Posts Tagged ‘kobe bryant’
Looks like the Free Agent signing period is now in full swing and it’s no longer just verbal commitments. Here, we’ll start breaking down the signings and the impact they can have on the respective teams. The biggest so far is the official signing of Ron Ron with the Lakers.
Ron Artest had agreed to sign with the Lakers last week for the MLE, but was finally able to make it official today. As tough as it is to see Trevor Ariza leave the Lake Show, the Artest signing should quickly ease that pain.
It seems like the Lakers are definitely trying to shed the “soft” label still. Artest now gives the Lakers a lock down defender that can play the 2 through 4 spots. Yes, he’s undersized at the 4, but he’s strong enough to guard a lot of the PFs in this league. As great of a team defender as Ariza was, he still had a lot to learn about man defense. Artest may be one of the all time greatest man defenders by the time he’s done.
Yes, he may be crazy and have a lot of mental issues that can hurt the Lakers (just Youtube Ron Artest), but take a look at his last few years. He’s gotten older and a LITTLE wiser. This guy was just born into the wrong era of basketball. He would have fit in perfectly with the tougher old school NBA.
Look for Ron to make a big splash with the Lakers this year. Phil will prevent him from pounding out the shot clock and jacking up shots, and so will Kobe. This is a completely different style of ball than Artest is used to, and that could be what he really needs. Ron will be getting way more open looks than he’s accustomed to, especially to start each half when he’s out there with Kobe, Pau, and Bynum.
This signing just made the Lakers even more stacked than they already were. Imagine Odom coming off the bench when either Artest or Pau need a rest… that’s the next signing the Lakers need to take care of.
I’m giving this signing a huge thumbs up. The Lakers will look even more dangerous this year. Stay tuned for more free agent rankings.
This is finally turning out to be the series that I had expected. After Game 1, I was actually disappointed that the Lakers had won by 25. Then after Game 2, I was disappointed that the Lakers didn’t close out the game and had to go into overtime. Let me tell you this. I am no longer disappointed.
The Magic have finally shown up to make this thing a real dogfight. I thought Game 2 was as close as the Magic were going to come to a win in this series based on how they were playing. Who would have thought that they’d come out last night and shoot almost 70% all night long?
You know those nights where it seems like everything that Kobe threw up was gonna go in? The first half looked like one of those nights when he shot 8-11 from the field. Bad part, the Magic pulled a Kobe also. They absolutely were on fire. Yeah teams go on stretches here and there where they make 5 or 6 straight shots, but last night it felt like they made about 40 straight shots without a single miss. The Lakers defense wasn’t strong, but it was there. The Magic just couldn’t be stopped last night.
Here’s hoping that this continues to be a closely contested series throughout. Even though I’m still calling Lakers in 5, I really don’t see anymore blowouts happening this series. Enjoy what’s left, and thank you Orlando for finally showing up to the Finals. Congratulations on your franchise’s first Finals win as well.
What game was this guy watching, and how is there no talk of him getting fined for his comments about the reffing? This was one of the better officiated games this series. Lakers shot 35 FTs, and the Nugs shot 30.
Yes, there were some questionable calls and non-calls, but at least it was happening on both ends of the court. Did he not notice that in less minutes, Carmelo shot more FTs than Kobe? Or maybe he didn’t notice that freakin Dahntay Jones shot more FTs than anyone on the Lakers not named Kobe Bryant? Whatever his excuse, quit your whining. You’re an NBA coach and you’re in the Conference Finals. There’s no room for whining like that in the press conferences.
Pretty much the entire press conference was Karl complaining about the refs. How about this, George? Complain about how your team missed crucial FTs. Or how they went for a good 5 minutes in the 4th without scoring? Or how about your team not stop the wrecking ball that is Lamar Odom.
Good job lobbying the refs, George. I look forward to your team shooting 15 more FTs than the Lakers… oh wait, that already happened in Game 4.
Hilarious snippet from OC Register from an article about Shannon Brown:
Bryant loves Fisher and likes Farmar, and Bryant calls Brown “a much, much better player than anybody ever expected” and “an added bonus.” It wasn’t just coincidence that after answering a stream of questions about Brown on Monday, Bryant brought up someone with whom he used to share the Lakers’ backcourt.
Asked to compare how tough it is now for Utah guard Deron Williams and how tough it was for Bryant two years ago in trying to carry the Lakers with an inadequate supporting cast, Bryant scoffed.
“It’s not even close,” Bryant said. “They don’t even have Smush Parker on their team.”
Parker took a shot at Bryant last summer, saying in an interview: “The problems with that team start with him and end with him.” That didn’t, however, prevent Parker from plummeting from alongside Bryant into total obscurity.
Brown is going the other way – fast.
His swim is the upstream one, yet he’s not headed anywhere he hasn’t been before.
Maybe nobodies (is that really a word?) should keep their mouths shut when talking about arguably the best player in the league right now. Smush, we have guys on the bench that are better than you ever could hope to be. Enjoy your early retirement.
Trevor Ariza is quickly becoming the player the Lakers hoped he would become when they traded away Brian Cook and Mo Evans for him last year. He’s showing that he’s not just the defensive stopper that they knew he was, but also a deadly threat from the outside.
With Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol garnering constant double teams and occasion triple teams, Ariza can roam the perimeter and setup for wide open triples. The Utah Jazz are learning the hard way that they shouldn’t leave him to double Kobe and Gasol.
After posting a career playoff high 21 in Game 1 on 8 of 10 shooting (including 3 of 4 from behind the arc), Ariza ended Game 2 with 13 points on 5 of 6 shooting, including another 3-3 performance from downtown. He almost posted a double-double with 9 assists as well.
He’s proving to be what the Lakers missed least season in the playoffs, a defensive minded Guard/Forward with apparently deadly accuracy and toughness. A guy that showed off his skills as a defensive player is now shooting at a ridiculous 81% through 2 games in these playoffs. This is a find that even Mitch Kupchak couldn’t have imagined that he found last year. Ariza was supposed to be a salary dump move, but has turned out to be a key part of the rotation.
After jumping from New York to Orlando, and not finding a home in either city, Ariza has found his calling in the City of Angels. Not to mention that Trevor is only 23 and still has a long career ahead of him… hopefully with the Lakers. Ariza will be the guy to pester guys like Lebron and Pierce, depending on who comes out of the East. Ariza will be the X-Factor in these playoffs.
Finally, the Lakers figure out who they play on Sunday. All the talk has been that with Utah mostly healthy, the Lakers wouldn’t want to meet them in the first round. There was a lot of talk that the Lakers might intentionally lose their last game of the season to avoid meeting Utah. There was talk that the Lakers would rather play Dallas on Sunday.
All that talk went away last night when the Lakers handed Utah a 112-125 loss to end the season. Jerry Sloan may have had the best quote of the night, per Yahoo! Sports:
“We didn’t give them much of a battle and knowing that we’re going to have to play them again, it looks pretty bleak,” Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. “Hate to say that, but it’s one of those things.”
I hate hearing coaches saying stuff like that, but it’s music to my ears coming from a Lakers opponent. All the facts about the Lakers being “soft” have finally turned into rumors and misconceptions, especially with big Drew in the middle clogging up the lane, Trevor Ariza manning the wing, and Kobe and Shannon Brown locking down the perimeter.
Little is known about Shannon Brown other than the fact that this kid has amazing athletic ability and is a great (but not lockdown) defender. He’s jumped around between several teams, but seems to have found a home in LA, much like Trevor Ariza did last year. He’s been stellar on defense, and evidenced by his highlight reel blocks, and has been solid on the opposite end of the court. According to Phil Jackson, Brown looks to get more burn in the Playoffs as the Lakers will be facing PGs that are too strong for Jordan Farmar, and too fast for Derek Fisher. Take Ariza and shrink him down, and you have Shannon Brown. He’s the defensive minded PG that the Lakers have been looking for.
These Lakers will prove to be much tougher on the defensive end than last year’s squad. Bynum will be inside manning the painted area and blocking or altering shots. Gasol has incredible length which will be a problem for players like Boozer and Milsap. Ariza will play the passing lanes like he always does. Kobe of course, will be doing his thing. He’ll play his one man zone, and generally leave his guy open for shots but occasionally make an incredible defensive play. Farmar and Fisher may have problems, but Shannon Brown will fill in the gaps.
I don’t think anyone is more excited about this matchup than I am, especially after Deron Williams showed his bonehead side by trying to set a hard screen on Bynum last night and just bouncing off. It’s gonna be like the Showtime days again with Stockton and Malone vs Magic and Kareem. Except this time it’ll be Williams and Boozer against Kobe, Pau, and Bynum… and don’t forget about Odom off the bench. See you Sunday.
Pretty impressive article from the Charlotte Observer considering that Bell always seemed to hate Kobe. I guess there really is at least a little bit of respect there. It’s kinda like the closing scene from Anchorman when Vince Vaughnn tells Will Ferrell that deep down, he absolutely hates him, “but damn it, do I respect you.”
Props to Bell for stepping up and paying respect where it’s due.
Q: How would you explain to someone who knows nothing about basketball what makes Kobe transcendent?
“That he can do anything. Some guys are really, really good at one thing. Or two or three things. So you might say, ‘Let him take that jump shot (to guard against the drive).’
“He’s good at everything and he has this knack for being right on the spot with (crucial) plays. He could go 2-for-30 and in the last two minutes of a game, if he has the ball, his percentages go up to 75 percent.”
Q: So what are the guiding principles of guarding him?
“You’ve got to keep him off the free throw line, try to make him shoot 18 foot-plus jumpers with a hand in his face. Try to make him work to get the ball – don’t let him get it where he wants it.”
Q: And where, in particular, does he want the ball?
“He’s great, so his sweet spot is all over the place. But you want to try to make him catch it beyond the 3-point line by a couple of steps so he’s got to use more effort to get a good look up. Still, he likes to catch it anywhere – he just likes the ball, so anywhere is a danger spot for him.”
Q: What’s his pet move?
“His pull-up jumper, particularly when guys are underneath him, pawing at the ball (trying to get a steal). He likes to square you up and he goes into either a jab(-step) jumper or one hard dribble and it’s pretty much unguardable.”
Q: Any effective way to deny him the ball?
“Now that he’s got guys around him (Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom), maybe if (you) completely deny him, someone else will take the onus on himself. But he’s good enough in their system that even if you deny it, he’ll find a way to counter it with a backdoor (pass). You do want to deny him, but there’s no way you’re going to keep him from catching it, period.”
Q: Gerald Wallace says it’s imperative to make him work hard defensively, to try to wear him down. Thoughts?
“You want to make him work, but he’s one of the best defenders in the league. I’ve made him work, and seen other guys make him work at (the defensive) end, and he’s still ended up with 50. So I don’t know that there’s a whole lot to that.”
Q: Ever get frustrated guarding such a versatile scorer?
“Not anymore. When I first started (guarding) him, I wanted to stop everybody on every play. It got a bit discouraging. But after you’ve been around the league, you realize there’s no way you can stop guys completely. You have to have a short memory. Strap in and be ready, because it’s really a possession-at-a-time thing with him.”
Q: What’s he like when he’s frustrated?
“I’ve seen him get angry, get heated, but mostly that’s because he’s ultra-competitive. There have been very few times I’ve seen him really lose his composure to a point where he can’t help his team win a game.”
Q: Is he better or worse when angry?
“Depends on what kind of anger; if he’s angry at who he’s playing against, better. If he’s angry at an official, or something else has him off a bit, that could work into his opponent’s hands.”
A friend found this on Larry Brown Sports and sent it to me:
Are you serious Smush? And where are you even playing this year? You probably shouldn’t be talking when you were one of the major reasons that the Lakers had problems. Notice that they got a LOT better when you were gone and they got Derek Fisher back?
You were/are a lazy bastard that played defense only when he felt like it. Actually, you didn’t really play much offense either. And I don’t know if the Lakers’ problems begin and end with Kobe. Once again, the Lakers are playing and have been playing much better since you fell off the map.
Here’s the transcript that Larry Brown Sports had. Tough to understand a guy the mumbles so damn much.
“Playing for the Lakers was an overrated experience. Phil Jackson was great. I don’t care what the media says, they said I had a problem with Phil Jackson. The problem was never with Phil Jackson — it was with your boy, 24 — formerly known as KB. The problem with that team starts with him and ends with him. The reason why I say overrated is because everyone thinks playing with Kobe Bryant was the best thing since sliced bread but it’s not. Out to Miami with the Big Fella, Shaq Diesel, one of the greatest guys I’ve had a chance to play with and meet. Really down to Earth, really cool off the court.”
Smush, you don’t even understand how happy the Laker nation was when we found out that you were leaving. Good riddance, you poor excuse for lockerroom cancer.
A note to Doc Rivers and his squad: Stop whining and take the loss like men.
Otherwise, you can go play in the WNBA. Actually they probably complain even less than you do. And Pierce, what’s up with the flopping around when Farmar is guarding you? You outweigh him by a good 50 lbs. Stop being a batch. Here’s a list of their complaints and quotes after the game yesterday. Most of them found on Lakersground.net from various sources:
- Ray Allen: “I was fouled,” Allen said after the Celtics’ 110-109 overtime loss to the Lakers. “I was pushed. I think I did twist my ankle.”
- Eddie House: “They looked like they’d won the Finals the way they were celebrating,” Eddie House said. “It’s only Game 51.”
- Ray Allen: “But Fisher pushed me,” Allen said.
- I believe these were all Ray Allen: “There was a lot of thickness in the atmosphere,’’ said Ray Allen after scoring 22 points and being the victim of a last-second no-call. “It was a playoff game.”
“They still remember being in this building in June and being sent home with frowns on their faces. That’s what they sat home and thought about all summer (when) we celebrated.
“It’s important that we know and learn in the last two months where teams are really attacking us. We’re the hunted. We have to hunt back.’’…
- Ray Allen: “I was fouled. I was pushed,’’ said Allen. “I think I did twist my ankle. I thought I was fouled. I got pushed into the shot. But what can you do about it? He rode me into the shot.’’
- Doc Rivers: “I thought it was a hand check. But the officials say they don’t call the game different from the first quarter to the end of the game. If that’s true, then Ray should be on the free throw line. It was hand check the whole way. Unless the rules have changed, you can’t do that.’’
- Paul Pierce: “It was a physical game, but you’ve got to expect that,’’ said Paul Pierce, who had 21 points. “It’s two of the top teams battling for the best record in the league. With all the things said about the Lakers not being a physical team, you’ve got to expect they’re going to come and hold their chests high. They beat us once and we had a chance tonight, but we let it go.’’
- Paul Pierce: “The thing we’ve got to realize it’s not the end of the world,’’ said Pierce. “It’s still a long season. Our goals are still the same. Nothing changes. It would have been nice to get this win if it comes down to a tiebreaker, but we’ve still got work to do.’’
Alright, enough quotes. They’re just gonna make me laugh even harder at the Celtics. I thought you guys had some pride. Some heart. Apparently, it’s all fake. You lose a big game and you start making excuses. After the Christmas Day game, Garnett and House came out and said that the Lakers took it more seriously than they did, that the Lakers were waiting for that game all year, that the Lakers needed that game. Well, Boston needed this game. Now the Lakers have the tie breaker if it comes down to it during the Finals.
Whatever happened to being a humble loser? Back when I was growing up, if you lose, you take it like a man. You don’t complain. You congratulate the other team. And you just get yourself up for the next game.
A few directed words to the Celtics players:
Garnett: Enough with the fake intensity. Everyone sees right through it. Why do you think no one in the league is scared of you anymore? You got in Odom’s face just because he slapped your tooshie. Then Odom and the Lake Show were so deep inside your head that you disappeared for the rest of the game.
House: Who the fuck are you? Shut your pie hole, scrub. This is like Luke Walton coming out and saying that we’re the best in the world, and we just stomped the Celtics. You belong on the bench. You’re brought in purely to hit open shots, and nothing else. You talk about how the Lakers acted like they won the Finals… how about you stop acting like you won the Finals anytime you make a single shot? Stop with the prancing already.
Pierce: Other than your flopping around, you’re by far the most respectable guy on the team, at least in terms of what comes out of your mouth.
Ray Ray: Shut your mouth. Quit your complaining about a foul and hurting yourself on the last shot. You wouldn’t have hurt your ankle if you didn’t flail around like you just got shot. Even the media isn’t on your side this time. Everyone knows that wasn’t a foul. Fisher rode you… rode you like his bitch. Then he stopped so that once again, Gasol could block your last second attempt, kinda like the Christmas Day game. Good job, Jesus.
Rondo: You against Kobe? I’ll bet everything I own on Kobe. Maybe have something to eat, grow a little, then you’ll come close. We all know you were trying to get in Mamba’s head, but you’re not even in the same league as him.
Good job with the quotes, Celtics. You just fueled the fire even more. Damn I’m gonna love watching the Lakers stomp you in the Finals… if you get there again.
Found this on Lakersground.net (originally from Fox Sports, but the link is now bad):
Sean Combs was supposed to co-host a birthday party for DJ Clue at club M2 on West 28th Street Monday night with Kobe Bryant after the historic Knicks/Lakers game in which Bryant scored 61 points. But nobody warned Combs that the New York Police Department had an undercover gun detail searching guests as they came into the club. “Everyone wanted to make sure that the dozens of NBA stars in attendance, including Lamar Odom, Vince Carter and Pau Gasol, would be safe,” the insider said. When Diddy arrived at 1:45 a.m. with a six-man entourage, a witness said he “flipped out” when cops asked to search him and his friends. “He went nuts, saying, ‘Why are you disrespecting me like this? Why are you doing this to me?’ During the commotion, one of his guys slipped away, unsearched, back to the car.” Combs “stormed off and started to text DJ Clue asking, ‘What the [bleep] is going on?’ and asked if he could go in the back entrance.” When told that the cops would have to search him and his friends there as well, Combs decided not to attend the party. … At least Bryant was happy to be patted down and stayed until 4 a.m. “He was in the VIP area, where there were strict orders not to let any women in near him,” we’re told. On his way out, Bryant (who drank water), after ordering two bottles of champagne for his pals, left the waitresses a $2,000 tip. — NY Post
Kinda cool story about Kobe… even better story about how much of an idiot Puffy aka Diddy aka Sean Combs is. Glad to hear that at least some clubs protect players when they’re inside. Just because they’re famous doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be able to feel safe doing the things we all take for granted. And a note to Diddy, just because you’re famous doesn’t mean you should act like a baby when you get treated like a regular person, or when you can’t get in somewhere because your friends are idiots carrying guns into a club.
Smart move by Kobe if he really did tell the waitress to keep the women away. Gotta make sure he keeps Vanessa happy.
From Ball Don’t Lie:
Here they are, via Dime: all 61 of Kobe Bryant’s record-setting night in New York City.
Kobe passed Jordan’s opponent record of 55 points in Madison Square Garden when he made three free throws with 3:56 remaining. He then bettered Bernard King’s cool 60, set on Christmas Day in 1984, with two more from the line late.
This game reminded me of the 81 point game a few years ago. From the beginning of the game, Kobe was on fire and kept it going all game long. Oh and don’t forget that he’s playing with 2 JACKED up fingers on his shooting hand.
This was simply a statement game by Kobe. Even without Andrew Bynum, the Lakers are still one of the most dangerous teams in the league. NBA beware. It’s Kobe’s year and nothing is going to stop him.
Here’s another great highlight video from JD2K’s Lakersmedia.com
I’m sitting here on my couch watching this game and I’m just too damn excited about the game that Andrew Bynum is having against the Clippers. 6 minutes left in the 3rd and he already has 31 pts, 12 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Career night for the young kid out of Jersey.
This is the Andrew Bynum all Lakers fans have been waiting to see. Alright, a correction to his point total. He’s at 33 with an And-1 coming, which he hits for 34. The kid has almost half of the team’s point total tonight. This is the game the front office was waiting for when they rejected the trade from Jersey for Jason Kidd.
New point total after he sprints down the court on a fast break and gets the dump pass from Kobe. He makes a soft finger role for his 36th point of the night. I wouldn’t expect this type of game every night, but 20-10 is not out of reach for this guy.
His help defense still leaves something to be desired, but you can’t complain when he has 3 blocks already at this point in the game. Lakers center of the future looks like he’s finally arrived!
Damn it’s good to be a Lakers fan.
We already know that Shaq is on the decline, but he’s still a dominant force. Steve Nash is still a premier PG that always puts up solid numbers against the Lakers. The Lakers have only lost one game during this young season. Amare Stoudemire is putting up All-Star numbers once again, and at his natural PF position. Andrew Bynum is coming back from a major injury and is beginning to get adjusted, proven by his 18 pt, 9 rebound, 3 block game on Tuesday. Trevor Ariza, Jordan Farmar, and Lamar Odom are fueling a high powered bench mob for the Lakers. And then there’s just Kobe and Gasol. Bad blood, great game. If those things don’t fire you up for this game, maybe this will:
The Lakers are apparently trying to catch up with the Tennessee Titans, and they’re getting pretty damn close to doing it. They’ve had a few close ones in there, but for the most part, the Lake Show has just dismantled any one that has crossed their path. With Kobe only scoring more than 30 points one time so far this year, the Lakers still managed to enter last night’s game with 20 point average margin of victory… uhhh are you kidding me? When the hell was the last time that has happened? (It’s early, and I’m not gonna bother with the research)
Let’s take a quick look at their games so far this year.
Season opener: Stomped Portland (a supposed threat this year) by 20 points, 96-76. Bynum didn’t need to play a whole lot of minutes this game since Oden got taken out with and injury.
Clippers Round 1: 117-79. Nope that’s not a typo, it actually WAS a 38 point win. It could have been a larger margin, but I guess the Lakers didn’t want to run up the score on the cross-towners.
Denver: 104-97 Close game that shouldn’t have been. Melo was having and off night, and so was Iverson. They let… is this right? They let ANTHONY CARTER go off for 20 points and K-Mart go for 18? Wow. Finally a defensive letdown. Eh, still held them to under 100 pts.
Clips Round 2: 106-88 Another stomping of the Clips. Why is there even a second team in LA? They’re the red-headed step-children of the SoCal area. Might as well send them up to Seattle. They’re used to having a losing team up there. LA? Not so much.
Houston: 111-82 Walked all over Houston. T-Mac stunk up the building. Yao was held in check by Bynum. Artest? Uhhh dude, you have 4 other guys on the floor with you. Stop trying to go one-on-one all the time. As much as I love his game and intensity, he’s apparently running the Black Hole offense. Houston, we have a problem… fuck that was cheesy.
Dallas: 106-99 Uhh thanks, Trevor. Without you the Lakers would have lost this one for sure. This game, although the Lakers were down most of the game, showed how powerful this team really is. They locked down and Ariza came through. Lakers just had too many weapons for Dallas to deal with.
NOLA: 93-86 Chris Paul had a mediocre game for the most part, but then lit up Fisher and Farmar in the 4th. Good thing the Lakers built a 20 point cushion.
Is it just me, or have the Lakers really not allowed ANYONE to reach the triple digit mark this year? That old saying about defense winning games is definitely true here. The Lakers are holding teams to and average of 86.7 while scoring 104.7. Simply disgusting. Phil Jackson has transformed this team into a defensive powerhouse. Yeah, they can still score, but it’s all about D this year. The Lakers are allowing the least point per game? Can this really be happening?
All I have to say is, THANK YOU DREW AND TREVOR. Finally some guys that can change the game with defense. Offense comes and goes, but the defense needs to be there. Now let’s just see how long they can keep it up.
Who would you pick if you had the first pick in your league. I managed to get Lebron in one league. There has been a great arguement for Chris Paul, but Lebron just puts up great all around stats. Kobe’s scoring numbers have dropped slighty, but his rebounding and assists have been on the rise.
What’s your pick?
From Ball Don’t Lie:
As anyone who has ever been around a New York nightclub can attest, Suns center — legend, sheriff, rapper, etc. — Shaquille O’Neal tends to shoot from the hip/lip when he gets in front of a microphone. He’s like Charles Barkley, but with a deeper voice and rhythm.
Well, Sports 620 KTAR had a mic at Suns practice Tuesday, so, naturally, The Big Outspoken did what he does best: talk. The money quote came when he was asked about the Suns’ first-round loss to the Spurs in last year’s playoffs. O’Neal said he didn’t mind that “Hack-a-Shaq” strategy wasn’t changed in the rules during the offseason, but that there is no need to do it when a team is up 10 points. Shaq, via FanHouse:
“When you’re down, I can see using that as a strategy. But when you’re up 10, 15 points, there’s really no need for that. That’s a coward move. And he knows that. I’ll make ‘em pay for that.”
You hear that, Gregg Popovich? You’re a coward! A coward hiding behind a beard!
And the fun/embarrassment didn’t stop there. Later in the media scrum — earmuffs, Nash and Raja! — Shaq asks how he’s supposed to stay in front Tony Parker and company if the Phoenix guards can’t, and then notes a blown defensive rotation on Tim Duncan’s [fudge'n] three in Game 1. He also takes credit for James Posey and Jason Kapono’s fat free agent contracts.
Bright Side of the Sun has the other highlights, but here’s the full audio (.mp3). When Shaq talks, you listen.
Come on Shaq. I’m tired of hearing a has-been bitch and moan about other teams and the way they play. The Hack-a-Shaq was developed because you can’t hit a freakin barn from the free throw line. How about this for an idea for The Big Mouth? Maybe try making more than 60% of your free throws.
If you can SOMEHOW manage you get your lard ass into the gym and workout during the summer instead of pretending to be a police officer… oh wait. Didn’t you get your badge taken away after the whole “Kobe can’t win without me” rap? So now you can’t even do that. Guess you’ve got nothing else to do, except gain another 50 lbs.
I’ve always respected Shaq’s game because he doesn’t back down from anyone, but is it just me, or is he running his mouth even more in his old age. You’re turning 37 at the end of this season. How about teaching the younger guys through leading by example. How about showing them how to respect the game? How about showing them how to respect their opponents? Yeah, I’ve always hated Pop and the Spurs, but they deserve respect in the NBA because of their winning ways.
Shaq, you’ve always wanted respect because you’re a winner. Now that you’re old and on a team that’s going downhill, how about showing a little respect to the teams and players that are still winning (by shutting your Big Yapper)? Thanks, Shaq. Now go away.
So according to George Gervin, he would be able to easily score 30 or 40 points a game.
Austin Kent of the new two-week-old sports site The Good Point recently talked with NBA legend George Gervin and asked him if and how he would change his smooth, finger-roll game to gel with the current San Antonio Spurs:
“I only knew one way, I knew how to put the ball in the basket,” said Gervin, “But with this San Antonio Spurs team, I think it would make the game a lot easier for me. I didn’t have to take a lot of shots because I was shooting a high percentage”.
Of course the former swingman now closely associated with the franchise and the NBA in general hasn’t forgotten about the drastic changes to the perimeter hand-checking rules that used to exist during his stint on the offensive.
“I could get 30 or 40 every night real easy, the way they let guys guard you these days”.
Bold, sure, but unreasonable? Not necessarily. Not for the man who poured in a career high 63 points at will to regain the scoring lead from David Thompson in 1978, hours after the Denver Nuggets guard poured in 78 of his own to steal it in the first place.
The Ice Man talks in detail about winning that 1978 scoring title (his first of four), playing alongside a very young Michael Jordan in Chicago, and giving back to the community. It’s an excellent interview. Check it out.
So, uhhh, George, did you foget to take your meds or do you really think you’re that good? I never got to actually see you play, but I’ve seen plenty of highlights. Yes, you might be good enough to say that you could score 30-40 a night, but have you seen the size of the guys playing now?
They might not be able to hand check and body up on defense like guys were able to back in your day, but try putting up one of those finger rolls again Bynum or Dwight Howard. As soon as that ball comes off your finger, just turn and look up in the 3rd row. That’s where the ball will be heading. Then you have to come back down on the other end and guard guys like Lebron, Carmelo, Kobe. Try guarding the physical freaks of the game these days, and then coming back and scoring on them.
Shit won’t work. You’ll get destroyed on defense, then come down on the other end and get your softness rejected in the stands. I hate the comparisons of the different eras. Kobe wouldn’t have been able to take his game to the 80s style, and Jordan wouldn’t be able to take his into the 2009 season. Players are successful in their era because their play style fits the play of those around them, and the guys they play against.
The Iceman was great in his era, but he would get demolished against the players of this age. Plain and simple. End of story.
So the other day, Phil Jackson had a half hour sit-down with the media. One point he brought up was that he is thinking of starting Trevor Ariza over Odom, and bringing Odom off the bench as a 6th man. Needless to say that Odom is NOT happy about coming off the bench. Everywhere he’s gone, Odom has always been a starter. He’s one of the few guys in the league that is a triple double threat on any given night.
Los Angeles Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said recently that he is considering making Lamar Odom the team’s sixth man this season. The Lakers convened this afternoon for a media session in El Segundo before the start of training camp Tuesday and Odom voiced his disdain for Jackson’s idea.
“He must have woke up and bumped his head. He probably hit his head on something — boom,” Odom said about Jackson. “To start off like that, you’ve got to be out of your . . . mind.”
Odom, from his grade school days in New York City to high school to college and during his nine years in the NBA, always has been a starter.
Odom constantly gets knocked for not living up to his potential, but really, the dude is a monster. What the hell else do you want out of him? Now Jackson wants him coming off the bench to lead the second unit, most likely as a PF where he can rebound and give the Lakers some size. Yes, size. Powell is there, but he’ll only get about 5 minutes a game until he learns the triangle. Until then, Odom is the biggest body that can play PF.
I don’t blame Odom for being pissed, but I don’t blame Jackson for wanting to make the switch. We’ve talked aboout Odom, now let’s look at Ariza. We’ve got a legit SF here, needs to work on his shot, but great altheticism, solid D. Now all he needs is a decent jumper, nothing amazing, just something that will prevent defenses from sagging away from him (like they do off of Luke Walton).
All in all, I’m with Phil Jackson on this one. Even with the bench the Lakers had last year, the PF position was a bit weak with Radmanovic having to play there, or a tired Odom, since Turiaf had to play Center once Bynum went down with the injury. This stengthens the Bench Mob, and the starting 5 now has a defensive minded 3 that can guard several positions. This allows Kobe to roam a bit more and play that Free Safety defense that so many people hate, even though it’s effective.
So how will the lineup function with Ariza as a starter? We’re less than a month away from seeing it in action hopefully.
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Just some thoughts on happenings around the league, responses to the media and other bloggers, and just a good place for you to spend time instead of actually working.
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