Real Deal

Other than the trial, which was in 2003, why do you hate Kobe? Unless Kate Faber was your sister or you're related to Vanessa Bryant, I don't see the reason for it. LeBron's actions have all come within the last 1-2 years. Danced around that ONE game? He did it in almost every win they had. Which game do you think I was talking about? The most severe instance of it was against the Bulls...but even Cavaliers fans on RCF thought it was annoying and embarrassing throughout the season, also...and that was when he was leading them to 60+ wins. My point is, Bryant's image has been repaired, beyond a shadow of a doubt. There are still fans who are flipping out about the 2003 incident, but it has nothing to do with them, their team, or the game...so clinching something like that for so long is a bit weird, don't you think? But if LeBron and the Heat beat the Lakers on Christmas Day, and he's dancing around the court (he probably won't because Riley would put a boot in his ass), that would give me another reason to hate him. You can hate Kobe the person...but we're talking what Carmelo and LeBron are doing to affect more than one team in this league (LeBron and multiple teams, Melo and Denver/NY/NJ). There's a big difference between what you do well outside of a basketball court, and what you do that affects the game of basketball and the fans who both support, and don't support, your play and your team.

Bryant wasn't playing bad early in the season because of the hand, though. He was coming off his knee surgery. He almost missed the home opener. The knee is fine now. You can't be overplayed just 20-25 games into the season unless you're playing 45 minutes per game AND asked to shoot 20+ times. Gasol has a hamstring issue, the same one he had last year that caused him to miss part of the season (the beginning of it, actually), but it's not bad enough to keep him off the court this time around. You predicted the last two Lakers championships...but there's no relevance to that because I did as well, and so did many Lakers fans who think we're going to win our third consecutive title. There was no point in you telling anyone you predicted them. Good for you...it doesn't add legitimacy to your current prediction because you're not the only one in that boat. So, with a similar starting record produced in their last 2-3 seasons, and the fact that they have come from behind to win a lot of their games this season...you really think the Jazz can beat a healthy Lakers team? They were swept last season. We have knocked them out of the playoffs for the last three years, where their record against us in the post-season has been a combined 12-3. What makes you think Al Jefferson changes all of that? No Boozer, no Brewer to defend Kobe, undersized...there's nothing that would make anyone think that.

Yeah, that's true. I think it would be best in Nash's system because he can curl off a pick and roll, go straight to the rim and look for a pass. Never really has to handle the ball if Nash is dominating it. Teams would have to adjust to him just to fit him into the lineups, and that may be why he's been a disappointment.

I know all of that. It's not about LeBron going full speed to the rim, it's him running the offense or dictating what they are going to do back down the court. When he gets a defensive stop or rebound (or steal, whatever), he can run the break, slow it down and drop the ball to Chalmers, bring the ball up himself, whatever. He could play off the ball and demand it, then take a jumper or drive and kick out to James Jones. Basically, a play is ran through, or for, LeBron. I actually thought this was most evident during that Hornets game. I watched it last night, and it's basically how they are doing it. I'm not sure if it applies to anyone else other than the big three, though...because I saw Chalmers get a couple of nice stops on one end, then become invisible on offense back down the court.

They are going to have to beat the best teams in the NBA before they are considered the best team in the NBA. Sorry. The entire Celtics team would chuckle reading that, and I'm pretty sure the Spurs, Mavs and Lakers would all do the same.

The Decision had everything to do with basketball. Just because it was physically "off the court" doesn't mean it didn't. You don't seem to grasp the concept there. Kobe's trial did not change the league. The Lakers were still a threat. Bryant came right out of a trial, missed part of the Denver game (where the trial was being held) and hit a game-winner to beat the Nuggets that same night. It had absolutely nothing to do with the game of basketball. You're being ignorant. No NBA player, that is in this game right now, has raped or murdered anyone. If they robbed someone, I sure don't know about it...and they haven't done it recently, or we would know. It would be frowned upon, but it has nothing to do with the game of basketball. Plus, that's a crime. You go to prison for those three. Cheating on your wife isn't. Weird that you would put those three in the same discussion, though... Nobody cares if you criticize Kobe's game, or even how he is as a person...but you're not going to call him a rapist, just like I wouldn't allow anyone to call Gilbert Arenas a murderer because he possessed a gun in the locker room. Don't become Diesel. He did the same garbage, hating Bryant so much he resorted to ridiculous comments that weren't true, and it's considered baiting. I'm pretty sure you don't want people to think you're our next Diesel.

I guess stem cells are being used to repair retinas (they are in trials with it, anyway). Let's get this done. I don't care the political party or religion. This is so important.

We were under the impression that the league was going to be dominated by point guards this season. Has anyone else actually noticed the numbers these PF's are putting up? Amare Stoudemire - 26 PPG, 9 RPG, 3 APG, 53% FG Dirk Nowitzki - 25 PPG, 8 RPG, 2 APG, 56% FG Pau Gasol - 20 PPG, 11 RPG, 4 APG, 51% FG Kevin Garnett - 16 PPG, 10 RPG, 2 APG, 54% FG Kevin Love - 21 PPG, 16 RPG, 2 APG, 45% FG Blake Griffin - 20 PPG, 12 RPG, 3 APG, 51% FG David West - 19 PPG, 7 RPG, 2 APG, 53% FG Luis Scola - 20 PPG, 9 RPG, 2 APG, 51% FG Zach Randolph - 18 PPG, 12 RPG, 2 APG, 49% FG Lamar Odom - 16 PPG, 10 RPG, 3 APG, 58% FG Chris Bosh - 18 PPG, 8 RPG, 2 APG, 50% FG Josh Smith - 16 PPG, 9 RPG, 4 APG, 50% FG Al Jefferson - 17 PPG, 9 RPG, 2 APG, 47% FG Elton Brand - 16 PPG, 8 RPG, 2 APG, 52% FG Carlos Boozer - 16 PPG, 8 RPG, 2 APG, 50% FG LaMarcus Aldridge - 17 PPG, 8 RPG, 2 APG, 44% FG David Lee - 15 PPG, 10 RPG, 4 APG, 45% FG Tim Duncan - 13 PPG, 9 RPG, 3 APG, 48% FG What player(s) stand out the most for you? Pau Gasol, Kevin Love, and Blake Griffin are the three 20/10 players out of the bunch (Gasol is at 19.6 PPG though). Dirk Nowitzki and Lamar Odom are the two shooting over 55% from the floor. Pau Gasol, David Lee and Josh Smith are the three averaging four assists per game (of course, numbers are rounded off, Lee is at 3.8).

I'm not sure if 21/6 and 47% FG is good enough to get it if you combine that with Toronto's 9-15 record. If scoring was so important, Monta Ellis would've most certainly made it last year. Dwight Howard Andrew Bogut Roy Hibbert Andrea Bargnani Joakim Noah Brook Lopez Al Horford That's basically the list of centers who will be considered for the ASG, representing the East. Howard is automatically it, and it's not even close. The East will drag one more center into the game, and I'm not sure if Bargs even has a shot.

Yeah, it's been an on/off thing with me. I don't know if I want Drew out there for very long. Gasol needs rest, and it would take some pressure off of Bryant if Bynum can score at least 10 points...but with his history, you have to worry that a 4th or 5th knee injury is to come. If our entire roster is healthy, including Drew, we will win our third consecutive NBA title.

Nope. The Heat are deciding who takes the next offensive play down the court by what they do on the defensive play prior to that possession. For example, if LeBron plays tough defense on, say, Durant...and then he also pulls down a board, it's basically his defensive play. He gets to bring the ball up the court and do whatever he wants...whether that means him driving to the rim, dropping a three, or making a play. And, yes, this isn't a joke...they are really doing this. It's a system that sounds fun, but won't be fun against teams the Heat will need a pre-planned offensive strategy against (ex. when they get into the playoffs).

He's on a 60-win team, and by the numbers, he's more than likely the best player on it. According to the criteria, he's a legit contender for the MVP award. He may not be the best player in the NBA, but he should probably win the award based on how it has been given out in the past.

All of his on-court problems are resolved. LeBron's aren't. Maybe he'll change, and I'll change my mind about him again...but I doubt it. Off the court, it's nobody's business but his and his family's. Not mine, not yours. All of LeBron's problems were tied into basketball, which gives me every right to say what I want. That's the definition of an on-court act. This LeBron love-fest you have going on was never, ever in sight until you started hearing about the possibility of him going to Miami, so don't start digging deep for compliments when you weren't looking for them 2-3 years ago, when he and his Cavaliers would've kicked the living [expletive] out of Wade and the Heat in the playoffs, if they had a chance. And, Kobe didn't rape anyone, and you won't last here if you continue saying it, because it's baiting Lakers fans. Don't get too out of hand, like you did at RSZ (already notified by three people from there a while back). This is definitely not the place for it, and I won't hesitate to pull the plug...no big deal at all for me. Mods, you know what to do if it happens again.

LeBron has some good-looking shoes, not so found of his new ones, though...but I have never put on a better pair of shoes than the Kobe II's (Adidas). Most comfortable shoe I've ever worn, and I've cycled through plenty. I had a black pair that ended up tearing on top (long story, but it had nothing to do with the durability of the shoe), and so I purchased the white pair, and I really wish I had another. Kidd also came out with some shoes not too long ago that were really comfortable. Ignore the image quality, lol... http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs082.snc1/5004_97856511652_502396652_2448604_4962305_n.jpg And these are right up there with every other shoe you can possibly name off... http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs102.snc1/5004_97854566652_502396652_2448586_4346534_n.jpg Ha. And yes, the Christmas shoes that Bryant will be wearing are ugly as sin.

http://www.otrbasketball.com/beat.mp3 You can sort of tell where I merged it, but that's because of the song and where you asked to restart it from. And, I added a fade at the end, song is around 5:30. http://www.otrbasketball.com/beat.mp3

Randolph needs to be stuck at the small forward position. He's absolutely horrible at the five (meaning, even worse than he is at the four), and I don't know why anyone would want him to play center. He's a SF/PF, and he belongs in an offense that will run him up and down the floor, taking advantage of the smaller SF's that would have trouble defending him when he goes up to finish the break, or coming off a screen and getting the mismatch (like the Suns did with Diaw). It's kind of weird when I mention Diaw...because it's sort of the reverse of his career. Diaw was being played as a smaller player in Atlanta, sometimes playing the two-guard position, and he came to Phoenix and played PF/C with Nash and became more productive. Randolph needs to downsize a bit, play more like a small forward than a center...but maybe Nash's system (yes, his system, not Gentry's) will do him some good. For Phoenix, it's not ideal because they are still going to lack a true power forward up front, but the idea of a pick and roll with a "big" that has more length than Warrick? It could be good for both the team and Randolph.

What happened? I haven't had my league pass all night long...kind of pissed about it.

Dude, his knees would be giving out much earlier if he was driving to the rim more often. How many years did Jordan last again? That's right...13 full seasons, two of which he was not contending and a leader at the end of his career with Washington. Kobe is on his 15th, leading a contender to what could be his sixth ring. Bryant and Shaq were done, no matter what Kobe was shooting from the floor. Kobe, driving to the rim and in his prime, would still be ousted in the first, second or conference finals (which would be insane if he got there with the team he had) post-Shaq and pre-Gasol. It's no surprise you bring Jordan back into the discussion. I'd be surprised if people aren't sick of hearing about him by now. If there's any way I could ever start to hate arguably my favorite player of all-time, this would have to be the way to go about it. What claim? For one, this topic is NOT about his shooting percentages from back when he was young or in his absolute prime. It's not about Michael Jordan, just like it wasn't about LeBron James earlier. Not about any of that. It's about his injury, creeping back into the picture when we don't need it to. Yeah, I wanted Kobe to average 40/10/10 on 60% FG and shoot 90% from FT and 50% from three, but I'm pretty happy with his five rings, his 35 PPG average, his 81-point game, his four-consecutive 50's, his defense, and the rest of his scoring. It's obvious none of that is good enough for you, so I'm sorry you're drowning in the Jordan love-fest again. For one, I actually represent a team under my avatar, and I've been repping them even through the 2004-05 34-win season, and the two first-round losses without Shaq. I've wrote countless season previews that are longer than what anyone has ever written, that I've seen on a message board, for the Lakers. I also moderated one Lakers site for two years, and now I've administrated one for another two years (and put up the forums as well). Don't bother ever telling me I'm not a die-hard fan of this team. Just because I don't live in Los Angeles and didn't have my parents telling me who to root for doesn't mean I'm not a fan. I had to find someone to root for, and some reason to do it. As far as me not giving credit to Gasol... http://thelakersnation.com/forums/index.php?/topic/44938-who-would-you-give-mvp-to-on-the-lakers/page__view__findpost__p__808197 That was when he was playing out of his mind...and I even stuck Odom over Bryant. Please, get out of the topic if you're going to do that garbage, dude. That's a complete slap in the face, and you have no ground to stand on.

Well, it's stopping him in his last two games, a total of 16 points on 7-32 FG (3-16 tonight and 4-16 the previous game).

Memphis was actually down three heading into the fourth quarter. Then, Portland proceeded to drop a nasty nine total points in that last 12 minutes. Z-Bo hits another 20-20, fourth of its kind with the Grizzlies. Portland falls below .500 and says hello to the Grizz out in the .400 slot.

http://sports.cbsimg.net/u/photos/basketball/nba/img14438635.jpg Haha. And look at some of these shooting numbers from the Pacers (who were without Granger, meaning it's time to chuck!)... Rush: 5-17 FG (29.4%) Dunleavy: 5-14 FG (35.7%) Collison: 4-12 FG (33.3%) Posey: 2-10 FG (20%) Hibbert: 2-7 FG (28.6%) Jones: 1-4 FG (25%) --------- Total: 19-64 FG (29.7%) That's under 30% shooting. If it wasn't for TJ Ford (5-10), Josh McRoberts (3-4) and Damon Jones (3-6), I don't know if the Pacers would have scored over 50 points, lol. Leading scorers were Ford and Rush, 13 each.

$50 million over a 6-7 year deal (not sure how long the contract is) comes out to around another $7-8 million a year. That's a lot of money.

You stated otherwise in this post, dude... Bryant driving more to the rim would result in more physical damage. It's not up for debate, it's a fact that has been proven by many, many players over the years. Developing a consistent jumper throughout practice and hard work? Did Kobe never work hard enough? I don't remember forcing you to post in it. Lakers fans should find it interesting because it's an issue he has been dealing with for quite some time now, and now all three fingers (instead of just one) are swelling up. But, of course, it's Kobe...and you'll be in the topic no matter what it's about, right?

Wow, what? I can't believe he turned down that cash.