If the Rockets' best matchup is depending on AB & Lowry to scorch Fisher, forget it. The only thing definite is the very athletic Lakers would have no problem denying Yao the ball any time they wanted to. They don't need Bynum at all. He only played 7 minutes in their demolition of the Jazz in Utah. They might need Bynum in the Finals against the Cavs, but not before.
Sometimes you can just be ok on D and terrific on offense to win, but against LA that would get you blown out. Against them you have to be incredible defensively and still have enough left to run a competent offense (and hope they're less than motivated on D) to even have a chance to win.
I don't doubt a word that you are saying.We are a 2nd tier team,I want us to win against Portland but I don't see us getting past them. My point was that Kobe can beat the current Jazz but he would have much more problems against the old Jazz squad because of their uglier and more physical style of play.
Not really. It depends on how good you are vs. how good the opponent is. The Lakers are the most talented team in the NBA. Trying to outgun them will fail miserably. You have to punch them in the mouth and make them uncomfortable, including Kobe. You have to physically deny them their sweet spots and get in their heads, cause them to doubt themselves. This is why the Celts beat them last year. No team in the Western Conference played defense like the Celts did. Nobody in the West plays defense like the Cavs do now, plus the Cavs can whop the Lakers with their LeBron stick on the other end of the floor. The championship is the Lakers to lose.
I think lebron is great and I dislike kobe as much as any player in the nba but Kobe is by far the best player in the world right now. lebron can attack the basket and is sick in the open court but he doesn't have the "i'll kill you from anywhere on the court" game that kobe does. if we don't beat the lakers, and i doubt we will, then nobody has a chance. the cavs will get disposed of in 5 games or less. they are easily one of the most overrated teams in recent history.
I have to reluctantly agree with this The Rockets would beat the Cavs in a 7 game series, no ifs or buts about it. The Rockets also match up a lot better with the Lakers than the Cavs would. That being said, no doubt in my mind that the Lakers would crush the Rockets in their sleep. It is not for a lack of talent either, we just don't have as good a system or remotely anyone who is on the level of a Kobe Bryant. Next series will be painful for Rockets fans
I picked the Cavs, but Kobe's ability to raise his game in the big moments might be the best. Then again, he does tend to cruise during the early portions of the game compared to LeBron or Wade, so maybe he has more energy to take over in the latter portions of the game. Here are the top 4th quarter scorers this season, per 36 minutes. I thought this was an interesting list: Team Player Gm Min/qtr Fgm 3pm Ftm Reb Ast T/o Blk Stl Pts Ast'd TS% LAL Bryant 68 7.7 11.0 2.1 10.0 6.1 4.2 2.8 0.5 1.4 34.0 25% 0.562 CLE James 67 8.7 10.0 1.8 10.1 8.3 7.1 3.3 1.2 1.7 32.0 23% 0.600 MIA Wade 75 8.6 10.2 1.5 8.8 3.8 6.7 2.5 1.7 2.1 30.8 16% 0.553 NOH Paul 72 9.4 9.0 1.1 8.5 5.0 8.4 3.4 0.0 3.1 27.2 13% 0.628 POR Roy 67 9.3 9.0 1.5 7.5 5.0 5.0 1.5 0.4 1.2 27.0 27% 0.624 IND Granger 63 10.1 8.5 2.8 6.9 6.0 1.8 2.5 1.4 0.7 26.6 54% 0.576 SAS Parker 59 8.2 9.6 0.2 6.0 3.9 6.1 2.6 0.0 0.9 25.4 20% 0.574 NJN Harris 59 9.0 6.9 1.0 9.3 3.6 7.2 3.2 0.4 1.6 24.4 21% 0.551 GSW Crawford 46 9.5 7.3 2.3 7.3 3.8 4.2 2.7 0.4 0.8 24.3 42% 0.619 DEN Anthony 52 7.8 7.5 1.3 6.9 8.3 1.8 2.8 0.5 1.4 23.6 50% 0.538 Let's compare that to the 1st quarter top 10: Team Player Gm Min/qtr Fgm 3pm Ftm Reb Ast T/o Blk Stl Pts Ast'd TS% DAL Howard 52 10.6 10.4 1.6 3.5 5.1 2.0 1.4 0.7 0.7 25.8 55% 0.530 ORL Howard 79 10.4 9.5 0.0 6.5 15.3 1.4 2.8 4.2 1.4 25.7 47% 0.596 CLE James 81 11.8 9.2 1.3 5.6 7.3 7.0 2.4 1.5 1.5 25.3 41% 0.628 MIA Wade 79 11.1 9.6 0.3 4.9 4.2 6.5 3.6 0.7 1.6 24.4 30% 0.558 SAC Martin 51 10.4 7.0 1.7 7.4 2.8 3.8 2.8 0.0 1.4 23.6 60% 0.642 MIL Redd 33 10.9 8.4 2.2 4.4 3.0 2.6 1.3 0.0 1.3 23.4 57% 0.606 OKC Durant 74 11.2 8.9 1.0 4.0 6.7 2.9 2.2 0.3 1.3 23.1 50% 0.549 PHO Stoudemire 53 11.2 8.6 0.0 4.7 8.4 1.6 2.9 1.6 1.0 22.3 59% 0.622 DEN Anthony 66 10.9 8.5 0.7 4.5 6.9 4.3 3.6 0.7 1.3 22.1 44% 0.528 LAL Bryant 82 11.3 8.4 0.7 4.3 5.4 5.1 2.2 0.3 1.6 22.0 44% 0.560 Check out that difference in Kobe's 1st quarter and 4th quarter scoring. Also how the top scorers tend to go more one on one in the 4th (Ast'd is percentage of made field goals assisted). There are two bigs in the best 1st quarter scorers list (Dwight Howard, Amare Stoudemire), but none in the 4th quarter.
Vujabic would never act like such a confident fool if he played for an average to poor NBA team. Total douche.
(All paraphrased) Reggie Miller described Shannon Brown (I think? I wasn't paying close attention) as a dirty player. Marv clarifies, 'In a good way, right?' Reggie responds, 'Oh yes, in a good way, like Scola or Landry'. I was surprised to hear Rox guys getting used as reference points.
Very interesting post. Perimeter players do most of the scoring in the closing minutes. Bigs need to make most of their impact rebounding and playing defense. Not that the latter is any less important. Championship teams need a dominant perimeter scorer as much as a dominant big. The Rockets have a dominant big but lack a dominant perimeter scorer. Our best options right now our Wafer, Artest, Lowry and Brooks. McGrady used to fill that role but never seemed to make big plays in the 4th quarter when we needed it most. He was our best option but contested jumpers from 22-feet out killed us time and again. I don't have the stats but McGrady seems more like the 1st quarter type than the 4th quarter type.
I think he meant like doing the 'dirty work', hustle plays...but like I said I wasn't paying close attention.
Maybe dirty as in tough players who aren't afraid to get physical and dive to the floor..... Who knows Reggie and his sister are both awkward
