Kobe's 52 Points and MJ Comparisons

Amazing...simply amazing. I'd have to say Kobe Bryant knee must be feeling pretty good right now. He posted 52 points against the league's best team, the Utah Jazz, Thursday night. His game defining moment on Thursday's game against the Utah Jazz was catching a lob thrown to him by Lamar Odom at the top of the key, and then throwing down a dunk over the Jazz's zone defense early on during the 3rd quarter. That play was his statement to everyone. He's taking over, and he's doing it now. Bryant would follow with a 30 point quarter...without missing a shot. That's right. For all those who are saying Kobe's a ball hog, the rest of the Lakers shot 50% that quarter...who do you pass to? For me it's Kobe.

But here's my message for people who call Bryant a ball hog. Maybe he is a ball hog, maybe he isn't. But that's not what the focus is on. He is a scoring machine. This isn't 8th grade school basketball where everyone is always encouraged to share the ball. At times, you need to run the isolation for Kobe because he is shooting so well. This is the NBA, where you need to do everything to win.

And I hate to make the "comparison" but I will anyway. Kobe is Kobe, not Michael Jordan. I regard them as two different players who were almost opposites. Jordan came into the league with no one on his team. With the spotlight on him he averaged 28.2 points per game (ppg) in his rookie year. Kobe Bryant came into the league in the shadow of the star studded Lakers. Not only was he behind the shadow of Shaquille O'Neal, but also behind all-star players like Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel. Add the past history of the Lakers, and all the fans expecting no less than a performance rivaling the "Showtime Lakers". His first couple of years in the NBA could be compared to that of Nate Robinson of the New York Knicks. In New York, Robinson is heralded as a great player because of a couple of his highlight reel plays. But Robinson isn't a superstar yet (I'm not at all saying he will ever be like Kobe). Kobe developed into a superstar. Imagine if Bryant had been drafted by a lowly team in 1996. I doubt whether he would have averaged Jordan's rookie season numbers, but for a player out of high school, he would have averaged amazing numbers (I'd say maybe 10-20 strong ppg). With that experience in him, just think about how good he would be today. Kobe was known as a quiet player on his team. When other guys would go out partying after a big win, Kobe would sit inside and read. He was different. But if there was a world where no Michael Jordan existed, imagine how popular Kobe would be. What leads people to love Jordan but merely yawn at Kobe? How can they label Jordan a team player, but Kobe a ball hog. Their averages in ppg and assists per game (apg) were very similar (in their highest scoring seasons, Jordan averaged 37.1 ppg and 4.6 apg while Bryant averaged 35.4 ppg and 4.5 apg). Was it because of a court case in 2004 that sent his image spiraling downward. I haven't heard any writers saying it so I'll have to bring it up. Kobe Bryant's alleged sexual assault changed the view of him in the eyes of many fans. He lost many of his endorsements after the case including his deal with McDonald's and Nike. For me, it's not about what happens off the court. Because if it was, I could argue that Jordan's father called many "sex chat" numbers on his cell phone. I could argue that Jordan was hated my many of his teammates and he didn't mesh with the people around him. I could say that Jordan had a severe gambling problem, and was known for never paying debts he owed through these games. How can you call the best player to ever play the game, a guy who retired three times, for no apparent reason. Who knows? It may have even been a press stunt. He did not win 6 championships himself, considering he had all star help by means of Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant and Dennis Rodman. I would call the greatest player ever, the guy who works the hardest. A guy like Kobe, who worked so hard during the summer after the Lakers 2000 NBA Championship to improve his game. Kobe, during the 2000-2001 season, was told to remain in his original role. A role where he was subdued to scoring lesser numbers. Kobe went on a tear during the first half of that season, ranking second in the league for ppg. He went on a tear during the 2005-2006 NBA season where he averaged 35.4 ppg.

This is that Kobe we saw tonight. We saw him make the turn around jumpers. The fade away three's. The dunks in the paint. Andrei Kirilenko (who ranks 3rd in the league for blocks per game at 2.83 a game) was unable to stop Kobe's jump shot throughout the night. The third quarter was Kobe's official message. It was his press conference, saying last year's Kobe is back. The one who can't be stopped.

As for the game recap, Kobe's stats sums it up. Kobe finished with 52 points and on 12-15 shooting (tying the Laker franchise record for most points in a quarter; the NBA record for most points in a quarter was set by George Gervin with 33 points). Bryant shot 9 for 9 in this time along with 10 for10 at the line during that very same quarter. His 52 was through only 34 minutes of play, which makes the numbers even more amazing. Try hitting 10 free throws in a row at the gym, plus 9 more shots in various locations...all without missing. Kobe did all that, playing against the NBA's best team (the Jazz have 13-4 record; tied for the best record in the NBA) and one of the premiere shot blockers in the league (Kirilenko).

Lamar Odom added 14 points and 8 assists for the Lakers. Carlos Boozer posted another strong game with 26 points and 7 rebounds along with 5 assists. Deron Williams also played well with 13 points and 9 assists. The game was close until the 2nd quarter, when the Lakers took a 1o point lead and never looked back. The conclusion was a blowout, the final score at 102-132 in the Lakers home game win.

A 30 point win? The Lakers are making a statement folks. They are currently in 1st place in the Pacific Division and have had a great start. I'm not saying this is a team that will win the NBA Title this year, but they are a force to be reckoned with. So when the Lakers fans chant "MVP!" just 15 games into the season, their actions can be justified.

Miami Heat Analysis: Pistons/Heat Recap

Alright: here's my first post of the year. I'm looking forward to this NBA season, and seeing whether the NBA Champion Miami Heat can repeat this year.

First off, the new NBA basketball has angered many players. LeBron James perhaps summed up the majority opinion of the ball. "You can shorten our shorts, tell us how to wear wristbands, things like that. Change the dress code. But the one thing we care about is the basketball. When you start changing the thing we play with every single day, it doesn't make sense to me at all". ESPN Insider John Hollinger writes about how the NBA has not changed from a statistical point of view in this informative article. However Celtics coach Doc Rivers really identifies the situation. "I think there's a resistance to change in all of us. Whether it's cheerleaders, a dress code, a new ball, whatever. People don't like change. I just think that's the way life is."

In more recent news, Miami has posted a dismal 6-8 record as of November 30th. 6-8? That's a .429 win percentage. Is it because of an injury to a certain 34 year old all star? I've heard a lot of talk that the 2006 NBA Finals proved Dwyane Wade could win a title without Shaquille O'Neal. It's amazing that people can say that. O'Neal was injured on November 12th during a regular season game against the Houston Rockets. According to the associated press, O'Neal will be out through December 23rd. How have the Heat fared without Shaq? They've posted an embarrassing 4-6 record with the "Big Fella". {I'm sorry, but Wade has not yet proved he can win without Shaq. O'Neal's stats have never adequately shown how much of an impact he can make on the floor. When a 7'1'', 325 lbs. man like O'Neal posts up, he demands a double team. When O'Neal gets the double team, he often kicks the ball out to the open guard which creates open shots. Even Shaq's "three-peat" Lakers (the Lakers team that won NBA titles from 2000-2002) utilized Phil Jackson's triangle offense, anchored around none other than O'Neal himself. Shaq's presence is what is key for Miami, not his stats during a game. He himself noted that his injury is not at all any sign that he is diminishing as a force in the league. "They've been saying that the last ten years. I'm going to stick to my formula. I know what I've been doing, and nobody does it better, even at the tender age of thirty-four."

Then again, I don't mean to downplay Dwyane Wade's presence either. Wade's development has been phenomenal since he has come to the league. He often makes seemingly impossible shots through the use of his accurate bank shot. He has also improved his shooting range, which forces players to guard him at the perimeter, also giving him the option to display his amazing driving game.The most notable change for him this season has been his point guard qualities. With Jason Williams unable to play at 100% due to his knee, Wade has had to step up and make the passes that Williams made constantly during the 2005-2006 season. From averaging 6.7 assists per game during the 2005-2006 season, he now has been putting up 8.4 assists per game.

With the Detroit/Heat game now over (televised on TNT's Thursday double-headers) I'd like to reflect on what I saw through 48 minutes of action. Early on in the game, the Heat uncharacteristically ran the fast break as much as possible. The Heat usually like slowing the ball down due to the presence of older players such as Gary Payton and Alonzo Mourning, but nonetheless were successful in attaining a small lead. However, Detroit made up with great runs near the end of each quarter. They ended the first quarter with a 7-3 run, the second quarter with a 9-2 run and the third quarter with a 14-7 run. Once again, Miami's age may play a role in their late quarter play as fatigue becomes an issue. Not only are the veterans affected by an extreme fatigue effect, but Dwyane Wade may be affected the most. Through the 2005-2006 season, Wade played 75 games and 2892 minutes. During the playoffs, Wade added another 23 games and 959 minutes. Ordinarily, most players would then be able to take a rest during the off season, but instead Wade played for team USA in 14 games and 264 minutes of action. In the end, Detroit was able to scrape away a 87-85 win. With the score at 86-85, Chauncy Billups had an attempt to take a 3 point lead, but Wade swatted the ball away and ran down the shot clock. Wade's final shot with less than 4 seconds remaining seemed a bit flat if not just a bad shot attempt. Detroit used a 1-3-1 zone against Wade in the final possession aiming to stop any dribble penetration. Head coach Flip Saunders had preached throughout the game that the Pistons had to keep defensive pressure on Wade and wear him down. Throughout the game, Wade was unable to score near the basket and finished with only 4 points in the paint. The ball went out of bounds off Wade's final shot, leading to a Detroit inbounds play. Tayshaun Prince, unable to get the ball in, called a time-out before Richard Hamilton received the ball on the final possession and was fouled with 0.2 seconds left in the game. Hamilton sank the 1st free throw, but then purposely missed the second free throw, and shot an air-ball. Through a controversial call, referee Joey Crawford called for the free throw to be retaken. Hamilton's last free throw bounced off the rim, and time expired, ending the game. Hamilton was the high point man for Detroit with 24 points off of 9 for 17 shooting. Billups scored 11 points and tallied 7 assists in 38 minutes of play. For Miami, Wade shot a terrible shot a terrible 5 of 23 FG, but managed to score 21 points and dish out 8 assists. Udonis Haslem had a strong game with 20 points (9 of 12 FG for the game). James Posey scored 9 points and hit all 3 of the 3 pointers he attempted in the game, including a key shot down the stretch. Personally, I believe the Heat have disgraced their loyal fans with their horrible home play. They have seen losses during home games by huge margins, including a 42 point loss to the Chicago Bulls (on opening night), a 24 point loss to the lowly New York Knicks, and a 22 point loss to the Houston Rockets. Other home game blunders include a loss to the Denver Nuggets (by 7 points) and the Orlando Magic (by 3 points). TNT's broadcasting will be continued with the Utah Jazz playing the Los Angeles Lakers. The Jazz have impressed nearly every NBA analyst and I look forward to seeing their match up against the Lakers. More on my opinion of the game soon...