Thursday, January 26, 2012

NBA FASTBREAK #1

During the Laker's championship run with Shaq, Kobe, and Phil there was often squabbles over shot selection, touches, running the triangle and who's team it really was. Shaq often let his feelings be known verbally through the media and Kobe often showed how he felt by his aggressive or passive play on the court. Phil often sided with Shaq, but he knew that Kobe had a legitimate gripe when they often butted heads. Even though they won 3 rings together they could have accomplished so much more if they each would have put aside their egos. Shaq believed the offense should go through the big man and Kobe felt that he was a better offensive weapon because he was the one putting in the work in the off season. During the third leg of the Laker's three peat Shaq uttered a phrase that I have not forgotten to this day. "You have to feed the dog if you want him to guard the yard. That's code for if you want rebounding and defense then feed me that rock and I will work harder. Right or wrong that statement has stuck with me to this day. Phil and the critics should have blasted Shaq, but instead they backed him by saying Kobe shot to much and that Shaq definitely should be the first option. This logic has baffled me, because guys like Ben Wallace, Dikemebe Mutumbo, Alonzo Mourning, and Dwight Howard don't use touches as a means to determine the amount of effort they are going to put out on the defensive end.I can never remember Scottie and Horace saying fuck this MJ is doing all the scoring let him shut the paint down by himself.The reason why I bring this up is because, Gasol and Bynum have both questioned their touches and have used this as an excuse to defend their lackluster play. I know you are saying that plenty of teams would love to have two seven footers like Bynum and Gasol, but even when Dwight Howard doesn't deliver on offense his rebounding and defense is always there. Last night the Lakers won against the Clippers and Gasol and Bynum not only received their touches, but they came up big on  the defensive and on the glass.It has all of us asking where has this effort been all year. It is sad, but Kobe Bean Bryant knows what he has to do. If he wants the dogs to guard the yard he damn sure better feed them the rock.
  • MVP WATCH:
  • 1) LEBRON JAMES:29.1 PPG 8 REB 7 AST- HE IS GRADED ON WHAT HAPPENS IN JUNE.
  • 2) KOBE BRYANT:30.2 PPG 6 REB 6 AST- THE MAMBA HAS TURNED BACK THE CLOCK AND SHOWING EVERYONE WHO THE BEST REALLY IS. 7TH BEST?
  • 3) DWIGHT HOWARD:19.7 PPG 15.6 REB 2 BPG- MODERN DAY BILL RUSSEL
  • 4) KEVIN DURANT:25.7PPG 7.2 REB 3.3 AST- A MATCH UP NIGHTMARE
  • 5) KEVIN LOVE:25.3 PPG 13.7 REB 1.1 STL- THE BEST POWER FORWARD IN THE BUSINESS
  • POWER RANKINGS:
  • 1)BULLS 15-3:EVEN INJURIES CAN'T STOP THE BULLS
  • 2)HEAT 11-5: ARE THEY BETTER WITHOUT DWADE
  • 3)THUNDER 13-3: DURANT AND WESTBROOK ARE ONLY GETTING BETTER
  • 4)DENVER 12-5: DOING ALL OF THIS WITHOUT MARTIN,J.R.SMITH AND CHANDLER
  • 5)MAGIC 11-4: RYAN ANDERSON AND HEDO ENOUGH SAID
  • 6)PACERS 11-4: NAME THEIR STARTING FIVE
  • 7)SIXERS 11-5: TALENTED TEAM BUT WHO IS THEIR GO TO GUY
  • 8)CLIPPERS 9-5: WIN SOMETHING BEFORE YOU TALK TO THE LAKERS
  • 9)HAWKS 12-5: STILL WINNING WITHOUT HORFORD
  • 10)SPURS 10-7: POP CALLED HIS TEAM SOFT
  • ROMEO'S THOUGHTS:
  • If the Ron Artest who showed up last night against the Clippers shows up the rest of the year the Lakers despite their poor PG play could win it all. When Artest plays with that don't fuck with me attitude he energizes the team and the fans. Opposing players then think twice about fucking with Gasol and the Lakers seem to match his energy by diving for loose balls and playing with physical toughness.
  • I don't care how tough you say Chris Paul is he wouldn't have gone back at Kenyon Martin or Ben Wallace if they did what Pau Gasol did to him.
  • LaMarcus Aldridge is the best player you have never heard of. Imagine him, Brandon Roy and Greg Oden together.
  • Who in their right mind wants to become involved in that mess called the Wizards?
  • Smart move by the Magic to not offer Ryan Anderson an extension when clearly he benefits from playing with Howard and he might not be there next year.
  • Bosh Spice and Queen James are a better fit together than Dwade and Queen James.
  • The Lakeshow should go after Mr. Intensity himself Kevin Garnett next year when he becomes a free agent. Put him with Artest and Kobe and you have three trash talking intimidating motherfuckers. Not to mention you know he wants another ring.
  • It's bad enough A PIMP NAMED STERN gave the Clippers CP, but he gave them Chauncey Billups also. Who was involved in this secret bidding shit? The Lakeshow doesn't have a PG and the Clippers have three. CP, Mo Williams, and Billups
  • The Knicks need Steve Nash and they need him now. DantoniCarmello Anthony.
  • The Celtics are done and it all started with the trade of Kendrick Perkins. Personally I think he is overrated but he is one of those glue guys that teams need to win championships. The C's have not been the same since the trade and only Rondo has the ability night in and night out to play at a high level.
  • All this Clippers love makes me sick and all you dick riding bandwagon jumpers will rue the day that you bet against the Mamba.
  • For my money coach Pop is the best coach in the business and how he wins with Duncan,Manu,Parker and a bunch of no names amazes me.
  • There is a rumor out there that Queen James does not like the disciplined style of team president Pat Riley and that when his contract is up he is considering a return to Cleveland.You mean James has a problem abiding by team rules and respecting authority. Go figure.
  • Signs that I'm done with the NBA. Eric Gordon turned down a 4yr 60 million dollar contract that Kevin Love just signed. Westbrook just signed a 5yr 78 million dollar deal. Enough of this lunacy. When guys make money like Queen James, but can't carry his jock that's a problem. Kobe and LeBron are the two guys that I know that sell out buildings but guys like Gordon and Love think people come to see their ass. Guys demand money for putting up numbers and organizations cater to them while complaining to the fans and raising ticket prices. What the fuck was the purpose of the lockout.
  • I'm out like the Terps on GARY WILLIAMS night. Way to honor the coach that won you a national championship by losing to Duke at home.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

TheLowDown: The NFL LOWDOWN Conference Championship Edition 2012

TheLowDown: The NFL LOWDOWN Conference Championship Edition 2012

What They Really Meant to Say

  • Mike Singletary "Cannot win with them! Cannot coach with them! Can't do it! I want winners." Romeo Igromo "You better come get these new jack, undisciplined, I love me some me motherfuckers before I lay hands on them. I didn't sign up for this shit. When Buddy said jump we said do you want my wife too? We knew our place that's why we won. Get me some Bumblebees in hear and get these Starscreams off my team.
  • Ed Reed "They had a lot of guys in the box on him and they were giving him the pass. It didn't look like he had a hold on the offense. I don't know how much of that was the play calling...but it just didn't look like he had a hold of the offense, you know, of times past... It was kind of like they ere telling him what to do -- throw the ball or get it here, throw to certain guys. Romeo Igromo "They were fucking treating him like he was Tebow. He can fuck my money up if he wants to, but I'm trying to get a fucking ring. Shit he don't even know the fucking playbook. Cam got his hand up his ass telling him what to do and he can't even get that right. I''m not Ray. I will fuck you up if you fuck with my chance at getting a ring. Fuck this win and lose as a team shit. I'm out there balling and the offense ain't doing shit. Plus where the fuck is my contract extension. I know motherfuckers is listening. I'm the baddest motherfucker on the field and I don't have shit to show for it. Fuck this keep it in house shit I'm for calling sons of bitches out when they don't perform.
  • Michael Jordan "Kobe is the only one to do have done the work, to deserve comparison. Romeo Igromo "I love me some me. Magic, Bird, Kareem , Wilt... those cats don't have my work ethic nor my will to win. I played offense and defense and I was unstoppable. 6 rings and 6 finals MVPS. Stop comparing motherfuckers to me. It ain't close. I wrote the book on how to be elite. You say what about Kobe. He is close, but he ain't no MJ. I could come out of retirement right now and give his ass 40 on just fade aways. I dropped 50 last night in my local 45 and over rec league just because.
  • John Elway "Tebow will be the starting QB going into training camp. Romeo Igromo."You saw that shitty ass performance he had against New England. I will give myself the job before I commit to him long term. He fucked up my plan to get Luck with all this winning shit. He wants to fuck with me now I will fuck with him.
  • Flip Saunders "I told Javelle that was unacceptable.We have players that look for highlights instead of substance. Romeo Igromo"Before I get fired I am going to call these Negroes out. Where is Wally,Nesterovich, and Madsen when I need them. I can't get with this And 1 jungle bunny ball. I am all about fundamentals, pick and roll, setting screens and bounce passes.
  • Chris Bosh "When the pressure is on go with Dwayne.He relishes those moments." Romeo Igromo "I am too much of a bitch to take those shots and LeBrick just can't make them.
  • Jerry Jones "The facts are I spent 22 years doing things the exact same way and I will not give up my GM title. Deep down I know I am a buffoon, but I be damned if I let you call me one. I will continue to fuck up my organization because as long as I turn a profit and make news that's all that matters. Let the Pats and Steelers have all that winning shit. Even though I haven't won since the early 90's I believe in myself and my buffoon ass crew.
  • I am out like Tebowmania.

The NFL LOWDOWN Conference Championship Edition 2012

According to all of the so called experts there are only two cerebral motherfuckers in the NFL capable of studying film, implementing a game plan based off the tendencies of their opponents and making halftime adjustments when necessary. Everyone else just runs the same shit week after week regardless of the results. When I listen to talk shows or watch NFL related material on TV I am led to believe that the Pats are the only organization with a plan b or plan c just in case their fool proof plan a doesn't work. Sean Payton, Andy Reid and Omar Epps don't break down film with their coaches and game plan accordingly? Harbaugh,Garrett, and Fox never go in at halftime and make adjustments when they are getting their ass kicked. Last week after the Broncos beat the #1 rated defense in the NFL with their Pop Warner style passing attack all I heard was Bellicheck will not allow that shit to happen on his watch. Sure enough Bellicheck came up with a plan to shut that shit down and Tebow was left to sing his church hymns by himself on the sidelines. With everyone having access to the same film why didn't the number #1 defense in football employ the same strategy that the 31st ranked defense used to defeat the Broncos. This week all I hear is how are the Ravens going to stop Brady, Gronk and all his weapons as if the Ravens don't have the footage or the intelligence to do so. Prior to beating the Broncos  last Sunday the Pats hadn't won a playoff game since 2007. What happened in 2007 you asked ? SPY GATE. Now I am not saying that the Pats are doing anything illegal, but it is strange that they are the only team in the NFL where you mention the head coach as if he was a franchise player out there performing on Sundays. I don't know what kind of technology Bellicheck uses to break down film or study opponents, but when he is the only person getting credit for doing so there is a problem. This leads to the ultimate question is Bellicheck the smartest person in the room or are all of his contemporaries just to dumb, lazy, or stubborn to do the same thing. All I know is this. Ray Lewis and Ed Reed have been called two of the most prepared players at their respective positions, but when faced with the task of going into Foxxsborough and winning they are discounted. I guess when they play the Pats they just use their god given abilities and forsake their film watching that they normally do for every other opponent.You would think that in the biggest game of the year two of the smartest players in the NFL would study and find some tendencies or weaknesses on the Pats offense wouldn't you. Why is it that the Ravens coaches get no props for defensive scheming when the Ravens win, but Bellicheck gets all the credit when the Pats win. Just food for thought. Enjoy the games this weekend and just remember if your not cheating I mean preparing to win you are preparing to fail.
  • The old adage that defense, a running game and not turning the ball are the keys to victory over is just as relevant today as it was 10 years ago.
  • The Jets went to consecutive AFC Championship games using this formula, but when they talked themselves into believing that Sanchez was the next Dan Marino they failed to even make the playoffs.
  • According to Skip all Tebow did was win games. Correct when he was taking care of the ball. When Tebow started becoming reckless with ball the Broncos lost too. When he didn't, they won.
  • You probably think that the pass happy Pats are the exception to the rule right. Wrong, they lead the AFC in turnover ratio with a plus 17.
  • The formula that has worked for years in the regular season, works even more in the playoffs. 3 of the 4 teams left (Baltimore, SF, and NY) rely on their defense to set the tone for their team, not their offense. Where would the Giants be without their pass rush? At home like the Saints and Packers? The Ravens defense won them the game last week with 3 ints when their offense sleep walked their where through the game. The Saints had three receivers gain more than 100 yards. But when the air show was over it came down tom turnovers. The Saints turned the ball over 5 times and were out gained by 96 yards on the ground by the Niners.
  • The Giants sacked Arod 4 times and recovered 3 fumbles.Playing at home in Lambeau Field the Packers were reduced to looking like a dome team.
  • So don't be fooled defense still wins championships even in this Super TecmoBowl era brand of ball.
  • I will have my predictions a little later... Gotta call my Wise Guy buddies and get some info.
  • I'm out like Arod and his failed attempt at repeating.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Believe it: Kobe Bryant still cares

Try telling him he isn't still the best player in the NBA. And then be ready to duck.

WilbonBy Michael Wilbon
ESPN.com
Archive
Kobe 1 of 20 Finalists For Olympic Team
Lakers Kobe Bryant named 1 of 20 finalists for the 2012 U.S. Olympic men's basketball team
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Kobe Bryant can rage with the best of 'em. On a normal day with absolutely nothing having agitated or provoked him, his motivation meter is probably at an 8 or 9. But don't let him pick up a newspaper or read something online or hear somebody on radio or TV say that he's too old, or that the tread on his tire is too worn, or that he's only the seventh-best player in the NBA, or that his wrist is too badly injured for him to be the prolific scorer we've become accustomed to over the last 15 years.


[+] EnlargeKobe Bryant
Stephen Dunn/Getty ImagesStop playing to allow his wrist to heal? Yeah, right. Kobe Bryant won't hear of it.


A few days ago, before the 48-point outburst against the Phoenix Suns and his 40-point shredding of the Utah Jazz on back-to-back nights, the word making the rounds in L.A. was that Kobe might shut it down for a while to let his right wrist heal. On its face, it sounded fairly logical. The wrist had ligament damage, he was in considerable pain, he'd already taken at least one shot of cortisone just to play, and we're talking about his shooting wrist/hand for crying out loud. Wasn't it possible, even advisable, that he would, or at least should, shut it down for a few weeks to let the thing heal, perhaps even have the surgery now that will surely come down the road?


That's the only question I had for Kobe a few days ago, after a Lakers home game. Of course, he was incredulous.


"Shut it down? For what?"


Because it's a painful injury.


"I've had worse. Besides, I'm not in pain after taking a shot!"


I winced; he smiled.


"How long have you known me? You actually came over here to ask me if I'm going to stop playing? You know that's not even a part of me."


But you can't take a shot of cortisone before every game!


"Of course I can. If that's what I need to do."


Every game?


"Yes, absolutely. I'm going to play, period. Anyway, once you've taken a shot, I can't feel anything. Hell, can't even feel the ball in my hand. It's numb at that point."


It's funny how the notion of apathy dogs NBA players. OK, as in any workplace in the world, the NBA has some guys who aren't exactly killing themselves for the greater good every single night. But that's an intellectually lazy stereotype and it should never come within 100 miles of Kobe Bryant, who after five NBA championships, 13 All-Star selections, an Olympic gold medal and an MVP award allows doctors to stick a needle in his wrist so he can play regular-season basketball games.


[+] EnlargeKobe Bryant
AP Photo/Mark J. TerrillBryant still scores almost at will, even when he temporarily loses feeling in his right hand.


The people who say they prefer college basketball to the NBA because college kids care more than pros are entitled to their opinions, but they're largely clueless, nonetheless. How would they know that, when the cameras aren't turned on, Kobe in recent years would hold his own private practice sessions before games with former assistant coach Brian Shaw? Not a shooting session, mind you, but a sweat-soaked, limit-exploring practice session a couple of hours before games.


Look, Father Time is still undefeated, and Kobe Bryant, like every other player who ever lived, is going to become old and slow and unrecognizable. He told me on Christmas Eve that he thinks about retirement and walking away. But it damn sure isn't going to be this season, and not because of the damaged ligaments in his wrist. He's already assured of ending his career, whenever that is, as one of the 10 greatest players in the history of the NBA; and this season, his 16th, is starting out as one hell of an encore.


Angry as he was after the NBA's preposterous voiding of the trade involving the Hornets and Rockets that would have paired him with Chris Paul in the Lakers' backcourt, Kobe spent less time seething than most would have thought. After an 0-2 start, the Lakers are in first place in their division, ahead of the suddenly-celebrated Clippers, who a great many locals have mistakenly proclaimed as the No. 1 basketball attraction in town. Yes, the Clippers with their Lob City madness are must-see TV, but Kobe still leads the better team. Emphasis on team.


In the wake of the odd departure of Lamar Odom, the decline of Ron Artest/World Metta Peace and the acquisition of, well, nobody of consequence, Kobe has to score more and he's done just that, even with what he calls "our own Big Three" of him, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. The three biggest scoring nights in the NBA this season are 48, 40 and 39 points. All three belong to Kobe Bryant.


[+] EnlargeKobe Bryant
Stephen Dunn/Getty ImagesAny doubts about Bryant's competitiveness were put to rest against the Suns (48 points) and the Jazz (40) this week.


Despite being the worst 3-point shooter (19.6 percent) in the league right now (remember, he can't even feel the ball as it comes off his numbed fingers), Kobe's overall shooting percentage of .459 is higher than last season's .451. And his 30.3 points per game are five points higher than last season. The 40-point performances on consecutive days marked the first time he'd done that since 2007.


"Not bad for the seventh-best player in the NBA," he has said more than once in the last week, referring to the ESPN.com ranking that places him behind (in order), LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade, Paul, Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Durant.


OK, if you're starting a team today, you might easily select Bryant No. 7 based on the amount of time he figures to have left in the league. But the 91 "experts" considering players were asked to rank them based on the "current quality" of each player. With that in mind, there's no sane way to vote Bryant seventh. The six players above him have a total of two championships (Wade and Nowitzki), the same number of championships Kobe has won without Shaq. All six players have a total of seven appearances in the NBA Finals (James, Wade and Nowitzki two each; Howard one), the same number of Finals appearances Kobe has made all by himself.


Even if we're not talking ancient history, if we're talking about winning the game tonight, how does Howard rank ahead of Bryant? How does Paul, who hasn't been to the conference finals, rank ahead of Kobe? I can't say in good faith that I'd put LeBron above Kobe after watching Miami's last two fourth-quarter failures, not while Kobe is rallying his older team with little perimeter help in the fourth quarters of recent games.


For Kobe, who said the other night, "You know I read everything, see everything, all of it ... " the slights, real or perceived, are like gasoline being poured on his already raging fire. It's not kind of like Michael Jordan, it's exactly like Jordan. It's exactly like all the greatest of the great athletes, who are forever looking for incentive, for devices that will help drive them even harder than they already are.


Lebron James
Jeff Gross/Getty ImagesLeBron James ranked No. 1 (to Bryant's No. 7) in ESPN.com's player rankings. But that was before this week.


"You don't want to waste your time talking to the seventh-best guy in the NBA," he said, laughing but certainly not joking.


The NBA -- any league, really -- is lucky to have a player who cares so much, after so many years and so many successes, that any little thing will drive him back to the practice court or film room. I would argue that Kobe, now more than at any other time in his career, is elevating his sport because every player on that list, above or below him, is looking at a bar, a standard, set exceptionally high.


You don't feel like playing tonight because something hurts? Kobe, who has more titles than you do, allowed a doctor to shoot up his wrist to play.


You want to sit for a few minutes in the fourth quarter tonight because it's the second game of a back-to-back and you're on the road? Kobe, with more mileage on him than a '95 Durango, just scored 40 on the road in his second of back-to-backs.


When the season began, while making preseason picks, I took Durant as my MVP, and Durant has every chance to fulfill that prediction. But as of now, at the end of the NBA's third week of play, Kobe is where he's accustomed to being. He's the best player. Will he average 30 points? Probably not. But he can still do whatever he needs to do to win a game, even if he isn't jumping as high or finishing as strongly or dominating the action as physically as he once did.


The real marvel, as it was for Jordan as he got older or Oscar as he got older or Kareem as he got older or Bird or Magic, is watching Kobe figure out new ways to win. It's the real test of remaining a champion. If he can't get to the rim as spectacularly as he once did, then Kobe will pull up short of the young shot blockers and shoot the hell out of that 12-foot jumper.


[+] EnlargeKobe Bryant
AP Photo/Jim UrquhartSaturday's matchup against the Clippers should be another opportunity for Bryant to make a point.


The last couple of seasons, I've been keeping track of how the Lakers do when Kobe shoots fewer than 22 times and more than 22 times, and I must say there have been more Ws when it's fewer than 22 times. But as Kobe said the other night, "Are you keeping track of how many of those shots come when we're behind late and I've got to keep shooting? My job, for a long time around here, is to score, to shoot the damn basketball. I shoot. I'm this team's shooting guard and I'm going to shoot."


Either way, nobody in professional basketball has earned the right to shoot it, whenever and from wherever, the way Kobe has. He was the last man out of the locker room the other night, and when he emerged, he was wearing a huge black protective glove. "Want to shake my oven mitt?" he said, holding up the device which restricts movement of the wrist.


It is a wonderful time to be a basketball fan in Southern California. The n'er-do-well Clippers are a fascinating watch, with CP3 delivering as promised early. The run-up to the first Lakers-Clippers game of the season, Saturday night, is filled with an anticipation unseen around L.A. ... ever. But when the two teams take the court, nobody else in either uniform is ever going to have the career Kobe Bryant has had. Perhaps nobody on the court will have the season he's having right now, 16 years in and approaching 34 years old. Probably, nobody will stay as long on the big stage. Probably, nobody will have had the personal dramas, the feuds (with Shaq and Phil Jackson), the successes.


Someday, he'll feel too old. Maybe the wrist will hurt too much. Maybe the passion will wane. But not now. He's too good. This is too much fun, not just the winning, but proving that No. 7 is insultingly low, too. Hell hath no fury like Kobe scorned. Damn, this is fun to watch.


Michael Wilbon is a featured columnist for ESPN.com and ESPNChicago.com. He is the longtime co-host of "Pardon the Interruption" on ESPN and appears on the "NBA Sunday Countdown" pregame show on ABC in addition to ESPN. Over the course of three decades with The Washington Post, Wilbon earned a reputation as one of the nation's most respected sports journalists. You can email him here and follow him on Twitter @RealMikeWilbon.




Jordan Comments on Kobe

Ball Don't Lie

Michael Jordan thinks only Kobe Bryant deserves comparisons


Kobe Bryant explains the plot of "Single White Female" to Michael Jordan (Jamie Squire/Getty).

Ever since Michael Jordan retired — all three times, really — the NBA has searched for the heir to his throne. Many players have popped up as pretenders to the throne, from Harold Miner to Jerry Stackhouse to Vince Carter. In recent years, people have stopped trying to find a clone and just searched for a similarly dominant great player. If you ever wondered why LeBron James is seen as such a failure, a lot of it has to do with his inability to meet the example set by Jordan.
There are many great players in the NBA these days, most of whom have never been directly compared to Jordan. Nevertheless, His Airness says only one player comes close enough to his greatness to merit the comparison. Not surprisingly, that player is Kobe Bryant. Here's what Roland Lazenby, a great writer currently working on a Jordan book, tweeted on Sunday (via PBT):
Kobe's ultimate competition is MJ. That's why MJ watches him. MJ made people think what he was doing wasn't human. Ditto the Kobester.
I never said Kobe was better than MJ. MJ just told me Kobe's the only one to have done the work, to deserve comparison.
Congratulations, Kobe: Your life's work has meant something. All that time spent aping Jordan's movements and skills has paid off. He acknowledged you. You made it.
Of course, if the notoriously petty Jordan was going to mention anyone, it makes that he'd single out Kobe, and not just because he'd consider the mimicry flattering. Bryant really does work harder than everyone else, and he's been good for long enough (with no signs of slowing down) that he may eventually top Jordan's longevity. They're similarly insane competitors.
The "Next Jordan" idea was always a silly one, but Bryant is certainly the player most like Jordan in all aspects of his game — even if he eventually becomes something less than the greatest player of the post-MJ era, which I'm sure many of you will argue in the comments. That's an accomplishment in itself. Even coming close to the top means something.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

BRYANT WANTS YOU TO KEEP ON DOUBTING HIM

Bryant wants you to keep on doubting him
Jan 11, 2012, 2:14 PM EST

Phoenix Suns v Los Angeles Lakers Getty Images
Six years ago, if Kobe Bryant dropped 48 points in a game, we called it Tuesday. It seemed like nothing out of the ordinary. There were a couple highlights on SportsCenter, his fantasy owners patted themselves on the back, and then we pretty much moved on because we saw this all the time.
But in 2012, Kobe’s wrist is supposed to hurt too much, he’s too old, and his Lakers trying to evolve the offense away from him toward Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. The Lakers are no longer the favorites to represent the West in the NBA finals. They are on the downslope, their leader no longer capable of carrying them to the promised land.
Kobe eats that stuff up.
He dropped 48 on the Suns and it’s news now. No guy that old has ever scored that many points. For Kobe it’s just another chance to prove you wrong. Check out his post-game quote, via friend of this site Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times Lakers Blog.
“Not bad for the seventh best player in the league,” Bryant said in a shot at the ranking a panel of ESPN writers gave him this offseason.
Maybe Michael Jordan was the only other player who could take a perceived slight — like only being the seventh best player in the NBA or a playoff loss from six years ago to the Suns — and have it fuel him for a Tuesday night regular season game in January. Kobe remembers everything.
With that comes nights like Tuesday. He came out hot — 17 first quarter points on 8-of-11 shooting — and at that point coaches and teammates just get out of the way because when he is hot there are few like him. His confidence and belief in himself can still fuel monster games.
With it also comes nights like last week’s 6-for-28 shooting games. He was clearly ice cold and yet his confidence and belief in himself is such that he keeps shooting through the slump because he is sure next one will fall. There are no mid-game adjustments to pull back and feed the rock to others. It’s not how he is wired.
Like a character out of a classic Greek tragedy, Kobe’s greatest strength is also his weakness. Always has been, it’s just that before the injuries and miles piled up on his body, the downside didn’t show as much.
But go ahead and believe that he can’t keep up this 29.5 points per game scoring average while shooting 46 percent. Keep thinking he can’t carry the Lakers deep into the playoffs like he used to. That’s just more fuel to the fire for him

THE MAMBA REMEMBERS



The Mamba remembers

January, 11, 2012
Jan 11
3:25
AM ET
AdandeBy J.A. Adande
ESPN.com
Archive
This is personal.

It has to be. Even though the number of people Kobe Bryant would love to shut up this season (including every voting member of the ESPN.com NBA rankings panel) would probably exceed the total number of Facebook users, I’m convinced the 48 points Kobe dropped Tuesday night were directed at one person in particular: Steve Nash.

Kobe keeps saying how much he hates the Phoenix Suns.

But there’s almost nothing left from the Suns teams that knocked the Lakers out of the first round of the playoffs in 2006 and 2007. The coach is gone, the general manager is gone, every other player is gone ... there’s even a different guy doing tricks in the gorilla suit. The only one who remains is Steve Nash. The same Steve Nash who won the Most Valuable Player award over Bryant in 2005 and 2006.

So really, whom else is Kobe supposed to hate? Channing Frye? Hakim Warrick? He sure doesn’t hate Shannon Brown, his former teammate whom he embraced in a tight hug right after the buzzer sounded.

It’s gotta be Nash.

Those 48 points Kobe scored during the Lakers’ 99-83 victory were his most since he scored since March 22, 2011 -- against the Phoenix Suns. *And as Dave McMenamin pointed out, the last time Kobe scored more than 48 was when he put up 49 on March 1, 2009 -- against the Phoenix Suns. This can’t be a coincidence. Kobe is too cold and calculating for this to be coincidence.

“I don’t like them,” Bryant said of the Suns. “Plain and simple, I do not like them. They used to whip us pretty good and used to let us know about it, and I. Will. Not. Forget. That.”

Even though most of the guys from that team are gone?

“I. Don’t. Care,” Bryant said. “I won’t let it go.”

He still remembers those people who doubted him when he was drafted in 1996, so he sure is going to remember the guy that took his trophies and sent him home twice.

When Bryant got the chance to go one-on-one with Nash in the first half Tuesday night he even changed his signature sound. Normally Bryant calls for the ball by using his tongue to push staccato bursts of air through his teeth. It sounds kind of like the Smoke Monster on “Lost.” As soon as Nash switched onto Bryant, however, Kobe made sure he wouldn’t miss out on the opportunity. He posted up Nash on the right block and let loose a holler that could be heard throughout Staples Center.

“Whooo!” he yelled. “Whoo!”

The ball found its way to him and he scored.

Later, Nash was guarding Bryant again, trying to deny him from the front. But the entry pass sailed over Nash’s head to Bryant, who turned around and had an easy, open jumper.

That was it for Nash’s defensive duties on Kobe. The task fell to Grant Hill for much of the night.

“Just make him work,” Hill said of his thankless task. “He hit some tough shots. He missed some shots at times. I thought in the third quarter I did a decent job ... then he came out in the fourth and really did a good job of closing it."

Bryant made six of his seven shots in the fourth quarter. (LeBron James, meanwhile, didn’t take a shot in the fourth quarter and was one for three in overtime of the Heat’s loss at Golden State, if you feel like having that discussion.)

Over the past five games Bryant has made 69 of 134 shots (51 percent). So while this might not be as spectacular as, say, his run of four consecutive 50-point games in 2006-07, the fact that he can be so accurate while playing with a torn ligament in his right wrist makes this as impressive a stretch as I’ve seen him play.

“He’s doing it in a pretty efficient manner,” Derek Fisher said. “That’s what really stands out about what he’s doing now. He’s always going to be aggressive and assertive to score, but he’s picking his spots and he’s doing it in a very efficient manner. That ranks it right up there with the best of them because it doesn’t look like he’s trying to do it. He’s just doing it within the flow of the game. That’s been very effective for him and us.”

Fourteen of Bryant's 18 baskets Tuesday night came from below the foul line. Only five of his 13 misses were from that range.

“Just making adjustments,” Bryant said. “You have to figure out a way to get it done. There’s no time to make excuses.”

I still don’t think it’s a good long-term indicator for the Lakers if they need Bryant to be so great in order to beat the likes of Phoenix and Golden State at home. But it’s not as detrimental if he’s shooting so effectively, instead of taking wild shots at the expense of getting the ball to the big men. That was the issue I’ve had with him before: not playing the percentages. Tuesday night he made 58 percent of his 31 shots. Maybe he should have shot even more.

There’s no way he can shoot 58 percent every game ... if only because there’s no way he can play every game against Steve Nash.

REAL TALK 1-11-12

  1. I am going to say what Pat Riley and the Heat are thinking, but are afraid to say. The Heat are better when LeBron is running the show without having DWade their to steal his thunder. LeBron plays better when he doesn't have to think the game, but just naturally react and Dwade doesn't afford him that luxury. When playing with DWade LeBron is more concerned with getting him the ball and playing the perfect compliment. Without DWade LeBron plays with Kobe's mentality of doing what he wants and letting the chips fall where they may. My criticism of LeBron was for leaving Cleveland to play with Wade instead of having Wade come play with him. His ability to close out games came into play with him deferring to Wade and settling for jump shots. Trading Wade for Dwight Howard or Rondo and Ray Allen would make the Heat even more deadly and LeBron could take his rightful place amongst the greats to ever play this game. Just look at the Heat's record and stats without DWade. Numbers don't lie people do.
  2. In the NFL great players may encourage,inspire and up lift other players moral, but they don't make them physically better on the field. Tom Brady never made Randy Moss jump higher or Wes Welker run quicker. Brady is not responsible for the drafting of Hernandez or Gronkowski or for the offensive scheme the Pats run. He is a very important cog in the machine, but if it wasn't for Bellicheck's schemes, his pro bowl lineman protecting his ass and his tight ends creating physical mismatches all over the field how successful would he be. When analysts such as myself can't explain how a guy we never thought would amount to much suddenly succeeding we give credit to a teammate of theirs for to explain their success. Eli didn't create Victor Cruz and ARod didn't create Jordy Nelson. If this is the case then Ocho Cinco's lack of success is all Brady's fault too. Think about it and it will make sense to you.
  3. College football is full of shit. They think they got the National Championship game correct, because Alabama played LSU. Granted the SEC may in fact be the best conference in football ,but that doesn't mean that two teams from that conference should play in the title game. What did LSU gain by beating the Tide in the regular season and winning the SEC Conference championship? A rematch with a Alabama team that they had already  beat  and in their building too I might add. As a matter of fact last time I checked Alabama didn't even make it to their  own conference's title game. If it was all about the two best teams on paper The Redsox would play the Yankees, The Colts would have played the Pats and the Lakers and Spurs would have been playing in championships every year. Why have divisions and conference titles if in the end you are always going to give the SEC the advantage? To me OSU earned the right to play LSU and there ain't a damn thing you could say to change my mind.
  4. The Steelers got TEBOWED and they have only themselves to blame. Tebow did nothing special on Sunday so stop the dick riding. The Steelers should have whipped their ass, but Tomlin gambled on his crackhead secondary and lost.Give all credit and blame where it belongs on the Pittsburgh coaches and defense for having the arrogance to believe Tebow would cower and falter in their presence.
  5. If your are not the Dallas Cowboys, Tim Tebow, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, or any team in New York you are not going to get the lead on Sports Center, or First Take or any other national sports show because it won't move the dial. Take the Ravens for instance. Ravens fans consider it a slap in the face that their team does not get the coverage that the Cowboys or Tebow gets. Hell the Packers went 15-1 and they don't get the coverage that the before mention subjects get. Packers fans or players don't give a damn about coverage or media exposure. Matter of fact they love it. Right now the Jets are in disarray and Mark Sanchez is having a nervous breakdown , because of the media coverage surrounding his team. If Sanchez were in Arizona he could date who he wants and grow as a QB like Andy Dalton is doing in Cincy. Having strong National Coverage is good for exposure, but last time I checked it don't win rings.
  6. Why do we expect athlete's who are surrounded by losing, mediocrity, and buffoonery all their lives to wake up one day and win? When you play for dysfunctional and losing franchises like the Raiders, Cowboys, and Orioles have been, all you know is dysfunctional and losing behavior. Romo has been surrounded by Jerry Jones, Wade Phillips and Jason Garrett as leaders and players such as Pacman Jones and T.O. as lockeroom personalities. In order for a team to exhibit winning ways it starts with a commitment from mgmt. to not only make sound and smart decisions, but to bring in players who have the same mentality. Surround yourself with character guys, leaders, and winners and your culture and atmosphere will grow and your players will perform better. Moss fell in line because Bellicheck,Tom Brady, Teddy Bruschi, Rodney Harrison, and Mike Vrabel weren't having any of the bullshit he displayed in Minnesota and Oakland. It had nothing to do with him all of a sudden waking up and becoming a better person.
  7. I'm out like the Orioles playoff hopes before their season has even started.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

CHILDREN OF THE SPREAD OFFENSE

TMQKurt Snibbe/ESPN.com


You will be assimilated by the offense. Resistance is futile.






It's the year of offensive stat-a-rama throughout the NFL. There have been five 5,000-yard passing seasons in NFL history; three of them were this year. Drew Brees and Tom Brady both eclipsed the previous passing yards record in the same season. Records were set for passer rating, completion percentage and team yards from scrimmage. In the regular season, NFL teams averaged 235 gross passing yards per game, surpassing the previous high of 221 in 1995 and way above the 1971 average of 156 yards. Three of the top five rushing teams missed the playoffs while all the top five passing teams made the postseason. Detroit just gained a spectacular 882 yards passing in two games over six days -- and lost both because opponents gained 928 yards passing. The Packers and Patriots, with the league's lowest-rated defenses, just used scoreboard-spinning to win the conference top seeds. The league's No. 1 defense, the Pittsburgh Steelers, is already out of the playoffs, torched by Denver. In this year of offensive stat-a-rama, even a sputtering offense trumped the best defense!


Much of the same is happening in college football. In the Rose Bowl, Wisconsin gained 508 yards on offense, which a generation ago would have meant a walkover triumph. Wisconsin lost because Oregon gained 621 yards. The University of Houston averaged 599 yards of offense per outing. The University of Toledo played in back-to-back games in which both teams exceeded 60 points. Perhaps the Alamo Bowl represents the future of the sport. Washington gained 620 yards on offense, scored 56 points and lost, because Baylor gained 777 yards and scored 67 points.




What is going on? I journeyed alone to a distant mountaintop -- OK, a distant parking lot -- to ask the football gods. Their answer: The children of the shotgun spread have come home.


Dutch Meyer used four wide receivers in the 1940s, the trips formation has been seen for three decades, 20 years ago the no-tight-end "run and shoot" was an NFL meme, while the empty backfield has been around since Doug Flutie. These and other gonzo offensive tactics are not new developments. What is new is the near-ubiquitous proliferation of the shotgun spread and its cousin, the seven-on-seven league.


About a decade ago, multiple wide receivers with the quarterback in a shotgun began to catch on in high school and college. Using this look, in 2001, Clemson quarterback Woody Dantzler became the first player in NCAA annals to pass for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in the same season. Shotgun spread offenses sprung up like dandelions, soon joined by the zone-read variation.


[+] EnlargeWoodrow Dantzler
Getty ImagesWoodrow Dantzler at Clemson -- he touched the future of football.


Around the same time, the seven-on-seven concept began to flourish. High school coaches looking for a way to evade contact-days restrictions, and make football a year-round sport, formed "passing leagues" -- essentially football without pads or linemen -- and began to play seven-on-seven all winter and spring. Seven-on-seven tournaments, unknown a generation ago, became common.


The children of the shotgun spread are advancing to the next levels. Players who spent their teen years in passing leagues -- and in seven-on-seven, everybody wants to play offense, nobody wants to be on defense -- have headed to college. A generation ago, college coaches put their best athletes on defense and tried to shut people down. In recent years, with a few exceptions such as LSU's cornerbacks, colleges have put their best athletes on offense. The boosters like shootouts. Players like to perform in shootouts, which lead to YouTube interest. "Basketball on grass" is the order of the day in college football.


And now the children of the shotgun and seven-on-seven are graduating to the pros. About five seasons ago, Indianapolis and New England went shotgun spread and rang up victory after victory. Now players arriving in the NFL don't consider the shotgun an innovation, they consider it standard tactics. Players who were raised on high school seven-on-seven have spent far more hours practicing passing than any other aspect of the game. It's what they are good at. This year Cam Newton and Tim Tebow brought the zone-read variation to the NFL. Most young offensive players are already familiar with it.


[+] EnlargeSeven on Seven Football
Courtesy of Beaumont EnterpriseBecause of seven-on-seven, today's football players spend more time practicing passing than any other aspect of the sport.


At the same time, defense has moved from discipline to personal flash as its highest attainment. Ours is a visual society, and Clay Matthews -- flowing long hair, showing his biceps in wild celebrations after a sack -- is at the moment the epitome of the defensive visual. Jack Lambert would get the tackle, Bruce Smith would get the sack, then they'd just walk back to the defensive huddle. How old-fashioned! What about your sack dance!


Today's defensive players are bored by topics like tackling fundamentals or stripping blockers so a teammate can make the play: They want to generate flashy "SportsCenter" visuals like Matthews does. If that means boatloads of offensive yards surrendered for every one flashy sack, so be it. The defender who misses what should have been a routine wrap-up tackle, because he's hurled himself into space hoping to become a highlight, is as much an image of this football season as the big passing day.


Sports fads go in cycles, and Alabama-LSU, a title matchup of low-scoring power-football philosophies, may signal that the pendulum has begun to swing back. But for the moment, the children of the shotgun spread are what's happening in football. Resistance is futile, as, apparently, is playing defense.

THE NFL LOWDOWN DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF 2012


After witnessing his team lose in the most dramatic way possible in sudden death OT in one of the most exciting playoff games ever, Coach Mike Tomlin uttered this piece of buffoonary "I would probably use the same game plan we had for Tebow and the Broncos again if we had to play to play them tomorrow. See Mike Tomlin is suffering from the same thing that other Tebow victims suffer from and that is Egregious Ignoramus Psytosis. That is a sickness where you get beat by Tebow and block out the whole game because you cant believe that bible toting, wobbly pass throwing, hymn singing,non defensive scheme reading motherfucker just beat you. Tomlin's statement is moronic but not for the reasons you think. There was nothing wrong with the actual game plan itself. The problem was that the Steelers chose to stick with it the whole game and not do a simple thing called make an adjustment. Playing man on the outside and putting your safeties up close to line is an excellent idea if your corners are named Sanders and Revus. All Lebeau had to do was mix his coverages and drop his safeties to confuse Tebow. There are pop warner QB's that face tougher defensive schemes than the one the Steelers threw at Tebow. Lebeau and Tomlin had so much blind faith in Tebow's inability to beat them vertically that they overestimated the ability of their wackass corners to cover. Tomlin is not the first and he won't be the last person to get Tebowed because of Egregious Ignoramus Psytosis. Couldn't happen to a better team. Now on to The Lowdown.
  • Now I know why the Ravens feel like they get no respect on a National Level, because for a team that beat the Steelers twice they get no love for doing it.Their game with the Texans is being billed as the NyQuil Bowl, because it lacks the intrigue and offensive star power of the other games. All the Ravens do is win games and if Flacco can find his way the sky is the limit.Win and Flacco gets paid lose and suffer the wrath of OZ. Newsome to you all.
  • The Texans are a Matt Schaub away from being elite. They have it all, an aggressive defense an elite running back and wide receiver, but they lack the star power at QB to play with the big boys.
  • I'm tired of hearing about Matty Sucks not Ice and the Falcons being an elite team. Two straight years in the playoffs. Two ass whippings.Mike Smith gets consistently out coached and Matt Ryan has shown an inability to move the ball in the playoffs. Next to the Cowboys, The Falcons are the most overrated team in the NFL.
  • I hate being right all the damn time, but I told you the Gman were built for football in the playoffs. Justin Tuck,Osi Umenyiora, Jason Pierre-Paul, Chris Canty and co. rush the passer and disrupt the opposing offense like no other. No one wants to tackle Brandon Jacobs and Eli is playing well. Now you have Manninham, Nicks and Mr. Cha Cha Cha himself Victor Cruz. Watch out Packers beware of Dejavu. The Pats have already seen this show.
  • The Saints run the fast break better than anyone since Showtime. Drew Brees is the NFL's version of Steve Nash and their running game is underrated. That being said the 49ers are old school with their smash mouth defensive minded attack. If the 49ers control the clock its anybodies game.
  • You can't explain Tebow, because it is all a game of adlib and adjustments on the fly. Everything depends on the defensive scheme you run and the willingness of Tebow to not only throw down field but to throw in windows. This game will be won or lost depending on how well Denver defends Brady.
  • Here are my predictions:
  • Ravens 23 Texans 10
  • Pats 24 Broncos 20
  • Saints 38 49ers 17
  • Giants 23 Packers 20 upset special
  • I'M OUT LIKE HINES WARD AND THE BITCH ASS STEELERS.