Extra! Extra! (1.12)
Look on the bright side. The team may very well have gotten the season's worst loss out of the way. Seriously, how much lower can you sink than a 113-103 drubbing from a team that's offensively challenged even with leading scorer Darius Miles on the floor? Drop any further and you're rooming with Satan. Kobe put up 41 points (ending the "45 or higher" streak), but struggled from beyond the arc, going 3 for 13. Whether the team deferred too much to Bryant or he simply assumed the need to piggy back them (often a "chicken or egg" thing), the offense lived and died by Kobe's night. But in the end, what killed the Lakers was their D, or serious lack thereof. With all due respect to Juan Dixon and Steve Blake, they shouldn't wreak havoc on your team.
Are y'all familiar with "Comic Book Guy" on "The Simpsons?"
Worst... Box score... Ever
The Lakers play the Cavs tonight. Not sure if anybody has picked up on this, but from time to time, the media likes to compare Kobe to LeBron. ESPN's John Hollinger even broke down their respective skills in a "Who would you pick?" scenario (similar to Brad Pitt choosing between Angelina and Jennifer, Hollinger notes that one can't lose in either case). Their pitchman abilities remains a competition as well, with LeBron currently leading that race. Truth be told, when it comes to Lakers-Cavs, the biggest battle ain't Kobe v. King James. It's Kobe v. the injury bug, and that's the only rumble the Lakers MUST win tonight.
The Ronny Turiaf watch continues, with nothing definitive to report. As usual, everything depends on his conditioning and who the team would waive (Slava and Profit being the prime candidates). But either way, a betting man would feel comfortable putting down 20 bucks on him joining the team in the near future.
(photo by STEVE DIPAOLA/Reuters)
I hope the Lakers step up tonight. I'm concerned about them having the necessary energy playing back to back games, particularly after such a disappointing defeat.
The 8th Wonder might just lose it tonight as the rest of the team sits around slack-jawed and dumbfounded.
Posted by: Jon Kavulic | January 12, 2006 at 10:03 AM
8 Ball fell in love with the 3 ball and it cost dearly. He (team also) played porous "D" as well. 8 Ball may have let 45 pt game streak go to his head a bit. Come on Phil, gets these guys focused!
Posted by: 8 Ball | January 12, 2006 at 10:26 AM
I didn’t catch the game last night, but 113 points to the Blazers just screams horrible defense. Obviously I’m echoing what’s been stated so far on this blog, but what bothers me about a complete lack of effort on defense is it’s reflection on the team’s personality. Defense is something you consciously decide to do, a challenge that’s taken on by a particular player. The best defenders in the league and throughout the history of the NBA are those that work harder and take it personally. You can’t tell me Smush Parker doesn’t have the athletic ability to stop Blake or Dixon, or that Bruce Bowen’s athletic ability is so much better than LO’s and that’s the reason he’s a great defender. If all else fails during a game, like Kobe jacking up 13 threes (I don’t care about how many shots he takes, just not that many threes) and having an off night, or a lack of a second option or Phil having an argument with Jeannie or whatever, defense is something that can NOT slip.
The game against the Cavs will be interesting. It’s only a matter of time before Kobe kind of hits a wall physically and the amount of energy he has to expend to keep this team moving catches up with him. All I care to see is an increased level of intensity in this team. At this point I could care less about wins and losses, but establishing a level of intensity that carries throughout the end of the season, hopefully into the playoffs, and next year. With the rumor that Artest is going to the Clips for Maggette we can’t expect to get our defensive intensity from on outside source, and because of cap limitations this is probably the same team (or pretty damn close) we’re going to see next year.
AS for the Hollinger article, it was interesting. He mentioned the quality of supporting cast in the article and I think that has more influence on the stats he used than he alluded to. But Lebron is a hell of a player right now, and his potential is incredible. I’m excited to watch him play tonight.
Posted by: Andrew Z | January 12, 2006 at 10:31 AM
Sasha, Sasha, Sasha... 0 points in 26 minutes? Ugh. Isn't Sasha supposed to be our sharpshooter?
Posted by: Jon Kavulic | January 12, 2006 at 10:42 AM
I hope Kobe is a bit fatigued. Sometimes it serves him to not try to do too much, so that he has to rely on his mental game more than the physical.
His curse has always been that he doesn't HAVE to play smart in order to win. But if he's tired, he may be forced to.
Posted by: KB8Fan | January 12, 2006 at 10:46 AM
PORTLAND played like it was a PLAYOFF game for them last night. Hey basketball is basketball we played like we just wanted to get over with this, get back home and play cleveland. LOSS OF FOCUS can kill you sometimes and it did Lakers last night for sure.
Posted by: RayRay | January 12, 2006 at 10:52 AM
What happend with Turiaf?
Posted by: todd | January 12, 2006 at 10:55 AM
I did not watch that game last night,but it was very sad to see Lakers lose to Blazers.No D at all,and Kobe keep shotting 3s,whats up with that Kobe?.I hope today comes better with King James in town.
Posted by: bonzi | January 12, 2006 at 10:56 AM
Take the issue on whether or not Kobe was hoisting too many shots out of the equation for this one. Anytime your offense puts up 103 points you're doing okay. As I was watching, there were the main issues.
1. Atrocious defense by our guards. I include Smush, Sasha, and, yes, Kobe in this category.
2. Terrible work on the defensive backboards. This one cannot be blamed entirely on our bigs. They were constantly coming over to help as our guards kept getting beaten off the dribble. However, the Blazers had way too many offensive rebounds and second chance points, particularly since we let them shoot 53%.
3. Inconsistent officiating. What I mean by this is that something that was a foul five minutes ago should still be a foul five minutes later. Something that wasn't a foul five minutes ago should not suddenly become a foul five minutes later.
4. Awful help defense. Our bigs (mostly Mihm) were routinely LATE in coming over to help when someone got beat. By the time they came over, the Blazer player had already shot the ball every single time. With as much time as the Blazers little men spent in the paint, the Laker big men should have had more blocks.
As for John Hollinger's analysis...
It isn't bad. It is more balanced than I was expecting. However, it still is wrong in the following areas:
1. To one-sided with the Kobe/Shaq fued. WAY. Too. One. Sided. Another writer blaming Kobe entirely for driving Shaq away, and conveniently overlooking the fact that Kobe submerged his game enough to win 3 championships with the Big Lard Butt.
2. Wrong analysis on the scoring column. Yes, Kobe shoots more than Lebron and at a lower percentage. However, if Lebron had less scoring options on his team to pick up the slack and other teams were more free to double him quicker and more consistently like they do Kobe then his scoring and his shooting percentage would both drop.
3. Once again ignores "intangibles". Which player is more clutch? Which player would slit his own mother's throat if need be in order to get an important win? Which player is more likely to dive on the floor to get a loose ball? Or play through injuries?
Not a bad analysis as I said. He correctly rated Lebron higher on rebounding and Kobe on defense. He also made mention of Kobe's efficiancy in not turning the ball over given the number of possessions he uses. Overall, good reasoning.
Now then...since Kobe is supposedly the 3rd most efficient player in the NBA by his system, when do you think we'll see OTHER sportswriters taking notice?
Posted by: Jimbo | January 12, 2006 at 11:00 AM
This lost last night against Portland is a good example on why the Lakers would be nothing without Kobe Bryant. This means that Mitch Kupchak and company need to do some work on remodeling this team before going into next year. We obviously need to find a second scorer on this team and someone who can provide consistency on offense and defense. As with the team we have at the moment, I like the potential in Odom, Kwame, Smush, Bynum, Cook, and Wafer. These guys will provide some type of need to the Lakers either in the near or later future. The Lakers should start shopping the other guys off for the exception of Kobe of course.
As for Turiaf, I can bet he will be a Laker sometime within a week or two. I read a lot of hype about this guy but there's really no telling what he can or will produce when dawning a Laker uniform. Lets not get our hopes up for Turiaf however, if he lives up to who we think he is, he will be an excellent asset for the Lakers.
I have a feeling that Sasha is going to be a valuable player in the future but I'm not sure if Laker fans have the patience to watch him flourish. Even though I didn't add him to my list of Lakers to keep, he's that guy that you may want to consider giving up on last of all the others I didn't mention. Still I picture Sasha as a future type peja Stojaovich, but who knows.
Posted by: Ron aka Razmataz | January 12, 2006 at 11:31 AM
The Lakers defense sucks and ordinarily, I would blame the coach and the star player because I believe that the best player should set the tone defensively. But in this case, I blame Odom, Sasha, George and every other Laker who can't make and won't take open shots. Because of them, Kobe has to work way too hard offensively and he can't really be expected to play lock-down D on every possession. You want more than 70 points a game or do you want defense? If Kobe plays harder defense, that means that everyone else has to be more aggressive on offense. And bottom line, until he is able to contend for a spot on the the all-defense first team, he can only ask so much of his teammates.
Posted by: Roya Jackson | January 12, 2006 at 11:31 AM
Lakers usually come back strong after a dissapointing loss. Remember when they lost to Houston when T-MAC waltzed in for a lay-up to win the ball game. The next game "THE 8th WONDER" dropped 62 points on Dallas...in 3 quarters!
If I was QUEEN JAMES, I'd be shaking in my boots. THE 8th WONDER salivates over these match-ups. I bet NIKE is loving the hype.
VIVALOSLAKERS!!!
Posted by: VIVALOSLAKERS | January 12, 2006 at 11:33 AM
I don't think Kobe took too many shots, just too many 3s. He CAN hit those, but if he hasn't all night, he should go inside more, where his percentage was a lot higher. That will probably be the case tonight.
I liked Parker's agression in the second Q, but missed it in the rest of the game. I liked Lamar's aggression to the basket this game and was suprised he scored as few as he did. And Cook needed to continue shooting in the second half. I think we're ready to see us shift back to a more spread out offense again, and expect Kobe will see the same tonight. Obviously our perimeter defense can't get any worse.
Posted by: mannie | January 12, 2006 at 11:45 AM
The reason why kobe scores so much is because he understand the triangle and knows where to go every trip down the court so the ball would rotate to him. everyone else is learning and try to follow the triangle offense.. until the ball gets to kobe and then they get confused because the ball rotation stops and they just stand and watch and guess what they should do next base on what kobe's doing. i hope by playoff time, they'll feel comfortable within the system and know when and where to go for their own shots.
Posted by: the Lamar Show | January 12, 2006 at 12:08 PM
Anybody else have to endure the Blazer "announcers" last night? Lets just say that next time they decide to hold a contest to allow any random person broadcast an entire game, I'm throwing my name in the hat. Couldn't be much worse than 'ol "Mike and Ike" as I will now refer to them as. I simply don't think its their place to hurl insults towards Kobe, Phil, Kwame, the refs, and the rest of Lakers as they continuously did last night.
Posted by: Sam B (Salt Lake) | January 12, 2006 at 12:26 PM
Kobe is a proven scorer. He can shoot those shots anytime he wants because he has proven he can make them. Kobe has the green light.
I cannot stand when the 6'10 Odom takes those 3's. He is trying to expand his game, but do it in practice. He is not consistent at it. He has never proven he has been consistent at it. Get down in the post Lamar!
Maybe Lamar feels that is the best shot he can get in the Triangle. I don't know.
Posted by: Zen | January 12, 2006 at 12:28 PM
Well, our old friend Bill Simmons of espn.com has written a new basketball column, this one about Doc Rivers.
However, midway throught the article, Simmons compares Doc Rivers to Phil Jackson, giving major props to Phil for his yeoman effort in coaching the Lakers this year.
Not surprisingly, Simmons has some very funny things to say about Kobe as well.
A must read.
Here's the link:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/060112
Remember, Simmons' Laker comments can be found midway through the article.
Posted by: Ked Sammons | January 12, 2006 at 12:39 PM
Kobe's . . . "still too selfish and too resistant to playing 'team' ball.'" -- Charlie Rosen
Posted by: F Douglas Moreno | January 12, 2006 at 12:43 PM
Sam,
I had to endure the Blazer announcers last night. I have the NBA league pass and am used to announcers being a bit tilted towards the home team when we play on the road, and I have to say that these were far and away the worst ones of the season. By far.
A few of the highlights.
1. Replay blindness
The Blazers announcers called for a slow motion replay of every call the Lakers got, and then triumphantly pointed at them to prove how badly the refs were biased towards the Lakers. The only problem was that the plays they reviewed all completely contradicted their points. Every time they showed a replay the call the officials made was either correct the first time or should have gone the Lakers way.
2. Phil's "throne"
All. Game. Long. The same jokes about Phil's special chair. If they did any research at all they'd know that chair is required for Phil's physical health. At my job I'm required to prepare for meetings. I'm required to actually know what is going to be discussed. I think announcers should be required to prepare for games. It wouldn't need to be much, just the little things. Why Phil has a special chair, how to pronounce Sasha or Smush's names, the difference between "Kwame" Brown and "Kobe" Brown, etc.
3. Holding Kobe to "only" 41 points is not "containing" him. Containing him would be to hold him below his season average on either points or fg%. They did neither.
I could go on and on, but let me just say they were terrible. God awful. I think my ears were spurting blood by the end of the second quarter.
Posted by: Jimbo | January 12, 2006 at 12:46 PM
Here's the latest about Kobe by Charlie Rosen, who goes into detail in breaking down Kobe's performance last night vs. Portland.
Needless to say, he has alot to say about the flaws in Kobe's approach to the game of basketball, even while admiring Kobe's athletic ability.
About Kobe's defense, Rosen says, ". . . he plays like a joker."
By the way, is there any doubt that Rosen is representing the views of his close friends Phil Jackson and Tex Winter when he writes such articles?
Here's the story:
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/5242184
Posted by: j-dog in lala land | January 12, 2006 at 12:53 PM
Yeah I had to listen to the Portland announcers. They were some of the worst I have ever heard. Those guys had a serious inferiority complex with Phil Jackson. I actually had to turn the volume down because I couldn't handle 'em anymore. Their ignorance was painful. "Steve Blake is really locking down Kobe. He's the reason Kobe isn't going off right now." Yes, this was actually said multiple times.
Posted by: murph | January 12, 2006 at 12:57 PM
yes, hollinger of espn ranks kobe third in the player efficiency tabulations, behind only lebron and d-wade, which i think is about right
kobe is fantastic -- better than just about everyone else -- just behind lebron and d-wade, both of whom are truly spectacular (and better than number eight)
Posted by: Franklin Garza | January 12, 2006 at 01:06 PM
I agree with sam b. Those announcers were the worst ever. i wanted to reach into the screen and wrap duct tape around their mouths.(and nose)
Posted by: koibo | January 12, 2006 at 01:07 PM
Miguelinho and others curious about Turiaf,
Hey you had a good letter. I live in Spokane where Gonzaga is and I have seen ALOT of Turiaf. The little insight i can add is this..(only a judgment from my eyes).... He does have a TON of heart. He has a TON of hustle. His defense is very very good and should only get better with teaching. He does have a tendancy to pick up easy and dumb fouls, and quick, so he has to work on that. He is a team bonder, meaning he helps bring a team together and hold it together. He has great offensive "potential", what i mean by that is he has the tools, but has a strange habit sometimes of pulling a Shaq and missing point blank layins, and he can go on a run of doing that, which lasts a whole game. He is a great member of the community. I mean GREAT. To top this off i have actually seen the guy at wal-mart like the rest of us debating with his girl whether a $40 end table is too expensive. He has class. He is still I would say a very untapped raw talent, meaning I think with good teaching he will make MAJOR strides in his game EVERY single day. Of course is he is not going to be our savior, but even just the the heart and brotherhood he could add to a team, our team, is well worth it, and quite possibly, the teaching of the NBA could make him an amazing player. Also, his leaping ability and defensive heart and hustle are amazing. He also has the long long arms such as a Tayshaun Prince. We could turn this guy possibly into a small forward/power forward version of Tayshaun. Also his team defense is very good. I hope this might help some of you.
Posted by: SpokaneLaker | January 12, 2006 at 01:09 PM
John Hollinger may have picked Lebron over Kobe, but Jim Sheridan of espn.com reports that Jerry Stackhouse would pick Kobe over Lebron.
It's Stackhouse's opinion that Kobe is the more complete player of the two.
The article can be found on espn.com (insider), so I don't know if this link will help you . . .
http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=sheridan_chris#20060111
Posted by: turlock tom | January 12, 2006 at 01:14 PM
I agree, those announcers were awful. I can live with the home announcers being biased towards their team, but these guys went way overboard. Their comments about Phil's chair were ridiculous and their review of calls that were clearly not even close to what they claimed to 'see' were almost laughable.
They are complete morons.
Doesn't the NBA have any say in how the announcers conduct themselves? This was disgraceful.
Posted by: paul w | January 12, 2006 at 01:20 PM
I am the biggest Lakers Fan here But the chances of beating the Cavs tonight is very slim.
What a disappointing Lost against the 2nd worst team in the NBA.
Back-to-back games?
Lakers have not shown any consistency at Back-to-Backs.
The phenom Lebron James will bring it to Kobe. He had a couple days of rest.
The 8th Wonder, I think would be a little tired after putting up 45's 40's over and over again.
I think Kobe is going to run out of gas in this one just like he did last night down in Portland at the end.
I don't expect the Lakers to win this game.
I expect them to compete with the Cavs.
Go Lakers, Compete!
Posted by: The Sexy Beast | January 12, 2006 at 01:42 PM
Paul W,
People in Oregon (in general) hate Californians. They assume any comment they make is in good taste, when, in fact, they are not.
Posted by: Jon Kavulic | January 12, 2006 at 01:45 PM
Here's a questions for the collective brain . . .
Who's better, Mark Madsen or Ronney Turiaf?
Based on what I've read/seen, both are mid-sized bangers with a ton of heart but very few skills. Both were also "players of the year" for their respective college conferences. One was drafted with the last pick of the first round, the other early in the second round.
Is one better than the other -- or are they basically the same player?
Posted by: Young Lion | January 12, 2006 at 01:47 PM
About the espn.com article linked to above . . .
Bill Simmons does make one pretty good observation, saying that the Lakers are an "entourage" -- Kobe's entourage, that is -- and not really a team.
Funny. And not far off the mark.
Posted by: keno 619 | January 12, 2006 at 01:52 PM
After responding to the silly article that Charlie Rosen wrote about Kobe.... I am screaming emphatically "WHAT DO YOU SO CALLED SPORTS WRITERS/EXPERTS WANT FROM KOBE"...The entire Laker team stunk on the defensive end last night not just Kobe.....Yes he took 13 FGA's from 3 but he still had a solid game over all....He can't have the flawless 62pt effort every night..... and perhaps he gets a bit tired carrying the Lakers night in and night out.....It too easy to blame Kobe when the Lakers loose and he makes mistakes...... But lets be real here Kobe needs someone to compete with him for 40+ miniutes a night.....not just a quarter, not a half, but the entire game....This guy is playing his but off and leaving it all out there on the floor and so called experts take cheap shots at him whenever it is convenient... Sure Wade has a better FG% but he supporting cast is not along the same lines as the young laker lads.....The same can be said for LBJ....KOBE is a winner period....he has UNBELIEVABLE games and he has solid games but he brings it every night....NO DISRESPECT TO LBJ OR WADE BUT CAN WE LET THESE GUYS GET SOME JEWELRY FIRST (AT LEAST 2 RINGS) BEFORE WE START PUSHING KOBE ASIDE AS THE GAMES BEST....In my estimation he is the top player in the league and will be until he hangs up the NIKE'S ....
6th spot in the playoff's
GO LAKERS
Posted by: db | January 12, 2006 at 02:01 PM
Franklin Garza,
These are efficiency ratings not the gospel. Those same ratings show Shaq is like the seventh best center in the league. I suppose you feel that Okur, Kamen or Camby are better centers??? I really think that people who believe that D-Wade and Lebron or whoever else are better than Kobe A. have no sense of history (e.g. Wade and James aint won squat) or B. Do not watch the games. There are many things that do not show up in an efficiency rating....heart, passion, skill, smarts, how crappy your teamates are, etc.
If you feel that efficiency ratings mean James and Wade are better than Bryant or "the 8th Wonder" fine..I am just glad that your name aint Buss or Jackson or Cupcake.
By the way you should get someone to ask LeBron if he thinks he is better than Kobe? I guess we will find out tonight.
Posted by: todd | January 12, 2006 at 02:01 PM
As much as I love Kobe, I just can't help it that he makes so many mistakes on the court. I know he wants to win the ball games and I know he has the talent and the burning passion But he needs to get his teammates involved desperately. kobe needs to play the triangle instead of going 1 on 1 and launching foolish 30 feet three pointers over defenders like Ruben Patterson. Kobe, in time you will have to realize what MJ realized, that to win a championship, IT TAKES ALL NOT ONE. Until then, this team is just a one man show. "Live by Kobe, Die by Kobe." The Lakers will never be consistent and the teamplay will never exist if Kobe Bryant doesn't find his teammates.
Lakers Success Story
The Breakdown: Half and Half
Half of it is Kobe passing the ball.
And the other half is his teammates making the shot.
If we can do that and play consistent defense, we will be in good shape.
Posted by: The Sexy Beast | January 12, 2006 at 02:03 PM
I'm waiting for tonight's game, a matchup with LeBron. I wanted Kobe's 45 point streak to end sooner because he was definitely going to get greedy after 5-6 games to break Wilt's record. I think Kobe is the most passionate player in the game. Sometimes his passion provides the best reasons to watch NBA but some other times it takes over his common sense. Mitch has assembled a very mediocre cast around him, which gives him more reasons to play the way he does. Mitch’s performance is another topic for discussion. It takes incredible effort to assemble this type of team, he is definitely at the par with Isiah Thomas, though Kobe has saved him from that kind of criticism.
Back to Kobe… for his talent, 44% shooting is terrible which simply means that he is not a very smart player. Look at Wade, he is an excellent player but not as good as Kobe but he uses his skills very efficiently. He hides his weaknesses very well and shoots from a very limited range. Overall his stats look much more impressive than Kobe. Even when Shaq used to get double teamed, Kobe never reached 50% shooting. He only averaged 30 points once in his career and most likely he will do it again this year but with 44% of shooting. It is his 10th year in the NBA and he can not get better than this. His speed is already going down (that's one reason for his less impressive defense). At the end of his career, Kobe will not be judged by exhilarating moments that he provides but his overall stats and championships that he wins on his own.
Posted by: ash | January 12, 2006 at 02:03 PM
Jon K., first Texans, now Oregonians. who's next on your hate list? lol
and that's the only thing i can laugh about after a loss like this. don't blame kobe's shots (you people who easily rely on that as your 'blame crutch'), the team shot nearly 49 percent. i don't care if kobe jacked up 20 3s, you'll notice that many of those shots were taken in the fourth quarter as an attempt to rescue the team from a double-digit deficit! what's a faster way to slim a lead... THREE points, baby!
so get over the 3s, but you can pop kobe upside the head for his defense. and the rest of the team, too. how discouraging it is to turn ruben patterson into some kinda offensive gladitor.
and it's been long enough for phil jackson to find lineups that work. i'm sick of his whimsical substitutions. keep brian cook on the bench after he just popped three striaght?!!? i hate it when phil goes for the scrub personnel for long periods of time, leaving kobe on the floor as the lone offensive weapon. you're FORCING kobe to take a load of shots that way!
this team needs players, not role players. and i'm afraid we have too many guys who aren't neither.
Posted by: CBuck | January 12, 2006 at 02:18 PM
CBuck,
Floridians.
Posted by: Jon Kavulic | January 12, 2006 at 02:30 PM
Those Portland homers were the worst announcers I heard all season. They actually kept calling Steve Blake (is that his name?) the "Kobe Killer", I think because Kobe missed a shot while Blake was within 4 feet. Although, the other night, the Clippers announcers kept up that chatter about Kobe overshooting and were vicious towards Kwame Brown for some reason. NBA League Pass needs to increase the number of channels and offer home and road broadcasts. I miss Meyers and Lantz and tonight I think we are stuck nationally with Steve "Spurs" Kerr.
Posted by: Jman449 | January 12, 2006 at 02:33 PM
C'mon, watch the games. I'm a huge Laker fan and a huge Kobe fan, but I reluctantly have to concede that Wade's better than Kobe.
He's a better athlete -- quicker, faster, and has better hops; he makes better decisions on the court and doesn't take nearly as many stupid shots; and he does a much better job of getting his teammates involved, i.e., he's a better teammate.
For those same reasons, I would rank Lebron above Kobe as well. Don't get me wrong, Kobe's a great, great player -- but he's a notch below Wade and Lebron.
Posted by: Stash McMichael | January 12, 2006 at 02:33 PM
Kobe played terrible defense last night because he was exerting too much on the offensive end. When I saw Dixon beat Kobe 1-on-1 and score a layup on an isolation play I new something was wrong.
Kobe's teamates need to step it up and score. And they need to play defense. Kobe is wearing himself out with these 40-plus games and it's not going to work much longer if they don't play like a team.
Posted by: Revgen | January 12, 2006 at 02:37 PM
Sexy Beast, lest we forget Utah.
"(kobe) needs to get his teammates involved desperately."
uhhh sure. b/c this team ball concept has reaaaaallly helped us in the past *coughutahcough*
hey, i'm all for kobe involving the 'other guys.' i love team ball too, charley rosen. but don't sit there and type about "desperately" needing team involvement, when these 'other guys' haven't proved that they even understand the basic fundamentals of the offense! kobe's a victim of his environment, get some players and i'd bet you won't see any of kobe's so-called 'selfish play.' this team's success is predicated on him. yes, i think the team MUST find some balance for the others, but is that realistic? i'm not sure anymore.
better yet. hey, kobe. take 15 shots every night, make everybody happy and let's lose the final 47 games.
Posted by: CBuck | January 12, 2006 at 02:42 PM
Sam B and the others are right (as I posted this morning in the previous post). Portland's announcers were by far the WORST I have heard this season. Whiny and offensive. Insulting Kobe and Jackson as though they have a lot of reason to be proud of the "character guys" on the Blazers.
Did you guys see espn's Daily dime about Patterson bragging about his d on kobe? To quote, that "...is another piece of evidence that has led some to believe Ruben's toolshed is shy a few of the sharper implements. "
Posted by: mannie | January 12, 2006 at 02:52 PM
I'm entertained by the games, so I have no complaints. It'd be BORING if Kobe played smart.
Posted by: KB8 Fan | January 12, 2006 at 02:59 PM
They didn't take Portland serously and just gave up in the end. But I think (hope) they will shake it off and actually PLAY against Cleveland tonight.
I hope all the people who live in L.A. and go to the games read this... PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT give Shaq a standing ovation on Monday!!! I'm sure a lot still like him, but he is the opponent!! And even though he was part of the 3 championships he also the one who damanded not to be a Laker!
I just about died when I was watching the Charlotte game! The fans, barely cheering for Lakers that night, give Shaq (a trader in my mind) a standing ovation!!! I felt embarrased for the team and as a fan. They weren't playing as well as they should have been, but if you cheered they just might have picked up their game!
Posted by: Katie | January 12, 2006 at 03:20 PM
Well,....Kobe has had a GREAT run the past 4 games. So good in fact, that I almost felt like calling SouthWest with a 'need to get away'.
However tonight I have my popcorn is ready along with the TrailMix and soft drinks. Tonight we will ALL witness what can be considered the BEST the NBA can offer in ENTERTAINMENT VALUE, we will be graced by the presence of the King,....King James!!!
Those who have doubted that the Lakers deserve a player of the magnitute of LeBron James will get the pleasure to witness something very special tonight. Tonight should be a very entertaining matchup featuring Kobe Bryant and our Los Angeles Lakers defending against LeBron 'King' James and his Cleveland Cavs.
This should settle all doubt about who is projected as BETTER, (regardless of any number of team championships) and whom Kupchak should have in a Laker uniform next season. Kobe is a great INDIVIDUAL talent, and a great STREAK scorer, ala Allen Iverson. But it takes a team to be successful in the long haul of 82 games. I don't see the Lakers making the playoffs and if so, not making it past the first round with Kobe Bryant in the drivers seat.
The Cavs are coming from the bottom of the heap to first in their division under the leadership of LeBron James. If Kobe keeps playing the way he has been, then maybe there can be a TRADE made by the interested parties.
Anyway, I have my popcorn ready, pillows fluffed, and slippers sitting on the side for what promises to be e very fast paced, breath taking, dramatic and entertaining game. Be sure to take notice of and enjoy the backboard rattling, rim shaking, mind blowing, Mihm ducking, Kwame Brown quaking, SLAM DUNKS by LeBron James. We will also see team work at it's finest with an aray of dazzling no-look passes giving a glimpse back to SHOWTIME past.
Good game fellas, put on a Show.
OUT!!!
The truth
Posted by: Steven | January 12, 2006 at 03:23 PM
Stash,
Thoughful response, but I still (and will always..closed mind you know)believe Kobe is not just a little better he is a lot better. Here is why.
Kobe is a better defender than Lebron or Wade
Kobe has won it all e.g. he has championship experience. This means something, if it did not a lot of guys around the league would be unemployed.
Kobe has more heart passion and desire than Wade or James.
Kobe is a better clutch player eg. who would you want with the ball down by a point with 3 ticks left. Any answer except Kobe here would be a lie.
Kobe is a better pure shooter
Kobe takes more shots (good and bad) cause he has to. When Wade or Lebron pass they still might score...Kobe not so much.
Wade and Lebron are better only in that they are younger e.g. hops, quicker, faster, that is it in every other way Kobe is a better player.
Finally answer this question. If Kobe played (god forbid) for the Cavs and Lebron for the Lakers wich team would benifit most today? Ask yourself the same question about Miami? If Kobe played for Miami or the Cavs they would benifit by far more than the Lakers would with Wade or LeBron. In Fact had Kobe played with Miami last year they would likely be defending champions, that is of course as long as Shaq did not kill ocho or better yet have him arrested.
Posted by: todd | January 12, 2006 at 03:43 PM
lebron and wade better than kobe? nope. everyone knows kobe is the no.1 perimeter player in the league. i like wade's game, but hes not better than kobe. wade is the better athlete. hes got young legs and hes still got his hops. he plays smart because he drives into the paint and attacks the basket. hie weakness is his jumpshot, so he plays to his strengths. that is one thing i always liked about wade. its a shame hes on the same team at the big crybaby. wade would be up there with my favorite players, but now, hes in the category of players i respect, but dont like. lebron james is in this same category too. like wade, lebron has his athletisism over kobe. kobe is in his high 20s now. wade is 23. lebron just turned 21. obviously youth is a huge part of sustaining your athletic ability. its no secret kobes 1st step isnt nearly as quick as it used to be. he does not get as high as he used to get. and thats why we see a lot of jumpshots these days. i remember someone named michael jordan went down the same road as well, trademarking that fadedway 15-footer. kobes got the jumpshot down. lebron and wade will have to find theirs if they ever want to even think about replacing kobe at the top. kobe plays defense. lebron and wade dont. enough said. the heart and determination to win? nobody comes close to kobe's determination and drive to succeed, but i see wade developing some. lebron may act lik he does, but in reality...he lacks the drive, just like tmac and vince.
Posted by: Lefty | January 12, 2006 at 04:19 PM
Dear Todd,
I'll answer for "Stash" or whatever his name is.
Of course the Lakers would be a better team with either Wade or Lebron instead of Kobe. They're better players and better teammates than Kobe.
Heck, if you don't believe Wade is a better teammate than Kobe, just ask Lamar Odom (off the record, of course). It's apparent that Lamar can't stand Kobe and has regressed as a player since landing on Kobe's team. In contrast, he flourished with D-Wade.
P.S. I'd trade the entire Laker roster -- Kobe included -- for Lebron. So would Dr. Buss.
Posted by: Kid Romero | January 12, 2006 at 04:26 PM
i luv watching kobe play hoops . . . but i'm afraid the most telling thing about kobe and his game is that the players in the league who like him the least are . . . his own teammates . . . i mean, who would want to play with a ballhog like kobe? no one who has ever played the game on any level, that's for sure . . . kobe's a great talent but a deeply flawed player due to his selfishness . . . sad but true
Posted by: Wm Munrow | January 12, 2006 at 04:35 PM
I SAID IT ONCE AND I WILL SAY IT AGAIN....LBJ IS A STUD...WADE IS A STAR....BUT LET THE YOUNG PUPS GET SOME JEWELRY B/F YOU START PUTTING THEM ON THE SAME LEVEL IS KOBE.....(GET 2 RINGS) THEN YOU LEBRON AND WADE FANATICS CAN TALK TO OCHO.....UNTIL THEN ONLY INCLUDE GUYS WHO HAVE RINGS IN THE LAST DECADE....
GO LAKERS
Posted by: db | January 12, 2006 at 04:54 PM
Hey Steven, if you like the Cleveland Cavs and Lebron so much why don't you move to Akron, Ohio where your "King James" was born. I know the Lakers are going to win this with 40+ points from the 8th wonder. Oh and by the way, your Cleveland Cavs are better than the Lakers because not of Lebron but because they got Hughes, Ilgauskas, Gooden, Snow, Newble, and many more while the Lakers only got Kobe and Lamar.
Posted by: Bryan Kim | January 12, 2006 at 06:02 PM