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All in fun CP, I hope I didn't upset you.
You can't be without NT for 2 weeks, trying to help out.
You can't be without NT for 2 weeks, trying to help out.
Offical 2009-10 NBA Season Thread
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by mateen cleaves,
- Start date
Sure:
Just call it the Half a Year Ago Finals.
As of Christmas Day, it wasn't hard to picture the Lakers and Celtics meeting in the Finals. The two teams both came out of the gate smoking at 23-5, but their late-season fades didn't seem to offer great omens for the playoffs. As nearly everyone has already noted, Boston gave virtually no hint of its playoff dominance between Christmas and mid-April, limping in with a 27-27 mark in its final 54 games.
What's less well known, however, is that the Lakers followed a similar path. Like Boston, L.A. ended Christmas Day with a 23-5 mark but was ho-hum from that point forward. The Lakers were only 34-20 in their final 54 games, just 16-12 after the All-Star break.
Moreover, their star player exaggerated the trend line even more. Kobe Bryant was at the fore of the MVP discussion entering the new year, averaging more than 30 points a game. But he staggered to the finish line at just 27.0. He had made nearly half his shots from the field and 85 percent from the stripe in the first two months, but wouldn't approach those numbers the rest of the season.
His slow start to 2010 was disturbing enough, but the way he closed the regular season had to really have the Lakers faithful worried. In his final three games, Bryant shot 5-of-23, 8-of-24 and 8-of-23, and multiple observers noted that he looked far less explosive than usual physically as a result of injuries to his knee and ankle.
Not exactly the way L.A. wanted to enter the playoffs, in other words, and it's why the defending champs seemed so vulnerable when the postseason began. The final seven regular-season games Bryant played for the Lakers included only two victories, neither of which hinged on big efforts from Bryant -- he shot 5-for-23 in a win over Utah and labored to 17 points to help beat Houston.
The other five games included home losses to Portland (without Brandon Roy) and San Antonio (by 19); plus a road loss to New Orleans during a stretch in which the Hornets went 3-13, a blowout loss in Oklahoma City and another pasting in Atlanta that ended with the Hawks' bench exploding in hysterics while Jason Collins made his third basket of the season in garbage time.
As with the Celtics, they were former champions whose championship run seemed anything but preordained. The Lakers were struggling and, more specifically, so was Bryant.
The Portland loss seemed especially worrisome -- the playoffs were just six days away, and Bryant had sat out the previous two games to get better. Instead, it seemed as if he regressed, needing 23 shots to score 20 points and having so little elevation that Nicolas Batum blocked one of his deliveries flat-footed.
http:///sports.espn.go.com/espn/gallery/enlargePhoto?id=5238903&story=5237443">http://sports.espn.go.com...238903&...idth=640,height=550,scrollbars=no,noresize'); return false;" href="http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/play...columnist=hollinger_john&page=PERDiem-100601#">[+] Enlarge
Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty ImagesA little rest has done wonders for Kobe's game.
This all changed, however, once Bryant got a real chance to rest up.
He sat out the final two regular-season games and got another two days off before the playoffs started … then, in the first round, he played only once in five days between Games 4 and 6. All told, he played only five games in 18 days. Given that he had a week off before the Portland game, it added up to just six contests in nearly a month.
There was a cost to this -- the Lakers had to abandon the pursuit of home-court advantage in a potential Finals rematch with Orlando, and had Boston not staged a playoff renaissance of its own, it could have proved costly in the coming days. Instead, it's a nonfactor.
The benefits, on the other hand, have been massive. That time, along with a draining of fluid in his knee at some undisclosed point along the way, apparently allowed Bryant's physical ailments to vanish into the ether.
As a result, he's in the midst of an amazing turnaround. After looking so feeble in early April, Bryant was doing his best Michael Jordan impersonation by the end of May. Phoenix was a game opponent in the conference finals, but Bryant simply crushed the Suns with a virtuoso performance -- 33.7 points, 8.3 assists, 7.2 rebounds and an outburst of you've-gotta-be-kidding-me jumpers down the stretch of the clinching Game 6 in Phoenix.
His performance against Phoenix continued what's been a dominating 11-game run, one that followed the lightly scheduled 18-day stretch that allowed him to recuperate after the Portland game.
How dominating? Consider this: Even Kobe rarely has played at this level. He scored at least 30 points in 10 of his past 11 games, something he hadn't done in the regular season or playoffs since January 2006.
More generally, if you permit me the luxury of cherry-picking the 11-game stretch starting with Game 6 of the Oklahoma City series, this is the best he has ever played in the playoffs by any measure you want to use. Highest scoring average, best player efficiency rating, best shooting percentage, most assists, best 3-point shooting … by all of those standards, this last 11-game stretch trumps any other Bryant postseason.
In particular, the exact thing that seemed most lacking about his game in April, the elevation on his midrange jumper, has become otherworldly. In the Phoenix series, the Suns used big defenders (Grant Hill and Jared Dudley) and double-teams to take away Bryant's post-up game, and were very effective doing so.
But it didn't matter because Bryant just kept facing up and shooting contested long J's off the dribble. Normally, forcing such a shot is a huge victory for the defense, but Bryant made a mind-blowing 58.0 percent of his long 2-pointers against Phoenix (hat tip to TrueHoop Network's painted area for that one); usually players shoot in the high 30s from this range. Additionally, the threat of his J was strong enough that he drew several fouls on shot fakes.
Bryant had the rest of his game clicking on all cylinders, too -- playing tough D, finding open teammates in the zone, crashing the boards, even hitting catch-and-shoot 3s, which has never been a great strength of his. As a result, a Lakers' offense that ranked only 11th in regular-season offensive efficiency is second only to Phoenix in that category in the playoffs.
What does it mean for the Finals? One could argue that the law of averages will catch up to Bryant on those midrange J's and that a lot more of them will catch the rim against Boston. If so, it's bad news for the Lakers because the Celtics (as we saw in the 2008 Finals) are unlikely to give him many openings going toward the basket.
Additionally, there's the possibility that those injuries could come back to haunt him at some point in the Finals. In particular, draining the knee is a short-term solution that might not provide lasting results.
However, the more likely conclusion is that he's going to be a handful for the next two weeks, as well. Although he'll be hard-pressed to shoot quite as well against a more stout Celtics defense, he won't have to -- Boston isn't going to light up the scoreboard at the other end the way the Suns did.
Moreover, the less demanding playoff schedule probably has benefited L.A. more than any other team, with Bryant able to nurse himself back to health and Andrew Bynum staying more or less upright, and the Finals are even more extreme. L.A. has four days off before playing Game 1, then another two to lick its wounds afterward; all told, the Lakers will play just once in the course of a week and won't leave town for 10 days.
In other words, all the issues that had us so worried about L.A.'s prospects in early April are likely to remain nonfactors for one more series. And if Bryant can shoot anywhere near as brilliantly as he has in the past 11 games, that combination should be enough to allow L.A. to defend its title. Much like the Celtics' run through the East, all of that was very easy to envision in November and December … and extremely difficult to imagine in the four months that followed.
Definitely taking the over 27 on that one.
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edit: put up that Hollinger article, but Pro beat me to it and made it a lot sexier
And I'd bet CP's got that salt and pepper look in his hair already...
And I'd bet CP's got that salt and pepper look in his hair already...
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-- Amare Stoudemire after Game 3.
You can never question the determination of a guy that gets 5 rebounds a game. Never.
I have some Hollinger saved up too. Weren't JA and Shuges going to come in and speak on that a while back?
For starters, you'd have a tough time proving that L.A. is the better team. The Suns had a better scoring margin in the regular season (a superior predictor of future success) and were better in the second half of the season; since the All-Star break, the Suns are 31-8 and the Lakers are 24-14, including the playoffs.
Focus only on the playoffs, and you get a similar breakdown. Both teams are 8-2 against opposition of similar quality, but the Suns have a far superior scoring margin (plus-89 for Phoenix, plus-39 for L.A.).
Although Gasol is likely to have an advantage working against Frye or Stoudemire in the post, he and Bynum will have major challenges defending Phoenix's big men on the perimeter. Frye is a deadly 3-point shooter, and Stoudemire combines 20-foot range with a lightning-quick first step to his right. Checking either will send L.A.'s big men into terra incognita.
Ahhhh Jonny. You make it so easy.
"superior predictor of future success"
Thanks for postin that link guys.
T0INE
formerly toine2983
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Originally Posted by CP1708
I know, I reposted those in here for later.
If Bron re-signs and OC comes thru here with his chest all out, he boutta find a hard reality waiting for him.
I hope so.
I didn't mind his antics from the "Trouble in the Magic Kingdom?" to the constant praising of Lebron and the Cavs, but when he did that 180 on Lebron after the Cavs lost to Celtics and started spewing that #%*!%%*@ that really irked me.
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laker fans in the good seats are funny people
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man some of those fools arent even fans they go to Laker game cause "its the thing to do"
Laker games to them are social hour and usually wear their clubbing gear which is why the tix are so damn expensive......
end rant.
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The day I go to a sporting even in my clubbing gear, and my pimp chain, is the day of the last day of my existence.
Staples Center would be so loud and hype, without those douches clogging up the lower level seats.
Although, I have to thank a couple of those douches, whom which I would have never gotten the opportunity to sit directly behind the Lakers bench in Game 1 of the '08 WFC, because those same douches were leaving at halftime, and gave me their 2 tickets.
Lakers were down by 20 to the Spurs, and came back.
Staples Center would be so loud and hype, without those douches clogging up the lower level seats.
Although, I have to thank a couple of those douches, whom which I would have never gotten the opportunity to sit directly behind the Lakers bench in Game 1 of the '08 WFC, because those same douches were leaving at halftime, and gave me their 2 tickets.
Lakers were down by 20 to the Spurs, and came back.
D
Deleted member 38182
Guest
Originally Posted by CP1708
The next person to upset me on NT will be the first person to upset me on NT. I talk as much crap as anyone, come on, I can handle jokes no problem. Hell I make fun of myself as much as anyone else does.
And this is why you stay being my NT-crush
[h1]
[/h1][h1]LeBron aims to upstage NBA Finals[/h1]
By Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports Jun 2, 2:03 pm EDT
LOS ANGELES – Free agency was forever LeBron James’(notes) chase, the Championship of Me, and how fitting that he uses the most vacuous vehicle of our time – the “Larry King Show
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"only he has no rings"
MVP
Supporter
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lulz...Bron is a funny guy
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i'm not understanding how all this hype helps lebron from a PR standpoint long term. He is going to be hated in all the cities he teases and doesn't go to. meanwhile fans that already didn't like him will hate him even more because of him stealing the spotlight, the double talk, ringless entitlement and antics.
it just doesn't seem like he is getting the right advice. Even if he does end up in NYC like i want him to, I can't really comprehend how all of this is helping him or his goals of being an icon. he is closer to becoming an enemy or a loser depending on what happens.
It's like instead of being Griffey Jr. (loved by all and popular) he is almost choosing to be AROD (hated by all and popular/infamous)
it just doesn't seem like he is getting the right advice. Even if he does end up in NYC like i want him to, I can't really comprehend how all of this is helping him or his goals of being an icon. he is closer to becoming an enemy or a loser depending on what happens.
It's like instead of being Griffey Jr. (loved by all and popular) he is almost choosing to be AROD (hated by all and popular/infamous)
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when i saw that bron did a larry king interview i was like %@*, him and his PR team trying to upstage the NBA again
i remember arod and his agent got a @+%% load of heat for saying he would be a FA durning the WS a few years back
i remember arod and his agent got a @+%% load of heat for saying he would be a FA durning the WS a few years back
big j 33
Supporter
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I think the only cities he'd actually be hated in would be Cleveland and New York. The hate in Cleveland would be on another level, but he certainly would get some boos whenever he came into the Garden.
For the rest of the teams, NJ, Chicago, Miami, etc. won't be too upset. Mainly because they weren't the center of the circus like New York was.
CP is right, he just wants to be polarizing. He wants the articles, the segments on Sportscenter, people talking about him and how much their team needs him, etc.
For the rest of the teams, NJ, Chicago, Miami, etc. won't be too upset. Mainly because they weren't the center of the circus like New York was.
CP is right, he just wants to be polarizing. He wants the articles, the segments on Sportscenter, people talking about him and how much their team needs him, etc.
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WojYahooNBA Jeff Bower isfirst GM to ever truly believe in Thibodeau as a head coach, and Bostonassistant's handling of this has been disgraceful.
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Alot of what I listen to on local radio is Thibodeau is best suited for the defensive coordinator role & there are concerns that his abrasive style & personality wont click with players and they will tune him out quickly
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Originally Posted by Physicx
"only he has no rings"
*DEAD*
dont get me wrong bron is the best player in the game but his antics on the court (dancing around in the sidelines during a game) and not shaking any of the orlando magics hands last season proves to me that he has not yet learned how to become a leader
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from what i'm reading on forums there is a large amount of bulls fans that would hate on him pretty hard if he doesn't come there. chicago has been the circus center since game 6 and will be the circus center for the next month
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"Only he has no rings"
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How the hell is he teasing?! You mad cause he ain't teasing with you? Or you just mad cause he didn't mention the knicks in the Larry King interview
'Get off your knees'. You slurp dude more than anyone I know...and I'm the one from Cleveland
