May 29, 2009 | 1:33AM | report this So the new thing is that LeBron doesn't go through a possession without getting away with:
a.) Traveling
b.) Charging
c.) Crab dribbling
d.) Offensive goal tending his own shots
e.) Ripping #### in the paint in order to keep defenders from establishing good position when he puts his head down, blindfold on, and barrels into people.
It should be painfully obvious by now that LeBron really isn't a good player at all. Perhaps you caught the traveling violation on LeBron with under 30 seconds to go in game 2. Please feel free to forget that happened. Maybe you noticed LeBron got sandwiched by Dwight Howard and Michael Pietrus with under 2 minutes to go in the same game. You may have even seen 2 charging calls on LeBron in the fourth quarter - one when the defender jumped in front of him, and the other when LeBron bumped Anthony Johnson's right shoulder when he was outside the restricted area. If you happened to view any of these please remove them from your memories. LeBron doesn't get called for such things - ever. In fact, the "crab dribble" call may have cost the Cavs a game earlier this season...as well as the alley-oop foul on Danny Granger...but we all know Stern just has to throw some of those in there so it doesn't look TOTALLY OBVIOUS! LeBron is nothing by himself - and even with all the rule shattering his does everytime he laces up a pair of illegal shoes, he's not even that great anyway. I mean wtf is PER? If he played baseball, he'd not only be on roids and HGH, but he'd have jelly on the tip of his cap and he'd cork his bat.
Honestly, there is nothing good to be said about LeBron - he hasn't won anything yet, frankly he's more boring to watch than Derek Fisher, and since he pays off the all the refs, everything and anything he does comes with an asterisk. Scratch that. Not even an asterisk will do -
Stan Van Gundy has ranted all series long about how looking at LeBron funny earns him 2 trips to the stripe. Stan quickly reassured everyone that the fact that the Magic had shot more free throws throughout the series was because the Cavs were actually fouling the Magic all those times. Oh, why didn't I think of that?
We all know that if there is one thing Van Gundy hates, it's gamesmanship and "lobbying" for calls. He said so, remember, when Tony DiLeo thought Howard was dropping anchor in the paint. So, since we know Stan is poster child of NOT lobbying for calls, we can pretty much take what he says at face value - and boy do we have a lot to choose from. When was the last timeout where SVG wasn't wired for sound?
SO IF THERE WAS EVER ANY DOUBT after reading the volumes of work from dedicated Kobe fans proclaiming that LeBron really is terrible and only does what he does because Stern Ordered it, oh and his unnatural size, oh and his unnatural abilities, oh and the HGH, (am I forgetting anything?)...THERE SHOULDN'T BE.
I actually read a comment yesterday that said that it's sad that the NBA allows LeBron to get away with murder on every possession, because it really overshadows his innate talents (wait he has talents? Why wasn't I notified???)
Now, I hope you'll be patient with me. The above is truth - rock solid truth - grounded in the most trusted of all bball knowledge. That of Stan Van Gundy press conferences, and Orlando Sentinel articles, Kobe's biggest fans, and internet trolls. What I am about to post is purely for entertainment purposes only. Hopefully, you can just read it and chuckle. Take it with a grain of salt - kinda like video replay, stats, unbiased analysis, and PER. Basically, all the things that flat out lie about basketball in order to promote an agenda.
Without further ado, I'd like to put LeBron James' postseason into some perspective. It seems likely that the Magic will prevail in the Eastern Conference Finals and James will be sent home fishing. It's only fair, as he hasn't been able to will his team to dominate the way other players have. Since history is the tale of the victors, (and also LA fans even after 50 point eviscerations), I thought I'd just bring up some hilariously entertaining 'facts' and 'stats' about LeBron's postseason performance. (I can see you are already starting to chuckle...the mere mention of box score data and subsequent statistical analysis must be giving you laughing fits)
First, here's Brian Windhorst's take:
"After four games, James is averaging 42.3 points against the Magic, the second-highest average in conference finals history behind the Lakers' Jerry West's 46.3 points in the 1964 Western Conference finals. With his 44 points in the Game 4 overtime loss Tuesday in Orlando, James smashed the record for most points scored in the first four games of a playoff series (169).
Kobe Bryant established the record the night before with 147 in the first four games of the Lakers' series with Denver in the West finals.
James is doing it with remarkable efficiency. He's shooting 51 percent in the series and 52 percent overall in the postseason, 11 percent higher than last year and easily the best of his four-year playoff career. Despite having eight ugly turnovers in Game 4, his assist-to-turnover ratio for the postseason is nearly 3-to-1 and also the best rate of his career.
In addition, during this series James has increased his playoff scoring average to 29.3 points per game, which moved him past West and into third place in that category behind only Michael Jordan (33.4) and Allen Iverson (29.7).It can be argued that two of the greatest shots in James' career have been made in this series. Of course there was last Friday when his buzzer-beating bomb from the top of the key won Game 2 and probably will become one of the most repeated sports highlights of the year.
The other -- though it has the risk of being somewhat forgotten if the Cavs lose the series, not unlike James' overall individual performance -- was in the final seconds of overtime Tuesday night. With 4.1 seconds left he hit a twisting 3-pointer off the dribble from the wing that kept the Cavs alive.
It was swallowed in all the other activity of the night, but many Magic and Cavs players felt that basket had a higher degree of difficulty than James' huge hoop in Game 2. Think if he'd been able to pull off another masterpiece with his 35-footer at the horn that just missed."
With the win tonight, LeBron is averaging 40.1 points per game (on exactly 50% shooting), 8.24 assists per game, and 8.6 rebounds. These are ABA numbers, not 2009 NBA basketball numbers. LeBron's assist to turnover ratio is 3:1.
Unfortunately for naysayers, LeBron is dominating the game in this absurd way against a team that was first in the NBA in defensive efficiency this year. Interestingly, LeBron's complete lack of a jumper was supposed to seriously hinder him against very good defensive teams. Especially teams with a shot blocker patrolling the paint. In spite of LeBron's 48 point outburst at the hands of the stingy Detroit Piston defense, 2008 proved to be vindication to all the card carrying members of the "LeBron only scores against bad defenses" club. You know, the same club that thinks the 2006 Toronto Raptors in January played defense like the Bad Boy Pistons. At any rate, it's safe to say that yet again, LeBron James has proven the doubters wrong. LeBron is having one of the greatest postseason series of any player in the history of the NBA - and he is doing it against an elite defensive team. To fans of ridiculously lucky game ending shots, LeBron put himself into a nice little highlight that might be shown again. And to fans of clutch, LeBron has stamped himself at the top of stat geeks cheat sheets for the third straight year.
Who are the best crunch-time players?
As these conference finals games come down to the wire virtually every night, the same question is on the mind of every player, coach and fan: Who will come up big in crunch time? Many insist that Kobe Bryant is the best closer in the game, and LeBron James has provided the most memorable late-game moment of the playoffs thus far with his buzzer-beater in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals. But most of the mainstream discussion about who comes up big in the clutch and who doesn't is based on opinion and what we remember from watching a few games, not on any sort of statistics. Until now. After studying the data, I've come up with a formula that takes into account an NBA player's statistics and combines them into a single number that summarizes his overall crunch-time performance. The numbers take into account both regular-season and postseason performance in 2008-09, but in order to be rated, a player had to have played a minimum of 50 crunch-time minutes in the regular season (a requirement that 201 players met this season). Like 82games.com, which provided the data, I defined "crunch time" as when the score was within five points with five or less minutes left in the fourth quarter or overtime. To derive the overall rating, I used a statistical method that weights a player's basic statistics (points, rebounds, assists, turnovers, field-goal percentage, etc.) according to how they correlate with a team's scoring margin while he is on the court. Basically, the rating counts a player's "good" statistics (points, rebounds, etc.) positively and a player's "bad" statistics (turnovers, missed shots, etc.) negatively, then adjusts for minutes played to get a single plus/minus rating (which I set to a scale of per 40 minutes). In advanced NBA statistics circles, this is known as a statistical plus-minus formula. Now on to the part that really matters: the results.
2008-09 Crunch-Time Rating Leaders (through May 27) Player Rating Crunch-time stats (per 40 minutes)
- LeBron James, CLE +20.0 47.0 pts, 11.1 reb, 10.6 ast, 54.0 FG pct
- Chris Paul, NO +11.4 37.3 pts, 8.7 ast, 3.6 stl, 90.0 FT pct
- Kevin Garnett, BOS +10.6 64.7 FG pct, 11.3 reb, 3.3 blk
- Dwyane Wade, MIA +10.4 41.0 pts, 7.8 ast, 4.1 blk, 2.5 stl
- Carmelo Anthony, DEN +9.2 40.3 pts, 6.9 reb, 51.7 FG pct, 56.2 3-pt FG pct
- Eddie House, BOS +9.1 25.8 pts, 54.4 FG pct, 59.9 3-pt FG pct, 0.0 TO
- Jason Kidd, DAL +8.6 7.0 reb, 6.7 ast, 3.8 stl, 85.0 FT pct
- Brandon Roy, POR +8.4 34.8 pts, 6.7 reb, 89.7 FT pct
- Kobe Bryant, LAL +8.2 46.7 pts, 6.4 reb, 42.4 3-pt FG pct, 90.6 FT pct
- Trevor Ariza, LAL +7.5 56.5 FG pct, 45.5 3-pt FG pct, 4.2 stl (best in NBA)
- Let's start at the top, where you'll find the MVP himself, LeBron James. His rating of plus-20.0 was nearly double that of the second-place finisher, Chris Paul (plus-11.4). Some might be skeptical, but look at LeBron's crunch-time averages: 47.0 points (on 54 percent shooting from the field), 11.1 rebounds and 10.6 assists per 40 minutes. And his current rating is actually a bit low for him, as it dropped from plus-23.2 in the regular season -- mainly because of his six turnovers in 22 crunch-time minutes this postseason (including five in the crunch time of Game 4 on Tuesday).
- If LeBron is No. 1 and Chris Paul is No. 2, then where is Kobe Bryant, the player most analysts consider the best finisher in the NBA? He's just ninth in the league, with a crunch-time rating of plus-8.2. Kobe's averages of 46.7 points (46 percent from the field), 6.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists per 40 minutes of crunch time don't match up with those of King James.
- What might be even more surprising is that joining Kobe near the top of the ratings are two of his teammates, Trevor Ariza (10th in the NBA at plus-7.5) and Pau Gasol (12th at plus-6.5). Ariza leads the NBA with an average of 4.2 steals per 40 crunch-time minutes -- just ask the Nuggets if you need evidence of his ability to force a turnover in the clutch. And Gasol shoots a ridiculous 65 percent from the field in crunch time. Maybe the Lakers should reconsider their strategy of running their offense through Bryant on every possession late in a close game?
- The crunch-time ratings also show us which players have stepped up in the clutch this postseason relative to the regular season. The Magic entered the postseason with their best crunch-time performer, Jameer Nelson (plus-4.3), out for the season with an injury. Rashard Lewis and Dwight Howard came into the postseason with slightly above-average ratings of plus-1.4 each but have really stepped it up in close games in the playoffs. Howard has moved up his overall rating up to plus-2.5 with his 22.2 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per 40 minutes of crunch time, while Lewis is up to plus-1.8 on the strength of his 5-for-9 shooting from downtown in the clutch, as demonstrated in the conference finals.
- On the other hand, a big-name performer who has faded from the spotlight this postseason is none other than the Nuggets' Carmelo Anthony. No, I didn't forget about the game-winning 3-pointer Melo hit in Game 3 of the conference semifinals against the Mavericks. As it turns out, that was one of only five shots out of 14 attempts he has hit in the clutch this postseason, way down from his regular-season percentage of 56.5. Anthony has seen his crunch-time rating decline from plus-11.5 at the end of the regular season (third in the NBA) down to plus-9.2 at this point in the postseason. This is not to say that Melo isn't a good closer or anything of the sort (his rating is still fifth-highest in the NBA), just that his late-game performance in close games has been a bit out of character this postseason. While in some cases this "new" crunch-time rating tells was what is already obvious (LeBron James is really, really good), at other times the numbers might reveal something more surprising, such as Brandon Roy's outperforming Kobe Bryant in the crunch. Whether you're ready to accept that or not, at least the next time you're involved in a debate about who is the best "closer" in the NBA, you can bring some numbers into the discussion.
(oh are you done reading...sorry I'm trying to stop myself from rolling on the floor. All those facts! My goodness, some people and their agendas)
Tonight in "clutch" situations, Lebron was 2-2 with an assist. After that the Cavs had a lead greater than 5 so all the other plays don't actually factor in.
Well, no sense in delaying the inevitable. The all-time best playoff PER for a season is now LeBron James. His playoff PER of 39.5 is second to none. And he has done it through 13 games. Hakeem the Dream is second with a per of 39.0 but only through 4 games. Let's take a look at all the top playoff PERs of all time, shall we?
RankPlayerPERYear
- LeBron James39.492009
- Hakeem Olajuwon*38.951988
- George Mikan*33.581954
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar*32.351977
- Michael Jordan*32.041991
- Julius Erving*31.981976
- Tim Duncan31.802002
- Michael Jordan*31.631990
- Wilt Chamberlain*31.211964
- Shaquille O'Neal31.001998
- Chris Paul30.702008
- Shaquille O'Neal30.612003
- Shaquille O'Neal30.452000
- Julius Erving*30.451972
- Tim Duncan30.382006
- Michael Jordan*30.061993
What is interesting about this list is that of the players with playoff PER's above 32, only Michael Jordan in 1991 played more playoff games (19) than LeBron this season (13).
Just for kicks, I did a Ctrl+F for Kobe, since I didn't see him right away. And what I found was exactly what I expected. Kobe is KILLING IT this year! He has been spectacular in the playoffs. This is the best I have ever seen him play, and I would be remiss if I didn't give him some credit for his play in these playoffs, especially since Houston is a very good defensive team. Yep, in terms of player efficiency rating, this is the most efficiently productive Kobe has ever been in his career. That has to be good news for Laker fans everywhere. His PER is 26.03. Not only is that higher than most of this regular seasons, but it is good for the ONE HUNDRED AND SECOND (102) best Playoff performance of all time.
So, if Kobe is killing it right now, and LeBron is almost integer multiplying his offensive production (against a far superior defensive team), it doesn't have to be a knock on Kobe. It's just putting this into some kind of perspective. Hopefully those of you that haven't already been brainwashed have been able to watch these games and appreciate this level of greatness.
One shot at a Time
May 23, 2009 | 8:33AM | report this Glad LeBron was never a Cleveland Fan (Liveblog)
May 22, 2009 | 5:53PM | report this Call me an alarmist - call me the Cavalier Panic Attack - I've been both for a while now.
When the Cleveland Cavaliers chose not play their starters against the Philadelphia 76ers on the final game of the season - I flipped out. Not because I wanted to tie the Celtics for the all-time home win record, but because of the playoff seeding implications.
Because the Cavs allowed the reeling 76ers (they had lost 6 straight) to win the final game of the season, it put the 76ers in front of the Bulls for the 6th seed overall in the East. I recognized that Chicago had played very well following their trade for John Salmons and Brad Miller and that the 76ers were dead in the water. I actually picked the Magic to beat the 76ers in 4. The Magic team that beat Boston in game 6 and 7, and Cleveland in game 1 is the Magic team that I expected to roll through the 76ers. Apparently it took them a while to wake up - but they are wide awake now.
The only 2 teams that scared me going into these playoffs are the Magic and the Lakers. They are the two teams, I decided, that could beat the Cavs in Cleveland. So now, the Cavs are down 1-0 and I'm I don't even think I am going to watch the game tonight. I can feel my chest pounding harder and harder - it feels like I'm in an plane that has suddenly lost one of it's engines. I truly do not believe the Cavs can beat the Magic.
I expected the Cavaliers to share in my panic - but they have not. They are loose, confident, joking around, and talking about adjustments. I personally don't believe there is any adjustment they can make to keep the Magic's sharpshooters from hitting contested out of rhythm jumpers.
I'm a Cleveland fan. I've seen so many Cleveland teams that had more talent, more heart, more everything - and still lose. I saw a superior Cleveland team loses to a 2-man show in the 89 Bulls (the Shot). I saw the 1997 Indians lose to the expansion Flordia Marlins. I've heard enough about the Browns of the 80s. There a million more examples of Cleveland meltdowns. I'm scared out of my mind. I can't watch. I'm just glad Lebron was a Bulls/Cowboys/Yankees fan growing up. I'm sure his heart is pounding right now.
Enjoy the game - they just tipped it and I can't calm down.
Maybe I'll live blog to keep myself busy.
Post game:Word cannot describe my emotions so i'm not going to try. but I think Brian Windhorsts post game blog sums up much of how I felt about this game, this series. I really hope all the trolls out there watched this game. Superstars don't get calls - not in Cleveland anwyay.
Not to be branded a sourpuss, but once the Cavs' celebration for LeBron's huge shot tonight settles in they are going to realize they have a huge, huge problem. The Cavs are, in my mind, the decided underdog in this series right now. If the Magic keep playing the way they are playing, and I honestly don't think they are going to let up, I'm simply not sure the Cavs can beat them three of the next five games. Orlando has pretty much neutralized the Cavs defense, their greatest attribute besides the greatness that is LeBron.
The Magic have a countermeasure, frankly a rather devastating countermeasure, for just about every defensive scheme the Cavs own. This is not a new issue, this has been an issue for the Cavs for the last two years. If you were drafting a team in a fantasy league with the intention of beating the Cavs, I'm not sure you could do a better job that what Otis Smith has constructed with the Magic. And they are missing their All-Star point guard in Jameer Nelson.
This was the fear the Cavs had all season. They were watching the Magic through a different lens than the Celtics all season. They wanted to play the Celtics for revenge purposes. They didn't want to play the Magic, period. Last Sunday when both the Magic and the Lakers won those Game 7s might have been the worst day of the Cavs season and they didn't even play a game. The Magic have the perfect pick-and-roll combinations to beat the Cavs, who are one of the best playoff defensive teams of the last few decades.
When they aren't using a Hedo Turkoglu/Dwight Howard pick-and-roll, they are using a Turkoglu/Rashard Lewis screen roll. Neither can be defended effectively by the Cavs for sheer matchup reasons I don't believe. The Magic back those sets up with excellent spot up shooters everywhere. Tonight they were even using back-to-back pick-and-rolls to free up Courtney Lee to go to work in the mid-range and he was executing like a 10-year veteran with multiple championship rings.
The Cavs true chance is to play the percentages and hope Orlando has long cold streaks. It is only at those times that it seems they ever lose. That and for Mo Williams or someone to break out of a slump and join LeBron in a great game. Otherwise, even with the greatest team in Cavs history, because of the cold reality of the matchups vs. the way the Cavs play defense it seems like it is an uphill battle.
• On another matter, I felt the officiating in this game was horrid. I am perhaps the most staunch defender of officials of any beat writer in the NBA. I've had arguments with colleagues when they blame officials and I've said in this forum many, many times that officials very rarely influence the outcome of games and overall do an outstanding job. I seriously mean that.
When I saw who was on this crew tonight I felt there was not a true veteran leader among them. I was surprised this particular group was assigned to this game and I felt they blew numerous calls both ways. The blocking foul Sasha Pavlovic drew on Marcin Gortat in the foul quarter was awful. That was a charge all the way. The charge they called on LeBron when he ran into the side of Anthony Johnson was horrid. It was a guess. The travel called on LeBron with 30 seconds left was completely out of place, there is no way an official should step in there and make a call in that spot. Those are just three examples from the fourth quarter.
Numerous times in the game it seemed like they were guessing or trying for make up calls. They called it tight for awhile and then they called it loose. It was not a strong effort at all. Perhaps the worst in any Cavs playoff game in the last four years.
You will Regret You Ever Read This
May 21, 2009 | 2:05AM | report this A 5 mile run couldn't curb my depression tonight - and writing about tonight's game won't help either. I'm not really sure why I'm writing this. I guess that's just what I do. Writing helps me calm down. A good stimulating conversation is what I live for. Sadly there isn't much of that going on anymore at FoxSports. Not since all those guys jumped ship two years ago to start FantasyShark.
Everything that I said about the Magic/Cavs series came true tonight. The Cavs will not win this series. The Magic may lose this series, but the Cavaliers cannot win this series. I guess I could feel vindicated - but I don't. Being a Cleveland Fan is simply a lose-lose situation. You can "have the faith" and all that - and then that faith will be crushed. Lose Lose. You can not have faith, and they can lose - and what do you have? A realization that you are emotionally invested in something that you don't believe in - and then having to sit through and watch. Lose Lose.
I wrote a blog in which I explained why the Magic were the worst possible match up for the Cavs. It was scary how dead on my blog was. And it's not because I'm an advanced scout or because I got lucky - it's because I pay attention, and Scissors Always Beats Paper.
I've never wanted to be more wrong in my life. All season long I've been saying that despite what everyone wants to believe, the Cavs are still just LeBron and tough role players.
Tonight, LeBron had one of the single greatest playoff performances of all time - and the Cavs lost. At home. I don't see any silver lining. There is no way LeBron can go 20-30 with 8 assists every game. And I just don't see anyone else being able to step up against the Magic's stingy D.
I propose a challenge. From here on out, if someone is going to write a blog saying "LeBron travels 47 times a game" or "They let LeBron get away with 12 offensive fouls every quarter" I propose that they MUST include a video clip of their grievances. No one is policing us on these blogs. Why don't we police ourselves? Everyone knows that I use statistics more that most - I do it to prove a point - but there's also a responsibility associated with that. If I want to make strong subjective statements, I better be able to back it up with strong objective evidence. There's an old saying that if you tell a lie long enough, it becomes true.
So who's up for the challenge? If you are going to criticize the officiating on questionable calls - include a video clip with your complaint. If you are going to insist that LeBron gets away with 4 and a half steps (what's a half step?) - post a video of LeBron taking 4 steps last night.
(edit: Seriously don't read this next part - you WILL regret it. And no I don't do drugs)
I've been doing a lot of thinking lately(my first problem). Most people in my life say I take sports (and this blogging) too seriously. I don't blame them. After tonight, I might need to hang up the keyboard. I'm not getting paid to do this, and it's no longer fun to try and engage people in rewarding conversation and "back and forth" just to deal with so much noise.
I'm reading a book right now by Stephen Dubner (my second favorite author). It's called Confessions of a Hero-Worshiper. Growing up, Dubner's hero was Franco Harris, of the Pittsburg Steelers. In reading this memoir, I realized a lot of things about myself. Dubner explains that Hero Worship might be one of the oldest forms of human expression. He explains how many religions engage in hero worship and that Judaism is one of the few that rejects the worship of any hero other than God. Dubner's study of hero worship shows an evolution in the American psyhce of hero worship. He explains how hero worship led to the rise of ####, Stalin, and Mussolini, and that heros are meant to save us. And that those men saved no one - in fact, they used their power to murder millions of people.
Dubner writes: "It did not take a cynic to believe that World War II had been fought not in honor of Great Men but because of them. Hilter, Mussolini, and Stalin were, after all, heroes in at least their own minds. In the war's wake, Americans decided that heroes were for suckers. Celebrities - movie stars and pop singers, television cowboys and even ballplayers - were much safer. Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe couldn't star a war, quite, even when married to each other. As hero worship yielded to celebrity, the hero-worshiper was shoved aside by the fan. Fans followed the celebrities' doings as if they mattered while taking comfort in the knowledge that they didn't." (p 179-180)
I will admit that to a city like Cleveland, sports DO matter. They are a source of civic pride (Dubner admits this about Pittsburg in the late 70s as well). But his point is absolutely valid. How many times have you been disgusted when a sports blog, sports writer, or athlete suddenly goes political? How many times have you seen a sports conversation morph into an argument about homosexuality (john amaechi), global capitalism (Nike sweatshops), racism (Don Imus, Donovon McNabb, Michael Vick, Spike Lee) or even society's shortcomings (Shawn Kemp and his 9 children with 8 women, Steroids in Baseball, etc etc).And how many times have you seen a fair share of sports fans upset by this, wanting their fandom of what they consider pure sport to remain free of the filth and negativity that surrounds all that other stuff? Sport and the real world intersect for each person in a different way...and for me, a very troubling way.
I realize now why I work so hard to arrive at the truth of sports debates. Why I present everything with myraid stats. Why I will go the distance in a debate trying to convince a Kobe fan that LeBron is a better player. I don't know LeBron. I don't worship LeBron. For all I know, LeBron could be a total #### in real life. Barry Bonds is a total #### and I defended him at every turn from 2002-2006. Why? Because Barry's swing is pure, and he was the best hitter of my lifetime. So why do i defend LeBron? Well, because LeBron plays the game the right way I suppose, but there is another reason...
The core of my being shakes violently when I witness the truth being twisted. Nothing disgusts me more than agenda, propaganda, coercion, and manipulation. These tactics are used by drug dealers, religious extremists, teachers, and politicians to name a few. That's the real world - it's a scary and frustrating world. But what if people were incapable of these behaviors? What if, like Vulcans, we could not lie - how many problems would we be able to solve?
Unfortunately, that is not the world we live in. But observing and debating sports, to me, is both an escape and a training grounds. Unlike the seemingly civil political discussions that turn nasty and disrespectful, and create angst between people, debating sports is a benign pasttime right? Well, for most it is, and it is certainly less dangerous to argue the value of the PER stat over say, the legitimacy of Abortion. But for me it is more.
You can't run until you learn to walk, and you can't walk until you learn to crawl. To me, people can't successfuly debate, discuss, respect, learn, and solve that which matters most in this world, if we can't do it with something as unimportant, and transparant as sports.
This is beginning to wear on me. At first I was afraid it was just because I had this obsession with "being right". However, I soon realized that I was much happier being wrong and LEARNING something true, than preaching to the choir. So then I was afraid it might be some kind of inferiority complex. Like I needed my views to be not only accepted but approved. And I wont try to hide the fact that my civic pride and loyalty has a lot of eggs in my sports teams baskets...but it is what it is. Sports, History, and Culture are the 3 things a Clevelander can hang his hat on right now. But the bottom line, and my conclusion, is that I developed a very cynical view of the world I live in after engaging in so many political fights. So I left that arena, and got back to the basics - sports. But I can't change who I am, and now I have a hopeless view. As ridiculous as what I am about to say sounds - How can we, as a society, understand truth in our world - truth were it matters, where it's hard to find, where situations aren't black and white - if we resist it so forcefully in something like a sports debate - where every single moment is captured on film, from multiple angles, studied by statisticians, historians, and fans - dissected in every way shape and form, and presented for everyone to see?
Anyone remember my rant against Charley Rosen a few months back, where he wrote that LeBron James wasn't anywhere NEAR Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant defensively? On the surface it may have seemed like I just want LeBron's babies so I flipped out against Rosen(I won't hold it against you if you feel that way) - but it's not that at all. The core of my being was shaking. Here is a topic, no matter how unimportant and ridiculous, that an "expert" claims to know. He enlightens us with an argument that is so far from the truth that I concluded that Rosen was either lying for an agenda, not paying attention at all, or blind? Again, how can I, stand up against real world problems, real world corruption, real world agendas and manipulation, if I can't even convince sports fans of the most obvious truths.
I mean, I could see this from a Laker fan's point of view too. Many Laker fans feel like Cleveland and Miami fans are Kobe "haters". I've entered this fray ad nauseum but let me just say this: there are some truths that the "fan" in me would not want to admit. The truth that Kobe Bryant's shooting percentage has historically been less susceptible to stingy defenses than LeBron. Kobe Bryant is a historically superior mid-range jump shooter, and FT shooter than LeBron. I can't deny those things - I don't WANT to deny those things. Those are FACTS.
In the real world, if you protect risky behavior with a safety net, you get more risky behavior. That's just a fact of life. Yet, how many politicans do you think preach that when trying to cater to risky people to garnish votes? Think about all the risky behaviors our politicans "protected" us from? Most recently, regulations on home loans were about as strict as discipline in public schools, and yet everyone at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac KNEW the govt would bail them out if things got dicey - so of COURSE they gave out risky loans. The people that wanted more than they could buy, knew that if everything went wrong, the govt will surely take care of them. I know i'm only approaching 1 angle of the multi-faceted problems that lead to the housing crisis - but of COURSE #### was going to hit the fan given all the safety nets for RISK!
The people we grant power to, in hopes that they will "save" us - often don't pay attention to the truths in this world.
There are gray areas in sports, but nothing like the gray areas of life. Sports fits very nicely into a box. You have black and white rules (even if they rely on judgement decisions), you have black and white outcomes (a winner and a loser) you have black and white measurements (a made FG is positive, a missed FG is negative). The nature of sports should render its truths so incredibly conclusive. Of course being a fan might mean preferring one style over another, one system over another, or one team's colors over another. That's understandable. As with anything there is much room for disagreement, I'm just saying that in the end, there ARE TRUTHS that can be understood and accepted. Not everyone is going to agree that speeding is fair, but everyone should agree that speeding is against the LAW. That's just a fact.
But even in sports we don't. "Shaq won all those championships, not Kobe." " LeBrick isn't clutch." "The Magic live and die by the three." Those are 3 of the most propagated myths in sports today. And yet despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary - whether it be the actual game video, box scores, or a quick trip to 82games.com, people, smart people, respected people, continue to propgate that which is false.
I'll get back to sanity here in a minute, I promise.
Back in 2005, when I was more naive than I am now, I read a news article and it made me so angry I was shaking (i almost ejected my core...star trek style). Good ol' Howard Dean, it turns out, was going around the country speaking at various Universities. At some University in New England (Uconn maybe) he told a fawning auditorium of impressionable students that the Supreme Court decision to loosen the protections surrounding eminant domain decisions was the fault of President Bush and his Right-Wing Supreme Court Judges. Here's a snippet from the acutal article I read:
""[Dean] also said the president was partly responsible for a recent Supreme Court decision involving eminent domain.
"'The president and his right-wing Supreme Court think it is 'okay' to have the government take your house if they feel like putting a hotel where your house is,' Dean said, not mentioning that until he nominated John Roberts to the Supreme Court this week, Bush had not appointed anyone to the high court.
"Dean's reference to the "right-wing" court was also erroneous. The four justices who dissented in the Kelo vs. New London case included the three most conservative members of the court - Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Associate Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor was the fourth dissenter.
"The court's liberal coalition of Justices John Paul Stevens, David Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer combined with Justice Anthony Kennedy to form the majority opinion, allowing the city of New London, Conn., to use eminent domain to seize private properties for commercial development.""
My first thought was how shameless Howard Dean must be. But then I realized that moral authority doesn't rest with many polticians, and that neither political party monoplizes truth. But this story simply floored me. How is someone as powerful, respected, and showcased as the leader of the Democratic Party allowed to proclaim such obviously (documented) untrue statements? I mean...there is simply no way around this. And yet, stuff like this happens all the time. I mean Charles Barkley is the POSTER CHILD of making ridiculously untrue statements on the air, getting a free pass, and progagating his own lies.
I've exhausted my thoughts on this matter. To summarize, I am totally dejected that people are too unreasonable, unfair, and unwilling to come to terms with the simple truths of so many things in sports - a realm where so much is black and white. I've come to the realization that people will believe whatever they want to believe and can rationalize anything. And the reason for this dejection is not because I'm trying to recruit Cavs fans. I could care less if I was the only Cavs fan in existence (I'd surely find better deals on tickets) but when it comes to real world problems, I need to be able to come together with like and non-like-minded people and reach agreements, conclusions, understandings, and truths. That's how we, as humans, solve problems, and make this world a better place. And in real life, that is MUCH harder to do that in sports. Not only are the stakes higher, but the waters are MUCH more murky.
Thoughts on the Game:
In the fourth quarter, Hedo Turkoglu worked the pick and roll to perfection. I think 3 plays in a row he attacked the paint off the switch and when help came, he passed off to the left wing. All 3 times, Rashard Lewis nailed deep jumpers. So enough is enough right? LeBron decides he's going to check Hedo. This time, as he anticipates the screen coming, he decides to quickly go under it so that Hedo can't get that first step necessary to draw the help defender. Now mind you, LeBron understands Hedo's range...he doesn't linger, but he gives Hedo a split second none-the-less. Hedo steps back, and even with a hand in his face, nails a clutch 3 to put the magic up 4. No hesitation. After a Mo Williams 3....Hedo winds up at the top of the key after the Cavs defense broke up the first few options. Anderson Varejao has somehow switched onto him. Everyone in the gym knows Hedo is going to shoot that step back 3. Even Varejao. So Varejao plays up on him. Hedo pump fakes, and Varejao does what he should do...goes for it. Hedo doesn't leave his feet, takes a step, leans into Varejao, and gets bailed out for a foul. He makes both FT. After a LeBron bucket, Hedo comes down and apparently is fouled on a trap even though he never lost the ball and he was 35 feet from the hoop. It puts him in the bonus and he makes both FT. And in the magic's last possession, the Cavs KNEW they couldn't allow the Magic to get off a 3. After some stingy defense, the ball swung to Rashard Lewis, who was hounded by Varejao. I'm sure Varejao remembered his last foul on Turkoglu. So this time, when Lewis pump faked, Varejao didn't jump into him...rather he did a great job staying on him. When Lewis didn't shoot...Varejao took a small step back so that Lewis couldn't take a step foward and lean into him like Hedo did a few plays earlier. Instantly, he got a hand up, just in case Lewis decided to launch and out of rhythm 3. If you read my last blog about the Magic, you can guess what happened. He nailed it. Varejao did everything except block it.
HOW DO YOU DEFEND THAT?! You don't. You hope they miss. And if they do, you grab the rebound. I mean, I could write a short memory of every single player on the magic and end it with HOW DO YOU DEFEND THAT?! You've suffered enough, I'll spare you.
The Magic shot 55% for the game which is torrid considering that they shot horribly in the first quarter. Lewis was absolutely unconscious in the second half. Hedo looked like Magic Johnson making plays, and when I saw Michael Pietreus jack up 2 running, off-balance, transition deep jumpers...I wondered if a different Michael climbed into his body.
The Cavs can not beat the Magic. The Magic have to beat themselves. And I don't think they will. They got production from every single player they put out there. Good production. The Cavs got a herculean effort from 1 player - and even though LeBron is great...no one can be that great 7 games straight.
So even if Mo doesn't suck, and if Delonte hits more shots, and they get more production from the bench....what happens if LeBron shoots a more likely 12-25 and not 20-30? My balloon has popped.
My Worst Nightmare - The Orlando Magic
May 18, 2009 | 2:02AM | report this
Conventional Wisdom Says:
- The Cavaliers are the better team, the better team wins.
- LeBron James is the best player in the series, no one can stop him.
- The Cavaliers are the "hungrier" team.
- To a man, the Cavaliers have more playoff experience.
- The Magic struggled with against an inferior Philly Team, and a totally wasted Boston team.
- The Cavaliers have Home Court Advantage.
- Every pundit and every blogger has written the Cavs into the finals since Kevin Garnet went down - there's no reason to think otherwise.
Now before I get into matchups, allow me to shed some reality onto this conventional wisdom.
- The better team doesn't always win - see Dallas against GS in 2007.
- LeBron's confidence grows as his ability to get to the rack grows. The more aggressive he is, the more efficent of a scorer he is. Against teams that defend the paint well, LeBron can be contained offensively. The Magic defend the paint as well as any team in the NBA.
- As much as people want to make basketball about "hunger", "killer instinct", "will to win" etc, these terms are wildly overrated. The Rockets were 20x "hungrier" than the Lakers, and now they are fishing.
- The inexperienced Magic just came back from a 3-2 deficit against the World Champs. How many times did you hear "inexeperienced" and "Aaron Brooks" in the same sentence this postseason?
- The Magic looked downright awful in games they should have won, and then absolutely dominated in games when they were written off. Game 6 minus Howard ON THE ROAD...game 7 in the Garden. Did anyone notice how strongly the Magic finished both series?
- Home Court Advantage usually means 2 things: Energy Advantage, and the home team's bench players making shots. Here is what Home Court Advantage means to the Magic. VERY LITTLE. The Magic don't get many offensive rebounds (28th in the NBA this season), they don't try to wear you down Denver/LA style by playing at a very fast pace (12 in pace), and other than Dwight Howard, they aren't very aggressive when it comes to trying to draw fouls. So they really don't rely on "energy" to score points. In addition, they shoot so well from the 3 point line and take so many threes that they can overcome the most racous crowds (see: last night) in route to victory. Had they not found themselves in a tailspin to close out the season, they may have finished with the NBA's best road record.
- What's ironic is that in years past, the pundits or "analysts" as they like to call themselves really never had a clue about the Cavs. They may have overachived in many series, but you could definitely see how they found ways to win. Perimeter defense, outhustling opponents, and enough LeBron, in addition to favorable match ups. Yet, despite all this, analysts have written off the Cavs in almost every playoff series they have played since 2005. The Washington Wizards STILL think they were the better team in those series, as did the Pistons. Now we have come full circle and all but Barkley, Brian Windhorst, and I have the Cavs cruising past the Magic, riding on a cloud of conventional wisdom. Time for a wake up call.
The Magic as a simple concept is purely "pick your poison." Easy to see. Like many teams with dominant big men, you make a fundamental decision. If we can only choose one strategy, Do we try to stop the dominant force down low or do we allow a superstar to be a superstar and refuse to make superstars out of role players? For 6 games, the Celtics didn't have to make this decision. They put an excellent big-man defender in Kendrick Perkins on Dwight Howard, making him seem fairly mortal, while more or less playing a stingy man-on-man defense against the role players. And for the better part of 6 games, I'd say it worked wonders. The Celtics had no business even winning 3 games in that series given the vast differences in talent available to say nothing of their exhaustion. We all saw in game 7 what happens when you are forced (or willing submit) to picking a poison. Double teamming the post, switching screens, trapping the ball-handler, closing out on 3-point shooters, and any other tactic that relies on defenders leaving their man, leads to a DEVASTATING BARRAGE OF OUTSIDE SHOOTING.
This is quite unfortunate for the Cavs, because despite the crisp, nearly flawless body of art that has become their team defense, it is 100% reliant on, you guessed it... Double teamming the post, switching screens, trapping the ball-handler, and closing out on 3 point shooters. The Cavs defense is water, the opponent's offense is fire, only the Magic offense is an electrical fire. The Cavs defense is Alex Rodriguez in a meaningless game, the Magic offense is any pitcher with fingers that happens to be pitching in October. For reasons that may not seem fair, what once worked...worked WONDERS, not only fails miserably, but fuels the opposition. The Orlando Magic, are beyond any shadow of a doubt, the WORST POSSIBLE MATCHUP for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now that i've gotten all the analogies and hyperbole out of my system, let's zoom in a little.
There are two ways to build a champion, the first is with overwhelming talent and star players that can take over a game at any time: (See LA Lakers, NY Yankees) and the other is by establishing a system (or identity), and plugging in players that fit that system: (See: Pittsburg Steelers, San Antonio Spurs) The Magic have BOTH. Not only do they have Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, and Hedo Turkoglu, they also have a team that fits a blueprint to perfection, and if they had to overpay Rashard Lewis to get to this point, it didn't bother them one bit. The blueprint goes like this:
"We command a double team in the post. We fill our team with finese, energy- conserving, 3-point shooters...TALL 3-point shooters. When the double team arrives, we immediately kick the ball out to a TALL 3-point shooter. Oh, did we mention that our Tall 3-point shooters don't believe in rhythm shots? They just fire away. Our Tall 3-point shooters will hit 20 out of 40 3-pointers in an empty gym after lining up the spalding logo, setting their feet, and firing from a sweet spot. Our Tall 3-point shooters will hit 20 out of 40 3-pointers while "bee"-ing attacked by killer waps on an outdoor court during a level 5 tornado while an angry invading Mongol army rushes the court with spears. Oh and they're wearing FILAs (the players not the Mongols). If the shots aren't being blocked, 20 out of 40 are going in under any cirumstance"
THAT is the bread and butter of the Orlando Magic blueprint. To sweeten the deal even more, the Magic's Tall 3-point shooters are a triple threat. So rushing them off the line does little more than create a 5 on 4 possession. "Did we mention that our tall 3-point shooters are excellent and willing passers and should all else fail, we are tall enough to pass over any defender to an open 3-point specialist? (the FOIL of our Tall 3-point shooters - the guys that will hit 35 out of 40 3-pointers if they are open and simply wont shoot them if they're not) And if we feel like it, we can also pass back into the post for a dunkfest." This is the Orlando Magic offensive blueprint. The minute defensive bodies leave a man to help another, 3-point hell is unleashed.
So why do the Cavs employ a system that plays right into this? Well, if the Magic are a 9 receiver spread-offense playing in a 100 degree desert city with an astroturf field, then think of the Cavs defense as the Big Ten School that has had to scrimmage itself for 15 weeks in the dead of winter. It's just a baaaaaaaaaaaad matchup.
For starters, the Cavs two best perimeter defenders are Delonte West and LeBron James. Delonte is 6'4" and if you ever wanted someone to guard Ray Allen, Rip Hamilton, Ben Gordon, or any other player that needs 9 screens to get an open look, Delonte is your boy. Hands down. He's the not the quickest, he's not the fastest, he's certainly not the longest, but he will fight through a million screens if that is what it takes. He keeps those stars out of rhythm. Against a 6'10" triple threat Tall 3-point shooter that only needs to be assured that his shot will not be blocked and the law of gravitational pull will not suddenly cease to exist, Delonte West is about as effective as internet anti-piracy law. LeBron James is a different animal altogether. He sags about 2 feet back from his assigment. His 7 foot wingspan spread wide, he dares players to try to take him off the dribble, or post him up. Generally, they put their tail between their legs and jack up an out of rhythm long jumper with his hand in their face. Against 6'10" Tall 3-point shooters, LeBron might as be the coach retrieving balls in an after-practice shooting drill.
It doesn't get much better from there. The Cavs interior bigs are trained to "show" on pick-and-rolls. Since opposing teams like to expoit Big Z, it is usually the lanky Lithuanian that angles his body so as to cut off (or at least slow down) dribble penetration. Most teams don't do this because it presents an obvious problem - two guys are now out on the perimeter denying only 1 player, and there is a big man missing from the middle. The Cavs, however, have an incredibly fluid help-side rotation system. The best way I can put it is how Andy Varejao describes it in a Cavs ticket commerical: "...I got Z's back, LeBron's got my back...". Literally every guy on the team knows where to rotate. The Cavs rotations are often flawless and allow their "shown" big man to retreat back to the painted area, and the offensive team has now had it's pick-and-roll play killed. Part of the reason the Cavs employ this tactic is because the one chink in their defensive armor is interior defense. When guards get dribble penetration into the paint, the Cavs defense can easily break down, and this often leads to very high percentage shots for the other team. However, their system of showing, switching, and rotating really hampers pick and roll penetration from point guards. This worked to the utmost perfection against Atlanta, and Detroit, and would have worked wonders on the dribble-drive perimeter-oriented attack of the Boston Celtics. But against Orlando, this system of defense is as futile as "duck and cover" during a Nuclear Attack - and the Magic blueprint is all about dropping some SERIOUS bombs.
Here is where the Magic add insult to injury. As if their weren't enough matchup nightmares for the Cavs, (did I mention that Varejao is too light to prevent Howard from getting into the low post, Ben is 100 years old, hurt, and 6 foot 9" in high heels, and Z is too slow to guard Buckinham Palace?) , In addition (multiplication?), for whatever reason, Rafer Alston, the plucky, hot-headed, journeyman who on many nights will light up the stat sheet with a 1-7 showing, turns into NBA JAM "ON FIRE" Gary Payton! These numbers may not totally blow you away, but I promise that if you watched the games and saw the ridiculous degree of difficulty and downright absurdity of his shot selection, you would be as frightened of Rafer Alston as I am. In the last two years, Skip is 35-67 from the field, 17-36 from the 3 point line, has 18 rebounds, 33 assists, 12 steals, and 11 turnovers in 5 games. And I can't stress enough how LOUD those stats were achieved. Think, 23 seconds of 2004-Piston Defense and then LeBron closing out hard while Rafer jacks up an off balance, off the dribble, 27 foot 3 pointer from the wing....SWISH. He ran absolute circles around Mo Williams in the Magic's 40 point evisceration of the Cavs less than 2 months ago. He actually punshied Mo into submission, and it was the only time this season I have seen anyone on the Cavaliers GIVE UP during a game. And the giving up happened in the 1st half...
It's ironic to me that with the exception of statisticians, who place an inordinate amount of their basis for predictions on point-differential, most NBA analysts believe that the Los Angeles Lakers could really handle the Cavs in the finals. Based on WHAT? The regular season of course. I would argue it is because of, again, match up problems - only a different kind...the three-headed 7' monster kind. The kind that LA refused to unleash until game 7. (I seriously think they read all my articles and game planned around it. Less that 15 inefficient mid-range jumpers for Kobe? Finally! If you are going to insist on self-inflicted wounds, you might as well put down the razors and shoot yourself with a care-bear stare. Looks like Kobe finally figured it out. For one game at least) Anyway, the point is that reason given for a Lakers over Cavs outcome is based on the struggles of the Cavs in the regular season. Has everyone simply FORGOTTEN that the Magic have dominated the Cavs for the last 3 seasons? 8-3 in the last 11 games?
Here's the amazing part. The Cavs, missing only Ben Wallace, needed LeBron's best game of the regular season, 1 favorable call, 1 Magic mistake, and 1 30 foot step back 3-pointer in the closing minute to OVERCOME the Orlando Magic....AT THE Q. That's the Cavs only win against the Magic this year. That was one of those games where LeBron was throwing pebbles into black holes. It's not the sort of style you want to hang your hat on in a 7 game series.
You want to know what's even MORE amazing than THAT?! I haven't mentioned a single word about the Magic's DEFENSE yet. You know, the team with best defensive efficency in the regular season? The Magic Defense are set up exactly opposite Cleveland's. They are longer, stronger, slower, and they love to get right up into the shorts of ball-handlers. They force a team to beat them off the dribble. (which happens all the time, it's how Andre Miller was the most effective 76er in the first round, and how Rajon Rondo found himself playing solitaire in the middle of the floor with the ball while they refused to guard him) But here's the kicker...so you've beaten Hedo Turkoglu off the dribble...big deal, he doesn't even care...He's either cherry-picking for a layup, or getting in front of some other open outside shooter. Now try to score in the paint on Dwight Howard....it's EXACTLY what the Magic want. Where the Cavs try to put speed bumps and roadblocks on the path to the paint, the Magic pave the road and grease your wheels...sending your right into a brick wall. Actually it's more like a THWAMP, from Super Mario Brothers...because that wall can get pretty high in the air too.
If I can end this thesis with some hope for my team, it is that they will not go up against the Magic unprepared. They are well aware of the thrashing they have endured in the past. They have won all 8 games by double digits in the playoffs and have yet to have a game where more than 2 players played well offensively at the same time. In other words, they have a lot more left in the tank for the big tests ahead. They also have 1 other hope, and that is that the Magic can go cold just like any other team that relies heavily on deep jumpers. We've already since 3 to 8 minute stints where they can't buy a bucket, and sometimes it's not even a function of the opposing team's defensive intensity. Up till this point, everyone has said the Magic aren't mentally tough, that they panic like Stan, and that they lose because they don't give Dwight Howard enough touches.
I don't believe any of those 3 things. When I see the Magic lose, it's because they can't buy a bucket, and they don't get many offensive rebounds, FT, or turnovers to give them more opportunities. They rely on offensive execution. I just hope the Cavs title hopes don't get executed...
Cavs in a very tight, very emotional, 7 games..... I hope...
Aaron Brooks - Doin Work
May 14, 2009 | 10:54PM | report thisThoughts on Tonight's Game
1.) Against a team with arguably the best wing defending tandem in the NBA - Battier and Artest - The Los Angeles Lakers decided to play a perimeter oriented game yet again. This, a team, with the best (IMO) post scorer in the league, and two of the best offensive rebounders in the league. Laker big men: Gasol, Odom, and Bynum, shot 10-23(43%), grabbed 9 offensive rebounds, and committed 3 turnovers. I think the Rockets tallest defender is 6 foot 9 and every time Gasol caught the ball in the deep post on the left block, he scored with an effortless left-handed jump hook. I hope and pray that if the Lakers meet the Cavaliers in the Finals they forget how dominant their frontcourt was against the Cavs and resort to Kobe, Farmer, Fisher, and Vujicic jacking up shots against contested arms.
2.) Kobe Bryant definitely didn't deserve a Technical Foul after Artest's flop in the first half, but the outrage by the ESPN crew against the call was a little ridiculous, especially since Artest was THROWN OUT of a semi-competitive game for talking to Bryant. Great flop by Artest though.
3.) Could you feel the tension between Mike Breen and Marc Jackson? Breen's always been a huge Kobe guy, and I thought Jackson was too - but maybe not anymore. In the 2nd half, Kobe airballed a shot against tight defense from Battier. Kobe complained for a foul and Breen pointed out that he had a case. On the replay, Jackson said "That's just great defense by Shane Battier" and then Breen awkwardly responded with "....hit right on the hand on the release..." There was silence for a few seconds and then Van Gundy jumped in to change the subject. Later in the game, Breen seemed kinda carefree about the Lakers losing and made a few points trying to candy coat the loss. Jackson, like a pissed off ex-boyfriend, more or less dropped a "NEVER AGAIN!" on the Lakers, assuring viewers that the Lakers will be outworked by their opponents no matter how far their talent takes them. He almost seemed angry with the Lakers for losing. These guys are fans too - I hope people realize that. They have their favorite teams, favorite players, and expectations.
4.) It seems to me that the Lakers don't even have a game plan. Fisher gives up the ball the second he crosses half court, and is relegated to spot-up shooting. Who is running the offense? They refuse to give Bynum a chance and inspite of the incredible success rate of posting up Gasol, he only sporadically gets post touches, and some combination of Kobe, Odom, Farmer, or Vujicic jack up bad shots. The craziest thing about this entire series is that the Lakers have gotten a LOT of production from Ariza, Farmer, and Brown - production that they never would have counted on going into the playoffs. It just seems totally back-asswards.I am totally shocked that the Rocekts won this game in spite of getting outscored 16-2 to start the 3rd quarter and allowing the Lakers to take 13 more shots.
5.) Ron Artest continues to do his best Kobe impersonation on offense - jacking up terrible shots that sometimes go in, and for little 5 minute stints, the Lakers defense looks like the bad boy pistons. They are tough, physical, swarming, long, and they completely stall the Houston offense. And yet Houston still won. Why? Because the Lakers shot 36%! Why are the Lakers shooting 36%? Because they refuse to go into the post!Usually teams that are bipolar are teams that rely on lots of 3 point shots. The Lakers don't at all rely on the 3 ball. So winning one game by 40 and losing other by double digits is truly puzzling to me. Like I said, I wonder if this is coaching or preparation - they don't seem to have a plan.
6.) This is Aaron Brooks coming out party. Much like Jameer Nelson in the first half of the season, Aaron Brooks is showing that he is an offensive force to be reckoned with. He'll hit spot up 3s, he has nice balance and touch on his mid-range shot, and he might be the second best below the rim finisher in the league behind Tony Parker. I'm very impressed by what he has been able to do, especially considering his height (or lack there of) and going up against one of the longest teams in the NBA.
7.) If the Lakers refuse to pound the ball in the post against Denver, they will get embarrassed. Unless Kobe averages 40 points a game on 50% shooting (which Kobe fans think is Kobe's career norms) they will get run out the gym. Why? Because the Lakers are going to give up a LOT of points to the Nuggets. The Lakers smothering defensive spurts happen because they ball-hawk and constantly double team. It has worked quite well against the Rockets and is part of the reason they blew out Houston in game 5. They forced 12 steals in that game. But against an offensive juggernaut like Denver with a top notch distributing point guard like Chauncey Billups, that strategy will MURDER the Lakers. So they are going to have to play their normal, low-energy defense the entire game unless they want to be giving up uncontested shots off solid ball movement. So, the Lakers are truly going to have to outscore the Nuggets, which they are very capable of doing. But only if they play to their strengths.
8.) "There is nothing to worry about" - Phil Jackson. I respect the Lakers calm. It may seem sort of cavalier, but it's not an act - they really are sure that they will win game 7. They have played up and down to their competition all season. They will do it again in game 7 and will probably blow Houston out. This will only further subsidize this behavior from the Lakers. The question is, can they ride this al the way to the Larry O'Brien trophy? I say yes because they are so talented and create such incredible mismatches on offense, but I also thought they would cruise last year and they got dominated by a hungrier, grittier Celtic team. We'll see what happens. But hasn't this become sort of predictable? When the Lakers are being attacked in the media and criticized for their attitude - they blow out a team. After they blow out a team everyone gets back on the Laker bandwagon, and they shoot 35%. I sure hope everyone picks the Lakers against the Cavs if they meet in the finals.
9.) Kobe has shot better than I expected in this series. Shooting 40% against the likes of Shane Battier is no easy task. His shot has looked much better to me than during the regular season. My problem with Bryant is that he keeps forcing shots. I understand that he believes that against single-coverage he has to be able to score by himself, but I don't think he realizes how much of an advantage Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom have in the post over their defenders. Unlike Dwight Howard struggling in the post against Kendrick Perkins, Gasol and Odom put the ball in the hoop effortlessly when they get a good entry pass deep enough in the post.
Sigh...Another LeBron James PER Article
May 14, 2009 | 4:10PM | report this WAIT! It's not what you think!
Sure, for those of you that want to know what LeBron's postseason PER is, it's above 40. But I'm not going there.
Here's an interview LeBron had with Dan Patrick.
The Cavaliers' LeBron James joined the show to discuss the playoffs and more ...
-- Dan asked LeBron if winning a title would make it harder or easier to leave Cleveland. "It's hard to answer that question," LeBron said. "I think I'm happy in Cleveland. I don't have any plans of going anywhere and playing the game of basketball. These fans have done everything to support me in my career here. I'm excited about being here."
-- Dan asked LeBron if the Cavs were having fun during their playoff run. James' answer is interesting, considering some of the criticism Cleveland has gotten for celebrating too much. "We have a good time playing basketball," James said. "We don't disrespect the game of basketball."
-- James says with the time off, the Cavs have a lot of time to come up with some good celebrations. LeBron liked Dan's two ideas: the Soul Train line dance, and the old school firm hand shake. We'll see if he uses either of those in the next round. I have a feeling he might.
-- LeBron also had some interesting things to say about last-second shots. "It doesn't have to end with me taking the last shot," LeBron said. "Whatever benefits the team." LeBron said he'd rather make the pass to the guy who hits the game-winner than hit the shot himself."
-- LeBron said when he was young, he would pretend he was Michael Jordan when he was shooting around for fun. Dan asked him if he remembered when Jordan hit the jumper over Craig Ehlo. "What Jordan did to Ehlo was dead wrong," LeBron said. "For him to go up and act like he was going to take the jumper and wait for Ehlo to land on the ground. And then shoot it. ... He should have not done that to Craig Ehlo."
-- Dan played complete this sentence with LeBron ...
"If I win the NBA title -- It will be the biggest accomplishment of my career. It will be one of the greatest achievements in Cleveland history. I'm looking forward to the challenge and hopefully we can get it done."
"If I don't win the NBA title -- It's more room for improvement. You have to continue to get better. There's always the next year. You have to use that motivation for what you're going to do next year. "
Dan asked LeBron if he's felt sorry for anyone in today's game. "I felt sorry for the Toronto Raptors whenKobe Bryant scored 81 points," James said.
-- Dan asked LeBron to build his dream team. Here's how LeBron answered.
PG: Magic Johnson
SG: Michael Jordan
SF: LeBron James
PF: Kevin Garnett
C: Shaquille O'Neal (LeBron almost went Kareem Abdul-Jabbar)
Coach: James Naismith (we can't lose with the guy who invented the game)
When I saw LeBron's dream team, I was shocked. No Kobe Bryant? (lol!) No Wilt Chamberlain (hmmm maybe not enough shots for the rest of the team?). But the more I looked at his dream team, the more I realized two things.
1.) These might not be exactly the best 5 NBA players of all time. I would take Duncan over Garnett and Chamberlain over Shaq. I might even take the Big O over Magic, but that's only based on stats and the testimonies of much older (think 60 and over) basketball fans that tend to say the Big O was the best they ever saw play. But even if these 5 players aren't the best individual players of all time, this really might be the best TEAM you could possibly assemble to play a basketball game.
Think about it, defensively, who is going to score against this team? You have Shaq, the most immovable big to ever play the game, KG, the most intense player and one of the best help-side defenders of all time, LeBron, maybe the best transition defender ever (with apologies to Scottie Pippen) and the "quarterback" of Team USA's smothering defense, MJ, the most intense perimeter defender ever, and Magic, too big to post up, and if he gets beat off the dribble, you have LeBron, KG, and Shaq coming to help.
The versatility of this team defensively would be second to none, and in terms of intensity, you'd be hard pressed to find players more intense than KG, and MJ.
Offensively? WOW! Can you even imagine this team on offense? You have two of the best passers of all time in MJ and LeBron - both over 6'8" so they can see over the defense at all times, and both totally unselfish superstars. You have THE BEST scorer of all time in MJ, and the most powerful scorer of all time in Shaq. In KG you have the perfect versatille big man. Whether you're lobbing alley-oops, 20 foot pick and pop jumpers, post moves, or the best interior passing, KG's the total package. The only question mark you would have for this team is 3 point shooting, although Magic became a good spot up 3 point shooter and LeBron has become a respectable 3 point shooter. But this team's gotta have a bench, so let's say we put Larry Bird, Reggie Miller, and Steve Nash on that bench. We add diversity and 3 of the best 3 point shooters of all time.
This team would grab every rebound. Shaq and KG are two of the best rebounders of all time, and LeBron probably has the highest vertical in the NBA right now. Magic wasn't as athletic but at 6'9" you can imagine he'd eat up a lot of long rebounds. MJ was one of the best rebounding shooting guards ever, and collected his fair share on teams that had stud rebounders like Pippen and Dennis Rodman.
The other factor I started thinking about with this team was the chemistry. There are a LOT of egos on this team. For one, you have Jordan. Can anyone imagine Jordan playing second fiddle to someone else? I can't - he'd HAVE to be the alpha dog. And Shaq is obviously an attention hog, so might be the one piece that wouldn't fit. Shaq might not be happy scoring 18 points per game on 85% shooting on this team. Jordan would take the most shots to be sure, and you could easily see Shaq overshadowed by the guard play. But the rest of this team would mesh perfectly. KG has shown that despite all the trash talking and taunting, his teammates appreciate his intensity. KG's the kind of guy that would want to win more than anything, even if it meant scoring 2 points a game and doing all the dirty work. Magic and LeBron are two of the best teammates to ever play basketball at the pro level - and if their tours in the olympics are any indication, they would absolutely THRIVE on a team of superstars. Look at this year's olympics, if you look at the makeup of that team, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Kobe Bryant had one goal in mind every time they touched the ball - SCORE. And even though LeBron's FG% and 3PFG% were superior to all 3 of these score-first players, LeBron set them up and almost led the team in assists. LeBron does whatever it takes to win, and you would absolutely need a player like that on this team. Magic is of the same mold. It is the personalities of Magic and LeBron that would keep this team loose and having fun. It is the personalities of KG and MJ that would keep this team focused, and it is the personality of Shaq that would keep everyone on their toes.
2.) The second thing I realized is that minus KG, (should have been Duncan) LeBron James choose the ALL-PER TEAM! LeBron's pics are the top players at each position by PER based on their career PER numbers. (Note that the statistical requirements for All-Time PER does not include Chris Paul)
PG: Magic Johnson (24.11)
SG: Michael Jordan (27.91)
SF: LeBron James (26.20)
PF: Kevin Garnett (23.81)
*Bob Pettit, Tim Duncan, Karl Malone slightly higher
C: Shaquille Oneal (26.87)
How about that? The All-PER team (almost) picked by LeBron James!
LeBron Flying Solo
May 10, 2009 | 1:51PM | report this
As I watched the Cavs win another playoff game by double digits, I asked myself what the heck the Cavs will be capable of if anyone else on the team steps up.
Here's a list of the Cavs players, their player efficiency ratings for the regular season, and then the playoffs thus far.
- Mo Williams: 17.25 -> 14.70 (-2.55)
- Delonte West: 14.16 -> 12.85 (-1.31)
- Andy Varejao: 14.62 -> 13.83 (-0.79)
- Z Illgauskas: 18.03 -> 13.70 (-4.33)
- D. Gibson: 10.10 -> 3.37 (-6.73)
- Ben Wallace: 12.18 -> 9.30 (-2.88)
- W. Szczerbiak: 12.18 -> 17.67 (+5.49)
- Joe Smith: 13.85 -> 16.10 (+2.25)
Only Joe Smith (21 mpg) and Wally Szczerbiak (11 mpg) have put up better postseason numbers than regular season numbers. This should be a shocking revelation, as the Cavs are now 7 and 0 and have won every game by double digits with two games (Gam3 vs Detroit, Game 3 vs Atl) being the only games that were competitive going into the fourth quarter.
Now the first thing to understand about this is that thus far, LeBron James has had quite likely the most dominating first two rounds of the playoffs ever. His PER through 7 games is now at an astronomical 44.82. Keep in mind, that John Hollinger, the creater of PER, would often write articles celebrating the best games of the season by PER, and anyone with an Adjusted Game Score (AGS is very similiar to PER) in the mid 40s was celebrated as having one of the best games of the year. Mid 50s was celebrated as having one of the best games of the decade! And through 7 games, LeBron's PER is at 44.82. For those non-indoor plumbing, what is the internet?, I only follow per-game stats people out there, he's done this:
75/136 FG, 55.1%, 13/38 3s, 38.1%, 73/96 FT, 76% 2.14 spg 0.7 bpg10.0 rpg 6.6 apg 1.1 to (!!!) 33.7 ppg
So for as much as I hate it when people say the Cavs are more or less JUST LEBRON, so far in the postseason, they really have been just LeBron on offense. Defensively, the Cavs have been very solid, and the entire team deserves credit for this. Andy Varejao has been all over the place getting tip outs and making solid defensive plays. Delonte has absolutely shut down Rip Hamilton and Joe Johnson. But when it comes to scoring points, its been all LeBron. There are a couple reasons for this.
1.) LeBron is hitting outside shots AND being aggressive going to the hole.
The beauty of LeBron James' game is that he can beat you in about 6 different ways. Everybody knows he's the most explosive finisher to ever play the game, and that he averaged over 70% on near basket FGs this season. But he's no slouch on the perimeter either. He shot 34% on three pointers this year. To put it into comparison, the reputed clutch shooter of the decade, Kobe Bryant, shot 35% from 3 this year. The thing is, LeBron's offensive attack often consists of either going strong to the hole or settling for outside jumpers. If his outside shot is falling, he conserves energy and sticks with it. If it's not dropping, he either gets in the post, or just attacks the paint from the perimeter. But it's not that often that LeBron does both. It is in those games that you see 40 and 50 point outbursts from him. His outside J is falling, but he doesn't settle for it, he mixes it in. LeBron's been doing that pretty much the entire playoffs.
2.) For WHATEVER reason, Atlanta refuses to double team. (dumb)
They had success guarding Dwyane Wade in single coverage, but they're not playing Dwyane Wade anymore. Wade, who was hampered by nagging back spasms in bits of the series, was really unable to beat Atlanta's defensive strategy, sans a few spurts where he went off. Atlanta decided to switch screens and play everyone straight up, and Wade was unable to find mismatches.
I'm not sure what they thought would happen playing LeBron 1 on 1 and switching screens, but it really shouldn't be THAT surprising. A combination of Paul Pierce and James Posey couldn't keep LeBron from dropping 45 in game 7 last year, but at least in the first few games, the constant double and triple teaming paid off, as LeBron shot very poorly from the floor and was unable to get into the paint against Boston.
By switching screens and refusing to double team, the Hawks are definitely making LeBron a score-first player, a role he's not as accustomed to - he'd rather make the sweet pass than take 20+ shots, but the message should be clear by now, if you're not going to double LeBron, and you don't have major shot blockers waiting in the paint, you are going to get torched.
3.) Atlanta is tired and banged up
For all the talk about rest making a team rusty, the Cavs have really put together some workmanlike efforts against banged up teams. It's pretty obvious that the Hawks rely on Horford especially at home, and he's been a complete non-factor, citing his injuries. Marvin Williams has also been a non-factor. Joe Johnson, who looked like he was wearing lead shoes in his first two games, put together his best game of the series yesterday in a game that some suspected him to miss because of a bad ankle injury. So, it's obvious that Atlanta is beat up and tired. In spite of this, they have fought and I will give them credit because in the hustle categories, they have competed for the most part (losing Pachulia yesterday killed their rebounding) they just haven't hit enough shots in the paint and they absolutely cannot stop LeBron.
4.) "I've been pacing myself"
Maybe Kobe's not the only one who has been pacing himself throughout the regular season. LeBron has really been going full tilt in the playoffs, and throughout much of the regular season he would pick his spots. He is still only averaging 38 minutes in the playoffs. The Cavs are going to face some ridiculously tough matchups in Orlando and possibly Los Angeles in future rounds, and you can bet LeBron will play 44-48 minutes in those games.
The bad news for the Cavs is that the remaining teams: Orlando, LA, Houston, and Denver will play much better defense than Atlanta or Detroit. Well, maybe not LA. And the front lines of these teams will be much stronger and more willing to protect the paint than a banged up Al Horford. So LeBron might be brought back down to man among boys status and not rooster among dustys status.
The good news for the Cavs is that other than Wally Szcerbiak and his 11 minutes per game of clutch shooting, the Cavs, to man, have been pretty terrible offensively. Maybe Mo Williams just hasn't adjusted to playoff basketball yet, but I have to believe he will return to his regular season norms soon. He's only 10/16 from the foul line after shooting well over 90% for the season.
The other good news is that Ben Wallace, Varejao, and Z are all getting plenty of burn on the bench. These guys are going to be critically important in later rounds to defend the pick and rolls and contain superstar bigs that await, so the fact that they are getting plenty of rest and the Cavs are on the verge of another period of rest is a good thing.
NBA Players Aren't Good Fighters - Tonight's Observations
May 07, 2009 | 12:10AM | report this
Between the Lakers, Celtics, Rafer Alston, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Stan Van Panic, I had a lot to Digest!!!
Before the Celtics/Magic game I was hanging out at Henry Abbott's TrueHoop blog. Even though he didn't feel the need to report anything about LeBron receiving the MVP, he felt compelled to post an email he got from some joke of a Celtics blogger. Here was the post:
One Foul Per 39 Playoff Minutes Played: LeBron James
May 6, 2009 2:45 PM
Carl Spackler from PerkIsABeast, a Celtics-themed blog, e-mailed:
Did you know LeBron James has not committed a foul yet in the Hawks/Cavs series? This is dumbfounding to me, and truly an expression of the disparity in officiating in the NBA.
He has played 196 Minutes and committed five fouls. Come on.
We've all seen LeBron's game. While he is a virtuoso on offense, he hacks more than an asthmatic in the veterinarian's office on defense.
I don't mind hard fouls and like to see great ball like in Boston vs. Chicago or Portland vs. Houston. But when the referee disparity grows that great, it hurts the overall game and commitment of opponents.
What are your thoughts on this atrocity? Even D. Wade didn't get this much help versus Dallas back in the day.
After some thinking about the word "atrocity" -- to me, almost comically strong applied to an entertainment issue -- I checked those numbers. Sure enough it's true.
Is this number some terrible indictment of NBA referees and superstar calls?
The only meaningful way I know to answer that is to assemble video of the uncalled fouls. Any volunteers?
I know it would be a lot of work, but it's a big time waster to talk about superstar calls for decades without good evidence. This is the information age. We don't have to make the same assumptions sports fans have always been making. We get to see evidence. Roll the tape!
- If it's a convincing video reel, I bet it would go a huge long way to affecting meaningful change.
- If it's a weak video reel, then Carl owes David Stern an apology.
You know me. I HATE HATE HATE HATE when people make ridiculous unsubstantiated claims without proof. LeBron "Hacks more than an asthmatic in the veterinarian's office"???? First of all this is not true. Unlike Kobe the ball-hawk and Wade the shameless gambler, LeBron gets low, and shuffles his feet. He almost never bodies guys on the perimeter, he almost never takes charges (he did in this game) and besides the Richardson 360 dunk, almost all his blocks are on highlight reel after highlight reel and obviously not fouls. He really doesn't foul much at all. The best part about this is that it's coming from a Celtics fan. You know, the team that sets more illegal screens than a team of offensive lineman could. You know, the team with Rajon Rondo, the guy that gets away with two flagrant 2 fouls in 2 games with no repercussions. So instead of just WHINING about it, I decided to take Henry up on his request. I compiled 4 youtube videos (1 for each quarter) of all the situations where there was possible contact between LeBron and an opposing player. And other than a hard foul on Josh Smith that they gave to Wally Szczerbiak, there was not a single play where LeBron even came close to committing a foul. I emailed Henry and he said "Thanks I'll post them tomorrow." Here are the videos.
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQbtuaOS0E8
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcZd3VMfEWQ
- h
ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xcfc4tqEOKM
i>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5E-dyPHi2o8
Anyway, I was very glad to see Boston put a hurting on the Magic. I don't believe the Celtics can beat the Cavs (even if Healthy) but the Magic scare the bejeezus outta me. They are a matchup nightmare and they KNOW they can beat the Cavs. Anyway, Paul Pierce is totally gassed. He will surely hit some big shots, but he can't impose his will right now. It's been crazy watching Big Baby, Perkins, and various bench players step up and get wins for the Celtics. Tonight it was Perkins and EDDIE FREAKING HOUSE! INSTANT OFFENSE EDDY! I've never liked this guy - since the Cavs ran into him when he played for New Jersey. Just a strange player. Kinda out of shape looking guy that's always barking something. I remember when his kid ran out onto the court during the Cavs/Celtics series (you know the one COMPETITIVE series against the Celtics last year). Strange. Anyway, Instant Eddie was HOT TONIGHT! Holy cow. 11 for 14? All ridiculously deep jumpers, and a headband twirl from Rafer Alston to cap it off. Rafer should get suspended for game 3 and I believe he will. I expect the Celtics to win game 3 too.
About the head slap. WHAT?! I mean, shove him with 2 hands. Shove him so hard he hits the floor. Do something that's actually going to send a message without getting possibly suspended. Slapping a guy on the headband? He probably barely felt that - and now Rafer is going to pay the price. What's with all the head hunting this year? Last year the Wizards tried to bully LeBron with Flagrant 2 fouls - I guess it's carrying over. This got me to thinking. Who are the guys that are most likely to be called for Flagrant Fouls the rest of the way? Guess who DIDN'T pop into my mind? DEREK FREAKING FISHER!!!!! Yes, THE Derek Fisher. The one that Lisa H said was more entertaining to watch than LeBron Raymone James. And damn it, tonight, Lisa H was RIGHT!
WOW DEREK! Sets his feet, looks back to see where Scola is, WINDS UP, and GIVES HIM A PEOPLE'S ELBOW/SHOULDER and TOTALLY LEVELS a bigger Scola. I mean DRILLS HIM. And does it RIGHT AFTER the refs gave out double technicals. What a savvy veteran move - getting himself ejected and maybe (should be) suspended for game 3.
What's going to be lost in all the technicals, elbows, ejections, and hyperventilating Laker fans, is the role that a few bad calls really played in changing the game. In the 4th quarter, the Rockets had withstood a Laker run and cut the lead to 8. With 7:24 left Kyle Lowry drove by his defender and made a tough layup in traffic. He was called for a charge even though Jordan Farmer was 1.) Shuffling his feet, and 2.) had BOTH feet inside the restricted Area. This should have been a 3 point play and instead it gave the ball back to LA. The Lakers scored to put the lead back up to 10 (5 point swing) and then Ron Artest got the elbow in the neck from Kobe and was 1.) Called for the foul when he should have been shooting foul shots, and 2.) EJECTED for TALKING! He wasn't even swearing. He just went over to Joey Crawford to plead his case, Crawford turned him away, so he jogged over to Kobe to tell him to stop throwing elbows, and he gets tossed! I mean, I understand tensions were high, but Artest wasn't going off like a mad man. So 2 blown calls and a poor decision on an ejection killed any chances the Rockets had. And no one will talk about that.
Can someone teach the Rockets to throw a lob pass? Seriously, you could see the change in game plan today. The Lakers "defense" consists of ball-hawking, double-teaming, trapping, and sort of mobbing the ball - it kind of reminds me of 3rd graders playing soccer - they just sort of attack whomever has the ball. In many cases, it doesn't work because they can't sustain the frantic nature of the play for 48 minutes and teams with good point guards can carve it up. It's why they're not a great defensive team. But tonight, they played with extra intensity and FRONTED Yao in the post. If anyone on the Rockets could throw a lob pass and if Yao could jump - he would have gotten a lot of easy baskets. But they never even tried and the few times they got the ball to Yao in the post, the Lakers harassed him into turnovers which lead to fast break points.
Von Wafer got sent to the Locker Room in the 4th quarter. I'm stunned. This is the kind of stuff that happens in High School. NBA players are supposed to be professional - what could he possibly been so upset about that the coach sent him to the showers. I'd REALLY like to know.
What is it with Luis Scola and Anderson Varejao getting under people's skin? Is it the long hair? I kept watching intently to see what Scola was saying/doing and other than the foul on Odom where the follow through caught Odom in the top of the head, I didn't see a single instance where he made a dirty or over-aggressive play. Yet everyone on the Lakers wanted a piece of him. He doesn't seem like a bad guy - but he's getting under someone's skin.
Kobe had a good night. He shot the ball very well. Made a lot of tough shots. It's about time. Just kidding just kidding. I know, Kobe's been great. He's PER of 22 before tonight's game was good for 10th in the NBA during the Playoffs. (See how I tossed PER and a backhanded compliment on Kobe in 2 sentences?! I can just see the Kobe fan's hyperventilating reaction. Here's another one - LeBron's PER right now is 42!)
But seriously, has their ever been a more emotional superstar? Kobe's posturing, smugness, and constant taunting (only when he's making shots) reminds me of a 20 year old player with a temper. He's so volatile sometimes. Watching him scream "He can't guard me" at Doug Collins and "You can't check me!" at a stoaic Shane Battier just highlights the difference in those players. One is calm, calculated, efficient, and always thinking about the team. The other is hot-headed, ridiculously talented, streaky as hell, and always thinking about his legacy (and how LeBron is very quickly overshadowing it) This just makes that NYT Piece all the more appropriate. But seriously, I can't keep taking back handed shots at Kobe. I'll give him his due - he played very well tonight - and he got Ron Artest ejected! I don't think this style of play will suit the Lakers well in future games but that doesn't bother me one bit. The more emotional Kobe gets, the more detached his teammates become, and the more "fake" toughness they try to show. And I don't mean that to be a knock on the Lakers. Garnett is the same way. Totally hiding behind his posturing. Ah, there it is. Garnett is a more emotional superstar. But the difference is you can see that Garnet just wanted a ring. Kobe just wants a legacy.
So let's make a list of the players most likely to throw a cheap shot the rest of the way. My odds are:
Kenyon Martin : 1.5 to 1
Birdman : 1.5 to 1
Zaza Pachulia : 1.7 to 1
Perkins : 2.0 to 1 (Only because Doc has let him know they are already way too thin up front)
Rondo : 2.5 to 1 (Hey, he's already gotten away with it twice...he'll put a hurting on someone)
Bynum : 2.8 to 1
Artest : 3.0 to 1 (seemed SURPRISINGLY CALM in his post game interview)
Can we make a petition right now. I'd like everyone that reads this to send an email to anyone associated with the NBA. I want a constant Microphone on Ron Artest and Delonte West. I don't remember the last time I DIDN'T ROFL all over the place when one of these guys spoke in public.
Already I've heard Artest tell a story about some kid he grew up with that was the best player he ever played against "but now he's in jail" and tonight talking about someone throwing a piece of lead through a guys heart during an argument on the court!?!?!?!? What was a piece of LEAD doing on the court? Went right through his heart? How hard did was this piece of lead THROWN!?! Wow, just wow. The message is clear, or is it? This is where I got confused. Ron Ron painted a pretty clear picture of how tough he allegedly is and how he is used to rough play. Then why did he have to go talk to Kobe about the elbow? I mean, if the refs are going to let Kobe get away with all these elbows, what is talking to Kobe going to do for Ron if Ron has already said publically that he isn't going to retaliate....hmmm puzzling.
Kendrick Perkins and Sasha Vujicic don't believe they have ever committed a foul. They could break both bones in someone's foream in half (well Sasha couldn't cus he's a weak little ####, but for the sake of argument) and they would protest and have a look of complete and total shock if they were called for a foul. Now I know why Bill Simmons hates Sasha and why every non Celtics fan hates Perkins. Austin Carr (color guys for the Cavs TV) calls him "The man with the SCOWWWWWWL"
I'm really looking forward to the rest of the Lakers/Rockets series. I just hope the refs play less of a role. Like I said, I really thought they let the Lakers play rough on defense (which worked in their favor at times) but blew some calls late that really crippled the Rockets.
Kobe's pre and post game quotes ALWAYS rub me the wrong way. Always. In fact there was only 1 time when I really respected what he said following a game. After the brutal game 7 loss to Phoenix where Kobe refused to shoot, Barkley criticized the hell out of him. Kobe came on the show dressed very sharp to talk about it during half-time of the next series and he explained that against a team like the Suns you have to get stops. And that scoring is irrelevant if you are not getting stops. Very true, well played. Anyway, I thought Kobe's comments about "being challenged is a good thing once in a while" was very arrogant. I mean, the Rockets are for real. As John Hollinger pointed out, in the second half of the season, the Lakers and Rockets had identical records of 27-10. The Lakers are the most talented offensive team I have seen this decade but they haven't won the title yet. A more appropriate comment would have been something like "They really played us hard, we're going to have to match their energy if we want to win." His comments just come off as so smug to me. I HATE that there are so many things about Kobe that I don't like because it just makes me look like such a Kobe "hater". I mean, I really don't LIKE the way the guy plays basketball, and I really don't like his attitude on the court and in certain post-game interview. That being said, I think that #### stuff was totally bogus and I feel bad that he had that hanging over him for so long. I also think that he's a good family man. I WANT to appreciate him, but I just don't like his style. It's more flashy than effective, more reputable than productive. At any rate - you can't deny that he's a great basketball player and that when he gets hot he is unguardable. However, if he thinks that taking 20+ of the most inefficient shots (elbow extended) is how to consistently win ball games, then everyone in LakerLand is going to be dissappointed again. Shane Battier has got to be thinking: Mission Accomplished tonight. Sure, they lost, but he forced Kobe into deep contested jumpers and made him expend a lot of energy. Now, obviously this is a testament to Kobe's ability to make tough shots. Hell he went 16-27. But still, the Rockets can hang their hat on a few things tonight. They fought hard and were not intimidated. And they had a chance to win even with Yao being a non-factor. Playing in Houston is going to be tough for the Lakers. They aren't going to get away with their scrappy defense.
Denver is the ultimate front-running team. They have these high energy players that just imagine themselves on the street when they are out there. Some of these guys have a TON of talent: JR Smith, Kenyon Martin, Chris Anderson to name a few. Fortunately for them, they also have Billups and a much more mature Carmelo that can execute in tough, half-court sets. Scoring has never been a problem with Denver, but they've really started coming into their own defensively. The Birdman is an EXTREMELY active defender (he's might become a poor-man's Rodman) and Billups is a good defender. I don't know if I can see them winning it all like Barkley, but if they can stay in the games mentally, they could go far.
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We know, LeBron. We can't believe people doubt your greatness, either. (Tony Dejak, File / Associated Press) 
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