince to respond until the end of season five where Ari rescues Vince and gets him a Scorsese movie... Is LeBron's new movie a relocation project? Who knows really.
I am almost mad that I defended him last week because like I said in years past I was a big time hater of LeBron. But I also know of thing called bias and I am not going to throw the blinders to discredit what he did in the regular season. But the playoffs? I mean wow, he just looked like he didn't care and didn't want to play for Cleveland anymore. LeBron wanted to be at home trying to figure out Lost instead of playing at the Q. B-Squared is the biggest LBJ fan and honestly, it was the first time he couldn't make one argument that made me think. Usually, he makes one good point that I will agree with but today, he couldn't say a single word. I feel like I should just stuck to my guns so I could be laughing at all of you LeBron fans but then again, I am trying to establish myself so I apologize.
Seriously, LeBron laid the biggest egg drawing memories of Dirk Nowitzki, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, and David Robinson in the playoffs. I tweeted he looked like the first three guys not Bird, Magic, Jordan, and Kobe. Now could LeBron come in hot with a 35 points 15 rbs 12 assts in Game 6 and lead them to victory? Absolutely, but do people still say, so this was just a mirage and we should never remember this? I think no one should ever forget this performance because it was that bad from a superstar. Read Simmons column where he points out some bad Kobe Bryant starts, but what I am doing is looking at critical Game 5s.
Now there are different kinds of Game 5s and they all have a certain level of Game 5... Desperation (1-3) High alert (2-2) Close out game (3-1)... The players involved Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James. In addition, I am not including any games where the team (BOS/LA/CHI/CLEV) closed out in five of if the said team was up 3-1. So I decided to look from 1980 and here's what I have for you.
1980: Magic Johnson: I cannot find the box score to give you the official numbers but his team did win in Game 5 plus in a critical game 6 up 3-2 and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar out with injury, Magic dropped 42 7 6 and won Finals MVP. (1-0)
1981: Larry Bird: Sadly, Basketball Reference has let me down for now but Bird won two game 5’s that year where the series was at 3-1 Philly (desperation) and 2-2 (high alert) going on to win both. One against Philadelphia and the other against Houston in the Conference Finals (2-0)
1982: Larry Bird: One game five for Bird again down 3-1, his team blows out the Philadelphia 76ers and then gets the victory in game six as well before running out of gas in game seven (3-0)
1984: Larry Bird: In a critical game 5 against Bernard King and the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the C’s blow out the Knicks 121-99 and the Hick from French Lick still has a perfect record. (4-0)
Johnson vs. Bird: In the first of their classic match ups in the NBA Finals, after a heated Game 4 where punches flew in L.A., the Celtics go on to beat the Showtime Lakers in a redhead stepchild way 121-103. Also this was a high alert game for both of them. (4-0) (1-1) Also the Celtics would end up taking the series.
1985: Larry Bird: In the Eastern Semifinals young upstart Detroit Pistons teams come through and forces a game five with the series tied at 2-2. The Celtics win 130-123, keeping Bird record perfect in this little game we are playing (5-0)
Johnson vs. Bird: For the first time, the NBA converted to a 2-3-2 in the NBA Finals and it played to Magic’s advantage as the Lakers beat Bird and the C’s in a game five 120-111 and go on to win the title. (5-1) (2-1)
1986: Magic Johnson: The Lakers ended up bowing out the Western Conference Finals but once again in a high alert situation, Magic wins again over the Dallas Mavericks 116-113 and the Lakers close them out in the next game. (3-1)
1987: Larry Bird: High alert situation at its finest for Bird as they are playing hurt with a bunch other guys that are hurt, Kevin McHale had a broken foot for Christ Sakes. Anyways, the famous Dennis Johnson steals the ball and Bird hits the game-winner, the Celtics win 108-107, that my friends is clutch. (6-1)
1988: Magic Johnson: Another pivotal game 5 with the Utah Jazz and the upstart team of Malone/Stockton. The Lakers win another game 111-109 and Magic wins again. Magic continues to show his strength in the Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Mavericks as he blew out the Mavs in a key game five. Detroit Pistons is killing this theory right now as they beat the Lakers by 10 being up 2-2 and another thing killing this theory is the 2-3-2, can’t tell you how mad this makes me. One thing if you look at this closer, Magic did lose a lot of 3-1 games in his career but still when the chips were down, Magic did work.
Larry Bird: The Celtics were playing an upstart Atlanta Hawk team and the Celtics were starting to hit the down slopes so Bird’s team falls in defeat in the first 2-2 Game 5 that didn’t involve Magic. Also continuing with this theme as the Detroit Pistons beat them in Game 5 at the Garden and ended up beating them again in Game 6, my argument with Bird is he started fading right around this time. (6-3)
1989: Michael Jordan: For the first time, the Royal Airness makes an appearance in our little experiment and MJ once again gets ruined by the Bad Boys of Detroit. I already hate the city of Detroit and this is continuing the theme, my argument for MJ… the team wasn’t ready yet. (0-1)
1990: Michael Jordan: Detroit… Suck it. (0-2) Also may I say why can I get a random game from the Kings-Blazers but I cannot get a box score for a critical game like this one? CMONN MANNNN!
1991: Larry Bird: One of the last years of his career where his back is comparable to Abe Vigoda but once again, Detroit spoils the party but good news we finally have stats to back up our research! Beautiful day, Bird: 16 pts (7/18) 5 asst 5 rebs. Bird finishes 6-4 and all of the losses except for the one against Magic where in the twilight of his career, it’s unfair to put Bird under a microscope deep in his career.
1992: Michael Jordan: The Jordan experience had already begun with Jordan running through Bird, the Bad Boys, and Magic in 91 and then he had a critical game five with the Knicks where he goes off for 37 pts (11/23) 5 rbs 3 assts and they win 96-88 and then in a Cleveland-Chicago series in the Conference Finals, Jordan puts up nearly the same stat line in a win. Then in an incredible performance in the Finals against the Blazers, Jordan drops 46 (14/23) 5 5 and basically gives a lesson on what clutch is. (3-2)
1993: Michael Jordan: This one is a special one, down 2-0 to the Knicks and they end up coming all the way back including a game five victory where he goes 29 (11/24) 8 14 guiding his team to a 97-94 win (4-2)
1995: Michael Jordan: Jordan makes his return and this is an unfair look at him yet he still drops 39 4 4 when nobody else does anything. Honestly, if there is one game to look at a LeBron comparison it would be this one, no one helped Jordan in that one (4-3)
1997: Michael Jordan: What’s fascinating about MJ’s career in the playoffs is he rarely let a series get to the 2-2 and when he did, he TJ Lavin-style killed it. Game 5 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz and one of the toughest crowds in the NBA, they gut out 90-88 victory with Jordan going 37 (13/27) 7 5. (5-3)
1998: Michael Jordan: I believe this our last Jordan 2-2 game five situation and MJ drops 29 (12/20) 7 4 and it was a complete rout of Indiana Pacers as they win by 17. Jordan ends up finishing 6-3 and all of the losses can be defended; two he was young and the other was a half-assed comeback attempt. Other than that, Jordan dominated these games.
2000: Kobe Bryant: I am not giving out stats on this one but I will point out that Kobe’s team did lose a game five and took it all the way to seven games, doesn’t count against his record but good fodder for the Anti-Kobe.
2002: Kobe Bryant: Interesting that we haven’t seen a game like this because the Lakers were that damn good in those years and then the Lakeshow ended up losing in Game 5 to the Sacramento Kings on the road by one point. Kobe finishes with 30 (11/29) 5 3 (0-1)
2003: Kobe Bryant: The Lakers who were actually underdogs in the first round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves (let’s remember they move to seven games in first round) and the Lakers blew out the T’Wolves by 30. Kobe goes 30 (12/21) 8 5. The Lakers then face a far better San Antonio Spurs team in the next round and it goes to 2-2 where they lose to the Spurs by 2 on the road. Kobe ends up with 36 (15/31) 7 6 (1-2)
2004: Kobe Bryant: Could also be known as the “Derek Fisher Shot” as they beat the Spurs in an ugly game of 74-73 victory. Kobe 22 (11/27) 4 5, ugly performance but that was a great victory on the road. (2-2)
2006: Kobe Bryant: Another one that is worth noting that Kobe and his gang of idiots blew a 3-1 lead against the Phoenix Suns so he has that Magic thing of not closing it out at 3-1 when he can.
LeBron James: He makes a thunderous debut to this theory as they beat the Washington Wizards by one and I believe he made a game winner. LBJ finishes with 45 7 6. Also LeBron wins another 2-2 series against the defending champions Detroit Pistons as he goes for 32 5 5 and wins. But also worth noting, LBJ’s teams of idiots lose two straight and blows it. (2-0)
2007: LeBron James: This is actually the game that everybody says “Holy shit this guy is really effin good.” I remember watching some of this game at BW3’s and the LBJ experience started then. He dropped a mass amount of points and a victory 48 9 7 (3-0)
2008: Kobe Bryant: The Lakers are back into this mix and they were facing the Jazz. This victory is what we would call a team effort and something great to see as they win by seven. Just look at the Mamba’s numbers. 26 (6/10) 6 7 (3-2)
LeBron James: The Cavs ended up dropping the game to the Celtics and the Big 3 yet LBJ dropped a ton of points in the defeat but he doesn’t do much other than score buckets. 35 (12/25) 3 5 (3-1)
2009: Kobe Bryant: The Black Mamba had himself a crucial game against the Houston Rockets were they thrashed the team by 40 points. 26 (10/19) 4 3. There was another game that playoff game where they were knotted at 2-2, thinking this could be a series… and the Lakers shut the door without Kobe, I remember this game well because I wrote about Lamar Odom’s worth. 22 (6/13) 5 8 (5-2)
2010: Kobe Bryant: Another game five that Bryant didn’t real play that well but Kobe did the thing that LBJ couldn’t do, lock down Russell Westbrook and take control of the series, 13 (4/9) 3 7. So Kobe finishes up 6-2 for his career in these critical game fives plus the two he probably blew it but Kobe had three games that were awful in these games.
LeBron James: And here we are. 3-2 for his career in these games where he has had great success in these vital games, I couldn’t believe the numbers I saw from LeBron in these games but here we have the game against Boston. 15 (3/14) 6 7, who knows what we are going to see in tonight’s game.
I am beyond giddy for this game, I think people will know who the real LeBron James is. I am currently listening to Brian Windhorst, Cavs beat writer talking about how LeBron looked disinterested and there is a part of him that seems to not care anymore. I thought some of the same things with LeBron not attacking the lane or go into the post, getting cross-screens from Shaq. LeBron didn't once go into the post and try to do things near the basket, which in addition makes it that much more polarizing of the game. I think you will see a great performance with LBJ dropping near 30-35 pts, 10-12 rbs, and 8-12 assts. I have no idea if they will win this game but I do believe we will see a jaw-dropping performance from LeBron... And if we don't?
It will only get worse and people will then keep raising questions about what the hell happen in this series? And why can't LeBron win in the playoffs? It might be that Mike Brown is a corpse of a coach and wouldn't have a job if he didn't have LBJ every night. LeBron is really a player-coach out there and Brown is doing nothing to help his team.
The city of Cleveland is on pins and needles right now, probably sitting on their couch knocking back a few beers because if I were a fan? There is no way I could be stone-cold sober for this one because if there is a lost, questions will be raised all over the place and a city will be left for answers, something that might be better intoxicated tonight.
-Charlie.
I am almost mad that I defended him last week because like I said in years past I was a big time hater of LeBron. But I also know of thing called bias and I am not going to throw the blinders to discredit what he did in the regular season. But the playoffs? I mean wow, he just looked like he didn't care and didn't want to play for Cleveland anymore. LeBron wanted to be at home trying to figure out Lost instead of playing at the Q. B-Squared is the biggest LBJ fan and honestly, it was the first time he couldn't make one argument that made me think. Usually, he makes one good point that I will agree with but today, he couldn't say a single word. I feel like I should just stuck to my guns so I could be laughing at all of you LeBron fans but then again, I am trying to establish myself so I apologize.
Seriously, LeBron laid the biggest egg drawing memories of Dirk Nowitzki, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, and David Robinson in the playoffs. I tweeted he looked like the first three guys not Bird, Magic, Jordan, and Kobe. Now could LeBron come in hot with a 35 points 15 rbs 12 assts in Game 6 and lead them to victory? Absolutely, but do people still say, so this was just a mirage and we should never remember this? I think no one should ever forget this performance because it was that bad from a superstar. Read Simmons column where he points out some bad Kobe Bryant starts, but what I am doing is looking at critical Game 5s.
Now there are different kinds of Game 5s and they all have a certain level of Game 5... Desperation (1-3) High alert (2-2) Close out game (3-1)... The players involved Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James. In addition, I am not including any games where the team (BOS/LA/CHI/CLEV) closed out in five of if the said team was up 3-1. So I decided to look from 1980 and here's what I have for you.
1980: Magic Johnson: I cannot find the box score to give you the official numbers but his team did win in Game 5 plus in a critical game 6 up 3-2 and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar out with injury, Magic dropped 42 7 6 and won Finals MVP. (1-0)
1981: Larry Bird: Sadly, Basketball Reference has let me down for now but Bird won two game 5’s that year where the series was at 3-1 Philly (desperation) and 2-2 (high alert) going on to win both. One against Philadelphia and the other against Houston in the Conference Finals (2-0)
1982: Larry Bird: One game five for Bird again down 3-1, his team blows out the Philadelphia 76ers and then gets the victory in game six as well before running out of gas in game seven (3-0)
1984: Larry Bird: In a critical game 5 against Bernard King and the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the C’s blow out the Knicks 121-99 and the Hick from French Lick still has a perfect record. (4-0)
Johnson vs. Bird: In the first of their classic match ups in the NBA Finals, after a heated Game 4 where punches flew in L.A., the Celtics go on to beat the Showtime Lakers in a redhead stepchild way 121-103. Also this was a high alert game for both of them. (4-0) (1-1) Also the Celtics would end up taking the series.
1985: Larry Bird: In the Eastern Semifinals young upstart Detroit Pistons teams come through and forces a game five with the series tied at 2-2. The Celtics win 130-123, keeping Bird record perfect in this little game we are playing (5-0)
Johnson vs. Bird: For the first time, the NBA converted to a 2-3-2 in the NBA Finals and it played to Magic’s advantage as the Lakers beat Bird and the C’s in a game five 120-111 and go on to win the title. (5-1) (2-1)
1986: Magic Johnson: The Lakers ended up bowing out the Western Conference Finals but once again in a high alert situation, Magic wins again over the Dallas Mavericks 116-113 and the Lakers close them out in the next game. (3-1)
1987: Larry Bird: High alert situation at its finest for Bird as they are playing hurt with a bunch other guys that are hurt, Kevin McHale had a broken foot for Christ Sakes. Anyways, the famous Dennis Johnson steals the ball and Bird hits the game-winner, the Celtics win 108-107, that my friends is clutch. (6-1)
1988: Magic Johnson: Another pivotal game 5 with the Utah Jazz and the upstart team of Malone/Stockton. The Lakers win another game 111-109 and Magic wins again. Magic continues to show his strength in the Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Mavericks as he blew out the Mavs in a key game five. Detroit Pistons is killing this theory right now as they beat the Lakers by 10 being up 2-2 and another thing killing this theory is the 2-3-2, can’t tell you how mad this makes me. One thing if you look at this closer, Magic did lose a lot of 3-1 games in his career but still when the chips were down, Magic did work.
Larry Bird: The Celtics were playing an upstart Atlanta Hawk team and the Celtics were starting to hit the down slopes so Bird’s team falls in defeat in the first 2-2 Game 5 that didn’t involve Magic. Also continuing with this theme as the Detroit Pistons beat them in Game 5 at the Garden and ended up beating them again in Game 6, my argument with Bird is he started fading right around this time. (6-3)
1989: Michael Jordan: For the first time, the Royal Airness makes an appearance in our little experiment and MJ once again gets ruined by the Bad Boys of Detroit. I already hate the city of Detroit and this is continuing the theme, my argument for MJ… the team wasn’t ready yet. (0-1)
1990: Michael Jordan: Detroit… Suck it. (0-2) Also may I say why can I get a random game from the Kings-Blazers but I cannot get a box score for a critical game like this one? CMONN MANNNN!
1991: Larry Bird: One of the last years of his career where his back is comparable to Abe Vigoda but once again, Detroit spoils the party but good news we finally have stats to back up our research! Beautiful day, Bird: 16 pts (7/18) 5 asst 5 rebs. Bird finishes 6-4 and all of the losses except for the one against Magic where in the twilight of his career, it’s unfair to put Bird under a microscope deep in his career.
1992: Michael Jordan: The Jordan experience had already begun with Jordan running through Bird, the Bad Boys, and Magic in 91 and then he had a critical game five with the Knicks where he goes off for 37 pts (11/23) 5 rbs 3 assts and they win 96-88 and then in a Cleveland-Chicago series in the Conference Finals, Jordan puts up nearly the same stat line in a win. Then in an incredible performance in the Finals against the Blazers, Jordan drops 46 (14/23) 5 5 and basically gives a lesson on what clutch is. (3-2)
1993: Michael Jordan: This one is a special one, down 2-0 to the Knicks and they end up coming all the way back including a game five victory where he goes 29 (11/24) 8 14 guiding his team to a 97-94 win (4-2)
1995: Michael Jordan: Jordan makes his return and this is an unfair look at him yet he still drops 39 4 4 when nobody else does anything. Honestly, if there is one game to look at a LeBron comparison it would be this one, no one helped Jordan in that one (4-3)
1997: Michael Jordan: What’s fascinating about MJ’s career in the playoffs is he rarely let a series get to the 2-2 and when he did, he TJ Lavin-style killed it. Game 5 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz and one of the toughest crowds in the NBA, they gut out 90-88 victory with Jordan going 37 (13/27) 7 5. (5-3)
1998: Michael Jordan: I believe this our last Jordan 2-2 game five situation and MJ drops 29 (12/20) 7 4 and it was a complete rout of Indiana Pacers as they win by 17. Jordan ends up finishing 6-3 and all of the losses can be defended; two he was young and the other was a half-assed comeback attempt. Other than that, Jordan dominated these games.
2000: Kobe Bryant: I am not giving out stats on this one but I will point out that Kobe’s team did lose a game five and took it all the way to seven games, doesn’t count against his record but good fodder for the Anti-Kobe.
2002: Kobe Bryant: Interesting that we haven’t seen a game like this because the Lakers were that damn good in those years and then the Lakeshow ended up losing in Game 5 to the Sacramento Kings on the road by one point. Kobe finishes with 30 (11/29) 5 3 (0-1)
2003: Kobe Bryant: The Lakers who were actually underdogs in the first round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves (let’s remember they move to seven games in first round) and the Lakers blew out the T’Wolves by 30. Kobe goes 30 (12/21) 8 5. The Lakers then face a far better San Antonio Spurs team in the next round and it goes to 2-2 where they lose to the Spurs by 2 on the road. Kobe ends up with 36 (15/31) 7 6 (1-2)
2004: Kobe Bryant: Could also be known as the “Derek Fisher Shot” as they beat the Spurs in an ugly game of 74-73 victory. Kobe 22 (11/27) 4 5, ugly performance but that was a great victory on the road. (2-2)
2006: Kobe Bryant: Another one that is worth noting that Kobe and his gang of idiots blew a 3-1 lead against the Phoenix Suns so he has that Magic thing of not closing it out at 3-1 when he can.
LeBron James: He makes a thunderous debut to this theory as they beat the Washington Wizards by one and I believe he made a game winner. LBJ finishes with 45 7 6. Also LeBron wins another 2-2 series against the defending champions Detroit Pistons as he goes for 32 5 5 and wins. But also worth noting, LBJ’s teams of idiots lose two straight and blows it. (2-0)
2007: LeBron James: This is actually the game that everybody says “Holy shit this guy is really effin good.” I remember watching some of this game at BW3’s and the LBJ experience started then. He dropped a mass amount of points and a victory 48 9 7 (3-0)
2008: Kobe Bryant: The Lakers are back into this mix and they were facing the Jazz. This victory is what we would call a team effort and something great to see as they win by seven. Just look at the Mamba’s numbers. 26 (6/10) 6 7 (3-2)
LeBron James: The Cavs ended up dropping the game to the Celtics and the Big 3 yet LBJ dropped a ton of points in the defeat but he doesn’t do much other than score buckets. 35 (12/25) 3 5 (3-1)
2009: Kobe Bryant: The Black Mamba had himself a crucial game against the Houston Rockets were they thrashed the team by 40 points. 26 (10/19) 4 3. There was another game that playoff game where they were knotted at 2-2, thinking this could be a series… and the Lakers shut the door without Kobe, I remember this game well because I wrote about Lamar Odom’s worth. 22 (6/13) 5 8 (5-2)
2010: Kobe Bryant: Another game five that Bryant didn’t real play that well but Kobe did the thing that LBJ couldn’t do, lock down Russell Westbrook and take control of the series, 13 (4/9) 3 7. So Kobe finishes up 6-2 for his career in these critical game fives plus the two he probably blew it but Kobe had three games that were awful in these games.
LeBron James: And here we are. 3-2 for his career in these games where he has had great success in these vital games, I couldn’t believe the numbers I saw from LeBron in these games but here we have the game against Boston. 15 (3/14) 6 7, who knows what we are going to see in tonight’s game.
I am beyond giddy for this game, I think people will know who the real LeBron James is. I am currently listening to Brian Windhorst, Cavs beat writer talking about how LeBron looked disinterested and there is a part of him that seems to not care anymore. I thought some of the same things with LeBron not attacking the lane or go into the post, getting cross-screens from Shaq. LeBron didn't once go into the post and try to do things near the basket, which in addition makes it that much more polarizing of the game. I think you will see a great performance with LBJ dropping near 30-35 pts, 10-12 rbs, and 8-12 assts. I have no idea if they will win this game but I do believe we will see a jaw-dropping performance from LeBron... And if we don't?
It will only get worse and people will then keep raising questions about what the hell happen in this series? And why can't LeBron win in the playoffs? It might be that Mike Brown is a corpse of a coach and wouldn't have a job if he didn't have LBJ every night. LeBron is really a player-coach out there and Brown is doing nothing to help his team.
The city of Cleveland is on pins and needles right now, probably sitting on their couch knocking back a few beers because if I were a fan? There is no way I could be stone-cold sober for this one because if there is a lost, questions will be raised all over the place and a city will be left for answers, something that might be better intoxicated tonight.
-Charlie.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Kobe Bryant: Best Player of the Decade
Of course this argument was going to come up but that other than Shaquille O'Neal no one can agrue that Kobe Bryant isnt the best player of the last decade. He has done things that have seemed to amaze us time in and time out again. Now people would deny that he is the best because of the adultery that Bryant committed on his wife although his actions off the court shouldnt be taken away from what he does on the court.
Only in the 2003-04 season, Kobe didnt average over twenty-five points a game where he missed seventeen games with injury and when his team needed to be carried by only Bryant he was averaging over thirty points a game. To think that Kobe made the playoffs with his top five scorers in 2005-06 being Smush Parker and Chris Mihm is simply phenomenal. I compare Kobe to when the Packers had Brett Favre in the 90s. Favre didnt always have the best players to work with but somehow they made their way into the playoffs. I would agrue that Favre accomplishments were much better because only six teams get into the playoffs in a given year. Many people have do not see him as a leader but I personally think he is your typical hard-ass captain that doesnt take anyone's crap expecting the most out of everyone even if your name is Slava Medvadenko. He takes care of the all little things that his teammates fail to see.
To throw out some more stats that would give Kobe the title as the best in the past decade would be his stellar free-throw shooting that never went under eighty percent. The three point shooting went under 30% only once in (2001-02). People make a big deal about how Kobe never passes the ball but the stats would show that he only has slipped below five per game in two seasons being this year and 2005-06. In addition even though he was down this year, only in game five Kobe didnt have eight assists in the NBA Finals.
The final big thing about Kobe is his big-game clutch moments. I wish when the fourth quarter began, Enter Sandman by Metalica would come on because Kobe reminds me of a closer in MLB ready to shut down any team he is playing. Carry on the Favre comparison when the fourt quarter happens that was when we had our vintage Favre highlights and I think we get that with Kobe Bryant as well. No one in the game is better in the fourth quarter than Kobe.
I know there are alot you reading this who cannot stand Kobe and wished he would go away for a long time. I just hope that you all respect what he has done in the past ten years and has made the NBA much stronger by his play in the regular/post season.
-Charlie.
Only in the 2003-04 season, Kobe didnt average over twenty-five points a game where he missed seventeen games with injury and when his team needed to be carried by only Bryant he was averaging over thirty points a game. To think that Kobe made the playoffs with his top five scorers in 2005-06 being Smush Parker and Chris Mihm is simply phenomenal. I compare Kobe to when the Packers had Brett Favre in the 90s. Favre didnt always have the best players to work with but somehow they made their way into the playoffs. I would agrue that Favre accomplishments were much better because only six teams get into the playoffs in a given year. Many people have do not see him as a leader but I personally think he is your typical hard-ass captain that doesnt take anyone's crap expecting the most out of everyone even if your name is Slava Medvadenko. He takes care of the all little things that his teammates fail to see.
To throw out some more stats that would give Kobe the title as the best in the past decade would be his stellar free-throw shooting that never went under eighty percent. The three point shooting went under 30% only once in (2001-02). People make a big deal about how Kobe never passes the ball but the stats would show that he only has slipped below five per game in two seasons being this year and 2005-06. In addition even though he was down this year, only in game five Kobe didnt have eight assists in the NBA Finals.
The final big thing about Kobe is his big-game clutch moments. I wish when the fourth quarter began, Enter Sandman by Metalica would come on because Kobe reminds me of a closer in MLB ready to shut down any team he is playing. Carry on the Favre comparison when the fourt quarter happens that was when we had our vintage Favre highlights and I think we get that with Kobe Bryant as well. No one in the game is better in the fourth quarter than Kobe.
I know there are alot you reading this who cannot stand Kobe and wished he would go away for a long time. I just hope that you all respect what he has done in the past ten years and has made the NBA much stronger by his play in the regular/post season.
-Charlie.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Kobe's Return to the Finals
I realize I am bit late on everything but we have four days until the NBA Finals begin so I feel we can cover a bunch of the basketball stuff that happened this weekend. So we will start in the Western Conference and the Los Angeles Lakers.
After the game 5 victory, everyone felt like the Lakers could be on their way to a Finals run after looking very tough in the fourth quarter and almost looking unbeatable. The Lakers rolled against the Denver Nuggets on Friday, 119-92 showing their strength and possibly ready to get their coach Phil Jackson his record 10th NBA Title.
Kobe Bryant proved to a lot of people on Saturday that he could do it all. He scored thirty-five points and ten assists to propel his team to victory. The other big thing is that Kobe only shot the ball twenty times. It will be critical for the Lakers that Bryant doesnt try to take control of a game by shooting the ball over thirty times a game.
Saturday night also featured a great game from Lamar Odom who had twenty points and eight rebounds. Like I said, after game five when Los Angeles has LO going, they are the best team in the NBA. If Odom's production continues the Lakers may not lose a game for the rest of the season.
Another guy whose name is worth noting is Trevor Ariza. He had seventeen points and he also held Carmelo Anthony to 6-17 shooting making Anthony earn everything at the line. Ariza has been another guy for the Lakers that is a complete unsung hero for them all playoffs.
As for the Nuggets, dont be surprised if this team is back in the Western Conference Finals by having Chauncey Billups for the whole season and it sounds like all of their free agents want to come back to Denver.
-Charlie.
After the game 5 victory, everyone felt like the Lakers could be on their way to a Finals run after looking very tough in the fourth quarter and almost looking unbeatable. The Lakers rolled against the Denver Nuggets on Friday, 119-92 showing their strength and possibly ready to get their coach Phil Jackson his record 10th NBA Title.
Kobe Bryant proved to a lot of people on Saturday that he could do it all. He scored thirty-five points and ten assists to propel his team to victory. The other big thing is that Kobe only shot the ball twenty times. It will be critical for the Lakers that Bryant doesnt try to take control of a game by shooting the ball over thirty times a game.
Saturday night also featured a great game from Lamar Odom who had twenty points and eight rebounds. Like I said, after game five when Los Angeles has LO going, they are the best team in the NBA. If Odom's production continues the Lakers may not lose a game for the rest of the season.
Another guy whose name is worth noting is Trevor Ariza. He had seventeen points and he also held Carmelo Anthony to 6-17 shooting making Anthony earn everything at the line. Ariza has been another guy for the Lakers that is a complete unsung hero for them all playoffs.
As for the Nuggets, dont be surprised if this team is back in the Western Conference Finals by having Chauncey Billups for the whole season and it sounds like all of their free agents want to come back to Denver.
-Charlie.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
MSG Love Affair
Something is bothering me today.
That thing is how every one in the sports media is jumping all over the two performances by Kobe Bryant and Lebron James had in Madison Square Garden this week. Kobe had 61 points which is the high mark at the hollow MSG and then LBJ came two days later 55 points 11 rebounds 10 assists which was the first 50 point triple-double since 1975. Now the media is going nuts over these performances and according to ESPN "Sports Nation" said both of these performances were better than Willis Reed 1970 Game 7 and Reggie Miller eight point comeback with eight seconds left to win. That is insane.
For those who dont know the story of Reed, he was a star player for the Knicks in the 60s and 70s and in the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers in 1970 he had a torn muscle in his thigh which kept him out of game 6. No one expected him to play in game 7 at MSG but he came out to start and scored the first two field goals. BUUUT Kobe and Lebron are better than that, get outta here.
I really should have E tell the story about Reggie Miller but since he isnt here so here we go... Miller score eight points in eight seconds to beat the New York Knicks in game one of the Divisional Playoffs in MSG. Just watch the video and you will see that no one since Miller has been able to do that in a game, playoffs or not. But according to ESPN, Lebron and Kobe are better, wow.
Even Michael Jordan's 55 point performance was more impressive than LBJ and Kobe because he did it against a quality team. I could drop 15 on the Knicks defense right now and I will not tell you had a better performance this week because they dont deserve anymore attention than they have already got.
-Charlie.
That thing is how every one in the sports media is jumping all over the two performances by Kobe Bryant and Lebron James had in Madison Square Garden this week. Kobe had 61 points which is the high mark at the hollow MSG and then LBJ came two days later 55 points 11 rebounds 10 assists which was the first 50 point triple-double since 1975. Now the media is going nuts over these performances and according to ESPN "Sports Nation" said both of these performances were better than Willis Reed 1970 Game 7 and Reggie Miller eight point comeback with eight seconds left to win. That is insane.
For those who dont know the story of Reed, he was a star player for the Knicks in the 60s and 70s and in the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers in 1970 he had a torn muscle in his thigh which kept him out of game 6. No one expected him to play in game 7 at MSG but he came out to start and scored the first two field goals. BUUUT Kobe and Lebron are better than that, get outta here.
I really should have E tell the story about Reggie Miller but since he isnt here so here we go... Miller score eight points in eight seconds to beat the New York Knicks in game one of the Divisional Playoffs in MSG. Just watch the video and you will see that no one since Miller has been able to do that in a game, playoffs or not. But according to ESPN, Lebron and Kobe are better, wow.
Even Michael Jordan's 55 point performance was more impressive than LBJ and Kobe because he did it against a quality team. I could drop 15 on the Knicks defense right now and I will not tell you had a better performance this week because they dont deserve anymore attention than they have already got.
-Charlie.
Friday, May 9, 2008
NBA: Where Kobe Happens
First off, let me give credit to Kobe Bryant for finally getting his MVP. He has deserved it for many years and he has got it now. You can say well he has Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom, well he was pulling this shit when he had Smush Parker and Kwame Brown. Bryant has proved to me he is better than anyone in the league. The next statement might shock you all but he is the "Brett Favre of NBA" Chuck what are you talking about? Consider it this way, the last couple years Kobe had no one just like Brett in the 93-95 years and he still got them to the playoffs. Then once he got the whole package, it resulted in the Super Bowl. The same will happen with Kobe.
-I seriously do not believe the Lakers-Jazz series will go farther than five games. They play tonight and I think the Jazz might get this one then the Lakers win one in Utah. It will not go farther than six if the Jazz win both in Utah.
-I could see the Hornets-Spurs going the distance. I wish the games were actually worth watching. Three games have been dogshit to watch because one team is getting blown out. I think the Spurs will win tomorrow and it will end in seven with the Hornets winning it.
-How bad does LeBron James and the Cavs look? I personally am not a witness. I think LeBron is a great player but doesnt deserve the hype he consistently gets. Sure, he puts up big stats all the time but when the offense is surrounded by one player, he is obviously putting up big numbers. They need to sign Shawn Marion. Well, the Celts will steal one in Cleveland and end this series in five.
-The snoozefest that is the Magic-Pistons have gotten a bit interestin
g with Billups injury and how severe it really is. I think he will be out for game four and the Magic will win another one because the Pistons go as far as Chauncey Billups goes. I think the Pistons win it in 6.
I have watched most of the NBA games this year and consider myself an NBA fan. I will keep cheering on Kobe and hope that they continue their dominance.
Charlie.
-I seriously do not believe the Lakers-Jazz series will go farther than five games. They play tonight and I think the Jazz might get this one then the Lakers win one in Utah. It will not go farther than six if the Jazz win both in Utah.
-I could see the Hornets-Spurs going the distance. I wish the games were actually worth watching. Three games have been dogshit to watch because one team is getting blown out. I think the Spurs will win tomorrow and it will end in seven with the Hornets winning it.
-How bad does LeBron James and the Cavs look? I personally am not a witness. I think LeBron is a great player but doesnt deserve the hype he consistently gets. Sure, he puts up big stats all the time but when the offense is surrounded by one player, he is obviously putting up big numbers. They need to sign Shawn Marion. Well, the Celts will steal one in Cleveland and end this series in five.
-The snoozefest that is the Magic-Pistons have gotten a bit interestin
g with Billups injury and how severe it really is. I think he will be out for game four and the Magic will win another one because the Pistons go as far as Chauncey Billups goes. I think the Pistons win it in 6.I have watched most of the NBA games this year and consider myself an NBA fan. I will keep cheering on Kobe and hope that they continue their dominance.
Charlie.
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