Real Deal

Chris Paul never ignores an opportunity to flop.

Honestly, he needs to sit out the entire season. I didn't have to have surgery on my ankle, but it's terrible, even today, after busting it up in high school. I still have a hard time pivoting and jumping, can't dunk anymore, less elevation on my jumper. On NBATV, they were making it sound pretty bad, that it was very serious. If he had special shoes made for him (didn't know this), and all of those treatments and surgeries have yet to keep him on his feet for an extended amount of time, that's a major issue he's going to have to tend to. If there's no structural damage, and it's bad enough to keep him out of games...he needs to sit until it's fully healed, then sit some more. Give it extra time.

Kobe got drilled on that last drive to the rim, but Drew went ahead and made up for the no-call with the game-winning block. EDIT: Kobe's game-winning block as well, lol.

Gasol 4-12 FG. Bynum 3-11 FG. Kobe bossing it with 31 PTS, 11-19 shooting. Thank God for Kobe.

Nasty dunk. If Landry could be that aggressive every game, he'd be a very tough player to deal with night in and night out.

That was sick. No defense to really do anything about it, of course, but that pass is very hard to throw accurately, and it was money when it left his hand.

Here are some interesting numbers... 2011-12 Lakers Kobe: 23.7 FGA/G Rest of team: 55.4 FGA/G Gasol and Bynum: 25.0 FGA/G 2010-11 Lakers (first round exit) Kobe: 20.0 FGA/G Rest of team: 62.4 FGA/G Gasol and Odom: 24.6 FGA/G 2009-10 Lakers (championship) Kobe: 21.5 FGA/G Rest of team: 64.7 FGA/G Gasol and Bynum: 23.6 FGA/G 2008-09 Lakers (championship) Kobe: 20.9 FGA/G Rest of team: 64.3 FGA/G Gasol and Odom: 21.9 FGA/G I'm not so sure it's a single player that needs to step up, or that Kobe needs to do less (meaning, he needs to settle down), it's the role players surrounding our big three. And here's why you're seeing less shot attempts from them (part of the reason, possibly the biggest reason): remember, this offense is four out, one in. That means that the center position (or, the big man, could be the PF if we had a shooting center like Okur) digs deep into the post, catches the ball and attracts doubles, kicking it out to shooters. This is why we brought in Kapono, who really, is not fit to play big minutes...but he's a shooter. We also drafted the best shooter in college basketball, Goudelock, who is not a true PG (what we need now). Troy Murphy has a jumper, and good range, so we brought him in. Josh McRoberts can shoot, so he's on our roster now. Here's the problem, and all of you know what I'm going to say: Drew is not creating out of the post. Kobe's responsibilities are creating for himself and Gasol. Because he does not get to the rim like he used to, and because Drew is embedded in the paint, Bryant has a different role. If you watch closely, he has been directed to work off the ball with Steve Blake, setting a quick screen, then receiving the pass in the post OR giving him perimeter position for a post-entry to Drew (or Gasol, if he's playing center). Bynum and Gasol are taking more shots than any #2 and #3 we've had in years. The problem is the rest of the team. With Ron now moving out of the post (to make room for Drew), he's ineffective on offense, which is why he's on the bench a lot more. Our perimeter guys are just standing around, and it's really not their fault...without swinging the ball, which the Lakers aren't that great at, these guys won't get their shot attempts because there are two effective ways to create for three-point shooters: out of the post, and penetration. If we can't get those two, it's going to be the Kobe show, and Drew/Gasol sideshow...and that's really about it, not so much the Lakeshow.

Cleveland desperately needs size up front. The Utah frontcourt destroyed them last night. Jamison and Varejao won't get the job done.

Rudy Gay ruined this game for Memphis. I still have no idea why this guy got that massive contract.

LeBron passed up shots in the 4th, and by the time he decided to play hero and win the game, he bricked two big shots. Sounds like the poster wants LeBron to play the way he did in Cleveland, but that will take him right out of the post. Whatever, though.

Golden State was screwed out of that loose ball that was clearly out on Bosh. If you take a look at the shadow coming off the GSW player's hand (forgot what player it was now), you can tell he was about a half a foot from touching the ball, and it never did change spin or direction after Bosh touched it (and it would've, as the Warriors player was coming down with his hand, Bosh poked at it). I have no idea how the Warriors came back, either. I turned the game off earlier (well, I was watching the Lakers anyway, but I stopped flipping back and forth). Just astounding. Dorell Wright was on a mission against his former team tonight...funny how players always seem to do that. I'm sure Odom will tear us up for about 20/15 in his return to LA.

Yeah, you really don't need anyone to tell you guys that, either. I just looked at who you've played...OKC twice, Lakers, Clippers, Spurs, Hawks, Magic, Grizzlies. The game tonight (Bobcats)...I would've picked Houston, since Charlotte really has no identity yet. I figured you guys would win that Memphis game, but if I recall correctly, that was the one where Pargo and Pondexter were playing like they wanted to be permanent starters, and Josh Selby wasn't so bad, either. Hard to really counter something like that, and still have to defend Randolph and Gasol in the post.

Kobe, since the bad game he had against Denver (where people said he was done, should stop shooting so much): 1/3/2012: 37 PTS (14-29 FG), 48.3% 1/5/2012: 30 PTS (13-24 FG), 54.2% 1/6/2012: 39 PTS (13-28 FG), 46.4% 1/8/2012: 26 PTS (11-22 FG), 50.0% 1/10/2012: 48 PTS (18-31 FG), 58.1% Yeah buddy.

Why (how) is Luke Walton crashing the boards so well?

Kobe went off in that first, 17 points on 8-11 shooting against Grant Hill, the same guy that held G-Wallace to one point the other night. Kobe should defer, though, most definitely. He's no longer a great player, just second in the NBA in scoring with a mangled hand, new tear in it...all good.

Hard, or effectively? You may have to single out Nash and Dirk, unless we all come to an agreement that non-superstars can be MVP's.

The Raptors were 12th, defensively. That wasn't because of Chris Bosh. The same stuff was said about LeBron in Cleveland, also...but he had defensive players and shooters surrounding him. Too many people are undervaluing what it means to have the correct pieces around an all-star player. If you really want to see what Bosh does when there's a lack of talent around him, go look at his 33-win season in 2009. That was when TJ Ford was gone, Calderon was the permanent starter, and they didn't have a true center...and the coaching change didn't help, either.

None of the best PF's in the NBA play defense, unless you think KG is still on top...and he has declined quite a bit. Amare is a solid shot-blocker, been that way most of his career...but he has never really played defense. There's more to it than that.

Gasol is being pushed down to a third option scorer, struggling on the defensive end and having trouble giving us what we need when his number is called. Dirk is struggling. Amare is having a ton of trouble shooting the ball, still not that great of a rebounder, horrible defender. It's Kevin Love and Blake Griffin...one of the two. Depends on which one I'm watching on TV at the time, lol. If LaMarcus was a better rebounder, I'd have him in there as well.

He's better than Joe. I can't say Ellis is better than Kobe or Wade, but everyone else? He's probably third, since Manu is out.

This. It's always going to depend on the young players. Even the most successful coaches have trouble reaching them. Take a look at LeBron, Wade, and Melo during the Olympic games, when Larry Brown couldn't get them on the same page. Flip it around and see what Brown did for Iverson in Philly.

It could be a mistake trying to play him every game of the season. See Tim Duncan and the Spurs. I don't see how the Heat wouldn't be able to get a top two seed in the East without him. Chicago could probably cause them some trouble near the end of the season, but aside from the Bulls, I don't see another team sneaking in.

I hope you don't mind me adding another option. An all-star big (Gasol) and a superstar big (Dwight) are two different things. Superstars carry a franchise, and are considered MVP candidates, for the most part. All-Stars could be reserves (like Pau, in LA...or Kevin Love).

All-Star ceiling, if you consider the numbers he's putting up. His attitude, and defensive lapses, are what will prevent him from being a superstar big man (and there's only one superstar big in the league right now, anyway).