yup.. its called boredom and lack of motivation.. i wouldnt write them off till we see how they play in the playoffs.
you guys remember his "defense" on battier, seriously when was the last time battier has ever made a step back jumper off the dribble?
Perennial playoff/championship contenders typically slack off. They've also won the chip the past 2 years so the motivation is lacking even more. They're also getting older and nearing the end of their run, so I think this is a sign they're in decline when they look worse than usual in their 'slack off' period. They'll look completely different during the playoffs though.
they've won 2 championships in a row. there's nothing to worry about. they're for sure going to the playoffs and when they do, it's game time.
Comparing to last year, Pau is no different and Barnes can help them some. I probably don't think as highly of Barnes as others.
I don't know if that's really true. I don't remember the championship Bulls slacking off during the regular season. Except for the most recent championship, I think the Spurs always played well after winning the championship. Even that falloff was due to the coach resting players rather than a lack of intensity by their main guys. Really the only championship teams I can think of that really slack off are the Lakers championship teams. This was a problem during the Shaq era as well.
Kobe scored 7 points in the first half and the Grizzlies were killing. KObe took over in the 3rd and brought them within 2 and Rudy came in and shut him down(true story). Rest of the Lakers played like ass. Pau got manhandled. Nobody defended.
Whats wrong with the lakers? Its the regular season. Everyone knows the black mamba sleeps until the playoffs. They could start at the 8th seed and still go all the way. And lol at anyone that thinks kobe is significantly slowing down. Even if he is, it is not noticeable. Last year he played with a broken finger. This year hes playing with some tired legs. Big deal. Right before playoffs kobe will get some rest, and then we get to watch ppl who were mavs/spurs hopeful get their dreams shattered. Although I will say i refuse to sleep on Boston, and even Miami (as much as i despise them)
They are making the season interesting. They want to see if they fall to an 8 seed if they still can win it all. God bless them for making this a great year for basketball...
Are you joking? He makes the plays, the shots when needed, I have actually seen him during lame games make steals, force the opponent into a bad shot. no one he guards will blow him up. it isn't Kobe's fault that his numbers do not reflect whats happening. He makes the passes, its his teammates who can't connect. He would average at least 8-9 assist if his teammates even hit like 50% more shots the amount of time he passes. Alot of his attempts come in the fourth or third, he usually facilitates the first half alot.
Someone just needs to make a graph on how the team started going south after this guy was traded. :grin:
Yeah, obviously Kobe's low assists are due to having trashy teammates like Shaq & Gasol his whole career.
Agreed. Kobe's defense is (and has always been, honestly) one of the most overrated aspects of any NBA player's game. Overall, he's an average to above average defender. That's it.
Lol at Lakers fans booing them and chanting "Re-fund! Re-fund!" I have my doubts about this overwhelming notion that the Lakers will just turn it on when they want to...but if that's the case these recent games have really been a disservice to their fans. No one expects them to win every game, but a piss poor show of effort because they're too cool for regular season games is sad.
