Jon K,
"I wouldn't say those are two unrelated items. Great play is not just about making your shots."

You're right about the "great play" sentence above. It's not just shooting, it's also about playing defense, not getting technicals called on you, not attempting poor passes, etc.

However, you are incorrect about them being unrelated. Kobe could be having a horrible game, and his presence would still open things up for the rest of the team. With someone of Kobe's calibre, it is the threat, more than the performance at the moment, that creates opportunities.

I wouldn't be surprised if Jordan and Sasha had a little rivalry. I'm not sure if there are two role players who are more trigger happy than those two.

Von Wafer doesn't count, he just sucks. Sorry, AK and BK. lol

As per the Collective Bargining agreement, all NBA teams are required to have a quota of players sporting corn rows, tattoos, head bands, old school knee socks, butt ugly mutants, dorkey white guys, and smelly Europeans on their roster...

Some teams can cover this quota with combinations, such as corn rollers with head bands, and dorkey, smelly white Europeans etc.....

truely efficient teams are the ones that have a heavily tattooed dude sportin' corn rows and a head band, with knee high socks who can break a mirror from 200 yards---

to date no team has a player who has all those attributes AND is a white smelly dork from Europe...but the Spurs are probably working on that....

Does anyone know if any NBA team is in violation of the Collective Bargining Agreement?

GO LAKERS !!!

AK - actively involved today, must be a slow sports day in LA. I like it. Can you give us some reporting insight as to the changes from your perspective with the players regular season/playoffs?

How many more reporters were in the locker room? Do you find that the players give you some respect because you have been there all along? Are there some media folks that don't get the time of day? Are you having to jockey for better insight or do you feel like you are getting the same answers all around. Who is the most receptive to you and BK if different?

Okay you don't have to answer that last one... wouldn't want to jeopardize the "sources".

Fairweather Fatty,

Yeah, Clevelanders are bizarre. They are simultaneously proud and self-loathing. Very negative people compared to Los Angelenans. They are fiercely loyal, but fatalistically pessimistic. They HATE Michigan and Western Pennsylvannia (people who are virtually identical from an outsider's viewpoint.)

Yeah, I sure miss Los Angeles. I thought I'd be back by February, but things don't always go as one anticipates in life.

At least I still have the Lakers to root for.

GO LAKERS!

Jon K

Still searching.........

The Celtics are better than the Lakers.

I watched the Celtics-Hawks game yesterday and as much as I hate to say it, the Celts are the best team in the league. KG brings a level of constant intensity to the team that you just can't quantify. It's scary actually. And he's done it all...year...long.

The series would be absolutely epic, and there's nothing more I would want to watch than Kobe Bryant in the Finals against the Celtics.

There's about an 82% chance that either Kobe's or KG's head would explode by Game 6.

Good times.

LakerTom,

I want a 7-game epic against the Celts. That'd be the most exciting ending to this beautiful season.

Thelonius (aka Tsphere),

Outstanding series of posts regarding the silliness being perpetrated about Kobe’s performance in yesterday’s playoff opening win over the Nuggets. I never noticed the Monk moniker before but it’s good to know what the T in Tsphere stands for.

While I thought Kobe had a sub-par game based on his personal standards, I thought he was still a key component to the Lakers winning the game. Yes, he did hit only 9 out of 26 shots, but he made up for his off-shooting night in many other ways that contributed to the big win, including scoring 18 points in the 4th quarter to seal the win.

First, Kobe is the leader and the model that has taught this team how to work hard and how to win. The team’s confidence and growth are a direct result of the solid patience and strong leadership that Kobe had provided this team. The perfect example was his counseling of Jordan Farmar after Phil had chastised Jordan for his defense on the floor. You could see Kobe explaining to Jordan how to respond and encouraging him.

Second, it really annoys me to see posters treating Kobe’s comments about being a decoy as if it were some kind of excuse for having an off day. The simple facts are that Kobe was a decoy for much of the game, drawing the Nuggets best defender out of the middle as well as getting half of the Denver defense leaning toward his side of the floor while Pau and Lamar were carving up the Nuggets on the weak side by attacking the hoop. Without Kenyon Martin helping Camby inside, the Nuggets were grossly overmatched in the paint defensively. The result was an astounding 60 out of 128 points in the paint.

Third, while I also bitched at a couple of jumpers that Kobe took that enabled the Nuggets to get going in transition, I also noticed that Kobe consistently made excellent feeds to open teammates when doubled who either missed the shot or found an even more open teammate to pass the ball to. Yesterday, Pau was the recipient of most of those second passes on plays where Kobe had initiated the mismatch by passing out of the Nuggets double or triple teams. The result was an amazing 33 assists out of 46 hoops.

Fourth, when his outside shot was not hitting, Kobe started forcing the Nuggets to foul him by aggressively attacking, drawing Denver players off their feet, making the smart plays to get to the line, and then converting the misses (13 of 14 from the line). Those who have actually played the game know how very tough it is to consistently attack on offense and draw the contact to get free throws. It is so inviting when you are exhausted to just pull up and hoist an easy jumper, especially when you have talent like Kobe.

Viva Paris. Good to see you in playoff form, Tsphere.

Tom

Well said as usual Lakertom.

Andrew Z,
if the regular season mattered, then yes, the Celts are better than the Lakers.

But no team in the league has an answer for the tandom of Odom and Gasol down low.

When have the Celtics have to defend against a talent like Kobe on the wing plus finishers like Odom and GAsol down low???

K.G. will be so busy playing help D that Odom/Gasol will take turns going off...

As long as we play strong D ourselves and limit the 3pt happiness, the Lakers will be more than fine against any team in the league...

ANY TEAM!

Korey,

I agree that Odom and Gasol are a pretty insane duo, and the Celts never faced the Pau Lakers this year, but the Celtics defense and energy is extremely impressive.

I've been waiting for the playoffs to start and have watched all but one game so far and I have to say, the Lakers and Celtics definitely look like the teams to beat.

exhelodrvr,
tell me this: Are the Lakers a better offensive team with Pau or without Bynum?

Bynum cant shoot or pass as well as Pau. The challenges he brings on a nitely basis and the way he accentuates Odom and makes him special.

Without Bynum, we are weaker on D. But with Pau we are absolutely special on O.

So yes, with Pau we are 22-5 and thats better than with Bynum.

All year, the Celtics have only faced one team that gave them matchup problems: Wizards.

But we are the only team that can put K.G. in a disadvantageous position on D so that he is not such a force.

We have Odom+Gasol. They have K.G. That's a win for us, ESPECIALLY given that both players have the length to guard the K.G. fadeaway. There's no way they have the talent to mess with that type of interior passing and creativity.

No way ANY team in the league can stop that.. Especially not with Kobe on the outside.

Bynum is great but at his current stage, Pau is just the better player because of his offensive versatility.

We severely miss Bynum's D though...

ex,
I will also give it to you that the Celtics have great D energy...

But they havent really faced a team that will punch them back...

When they did (Suns and for some reason the Wizards), it's a diff. story.

If you cut the head off, the dragon dies.

Pau + Odom will make life difficult for K.G. and thus loosen up the D "pressure".

Pressure can only be applied on that backline D.

But K.G. is going to be busy guarding Pau and his 20 footer. That creates space and opportunity for Kobe and other players.

Congrats Pau. Now people can stop with the you can't win a playoff game nonsense.

The best part was your performance was the best Laker performance in the game. You really earned it!

Kriegel says kobe's 18 points in the 4th quarter meant nothing. The

Lakers won by 14.

Let's do the math.

Assuming KB24 don't score 18 points, then wouldn't that mean the Nuggets could've won by 4?

And if Kobe being a decoy isn't what makes his teammates better, than I don't know what "better" is. I guess if the other team decides to send 2 to 3 guys to stop one guy after he breaks off his man's one-on-one coverage, then that doesn't make it easier for teammates who aren't getting covered to score?

Kriegel says Gasol was the guy to win the game, but who was the ineffectual scorer who's points weren't worth a squat and doesn't make his team better by getting doubled and leaving Gasol open?

And if it was all Gasol all the time, then wouldn't that mean he should've won a couple chips with the Grizzlies?

I wouldn't be surprised if Jordan and Sasha had a little rivalry. I'm not sure if there are two role players who are more trigger happy than those two.

Von Wafer doesn't count, he just sucks. Sorry, AK and BK. lol

Posted by: Xodus | April 21, 2008 at 12:32 PM

I have read previously about the Farmar and Sasha rivalry but Idon't think it is about each other as to whose role it is to do what on the floor.
Sasha sees himself as the shooting guard who is supposed to take those shots and at times crosses over into JF's job as PG (being combo guard) and try to bring ball up court to set up offense.

I think JF resents that and he too is more of a shoot first pass second pg. So the rivalry is more role related than personal competition.

I saw personal competition rivalry between JF and Crit which helped both players elevate or improve their game. So rivalry is not necessarily bad thing.

The coaching staff has to establish what their (Sasha and JF) roles are in the game together or not.

That imo is what needs to be done.