is there an app that blocks out iRon from the news? :-)

LeBron James is a jerk.
-
Say what you will about the classlessness of Clevelanders, but they honestly as a community could not root for nor support LeBron James more than they did. I mean that literally. I do not think any community in the United States could be more committed to a singular athlete. It was an exceptional (if often unpleasant) experience to be immersed in.
-
On some level I understand LeBron's narcissism, probably any human being exposed to such adoration from youth without a proper family would be highly vulnerable to becoming a jerk as a result of SO MUCH enabling... however, I guess it would also be kind of expected that there be some sort of symbiosis happening between said narcissist (LeCreep) and sycophantic community (Northeast Ohio). LeCreep didn't seem to acknowledge that symbiosis. He will not be adored in Miami as he was in Cleveland. It's simply not possible.
-
Anyhow, now that the cancer has moved to the hopefully-soon-to-be-underwater South Florida, I hope the Cavs have some degree of success. As rough as living in Ohio was on me, being away from it has increased my sympathy for the community.
-
In the grand scale of things, it seems like it would be just if one time, just one time, they could come out on top for a change.
Posted by: Jon K. | October 20, 2010 at 05:47 PM
-------------------------------

Jon K - Yes, the adoration Cleveladers poured on Lebron was sickening. Even a classy guy like Austin Carr, who cried when Cleveland won the lottery and the rights to draft Lebron, was so effusive in praising Lebron that I could hardly watch their telecasts.

As you've detailed, the championship starved town being led by a great homegrown talent was the perfect storm to create Lebron's narcissistic behavior.

However, Lebron is not the first athlete with an out of control ego. I do feel that the negative reaction toward him has been excessive.

Like you, I would like for Cleveland to come out on top just once as long as its not at the Lakers expense.

TRIANGLE OFFENSE:

An old diagram, but easy to understand...

http://www.nba.com/step_up/lamisil_lakers_triangle.html

A more detailed explanation...

http://www.jes-soft.com/playbook/platriangle-principles.html

Something on the innovator...Tex Winters

http://www.hoopskills.com/dvds/triangle-offense.html

And the coup de grace...

http://www.basketball.org.nz/_r/uploads/2007/11/triple-post-offence.pdf
(haha...great picture of Luke)

Lakers Dynastry - The Next Generation...

#17 Coming Up!!!

there is only ONE triangle that matters:

Kobe to "Bean" to Bryant. swish and repeat.

or the ultimate variation that even Tex Winter could ever envision: PJ's absolute play:

"Kobe Dear, u can't be passive (in translation, forget the passy, passy, touchy, touchy, Team) … WE NEED YOU to be active. You have to be THE ACTIVATOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i think that's self-explenatory. sounds pretty simple to me. like all the great things, simplicity and purity rule.

LESS (as in passes and touches) is MORE.

unleash the ACTIVATOR

LRob - did you want Hinrich...I need a big for a couple of weeks...

Posted by: LEWSTRS | October 20, 2010 at 08:53 PM
----------------------------
Nah...I think he'll be a good fit with the Wiz in real baskeball - but I'm not sure about fantasy bball.

However, there are a lot of decent bigs still available and I will throw out a couple of suggestions since you're a newbie :-)

DeJuan Blair is starting for SA (Blue Horseshoe loves Anacott Steel) and
Brad Miller is poised for decent minutes as Yao's backup

Haslem is available and dependable for 10/7.
Jermaine & Hawes are available (but both are nursing injuries)

And long shot boom or bust project is Timofey Mozgov (Knicks) had 12/7 tonight...rumor is he may start for NY but I haven't seen him play and he did zilch in previous two games.

KobeMVP888... you'll be back. Even Phil's comin' back.

KobeMVP888... you'll be back. Even Phil's comin' back.

Posted by: 63 Footer | October 20, 2010 at 09:53 PM
=====

Everybody has their price!

JonK

You wrote an interesting post earlier about your desire to get to the bottom of the "mystery" of the triangle. There is something in human nature that tend to make the simple...........complicated. This is done a lot of time to make the egotistical feel some importance or self-worth. If you described how simple it was...........how could you justify your exorbitant salary.

This is the mindset of both Tex Winter and Phil Jackson.............Do you remember when Kobe's press conference when he accepted his MVP award?

Seated a fews rows back in the audience you heard Tex Winter shout out....."How do you like the triangle now"? As if the triangle offense was responsible for Kobe winning the award. That type of thinking would be tantamount to Phil Knight (Nike's CEO) sitting in the back at MJ's hall of fame speech shouting............"How do you like those Nike shoes now"? As if MJ wouldn't have won titles if he wore Converse, or Puma for that matter...............is that ridiculous or what?

A great coach doesn't depend on a set system..........great coaches improvise and create systems based on the available talent. If I'm a better coach than you and we have even talent or something close to even I should be able to win with my team and then switch sidelines and go over and win with YOUR team...........in two totally different systems. Because the system is based on the talent............not the other way around...........that becomes ego when you believe your "system" is more important than the talent.

You wanted to know what the triangle is?

Don't take my word for it..............go to the 2:50 mark of this link and listen to Jerry West's response to Brent Barry's question about Kobe and the triangle

http://cache.nba.com/video/channels/nba_tv/2010/02/01/20100201_west_intv.nba/

pfunk36,

First let me say the obvious, Kobe would be great no matter who his coach was or what system he played in. He's gone back and forth on his feeling about the triangle, but he's been mostly complimentary since Phil returned.

Remember when Kobe said the triangle was too restrictive and he needed another system where he could show off all his skills. IIRC his main beef wasn't really with the offense, but the fact that he worked hard all summer on new moves only to come back and be told to dump it in to Shaq (who Kobe knew hadn't worked nearly as hard on his game).

Anyway, when PJ left, Rudy T took over and by midseason Kobe requested that them incorporate some of the triangle principles into their offense.

Here's an article about that situation...

http://articles.latimes.com/2005/jan/10/sports/sp-lakerep10

LRob - Master Archivist and Finder of Lost Articles. (Sorta sounds like an Indiana Jones movie or something.)

Posted by: LRob | October 20, 2010 at 11:40 PM

4 years so many people tries to reason with Pfraud36.

Unless the world turns upside down chances are you aren't going to convince him about his opinion of Phil Jackson.

@63 Footer

I didn't say it..........Jerry West said it..........I just agree with him. Let's get one thing straight I don't dismiss "everything" about the triangle, I like the spacing of it at times especially where Kobe gets the ball at the free throw line extended or in "triangle nomenclature" the pinch post. That's an excellent place for Kobe to receive the ball because he's in triple threat position AND can see where all the doubles are coming from which makes the defense hesitant about sending someone when he has the ball there. I understand that but that's the "formatting of the offense" and that is what Kobe was talking about when Rudy was there. But let's be real......it's the talent at the pinch post that is making the difference............just ask Jimmy Cleamons while he was in Dallas......

http://articles.latimes.com/1997/dec/05/sports/sp-61012

Or Bill Cartwright in Chicago...............try asking Kurt Rambis now after he ran the triangle and the Timberwolves to 67 losses running that system.

The problem with Phil Jackson is he goes on "auto-pilot" with the triangle and stops coaching.....THAT'S when Kobe takes over.........Sometimes you have to come out of that format and offense and figure a way to get Kobe better looks on the floor.........sometimes you have to think on your feet and make adjustments on the fly..............and Phil is lazy and one of the worst coaches I've ever seen when it comes to making adjustments on the fly...........Go back and look at the Finals with the Pistons in 2004 or for that matter the Boston series in 2008 when the Celtics came back from 20 down and Phil just kept running the triangle..............he didn't make one adjustment

The same thing was happening this past Finals in game 3 in Boston in the fourth quarter but Fish and Kobe decided to go to a two man game in the pick -n- roll which freed Derek for some easy looks because Boston was sending two and three people to Kobe.................GO LOOK AT THE TAPE! The Lakers came out of the triangle............had they not.........they would have lost that critical game and probably the series.

*Repost*

Jon K. -

Here's a link for Tex Winter's book called "The triple post offense":

http://www.amazon.com/Triple-Post-Offense-Book-Winter/dp/B000A7OVR6

Just wanted to help with that if you didn't see it.

I don't know Phil Jackson so i can only look at his record, pretty good. Though I sometimes wonder whether his personal suckesses can be atributed to the triangle offense or the players skill set. Phil has stepped into some very prime situations.

Ive rarely played the game but one time I whupped a small person on an 7 foot basket.
But I do sit on my butt alot and watch basketball game after basketball game.
Can't tell the difference from a 4 corner, princeton, double post, triangle, isolation, ucla, wheel, 1-4 continuity, weave, turn key, or any other offense.

What I do see is that a team that does the same thing over and over again can be defended and that is the key. It's called adjustments. Doesn't matter the type offense, what matters is adjusting to the defense.

There are 4 lights - "I don't know Phil Jackson so i can only look at his record, pretty good."

Pretty good? 11 rings. Who has more rings? Other than Red... no one's even close, and Phil's still going.

"What I do see is that a team that does the same thing over and over again..."

Yup, wins rings... over and over again.

Is Phil perfect? Not even close. Who is?

But if you can't see his adjustments, his molding of Championship teams, his ability to motivate for the purpose of winning rings, then I'm not sure what you're looking at when you're watching all that basketball on TV.

And as far as "Doesn't matter the type offense, what matters is adjusting to the defense." - Coach Wooden himself would disagree with you. To him, a well-executed offense always has an advantage over any defense because the defense is reactive.

63 Footer -

Well put.

63 Footer,

You held down the night/early am shift admirably. And yes, Chris Bell was a talent. Thanks for sharing.

LRob - another good morning choice. I will have to check them out.

Still holding it down....

And of course a shout out to my "Baby Girl" Christina
So this is "Baby Girl" to "Baby Girl"
http://tinyurl.com/yfwueo4 - AAliyah(Baby Girl) - TRY AGAIN

And my final selection is for...Yes, Yes, Yes! The Fabulous JustanotherMambafan - http://tinyurl.com/2c2a5cf - Best thing that ever happened to me

Good Morning Mamba,

Excellent selection on Minnie, but then again anything with her voice on it is pure joy!

I saw you also posted Aaliyah and Gladys...they're kind of connected in the story I was telling you yesterday.

Gladys was married to Barry Hankerson at one time. He was Aaliyah's uncle and managed a lot of groups...R. Kelly, Winans, Toni Braxton...and was instrumental in bringing Aaliyah to prominence by teaming her up with R. Kelly.

Thus, it was one of his houses that Aaliyah's family moved into. I think Barry's brother was her dad...but I'm not sure. And that is the rest of the story!

Gladys was married to Barry Hankerson at one time. He was Aaliyah's uncle and managed a lot of groups...R. Kelly, Winans, Toni Braxton...and was instrumental in bringing Aaliyah to prominence by teaming her up with R. Kelly.
Thus, it was one of his houses that Aaliyah's family moved into. I think Barry's brother was her dad...but I'm not sure. And that is the rest of the story! Posted by: LRob | October 21, 2010 at 06:08 AM
*
LROB!! MY BROTHER!!!! I used to have 2 Idols on this Blog but they are going to have to move over and make room for a 3rd!!MANNNN!! Like I always say when in doubt always say WWLRD WHAT WOULD LROB DO! Yes!! And so yes I have to say it...OUT FREAKIN STANDING SIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ALL RIGHT WHERE ARE MY PEEPS? LEWSTRS, JOE CORAD!!

OR I WANT A DWADE APP...Before you can even touch it you get an AUTOMATIC FOUL.

WOE IS ME! My Peeps have deserted me! My Ex said No to a 3-Peat!!And...And...The Love of My life destroyed what was left of me. There's only one thing to do...Hit it Patrice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ucZlf4VG-c - Let the music take me _Patrice Rushen

Well, both of my computers are down with viruses. No chatting for the next few weeks for Wes. Posted by: Wes | October 21, 2010 at 07:47 AM
*
AW HELL NAW!! The computer was not made that would dare malfunction on Wes Joe Nixon!!!! This ISH is simply intolerable. GOD@@$%^%^^ Get Steve Jobs or Bill Gates on the Phone right now!! Hold on Wes we gone straighten this ISH OuT!!! Seriously, sorry to hear that my brother now you won't get to see the long sweeping beautifully written apology I posted there for you. Just playing Wes, but seriously my apologies and we're cool as far as I'm concerned my brother.

Hey Wes,

Ever consider a Mac? Virus free...
I'd make a joke about borrowing Justa's ipad, but my throat is feeling exposed...

Mamba24
Here's a little band-aid..

In Blackwater Woods
by Mary Oliver

Look, the trees

are turning

their own bodies

into pillars



of light,

are giving off the rich

fragrance of cinnamon

and fulfillment,



the long tapers

of cattails

are bursting and floating away over

the blue shoulders



of the ponds,

and every pond,

no matter what its

name is, is



nameless now.

Every year

everything

I have ever learned



in my lifetime

leads back to this: the fires

and the black river of loss

whose other side



is salvation,

whose meaning

none of us will ever know.

To live in this world



you must be able

to do three things:

to love what is mortal;

to hold it



against your bones knowing

your own life depends on it;

and, when the time comes to let it go,

to let it go.

Mamba24
Here's a little band-aid..

To live in this world
you must be able
to do three things:
to love what is mortal;
to hold it
against your bones knowing
your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to let it go,
to let it go. Posted by: Noah | October 21, 2010 at 08:07 AM
*
*sniff* *sniff* Thank you, that is so beautiful!! WTH? Let it go? I don’t have to let it go, they all kicked mamba24 to the curb and are loooooooooong gone. LOL! Yeah that was a nice piece and some good stuff there. Thank you my brother it is greatlly appreciated. That will be my meditation for the rest of the day Letting go.

Ron on JKL promoting his new app - ah yes, the free spirit that is Ron Artest - a.k.a. Thriller! Hello Celine Dion!
http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/10/21/ron-artest-fake-beard-jimmy-kimmel/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-w%7Cdl7%7Csec1_lnk3%7C179096

The two ism's that will be the Lakers motto for the 2010-11 season:

" Go 43" as in fourth threepeat !!!

" ier " as in Miami will be hungry BUT Lakers will be hungrier " !!!