This, by Bryant, is Jordanesque, without doubt! Can you imagine that? In his 16th season, Kobe Bryant is doing a prime Jordanesque beat down to the rest of the league. Watch out! This is startling!
1st Quarter
Finally, the Kobe Bryant scoring pattern has somewhat been broken in the first quarter as Andrew Bynum had scored 10 points as the quarter was ending. "Was ending" is the key word, because Kobe hit a 17 foot fade away jumper with 13 seconds to bring his point total to 11 points for the quarter as it came to an end with the Lakers leading 32-28.
The quarter also saw the return of Josh McRobert into the rotation.
For Cleveland, rookie point guard K. Irving led his team with 7 points and was backed-up by Omri Casspi with 6 points.
2nd Quarter
2 minutes into the 2nd quarter, Pau Gasol hit an 11 foot jumper to bring his scoring total to 8 points as the Lakers' big 3 combined for 29 of the Lakers 34 points. This scoring pattern held until Ebanks hit a free throw with 8:59 left in the 2nd quarter.
With 7:44 left in the quarter Gasol slammed dunked the ball to bring his scoring total to 10 points as the big 3 now had 31 of the Lakers' 37 points. With 6:53 left in the quarter, Kobe hit a jumper. That's 33 of the Lakers 39 points for the big 3.
Meanwhile, the Cavs have scored 33 points in total themselves with 5:54 left in the half. Lakers 39 - Cavs 33.
Kobe adds 5 more points to his and the team's total, along with a Matt Barns lay-up who was fouled and turned the play into a 3-point play for the Lakers.
The Cavs score 5 points to bring their total to 38 points. Lakers 47 - Cavs 38.
Kobe hits another 3-pointer, along with 2 free throws by Barns to bring the Lakers' total to 52.
The Cavs add another point to their total. Lakers 52 - Cavs 39.
Finally, the Cavs score before the Lakers in the next series of plays. Irving makes a 10 foot banker, but Bynum answers that bucket with a little 7 foot hook shot to bring his total to 12 points and the Lakers' total to 54. Lakers 54 - Cavs 41.
Bam! With 1:17 left in the half, Kobe hits another 3-pointer. With 56.3 left, Gasol hits a little 6 foot hook shot in the lane to bring his total to 12 points and the Lakers' total to 59 points. Lakers 59 - Cavs 41 at the half.
Lakers' big 3 = 48 points. (Kobe 24, Bynum 12, and Gasol 12)
Cavs' team total = 41 points.
3rd Quarter
The first 6:21 in the 3rd quarter had the Cavs outscoring the Lakers 15-10. The Lakers 10 points came from Barns (6) and Gasol (4). The Cavs, K. Irving continued to lead his team with points as his team tried to stay with the Lakers. With 5:54 left in the quarter, Irving hit a 3-pointer to bring his team within 10 of the Lakers. Make that 12 as Kobe Bryant hit a jumper to make the score 71-59 Lakers.
With 4:43 left in the quarter, the Cavs' Parker makes a lay-up to make the score 71-61 Lakers.
Jamison, remember him, makes a shot to cut the Lakers lead to 8 points with 3:37 left in the quarter.
Kobe hits 1 of 2 free throw to bring the Lakers' lead back to 9 points. But the machine doesn't stop as Kobe hits a little 3 foot banker, and 1, to increase his team's lead to 12 points, 75-63. The Cavs get a point off a free throw by Erden to cut the Lakers lead to 12. But, the big 3 continues to score as Gasol hits a little jumper in the lane to increase the Lakers lead to 77-64.
Erden hits 2 more free throws, but Kobe answers that with 2 basket within a minute to make the score 82-66 Lakers.
The Cavs end the quarter's scoring with 4 points to cut the Lakers lead to 12, 82-70.
The Lakers' big 3 = 65 points.
The Cavs' team total = 70 points.
After 3 quarters of play, Kobe Bryant has 35 points.
4th Quarter
The Cavs open up the scoring for the quarter by putting in 6 unanswered points to cut the Lakers lead to 6 points. The Lakers had 2 rookies and a 2nd year player, playing at the time. This prompted the Lakers to call a time-out with 8:49 left in the game.
With 8:16 left in the quarter Sessions hit a jumper to cut the Lakers to 4 points, 82-78.
With 7:07 left in the quarter Gee makes 1 of 2 free throws to cut the Lakers lead to 3, 82-79.
With 6:32 left in the quarter, Barns finally opens up the scoring for the Lakers by driving to the basket for a dunk to push the Lakers lead to 5 points, 84-79.
With 5:55 left in the quarter the Lakers have only scored 2 points. At that point Kobe Bryant is 13 of 25 in shooting.
With 5:14 left in the quarter Kobe Bryant goes to the free throw line and hits 1 of 2 to give the Lakers a 85-79 lead.
With 4:02 left in the quarter, Kobe Bryant hits a 19 foot jumper to extend the Lakers lead to 87-79.
Coming out of a time-out Irving makes a lay-up for the Cavs to cut the Lakers lead to 6 points, 87-81.
With 2:55 left in the quarter, Kobe Bryant hits a 18 foot turn around jumper to reach 40 points for the 3rd straight game. At that point Kobe is 15 out of 30 shooting. The Lakers lead 89-81.
With 1:32 left in the game, Bynum alley-oops off a pass from Gasol to ice the game for the Lakers 91-82.
With less than a minute left in the game Bynum went to the line and hit 1 of 2 free throws to give the Lakers a 10 point lead.
The game ends with both teams trading off points to close out the scoring. The Lakers win 97-92.
POST GAME COMMENTS:
The Lakers' bench only scored 4 points for the game. That is not a good sign for a championship caliber type team.
Both Gasol and Bynum are playing real big for the Lakers as they both had double/doubles for the night; 15 and 11 for Bynum, and 19 and 10 for Gasol. The Lakers big 3 are producing in a way that no other big 3 in the league is able to match. Also, Matt Barns came up big tonight for the Lakers by chipping in 15 points along with 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Other than that, tonight was all about Kobe Bryant.
Kobe Bryant is totally into a Jordanesque mode right now for the Lakers. He takes a lot of shots, but, recently, he shooting at almost a 50% clip, which is amazing for any player playing in their 16th season. Especially true for a non-big. Wow!
The Lakers need more from Troy Murphy. The Lakers need to invest into Murphy by making him shoot more, because, come the playoffs, he's going to need to do some scoring instead of just boxing out and rebounding from the bench.
__________
AROUND THE LEAGUE
Scanning around the league we see that Miami is struggling to get wins as is Boston. Boston, with the original "big 3" is without an effective defensive center, and, so, age seems to be getting the best of them. Miami, following in Boston's "big 3" footsteps, is now 8-4. But, let's remember that they have gotten away with a couple of last second shots to win a couple of games. They should be 6-6. Both teams lack a center and in this league, you do not win championships without a defensive presence. And there is no way around that fact. It's basketball 101.
Dallas seems to be coming around with their 4th straight win to bring their record to 7-5. Who really knows how this team is going to do, because coming off their championship season, they lost a lot of players, and are incorporating a lot of new players into their system. It's up in the air with the Mavs as to what to expect from them. Only time will tell.
Chicago, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, Orlando, and Indiana are teams with the best records. I say this: give each of these teams 10 more games to see where they're coming from.
Dwight Howard seems to have his mind on getting out of Orlando, but if he looks at his team's record; he can't complain about where they're at compared to the rest of the teams in the league. What he doesn't seem to understand is that the power-brokers of the past few seasons aren't as mighty as they've been. Age has caught up with some teams, and the new CBA has stopped some of the other teams. It's anyone's championship to win this season, including Orlando. Someone should point that out to Howard.
This is a season that is to be defined by championship level players taking their teams to heights that don't, to the naked eye, seem possible. Look at Los Angeles! No, not "Lob City," but the Lakers! Kobe Bryant is putting his MVP type stamp on this season so far. In my opinion, he is willing the Lakers to the top of this lock-out shortened season. The possibilities are endless for a player, or a set of players, to take his/their team all the way. The door is wide open to the championship. Let's see what player, or set of players, walks through that door to define what this season is all about.
It seems Kobe, out here in Los Angeles, senses the opportunity to do something special in his 16th season, and he's taking that challenge, and surpassing everyone expectations, so far. As the character, Maximus, in the movie Gladiator, would say: Are you not entertained?
Kobe Bryant is gladiator! Kobe Bryant is a basketball killer! He has serious support in Bynum and Gasol in the background. The thing I keep harping on, a defensive center, the Lakers have in Bynum, and a 7 foot scoring power forward in Gasol. ARE THERE ANY CHALLENGERS?
Kobe Bryant is not joking around!
mike t.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Lakers vs. Jazz in Utah
Kobe Bryant scores 40 points in the Lakers win over the Jazz 90-87.
1st HALF
The Kobe Bryant scoring trend, for the Lakers, continued as he scored 14 of the teams 26 points in the first quarter. The Lakers held a 3 point lead to end the quarter. The signs of dominance for Bryant are clear as he picked-up 4 rebounds and 2 assists. That compared to Gasol's 2 points and 5 rebounds, and Bynum's 4 points and 1 rebound.
The second quarter opened with Peace, Walton, Bynum, Blake, and Morris on the court for the Lakers.
The Jazz open the 2nd quarter by scoring the first 6 points to the Lakers 0, prompting coach Brown to call a time-out for the Lakers with 9:01 left in the quarter.
Coming out of the time-out Ebanks replaced Walton in the line-up. With 7:33 left in the quarter, Bryant and Gasol replaced Ebanks and Peace in the Lakers line-up. The Lakers scored 2 points up to that point.
Ebanks and Barns scored for the Lakers before Kobe put in another basket.
With 4:31 left in the 2nd quarter the Lakers have only scored 6 points in the quarter, while the Jazz have scored 12 points. Finally, with 3:54 left in the quarter, Gasol hits a little hook shot in the lane. Some 30 seconds later Gasol hits another little hook shot in the lane bringing the Lakers' point total for the quarter to 10 points. Meanwhile the Jazz have upped their total to 15 points for the quarter.
Then Kobe hits another little jumper in the lane to tie the Lakers with the Jazz at 38.
The Jazz then score 4 points before Kobe hits an 11 foot jumper and one for a 3-point play to end the scoring for both teams for the quarter with the Jazz leading the Lakers 42-41 at the half.
Quietly, what Kobe is doing for the Lakers in the 1st half, Paul Millsap is doing for the Jazz. Kobe has 21 points for the Lakers, while Millsap has 14 points for the Jazz.
Through the 2nd quarter Kobe Bryant has more than half of the Lakers points.
2nd HALF
The Lakers' 3rd quarter scoring balanced out a bit, with Kobe Bryant "only" scoring 10 of teams 25 points for the quarter, while holding the Jazz to 19 points for the quarter. The Lakers led at the end of the 3rd quarter 65-61.
The 4th quarter started real slow for the Lakers. How slow do you ask? Well, with 2:41 left in the game the Lakers had only scored 8 points for the quarter. 4 points for Barns, 3 points for Bynum, and 1 point for Gasol. Lucky for the Lakers the Jazz had only scored 10 points for the quarter. Luck or defense?
Coming out of a time-out, Bryant hits a 18 foot jumper to make the score 76-71 Lakers with 2:31 left in the game.
With 1:32 left in the game Josh Howard hits 2 free throws to make the score 76-73 Lakers.
With 1:09 left in the game Kobe turns the ball over. Off that turnover Josh Howard hits a 3-pointer to tie the game at 76 with 57.1 left in the game.
Bryant hits a jumper to make-up for his turnover with 39.4 left in the game.
Millsap ties the game at 78 with 21.4 left in the game.
After a pair of fouls the Lakers have the ball with 7 seconds left in the game.
Kobe misses a jumper with 1 second left in the game as the game goes into overtime.
OVERTIME
The Jazz opened up the scoring with 4 points from Millsap to take a 4 point lead 82-78.
Kobe Bryant then hits a 3-pointer to cut the Jazz lead 82-81.
Josh Howard answers with his own 3-pointer for the Jazz.
Gasol hits 2 free throws to make the score 85-83 Jazz.
After a Lakers defensive stop, Gasol hits a 3-pointer to give the Lakers a 86-85 lead with 2:02 left in the game.
The Lakers get another stop and a rebound with 1:34 left in the game. Kobe misses a 17 foot jumper with 1:04 left in the game but the Lakers get the rebound.
Kobe misses another jumper but Bynum tips it in for the Lakers to extend their lead 88-85 with 50.1 left in the game.
Millsap hits a jumper to cut the Lakers lead to 1, 88-87
Kobe misses another jumper, but Bynum blocked Al Jefferson's 5 foot jumper in the lane as Kobe grabs the rebound and is fouled with .7 left in the game.
Kobe hits both free throws as the Jazz call time-out with .7 left in the game.
Kobe finishes with 40 points as the Lakers win 90-87.
Dare I say that the way game ended, it has to be called Jordanesque for Bryant.
What is Jordanesque? Just like Michael Jordan did in his career, he took most of the shots, make or miss, and usually won the game at the line for his team. Just like Kobe just did for the Lakers.
mike t.
1st HALF
The Kobe Bryant scoring trend, for the Lakers, continued as he scored 14 of the teams 26 points in the first quarter. The Lakers held a 3 point lead to end the quarter. The signs of dominance for Bryant are clear as he picked-up 4 rebounds and 2 assists. That compared to Gasol's 2 points and 5 rebounds, and Bynum's 4 points and 1 rebound.
The second quarter opened with Peace, Walton, Bynum, Blake, and Morris on the court for the Lakers.
The Jazz open the 2nd quarter by scoring the first 6 points to the Lakers 0, prompting coach Brown to call a time-out for the Lakers with 9:01 left in the quarter.
Coming out of the time-out Ebanks replaced Walton in the line-up. With 7:33 left in the quarter, Bryant and Gasol replaced Ebanks and Peace in the Lakers line-up. The Lakers scored 2 points up to that point.
Ebanks and Barns scored for the Lakers before Kobe put in another basket.
With 4:31 left in the 2nd quarter the Lakers have only scored 6 points in the quarter, while the Jazz have scored 12 points. Finally, with 3:54 left in the quarter, Gasol hits a little hook shot in the lane. Some 30 seconds later Gasol hits another little hook shot in the lane bringing the Lakers' point total for the quarter to 10 points. Meanwhile the Jazz have upped their total to 15 points for the quarter.
Then Kobe hits another little jumper in the lane to tie the Lakers with the Jazz at 38.
The Jazz then score 4 points before Kobe hits an 11 foot jumper and one for a 3-point play to end the scoring for both teams for the quarter with the Jazz leading the Lakers 42-41 at the half.
Quietly, what Kobe is doing for the Lakers in the 1st half, Paul Millsap is doing for the Jazz. Kobe has 21 points for the Lakers, while Millsap has 14 points for the Jazz.
Through the 2nd quarter Kobe Bryant has more than half of the Lakers points.
2nd HALF
The Lakers' 3rd quarter scoring balanced out a bit, with Kobe Bryant "only" scoring 10 of teams 25 points for the quarter, while holding the Jazz to 19 points for the quarter. The Lakers led at the end of the 3rd quarter 65-61.
The 4th quarter started real slow for the Lakers. How slow do you ask? Well, with 2:41 left in the game the Lakers had only scored 8 points for the quarter. 4 points for Barns, 3 points for Bynum, and 1 point for Gasol. Lucky for the Lakers the Jazz had only scored 10 points for the quarter. Luck or defense?
Coming out of a time-out, Bryant hits a 18 foot jumper to make the score 76-71 Lakers with 2:31 left in the game.
With 1:32 left in the game Josh Howard hits 2 free throws to make the score 76-73 Lakers.
With 1:09 left in the game Kobe turns the ball over. Off that turnover Josh Howard hits a 3-pointer to tie the game at 76 with 57.1 left in the game.
Bryant hits a jumper to make-up for his turnover with 39.4 left in the game.
Millsap ties the game at 78 with 21.4 left in the game.
After a pair of fouls the Lakers have the ball with 7 seconds left in the game.
Kobe misses a jumper with 1 second left in the game as the game goes into overtime.
OVERTIME
The Jazz opened up the scoring with 4 points from Millsap to take a 4 point lead 82-78.
Kobe Bryant then hits a 3-pointer to cut the Jazz lead 82-81.
Josh Howard answers with his own 3-pointer for the Jazz.
Gasol hits 2 free throws to make the score 85-83 Jazz.
After a Lakers defensive stop, Gasol hits a 3-pointer to give the Lakers a 86-85 lead with 2:02 left in the game.
The Lakers get another stop and a rebound with 1:34 left in the game. Kobe misses a 17 foot jumper with 1:04 left in the game but the Lakers get the rebound.
Kobe misses another jumper but Bynum tips it in for the Lakers to extend their lead 88-85 with 50.1 left in the game.
Millsap hits a jumper to cut the Lakers lead to 1, 88-87
Kobe misses another jumper, but Bynum blocked Al Jefferson's 5 foot jumper in the lane as Kobe grabs the rebound and is fouled with .7 left in the game.
Kobe hits both free throws as the Jazz call time-out with .7 left in the game.
Kobe finishes with 40 points as the Lakers win 90-87.
Dare I say that the way game ended, it has to be called Jordanesque for Bryant.
What is Jordanesque? Just like Michael Jordan did in his career, he took most of the shots, make or miss, and usually won the game at the line for his team. Just like Kobe just did for the Lakers.
mike t.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Kobe Bryant the Best NBA Player Ever?
This is absolutely "twi-light zone" scary.
Again, the man's 16th year in the league, and he drops 48 points on the Suns? That is stunning! Name one player in NBA history who put in 15 years into the league, and in his 16th year of play he drops a 48 on any team. Who?
At halftime, Kobe had 23 of the team's 46 points. That is astounding! Forget all this chatter I made up about the Lakers' big 3. Kobe Bryant is number 1. Kobe Bryant is number 2. And Kobe Bryant is number 3.
I think NBA fans should kick back and watch what Kobe does this season. Mr. Bryant, I'm not your biggest fan, but Mr. Bryant, you have my attention! Somehow, someway I think this might be a history making year for Mr. Bryant. I don't know how, but something is in the air for the guy this year.
Do you like playing with numbers? Well, what is 48 x 2? 96, of course. Kobe Bryant almost scored half of the teams points.
LeBron James...when you're 16 years into the league, I would like to see you drop 48 points. LeBron James, when you're 16 years into the league, I would like to see you average darn near 30 points a game.
This is stunning!
Kobe Bryant might be the best NBA player, ever!
By the way, the Lakers beat the Suns 99-83. lol!
mike t.
Again, the man's 16th year in the league, and he drops 48 points on the Suns? That is stunning! Name one player in NBA history who put in 15 years into the league, and in his 16th year of play he drops a 48 on any team. Who?
At halftime, Kobe had 23 of the team's 46 points. That is astounding! Forget all this chatter I made up about the Lakers' big 3. Kobe Bryant is number 1. Kobe Bryant is number 2. And Kobe Bryant is number 3.
I think NBA fans should kick back and watch what Kobe does this season. Mr. Bryant, I'm not your biggest fan, but Mr. Bryant, you have my attention! Somehow, someway I think this might be a history making year for Mr. Bryant. I don't know how, but something is in the air for the guy this year.
Do you like playing with numbers? Well, what is 48 x 2? 96, of course. Kobe Bryant almost scored half of the teams points.
LeBron James...when you're 16 years into the league, I would like to see you drop 48 points. LeBron James, when you're 16 years into the league, I would like to see you average darn near 30 points a game.
This is stunning!
Kobe Bryant might be the best NBA player, ever!
By the way, the Lakers beat the Suns 99-83. lol!
mike t.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Grizzlies vs. Lakers
This game provided sport fans that love stats some pretty good stats to look at.
For the Lakers:
The big 3, Bryant, Bynum, and Gasol came an assist short of getting a double/double each.
Brant had 26 points and 9 assists.
Bynum had 15 points and 15 rebounds.
Gasol had 13 points and 15 rebounds.
For the Grizzlies:
Gasol played 43:31 and had 2 points and 11 rebounds. What made Gasol's stat line so interesting was that he got his 2 points in the first 1:03 of the game. After that nothing in points.
In fact: the Grizzlies starters only scored a combination of 34 points, while their bench scored 46 points. Now, that is a something that makes one scratch their heads. But, the Grizzlies are playing without Zach Randolf, one of their top scorers.
The Lakers got a nice game from Matt Barns, who scored 15 point as their starting small forward. Derek Fisher came with a zero in points for the Lakers. Fisher, basically, split playing time at the point guard position with Steve Blake who scored 15 points off the bench. Troy Murphy had 6 and 6 for the Lakers off the bench. Metta World Peace's minutes were down for this game; only playing 12:42 and scoring 2 points.
The Lakers starters came up big for the Lakers, while the Grizzlies starters did not.
Game, set, and match, as they would say in tennis, goes to the Lakers.
mike t.
For the Lakers:
The big 3, Bryant, Bynum, and Gasol came an assist short of getting a double/double each.
Brant had 26 points and 9 assists.
Bynum had 15 points and 15 rebounds.
Gasol had 13 points and 15 rebounds.
For the Grizzlies:
Gasol played 43:31 and had 2 points and 11 rebounds. What made Gasol's stat line so interesting was that he got his 2 points in the first 1:03 of the game. After that nothing in points.
In fact: the Grizzlies starters only scored a combination of 34 points, while their bench scored 46 points. Now, that is a something that makes one scratch their heads. But, the Grizzlies are playing without Zach Randolf, one of their top scorers.
The Lakers got a nice game from Matt Barns, who scored 15 point as their starting small forward. Derek Fisher came with a zero in points for the Lakers. Fisher, basically, split playing time at the point guard position with Steve Blake who scored 15 points off the bench. Troy Murphy had 6 and 6 for the Lakers off the bench. Metta World Peace's minutes were down for this game; only playing 12:42 and scoring 2 points.
The Lakers starters came up big for the Lakers, while the Grizzlies starters did not.
Game, set, and match, as they would say in tennis, goes to the Lakers.
mike t.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Warriors vs. Lakers
16 years in the league. Wrist all messed-up. And what does he do? He drops 39 points on the Warriors, tonight, to lead the Lakers to a 97-90 victory.
While covering the Lakers in my blogs, I usually don't make much mention of Kobe Bryant because to do so would be redundant, wouldn't it? Kobe is going to do what Kobe does. That is not what makes the Lakers lose or win. It's what the other players do that determines that.
But, tonight, I had to mention Kobe because without his game, the Lakers lose this one. It's that simple.
The top dog comes through, again, for the Lakers.
The 2nd option for the Lakers, Andrew Bynum, well, let's put it this way:
The Warriors led the Lakers at the half 39-35. What was interesting at that point were Andrew Bynum's numbers. Bynum had 3 points and 7 rebounds at the halfway point. This is not coincidental at all. Andrew Bynum is a big, physical, and an aggressive guy. At 7'0" tall and weighing 280 lbs., Bynum, usually, has his way with almost every center in the league he faces. The problem tonight, in facing the Warriors, is that Kwame Brown is 6'11" and 270 lbs. And, Kwame is a very strong individual.
What does all that mean? It means that Bynum can't push Kwame around in the low post. So, Bynum has to settle for shots farther away from the basket. And, of course, that means a lower shooting percentage, if he shoots at all. Case in point: Bynum only had 4 shots for the Lakers in the first half. And that wasn't because the Lakers weren't trying to get the ball to him. It's because when he was looked upon, as an option, he wasn't in usual "good" position near the rim.
That makes the Lakers take a whole new approach to how they operate their offense.
In other words: Kwame Brown is a true defensive center. When a defensive player can take away your "big" offensive threat, and make you play out of a half-court set, that is huge! That is called sealing the paint. That doesn't mean that the defensive center will get big stats, but what he does is create a court configuration that allows his team to stay defensively competitive throughout the game.
Another big body theory point: the Lakers outscored the Warriors 32-19 in the 3rd quarter. When Kwame Brown was pulled with 2:44 left to go in the quarter; the score was 57-56 Lakers. When he came back in the game with 5 seconds left; the Lakers were up 64-58. In other words: the Lakers outscored the Warriors 7-2 in the 2:43, of time, that Kwame was out of the game. Then Kobe Bryant hit a 3-pointer with 1.5 seconds remaining to make the score 67-58 to end the 3rd quarter.
This is the only quarter the Lakers outscored the Warriors. Andrew Bynum did not score a point in this quarter.
In the 4th quarter Bynum picked his final 6 points to finish with 9 points for the game.
The Warrior have a good defensive center if they would truly commit to the defensive philosophy that coach Jackson said he would. Whether that is enough to get the Warriors to the playoffs, I don't know, because I have no idea about Curry's injury, and Ellis' commitment to that style of play is questionable.
But, the Lakers, on the other hand, got a decent night, of performance, from their 3rd option, Pau Gasol. Gasol finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Isn't it great to have a 3rd option like Gasol? When Bynum doesn't come with the big numbers, Gasol, will less pressure to perform as the number 2 option, should fill out the stats sheet pretty good as the 3rd option.
That, of course, is great to have, when your 1st option drops 39 points. lol!
The guy is simply amazing!
Kobe Bryant is just jaw-dropping amazing for being in his 16th year in the league.
mike t.
While covering the Lakers in my blogs, I usually don't make much mention of Kobe Bryant because to do so would be redundant, wouldn't it? Kobe is going to do what Kobe does. That is not what makes the Lakers lose or win. It's what the other players do that determines that.
But, tonight, I had to mention Kobe because without his game, the Lakers lose this one. It's that simple.
The top dog comes through, again, for the Lakers.
The 2nd option for the Lakers, Andrew Bynum, well, let's put it this way:
The Warriors led the Lakers at the half 39-35. What was interesting at that point were Andrew Bynum's numbers. Bynum had 3 points and 7 rebounds at the halfway point. This is not coincidental at all. Andrew Bynum is a big, physical, and an aggressive guy. At 7'0" tall and weighing 280 lbs., Bynum, usually, has his way with almost every center in the league he faces. The problem tonight, in facing the Warriors, is that Kwame Brown is 6'11" and 270 lbs. And, Kwame is a very strong individual.
What does all that mean? It means that Bynum can't push Kwame around in the low post. So, Bynum has to settle for shots farther away from the basket. And, of course, that means a lower shooting percentage, if he shoots at all. Case in point: Bynum only had 4 shots for the Lakers in the first half. And that wasn't because the Lakers weren't trying to get the ball to him. It's because when he was looked upon, as an option, he wasn't in usual "good" position near the rim.
That makes the Lakers take a whole new approach to how they operate their offense.
In other words: Kwame Brown is a true defensive center. When a defensive player can take away your "big" offensive threat, and make you play out of a half-court set, that is huge! That is called sealing the paint. That doesn't mean that the defensive center will get big stats, but what he does is create a court configuration that allows his team to stay defensively competitive throughout the game.
Another big body theory point: the Lakers outscored the Warriors 32-19 in the 3rd quarter. When Kwame Brown was pulled with 2:44 left to go in the quarter; the score was 57-56 Lakers. When he came back in the game with 5 seconds left; the Lakers were up 64-58. In other words: the Lakers outscored the Warriors 7-2 in the 2:43, of time, that Kwame was out of the game. Then Kobe Bryant hit a 3-pointer with 1.5 seconds remaining to make the score 67-58 to end the 3rd quarter.
This is the only quarter the Lakers outscored the Warriors. Andrew Bynum did not score a point in this quarter.
In the 4th quarter Bynum picked his final 6 points to finish with 9 points for the game.
The Warrior have a good defensive center if they would truly commit to the defensive philosophy that coach Jackson said he would. Whether that is enough to get the Warriors to the playoffs, I don't know, because I have no idea about Curry's injury, and Ellis' commitment to that style of play is questionable.
But, the Lakers, on the other hand, got a decent night, of performance, from their 3rd option, Pau Gasol. Gasol finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Isn't it great to have a 3rd option like Gasol? When Bynum doesn't come with the big numbers, Gasol, will less pressure to perform as the number 2 option, should fill out the stats sheet pretty good as the 3rd option.
That, of course, is great to have, when your 1st option drops 39 points. lol!
The guy is simply amazing!
Kobe Bryant is just jaw-dropping amazing for being in his 16th year in the league.
mike t.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Around the League, Tonight!
Glancing through the league, especially at the team that made the big off-season deal, we see that there are no teams that have made big improvements from last season.
__________
MY FEATURED GAME
BOBCATS VS. KNICKS
The New York Knicks continue to lose; this time to the lowly Charlotte Bobcats, who, now, have a record of 2-4, the same record as the Knicks. I guess, if I have to call the Bobcats "lowly," I have to call the Knicks "lowly," too.
The prize of this years free agent market, Tyson Chandler, came up short against the "short" Bobcat's center, Boris Diaw, who at 6'8, scored 27 points and pulled in 6 rebounds for the 'Cats. That is compared to Chandler's 11 points and 6 rebounds for the Knicks. But, the 'Cats' back-up center, Bryon Mullens, put in 16 points and grabbed 5 boards for the team. I guess Chandler can say that two against one isn't a fair fight. And he would be right, but that's what happens when a team spends all of its money on 3 players.
Interesting stat of the night for this game: Mike Bibby getting a DNP Coach's Decision. Big names going down in flames. That's what happens when teams sign players who are, basically, done.
The Knicks get killed at home 118-110. That's a non-defensive NBA score for sure.
__________
Miami, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, and San Antonio were all winners tonight.
Those are your top NBA teams who played tonight.
Chicago and Miami are both 6-1, San Antonio is 4-2, Boston is 4-3 and Dallas is 3-4.
Orlando is 5-2, but I don't consider them to be a contender.
The Clippers won to balance their record at 2-2. Billups, in any line-up, makes a difference. How the Knicks could let Billups go is beyond me. The guy is a winner because he plays the game the right way. He's a true leader. When he was winning a championship in Detroit, he was playing on a team that was executing on both the offensive and defensive end of the game, almost, to perfection. I mean, that was the only way they could have beaten the Lakers who had both Shaq and Kobe at the time.
Then he went and turned the Nuggets around. The Nuggets had Carmelo Anthony and a few other players who couldn't get their act together as a team. Then Billups came along and steadied that ship in the right direction. He took that teams talent and made it resemble a basketball team.
Then, he goes to New York with Anthony and ends up being cut loose for a player like Tyson Chandler? That has got to be a joke, right? Chauncey Billups is a professional basketball player who knows how to win. He takes the talent of a team and leads it in a direction that maximizes their potential. And the Knicks let this guy go for Tyson Chandler?
Wow!
__________
This lock-out shortened season, as of this point in the season, has no type of rhythm for any team so far. It might be best for the Lakers to work on their team rhythm, so that when the end of this season comes, they'll be right up there with the best teams in the league.
mike t.
__________
MY FEATURED GAME
BOBCATS VS. KNICKS
The New York Knicks continue to lose; this time to the lowly Charlotte Bobcats, who, now, have a record of 2-4, the same record as the Knicks. I guess, if I have to call the Bobcats "lowly," I have to call the Knicks "lowly," too.
The prize of this years free agent market, Tyson Chandler, came up short against the "short" Bobcat's center, Boris Diaw, who at 6'8, scored 27 points and pulled in 6 rebounds for the 'Cats. That is compared to Chandler's 11 points and 6 rebounds for the Knicks. But, the 'Cats' back-up center, Bryon Mullens, put in 16 points and grabbed 5 boards for the team. I guess Chandler can say that two against one isn't a fair fight. And he would be right, but that's what happens when a team spends all of its money on 3 players.
Interesting stat of the night for this game: Mike Bibby getting a DNP Coach's Decision. Big names going down in flames. That's what happens when teams sign players who are, basically, done.
The Knicks get killed at home 118-110. That's a non-defensive NBA score for sure.
__________
Miami, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, and San Antonio were all winners tonight.
Those are your top NBA teams who played tonight.
Chicago and Miami are both 6-1, San Antonio is 4-2, Boston is 4-3 and Dallas is 3-4.
Orlando is 5-2, but I don't consider them to be a contender.
The Clippers won to balance their record at 2-2. Billups, in any line-up, makes a difference. How the Knicks could let Billups go is beyond me. The guy is a winner because he plays the game the right way. He's a true leader. When he was winning a championship in Detroit, he was playing on a team that was executing on both the offensive and defensive end of the game, almost, to perfection. I mean, that was the only way they could have beaten the Lakers who had both Shaq and Kobe at the time.
Then he went and turned the Nuggets around. The Nuggets had Carmelo Anthony and a few other players who couldn't get their act together as a team. Then Billups came along and steadied that ship in the right direction. He took that teams talent and made it resemble a basketball team.
Then, he goes to New York with Anthony and ends up being cut loose for a player like Tyson Chandler? That has got to be a joke, right? Chauncey Billups is a professional basketball player who knows how to win. He takes the talent of a team and leads it in a direction that maximizes their potential. And the Knicks let this guy go for Tyson Chandler?
Wow!
__________
This lock-out shortened season, as of this point in the season, has no type of rhythm for any team so far. It might be best for the Lakers to work on their team rhythm, so that when the end of this season comes, they'll be right up there with the best teams in the league.
mike t.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Rockets vs. Lakers
The Lakers win over the Rockets was a good win in my eyes as I see the transition in the pecking order for the Lakers.
Still coming in at number one, in the food chain, is: Kobe Bryant.
The new number two option is obviously Andrew Bynum.
And the new number three option, of course, is the faithful Pau Gasol. Gee, what team in the league has a Pau Gasol as their number three option? Especially if Gasol fully embraces the role. Ouch!
What started out as a slow shooting night for Bryant turned into a big production night for the superstar. He finished the game with 37 points, hitting 14 out of his 29 shots. But, what was interesting is that Kobe missed his last 4 shots.
Andrew Bynum's numbers were 21 points and 22 rebounds. How is that for a number two option? Boooom! It's on for Bynum!
With Bynum's point and rebounding production; Pau Gasol, naturally, has to go to being the number three option for the team. That is not a bad 3rd option at all. But, the thing that makes it so good for the Lakers is how Gasol is such a professional about what is happening to his role. I have to give Gasol a lot of credit for his professionalism. This guy is not a Lamar Odom type emotional baby. The man is pure professional. And I respect him for that.
Between the Lakers' point guards, Fisher and Blake, the team got 17 points and 10 assists. What more can the team ask for? Peace continues to do well in his role as a bench player, contributing 5 assists. That's good! He's doing the fundamental things and that's important coming from the bench. And Troy Murphy chipped in 5 points and 4 rebounds. I like Murphy!
I think the Lakers have a good team, but I think they need another bench piece.
The Lakers' bench was out scored tonight 27-22, and out rebounded 14-7. But, as a team, the Lakers out rebounded the Rockets 53-38 thanks to Bynum's big rebounding night.
____________
My preference between Troy Murphy and Josh McRoberts, in getting the most bench minutes, is Murphy. I really like Murphy's stable game. I know McRoberts gives the Lakers a good boost of energy when he comes into the game. But, I don't like boosts of energy. I like stable veteran play out of the 4 and 5 spot. It's important to have stability at those spots because those are serious defensive positions. Energy will not take the place of stability. And if the Lakers can get Murphy involved in the offense, he brings a good outside shot to the game.
I think, as the season goes on, we can keep our eye on what coach Brown does with the rotation between McRoberts and Murphy. Only one, Murphy or McRoberts, is going to get the big minutes off the bench. It doesn't seem as if though both can get 15-20 minutes per game with Bynum in the mix.
I'm not the coach, but I would go with Murphy all the way.
____________
AROUND THE LEAGUE:
From what I see from around the league, there is no dominate team right now. This season is a toss-up for the championship.
The Heat have no center and with no center, there is no championship.
The Mavs gave away too many pieces from their championship team. Who on their team can stop Bynum?
The Celtics have no center. Read what I said about the Heat.
The Thunder have a center. They have two centers. But, they, also, have their two biggest stars, Durant and Westbrook, not really liking each other. Their youth may be their downfall. Perkins lost a lot of weight this year. He won't have the strength to stop Bynum now; as Bynum's body has matured and he can't be pushed around in the paint, like he was a few years ago.
The Lakers have a center, a power forward, the best shooting guard in the league. They have a few good bench pieces. Do not be down on the Lakers! They're as good as anyone else in the league right now.
mike t.
Still coming in at number one, in the food chain, is: Kobe Bryant.
The new number two option is obviously Andrew Bynum.
And the new number three option, of course, is the faithful Pau Gasol. Gee, what team in the league has a Pau Gasol as their number three option? Especially if Gasol fully embraces the role. Ouch!
What started out as a slow shooting night for Bryant turned into a big production night for the superstar. He finished the game with 37 points, hitting 14 out of his 29 shots. But, what was interesting is that Kobe missed his last 4 shots.
Andrew Bynum's numbers were 21 points and 22 rebounds. How is that for a number two option? Boooom! It's on for Bynum!
With Bynum's point and rebounding production; Pau Gasol, naturally, has to go to being the number three option for the team. That is not a bad 3rd option at all. But, the thing that makes it so good for the Lakers is how Gasol is such a professional about what is happening to his role. I have to give Gasol a lot of credit for his professionalism. This guy is not a Lamar Odom type emotional baby. The man is pure professional. And I respect him for that.
Between the Lakers' point guards, Fisher and Blake, the team got 17 points and 10 assists. What more can the team ask for? Peace continues to do well in his role as a bench player, contributing 5 assists. That's good! He's doing the fundamental things and that's important coming from the bench. And Troy Murphy chipped in 5 points and 4 rebounds. I like Murphy!
I think the Lakers have a good team, but I think they need another bench piece.
The Lakers' bench was out scored tonight 27-22, and out rebounded 14-7. But, as a team, the Lakers out rebounded the Rockets 53-38 thanks to Bynum's big rebounding night.
____________
My preference between Troy Murphy and Josh McRoberts, in getting the most bench minutes, is Murphy. I really like Murphy's stable game. I know McRoberts gives the Lakers a good boost of energy when he comes into the game. But, I don't like boosts of energy. I like stable veteran play out of the 4 and 5 spot. It's important to have stability at those spots because those are serious defensive positions. Energy will not take the place of stability. And if the Lakers can get Murphy involved in the offense, he brings a good outside shot to the game.
I think, as the season goes on, we can keep our eye on what coach Brown does with the rotation between McRoberts and Murphy. Only one, Murphy or McRoberts, is going to get the big minutes off the bench. It doesn't seem as if though both can get 15-20 minutes per game with Bynum in the mix.
I'm not the coach, but I would go with Murphy all the way.
____________
AROUND THE LEAGUE:
From what I see from around the league, there is no dominate team right now. This season is a toss-up for the championship.
The Heat have no center and with no center, there is no championship.
The Mavs gave away too many pieces from their championship team. Who on their team can stop Bynum?
The Celtics have no center. Read what I said about the Heat.
The Thunder have a center. They have two centers. But, they, also, have their two biggest stars, Durant and Westbrook, not really liking each other. Their youth may be their downfall. Perkins lost a lot of weight this year. He won't have the strength to stop Bynum now; as Bynum's body has matured and he can't be pushed around in the paint, like he was a few years ago.
The Lakers have a center, a power forward, the best shooting guard in the league. They have a few good bench pieces. Do not be down on the Lakers! They're as good as anyone else in the league right now.
mike t.
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