All Purpose NBA Thread I

I'm fully awake. First year, Kobe gets his first knee injury. Wear and tear on the high-flier. Ooh, and he's had another surgery on the same wheel.

I'm sorry, but the clock is running out on Kobe. He was a damn good Scottie Pippen to Shaq's MJ. So far, that's it. He has proven nothing but mediocre as 'team leader.' MVP's make guys better, lift teams. Kobe is not an MVP. He's a talent, he's a scorer, but he's not an MVP. 3 years, less than .500 record, 3-1 choke against an injured Suns team, quitting against the Suns. I could go on. He's a wannabe, a buster. He can't sniff MJ.

 

35 friggin' points per game?! That's not Scottie Pippen my friend. And stop this "not elevating his teammates" bull. Were was Smush Parker before the Lakers? I'll tell you where, he was in the NBDL and was on a bench warmer for the Detroit Pistons. And look at him now. He started every game last year(and I think this year too). Luke Walton hasn't improved this year?

EDIT: 4 straight games with +50 points(including a 65) is Scottie Pippen worthy? Are you kidding me?

 

You're right, Scottie took his team to the ECF (I believe) as the leader. Kobe's not even close to that. He's nowhere near Scottie's level.

Also, Scottie didn't quit until there were 1.7 seconds left to go in a game. Kobe has quit entire halves of playoff games.

And Scottie never would have run off MJ. He's too smart for that.

You have consumed the 'scoring = greatness' hype, my friend. Kobe's a scorer. He's not a winner, he's not a good teammate, and he sure as heck isn't an MVP.

He is a hero to all "And-1"ers everywhere. He's a perfect embodiment of what is wrong with today's athlete: Selfish, spoiled, and doesn't realize what he has.

He's a 'carny,' a huckster, a hustler. He's the girl who looks great until you get her out of the strobe lights. He's all flash, no substance.

He's a fraud, and he won't lead any team anywhere. Meanwhile, Diesel just got another ring.

The dust has settled on the "Shaq-Kobe" feud. One guy won, and one guy was exposed. That's it.

 

Had to amend that last post.

 

Rok, you're so wrong on this and you don't even realize it.
First, saying Bryant is a bad teammate totally takes away any credence your argument may have had. Do you not think Bryant could've dropped 40 per game in 2000? 2001? 2002? No, he subverted his scoring ability to fit in with O'Neal and helped bring the Lakers three championship rings. And, if you had the opportunity to go watch each of those playoffs, one thing was clear: Kobe Bryant carried the Lakers, for the most part, in the Western Conference playoffs. Shaq was the dominant player in the Finals because no East squad had a center to match up with him. It was obvious because Bryant had huge series' against Sacramento and San Antonio, far outplaying the big fella. Then, when Shaq got to play against the East's overmatched centers, Bryant deferred to O'Neal (except when O'Neal fouled out against Indiana in 2000 and Bryant carried the Lakers to a crucial win ... on a sprained ankle).

The main reason the Lakers got rid of Shaq is because he wanted too much money. Answer me honestly, Rok. If the Lakers had given Shaq the money he was asking for, do you think he would've came back to the Lakers as motivated as he was with Miami? Be honest.

When the Lakers made that trade, I told anyone who'd listen that it was going to take Bryant at least 3 seasons to learn how to play without Shaq. He wouldn't be open nearly as much; he was going to have to find balance; he was going to have to learn to lead. From last season to this season, I've seen marked improvement in Bryant as a player.

My main beef with Shaq was, he was just as selfish a player in L.A. as Bryant was perceived of being. Shaq would often tell the media that, if he didn't get the ball, he wasn't playing defense (but he'd say it in his 'oh-so-cute Shaq way that it seemed funny). He also waited to have surgery "on company time." Shaq would often go out of his way to say that the offense needed to run through him. Right or wrong, in all my years in L.A., I never once heard Bryant publicly say that the offense shouldn't run through Shaq. The only time Bryant publicly spoke up against O'Neal, all he asked was that he wanted O'Neal to see him as an equal. Shaq could never handle that and, only when it benefitted his image, did he do it with Dwyane Wade (if he didn't get along with Wade, people would've started piecing together the pattern).

You can decry Bryant's FG% and certain numbers all you want. And, on some end, you have a few valid points. But, your argument only focuses on a small part of a HUGE picture.

 

Could we change the title of this thread to the "Kobe MVP/Kobe sucks running thread"?

 

Kobe isn't a winner? How 'bout them 3 rings buddy? And don't tell me Shaq would've won them without him.

Here's another one that made me laugh really hard.

"And Scottie never would have run off MJ. He's too smart for that."

He's too smart for that!?!?! Exactly how much intelligence do you need to know that you can't "run off" the greatest player ever?

"Tommy never stuck his dick in a blender. You wanna' know why? Becuase he's too smart for that."

He's too smart for that!?!?! You're gonna tell me that when Shaq left the Lakers, he was as good as Jordan. Come on Rok.

 

Congratulations Toronto, you don't suck quite as bad as the rest of the Atlantic!

Seriously though, this is a good team that's going to get better. Colangelo could need to make space for another executive of the year award.

 

Well, there goes the quest for 70.

Denver 75, Dallas 71. The magic number for clinching the West remains two. Add a Josh Howard sprained ankle as insult to injury, as well as Dirk still feeling the effects of a bad bratwurst.

 

That Josh Howard injury is gonna hurt them real bad if it's serious. That dude is a ball-er. I mean the Denver Nuggets shut them down to 71 points.

 

Howard says his ankle is OK. We'll see.