June 4th, 2010 by nsorenson

The “best” point guard in the NBA is a hot topic. There is a lot of debate because perhaps there hasn’t been a clear front-runner for best in the NBA, or everyone has a different definition for what “best” means. At the SG, it’s clearly Kobe Bryant. Best SF is LeBron James. PF is debatable. C is most likely Dwight Howard. But at the point guard spot? There are some great players vying.

We’ll take a look at a number of factors that go into making a great point guard: shooting, passing/playmaking, defense, durability and leadership. Before I go any further, I have to point out that steals are the most overrated defensive statistic. I’ve watched too many players labeled as “good defenders” (because of their steals) attempt a risky steal, fail, and then leave their man open for an easy bucket. A great defender will get steals, don’t get me wrong. They will also play solid man on man defense and make the team better defensively.

Passing/playmaking will look at assists, turnovers, and a few subjective fields. It’s not as cut and dry because you could look at Baron Davis’ 8 assists per game and nearly a 3:1 assist/turnover ratio and believe that he’s a great point guard. You would then be hit in the face by all the members of the Clippers for thinking that because sometimes stats are overrated.

In shooting, in addition to other factors, we’ll look at True Shooting Percentage (TS%) which takes into consideration how well you shoot from short and long range. It’s compounded by your Free Throw % and accuracy from beyond the 3 point line with attempts factored in. The league average is about 54%.

Leadership is admittedly more subjective but it’s impact isn’t less important. Case in point: Chauncey Billups compared to Allen Iverson. Under the reins of Iverson, Denver couldn’t squeeze out of the 1st round and the team did not mature. Making the trade for Billups instantly promoted the Nuggets to contenders in the Western Conference because of the leadership that Billups brought.

Durability is obviously a huge factor because you can’t say that Grant Hill was one of the best NBA players ever just because he had a few great seasons and was incredibly talented. He’s had more injury-plagued seasons than healthy ones which is a shame, but it also brings down his overall stock.

Rajon Rondo

During the 2010 NBA Playoffs, we’ve watched Rondo tear up the Heat and Cavaliers. He seemed to be hit with a couple of minor injuries that brought him down from “superhuman” status while playing the Magic but no one can doubt he has special talent after watching him play.

As a shooter, Rondo struggles…mightily. His TS% is 54% (which is average) but it’s deceiving. He converts at well above the league average right around the rim and out to about 15 foot shots. Why does that make him a bad shooter? It doesn’t actually, he’s deadly when he’s close to the rim. However, if he’s facing a long 2 pointer or a 3, you can put down a lawn chair and grab a drink while he shoots because he’s not a threat from there.

For many guards, fouling them while driving to the rim or on short shots is painful because of their high FT% (aka, Billups & Nash shoot over 90% from the line). However, fouling Rondo doesn’t seem like the worst idea in the world since he converts a horrid 61% of his free throws.

As a passer & playmaker, Rondo has special talent. He averaged nearly 10 assists this year with a respectable 3.23:1 assist/turnover ratio. He’s so quick and athletic that he can penetrate the lane, draw defenders to him, and see the open man for easy layups/dunks. That’s a dream come true for most teams.

Rondo led the NBA in steals (2.3/game) this year. His effort in steals occasion has lead to easy points for the offense but Rondo has also brought great defensive intensity all around the floor. His quickness means he won’t frequently get beat off the dribble but his weakness is his size. Rondo measures 6’1 and maybe 170 pounds. PGs like Deron Williams, Russell Westbrook, and even Jason Kidd or Andre Miller can overpower Rondo and take it to him.

Rondo has played in at least 77 games in all of his 4 seasons and given his athleticism, he appears to be able to withstand minor injuries and be a durable player.

There have been rumors of locker room issues in regards to Rondo during the past 2 post-seasons which can hardly make for a good leader. The Celtics are lucky to already have players serving as good leaders but you have to wonder if Rondo were on a different team would his baggage be a detriment to the team.

Steve Nash

He is the most ridiculous man in the world. He also wins the award for the most beatings taken in the playoffs without missing significant game time. Did I mention he’s 36 years old? Nash set an NBA record this year for the most assists (892) in a season for a 36 year old. He’s only gotten better with age…but it’ll be interesting to see when time starts taking it’s toll. Sadly, it will be much sooner, rather than later.

As a shooter, there is no better. In fact, John Hollinger of ESPN.com outlined the greatest shooters of all time in the NBA and Steve Nash was atop that list. Nash has posted a record 4 seasons (and nearly 2 more seasons missing by only hundredths of a percentage) of 50/40/90. Over 50% from the field, 40% from 3P, and 90% from the free throw line. He shoots well from short and long, can convert from pick and roll, or as a spot-up shooter. His size and athleticism do not give him many chances to beat opponents off the dribble but he makes up for it in basketball IQ.

As a passer/playmaker he is incredibly proficient. Because of his playmaking abilities he frequently creates open shots for his teammates. He has regularly averaged over 11 assist/game and his assist/turnover ratio is nearly always around 3:1. His skill at running pick and roll has always been deadly at creating offense for himself and his team. His turnover rate is high though, and it’s one area that has worsened with time.

Steve Nash’s biggest weakness is on defense. He has always been labeled a defensive liability and it’s well-deserved. His size (6’3, 178 lbs) has him skinny and unable to defend bigger stronger guards. His offensive quickness has not translated on the defensive end and generally loses steps to quicker, smaller guards. Against bigger guards, they simply can post up on him and get easy inside shots. Nash has only averaged better than 1 steal/game twice in a 13 year career and one year went 60 games without blocking a shot. Ok, I made up that last stat but in the ’07-08 season he only blocked 5 shots…total.

The early years of Steve Nash’s career were laden with injury but he has become more durable as he’s gotten older…which is rare. Over the past 10 years he generally misses only about 5 games a year.

He has received 2 MVP awards combined with good team play, a veteran mentality with a deceptively young style of play makes him a great leader. His teammates look up to him. If he were better defensively, I’d be clamoring for him to be lauded as the Best Point Guard Ever.

Chris Paul

Up until the 2009-2010 season, the world had declared Chris Paul to be the best point guard in the league..and perhaps for good reason. In 2009 Chris Paul finished 2nd in voting for MVP and nearly lead the league in PER. Some remained skeptical as there are a lot of uncertainties when it comes to CP3.

It’s hard to look at the 2009-2010 season as a sample because Paul suffered several injuries for nearly the entire season and saw his statistics drop in virtually all categories as a result. However, this was not his first season dealing with injuries and it seems like we might see a trend from Chris Paul in this regard. He missed a chunk of his rookie season with injuries as well. Given his small stature and strength (6’0, 175 lbs) I have a hard time believing he can play a dozen years at his pace without facing a number of trying injuries.

Overall, Chris Paul’s offensive skills are superb. He’s quick and athletic which allows for stop-and-go dribbling and penetration into the paint. He’s proficient at the running teardrop floater in the lane. He has the ability to wear down his defender with his skills in handling the ball and from there can create plays for himself and his team.

New Orleans’ offense is based solely around Chris Paul. Nearly half of all points scored in any given Hornets’ game are either scored by or assisted by Chris Paul. It’s difficult to believe that an offensive such as this wouldn’t pad CP3′s stats. Before this year New Orleans could barely afford to keep CP3 off the court as no one seemed to be able to score without him on the court. This offensive padding seemed hard to prove w/ Chris Paul continually playing. This changed, however, in the 2009 draft when the Hornets drafted Darren Collison out of UCLA.

Collison is built almost exactly like Chris Paul and plays a very similar game. While he projects to be a solid point guard in the league it appears that his run this past season was also inflated by New Orleans’ offensive style. While Paul was out with injuries Collison averaged 22 points and 9 assists per game which would have lead all rookies in both categories had he started all season. Those numbers are markedly similar to Chris Paul’s so the question is are they a result of the style of offense or individual ability?

Chris Paul has developed into a good shooter over the past couple seasons…but was not always such a threat. His TS% has been close to 60% over the past few seasons and has improved his range considerably. For standing only 6 feet tall he finds his shot blocked at a remarkably low rate: only 3-4%. The league average is nearly 6%.

CP3 has been at the top of the assists leaderboard in the NBA for 3 seasons now. His floor vision and passing ability are among the best in the NBA. What’s more incredible is that his turnover rate is incredibly low for a point guard and his assist/turnover ratio generally hovers near 4:1. Chris Paul’s greatest skill is his ability to take care of the ball and deliver it to his teammates.

Chris Paul lead the league in steals for 2 seasons in a row which gave him All-Defense team honors. That being said, he’s not a great defender. He has quick hands and feet which nets him steals but he takes a lot of risks when attempting steals and sometimes it hurts his team as a result. I’d much rather see him play tight defense force a bad shot taken than watch him make a play for a steal and draw a foul or give up an easy play.

I think Chris Paul’s approach to defense is a lazy one: if he can get the steal then great! If not, he hopes that someone else can pick up his slack when his guy loses him. In addition, his size makes him unable to guard the bigger guards in the league which is why Deron Williams has always dominated the matchup between the two. Teams with a larger backcourt give the Hornets a lot of issues because the Hornets give up a lot of size and basketball is all about exploiting mis-matches. The Oklahoma City Thunder have 2 bigger guards as their starting backcourt (Russell Westbrook at 6’3 and Thabo Sefalosha at 6’7) and I can’t see the Hornets backcourt able to contain that size.

I’m not sure how Chris Paul’s defensive mentality affects his teammates but he does seem like a good leader. He definitely has the killer instinct you need to truly be a great NBA player. Nevertheless, his team has not been able to advance past the 2nd round of the playoffs and failed to make the playoffs this year.

Deron Williams

Deron Williams plays in one of the most structured offenses in the NBA with the Utah Jazz. It’s a far reach from the let-Chris-Paul-run-around offense that New Orleans employs. However, it would be incredibly interesting to see Chris Paul and Deron Williams switch teams and see what kind of numbers they would each put up in the other’s system.

That being said, offensively, Deron Williams is dangerous in any situation. His ability to lose defenders with his crossover is extraordinary. Just ask Jason Terry. Deron Williams can run the pick and roll with the best of them and is quick and strong enough to blow by defenders and drive to the rim. Or if his defenders so dare he can pull up for a jumper and get it done that way as well. He doesn’t quite have the raw athleticism that Derrick Rose has but Rose can’t hold a candle to Williams’ jumpshot.

While Steve Nash and Chauncey Billups might be better shooters Deron Williams is better than average from almost any range and has a TS% of around 57-59%.

DWill has that killer instinct and elevates his game when needed. He is soft-spoken which may come across as not being aggressive but he is definitely the leader of the Jazz and the players all respect him.

On defense, DWill has always been underrated. He is quite capable of playing lockdown defense and with his size he can defend even some of the bigger guards in the league (Kobe Bryant, Brandon Roy). He has good hands and has always averaged better than 1 steal/game. His omission to an All-Defense team is almost as unbelievable as only being selected to 1 All Star team.

He size and strength have made him more durable than many point guards. DWill has suffered only 1 injury in 2008 that caused him to miss more than a couple games. During the 2009-2010 season he weathered a number of minor injuries throughout the season and still managed to maintain good stats.

As a playmaker, he has phenomenal floor vision. The Jazz’ offense is directed around finding easy layups and dunks for players cutting to the basket. Time and time again Williams finds those players with ease. His strength and speed enables him to get into the lane where he punishes the other team with strong finishes or dishing to a cutting teammate.

DWill generally averages 10-11 assists/game with an assist/turnover ratio of just over 3:1 which is very good. Notwithstanding, he doesn’t take care of the ball as well as Chris Paul. In this category, he has the most room for improvement. But he’s only 25 years old, his best years are yet to come. While the same can be said about Chris Paul and Rajon Rondo, they are still behind Deron Williams in a very close race.

Deron Williams is the most complete point guard in the NBA. Does that mean the same as “best”? Most definitely. When you look at total package and abilities, no point guard can do everything Deron Williams can as competently. Some PGs are better at one thing or another, but no one is as complete.

Basketball is a multi-faceted sport. The best offensive players don’t make the best overall players because offense and defense are required from all players. If you wanted offense only, you might go with Steve Nash or Chris Paul as your #1 choice but then you lose out on the defensive end. No other point guard in the NBA can do everything as well as Deron Williams can. For this reason, Deron Williams is the best point guard on the planet.

Neil muses about the Utah Jazz for the UpperBowlJazzFan. If you disagree or want to debates sports follow him @UpperBowlJazzFan and for all else @iNeils.

May 18th, 2010 by ckirkham

Never has there been more speculation and conversation about a player’s free agency than with LeBron in 2010. From the start of the season to his last game in Boston, every blog and sportswriter has been guessing, analyzing and theorizing about where LeBron might take his game. This blog is no exception. We’ve got our tinfoil hats and our crystal balls and we think we’ve made some pretty good decisions about where he should end up. As far as it goes we think that he could likely end up on either the Bulls or the Knicks or stay with the Cavs. We’ve compiled some strong arguments for each. To start things off, here are 5 good reasons for Lebron James to go to New York.

1. It’s New York.

Would you rather live in a penthouse on the Upper East Side and play on the biggest stage in the world or live 30 minutes from your hometown in a city full of cursed sports franchises? New York loves LeBron and LeBron reciprocates. If the Knicks were to sign him, he’d keep doing what LeBron does- Amazing us. Only now he’d do it for one of the most well-known sports teams in the most well-known city in the world.

2. Supporting cast: David Lee/Toney Douglas

Everyone talks about how the Knicks will be a bad place for LeBron because there’s no one on the team. While it is true that the New York Knickerbockers have done everything they could to shred their roster and increase their cap room, they still have some solid players. David Lee is one of the hardest working centers in basketball, and, game in and game out, leaves everything he has on the court. After his rookie season, Toney Douglas is looking like he’s going to shape up to be a solid guard- especially with shooting around the perimeter. If you add LeBron to the equation, he can either dish it to his big man under the hoop or swing it out to his guard or take it to the hole himself. The best part- The team is young and has room to bring in another veteran player for LeBron.

3. Mike D’Antoni

D’Antoni is one of the most unique and clever coaches in the NBA, and his 7 second offense is perfect for LeBron. D’Antoni has been waiting for the 2010-11 season ever since he signed with the Knicks, because now he can start coaching a real team. Even if they don’t get LeBron, D’Antoni will turn whatever they end up with into a competitive powerhouse. Another plus is that D’Antoni and James already have a coach/player relationship after the 2008 Olympics, showing that they can work together and win.

4. Chasing the dream

Could you imagine having the God-given talent, charisma and body that LeBron James has and ending up thirty minutes from where you went to high school? Have you been back to your hometown and seen your old friends from high school that still hang out? They’re a regular bunch of winners, aren’t they? LeBron is haunted by the fact that he still lives at home essentially. He’s the face of modern basketball all over the world and he’s still living at home essentially. The boy has the skills and the drive to play anywhere in America, and you can see in his eyes that he wants to go where the stars shine brightest.

5. A King-Size Throne for a King-Size Ego

I may have already covered this in point one, but it should be underscored that the kid has game. Statistically speaking he is hands down the best player on the planet right now (especially if we leave all of that leadership and drive and intangible stuff out of the conversation). Moving LeBron to New York puts him in a prime position to be what he has always dreamed of being- the biggest star in the world. New York will cheer for him. There will be parades. He will have instant access to the world’s premier advertising agencies. He will constantly be available for cameos in movies, TV shows, commercials, ESPN headquarters. He will be the center of attention in the Big Apple. He could potentially bring NY their first basketball championship since 1973. As much as I’d like to think that there might be better opportunities for him elsewhere, New York will offer him one thing nothing else has yet- immortality.

Chris Kirkham is a professional blogger and video producer with a B.S. in Journalism. He hates the Lakers more than any team in any sport in any country on earth. Even more than the Patriots. You can follow him on Twitter, if you’d like, or argue with him in the comments below.

April 21st, 2010 by Chase

Simply put, Kobe Bryant has taken a beating over the course of his career. His unique career has given him the opportunity to content for a title nearly every single season of his 13 year career. This has made Kobe’s career so special. But with experience in success there is a toll. Kobe Bryant’s body is like a set of old tires that are 10,000 miles past tread. But you already know this. So I took some time to gather some statistics to display just how long and grueling Kobe Bryant’s career has been. These statistics are leading into and not including this seasons playoffs.

175 Total Playoff Games Played

Just to put this into perspective for you, another player drafted out of high school who entered the league 1 year before Kobe is Kevin Garnett who is also experiencing the effects of old age has played in a total of 73 playoff games. More than 100 fewer than Kobe Bryant. 6 NBA Finals experiences, 4 NBA Championships. 175 Playoff games played. That’s one hell of a resume. But it comes with a price. It can take a huge toll on the body of any athlete. In many ways Kobe and Tim Duncan share this problem. Duncan has played a total of 160 playoff games, and we have seen the effects of his wear and tear for several years now.

The only other player that matches the total playoff games stat is Shaquille O’neal with 203 total playoff games. But this stat comparison between these two players can be misleading. Historically players at the Center and Power Forward positions have been able to sustain longer careers because of the lack of athleticism needed for their positions. Guards and Small Forwards like Michael Jordan for example experience much more wear and tear than players like Kareem Abdul Jabaar who played 20 years in the NBA.

1,021 Career Games

That is an insane amount of games. People will usually look at the number of seasons a player has been in the league to prove durability. But the real statistic is number of games played. Yes Shaq has been in the league for 19 years, but he has only played 149 more games than Kobe because of all the games missed due to “injury”. Or laziness whichever you prefer. Only Shaquille O’neal, Jason Kidd, and Kevin Garnett have played in more regular season games amongst current active players.

2 Years of Basketball Madness!

When analyzing the wear and tear of Kobe Bryant the athlete, look no further than the past 2 calendar years. Summer of 2007 Kobe Bryant trains with the US Olympic team and plays in several Olympic qualifying games to help restore Basketball dominance in the U.S. In the 07-08 NBA season Kobe led his Lakers to the NBA Finals (21 post-season games) and lost to the Boston Celtics. A few months later (summer of 08′) Kobe travels plays in another 18 games including the Olympic games in China to help bring the Gold Medal back to the United States.

A pretty busy 1 1/2 year for Kobe Bryant right? Oh but he doesn’t stop there. He leads the Lakers back to the NBA Finals in the 08-09 Season (23 more playoff games) to help capture his 4th NBA ring. All that accomplishment and hard work in just 2 years time. That on top of a 10 year resume that already included 4 NBA Finals appearances and many, many playoff battles for the ages.

Nobody in the NBA has more wear and tear on his body than Kobe Bryant.

Nobody works harder at his game than Mr. Bryant.

And yet the guy is still somehow, despite all the odds competing for yet another NBA championship this summer. With all this you should however understand one thing. Kobe’s body may be failing him with a few big injures (ankle, knee, two broken fingers etc.) but his mental will and determination is what makes him a champion. Don’t expect any of this wear and tear to keep Kobe from winning number 5!

But it leaves us all wondering, how many years does Kobe Bryant really have left in the tank? Of course we would all love him to play forever. But even the games greatest eventually step down. I know I will be enjoying every second of the time this guy has left in his illustrious NBA career.

And remember these last 2 statistics when having your next G.O.A.T conversation. The great Michael Jordan played in 1,072 total career regular-season games and 179 total playoff games. Kobe Bryant will surpass him in both these statistics.

February 7th, 2010 by Chase

It’s not going to be a walk in the park like it was back in 2000-01. It’s going to be a grind to the end. With fellow contenders in the West Denver Nuggets and the Celtics, Cavs, and Magic all lying in the East this year will be much tougher than last year. And that is why there are 10 things the Lakers need to improve on if they want to repeat as champs this year 2010. Here they are:

1. Better Defend the Point Guards

It’s no secret to the entire NBA that the Lakers have troubles guarding quick, penetrating point guards. Derek Fisher isn’t getting any younger. And Jordan Farmar is simply incapable of shutting down the opposing teams point guard. Every contending team has a point guard that gives the Lakers trouble. Billups, Mo Williams, Rondo, and Jameer Nelson. If the Lakers don’t find a way to fix this problem, they could be going home early.

2. Trade Vuyacic and Morrison

These are two players on the roster who are not capable of helping the team at all. They are both “shooters” who can’t shoot. Morrison is tradable because of his $5 million or so expiring contract. The only way you could get rid of Vuyacic is by packaging him with Morrison’s contract. This needs to happen before the trade deadline for so many reasons. Mainly because they could bring in a PG that could help with the problem mentioned in #1 of this post.

3. Get Kobe and Artest Healthy

Pau and Bynum have had some minor injuries this year. But Kobe Bryant and Ron Artest have been playing through some serious stuff. Kobe with his knee, back spasms, broken index finger, broken pinky, and bum ankle all need to be somewhat healed to get ready for the playoffs. Artest with his busted finger, and Plantar Fasciitis in both feet need to be healed. I don’t think I really need to explain how these two guys being healthy affects the Lakers.

4. Get Bynum to Play Defense

Not sure what coach PJ and the crew need to do here to get the big man motivated defensively. But I know one thing is for sure, it cannot be offensive touches that gets him motivated to play defense. He needs to learn to bring it every night. Bynum needs to learn a few things from Kendrick Perkins on how to play defensive and make an impact on every game by doing so.

5. Integrate Ron Artest Offensively

Not sure how long this is going to take, but the Lakers don’t have but a few more months longer to figure it out. The offense struggles when he’s on the floor. And for some reason it seems like he’s always having to settle for 3’s. He’s a great post-up player. They need to look for him a little more in the post and get him a little more offensive minded.

6. More Post Up’s For Pau Gasol

Instead of feeding the ball into Bynum, the Lakers need to feed the ball into Pau more to take advantage of his size against other Power Forwards in the league. I think I speak for every Laker fan when I say I would like to see Pau be tougher inside against the smaller PF’s. When Pau has a size advantage there is nobody in the world who can guard him.

7. Need Bench To Build Leads

The Lakers bench has been inconsistent at best this year. In order to keep the starters healthy this year, the bench is going to have to step up their play and build leads so the starters can get more rest at the end of games. And in the case of the tougher matchups in the NBA, the bench needs to at least help maintain the lead built up by the Starters. This is critical to every championship team and the Lakers are currently not doing it.

8. All-Star play from Lamar Odom

Even though he comes off the bench, he’s still the 3rd best player on the entire team! When Lamar is on his game he is doing everything. He’s scoring, rebounding, and he’s even your best defender on many nights. When he is playing at an All-Star level and Kobe is feeling good, the Lakers are nearly impossible to beat.

9. Continued Great Play from Shannon Brown

The word I like to describe Shannon Brown’s play this year would be “refreshing”. He plays hard on both ends of the floor. He can finish around the rim as good as any Laker. And he’s not afraid to take a big shot when asked. If he can continue to play this way throughout the rest of the season and into the playoffs, it definitely increases the Lakers chances to repeat.

10. Home Court in the West

The Lakers need home court against the Denver Nuggets. That’s what this is all about. The Nuggets are a tough team to beat at home in the high altitude, and the Lakers are sure to meet up with them at some point during the playoffs. It wouldn’t hurt to get home court throughout by beating out the Cavs either considering the type of home team they are.

January 27th, 2010 by Chase

I always find it interesting how every season, NBA experts always find a way to jump on some other bandwagon than the one’s that are actually the best in the league. Experts and fans are always so quick to count out teams early in a 82 game season, and even quicker to anoint some new team as the “team to beat”. Over the past 2 seasons that team has been the Cleveland Cavaliers. As soon as they start playing well, you get to hear idiots like Tim Legler on ESPN rout off bogus statistics and evaluations that somehow prove that they are the new hot team in the NBA!

I have one very important thing to tell everyone! Don’t sleep on the Lakers or on the Celtics! Are they playing their best basketball right now? Of course not. But assuming KG and KB24 stay healthy, you better believe it’s going to be these two teams in the Finals in June. I’ll bet my Wife’s little Pug/House Dog whose name is Benny on it! Okay I really won’t because my Wife would kill me, but I really do want to get rid of him so if you have any ideas please do let me know.

The Boston Celtics Are The Best in the East

I don’t want to hear statistical arguments as to who the best team is in the East. Let’s be honest with each other. With a healthy Kevin Garnett, there’s nobody in the East who can get past Boston in the Playoffs. Even without KG the Orlando Magic were barely able to squeak by the Celtics in the playoffs last season. And as good as LeBron James looks some nights, his dominance disappears against that KG led Boston Celtic defense.

It’s pretty obvious the Celtics are giving KG the rest he needs during the season and not pushing him to hard. They are saving him for Playoff time and a return to the NBA Finals. Not matter how good of a regular season LeBron James and the Cavs have, they don’t have what it takes to beat the C’s in a 7 game series.

The L.A Lakers Are The Best in the West

We thought the Denver Nuggets would have dominant season and continue what they ended last year. We thought the Spurs by adding Richard Jefferson would recreate the dominance they had earlier this decade. Neither of these two scenarios have played out. The fact is that when push comes to shove, the real competitors for dethroning the Lakers are in the Eastern Conference. The West just does not have anyone competitive and good enough to challenge the Lakers.

Expect the Lakers to lose some weird games now and again. They are the defending champs. They are going to go through their share of injuries, as well as their ups and down’s while still trying to integrate Bynum and Artest into the Offense. But just like the Celtics, when Playoff time rolls around this team will be fully prepared for a repeat championship.

Does Either Boston or L.A Need To Make A Trade Before The Deadline?

In my opinion yes they do. Both teams have fantastic starting 5’s by are lacking some depth on the bench. Both teams have bench players who in previous seasons provided solid play (Glen Davis, Sasha Vuyacic etc.) but have games that have mysteriously vanished from the face of the earth. The Lakers appear to need more help off the bench at the Guard positions while Boston appears to need more help in the Frontcourt off the bench. Look for both of these teams to make 1 deal that will strengthen their benches before the February trade deadline.

January 22nd, 2010 by Chase

The Lakers loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers last night finished off a season sweep of the Cavs over the Lakers. In the big part 2 of this seasons much anticipated showdown between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, it was LeBron who individually got the better of Kobe this time around scoring a game high 37 points and adding in 9 assists. Kobe’s numbers were no chump numbers by any means, adding in 31 points. But it was clear that when the 4th Quarter came around LeBron was “out for blood” and took over the entire last 8 minutes of the game.

Quick Thought: Phil Jackson sat Kobe Bryant out during the 4th Quarter and all the way until 5 minutes left in the game. Not sure what his thinking was with this. Between the 8 and 5 minute marks is when LeBron James got going offensively. In my opinion PJ made a big mistake not putting Kobe back in the game at the exact same time Cleveland put LeBron back in.

Some Thoughts on the Kobe/Lebron Thing

It’s been obvious the past two seasons that Kobe’s athleticism has slowed down tremendously. Add that with the incredible never before seen athleticism of LeBron James and you can see how LeBron can dominate Kobe in a game physically. The best example came from TNT’s Kenny Smith at the end of the game where he described LeBron as someone who “goes through you” to score the ball while Kobe “goes around and over you”.

It’s obvious to me that Kobe Bryant is still transitioning to the softer, older mans game and is not fully comfortable dominating a game with it just yet. There will be a time, just like with MJ where Kobe will feel more comfortable dominating the game with turn around jumpers. But we witnessed tonight how Kobe wants to match LeBron with athleticism but just unable to do it. The ability is just not there for the athletic style game. LeBron wins that battle any day of the week.

Warning Kobe Fans…There Will Be Haters

I’m putting out a warning to all Kobe Bryant fans (myself including) that there will be Kobe Haters approaching you today boasting how LeBron is the better player after his performance last night against the Kobe and the Lakers. But remember that it’s just 1 game. And like Chris Webber and Kenny Smith were quick to remind people at the end of the game on TNT’s Inside the NBA, until Kobe can be dethroned as a champion he’s still the best player on the planet!