Real Deal

Gay is their go-to guy down the stretch, and without looking, I'm sure he's also attempting the most shots by a significant margin, so basically, he's the guy leading the team, even if he's not as efficient as Randolph or Gasol. But, assuming they don't have a leader...well, that really tells me they aren't going anywhere, because it's very rare to see a team without a leader chase after a championship. You could point to the 2004 Pistons as the last team to get to the Finals without a clear-cut leader, but people will argue for Billups. Memphis would shock the hell out of me if they went to the Finals.

This is Kobe's team. Can't believe anyone ever suggested otherwise. It's clear as day. Pau Gasol is so worthless on the defensive end, also. Our fanbase has been killing him for about three years now, and it's so bad this season...doesn't help he was shooting 43% until the last couple of games, and he's horrible again tonight.

Just think about this for a second...aside from AJ Price and Jannero Pargo (in Washington), does any other team have a worse two-man rotation of PG's than us? Darius Morris Chris Duhon

Do you try and trade him, if you're the Sixers? Or, do you let him play out the season, give him the big contract...or let him walk?

Kobe brought that determined face out.

1) Ran up the score on a horrible defensive team that is now 0-5 (score of 179-104). 2) Shot the ball every 20 seconds (36 minutes, 108 shots). 3) His team has been trying to get him to score 100+ in a game (89 points in one last year). 4) Taylor's team wasn't playing much defense, either...because they allowed a guy to score 70 on them in the same game (with no threes) in a 40-minute game. I'm sort of impressed (because he made 27 threes), but sad that this has to go into the record books, because he basically had his coach and teammates rallying to help him get this record, and even when the game was out of reach, it continued. It's also D3. Most NBA players could go into a D3 game and score 100 or more, if everyone on their team wanted it...let's just stick that out there. I would slap my teammate in the face if he ignored me and took 71 threes in a game.

I agree, but just be prepared for the worst.

You could say that about almost any three-point shooting team in the NBA over the years, but a lot of them end up hurting by it (live by the three, die by the three). I can't say that Memphis is a three-point shooting team, though. They don't take that many...they just hit them at a high percentage, hit their free throws, and play pretty damn good defense. They could be a top four team in the West, but that doesn't mean much to me. As Nitro pointed out, it's hard to see them knocking off the Lakers, Clippers and Spurs. I'd put the Thunder in there as well, even though it seems as if Westbrook is far too selfish this season (it will likely change). I can't see a team, led by Rudy Gay, winning the conference.

Injured.

Eerily similar to things I used to hear and read about Shaq before the three-peat.

http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/185vzgyox9zrjgif/original.gif

Well then.

http://cdn.idolator.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/18/Christina-aguilera-american-music-awards-435x580.jpg

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20121119_MIL@CHA

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20121119_IND@WAS

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20121119_ORL@ATL

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20121119_DEN@MEM

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20121119_HOU@UTA

I hate reading articles about him. There was so much potential there, just like with Greg Oden. Both were two of my favorites.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20121118_CHI@POR

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20121118_BOS@DET

The Lakers are going to be scary good.

...and then Kobe just tore him up with that pump-fake.

Jeremy Lin with the Harvard flop.