Nitro

GREAT first half of basketball, one of the most entertaining halves of the year. It started off a little slow for Maimi, and ended a little slow for OKC, but overall it was pretty close the whole way through. I'm happy to see Spo using the Wade/Miller/James/Bosh/[insert C] lineup, the first time all year it's been used if I recall (at least the first time it's been used since Miller started to find his groove). Definitely looked really dangerous the few minutes they were out there, and if Spo is smart he will give that lineup extended minutes come playoff time.

Spo has to give Dampier some burn, and get Joel the hell out of the game. Miami is getting killed on the boards.

I certainly think it can beat a championship-caliber team in a 7-game series. If they don't win a championship, it will be because of the offense and them getting beaten on the boards. I think the Celtics and maybe Bulls have less defensive holes individually than the Heat do, but the Heat's defense is absolutely smothering. I don't know where their ranking is now, but despite their lack of frontcourt help, they were leading the league in points in the paint a few weeks ago (before the injuries to Wade/James/Bosh), and Wade and James are amazing at closing out and contesting 3pt shooters. If you defend the 2 most efficient areas on the floor as well as the Heat do when healthy, then you have a defense capable of beating anyone (and it's not like they have poor individual defenders, either). He can't be any less mobile than Z or Dampier, and he offers the size that Joel lacks. I don't know if he can be a legit starting C for the Heat because I haven't seen enough of him recently to form that conclusion. However, I do think the Heat should try him out. Worst case scenario is he falls flat on his face and never resurfaces in a Heat uniform again. Best case scenario is he gives them some of the offense that Dampier and Anthony lack, some of the mobility Z lacks, and some of the size Anthony lacks. With Z breaking down and getting very little PT, and Dampier in Spo's dog-house, I see no harm in giving him a whirl. If he works out, then the Heat have a rotation C on a rookie contract, who will give them important depth once Dampier and Z are gone this summer. They don't need an offensive big, but it certainly wouldn't hurt. Joel can't finish at the rim and is scared to take a shot (he won't even look for passes), Z isn't getting many minutes and doesn't finish around the rim unless it's off the offensive glass, and Dampier's in the doghouse and also isn't a strong finisher. I think having a strong finisher will definitely help out Wade/James, especially come playoff time.

I never said he wasn't an [expletive], but since he's gone to the Celtics he's tried a lot harder to play dirty and do things to get into player's heads. He did some of that with the Wolves, but he's taken it to a new level the last few seasons.

KG is an [expletive]. I used to love KG back when he was with the Wolves; in fact, the first authentic jersey I ever bought was a KG Wolves jersey (the black won) during his MVP season. Since he came to the Celtics, though, he has gone overboard with his on-court antics. He has become really, really hard to root for. With that said, I would love it if I was a Celtics fan. He gets in people's heads and throws them off their game with his dirty style of play. He gives the Celtics an attitude and extremely unlikable swagger that helps them be the team they are.

That is what's not to like. Personally, I think Smith would be a huge upgrade over what they currently have at SG, but I think they can do better. Even if they have to give up some of their valuable bench players like Gibson to get it done, it'd be worth it. I don't like the S-Jax idea because it puts them in a 'win-now' mode, and right now it probably wouldn't put them over the top. If nothing is available right now that could put them over the top, then they should wait 'till the offseason or next season's trade-deadline before they get something done. That's why I like the T-Mac trade idea; they'd give up virtually nothing for a veteran minimum contract that will expire this summer, and it could potentially have a high reward. It could also give the team a better idea of what will or won't fit at the SG position.

1) Yes, the team was built primarily on defense, but with an offense so impetent and such poor talent, they never had a shot to do much come post-season team. Bottom line is you need a legit 2nd option who can create his own shot, and need TALENT. The fact that LeBron could post 38/8/8 in a series and the team still lose in 6 games proves that. There is nothing, especially in his last 2 seasons, more that could have realistically expected one man to do. Besides a prime Jordan, I've never seen a single player carry as much responsibility as LeBron did his last 2 seasons with the Cavs...he did EVERYTHING. Even in the days where Kobe had to do everything with the Lakers when his team was [expletive], he still had a guy in Odom to take some of the ballhandling/playmaking responsibilities away from him, and Kobe didn't put half the effort defensively those seasons as LeBron was doing his last few seasons with the Cavs (that's not to say LeBron's better than a prime Kobe, but what LeBron was doing was ridiculous). On top of that, he had to score at insane volume and create everything for his teammates in clutch situations. And he besides the sheer volume, he did everything extremely efficiently. If LeBron couldn't win a championship with all the things he had to do, no one can. He simply needed more. 2) I mixed up seasons, I forgot Mo wasn't on the team in 07-08. But, the reason they only won 45 games that season was because of injuries/shakeups in personel...Hughes, Gibson, Gooden, West, Wally, Pavlovic, Varejao, Wallace and Marshall all played less than 60 games with the team. The fact that they pushed those Celtics to 7 games shows the team they really were. You are severely underrating LeBron's defensive abilities. I've watched almost every single game the Heat have played this season, and he's easily the best defender on arguably the best defensive team in the league. He is a bit flat-fooded, and coupled with his huge frame he can't be expected to lockdown some of the quicker perimeter players in the league. However, he is extremely smart defensively, and does a very good job on all SF's, and completely locks down the more physical SF's like Pierce. However, the real area you underrate his defensive impact is with his help defense...he does far more than those chasedown blocks. He completely denies passing lanes, makes sharp rotations, and he contests 3pt shots off ball movement that 99% of SF's wouldn't be able to get to. To me, his work with his help defense is far, far more valuable than if he was simply a lockdown defender; along with Wade, they can shut down offenses without being a prime Artest with their on-ball defense. This made me LOL. I'mma start calling him Dorothy every time he takes a clutch shot this season.

I've only seen some highlights from Pittman in the D-League, but from what I hear he definitely can help the Heat at some point. He was actually measured at 6'11.5" with shoes, and even though he lost weight, he still has the build to play C on a pro-level. He can't be any worse defensively than Z is, and he offers far more size than Joel "the midget" Anthony does, along with more rebounding. He also seems to have a good, albeit very simple post game, which is something no Heat player besides Wade and occasionally Bosh possess. He is tearing it up in the D-League right now, and with the Heat's C situation being so sketchy, I do think they should give him a run (although it will never happen; the Heat are one of the worst franchises at giving young talent a chance to succeed). As for the Heat needing a defensive anchor, I disagree. They just need someone servicable. Z is starting to wear down and is simply too old, and Anthony is a complete liability offensive and on the boards. Spo refuses to give Dampier minutes, even though he might be the best of both worlds (although I hear is knees have been bad for quite some time as well). None of those C's should be starting on a champioship team. Ideally all the Heat need is a C with size that has a little mobility and can finish strong around the rim when given easy opportunities. They have a defensive system and capable enough defenders where they make up for each other's weaknesses, and can dominate on that side of the ball. The bigger area of concern is on the boards.

I disagree with him being the scapegoat. That first season without Shaq he certainly was because he was feeling the residual effects of the perception that he bounced Shaq out of town and the whole rape thing. It didn't help that he missed the playoffs that season with some halfway decent talent, but his injuries had a huge part in that. However, the next 2 seasons I feel the perception of Kobe changed dramatically. He was doing some historic things and leading a crappy team to the playoffs, which prompted MVP talk and the idea that he was unquestionably the #1 player in the league (which he was). Of course there were plenty of haters who would still rip him apart, but that is when Kobe's image turned from a negative one to a very, very positive one, and he gained the respect he deserved (which prompted me to write THIS article in 2008, which was the culmination of my Kobe love-fest...after that I cooled down and started to put his career into broader perspective). Early in his career LeBron's 2nd best player was Drew Gooden/Z. I don't care what makeup the team has, that team will never win. And you're overblowing that statement when talking about LeBron his first few seasons; in 05-06, only one player besides LeBron shot above 30% from 3 in the post-season, and that was Donyell Marshall. That season Hughes, Flip Murray, Varejao and Pavlovic all played about half the season or less, and only 2 players shot 34% or better from 3 that season, yet LeBron got them to 50 wins and a near-upset of the defending EC champion Pistons in the 2nd round. The next season he had the same garbage talent, but the players stayed healthy and shot a little better (although once again, only 2 players, Gibson and Hughes, shot 35% or better from 3 that post-season), and he got them to the Finals. The next few seasons he got some better talent, but his 2nd best player (Mo) choked in the post-season, and he ran into an amazingly well-balanced, all-time great defensive Celtics team two of those playoffs (the other against the Magic LeBron averaged 38/8/8 and was insanely clutch in the two wins the Cavs did have). Iverson's Sixers got really, really lucky that one season, and had the benefit of playing at a time where the East was arguably the weakest it's ever been. And Hakeem during the Rockets dynasty (if you want to call it that) was one of the 5-10 greatest players in NBA history, and simply dominated on both ends. He also had some really, really good role players around him, who knew how to come up big in pressure games. Not to mention they didn't run into a team as difficult as the '08 or '10 season. Nontheless, if you are going to use a prime Hakeem as the one guy who won with a similar type supporting cast, despite all the other factors, then that isn't a knock on LeBron at all. It's more of an ode to how amazing Hakeem was. As for LeBron being more clutch than Kobe, he certainly wasn't up until about 2 seasons ago. Now he's a monster in clutch situations, and that's just going by the eye test. I know the stats back it up, but no one is as good as LeBron is at taking over and winning games in clutch situations as LeBron is right now. For the last shot, I'd probably still take Kobe just because he has more ways of scoring, but I consider LeBron the better clutch player at the moment.

I don't blame you. When the Nets were really awful, including last season and this season to a degree, I couldn't watch full games. When you have young players with superstar potential, then it becomes easier to watch the games as you are watching exciting, young talent develop into something great. But, in the situation you guys are in, where Demar is probably your best prospect, then it's really unbearable to watch.

Haha, Cofidence, stop stealing RealGM topics word-for-word. I like the idea of sparking discussion, but make it a little more original. Anyway, it'd be a major improvement, but in a 7 game series I still think the Celtics, and maybe Heat would beat them (and maybe Lakers/Spurs). Also, by making a move for Jackson, who's like 33 years old with a fat contract, they would really be handicapping themselves to a 'win-now' mode. I think it'd be better to deal a draft pick and maybe Johnson to the Pistons for T-Mac, see what they can do with the upgrade, and if it doesn't work out he's a cheap expiring. If he works out really well for them, he can be a MLE level signing in the offseason, which is still cheaper than what Jackson would be. If they are looking for a long-term solution, then they could go after JR and Mayo, or maybe see if they can get into the Melo talks without having to give up Noah.

I miss afro Kobe. Even though he wasn't necessarily more athletic than a guy like VC, he had some of the quickest hops I've ever seen; he would just explode off the ground (his poster on Dwight Howard is a great example of what I mean). Thanks for sharing!

Agreed, but Abbot hits that term from a variety of 'accepted' ways...last possession with chance to tie or win game, last 5min when the game's within a certain reach, etc... I mean, if you want to compare him to a guy like LeBron, his individual post-season performances aren't exact mind-blowing either. He plays like a superstar and the Lakers win, just like they are supposed to. But, individually his level of clutchness is overstated, mainly because he's got so much talent mixed with killer instinct. However, at the same time, those Abbot stats do Kobe an injustice, like I said in my first post.

Only thing that bothers me about this article is that Kobe has been blessed with more talent around him than any superstar the past decade, so he's had far more opportunities to have those memorable career moments in playoff situations. The fact that he wins is a team accomplishment; Kobe plays like the superstar he is and the Lakers win like they are supposed to. However, a guy like LeBron has annually been a better individual clutch performer, has been a better post-season performer the last few seasons, yet is viewed as a choker because his teams haven't won championships. That is a faulty arguement to use pro-Kobe. When you counter individual stats with team accomplishments, then you are entering sketchy territory.

I know, but Walton went through similar things very early in his career and may regret his decision to push his body to the limit just for a game. Also, Oden's making a lot more money than Walton was at the time, so Walton may have had more financial incentive than Oden does to pursue this career.

I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss Walton's opinion. If anyone would know what it's like to go through what Oden has had to the last few seasons, it is Bill. He played under 60 games 8 of his first 9 seasons, including missing 2 full seasons.

M.B- I think what Real Deal is trying to say is that Kobe is the best clutch shot maker in the league, but often times faces pressure that most other players simply don't attract. In a situation where Kobe is going one-on-one, nobody has more moves in his arsenal, mixed with the killer instinct to hit a dagger when the game is on the line. Real Deal- What you're missing, I think, is that a lot of the shots Kobe takes in clutch moments shouldn't be taken in the first place. That is the sole reason why his shooting percentages in clutch situations are so low, and it is why his assists numbers in those situations are so abysmal. You can't expect role players to knock down clutch shots when you constantly ignore them in pressure situations; giving them opportunities to succeed or fail is how you let them develop that ability. There are a certain few who have that hot-wired into them from the start, but others need to be exposed to it so they can build that ability. And since over the last decade or so the Lakers, as a team, have had arguably the consistently best offense in the league, they certainly have had the offensive talent and system to get that done (save for maybe 1-2 years). It is simply unacceptable to being taking fadeaways over double and triple teams when your teammates are wide open (unless there is like 1 second on the clock and they wouldn't receive a clean catch and shot). Relying on that ability is a very dicey risk, and I think some of the stats showing the Lakers' offense over the years in the clutch kind of reflects that. Don't get me wrong, there are certainly many factors which Kobe can't control that play into that, but Kobe certainly deserves a fair share of that blame. Being able to nail any shot on the floor and facing some fierce defensive attention doesn't excuse Kobe's stubborness in those clutch situations, and that same stubborness is why defenses can load up on him like they do; he's too predictable most of the time. Sometimes it won't matter and he will hit the shot anyway, but in the bigger picture it isn't the best strategy.

One of the main songs on my mixtape-to-be, Dead Presidents III (to the Dead Presidents II beat, including chorus break, first 2 lines need to be changed):

Read the entire article, the guy actually hits the topic from a ton of angles. I read the article earlier today and am too lazy to open it back up, but the 1 assist to all those FGA;s stat really jumps out, as is how much the offense drops off in clutch situations. I think Kobe's stubborness in clutch situation makes him a lot easier to defend than other guys, and although he hits some really tough shots in those spots, living or dying by them isn't the best strategy. I don't care who you have for teammates; they are NBA players for a reason (and statistically in the last decade the Lakers' have had the best offense in the league, as the article mentions), and the only way they can gain that 'clutch' confidence is to give them opportunities. As I said, though, those stats do Kobe's 'clutch' ability an injustice, but he does make some good points.

I think Kobe's clutchness is overrated since he has that 'killer' mentality, and isn't afraid to take those shots. But, he's a helluva lot more clutch than those stats suggest.

If they screw you and tell you that you have to pay for LP, just use ATDHE.net. Every night they have every game streamed (usually NBALP streams, very good quality), all links on the homepage.

Yep. For all the Paul/Williams/Rose/Rondo hype, he and Nash have really gone under the radar this season. That's a LeBron-like triple double. Very strange game. OKC took 19 less FGA's than Washington, and turned the ball over 9 more times, yet won the game. Usually when you lose both of those areas, esepcially by that big of a margin, you tend to lose the game. That's what the star power of Durant/Westbrook can do for you.

When I was in 8th grade I jerked off with acne cream (saw a cream in the closet and didn't read what it was), and for like a week the skin on my dick was hard, felt like scab, and would peel which made it pretty irritated. One time as a joke I put some of my peeled dick skin in my friend's drink...it was [expletive]ing hilarious.

T-Mac with 14pts/10ast/8reb/4blk tonight against the Heat/

Don't get me wrong, it's insanely impressive, and I do think he's underrated far too often. But, I just think he was a little better back around 05-07, whether you want to go by the eye-test or statistically. And as I said, him not being able to play as many minutes in the past does hurt his value a bit if we are comparing him to when he was able to give you a few more minutes a night.