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Archive for February, 2009
February 11, 2009 at 7:43 am · by bteitelbaum · Filed under Lakers, Rants and Raves, Stats
As we all know by now, Kobe and LeBron tore up Madison Square Garden in back-to-back games last week, prompting reinvigorated debate over who is better. One of the many persistent arguments used by King James backers focuses on passing ability. They claim that LeBron is far superior at getting his teammates involved and creating easy shots for them. Furthermore, the stats back them up; James averages 7.1 assists/game, as compared to Bryant’s 5, and the Knicks saw them drop 11 and 3 dimes, respectively.
I don’t deny that LeBron is a fantastic passer, and I’m not going to contend here that Kobe is better in that facet of the game. However, I will say that the above argument ignores a vital piece of the big picture. I have read a lot of sports articles recently, and not one has mentioned the LAKER’S PASSING ABILITY AS A TEAM. Kobe gets a ridiculous amount of “hockey assists” – plays in which he makes the second pass before a bucket, or in which his pass directly leads to someone else’s assist. How often have we witnessed the following chain of events: Bryant gets doubled or at least draws help, then Bryant passes to a big (Gasol/Odom) in the high post, then that big goes high-low to another big (Gasol/Odom/Bynum) who finishes the play. It happens all the time. Although this hockey assist stat is not recorded, it is a crucial aspect to a team’s offense efficiency. Kobe and LeBron average practically the same amount of shot attempts per game (20.9 – 20.3), so it’s not as if Kobe is looking to score significantly more than LeBron. And whereas Kobe’s passes may not lead to direct baskets as often as LeBron’s passes, I would definitely argue that Kobe puts his team in a position to get a good shot as much as anyone in the league.
Check out these stats:
- The Lakers are the second best team in the league in terms of total assists, at 23.2 per game, while the Cavs sit at lowly number twenty-four, with only 20.2.
- Only two Cleveland players aside from LeBron average more than 1.7 assists/game, while Los Angeles has six who do it besides Kobe.
- Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Ben Wallace, and Anderson Varejao dish out a combined 3 helpers, while Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Andrew Bynum dish out 7.4
- Ilaguskas averages 15.1 shots per 36 minutes and makes 50% of them, while Gasol makes 56% of his 12.3 attempts.
If Pau shot the ball with the same frequency as Big Z – that is to say, if he hoisted up a midrange jumper every time he got the rock after a pick-and-roll – Kobe would definitely average more assists per game. But Gasol is more circumspect and tries to find the best shot possible for his team. In fact, most of the Lakers play that way. Thus Kobe’s specific assist totals are relatively modest.
So let’s not forget that Kobe knows how to move the ball and is a willing passer. He’s shooting the best percentage of his entire career because he’s forcing things less than in past years. He now completely trusts his teammates, and that’s why the Lakers are the best offensive team in the league. And obviously there are still nights when he just feels it and wants to score. Please stop preaching critically about Kobe’s scoring in garbage time against the Knicks. If you had the opportunity to break the MSG scoring record, you would totally gun for it. Don’t even pretend that you wouldn’t. Just because you could never shoot 19-31 or go down in hoops history doesn’t mean you should begrudge Kobe.
For visual evidence that Kobe (and the Lakeshow) can drop dimes, see the video clips below.
Behind the back
Showtime
Ridiculous
February 8, 2009 at 3:48 pm · by bteitelbaum · Filed under Rants and Raves
Who remembers RealTV? That horribly fascinating old show that displayed videos clips so mind-bogglingly grotesque that you never wanted to watch, but for some reason you couldn’t turn away. (And I feel like the grammar in the previous sentence was questionable, but it is what it is. At least that’s what pro athletes say all the time.)
Well, I think I’ve discovered a modern-day equivalent. ESPN Gamecast – it is the most frustrating, upsetting thing to watch, and yet it is totally mesmerizing. I never before needed to turn to Gamecast for my sports fix. Living in a American world of sportsbars and Tivo, I was able to watch any and every basketball game I wanted. But, alas, my life in Barcelona isn’t quite as cushy. Due to a 6-hour time difference from the Eastern Time Zone, along with a lack of ESPN and only a moderate love of hoops, I have seen nary a game. Instead, I have often had my eyes glued to that constantly updating, little black box. And it doesn’t make me happy.
Several nights ago, I returned home at 4 am from a night out and immediately checked the Lakers-Celtics score. An intensely competitive battle, it was a two-point game in the third quarter. I turned on Gamecast, merely intending to monitor the game while I brushed my teeth and got ready for bed. I was exhausted and had to wake up at 10 the next day, and staying up to watch a game’s written transcript didn’t really seem worth it. But of course, my love of basketball trumped my love of sanity/health/happiness. There was some type of peremptory compulsion that forced me to sit in that cold pitch-black room, staring at my computer screen. I just needed to know what was happening in real time, even though I knew my curiosity about the game would not actually be satiated. Two miserable hours later, when ESPN finally logged Ray Allen’s final missed shot in the Lakers overtime victory, I wasn’t physically or mentally able to enjoy the important win.
I see Gamecast as a George Bush-esque figure. I hate how much power it has over me, how I can’t escape its influence, but I know there’s nothing I can do until its official time is up. And when I come home from Barcelona at the end of May, when I watch my Lakers physically run up and down the court, the game will be that much sweeter.
February 2, 2009 at 8:53 am · by bteitelbaum · Filed under Rants and Raves
Every year there is an enormous hullaballoo surrounding the NBA All-Star game. Some people act so personally offended by certain selections and snubs, as if the integrity of the game is being compromised. I don’t take it quite that seriously, but I do have some thoughts on the teams this year.
- It’s stupid when people make the following case: “Ray Allen got snubbed. He’s had as good a season as Pierce or Garnett, and he’s just important to the Celtics.” (Read the Ray Allen paragraph here.) For years, this argument has been made regarding Tayshaun Prince’s situation with the Pistons. It is useless to compare all-star resumes of players on the same team if they play different general positions (such as guard or forward). Ray Allen was competing with Joe Johnson for a spot, not with Paul Pierce. If you want to make a case for why Ray Allen, or maybe Hedo Turkoglu, deserves to be on the squad, just tell me why he is worthier than other guards, not than Pierce or Garnett. I know it is natural to think about all the components of great teams in relation to one other, but let’s be more aware and critical of the way we react to things. Because that thought process should not apply to all-star selections.
- What about the perpetual discussion concerning sick ballers on terrible teams. Here is an excerpt from an interesting recent article on ESPN’s Truehoop: “If you’re a great player on a losing team? Consider yourself warned that becoming an All-Star is not just about working out and being talented, as Chris Webber suggests. The riddle you have to solve is also about figuring out that whole team thing, which is kind of messy. But it’s a team game.” THE ALL-STAR TEAM IS NOT THE ALL-NBA TEAM!!! For sure, being named an All-Star is an honor, but the game is more entertainment than anything. The All-NBA team is the proper place to reward those who have attained both individual excellence and team success, whereas I believe the All-Star teams should be made up of the players who have personally performed the best. I know I know… You’re going to say that any number of players could score 25 a night for the lowly Pacers like Danny Granger does. Maybe that’s true, but it isn’t an actuality. Granger happens to be on the Pacers, and he happens to be a total beast. He is a definite All-Star, yet I contend his team’s futility would prevent his making an All-NBA team. I’m a huge Lakers homer, but I would put Al Jefferson on the squad over Gasol (and David West).
- I’m interested to see how the pick-and-roll between CP3 and Amare works. Nash and Amare used to kill everyone with it, but it hasn’t been as effective this year. Obviously the defense is much less serious in the All-Star game, but I wonder if Paul’s use of Amare will highlight specific points of Nash’s decline.
- I wonder if there are any prop bets out there for who will posterize Yao. LeBron? D-Wade? Dwight? I sure hope someone totally jams on his head.
- Kobe and Shaq are back on the All-Star team together, and Shaq has recently said that their feud was all marketing. Interesting… I hope to see an alley-oop like Game 7 against the Blazers.
- I hope Brandon Roy and Joe Johnson don’t get shafted by the coaches. There is always that one player on each team who plays only 10 minutes or so, and I have a feeling that these 2 are candidates for that role. But they are two of the smoothest players in the league and a true joy to watch.
Hopefully I find a nice Irish pub to watch the game. Unlike many people, I find it very entertaining.
No news on the Euro-baller just yet. All I can say is, everyone here loves Pau Gasol.