Real Deal

LOL that was so close...and I wasn't rooting for anyone in that game, yet I was jumping up and down like I was a massive Butler fan. If the Zags would've hit that shot, I would have done the same thing, lol. KU almost lost today, to Texas. Stupid KU. They are ranked #4, but they get to where they nearly blow games because of poor decisions and turnovers, JUST like they did last season. They had five consecutive turnovers that led to a huge run by Texas, down 11 in the second half to them...but they score so well, and they play defense when they need to, and it always works out for them in the end. It helps that Texas struggles to close out games. This was our season last year, too, and we marched to the national championship, haha. Just how we play, I guess.

The interview didn't help him at all...no cameras and no voice recorders. That was just dumb, to me. And the answer he gave about why he didn't go see her in the hospital or at her funeral, that he just didn't think about it...that's just ignorant.

Unguardable? Durant is my second favorite player, but nah...he's had a couple of guys who can really turn his game upside down. He hasn't changed THAT much over the last couple of years, aside from being a better passer...and when Ron Artest could still move around, he really gave Durant problems with very limited help. In the second-to-last playoff series we had with them (and Durant won a scoring title that year), he struggled big time. 7-24 (.292) 12-26 (.462) 8-24 (.333) 6-12 (.500) 5-14 (.357) 5-23 (.217) Shawn Marion did a number on him in the final three games of their playoff series in 2011, also. Fortunately for KD, Ron and Marion are aging pretty damn fast, especially Artest. It would have been different if we wrapped a zone defense around him, like Boston used to do other superstars (Kobe, KD, LeBron), but we just gave him Ron to deal with. --------- Once we dive into NBA history, it's hard for me to say Durant is a better pure scorer than Kobe Bryant. He's a better pure shooter, but as far as scoring arsenal...come on. Durant doesn't have a post game yet, and that's a big deal to me. I busted LeBron's chops for years because he didn't have one, and I finally gave him props (and he finally won a ring) the year he implemented one into his game. Kobe had one of the best scoring seasons since Wilt. Durant isn't there. Durant's 52 was only his second 50+ point game of his career (and 52 is his career high)...while Kobe has had 24 of them, with four 60's and an 81 that you remember.

Meaning, all of their cops? LOL no.

That's all on paper, dude. Ron Artest is taking more FGA/G than Howard, Nash, and Gasol. Kobe is still averaging 30 PPG. We are shooting more threes than 27 other teams in the NBA, but are at a league average in percentage. We are turning the ball over far, far too much. We can't make free throws. How is offense not a problem of ours? Defense is the biggest problem we have, but our offense is dragging our guys down, having to chase down players on the break off of turnovers and long boards, and just having to play in a system that doesn't work with who we have (and I'll continue to stick by this as long as we're losing, because Howard is not being featured out there). Did you watch the Miami game? 16 turnovers in the first half, leading to around 20 Miami points. Given they shot around 2-19 from outside the paint in the first half of that game, and basically made everything inside, you'd think the entire course of that game would have been changed if we didn't turn the ball over in that first half as many times as we do an entire game. Our decisions on the offensive end most certainly alter how we play (or are forced to play) defense. That has been a part of basketball for years.

Camden still has people in it? EDIT: Not just in the ground.

The same way they did limit you with nasal spray, so you don't use it to make large amounts of meth. The same way Apple limited people to a couple of iPhone 5 purchases. The way some grocery stores put a 40-liter limit on pop/soda not too long ago (and I believe there's still a limit, and I have no idea why). I really don't know how they can determine that...based on average rounds used for hunting in a particular time frame, or whatever. Collectors wouldn't need to buy 6,000 rounds of ammo. That doesn't make sense to me. And hunters wouldn't use that much, unless they are hunting gnats. If it was up to me, really, I wouldn't allow anyone to buy anything a SWAT Team member would wear. http://www.opticsplanet.com/gh-armor-systems-gh-delta-5-vest-lite-3a-tan.html What is the need for that? And why even want it for $1,700? I'm sure there are collectors who would love to get their hands on missiles, rocket launchers, and other fascinating weapons...but sometimes, you have to understand why it's just not available.

Hard to adjust the Nash offense to accommodate a player that played the four-out, one-in offense in Orlando catered to him being in the post (Howard) and another who has led his team in assists almost every year he has been a starter (Kobe). The adjustments would have to be made by our two superstars if we keep the current offense, and that's bullshit, in my opinion. You don't tell the superstars to adjust, you force the role players to adjust...and Nash, being a 50/40/90 shooter and supposedly a genius on the offensive end, should be able to adjust to play in half court sets. What adjustments can they make? MDA doesn't like to post up players. MDA isn't the right coach for this team, period. His brother, as the assistant, follows his lead. We don't have a defensive assistant coach, other than Steve Clifford, who came from Orlando...and I don't think he knows what to do without a Stan Van Gundy above him, but that's irrelevant at this point. It's not for offense. Trading Gasol means we can start someone else at PF (like Earl Clark, if we don't get back another PF), and it makes us a better defensive team. As it stands, we have three dreadful defenders on this team: Gasol, Nash, and Jamison. At least Jamison and Nash make attempts to play defense...Nash chasing around Ray Allen all game long, Jamison contesting and trying to do something on that end (even though it's just sad). Gasol is a lazy POS.

I'm honestly on the fence about it. Like I was saying, my main issues were to force everyone into background checks, both public and private buying...and then making sure that fully autos are staying banned. Not really part of the discussion so far, but I don't think it's right for anyone to be able to buy 6,000 rounds of ammo, either, or advanced ballistic gear.

Let's jump to another issue, since I had people from Kansas messaging me and talking their heads off about it. Would you be in favor of allowing fully automatics? Because we really don't need them...but why not allow us to buy them? That argument doesn't always work with everything...unless you're in favor of them, and I don't know very many people that are, outside of the nutcases in this state who would hunt people like they do deer if it was allowed.

PPG =/= good offense, though. We are 3rd in 3PTA/G...yet shoot average from three (last time I checked, it was 15th in the league). Missed threes create long rebounds and ignite fast breaks we can't stop. We are 24th in turnovers. Our turnovers do the same, igniting breaks. We are 29th in free throws. We aren't even top 10 in assists. ALL of that is offense...and not only that, but we have to rely on Kobe scoring 30 a night, on 48% FG, for 39 MPG (which is FAR too high) to win our games or even come close to it. Our fast pace, and Kobe/Dwight nearly 50 together each night, is why we score 103 PPG, not us having a very good offense. Ron Artest is attempting 11.3 FGA/G. That's more than everyone NOT named Kobe Bryant...more than Dwight, Nash, Gasol, and Jamison. That is a problem. ----------------- Yeah...we don't defend well, either. We're ranked 21st, defensively...but just two weeks ago, when Miami had the best record in the Eastern Conference (and I believe they still do), the Heat were ranked 23rd on the defensive end. The Knicks (who are 2nd in the East) are ranked 16th right now. If we had a better offensive strategy, that catered to our two best players, and we stopped launching threes mindlessly, we would have less turnovers AND would have to worry less about long boards. It may not turn us into one of the top five best defensive teams in the league, but we wouldn't be in the 20's, either. Trading Gasol would seal the deal on the defensive end, and then running a different offense would put us top five offense AND top ten defense in the NBA. That's where we need to be.

First time the Bucks have won in Phoenix since 1987 or 1988. That's hilarious, and shocking.

Gives MDA and Nash more of a reason to run the same offense they did in Phoenix. That's why that ship has sailed for me long ago, plus us not improving on the defensive end. Additionally, regardless of what anyone thinks (including me), Jim Buss doesn't want to be stuck with an extra $23+ million on this roster in the summer of 2014. Currently, only Nash's $9.7 million is on that list. Everyone else expires or has already expired before the 2013-14 season...and there's a reason for that. Amare will be making $23 million in 2014-15, and Novak will have his contract for two seasons AFTER that summer. Very, very bad news for LA. With that in mind, honestly, I'm going to safely assume that's the last thing the Lakers want to do.

That video was when Amare averaged 25 PPG and blocked two shots a night...two years ago. He's now putting up the worst numbers of his career.

LA would be a MUCH better offensive team if we played to our superstars' strengths. Last night, the Nash P&R was pathetic. He can only play in one system...and play in it REALLY good...but that system doesn't fit here. Slight offensive upgrade, major defensive downgrade losing Ron. Even though he doesn't defend like he used to, he's 10x the defender Novak is. I already feel like we've been trying to turn this team into the Phoenix Suns. Even if we were to win 60 games every year, that's the last thing I want. It's a championship-or-bust mentality until Kobe retires OR declines to the point where he's not able to drop 20 a night anymore (he'll retire first). THEN we start rebuilding around Dwight, or another star. Brown and D'Antoni have been two bad choices. I didn't oppose bringing Nash in, but only if we didn't try and build our offense around him. Now, he's feeding shooters that we don't have, he's not getting the ball into Dwight at all, and he's not taking enough shots when he has them wide open...and I don't get the logic behind it. He says we should feed Dwight, but D'Antoni comes out saying things about how Gasol can stretch the floor, this team can run, Ron can shoot as much as he wants when he's open...and I'm just thinking about how dumb everything sounds. Bernie Bickerstaff may not have had an offensive system in place, but he kept Brown's defensive system AND told this team to win based on the talent they can put out there on the court. Turnovers were down, we were structuring somewhat of an offense around Kobe and Dwight, Nash wasn't even playing (injury), and we looked much better out there.

Lakers fans have brought it up, but we'd only trade for Amare if we were a good defensive team already. The worst thing about Gasol isn't that he's so reluctant to shoot, but that his defense is as effective as a cup of water for an apartment fire, and Amare is no better. I'd love to have Novak, though, simply because we have no three-point shooters outside of Nash (who refuses to shoot them).

There's no doubt in my mind that they are looking to trade Pau Gasol and Ron Artest, but with Gasol, I think the Lakers are looking for far too much...and that may ruin any potential trade we can make with him included. And what team would want Ron Artest now? He's not a great defensive player anymore, he is probably too unstable to play for any team other than the Lakers (can't imagine how he'd act if he left LA and Kobe), and he puts the ball on the floor FAR too much to drive to the rim.

This is funny, especially with the two girlfriends/wives involved.

And while I'm in here, I was frustrated with Kobe's shooting the first three quarters...really pissing me off...but Gasol's defense is so [expletive]ing pathetic. He is literally afraid of contact. He whines AS the player gets to the rim. He won't contest any dunk attempt, and he rarely gets at layups. Our P&R was demolished tonight, also. Nash was holding the ball for nearly the entire shot clock...and I've never, EVER seen Nash do that in my life...not for THAT long. He was passing it over to Kobe with five on the clock, looking for a bail out, or slinging it clear across the court to Ron Artest or Antawn Jamison. If we don't fix our P&R issues, and if we don't start playing through a Kobe/Dwight duo rather than Dwight/Nash and Kobe ISO's, we're not going to make the playoffs...and that's just talk on the offensive end.

The Kobe of today, yes. LeBron missed nearly every single longer mid-range jumper he took tonight, it seemed...even wide open ones...but when you get 500 screens and have no defense waiting for you in the paint (not even sure where Howard was for a lot of it), you're going to drop 40-point games with ease. It didn't help that Earl Clark has no idea how Bron plays (let him drive to the rim by defending his left?) and Ron Artest is pretty much done as a defensive player. James is a freak of nature. Durant is closest just because he has the range Kobe has, but he doesn't have the passing ability yet, nor does he have a post game.

Kobe brings us back from the dead with 13 in the fourth...but on the last two possessions, doesn't even touch the ball once.

Yeah, I'll do that and put up Elton Brand, one of the greatest Clippers players to ever live.

EASTERN CONFERENCE http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/735144_10151306603018463_692693187_n.jpg Team Boston Heat + Carmelo Anthony WESTERN CONFERENCE http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/398135_10151306762853463_1037067387_n.jpg Team LA + Kevin Durant

Changed the title a bit, so it points out it's from ESPN (for Twitter and Facebook).