Real Deal

You mean like the Pick N Roll game, or...?

Walker just struggled all game, partial credit to Louisville's defense...but he was missing a lot of easy shots as well. UConn was #5, so this will most certainly bump KU up the ladder again. That's all I care about.

First it was Luke, and now it's Oden. Bill wants everyone to retire and live in Utopia with him.

Wooooo! That shot was CLOSE though. He had a man open...not sure about the 30-footer, but oh well.

If you're watching the Georgetown/Nova game, you're amazed by those traps. Incredible.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20110128_MIL@TOR

As the article says (the one I just posted to end the first page of discussion), most of that was in Bryant's "dark" years as a player, the selfish Kobe that was going through the feud with Shaq, or the one that didn't have any teammates (when he was in what you would consider his ultimate prime). Over the last 2-3 seasons, Bryant has been passing the ball more in clutch situations. However, watching the Lakers over that time period, I've seen Ron Artest blow a lot of shots. Gasol won't even shoot a clutch shot...just a put-back. Odom will stand there and wait for his opportunity to take a three. They are all NBA players, but that doesn't mean they are clutch. Fisher is the exception, but he's also shooting 38% or so from the floor this season, has been horrible in regular season play since I can remember, and only shows up in the playoffs nowadays. So Kobe's 11-22 on game-winners (or clutch shots) since 2009? Do we still call Jason Kidd the best point guard in the NBA? Today (and in my opinion, for years), Kobe is the best in the clutch. Hard to change my mind when I've yet to see anyone do it better, arguably just Jordan.

And much, much more... http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2011/1/28/1961684/how-to-be-statistically-biased-henry-abbott

...huh? I don't even get what you're asking. One-on-one, Kobe would shoot a far better percentage in late-game situations. I don't see how anyone could ever disagree and try and argue the fact that he receives more defensive attention than anyone else in the NBA in late-game situations, and it's not even close...but okay, we get it. Melo rules. Point was, today's Bibby is higher on that list. Would you take today's Bibby over Bryant if you were down by two, less than 24 to go? This stuff reminds me of those horrible, garbage +/- stats, the ones that support Kobe being the worst player on the Lakers.

Cool. Find me the ones he missed, and tell me who was guarding him. That's what I'm talking about.

Nobody defends other superstars the way they do Kobe on those last-second shots, and it's a fact. There are only two players I've seen, other than Bryant, in the history of the game, that require that defensive attention: Jordan and Shaq. And, surprisingly, teams didn't double Jordan on any game-winning shot I've ever seen from him. Of course, I haven't seen them all, but I've watched plenty of Jordan and have seen a relevant portion of his game-winners, live or in clips. People made a big deal about him not passing the ball when he threw up a ridiculous shot attempt versus the Nets a long time ago, basically triple-teamed. I'm sorry, but Odom airballed a game-winning attempt around that time (maybe it was that season), Walton looked scared and blew the game against the Knicks when he was given an opportunity to do something with it, Kwame Brown can't even catch a basketball, and I don't need to take any additional steps trying to tell you about the rest of his teammates. Aside from Shaq, who was almost always doubled and being sent to the line late in a game, and Robert Horry, the Lakers didn't have anyone to hit those shots. Fisher started coming up big after the dynasty. Were we going to rely on Slava Medvedenko to hit a clutch 18-foot game-winner? Please. The dude can say what he wants, but I'll still put the ball in Kobe's hands at the end of the game. If he's got just one person on him, there's a good chance the shot is going in...and in a situation where a double is forced, there's absolutely nobody in the NBA that can hit them like Kobe can.

Really good view of it, from the crowd (start at 1:44). Hilarious.

He played in Golden State and Utah, though.

Name: The Double Flop Category: Other Clips Date Added: 28 January 2011 - 04:19 AM Submitter: Real Deal Short Description: It's rare, but it happens View Video

When I'm defending point guards, I have to look up at their eyes before they show me they are going to make a move with the ball. It's the only way I know when to gamble on defense, and what may be going on behind me. Also, a lot of guards will follow the screener with their eyes, and that helps me figure out where he's going as well. Ever rip a player when he's looking up at the clock? It's a smart move to ban them, in my opinion.

Makes me appreciate some of the true Heat fans a little bit more.

LOL.

I had 3-4 major eye surgeries, where they actually had to cut into my eye with a scalpel, re-align my retina, scrape out scar tissue, and burn sensitive blood vessels, so I was just making a point. To me, the sun looks five times larger, and headlights in the dark force me to slow down to about 10 MPH until they pass. And adding a skin is a lot of work. I don't use anyone else's designs, so I'm not going to go out and purchase one, or go grab a free one. Designing a dark skin is much more difficult than a light, and that's not even the problem. The main thing is that all team forums are forced skins...so even if you had a dark skin selected, any time you click a team forum (ex. the Heat), it would override your skin setting, no matter what.

A little surprised that Miami and Dallas aren't in the top five, actually. EDIT: Nevermind, they are #6 and #7, lol...close enough.

Dude wasn't messing around out there. Seemed like he was hungry to knock off the undefeated.

Yep.

Udoh was probably their ideal defensive anchor. He was a very good defensive player at Baylor, especially blocking shots (can't be too sure, but I think he was blocking almost four shots a game). Little lower body strength, so he wasn't going to hold his ground against stronger power forwards...but he was a very good help defender, and he had no problem as long as he wasn't playing those hefty back-to-the-basket PFs. Ed Davis was probably on their board as well.

Very good analysis. The Warriors are still that up-and-down team that can produce the offensive numbers to challenge you in a game, but their defense sticks them on the outside, looking in. They are 26th in the NBA, defensively, and it starts with what they lack up front. Golden State would be very tough to defeat with a good defensive anchor at the four or five, and someone like Curry could benefit from that as well when he's playing the two-guard position, being able to lead his man into help, instead of taking him on as an undersized two. That defensive anchor would also take a bit off of Monta's shoulders, giving him more room to produce on offense, which isn't even a problem as of right now. There's a lot to work with, but it all starts with bringing in that defensive anchor, in my opinion. I think Monta and Curry can get it done together, but not if both are gambling and giving up buckets in the same backcourt.

BFT covered everything I would've wanted to say, but keep in mind that people saw Blake Griffin as that player that "just dominated smaller college opposition." While Sullinger isn't going to be compared to Griffin (they aren't the same player), he can put in work and polish his game to be NBA-ready by the time November 2011 rolls in (assuming he declares). The potential is definitely there. If his work ethic follows, the transition will be a success.

I hate to say this, but my eyes are the most sensitive on this board, and it's a fact. And...I'm on this site probably more than everyone else.