Tag Archives: Kobe Bryant is a good fantasy pick

How the Nuggets Can Win

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The Nuggets are truly an odd team.  They have no real superstars, and they’re at their best when in transition.  They have lengthy big men that can swing a game either way.  At their best, they’re a speedy team that will beat you down the court and spread the floor for their outside shooters.  At their worst, they’re a shameful and stagnant half court offense with no scorers that can create their own shots.  They’ve shown both sides of their personality, and find themselves down 3-2 to the powerhouse Lakers.  They head back to Denver tonight in an attempt to send the series to a game 7, where anything can happen.

The key for Denver tonight isn’t simply outrunning the Lakers, but exhausting them.  In the thin Denver air, it’s difficult for older teams like the Lakers to flourish.  The youthful transition offense of the Nuggets is the perfect compliment to the detrimental air.  Even if it’s ineffective early, the Nuggets run and gun offense will pay off if they stick to the plan.  Ageless Andre Miller has had a knack for finding JaVale McGee, which will be essential to match L.A.’s length.  McGee has shown he can be absolutely be dominant or a non-factor, similar to Andrew Bynum.  Bynum can be taken out of a game early if his confidence wavers and he becomes disillusioned.  It’s key for the Nuggets to come out strong and find a rhythm, and to not let Bynum or Pau Gasol get going.  Kobe Bryant, by will alone, will have a strong game, he doesn’t want to play a 7th game.

So here the Nuggets are, one game away from elimination, relying on JaVale McGee and Andre Miller to produce offense against a franchise with the most championships in NBA history.  It’s unlikely and unpredictable, kind of like the Nuggets themselves.

How Many Rings Will It Take to Save LeBron James’ Legacy?

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Barring a major injury or a life ending cosmic collision, LeBron James and the Miami Heat will represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Final this season.  The Heat will likely face the Oklahoma City Thunder in what could be one of the best finals matchups NBA fans have been treated to in quite a while.  If LeBron and company can find away to get it done, his critics, who currently fault him for having none, will then emphasize the fact that he only has one.  That leads to all important question of how many rings will it take to save LeBron’s legacy?

In order to begin answering that question one must look at other NBA greats who have won titles.  We all know that Michael Jordan won six, Magic Johnson five, Kobe Bryant has five, Shaquille O’Neal four, and Larry Bird three.  Each of those players are considered NBA royalty and if LeBron James wants to join that illustrious fraternity, then he needs to at least bring in three…right?

Well maybe not so fast.  James is in his 9th NBA season and was deeply criticized for stacking the deck with the Miami Heat in hopes of bringing home multiple championships.  This is unfair criticism because all of the previously mentioned “NBA royalty” had stacked decks too.  Jordan had Pippen, and the right role players, Magic had Jabbar, Worthy and Scott.  Bird had McHale, Parrish, Johnson and Ainge, Kobe had Shaq, and Shaq had Kobe and Wade.  That was a tremendous amount of NBA talent concentrated on the aforementioned teams which allowed them to be so successful.  No one has ever done it alone yet LeBron has caught so much heat for not getting it done and changing teams so that he could.  Why?

Clyde Drexler and Charles Barkley were NBA superstars of their era and both changed teams in hopes of winning a championship.  It worked for Clyde only because Jordan retired for two seasons before coming back and winning three more.  Patrick Ewing was an elite player on some solid New York Knicks teams and he never got a ring.  Hakeem Olajuwon won two, but again that was largely in part to Jordan’s brief retirement.  Even the legendary Jerry West, the NBA logo himself, only managed one championship.

Here’s the point.  In order to salvage his legacy LeBron James needs one ring… period.  It doesn’t matter what team he wins it on, or whether he dominates the series to get it done, his name just needs to be affiliated with a team that won an NBA title when his career comes to a close.  In sports, the disparity between those who have won championships and those who haven’t is so great because any one player can be good, but it takes a special team at the right moment in time to become elite.  Maybe this is the year that James and the Heat begin that run of three or four championships that they are capable of winning.  Only time tell.

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Kobe Bryant Rivals Michael Jordan

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Playing in 1,161 career games (not counting 210 career playoff games), Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers seems to be getting better and better.

Like Hall of Fame player Michael Jordan, Kobe is building on his reputation for playing and winning hurt.

In this 66-game condensed season, first it was the wrist, then it was the occasional turned ankle. Finally it was his broken nose and playing with a mask for the first time in his career.

Despite all of this the Lakers keep winning and doing it against great teams, while other teams struggle and other superstars fold under the pressure.

Like Jordan, trade rumors, injuries, and changes in the roster have slowed other stars this year, but not Kobe. Not now. Not when he’s so close.

Like Jordan, Kobe is driven.

Skeptics may say he had Shaq. He did. He had Robert Horry (the only non-Celtic to win more than 6 rings). Jordan had Scottie Pippen. Jordan had Dennis Rodman and Horace Grant. Now Kobe has Pau Gasol, and Andrew Bynum. Kobe has help. Jordan had help. If Kobe wins this time, it will be minus Lamar Odom, minus Phil Jackson.

With superstars linking up to create super-teams, Kobe attracts talent to his team. Like Jordan. Who knows what the roster will look like after this season, but Kobe is not leaving. Kobe plays on, at 33 years old, outshining his former peers, and now his current peers.

Like Jordan, Kobe elevates the play of his teammates. Whether it is by example, or intimidation, or love, or fear, or respect, players like Steve Blake, Bynum, and Josh McRoberts have never played better. Like Jordan.

Michael Jordan is the best basketball player that ever played. But if Kobe wins this year, it will be fair to compare the two. Kobe would have the same number of rings, accomplishments, etc. etc. If he never wins that last ring, then we can say Jordan is still number one, but if he wins one or two more rings, we may have to reconsider this discussion.

In the meantime, it may be time to stop watching for Kobe to fail, and time to just watch him play.

How would Jordan respond to getting his nose broken at an all-star game? Take your time, write it down. What Would Jordan Do?? Maybe we will say in the future, “Bird, Magic, Jordan, Kobe… none of those guys would have…”? Kobe has earned the right to be compared to the best that ever played, period.

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Who Should Win the 2012 NBA MVP?

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There is no clear cut front-runner in the race for the most valuable player award, which creates a real interesting finish this month. Five candidates have surged in the forefront (in no particular order): Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Love, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

With the exception of Love, each MVP contender is in the middle of a heated chase for playoff positioning. Durant and Westbrook are spearheading the Oklahoma City Thunder in the West, with Kobe Bryant’s L.A. Lakers not too far behind. In the East, LeBron has carried the Miami Heat to the second-best record in the East with still a good chance to catch the Chicago Bulls for home-court edge.

We break down the MVP race and who deserves to be holding the Maurice Podoloff trophy at the end of the regular season.

KEVIN LOVE

Where would the Minnesota Timberwolves be without Kevin Love? In his fourth season in the Association, Mr. double-double has elevated his game from all-star status to superstar status. He ranks fourth in scoring (26.0), second in rebounds (13.4) and has racked up more than 100 3-pointers. Love is considered more as a power forward than a center, which eliminates him from being named to the All-NBA first team. But if you’re going by performance alone and no position restrictions, Love deserves to be on the first team.

KOBE BRYANT

At 33, the Black Mamba remains one of the deadliest scorers in the league. His 28.1 scoring average is No. 1 in the league, and if he can stay on that number he’ll be the oldest scoring champ since Michael Jordan. Bryant’s season has been somewhat of a roller-coaster. He got off to a fast start, then tailed off a bit in March, but picked it up in early April. He’s currently nursing an injured shin, which has forced him out of the lineup. The Lakers may have shifted the offense to their big men (centers Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol), but when the game is on the line there is no one better than No. 24.

RUSSELL WESTBROOK

Oklahoma City’s best player is Kevin Durant, but what makes the Thunder special is Russell Westbrook. When Westbrook is on, there is nobody better in the league going end-to-end. He is kinda like that wild race horse that has a difficult time getting into the starting gates. But once the race starts, he explodes out of the gates. Only Derrick Rose can match Westbrook’s coast-to-coast skills. He can attack the rim, he can pull up for a jumper, and he can defend. He is fifth in the NBA in scoring (24.3) and sixth in steals (1.7). Westbrook still has trouble with turnovers, but if can dial it down just a tad he’ll drive past Rose as the best point guard in the world.

LEBRON JAMES

If the MVP was based purely on statistics, then LeBron James would be a cinch to claim the trophy. He is third in the league in scoring (26.8), 14th in assists (6.4), and third in steals (1.9). He also averages 7.9 rebounds and shoots 53% from the field, the highest shooting percentage among the top 10 scorers. But because James plays on a team with all-stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, some voters may mark him down along with the fact that he hasn’t been able to shed his reputation as a terrible fourth-quarter performer. Regardless of his shortcomings late in games, James remains basketball’s most complete player and it’s not even close.

KEVIN DURANT

Kevin Durant came into this season on a mission. He posted four 30-point games in the first week of the lockout-shortened season, and he is finishing strong with two 40-point games in April. He also had a 51-point outburst on Feb. 19 against the Denver Nuggets and hit a memorable game-winning shot against the Dallas Mavericks on Dec. 29. Durant ranks second in scoring (27.8) and is well on his way to post career bests in rebounds (7.9), assists (3.5), steals (1.4), blocks (1.2), and field-goal percentage (50%). If the Thunder finishes with the best record in the West, it’s going to hard to ignore KD as the league’s MVP. And when it’s all said and done in the regular season, Oklahoma City could have the MVP (Durant), the best sixth man (James Harden), best defender (Serge Ibaka), and best coach (Scott Brooks).

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Could the Lakers Part Ways With Kobe Bryant in 2013?

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At some point in the near future the Los Angeles Lakers are going to have to start thinking about the next chapter; life after Kobe Bryant.  But could it happen prior to the next NBA season?

Without a doubt Bryant is the current face of the franchise and despite being in his 16th NBA season he’s still putting up incredible numbers.  Bryant is averaging 28.7 points per game, and is on pace for his best scoring average in the last five seasons.  On the flip side he is also having the third worst shooting season of his illustrious career with a .430 field goal percentage.  In layman terms, Kobe Bryant is scoring more but taking more shots to do so.  That sounds more like a Stephon Marbury type of player rather than the cornerstone of an NBA championship caliber team and because of it, the Lakers should look to move Kobe Bryant sooner rather than later.

Think about it.  Bryant is the biggest commodity the team has.  He’s a proven winner and scorer and has unrivaled determination.  The problem is that Bryant alone will not translate in to championships.  So the question becomes, why keep him?

Lakers fans would argue to keep him and put pieces around him to win.  I would argue that the pieces are there and that he just doesn’t know how to use them.

In a recent article on FOX Sports.com  Jason Whitlock stated, “You put Bynum and Gasol around LeBron James and everyone in the league would expect that team to win a championship. Kobe wants the roster blown up. He’s still upset David Stern stopped the Lakers from acquiring Chris Paul.

Whitlock went on to say “You give Wade the same rosters Kobe has played with throughout his Los Angeles career, and I guarantee you the Heat win the same number of titles — if not more.”

That’s a statement that’s difficult to argue against.  Imagine players like Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, or LeBron James paired on a team with Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum.  Not only would the aforementioned players continue their successes, but both Gasol and Bynum would thrive as each of would receive the ball in optimal scoring position more often than not.

The bottom line is that no matter how much Kobe scores he rarely makes those around him better.  In a day and age in sports where loyalty has been trumped by what have you done for me lately the Lakers would be smart and part ways with Bryant now.  Otherwise the next three or four season will be more shots jacked up with a lot of points scored and zero titles. Why not bring in players like a Deron Williams next season via free agency along with complimentary pieces that could be acquired via a trade involving Bryant.

Bryant’s current contract with the Lakers takes him through the 2013-14 NBA season.  Bryant does have a no trade clause but he does have a trade kicker that could be worth an additional 15% on the remaining money owed in his current contract.  This makes the idea of  trading Kobe Bryant a possibility.

I know Laker fans, speaking aloud about Los Angeles trading No. 24 is considered blasphemy in the Purple and Gold Nation.  But if you think about it, it makes sense.  Eventually Kobe will leave the Lakers via voluntary retirement or a career ending injury and when that happens the Lakers will be left with nothing except a bunch of cap space.  Why not make that transition seamless and get something for him now while he still has value?  Some of the greatest players of all time played for multiple teams; Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, Shaquille O’Neal, and LeBron James.  Is Kobe Bryant next?

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