Real Deal

Ouch.

No, it's not a sim league, it's a set offense. There are most definitely scoring options, prioritized in an offense. Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich have mentioned scoring options quite a bit, most recently in a Phil Jackson interview talking about how Artest can be a legit 3rd or 4th option on the team. It's the same concept as a go-to guy in the fourth quarter. In fact, some coaches mark up ideal shot attempts per player, and use them on the whiteboard to tell their team who all needs to shoot, and who needs to limit their shots. Phil has done it with Chicago, and Brown did it with Detroit. Balanced offense makes for preserved energy and fluid scoring...some players can't take 20 shots per game, some can. And, regardless of that, I still don't see why it would be bad to take a potential 15/8 player (walking into his prime) with one of the first three picks.

Honestly, I stopped reading when they said LeBron, Wade and Bosh to the Heat.

Nah, you actually stated this: Five or six spectacular seasons? So those numbers I posted weren't spectacular enough? So, again, Shaq was the leader of the 2006 Heat? Kareem led the 1988 championship Laker team with 15 PPG and 6 RPG? He led the previous championship Lakers team with 18 PPG and 7 RPG? So why isn't he getting enough credit for the previous five years, when he was putting up nearly 30 in the playoffs, with much better rebounding and assist numbers? This is usually the problem with people that hate Kobe Bryant. They have to run straight to what Shaq did, yet they don't realize that Bryant has put up Jordan-like numbers in two of those championship runs. Kobe, Phil and Shaq were all equally important to the dynasty. Kobe ran the offense, took the most shots, and scored almost as much as O'Neal, all while defending the best player on the floor, while both Kobe and Shaq didn't do a damn thing until Phil took over the team and put Kobe in charge of the triangle. Facts are hard to work around. It's all right there.

17th? Bynum was the 10th pick in the 2005 draft. And again, I don't see how those aren't all-star numbers, if you're going to say he has the potential of being another Andrew Bynum. Minus injuries, and as a primary or second option, Bynum is most definitely an all-star player...not to mention he basically is an all-star as a third option on the Lakers. If a team was guaranteed that Cousins would be averaging 15 PPG and 8 RPG before he reached his prime, that would most definitely be worth a top three pick.

If you're saying he's going to be injured throughout his career, that's fine...but otherwise, you're basically saying that Cousins could provide a team with 15 PPG and 8 RPG, 30 MPG, 57% FG (around those numbers), and that's doing it as a third scoring option. I don't see the problem with that, at all. Cousins an all-star? That's a bad thing?

Shaq led the Heat in 2006? I guess I didn't watch basketball that season. You can talk all you want about Kobe not having a major hand in all three of those first rings, but the fact is, you still can't give me a "Robin" that put up anything CLOSE to 28.5 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.7 SPG in a season (second ring) or 25.2 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 5.5 APG, 1.2 SPG in the third championship ring...not to mention he took 20 FGA per game the second run, over 23 FGA the third, 46% FG or better both times. Or his playoff numbers... 2000-2001 Playoffs: 29.4 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 6.1 APG 2001-2002 Playoffs: 26.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 4.6 APG (and this was through injury, funny enough) Similar to LeBron's 25 PPG, 8 RPG, 8 APG when he got into the Finals in 2007, as the leader of his team. Similar to Jordan's 31 PPG, 6 RPG, 8 APG when he won his first championship, or his 31/5/4 in the fourth run, 31/8/5 in the fifth, 32/5/4 in the sixth. Sure looks to me like Kobe was much, much more than a second fiddle. Until you give me numbers proving otherwise, I guess there's nothing else to debate.

1) If, for some insane reason, the Wizards get the second pick as well...you take Turner. He's going to be a much better professional than Cousins. If not, I'll gladly eat crow with 95% of the other pro analysts that think the same as I do. Who cares where Arenas plays in the lineup at that point? When you have the chance to take two potential superstar players in the draft, you push the overpaid borderline all-star aside (not baiting, that's what he is when he's healthy, in my opinion). 2) Gilbert won't be traded. As I stated in another topic, he's getting paid until 2014 (if I recall correctly), and that contract is a HUGE chunk of change.

Man, I will go ape[expletive] if the Lakers decline a Bosh/Bynum trade. C - Gasol PF - Bosh/Odom SF - Artest SG - Kobe PG - who cares Maaaaannnnnn.

Yeah...he should have a Finals MVP, to be honest. He was grabbing boards over Shaq, keeping Bryant out of the paint, and contesting everything anyone put up...while Billups beat up on an old Payton. As far as the HOF goes, probably not...but zero chance is pushing it a bit. Bad thing is, Dennis Rodman should be in the HOF if Wallace is considered, since Rodman is arguably the greatest defensive player in NBA history.

Would make sense, really...but I still think that vibe will come to a close once the Wolves go after that #2 hard. Cousins has potential to be a borderline all-star within the first 3-4 years of his career, but he takes a backseat to Evan Turner in this year's draft, no matter who is picking.

Publicity. If he deserved that scholarship, so did I.

Like I said on TLN, greatness is a combination of hardware (championships and other awards), individual accomplishments, and overall player ability. Kobe is JUST OUTSIDE of the top five greatest players of all-time. Four rings and fewer MVP and Finals MVP awards set him outside of Jordan, Magic, Bird, and Kareem...and if I'm not taking into consideration the type of players, and number of teams, there were in Wilt's era, he's ahead of Bryant as well. If I do consider the lack of competition in that era, Kobe is #5 on the list. As far as overall player abilities, Kobe ranks #1a, and Jordan is #1b. It's that close. Bryant has more ways to score the ball and a better post game, Jordan is a bit better on defense BUT it's really only because Kobe plays his own zone defense. When locked in, Bryant is as good as MJ on defense. As of two seasons ago, I wouldn't have said Kobe is the better overall player...but things definitely changed. Bryant did exactly what Mike did when he lost his athleticism, and combining that with the things I mentioned in the previous paragraph (and Kobe's extra range on his shot), I can say Jordan is still the greatest player, but he's not the most skilled anymore.

The Brooklyn Tankers.

Not only that, but Bynum isn't really involved in the triangle as well. Quicksand, once the ball goes into him. Against Boston, Ron Artest will prove to be the biggest difference between the 2008 Lakers and the 2010 Lakers. Garnett had his struggles with Gasol two years ago, and with Gasol playing much more physical and better, things won't change. Bryant will get his without Posey and Ray doubling him. We don't have Radmanovic defending Perkins down low. Things will be much different.

I don't get Avery's...

I'm not sure if we actually underestimated you guys. We basically "overestimated" ourselves, if I can make sense of that. We were a finesse team that believed we could win playing that style of basketball, but our lack of physicality is what lost us the series. Our fault? Partially, but Boston was just too damn good. I truly think Ron changes that, greatly, especially against Paul Pierce (who isn't a fast and youthful player). After watching Kobe lock up Westbrook so well, I'm not sure how much I worry about Rondo, either. The mess will come from Garnett and Allen (and by that, I mean both Ray and Tony), but I'm fully confident we can take a Boston team easier than the Magic, based solely on match-ups. It would be nice to have a 100% Bynum (because of his physical presence in the post), but hell, we haven't had that in our last two playoff runs, so I can't expect it now.

TIME: 8:30 PM EST TV: ESPN

TIME: 8:30 PM EST TV: TNT

Four years? Man, that could be a mistake. Why give ANYONE other than a championship coach a four-year deal when your franchise has flip-flopped through their share of bad coaches over the last decade?

1) Gun to your head...you have to have a favorite NBA team. Pick one, NOW. 2) You write for one newspaper/website on a professional level (not OTR). Which do you pick? 3) ESPN Magazine, or Sports Illustrated? 4) List the following in order, based on their defensive abilities, all in their primes: Bruce Bowen, Ben Wallace, Shane Battier, Jason Kidd, Raja Bell, Andrei Kirilenko, Shawn Marion, James Posey, Tayshaun Prince, Ron Artest. I know you'll enjoy this question most, lol. 5) Full beard, goatee, mustache, or nothing at all? 6) If you had to take one shot to win a championship Game 7, what one NBA player would you want defending you? 7) Everyone is suddenly required to change their first name. What would you change yours to? 8) Who is the best defensive player you've ever seen play? 9) What's a special talent you have? 10) What's your favorite song out right now?

Chris Paul is a top two point guard in the NBA, and while Wall has the potential to be as good (or better) than Derrick Rose (similar play, better defense), we're talking Chris Paul. I just don't see how you say no to that.

Kobe isn't the same as he was two years ago? I'd like to think he's as good, or better. He just hit a playoff career high in assists in one game, and had six-consecutive games of 30+ points, one of those with 40. We also saw him lock up Russell Westbrook, badly, after he was manhandling Derek Fisher and Jordan Farmar to the point where we were losing games because of it. Crazy enough, he's doing it with his index finger wrapped in a cast. Kobe has never truly regressed, with the exception of his athleticism...he has just had some major injuries throughout this season, and the healing process took over just in time.

There would be a riot in New Orleans if they traded CP3 for that #2, doesn't matter who was included. The only way CP3 is traded for a pick in this draft is if Washington deals their #1 and Mike Miller for him. Minnesota could stick Al Jefferson out there for trade bait, just depends on the return. That might happen, actually. They want Turner, badly.

Makes a lot of sense, really. Long, missed jumpers make for long rebounds, quick transition baskets: basic basketball. Those Kobe/Gasol pick and rolls are hurting Phoenix, too. You know what's funny about this series? Offensively, it's almost like the Lakers are playing Suns basketball, beating them at their own game. It's true that we are getting a massive amount of points in the paint, but we are nailing threes and utilizing that PNR to near perfection, and we're scoring 120+ as if we were playing Golden State. This is an excellent sign for us, though. Our offense has been questionable the entire season, ranked 10th or worse. Inconsistent play, injuries, major shooting woes...and most of it was during the second half of the season, with Bryant's troubles, Ron's pathetic shooting, and even Gasol struggling a bit. The rest really did us good, though...and a lot of trash-talking by the media and other players (ex. Barkley on Kobe, Amare on Odom, media on our heart), it really turned our game up a notch as well.