NBA Playoffs 2012 Running thread

I feel like he has this idea that he doesn't want to be a "scorer," that great players are supposed to make the players around them better, and what happens as a result are things like last night.

 

Metta World Peace, like me, probably thought, "wait, Punk'd is still around?"

http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-la-metta-world-peace-gets-punkd-20120516,0,166501.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fmostviewed+%28L.A.+Times+-+Most+Viewed+Stories%29

 

Devil, can't find it right now because I'm on my phone, but the only player better than James last year in the playoffs in close moments in the fourth quarter (up two, tie games, or down two) was Dirk.

His "pressure stats" are worse, but no worse than anyone else's. Kobe's are actually terrible.

Obviously the narrative has a lot of truth to it, but it's also taken on a life of its own.

I'm kind of fascinated by LeBron, and the balance we demand -- as keepers of the game, I guess -- between selfish heroism and team play. We preach sharing the ball at every level except the absolute highest, and even then, only Jordan gets a full pass for his misses and overly aggressive play. I know if you drew a Ven Diagram of "People who bitch that Kobe shoots too much" and "People who bitch that LeBron is scared to shoot in the clutch" there would be a lot of people who reside in both circles. So which is it? Where is the balance?

I don't have the answer, but I find the debate fascinating.

 

The answers wore 32, 33 and 23.

 

I would want to see his career and not just last season. One season is too small a sample size.

 

Football coaches give players grades on each possession. Maybe that should be done with James? It's tough to place a stat on "why did you pass the ball to Delonte there?" Giving him D or an F on that possession might show in stats what we see on the court.

Especially, when Delonte was passing the ball to James' mom. I will never tire of that joke. Never.

 

Or that he gags under pressure, both at the line and from the field. He has no mid-range game. He can't post up. His three-point shooting is inconsistent and he appears afraid to drive late in games because he knows he'll have to go to the line.

Never seen an MVP turn so "selfless" late in tight playoff games.

 

Don't. Poke. The bear.

 

FOR THE LOVE OF CHRIST, ZOOEY, OF COURSE IT'S RAIN. STOP MAKING OUT WITH YOUR IPHONE.

 

The blue and white t shirts that the nice fans of Ok City are wearing look ridiculous.

 

I want to HULK SMASH Zooey for having to ask her phone if it's raining outside.

 

You're being too kind to the yokels.