There's a big difference between the play of McGrady against the Pistons and Kobe against the Suns, everyone is involved in the Lakers gameplan unlike the Magic (and Rockets) were it was McGrady all the time, everyone on the Lakers feels like they are a part of the series. You have Smush who had the green light to take that three pointer even though he was 1-11 up until that point. Kwame was struggling offensively through out the game yet he still got a chance to post up and got the first shot in overtime. Lots of plays are ran for Luke Walton, giving him a chance to make his mark on the game. Cook gets plays ran for him, George, Sasha gets a chance to make some plays. Not to mention Lamar Odom who is as important as Kobe is unless the game is close in the 4th quarter, but that's how Kobe has played in the playoffs his whole career, sit back and then get yours if necessary in the 4th. Playing like that his teammates play hard on defense and they rebound better, plus in the 4th they're always in a rythm because they were involved through out the game, so if they need to hit a clutch shot they probably will. McGrady's series with the Magic and Rockets were played to make him look great but they were also played to lose, everything ran through him, basically he made every decision on the court. You can say he had to do it, I don't this so, because if your main guy is playing like that, with a mindset that he has to do everything and he has to carry the team you will never beat a better or even an equal team. Especially now that every round is a best seven, you need to play as a team to beat another quality team 4 times out of seven, even Michael Jordan failed to win like that. Last season against the Mavs you could see a meltdown coming because McGrady was doing everything, yeah he was getting assists but that doesn't mean everyone was involved, the offense was basically McGrady and that's why they lost. There's no way the Suns beat the Lakers if Kobe keeps playing the way he's playing, he's playing great, smart, team ball, it's actually more impressive than what he was doing in the regular season. I know we're not supposed to root for him as Rocket' fans, but it's just really nice to see a superstar who gets playoff basketball and isn't trying to win on his own. EDIT: There's one guy who's playing to look great and lose right now in these playoffs, and that's Lebron James, the Cavs are going to lose to a lesser team because of it.
I disagree that they had similar supporting casts. Aside from Kobe, I think Lamar Odom is the only player on the entire Lakers roster that is a legit NBA starter, and he isn't anywhere near as good as Marion. I hate to say this, but Kobe Bryant is proving he was the MVP just like Dream did against David Robinson.
i hope the next 2 games are exciting wins for the suns so we can have a classic HUGE game 7. the playoffs so far this year have been awesome for the most part.
I totally agree, that caught up to them in especially in the games in Houston, 2 and 3 at the end when mcgrady basically shot them out of those games. but you can't blame him because the whole series they relied on him.
I thought that at first but it was a different kinda fist pump. Guys are allowed to fist pump, you know..without it being called an MJ imitation. Next time I score a TD in the backyard I'll throw my arms up and be called a Joe Montana imitator
Man, he's such an MJ wannabe. You know, scoring all those points and hitting big shots all the live long day. What a copycat. Kobe needs to invent a new stat and dominate the league in that area if he wants to impress me. Scoring is PLAYED OUT.
dude what is your deal with me. get over it. I wasn't even the first guy to make the point. and if you want to argue, go back and watch the end of game four particularly, tracy shot them out that game in the fourth quarter. but even more the point of his post or mine wasn't to rip mcgrady, it was to rip the rockets' dependency on him in the playoffs last season.
no, that was definitely the jordan fist pump. the jordan fist pump has a distinct fist orientation, along with distinct angles of the upper arm and forearm. finally, the upturned lower lip completes the ritual. make no mistake, that was it. kobe ain't the first to do it, and he won't be the last. i've seen stevie francis do it. i've seen cuttino do it. hell, i do it sometimes after owning someone, at any kind of competition. loads of fun, especially if the person you're taunting knows the reference.
It's really weird to me that people try to rip Kobe by calling him an MJ wanna be. Michael Jordan was perhaps the greatest guard to ever play basketball, maybe even the best player to ever play basketball. Shouldn't every player want to be like Mike? More to the point, do you know how few players in the league are capable of even occasionally duplicating Michael Jordan's game? I think your insults are actually an honor, because I'd never be offended to be told my performance too closely resembles that of the best who has ever done it.
You're beyond pathetic, it's truly sad how much hatred and venom you have for the guy, you can never praise him for anything, but will gladly start threads bashing him, questioning his effort/toughness, or simply jump in every chance you get to knock him. Why aren't you a Knicks fan, btw?
I think you're entirely missing the point. People aren't "ripping" Kobe for acting/wanting to be like Jordan -- it's beyond a shadow of doubt that he does try to imitate his every move/style/etc. and he's the best guard we've had in the league since MJ and the closest thing to him -- people are ripping him, I think, for not being himself, for not trying to be the first Kobe, instead of the 2nd Michael. In my case, I always get pissed off when people try to compare a young star to a legend, I just tell them to let him be, let him create his own persona, let him create his own legend. I firmly believe every talented star player in this league is unique in his own way, including Kobe, but in his case more so than ANY other superstar in the league, Kobe tries to be MJ, which is fine I guess, but why can't he be the first Kobe? Why can't future guards be compared to Kobe instead? Why is he trying to be so generic instead of original? It's not just Kobe, btw, I dislike it when other stars do it as well, but in his case it's probably the most obvious. However, if that's what he wants, then so be it.
I've never thought Kobe's style of play was that similar to Jordan's. Kobe generally mixes in a lot more long range jumpers than MJ ever did. Sure, he likes to attack the basket strong, but all perimeter players should do that, and have done that. It's not like that's a trend started by Jordan. IMO, it's the media trying to make Kobe into the next MJ, not Kobe himself. I mean, what do you want him to do to seperate himself from Jordan further? Score fewer points?
