did kobe give up on this play and let jamario moon have the dunk?

no, he just knew he had no chance, didnt wanna get posterized.

 

well he obviously gave up on the play but sometimes it's just too late to do anything about it. just like how a lot of ppl let lebron get dunks. can't really do much if the guy has already beat you to the basket. give them chance for 'and 1' or flagrant foul? probably not.

 

You've proven your point: Kobe plays with same level of intensity as McGrady.

Not.

Seriously, you have to look at the big picture. There aren't many players, if any, that can match Kobe's desire to win. McGrady, himself, has openly admitted as much.

Even in this particular game, look how hard Kobe was working on the defensive end when it was a blowout late in the 4th quarter. Would McGrady do that?

 

That was a 2-on-1 break. Totally different from what happened with McGrady last year in Toronto, if that's what you're alluding to.

 

McGrady gave up when it was a close game in 3rd quarter. This is a blow-up with 55 seconds left, shouldn't protect yourself from injury the higher priority?

 

He also gave up a lay-up to Mo Williams at 0:44. People will make any excuse they can to say that McGrady has "given up on the team".

 

He gave up on the Mo Williams lay-up, but I agree that he had no chance to stop the Jamario Moon dunk.

Now anyone arguing it is ok because it was a blowout. These tow incident were in the first hall, the margin less than 20. How many teams have made comeback from double digit leads to be a chance to win the game.

Be realistic here. If that was McGrady allowing Williams to finger roll that bucket, there would be an uproar.

Quit on the first play, but had no chance to stop the second play.

 

well techinically he did let him have it, but it was 2 on 1 and one of those two running the break was lebron james. he had to pick his poison and he made the right move by choosing the impede the alley back to lbj.

he did his due diligence by faking a jump at moon, but he had to stay at home on lebron. case closed.

 

What about the play just before, where he watched Mo Williams hit a finger roll?

 

This happens in every game.

 

Things that have been proven correct:


1 + 1 = 2

the earth is round.

humans need oxygen to breathe.

Kobe Bryant > Tracy McGrady

These are absolute facts.

 

wow you managed to get everything wrong in this post. kobe's was in the first half dude, and it was less than a 20 point lead. tmac's play happened when rockets were down 64-47. is that your definition of a close game?
this proves some tmac haters just spew out garbage as factual support.

and if you guys bash tmac for that moon dunk you cant give kobe a pass on those plays, or else its the epitome of double standards at work. they both gave up on the play "to protect themselves from injury."

as for those arguing that kobe had to stay with lebron...that makes absolutely no sense at all. by staying with lebron he gave moon an automatic 2. if he really wanted to he could have fouled moon to a) prevent the pass to lebron, b) at least send him to the line.

all im saying is if youre gonan bash tmac for that play, which is fine, you cant defend other players when they do the same thing regardless of their rep.

 

The uncontested Mo Williams layup at 0:42 was WAY more telling. Kobe thought his head lunge was gonna intimidate him into a miss lol?

Lebron and Moon 2 on 1, pretty tough to contend.

 

Kobe had 35/9/8, he didn't shoot great, but you couldn't say he didn't give his efforts. The 2 plays, he didn't have a great defensive position to begin with, he wanted to avoid and1.

If you want to talk about efforts, you need to see the whole picture. McGrady didn't give his efforts at all. He stood in the mid-court after that. That fastbreak just sealed it all. I doubt People would criticize TMac had he had the same numbers.

 

Didn't Adelman offer TMac to guard LBJ and he refused. Kobe, on the other hand, ask to defend LBJ on 4th quarter for almost every match. Every player can get a pass for not hustling for every play, as long as he showed the efforts most of the time. If you want to pin this on Kobe, I bet you you can find similar play for every player in the league.

 

The guarding Lebron comment was said in jest. Even Kobe wouldnt guard Lebron his first game back coming off microfracture surgery if he was serious about helping the team. Need a healthy defender on Lebron. McGrady did guard Carmelo Anthony.

Like Clutch mentioned about McGrady on the Moon dunk, it wasnt so much the uncontested dunk it was the events following that was the indicator of quit. People saw the McGrady play and acted like it was the worst thing they ever saw on the court. Or they see Kobe do it and its Kobe has strategy behind why he did it. When really its something that tends to happen time to time cuz the defender rarely comes out with anything good but a foul or injury, or putting a player to the ground pissing him off which can lead to a skirmish.

I saw Brian Cook do that twice in 1 preseason game. And that guy's supposed to be in a contract year fighting for his career.

Kobe is considered the ultimate competitor, the warrior. Though 6 foot Kyle Lowry outworks him on the defensive end. Lowry isnt too proud to stand in and draw a charge. So maybe both those superstar swingmen can learn a lesson on contesting shots.

 

i agree with this post (except the tmac on lebron thing that was a joke dude). and im not pinning anything on kobe... im just saying if youre gonna bash tmac for a 'single' play, then you cant defend someone else when the same thing is being done.

 

wow this was like the perfect post...id rep if i had the power haha

 

Point well taken but it will be ignored/dismissed by those who have made up their minds negatively about T-Mac. Their opinions will boil down to T-Mac makes too much money, is lazy, selfish, doesn't fit, a quitter, plays no defense and/or any other negative label. He's bad and everyone else is better. He's the benchmark by which all negative comments will be based (i.e., the current Ariza bashing). He's beyond redemption.

You're better off focusing on those who will at least give the guy a chance as long as he's in a Rockets' uniform.

Happy Holidays to everyone out there.