Parker dominating
The nation was split between watching the Spurs-Cavaliers Game 2 and the last episode of The Sopranos. Well, quite honestly both were boring but at least the Spurs victory had a better ending. I am trying to give the Cavaliers the benefit of the doubt after the first two games because they did lose the first two of the Conference Finals against Detroit and came back.
The Spurs are treating the Cavaliers like a JV team and the Cavaliers are showing too much respect for a team that is laughing its way to victory. I hope when the Cavaliers sit down and watch film of Game 2 that they get really mad at the sight of Tim Duncan and Tony Parker laughing up a storm on the bench in the third quarter when they were embarrassing the Cavaliers by 25.
When things are not going well, you grasp for anything that will get you even more motivated than what you are. The Cavaliers need a boost of adrenaline and it’s up to them to find a way to generate more effective energy at home.
Cleveland showed some pride in the fourth quarter with an exciting comeback. LeBron James had a chance to make it a 6-point ball game with three minutes left, but missed a driving layup. Had the Cavaliers not missed 10 free throws, the game would have been closer with that run they made.
Hopefully players like Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Donyell Marshall, Eric Snow and Damon Jones can add what Daniel Gibson is providing when the series shifts to Cleveland.
COACHING
Gregg Popovich admitted his substitution patterns were not the best in Game 2. But heck, when it seemed like every shot was going in and every hustle play was going the Spurs way he is allowed that mistake. Although up 2-0 in the series and his team looking dominant, Popovich has to worried about the contribution of shooting the ball from everyone not named Duncan, Parker and Manu Ginobili. Those role players shot 10 for 30 and he knows that the Spurs will need someone to make shots. Despite that glitch, the Spurs are riding a wave of confidence that should make them feel at home even when they toss it up in Cleveland for Game 3. They say Popovich wants everything perfect. Well, except for the fourth quarter letdowns the Spurs have followed his game plan perfectly.
Mike Brown faced a dilemma when LeBron picked up his second foul early in the first quarter. He decided to take him out and things went haywire shortly after the Cavaliers got to within three points early in the second quarter. He should have left him in and taken the chance, because without him they have nothing to count on in terms of offensive execution and production. I am still baffled why he refuses to attack Parker with a double team as soon as he crosses half court. Yes, he will split it at times and make it look foolish. But to now back off and allow him to float around and give him wide open jumphots and wide open passing lanes is suicidal. Parker will then get it to the players the Spurs need to have the ball and that’s Duncan and Ginobili. Brown needs to force someone other than Parker to make plays. This will usually turn into jump shots and the Spurs role players are not making those right now. Also, he needs to start Gibson and sit Hughes down. He is not better than Damon Jones, Ira Newble or any other Cavalier that has two healthy feet. What is he there for, Brown? He can’t shoot and Parker is destroying him. Stop being so stubborn and sit him down for the rest of the series or until he can be healthy enough to give the team something.
PLAYERS
Duncan was one rebound and one assist away from a triple double and didn’t look like he broke a sweat the whole game. He is not facing any kind of physicality at all in this series. I would like to hear who Duncan thinks made him work the hardest in this series. He will probably say his wife has with the honey do’s at home.
Tony Parker can flat out score. He is not a pure point guard in the Steve Nash sense, but he puts more pressure on the defense than anyone I have seen in a long time. He made about three shots last night that were unbelievable. That shot he made in the fourth quarter when the Cavaliers made that run was classic. I said this before and I will say it again… This guy is tough as they come and he will take your heart and laugh at you. The only guard for his size that was tougher was Isiah Thomas and he in my estimation has moved up into that class. The Cavaliers decided to back off of him to cut down on his layups and he still got seven layups while scoring 30 points.
Manu Ginobili was huge all night long. The five baskets he scored didn’t hurt the Cavaliers as much as the 11 free throws he knocked down and the four-point play to silence the Cavalier run to end the game. The Cavaliers have defended Ginobili well in both games by keeping him out of the paint. He had only one basket in the paint, but they are falling for his head fakes and sending him to the line for free points.
Robert Horry played his best game in three months. He has a knack for stepping forward when needed and he did last night with his hustle plays for rebounds (9) and blocks (5). I thought he was difference for the Spurs every time Duncan went to the bench defensively.
LeBron James came out aggressive offensively, but picked up a quick second foul that cost him. When he is aggressive, like he was especially in the second half, the Cavaliers become the team we expected to at least battle the Spurs. James energy almost got the Cavaliers back in the game, but 10 missed free-throws with 4 by James (including an air ball) stopped that miracle from happening. I am still looking for apologies from all those Cavalier fans that attacked me because I said James would never get to Kobe’s and Michael Jordan’s level until he developed a mid-range game. Just so you know, he missed every shot he took in Game 2 outside the paint. He made nine layups and went 0 for 6 from outside the paint. James total in both games from mid-range is 0-11. He will get better with proper training and work, but right now the Spurs are daring him to shoot and his confidence is extremely low. I look for James to be ultra-aggressive in these next two games in Cleveland.
Daniel Gibson is the second best player on the Cavaliers and even if Larry Hughes was healthy I would still make that statement. Gibson has performed in these playoffs better than any young rookie I have seen in a long time. He exudes tremendous confidence and swagger and Mike Brown needs to give him all those minutes he is giving Hughes. He has been their best offensive threat in the first two games. He is 13 for 21 in the series and improving every minute he is on the floor.
Larry Hughes needs to just shut it down. He could not shoot before the injury and now he is taking shots away from players like Gibson, Marshall and Damon Jones who are much better shooters. He was 0 for 5 in Game 2 and I didn’t think any shot he took was going in. No one wants to see a player injured, but it’s a part of the game and Hughes right now is not helping the Cavaliers on one foot.
Anderson Varejao is probably one the hardest workers around, but also one of the most false hustle guys I have also seen in the same instance. Let me explain he will push and prod and defend like the dickens and then when you beat him, he bails out every time instead of holding his ground at least 50 percent of the time. He allowed Duncan a dunk late in the game without being able to foul because he was trying to flop. The Cavaliers need more fight from him on Duncan instead of the flopping.
Damon Jones forced Mike Brown to look for him more in Game 3 with the huge threes he knocked down in the fourth quarter.
GAME 3
It should be exciting because the energy and confidence from the Cavaliers should match what the Spurs bring every night. This is the game the Cavaliers can win and if the do they will have a chance to send it back to San Antonio. I have no clue what changes Mike Brown will make, but he better get the ball out of Parkers hands and forces someone else to make plays. I would not be surprised to see him go extremely small with Damon Jones, Daniel Gibson, Donyell Marshall and Sasha Pavlovic on the floor with LeBron. This will force Duncan to have to guard the perimeter because of Marshall’s three-point shooting.
The Spurs will try and silence the fans early with methodical possessions. They will milk the clock and get Duncan established early instead of Parker. They also will employ a zone at times if LeBron and company are getting to the rim. They just have not needed to use it much in the first two games. Michael Finley, Brent Barry or Horry will have to make shots to help the Spurs get Game 3 on the road.
Onur Tuncaboylu Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 2:58 pm
Nice article, but needs a minor correction:
Sprus players’ were not laughing to their opponents, they were having fun because of their huge performance.
You can see that Parker, Duncan and Gregg showed respect and gave credit to Cavaliers side.
Eddie Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 3:01 pm
Listen i know they were not laughing at the Cavaliers. Thats not what i am saying. They were laughing at looseness and confidence they are enjoying which should be offensive to any opponent. Stop taking what i say to be a negative all the time and try to jump in my shoes and think from a logical standpoint. The Cavaliers want to see exhaustion and worry on their faces not laughter–so that should force them to play and concentrate harder. Get it now?
The Don Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 3:12 pm
Good Post Eddie, i can’t argue with much of anything on this one. I’m waiting for some of those Cleveland fans and Kobe haters to send you an apology too.
I don’t feel LeBron has a mid range game either, no post game either for that matter. I mean with the size strength an athletcism he has and at such a young age if he were to put in that work in the off season he would be dynamite one-on-one in the post. He would create a whole new set of problems for the Spurs. As it stands now if he can’t go thru the lane like a freight train for a dunk or his long range bombs are not going in then he’s pretty much a big decoy but his cast just aren’t making enough shots or enough stops to cover him.
The Cavs will try to come out with alot of energy in Cleveland but if the King doesn’t find his shot before game time tomorrow I think LeBroom will be the headlines.
A few back to the basket turn around J’s in the paint would do wonders for his game and his team.
j boogie Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 3:29 pm
people have to give lebron a chance… he is the leagues shining star and in time he will improve.. its only his 1st finals!
gamal baez Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 3:34 pm
once again eddie, u r on da money…i must say i agree w/u and i also was telling my friends that hughes has to be benched..he is clearly taking shots away from other players..i really thought that if cleveland can contain parker, then they have a chance..being that most of parkers points are in the paint and high percentage shots..i look forward to reading ur next article…i think what we need are more down to earth, been there done that, beat/blog writers like yourself..keep up the good work!
Michael Bennett Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 3:35 pm
Eddie - I apologize for jumping on you about LeBron’s… er… jumper. He hasn’t shot in ryhthm the entire series and his shot looks like junk. So, you were correct in your LeBron article from the other week.
But, I’d like for you to reevaluate your ideas about Zydrunas Ilgauskus. If you still think he’s a Top 5 Center in the NBA, I think you’re nuts. I like how you brought up the facts about Larry Hughes being useless (did you read my post in your other article?), but you need to realize that Z kills the Cavs. I think Van Gundy exposed it enough in last night’s broadcast when Mark Jackson compared the (horrid) Z hook shot to Kareem’s. Van Gundy wouldn’t let it go (rightfully so). But, THAT’s what Z does ALL THE TIME. His short shots only go in because his size, but he hurts the Cavs in so many ways.
We’ll see what happens in Game 3. LeBron better will them to victory, because I’m taking a lot of heat from my friends right now… and, it’s just a good thing that he wins.
Paul Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 3:45 pm
They’re all laughing … all the way to the bank.
david Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 3:48 pm
Eddie, nice article again — I especially agree about the Sopranos (I cna’t believe I stayed up after the interviews to watch that !)
It’s nice that you give props to the big 3, and what you told me months ago rings true — that the Spurs role players are old. I think Pop did a good job of pacing them thru the season, and Elson has finally showed up. Horry did a great job on DEFENSE (yet another story), but the other shooters (including Hory) haven’t shown up. If any of them can manage to find their shot, that would negate any kind of advantage the crowd would give the Cavs.
But don’t you think that (the media) has put way toooo much pressure on LeBron? He’s only 22 (I have T shirts older than him) and yes, he’s absolutely phenomenal. I watched he and Bowen go at it from about 10 feet away in Game 1 and said to my wife — it just doesn’t get any better than this ! I’ve never seen that kind of power and speed at one time.
But I also said 6 months ago that the play offs are at a different level — a lot more mental than physical (sorry I don’t have STATS on that) and that’s where Le Bron will shine in a few years. Look at Dallas — regular season wonders until Nelson got into their head (rightfully so).
To me this series has been youth and hunger versus age and experience.
I don’t remember who said it here, but isn’t it great to be an NBA fan?
Sam Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 3:48 pm
“Duncan was one rebound and one assist away from a triple double”
I think Tim Duncan needed 2 more assists and one more rebound for his triple double.
http://www.nba.com/games/20070610/CLESAS/boxscore.html
Mike Wilbon for MVA !
Gary Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 3:53 pm
Isn’t it fairly obvious that the NBA fixes the games by the way they direct the officials to call fouls? They wanted Lebron to go to the finals. They were no match for the Pistons, but they made sure the fouls made it impossible to defend against him. Now they have a team of clowns against the Spurs. Detroit probably would not have been able to beat the Spurs, but at least it would have been a contest. Shame on the NBA.
Onur Tuncaboylu Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 4:04 pm
Eddie i don’t know why, but you were aggressive in both your article and answer.
On the other hand, there is no reason for a pride war by Cavs. These kind of games can be occur nearly every series even in finals.
Spurs lost to Detroit by 102-71, and Utah(with Malone And Stockton) lost to Chicago 96-54.
Spurs found their rhythm in ifirst third quarter, but Cavs missed everything during that. This kind of things can happen to all teams.
Luke Foster Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 4:04 pm
I really hope the “spurs” win!
Sean Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 4:08 pm
Eddie,
Decent analysis. As long as the “Big 3″ keep scoring, the Spurs don’t need much more scoring from the supporting cast (I believe S.A. is 11-0 in the playoffs when Dunc,Park,Gino score 57 or more combined). As far as guarding the Cavs “small” line-up, I would be surprised to see the Spurs go zone. I saw them try to play zone during the regular season and they’re just flat-out not good at it. I expect them to play the same defense forcing Lebron into double-triple coverage and opportunities for shooters to step-up and make shots. More shots will fall for the Cavs in their home arena, which will finally give us some close games! I think Cleveland is a decent team with a great player whereas San Antonio is a great team with some great players.
Sean Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 4:12 pm
Eddie,
Off-topic here, but what are the Suns going to do to get under the luxury tax this summer? Does Steve Kerr dare move Amare or Matrix? Thoughts?
Everett Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 5:04 pm
LeBron James is a very talented player, but the team lost focus when he was in such early foul trouble. These guys are the East Champs because they won it, yes with some stellar play from LeBron.
I am a Spurs fan through and through, but LeBron is not responsible for carrying Cleveland alone. Let’s face it, there are a handful of people on earth that can do what these guys do night in and night out. They are all Pro’s and they can play at this level, and most any team can shoot lights out at times.
Team consistency is the mechanism of Champions. San Antonio has displayed it through the year, more than the other teams when the season was on the line.
Cleveland can’t expect Daniel Gibson to carry them either. If Cleveland plays to their strength (not to their stars) and not to their fears, it will be much tighter in Cleveland. They lost two games to a very good team. If they play as a team, they can turn it around, stay in it, and have a chance to win. If San Antonio thinks it’s over already, the Cavaliers are going to win.
I like Cleveland, and the way their players have dignity and honor and character. They remind me of a very young Spurs team and they will play at that level more consistently in the coming years.
In that regard, we are watching (in my opinion) the two best in the game this year.
I want the Spurs to Win in 4, but not because the Cavaliers are a weak team…. because the Spurs are a great team, at this point in time.
I think the press has been far too harsh on LeBron. I watched Jordan have some bad nights too…. Duncan has stunk it up at times as well. Who in the game hasn’t?
Cleveland has some great fans, and we are going to hear from them in games 3 and 4 for certain. The question is: will we hear from all the Cavaliers?
space Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 5:26 pm
EDDIE
you won’t hear me say this often, but i agree 100%. as far as contact, physicality and steady reminder that there is ACTUALLY a championship on the line for the cavs, there is none. much credit to spur’s philosophy, defense, coaching and teamwork, but fans are getting bored with cleveland’s lack therof and near no-show. all due respect to good sportsmanship, but you do not let a guy repeatedly cruise/waltz/fred astaire his way into your lane during a finals. lebron wishes he had a just one untouched trip down the lane. the spurs seem to know that. and they should defend duncan the same, get physical. i’d even be willing to dust off pollard and say go for it. duncan is a career 65% FT guy. body him up or put force him to the line more often. the ultimate goal is to break their rhythm the same way the cavs have been broken. also, the spurs role players ARE old. they have yet to be pushed or forced into doing things that would push their bodies to the limit yet. no toughness in denver, no toughness in phoenix, cakewalk through the cavs so far. one point of attack from any coach would be run the older guys down and beat that ‘freshness’ out of them. cortizone is a fabulous game changer but it doesnt solve everything. a younger cleveland can do better there. right now the older spurs are in great shape. not a good sign for cav’s fans.
i like parker’s play. he is a very smart player as he does not shoot from the deadzones on the court and attempts to score in ways that do not leave the spurs vulnerable to fast breaks. that top of the key perimeter shot means he’s always back for defense. smart move Pop. bad move brown.
answer:
hack him early a few times every game to make him reconsider that middle penetration. consider those 2-3 fouls as an investment for later. step off him and dare him to shoot when he is off deep in the corners. if there is a rebound, parker will be a step behind a break and none of the swingmen can contain a speeding james or gibson.
the cav’s vets who actually have finals or real playoff experience are not getting the time. what’s the deal, coach? the cavs need to compete. veteran players understand how to compete in games and avoid the mistakes that put them down by 15-20.
from a strategists perspective, brown has almost ANY piece he needs to attack, counter, or jab in a series. for the record i am not a cav loyalist but just love good, competetive basketball. tim duncan isnt in the finals, he’s on a beach somwhere enjoying his new ring already. c..o..a..s..t..i..n..g.. the cavs are a really dangerous team except they aren’t being used yet. this is a bad way to end my basketball watching season this year. hey, lebron: “MAN UP!” foul them out or get them tired. go to the hole as hard as you can 10 straight times with no hesitation… then look up and see what the score is. i bet you’d smile because you know they can’t stop you 10 times in a row double team or not.
SEAN
i hope the suns keep their ‘core’ intact. their biggest gaffe was letting developing center steven hunter get away a short ways back. they need to purge marcus banks and add a running defender to add some grit and attitude to that team. let’s see what trades the draft will bring.
Maximus Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 5:30 pm
One word on Lebron - Rhythm
When Detroit let him walk into the paint uncontested and slam down a few jams he got his mojo and became unstoppable - by the time they tried to actually defend him he was already in the zone.
The trick is to never let him get his mojo going by denying him anything easy or uncontested - make him work for everything from the start and he will have trouble getting into a rythym.
And, Force him into the midrange
Eric Ginsberg Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 6:11 pm
I knew it! Eddie, I mentioned it to you days ago. I said that the Cavs may be popular due to Bron Bron, but they aren’t NBA FINALS worthy. They aren’t half the team that the Cavs teams of the late 80’s with Daugherty, Price, Harper, Ehlo, Nance, “Hot Rod”, Tree, etc. was. In the playoffs a one-man team is shut down everytime. That’s why it took Jordan years to win, his team wasn’t very good.
On a side note, do you have any predictions on the NBA Draft’s next import from China (I can’t remember how to spell it)? The next Nowitzki or the next Brad Sellers?
Eric T. Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 6:29 pm
Great analysis of the game as usual Eddie. The San Antonio Spurs are up 2-0 and heading to Cleveland. As I’ve predicted, when they come back to Texas, they will be celebrating their 4th championship.
After these two games, it is becoming more clear, that LeBron James is more of a Pippen and he ever will be a Jordan. He’s got a decent mid-range and long-range shot but not great. As the primary ball handler, he needs another bona-fide scorer, i.e. a Michael Jordan.
I would’ve rather watch a Spurs-Pistons Finals again. At least it would be entertaining.
Eddie D Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 7:36 pm
Michael Bennett– how quickly you’ve re-evaluated the PG matchup…. in your original posting on this series you say Parker has a “slight edge” over Hughes, but “not by much,” and then you say this match up is “almost a wash.” Now, just two games later, Parker is the “best pound for pound” in the league, and Hughes isn’t one of the top 50! Also, you had Z as better than Oberto or Elson, but now you see him as esentially worhless. And suddenly, LeBron, who was “toooooo good” to be stopped by the plodding, boring Spurs has a suspect jumper…. I guess your earlier bombastic talk about how you’ve been 90% right about everything you’ve written needs to be re-evaluated too.
Eric Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 8:30 pm
Well eddie I really dunno how u can contain parker.I mean he’s so fast he can probably waltz through double teams and ginobili has some pg skills also so dunno how u defend against that.All i can say is the cavs backcourt are overmatched period, and that has to change for the series to get competitive.
Eddie Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 8:36 pm
Sam thank you for the correction. i knew he was two assists short but i wrote 1.
BRockin25 Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 8:39 pm
“The Spurs will try and silence the fans early with methodical possessions. They will milk the clock and get Duncan established early instead of Parker. They also will employ a zone at times if LeBron and company are getting to the rim. They just have not needed to use it much in the first two games. Michael Finley, Brent Barry or Horry will have to make shots to help the Spurs get Game 3 on the road.”
This was the best part of your analysis. Taking Duncan out early can keep the Cavs competitive throughout the game. Finley will make shots the rest of the series. He was ice cold in the first two games, but his performances didnt hurt the Spurs too much.
I still like your analysis on Parker, but I still hold that Ginobili will be fine making plays if they ever find a way to limit Parker, and that Duncan is always the key to the Spurs offense in every series. Like you said, the Cavs have lacked physicality against Duncan, and even the supporting guys, like Horry, Oberto, and Elson, have outhustled Cavs big men and contributed while in the game. The Cavs big men need to hustle harder, like they did against Detroit, and I think they will. In Cleveland, they’ll fend off the Spurs supporting bigs enough to give Lebron a chance to carry them, but to do this, I think Mike Brown should make more adjustments on guarding Duncan than Parker. With Parker, if they put Hughes on the shelf, and just like Gibson/Snow be more physical w/ Parker, it will be a little tougher for him, not to mention, in Cleveland they can take more liberties guarding him then they could in SA.
pat Green Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 9:10 pm
It’s hard to think that home court makes that much of an advantage. SA just looks like a much better team. Basically,game 3 is win or it’s over for Cleveland. They better hope the Spurs have a horrible night shooting and there have been stretches in game one and two where the Spurs went cold. In game one they went 2 of 14 in the first qaurter and still had a lead of 5 or 7 at the end of the 1st quarter. It is very hard to see this going more then five unless SA wants to win it at home. Outside of SA and Cleveland, who else but NBA junkies are watching.
Daniel Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 10:59 pm
great post,
just wonder why Mike Brown didn’t let James play in the post,there are no player in Cavs car play post except Big Z and James,giving the fact Big Z can’t find himself in series,why can’t let James play post and put Big Z in middle…if Spurs throw two defender to james then Daniel Gibson and Dame Jones can spot up in 3 point line.
i just don’t think Brown really know how to contain Parker…and this is key point that Cavs can beat Spurs
trevor Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 11:01 pm
eddie,
Why aren’t you coaching? or a GM? You really know your stuff, You are my favourite journalist along with Steve Kerr, but of course now Steve is working for Phoenix. I hope people smarten up and offer you a job. I think Presti should hire you. Anyhow, I totally agree with you on not taking Lebron out. I mean, the entire team does as Lebron does. Nelson said it best, We go as Baron goes. Why is that not clear to Brown, Cleveland goes as Lebron goes. Nelson said and did exactly that he left baron in, no matter what, you have to trust that your main man is going to find a way of staying in the game. I would hope someone points this out to Brown. Lebron is young, the team is young, and he is the leader, he HAS to be on the floor at all times.
david Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 1:07 am
You are not serious about Donyell Marshall guarding Tim Duncan are you??
Gerry O Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 3:45 am
Spurs have fun because its former assistant coach does not know how to adjust, and perhaps coach. Why oh, why, Coach Mike Brown allowed Lebron James to play as its playmaker almost entire minutes he played in the series. Its my first time to see that a power forward at 6′9″ was atop the 3point arc to play the point in a finals game. If Magic Johnson who was more of a natural guard low posted during the showtime era more so should James be. Its unexplainable why Coach Brown dont let James played a posted game. He is more effective and an advantage over his defender if he played that way. He was at lost playing the point guard. What Coach Brown directed and James did was evident manifest of boo booism. The certified pointmakers like Jordan, Malone, Johnson, Barkley, Bryant and even Anthony earned their points on crucial games by low posting. In the series so far he wanted to play ala Michael Jordan but he still has plenty to eat. He is not even in the mold of Dwayne Wade to play and handle the ball. So, Lebron James play low post in the next game/s.
Anthony Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 5:08 am
I think they should give Scott Pollard a look on Duncan. When he was here in Indiana, the one thing he gave us was tough nosed defense in the post. He’s not as athletic as Varejo, but his veteran savvy would go a long way on Duncan.
Guillaume Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 6:09 am
Just want to say that Parker as a better shoot and when the cavs came back he scored two jumpers to give the Spurs a bigger lead.
It's like I Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 6:52 am
And then once they leave the bank, they’re laughing too…because of all the money they have that they took from the bank!
It's like I Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 6:55 am
And then they laugh when they spend the money…because they can use that money for goods and services which bring them pleasure!
It's like I Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 6:57 am
Seems like no matter what these guys do, they are always laughing.
eddiesucks Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 7:27 am
I doubt Brown’s gonna go with that extremely small lineup. In game 1, the lineup that gave the spurs problems was 4 perimeter guys (Gibson, Bron, Jones, Sasha) and Andy in the middle. But knowing Brown, he won’t make the most sensible choice, i.e. starting Gibson.
bobbo Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 8:05 am
Gibson is proving something all the draftniks should realize: that you can get value, great value, in the second round, even in a draft that is mediocre overall. You just have to see where that talent lies.
Last year’s draft, it turns out, was a point guard draft. Who knew? Rondo, Williams, Rodriguez, Farmar, Collins, Gibson all played well for large stretches of time in the season. And that’s not even counting the rookie of the year, Brandon Roy, who is about to become more of a point guard with Oden in front of him.
They’re not Deron Williams or Chris Paul, but all are good PG’s. A couple could become great PG’s in the right situation. (It’s also time to credit Rick Barnes of Texas as a coach who can prepare players for the NBA.)
Michael Bennett Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 9:54 am
Eddie D - You skewed my words to support your argument. Here’s EXACTLY what I wrote about those matchups:
PG - Tony Parker vs. Larry Hughes (EDGE - PARKER)
Parker is one of the league’s most consistent and best PGs, but Larry Hughes just came from a series in which he player tremendous defense on one of the league’s top PGs. Tony Parker has the edge here, but not by much. This is almost a wash, if Hughes steps up even more on the defensive end.
The key word there is IF… No one knew the extent to which Larry Hughes was injured.
And…
C - Fabricio Oberto vs. Zydrunas Ilgauskus (EDGE - ILGAUSKUS if…)
Z can make a high percentage of his shots, and play low/effecient minutes. Oberto has been very athletic and successfully scrappy of late, but he hasn’t really faced a back to the basket center like Z. Z has to pull him out of the lane and not let him get any offensive rebounds, something Oberto’s been doing very well in the Spurs Ws.
Do you see the IF there, too? Do you know how to read?
I think my analysis was actually right on. IF Hughes would have played good defense on Parker, then the Cavs would be in a different situation right now. Parker on offense is the key so far, obviously.
So, Eddie D, I don’t understand why you posted what you posted? Are you slow? Do you not know how to comprehend? What’s the story?
It's like I Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 10:09 am
Hey Michelle Bennett,
I’m not sure why you are insisting that Larry Hughes totally outclasses Tony Parker in every way. Would you just give it up? And despite your claims that Oberto is quote “not successfully scrappy of late”, I seriously beg to differ. Are we watching the same TV? Or even the same sport? And why would you end your little bitch fest by asking “what is not the story?” Isn’t that sort of a stupid question? In fact, aren’t you stupid?
Thanks,
It’s Like I
Michael Bennett Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 10:16 am
Thanks for acting like you’re seven years old, It’s like I Said. You really raised the level of discussion on here. Well done.
It's like I Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 10:41 am
Hey, at least I was only pretending to be stupid.
Zane from London Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 11:20 am
Man, if Gibson is the 2nd best player in the team, the Cavs are in deep trouble. Barely anyone had even heard of him before the playoffs, and now he’s supposed to be the 2nd option to Lebron, as a rookie, in the finals, against the Spurs?! Where’s Z?!!
Lebron’s got a perennial Defensive Player of the year candidate guarding him, along with help defence from one of the best defensive teams in the league, he’s not superman. They need a better 2nd option than Daniel Gibson to step up and win an NBA finals, that’s for sure.
The pieces around Lebron are a mismatch, they have played well, but they had a ridicoulosly easy playoff schedule in comparison to most teams that make the finals - and LeBron has all but carried them there. I’m not writing them off yet with them heading back to Cleveland, but Lebron needs some help from the vets or this will be a sweep! Lebron is young himself. Yes, Mike Brown is getting outcoached, but what does he really have to work with?!
Maybe Lebron should lay down and retract a trade demand, so he can get some help in the off-season??? Maybe every All-star player surrounded by average players should do it???
P.J. Hardy Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 11:24 am
Seriously Eddie,
I love your comments and agree with mostly everything you put in these comments. I’m sure people have asked you and if you have heard this before than just repeat it please….. Have you ever offered your services to LeBron in regards to master the mid-range because wants he masters that then goodbye to any weakness in Lebron’s game.
Eddie Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 11:42 am
Hey, it’s like i said
you forgot to mention the money they are spending came from you going to the games and would never give you any LOL
LBJ Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 1:10 pm
What can you say except that the Spurs are just simply tough to beat. Even when they fall behind they usually keep themselves in the game. Then at the end they normally have a good chance to win. The Cavs have to defend home. It’s going to be tough!
LBJ Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 1:22 pm
It’s interesting that a few people mentioned LeBron going to the post. And yes he does have the body of a power forward but he doesn’t play like one. LeBron is at his best when he is free to handle the ball. Like most great perimeter players are. You have to just let him go and play with his instincts. And you really have to live and die by that.
If you look at Jordan for example…yes he would post up from time to time. But usually if he caught the ball with his back to the basket it was just so he’d get the ball in a good attack postion and it was usually at the elbow not on the block. And the move he usually went to would be a pivot of some sort and or that fade away jumper that was undefendable. Posting up is great but you have to have some go to post moves. I’ve seen LeBron in the post over the years but I belive he’s more dangerous with the ball facing the basket. And it makes it more difficult to double him if he can catch in positon to attack with one or two dribbles.
elephant Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 1:45 pm
Damn, Eddie. Your basketball chops are fearsome.
But the Sopranos’ episode is boring?!
Dude, keep to what you know!
Johnny Q Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 1:51 pm
Nice try Bennett– you’re backpedalling faster than carmelo vs the Knicks right now. You were wrong and because of your gigantic ego you hate to admit it.
In post-modern literary criticism, your style of analysis is called “close reading” or “hyper reading.” In ordinary terms, it means you can’t see the forest for the trees. You comment on a million tiny points and miss the giant ones staring you in the face. Comparing the cavs to the spurs is like comparing Mayakovsky to Pushkin. Only a fool would do it. Do you comprehend what I’m saying?! Are you slow?! What’s the Story?
Eddie Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 2:03 pm
Elephant if you are going to tell me to stick with what i know then please give me your pedigree and only then will i respect what you know while telling me what i don’t know, you know? LOL
LBJ Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 2:25 pm
Zane you hit the nail right on the head with that line about what Mike Brown has to work with. A coach can only do so much. It comes down to the guys that get out on the floor executing the game plan. It can’t be let’s just watch LeBron and see if he can make it.
Maybe LeBron can get that J going again.
Michael Bennett Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 2:32 pm
Well, I know both entertainment AND basketball, and I’ll tell you that the last Sopranos episode was not only boring, but the ending was a cop-out by series creator David Chase. Obviously, everyone has their own opinion whether they liked it or not, and he DID get people talking, but I thought he owed more than an ambiguous ending to each of those characters… and to his audience. I don’t like to give too much to the audience. They’re watching to see the character do SOMETHING, not for us to figure it out. I want to see Jack Sparrow’s sword fight, not a sequence alluding to it. I want to see Spider-Man shoot webs and swing through the air, not the crowd talking about it. And, I want to see Tony Soprano get shot in the head or not, not a black screen!!!
As for this Finals series, I want to see LeBron go for 40, 10 and 10 and beat the Spurs with a buzzer beater.
Praying for it.
Martin Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 2:36 pm
I’d rather watch my plants grow than Duncan, Parker and Manu.
Duncan is a overgrown child on the court crying and overexadurating.
This final is very boring and I really wish the Spurs were not playing.
I’ve seen these guys win too many times.
JMG Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 3:18 pm
Eddie, I agree with you 99.9%! The .01% isn’t even worth discusssing…lol. I also appreciate how you interact with your critics/fans. Especially when I go to MSNBC and Fox News and see their “sports reporters” creating shock articles like “Kobe Needs To Learn from Lebron” as a means to overhype Lebron and disrespect Kobe, as if that is necessary. Shouldn’t we be watching Lebron WITHOUT contempt for a player who isn’t even in these playoffs?
Well, with that said, I wanted to ask you a question. Is what Lebron is doing, or the lack thereof proof that Kobe’s level of game is what Lebron should still be shooting for? I believe that if Kobe was in this situation that he would go out AT LEAST as the leading scorer in the series, while still trying to get his teammates involved because he wants to win, and bringing in better ratings than a Lebron who still seems to lack that killer instinct, swagger, and the different dimensions to his game that would REALLY make him Jordanesque.
And if I am wrong…..then I am wrong….but your opinion would be valued….
david Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 3:25 pm
Michael, I finally agree with you on the Sopranos — a real cop out. Remember that story The Lady or the Tiger? when we (?) were kids?
Agree with you as well on LeBron, except for the buzzer beater. lol
Eddie Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 3:28 pm
JMG
You are correct. The NBA is in a catch 22 position with Marketing players. They will also admit they they have made mistakes in pushing players to stardom before they actually get there. Larry Johnson comes to mind.
Lebron will i believe eventually live up to the hype, but only until he improves his shooting ability. He has a great package without the most important part—a jumpshot. Kobe and Michael has and had it to the extreme.
Just ask yourself one question and anyone who reads this will agree.
everytime Kobe and michael attempted a shot didn’t you think they would make it. Now ask that question about James. You see that will and always be the difference until he learns to get it done. case closed.
Michael Bennett Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 3:40 pm
In the fantasy world… IF Kobe was in the situation, he’d play well, hit 45% of his shots, score 32ppg and his team would lose. IF Michael Jordan was in this situation, he’d hit 50% of his shots, score 40 ppg and his team would win. IF Godzilla was in this situation, he’d blow fire out of his mouth, aiming it at the fans and players and coaches, and everyone would yell “Godzirra!!! Godzirra!!!”
Ah… Isn’t it nice to imagine all types of crazy situations? And, by the way, I think Godzilla has about as good of a chance as playing in the Finals in the next five years as Kobe on the Lakers does.
The Don Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 3:49 pm
It’s funny how a few of the Bloggers have nothing but kind words to say about James and the fact that he does not have a complete game but want to mention him in the same breath as Mike and Kobe and Magic and Bird and the other Superstars.
His J is off, it’s his first finals he doesn’t have good moves in the post, he’s not shooting in rythm. Its the same team that HE took to the Finals right? The same ugly J that got him 48 at Detroit, the same NO Post move game that has taken his this far, the same game that got him 100 million. The kid has not progressed more like regressed in the last 3 years but his team has steadily gotten better (better as in the quality of players surrounding him well except for Boozer).
Save the accolades the comparisons, and the Superstar talk until the kid wins something. Actually does something not have the potential to do something…
When Mamba and his broke up band of D-Leaguers got sent home from the playoffs it was he can’t carry a team without Shaq. King James has enough talent to win the East but can’t get his sack wet in the Finals.
I thought he made his teammates better!!!! Well who is gonna make him better!!?
If he had a shot of Kobe in his arm and became more agressive in the Post and Perimeter he would create so much havoc for the Spurs that Gibson, Jones, Marshall and whomever else would have nothing but open shots all night and the proven ability to knock them down.
Give Mamba shooters comparable to Gibson and Marshall and Jones instead of Parker, Vujacic and Evans and you would see the difference.
The Don Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 3:50 pm
Gozilla needs to play for the Stinkin Bulls!!! Those sorry bastards will never make it again, at least not until they trade for Kobe.
Michael Bennett Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 3:56 pm
Oh, God, not this guy again… The Don, you’re such a rambling clown. Not once did you make sense in your post. This blog is not about the Kobe/LeBron comparison and how every Laker fan thinks Kobe’s the greatest thing since sliced bread. It’s about the NBA Finals… of which LeBron James is playing in.
NOTE - Kobe is NOT playing in the Finals.
So, let’s keep the discussion to Eddie’s original post.
ONE MORE NOTE - LeBron is better than Kobe.
JMG Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 4:24 pm
Michael Bennet, I agree with you. There shouldn’t be a comparison, which I stated in my post. I just wanted to ask Eddie a question because what Lebron is lacking something that Kobe has (a mid-range game), and it has been shown in these Finals. So the point was valid in that sense. I was using contrast as a means to measure the difference between the two at the current stage of their career, not degrade or praise either. That is the difference between me and a crazed, uninformed, starstruck fan who just wants to rant off about their favorite player being better. I prefer to play chess rather than checkers….thanks. Peace.
Michael Bennett Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 4:29 pm
I know, JMG, I was referring to The Don Flamenco in my post. Your post is good. You can hear his cry if you listen closely any time anyone says anything bad about #24.
Pete Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 4:35 pm
The one thing this series shows is that there is no single way to build a great team. For years, Popovich has tried to make Parker a pass first point guard. He still isn’t, but that seems to be working out just fine. The great Bulls teams from the 90s often played with a backcourt of Harper, Jordan, and (sort of) Pippen. No pure point guard, but still successful. Stockton, Nash, & Kidd are probably the three best pure point guards in recent memory, and between them have zero rings. I can’t explain this, but it is a fact.
It won’t take too many moves by the Cavs to return to the finals next year with a better chance. Gibson will be better, Hughes will be healthy. Looks like the cavs should’ve traded big Z a few years ago, along with Ricky Davis. Now his value is much lower…I would still trade him anyway. But they are still in a great position. LeBron gives them so much versatility and will continue to grow as a player.
Is it possible that Duncan is even better than most people thought? He’s as good as Camby or Big Ben defensively (I would actually argue that he’s better than both) and as good on offense as Yao, Garnett, Dirk, or Gasol. I know he’s as quiet as a nun and not very marketable, but it’s hard to dispute the results– more rings by himself than the six players I just compared him to.
BRockin25 Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 4:43 pm
“Just ask yourself one question and anyone who reads this will agree.
everytime Kobe and michael attempted a shot didn’t you think they would make it. Now ask that question about James. You see that will and always be the difference until he learns to get it done. case closed.”
I agree, but I also hold that I think LBJ will make every drive to the basket he takes, whether defended well or not. I didnt even quite think that about MJ. Lebron is so crazy bc he can dominate a game if 1 or 2 3-pointers go in, he feels hot, then just gets aggressive and tries to dunk everything. He hasnt finished well thus far against the Spurs, but I believe its an aberration, and that he will start finishing everything the rest of this series.
What’s the point? He definitely needs a jump shot to become a better player and make his team better, but Lebron is the only guard w/o a mid-range jumper who I’ve ever believed could lead a team to a title. Wade and AI dont count. That just speaks to how talented he really is.
They still lose in 6 to the Spurs though lol.
EddieKnows Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 5:13 pm
The Cavs are the Golden State of the East.
Both Detroit & Chicago are both better playoff teams, Detroit whacked Chicago and then did a meltdown against Cleveland because Billups chocked and Sheed turned into an 8 year old.
Now Cavs are playing way over there heads, like Golden State against Utah, except even worse.
Mike needs to deliver the “we got nothing to lose” speech and consider this practice for next year’s playoffs and just work on execution.
Revmac Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 5:24 pm
Eddie,
What is your opinion as to why LeBron’s jump shot has not improved? Do you think that “they” (media, fans etc…) have crowned him so early in his career that he’s unapproachable concerning improving or fine tuning his game?
Skinny Pippen Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 6:53 pm
Hi Eddie . you are correct when it comes to LBJ. he does need a mid range jump shot to go along with his quickness, strength and athleticism. He also needs a back to the basket game or fade-away like Mike Jordan, Vinnie Johnson and Kobe Bryant.
Rashidi Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 8:13 pm
Eddie wrote:
You are correct. The NBA is in a catch 22 position with Marketing players. They will also admit they they have made mistakes in pushing players to stardom before they actually get there. Larry Johnson comes to mind.
Larry Johnson WAS a star. He wasn’t able to maintain it because of his injury. If ANY star player suffered a back injury like LJs they wouldn’t be stars anymore, plain and simple.
LeBron wasn’t pushed by the NBA. He was a star in HIGH SCHOOL. ESPN, Nike, and all the other outside media outlets were pushing LeBron to stardom far before he got to the NBA, that’’s how he became the most hyped player ever in the first place.
“He has a great package without the most important part—a jumpshot. Kobe and Michael has and had it to the extreme.”
Jordan didn’t have a jumper early in his career and he certainly didn’t have the range that LeBron has now. What you seem to keep forgetting is LEBRON IS 22 YEARS OLD.
Jordan
age 21: 28.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 5.9 apg (Bulls won 38 games, 1-3 in playoffs)
age 22: 22.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.9 apg (18 games due to injury, Bulls won 30 games, 0-3 in playoffs)
age 23: 37.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.6 apg (Bulls win 40 games, 0-3 in playoffs)
LeBron
age 21: 31.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 6.6 apg (Cavs win 48 games, 7-6 in playoffs)
age 22: 27.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 6.4 apg (Cavs win 50 games, 12-6 in playoffs)
By age 22 LeBron has won 19 playoff games, whereas Jordan had won 1 out of 7.
Further, Jordan didn’t win anything until he had Pippen, a second All-NBA talent on his squad. Who does LeBron have on his team? Like you said, Gibson is their second best player, and he was taken in the second round this year. Nuff said.
Kobe meanwhile had Shaq. What is he doing without him? Nuff said.
You keep comparing LeBron to Kobe and MJ, but for what reason? Yes, we know LeBron needs to add a mid-range game. It takes years. Kobe wasn’t this good when he was 22, and Jordan certainly had a way to go. He didn’t develop a mid-range game until Detroit forced him to find a way to beat them.
Talent wins in the NBA. San Antonio has more of it. Nobody can win 1 on 5 in the NBA, not even Jordan. Certainly not in a 7 game series against the best in the world. How many of the Cavs would even start for San Antonio? Other than MAYBE Ilgauskas, only LeBron. How many NBA teams have won a championship with only one star? Depending on what you think of the 2004 Pistons (who had a lot of luck), the only other team was the 1994 Rockets who had Hakeem surrounded with a lot of role players. Other than that it’s been all multi-star teams for the last 30 years… which is only what, half the NBA’s lifespan?
In conclusion, Lebron has had a better start to his NBA career than Jordan. It’s up to LeBron to make the next step that Jordan did at age 23 - you act like Jordan came into this league an MVP caliber player - he didn’t. He wasn’t any better than Dominique was his first two years.
“Just ask yourself one question and anyone who reads this will agree.
everytime Kobe and michael attempted a shot didn’t you think they would make it.”
I certainly don’t think Kobe is going to make every shot he takes, he has poor shot selection even now. I think what you MEANT to say is that when Kobe or Michael attempted a shot THEY thought they were going to make it, while LeBron does not have that same confidence in his scoring ability.
“You see that will and always be the difference until he learns to get it done. case closed.”
All players have to learn. Even Kobe and MJ did. Guess what? At age 22 they were still learning. The fact that this is LeBron’s 4th season doesn’t matter, because MJ was still learning when he was at Carolina, and Kobe was still learning his first couple years, he airballed the Lakers out of the playoffs if you recall.
Eric Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 8:40 pm
Man why does kobe’s name come up everytime Lebron’s name is mentioned? Seem like Kobe fans want to keep on reminding the world who they think the best player in the world is……So kobe has the jumpshot…but does he have Lebron’s passing skills???Ability to finish after contact????Trust in his teammates?????Dude Lebron just need a jumper to be the next NBA legend…and Kobe????What does he need???Another Shaq????Stop rippin Lebron to pump up Kobe, cause Kobe hasnt got outta the first round by himself yet.
BTW spurs are gonna win, cause they are one of the greatest teams of all time…period.
Eddie Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 9:33 pm
Because great players are compared to one another Eric. that’s just the way it is. Kobe was compared to Michael and now Lebron will be compared to Kobe and Michael. Let’s end this conversation on comparison’s to Magic. He does not compare to Magic. Rarely do you see Lebron lead a fast break at full speed. He lopes like Jordan and Kobe does.
Look James can be great, But don’t tell me about Michaels Jumper was off. are you kidding me. His Jumper was average when he came into the league and it was great when he left.
Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Magic all figured it out and improved their jumpers. Yes can Lebron figure his out of course, but until then i will talk about it because right now it’s not good. Stop giving me that 22 year junk. My kid is 17 and he can shoot lights out. Daniel Gibson can shoot lights out and he is a rookie. stop making excuses with the age thing.
His jumper will not get better with those mechanics, Listen to me again his jumper will not get better with those mechanics
So let’s hope he changes his mechanics and let’s hope the Cavaliers can make this series interesting.
Revmac Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 11:02 pm
Eddie
After watching my Cavs 3 pt. (2for 16?) shooting debacle tonight, it makes me want to make my 11 yr old son shoot 200 jumpers a day for the rest of the summer!!!
MH Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 11:06 pm
“kobe can’t finish after contact”??? How many spectacular and 1’s have you seen Kobe make in his career? Your way off right there.
Anyways back to Lebron, I love him as a player, and he made a valiant effort to get his team back into the game by taking it to the hoop, but you can only survive with “getting your teammates” involved throughout the first 3 quarters for so long. He needs to have his scoring play a much bigger role from jumpstreet. Everyone is so quick to acknowledge him for his great passing, and getting his teammates involved, but what has it done for this series????? He’s the best player in the league? Not yet.
D Wade was known for not being a strong perimeter/midrange shooter, look what he did last year, he should give him a ring by phone, because he’s not getting one in this series. Right Michael Bennett? =) 3-0! Aren’t you from Cleveland? They got some good lakes there, GONE FISHING!!!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHA
Carnell Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 11:09 pm
Note to Michael Bennett……argue all you want, LeBron isn’t better than Kobe…….we are all witnesses why!!!!! Give Kobe the same shots the Spurs are giving LeBron and he’ll hit 60 easily!!!!
I know, I know…..Kobe’s not in the finals. Point is as I told you before, if the Cavs were in the West the wouldn’t have got to the Finals. They are the beneficiary of playing 2 weak teams to start the playoffs, and the Pistons were there only test, and they just so happened to have their #. When it’s all said and done after the 2007 playoffs. Kobe 3 rings, LeBron 0. Blame it on Kobe having Shaq, we all know Kobe had just as much to do with the 3 rings as Shaq. Bottom line Kobe is one of the greatest ever to play the game. Regardless of what you think or say he is, and I think I speak for everyone when I say, you’re an idiot, and we’re all tired of your
Mr. Know it all attitude. You’re not as smart as you think and you don’t know as much as you think you do about basketball. So shut the hell up!!!! YOU WERE WRONG….AGAIN!!!!!
Eddie Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 11:09 pm
After that first comment it was very difficult to read what else you said. Now let me see. you said Kobe does not have a lot of and 1’s? would somebody escort MH from the room.
Eddie Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 11:11 pm
WOW Carnell came real strong at you Michael and you have to admit Lebron is not Kobe yet.
Eddie D Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 11:16 pm
Bennett– I didn’t skew anything. Your own response proved all of my points. Making bold predictions and then copping out by saying that you said “if” is pretty lame. I stand by all of my previous statements. Thanks to the guys out there who came to my defense on this one. You’re kind of an arrogant jerk. Oh, and your Cavs just went down 0-3. Is LeBron still toooooooooo good to be stopped by the Spurs?
Carnell Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 11:37 pm
Eddie I think you missed what MH was saying. Someone said Kobe doesn’t finish as well with contact as LeBron, and MH is saying have you seen how many spectacular and 1’s Kobe’s had over his career.
Also you have to agree with me Eddie, Michael Bennett has become down right annoying at this point, with his I know more than everyone attitude. No knock on you, but you making him a top blogger, made it worse. His head is bigger than a blimp right now. I’ve figured him out though, he’s one of those controversy lovers. He plants the seed and waits for the reaction, if everyone just ignored him and not responded, he’d get bored and go away, he might even get a girlfriend, a job, or something.
Eddie Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 11:39 pm
Sorry MH i guess i need to read. lol
Eddie Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 11:40 pm
Michael, you have to admit that you are in real trouble and the rest of the bloggers will feast on you real soon. I am interested what you will say.
Lupe Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 11:40 pm
Wow, I am a defense lover to the extreme but not when it’s combined with no offense it is hard to watch. The Cavs beat themselves in this one, they had more second chance opportunities than the Spurs, and so many wide open threes yet they could not get the job done. This time it was role reversal for the Spurs, the Big Three combined for only 34 points(13-41 fg), Manu was shutdown completely but their role players stepped up well for them. I hope the next game is in the high eighties at least.
I am one of the people who asked for Boobie to start, and I must say I was wrong. I don’t think he will have a game as bad as this one next time. I am now torn between Snow and Boobie to start, Snow was very effective when he played but as always he doesn’t contribute many points. I did like that they did not play Hughes though.
Oh well, I shall now go pray to the Basketball gods in the mountain peaks of Texas(there are a few) that Game 4 is exciting. Peace.
P.S.- Hey Rashidi, I love that faqs that you post on Gamefaqs(sorry for the redundancy). Do you plan to post one for NBA 2K8 when it becomes available next year. You have some of the most accurate ratings for players, you give better ratings than the creators of the game who totally ignore bench players .
cody Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 11:40 pm
All you losers are still talking about the one man shows, hoping somehow Lebron has an unbelievable game and becomes superman and flies out the stadium. I think we are seeing one of the best team efforts ever in a championship through DEFENSE and game management. I wish they would give Bowen the MVP of the series for the amazing effort on a guy that is a lot bigger and stronger than him, not to mention his offensive phenom. ability. Nope I’m livin in a dream world. So while yall are lookin for superman with the rest of the media, the rest of you need to give it up for the SPURS. Basketball is a team sport and always will be in the real world. Defense always wins.
Carnell Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 11:48 pm
Cody…..I have to agree with you. I’m not a Spurs fan, but they are good. Many knock them for being a old veteran team, but they all seem to have very high basketball IQ’s. They are a reflection of their coach…..which doesn’t get much credit, he’s a damn good coach. Series not over yet, but I think the outcome is clear.
Lupe, you are right. Cavs had an excellent chance to win tonight. Spurs looked flat tonight. Spurs real good in close out games, I won’t be surprised to see a sweep.
Eddie……I’m interested to hear Michael Bennett’s comments too. However,
it wouldn’t surprise me if he ran away, or comes up with this rendition of why he’s right even though his comments lead up to him being wrong.
Eddie Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 11:54 pm
Cody
i normally credit the Spurs defense, but man that was just poor shooting by the Cavaliers. They missed wide open shots all night. The Spurs handed them a gift and they could not make a shot to take it.
Lupe Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 11:56 pm
I’m just going to say one thing about Lebron being compared to Kobe. The reason I believe Kobe is better than him is due to the fact he is a better defender. Kobe will guard his player like a pit-bull, even if he isn’t a star he will guard him as if he is one. Whether it’s Ray Allen or Raja Bell, heck even Bruce Bowen. I think Lebron needs to develop that mentality. I don’t buy into the fact he needs to conserve energy for offense because MJ did it and so does Kobe. He’s improved don’t get me wrong but San Antonio made him pay when he lost Parker or sagged off of Bowen.
cody Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 11:59 pm
The Spurs have never had a more classy opponent than Cleveland. They didn’t whine after every call or loose their cool (Phoenix,Dallas). They are just outmatched. There is no doubt in my mind they will be champions in the near future. Lebron is young , amazing, and has a great future ahead of him. I don’t think you can put him with Jordan & Kobe because he understands team more than they do.
cody Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 12:04 am
sometimes too much!
Carnell Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 12:10 am
Eddie hit it right on the nose. Spurs did every thing they could to give the Cavs the game tonight, and they couldn’t hit key shots to take it. Just might have cost them the series. 0-3 compared to 2-1…..huge hump, especially, the Spurs got 2 games at home left.
Lupe……I’ve said this many times to. Kobe is an excellent defender, even though he dropped off quite a bit this year. I think the knee surgery and having to score 50 every night to give his team a chance to win had a lot to do with it. I like Kobe, but I can admit he shouldn’t have been on the 1st defensive team this year. But I agree he plays “pitbull D” on the other teams best player and still puts up his #’s and other super stars shy away from guarding the other teams best player, and I think that was a good point you brought up.
And for all of you that keep knocking Kobe on his passing. Watching LeBron tonight, you see what Kobe went thru all year. Give up the ball and no one knocks down the open shot. You don’t get assists for teammates not knocking down open shots. The difference between Kobe and LeBron is, Kobe would have tried to put his fingerprints on this game. He would have tried to single handedly win the game, he would have given his teammates a chance to get involved, but then when they kept missing, he would have stopped letting guys like Varejau take key shots when the game was on the line.
Carnell Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 12:25 am
Cody……MJ won six championships & Kobe won three, you don’t do that not understanding or playing with a team concept. Especially when MJ completed two 3peats and Kobe 1. I will give you this. They both had their issues at times with the team concept, but MJ at the end of his career understood it, and I promise you Kobe understands it now also.
Jeremy Martin Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 12:34 am
I got up to “Tony Parker puts more pressure on defenses than I’ve seen in a long time” then I stopped reading.
I think it has more to do with the Cavs poorous, vanilla defensive schemes and the fact that the Cavs just don’t have pure point-guard on their roster to even make Parker work on the opposite end.
I just can’t wait until this series is over and the Parker jockeying is over. The guy is good, but he isn’t even a top 5 nba point. This series lets us forget just how useless he is on defense.
Jacque Vaughn could be starting and the Spurs would still be winning.
MH Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 12:53 am
Haha, Eddie, I won’t hold it against you.
And all of a sudden this has turned into “who’s better, kobe or lebron” post! Kobe has made his mark in this league with all of his accomplishments, we know what he can do when the games on the line. If you wanna argue about better players it should really be, “who’s better Lebron or D Wade”!
Eddie I really believe what you said on another blog, when you stated, “I sometimes feel Lebron resorts to passing to his teammates because of the lack of confidence he has in his J” it couldn’t have been more obvious than todays game.
And Mr. I know everything about basketball because I don’t have a day job and have time to watch every single minute of every nba game this year, aka Michael Bennett, haha where you at?? My guess is, on craigslist looking for employment, because you got fired from your last job for taking days off to watch espn classic bball games haha. Your a lame. “I know the cavs will win”, “Lebron taste like a championship”, you crack me up. Look you can only take the “I believe” slogan so far, I mean alot of us on here aren’t really spurs fans, perhaps because of they’re boring style of play, but we all know that they get the job done, both on offense and defense, so who’s the idiot now, since you’ve yapped about your higher class of knowledge and wisdom about the game? Enjoy fishing w/ Lebron, maybe you can put the bait on for him? =)
cyberpygmy Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 12:55 am
“LE Broome” IS BETTER THAN KOBE? HA! HA! HA! 6′8″-250 LBS WITH LIMITED LOW POST REPORTEIRE. THIS DUDE NEED TO WATCH SOME ADRIAN DANTLEY TAPES THE SAME WAY KARL MALONE DID EARLY IN HIS CAREER. THEN MAYBE YOU’LL HAVE SOMETHING TO BRAG ABOUT, OTHERWISE HIS GAME IS MORE LIKE EDDIE JONES ON STEROIDS. DUNK, DUNK AND MORE DUNKS! MAYBE THAT’S GOOD ENOUGH FOR EAST COAST BASKETBALL, BUT IT WONT BUY YOU A GAME HERE IN THE WEST. THERE ARE NO GIRLY TEAMS LIKE DA BULLS TO HELP INFLATE YOUR REGULAR SEASON RECORD. IF HE HAD EVEN HALF OF KOBE’S BACK TO THE BASKET LOW POST MOVES, WHO KNOWS? 1 OR 2 WINS MAYBE? AHH! SO MUCH FOR HYPE…
Eric Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 2:02 am
It seems to be that everybody is all arguing bout Lebron and Kobe cause apparently the one that comes out on top will be the best player in the league…..sorry guys except for MJ in the history of the leaugue, the best player is a big guy, a frontcourt guy who can dominate the boards and make life easier for the whole team. Shaq,Wilt,Russell,Kareem,Bird,TD, and Hakeem etc. Even the first superstar swingman Dr J diddnt win until Moses came along. Magic Johnson played point guard all his life and ironically won his first championship mvp playing as centre. Shaq was the heart and focus of those 3 championships, he averaged 30pts and 15 boards……Bottom line is MJ is the exception, not the rule. Kobe was never the”best” player in the league, and I dont think he ever will be. Tim Duncan is the best player right now, since Shaq has dropped off.I think the bigman is still the one that dominates the court, not the swingman.Ask urself this…would you rather have dwayne,Lebron, or Kobe on your team…or TD,a healthy and motivated shaq, or KG???
Gerry O Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 2:05 am
The Spurs-Cavs series is a neat lesson for the NBA, Mr Stern and the refs not to favor and disfavor teams. It is very certain that on the Pistons-Cavs series the latter got the best of all the bad calls from the refs. The refs were able to handicap a superior team with better capabilities to tilt the balance in favor of a less capable team. Pistons particularly McDyess, Wallace, Prince were not able to play with their natural strength because of the flops of Varejao, Paplovic, Gibson which the refs easily acknowledged without raising eyebrows. Thus, what were seeing this series a team less of Pistons in terms of playoff plays….the real men defense and the inner strength.
MH Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 3:02 am
Eric I’d rather have the first 3. Best players used to be the big guys, but the nba is now a 1-3 position sport. You act like all the big men didn’t have great wingmen around them, and last I checked Larry wasn’t a power forward, when he had Kev mchale, and robert parish down there. Shaq was the man, but he’s had great wingmen with him throughout his whole career, a fresh penny hardaway, Kobe, and now Dwayne? How can the big men dominate the court? Besides Duncan who else is there??? KG, look at his situation. Shaq, sweep. Yao, fishing. And not to put a knock on Duncan, but the coaching staff for cleveland aren’t making any adjustments on him, Tony Parker is who they’re trying to keep in check. So I strongly disagree with your staement with the game still being dominated on both ends by the big men, Tim Duncan dominates that’s it. This is a swingmans game, with all the fast up-tempo styles team are trying to play with now. Pg’s, sg’s, sf’s, dominate the whole pace of the game, meanwhile all the centers in the game are just passing half-court by the time they gotta run back on defense. I think your still stuck in the 80’s man. lol
Jayson Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 3:10 am
“We are all witnesses”………….to his broke @$$ jumpshot, and the lack of confidence his shows in it! lol
Sorry had to say that, I’m a fan of LBJ, but I’m tired of all the commercials. Throw in a Bruce Bowen commercial or something, enough with the LBJ ads, it just makes it worse if they get swept.
bigdaddy Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 5:52 am
Michael Bennett aint predicting cavs win 4 straight i thought you said they are going to win the finals……lbj better than kobe that i dis agree if the cavs and laker switches conference would you be able to to say that lbj is better than kobe i dont even see lebroom half the talent kobe has
Pepe Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 10:41 am
I agree with what Gary said - the NBA is just plain rigged, we just need to open our eyes. I can’t get this out of my head each time I watch the games. Somebody somewhere said the NBA games can not be rigged, maybe Eddie knows a little more about it… but hey, too much of what’s going on in the NBA seems to me just way too improbable to be real. And this series is the most recent example of these things. The Cavs are no way a NBA finals team, I still can’t believe they’ve made it there - ok, the Pistons just didn’t have that much motivation anymore but the Cavs are still no match for them. I don’t know if it’s because somebody wants to build that LeBron marketing so fast or what but way too often the NBA seems to be just like the WWF - all theater, no real stuff. Anyway, one thing I’m pretty sure of - this series won’t end 4-0 although that’s what it would be like in real life. I still say 4-1 or 4-2 just because the tickets got to be sold and just because the NBA don’t want to have such ridiculous finals. The Spurs will give up one or two games, no doubt about that. Unfortunately, the best basketball is still being played in the NBA…
Michael Bennett Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 10:46 am
Ahh… This is great.
It’s funny how I “don’t have a job” - MH and I “ran away” - Carnell and I might “get a girlfriend” - Carnell and I’m “kind of an arrogant jerk” - Eddie D. It’s also funny how bloggers like Carnell, MH and Eddie D. run right to their computers AFTER the game and start typing away… but I’m the guy who doesn’t have a job or girlfriend, right? 3:02 am… 12:25 am… those were two of the post times… Where is your girlfriend when you’re posting at 3 am?!? Aw… the contradictions.
Next time, try posting BEFORE the game, having an argument, and duking it out. Then, if you’re right, you can run to the message board and say “Ha, ha!” I haven’t seen MH or Carnell on this board, and now, all the sudden, I’m wrong? They’re predictions were right? Who’d they tell? Their mother? Their dog? Good one…
And, there is no excuse I’m making for LeBron. I love his game. I love watching him play. It brings me great joy to see a LeBron game from only nine rows back. But, I don’t get personally offended when someone else DOESN’T like him, or thinks that someone is better than him. Sometimes I’m wrong about predictions with him. Michael Wilbon, one of the best sports minds alive, predicted Cavs would win Games 2 and 3. Should he be fired? Is he now an idiot? No.
AND, most importantly… How can you argue against a guy being great who lead his team to the Finals? And, how can you compare a guy who led his team to the Finals to a guy who’s been out of the Playoffs since early May? I guess the answer is that if you’re a wild-eyed dunce who doesn’t know anything about basketball, you can compare away…
I’m talking, of course, to Kobe. YOU brought up the comparisons. I made jokes to piss you off. Yes, I do think LeBron is better than Kobe. But, your argument is that because LeBron is down 3-0 in the FINALS, Kobe is better?!? Common sense people.
My suggestion is this:
- If you’re going to argue, argue from the beginning. Monday Morning Quarterbacking is not respected in the sports world.
- Keep the topic at what it is. For some odd reason, every one of Eddie’s articles turns into a Kobe Bryant For President campaign.
- Actually know something about the sport and don’t disrespect people who DO know something.
- Give a kiss to your girlfriends and say “hi” to your boss for me… because it seems like I’m on your minds A LOT… judging by these posts, you people like to say “Michael Bennett this…” and “Michael Bennett that…” If I’M on your mind that much, I feel sorry for you. Not really. I think it’s actually a funny social study on how dependent people are on other people’s opinions to make them who they are.
PS - LeBron is better than Kobe.
Eddie D Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 10:59 am
If the NBA was rigged (and I don’t believe it is) last night’s game easily could’ve been swung to the Cavs. It wasn’t. And if the playoffs were rigged, the NBA would be smarter than to put two small market cities in the finals, don’t you think? Nba refs have an impossible job, because if they call a perfect game they are not talked about, but the moment they, as imperfect human beings, make a questionable call they’re labelled cheaters, conspirators, and incompetent frauds. Everyone’s been saying for years that the West is stronger than the East and this series simply proves it. The Spurs had a better record against better competition all year long, and now they’re calmly taking care of business. Scary thing is this summer Portland and Seattle get Oden and Durant so the power tilt ain’t going away any time soon.
Michael Bennett Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 11:28 am
If the “West is stronger than the East and this series simply proves it”, does that mean that last year, the East was stronger than the West? You know, since the Heat (East) beat Dallas (West)?
Cody Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 12:43 pm
That is because it was Dallas. They choke under pressure. One bad call at the end of the game against Dallas cost the Spurs their championship last year. This season should be a repeat but like Eddie says above the refs are not perfect. Bowen would have done the same thing to D. Wade.
howard Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 12:48 pm
Game from the Twilight Zone:
Last night’s game was one of the oddest I’ve ever seen. Duncan had a rare sub-par game, Ginobili almost put up a donut, as did Gibson–which in a way would have been great because then I could have referred to last night’s game as the Duncan Donuts disaster–even Parker pen was a little spotty. He did hit a big shot in the final minutes though. Gold stars go to Brent Barry and Bowen, the giant killer. I’m starting to think that it’’s an insult to Bowen to refer to the big three of San Antonio. He is an extremely important part of the Spurs’ success.
It was Cleveland’s game for the taking, but they couldn’t get it done, and I’d say their chances of winning are lying somewhere on the bottom of Lake Erie.
Why didn’t Pavlovic keep trying to attack the rim in the second half? He was a demon in the first half and then morphed into a timid outside shooter after halftime.
Eddie D Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 1:01 pm
Ho-hum Bennett– you had a chance to redeem yourself and now you sound like more of a blowhard than ever. Maybe Bill Walton, Bill Russell, Steve Kerr, Phil Jackson, Charles Barkley, Scottie pippen, & John Wooden are wrong about the west and you are right. After all, you’re clearly smarter than all of them, right? The west has won 6 of the last 8– I know logic and facts don’t sway you so I won’t waste my time. Enjoy your summer eating crow and humble pie. By the way, I’m a huge LeBron fan, and I said spurs in 6 from day 1.
Rashidi Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 1:02 pm
Eddie wrote
Stop giving me that 22 year junk. My kid is 17 and he can shoot lights out. Daniel Gibson can shoot lights out and he is a rookie. stop making excuses with the age thing. ”
LOL. So what if your kid is 17 and can shoot? Can your kid do anything else LeBron is capable of doing? Also, you were a great shooter in your career. You obviously taught your kid everything you know. Who were LeBron’s influences when he was 17? Did he have a father who shot 84% from the line?
Ditto for Gibson. The kid can shoot. Too bad he can’t pass worth a damn. He has minimal PG skills, while LeBron has the best on the team despite his size. You’ve said in earlier blogs that shooting is the toughest skill to learn, now you’re acting like it’s so easy because your kid and a second round pick know how to do it. Please don’t pretend LeBron hasn’t worked hard at becoming the player he is today. Please don’t pretend he hasn’t worked on improving his jumper either. He is a threat from long range now, which is quite a step up from when he first entered the league.
The shooting coach on the Cavs should be fired. Why don’t you check out some FT% of players before they joined the Cavs and after they joined the Cavs? You’ll find the results a lot more disturbing than a James mid-range J.
In any event, the mid-range game is the least common offensive weapon from players nowadays. It’s quite hard to create a mid-range shot off the dribble. That’s why only the great players were able to accomplish it. Your kid isn’t capable of it. Anybody can hit a catch and shoot. Hitting a shot going toe to toe with an NBA defender is quite another story.
Game 2
Gooden: 5-9
Ilgauskas: 2-8
Pavlovic: 2-5
Varejao: 2-3
Gibson: 2-3
Hughes: 0-2
LeBron: 0-10
Total: 15-40
Spurs
Parker: 8-15
Duncan: 6-13
Vaughn: 2-3
Finley: 1-2
Bowen: 0-3
Elson: 1-1
Oberto: 0-1
Horry: 0-1
Ginobili: 0-6
Total: 18-45
Parker/Duncan total: 14-28
Make no mistake, this series would still be 2-0 Spurs even if LeBron hit half those shots. This series is not about the flaws of LeBron, it’s about how LeBron has no help and is simply outmatched by a top 10 all-time player in Duncan and his vastly underrated sidekick Parker. LeBron doesn’t have a teammate who comes close. Gibson wouldn’t even be in the Spurs rotation.
Rashidi Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 1:05 pm
“P.S.- Hey Rashidi, I love that faqs that you post on Gamefaqs(sorry for the redundancy). Do you plan to post one for NBA 2K8 when it becomes available next year. You have some of the most accurate ratings for players, you give better ratings than the creators of the game who totally ignore bench players”
I’ll be doing it for 2k8, I’ve been working hard on converting my guide to next-gen systems, it’s totally revamped now. I have re-edited every player on 28 of 30 teams, I should be done by the time the Finals are over. (Wiz and Spurs are all thats left)
Rashidi Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 1:06 pm
*Done with a 2k7 update by the time the Finals are over I should have mentioned.
Michael Bennett Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 1:27 pm
But, Eddie D - DID I EVER SAY THE EAST WAS BETTER THAN THE WEST? Show me where I said that… please.
I urge you… you must actually READ the posts. R-E-A-D. And, comprehend. Can you do that?
Gilmore Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 1:29 pm
Conventional wisdom says stop the big three and you beat the Spurs. Well, Parker was held to 17, Duncan 14, and Ginobili 3 for a total of 34 points, and the Spurs still won. Great *teams*, defense, and smart play wins. It may be boring and often repeated, but shooting on any night can go away, while fundamental D is a constant. Smarts don’t go away, either. Duncan and Gooden were both in foul trouble last night. Duncan adjusted to the situation, whereas 4 of Gooden’s 6 fouls were completely unnecessary and he fouled out when he was most needed. It’s all about teamwork. Remember this: when Jordan retired the first time, Scottie Pippen lead a very good *team* to 55 wins the next season. LeBron’s Cavs finished this year with 50.
Eddie D Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 1:45 pm
I was simply following your line of argument, Bennett. Your problem is you love arguing more than anything else and raise ridiculous emotional objections to good points– all I did was answer the rhetorical statement “east was better than west last years because the Heat won.”
You think like a child– this is why you picked the one-man-show Cavs to beat the best TEAM in professional sports. You were dead wrong and now instead of saying, whoops, I was wrong, you lash out like a wounded animal at everybody who calls you on your shit. And for the record, the current book on my nightstand is Tolstoy’s Hadji Murat. Ever heard of it, you dumbass? I’m READING it and COMPREHENDING it quite well.
david Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 1:46 pm
I’m a SPurs fan but I have to say that I like reading Michael Bennet. He’s got enough facts to make an argument and enough passion for his team to be likeable and enough sense to be realistic.
Let’s face it, guys, if we all knew would would WIN shouldn’t we be in Vegas betting our hard earned (at least for me) $$ ?
As far as Kobe and Le Bron, both have tremendous sets of skills. The main differenceis that LeBron will probably never in his life have to stand trial for @#$%. He’s a class act, and so are the Cavs. They will be tremendous winners in the future because they have a great foundation. Right now they are paying their dues. A team like that scares me much more than Dallas. Until you’ve won the big one, don’t throw a regular season record in anyone’s face — it doesn’t mean anything to anyone except for those grasping at straws.
I would like to see a stat of how many number 1 seeds actually won the CHampionship.
Way to go Michael. I think your Cavs are for real — just a season or 2 away.
J-Wood Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 2:00 pm
How is it that Duncan is forty eight minutes from his fourth ring tying him with the mighty Shaq and proving once and for all that Duncan’s the best PF of his era as Shaq is the best C of his era and all anyone’s talking about is LeBron vs Kobe? Man, the marketing departments of the NBA and Nike are POWERFUL.
The Don Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 2:30 pm
Bennett screw you and JMG screw you too. i could careless what the post was about. I’m commenting on your senseless rants about some of the greatest players in the game Kobe included and the fact that you are trying to include Bron Bron in the mix and the kid hasn’t even won anything yet. Of course he WILL be good… Hopefully, maybe…
I bring Kobe’s name up because in our time, right now, this minute he’s the best thing going as far as NBA Basketball. Oh sure he doesn’t have Shaq anymore, you fools always want to bring up the fact that he hasn’t won without SHAQ. Who gives a crap, he has his 3 rings with or without Shaq. In the same sentence you want to say LeBron is having trouble because he doesn’t have quality players around him. His squad is better than any squad KB had since the Lakers let Shaq go and didn’t re-up. So how come you want to make the excuse that it’s the players around Bron Bron if he is so much better than KB? Double talk, just plain ol hate in your blood.
Time to get back to work busters.
Go Cav’s Go Bron!!! Bron!!!
Shaq played without Wade this year (a healthy Wade anyway) and look where he ended up. So does that mean Shaq is no good, killed his team or whatever? Nah just means he needs an AllStar caliber counterpart to help him grab the big ring. Kobe has played without Shaq and a Center for 3 years not an AllStar Center like Z but Kwame Brown fooool, Bynum dummy… LA has made it to the playoffs and 24 has been league\Team high scorer and All NBA O and D each year so what are you sayin?
Don’t be upset because i recognize game when i see it, and you don’t. You can’t see it because your hate blinds you, and your ignorance of the game doesn’t allow you to overcome your deficiencies in recognizing differences. You listen to media types like (Hullinger and so on) who write articles to sell magazines and papers or give their opinion to get ratings. They have to keep up controversy to sell their product, and they have to compare MJ, KB DWade and LB so fools like you will have a reason to celebrate their team. Lord knows Cleveland hasn’t had a ball team since MJ shut them down and Chicago has been dead since MJ broke camp.
You have an ex-NBA player telling you what’s what and giving you solid reasons. He’s not bahsing your man just telling you where he needs improvement compared to other players considered the games best. You two girls hate 24 so much you can’t seem to grasp what he is telling you so i’m here to tell you cause Eddie won’t. He’s tired of answering your silly posts, and he can tell you don’t have a clue.
24 doesn’t get And 1’s
The Don Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 2:36 pm
Cause there is no question that Duncan is the best PF is his era, quite possibly of all time… Except for a few errant free throws i can’t find a problem with his game. If he could play on the perimeter he might be the best all around but he needs someone to get the ball to him first before he can do his damage. LeBron and KB and MJ don’t, so you always see them. It’s not marketing that has KB at the top of his game. it wasn’t marketing that dropped 81 and 62 and a string of 40’s. What does marketing have to do with that? Get real, it’s nice to watch a professional at his craft that works at it relentlessly. Duncan included…
Michael Bennett Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 2:53 pm
Thank you, david. It’s nice to see someone realize that this is supposed to be a fun post that gets pepole excited about basketball, and although we might not all agree on every subject, it’s still fun to hear people’s views.
As for The Don - I think you proved every point I’ve ever made about you. The dribble that comes out of your mouth… er, typing.
Actually, that sounds like a good NBA blog name with a double meaning - THE DRIBBLE. Eddie - It’s all yours.
Michael Bennett Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 2:56 pm
And, Eddie - What did you think about my responses to the hammering of Michael Bennett? I’ll be honest. If these guys (MH, Eddie D, The Don, Carnell) were any smarter, it would have been tough to make a comeback. But, since they are still in NBA 101, it was quite easy.
Ahh…
david Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 2:59 pm
I just think it’s great to be a basketball fan (especially when I’m a SPurs fan lol) . By the way I went thru the lean years here when guys like Calvin Natt and Kurt Nimphius were the big stars.
Why not put KB and LBJ in an arena and let ‘em go at it to see who’s best? I mean with a ball and hoop. Lighten up.
Cody Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 3:02 pm
Is everyone afraid to admit Bowen got the best of Lebron and that his defense is like no other? Think about it, go back to all the previous series. Yall are talking about all the wrong players. Bowen made it easy on the Spurs to get their 4th Championship. No doubt the Spurs could not have done it without the big 3 but the big 3 couldn’t have done it without Bowen. Shut the gate.
david Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 3:05 pm
Cody, you’re right about Bruce — props to his wife who let him get some sleep after their newborn kept him up the night before.
It makes a difference, believe me.
Michael Bennett Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 4:16 pm
Bruce Bowen deserves a lot of credit for making LeBron’s life hard… but, Bowen’s life is easier when he has Tim Duncan (6X All-Defense 1st Team, 3X All-Defense 2nd Team) behind him. He can gamble more, like he does against LeBron. Sometimes, LeBron makes him look silly. Most of the time, in this series, he’s done a great job on LeBron.
But, the credit SHOULD go to Duncan and Parker… then Bowen. People that are smart recognize Bowen’s contributions. It doesn’t mean you have to write a nine page article about him after every game.
Carnell Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 4:22 pm
MICHAEL BENNETT…….yawn!!!! Your act is tired. I’ve told you before, about how I felt about Lebron & Kobe, and the West / East. I’ve been here before, don’t act like you don’t know. I posted around 8pm last night….I don’t stay up till 3am. As I’ve told you before, I’m not waisting my time debating with you anymore, cause even when you are wrong you are right. You have your opinion, I’ll repect it, even though everyone here knows you’re wrong. By the way I’m not knocking Lebron cause he’s down 0-3, I’m knocking him cause his game needs work before you can put him in the same breathe with Kobe. You are the one who looks like the fool, anyone who’s watched him play all year has known he’s hyped up by the media and NBA. Fact remains, there are several flaws with his game. Kobe is a complete player on both ends of the floor. Ask any one in this forum…..You need a 3 to win the game, who do you want to take it, Kobe or LeBron…….Kobe’s gonna win that one and even the Kobe haters will admit, if they were betting money they’d have Kobe take it.
Gray Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 5:01 pm
awright, I’ll put in my 2 cents: my guess is it would be more fun to play with LeBron, and his teammates probably like him more than Kobe’s do, and over the course of a season LeBron’s probably a better locker room presence, but if i needed a fifth guy in a game and my life literally depended on winning, I’d have to take Kobe at this point. I absolutely love LeBron, but here’s the head to head: his FT% is .698%. By comparison Duncan, who acknowledges free throws as his greatest weakness shoots .637%. Kobe shoots .868%. Kobe outscored LeBron from the charity stripe 667-489 this year. Kobe shot .344% this year from 3 point land and LeBron .319%. Most stat guys regard 33% as the magic number from three. Kobe’s 18 footer is scary. LeBron’s is not (yet).
Kobe was named to the first team all NBA defensive squad. This is voted on by the 30 head coaches of the league. LeBron didn’t get a single vote. His D has improved every year he’s been in the League, but he’s still a long way from First Team All-defense.
Just want to emphasize: I’m no leBron hater. I think the guy’s great and lives up to all the hype. I’ll be shocked if he doesn’t win a championship in his career. But begrudgingly, I have to go with Kobe in the head to head comparison.
Michael Bennett Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 5:16 pm
If Kobe is SOOOOOO great, give me a clear cut answer as to why he can’t make it out of the 1st round of the Playoffs. Why can’t his team win 50 games? Don’t make excuses about his team having bad players or the Laker’s front office or he plays in the West. Give me a clear answer on why he can’t lead his team to victory.
THAT’s the point - you can’t. You will give me 101 excuses or reasons why Kobe and the Lakers are failing, and every one of your excuses or reasons ahve been rebutted by ME.
- His team sucks -> Lamar Odom and Luke Walton are two very good ‘role’ players
- The West is harder to play in than the East -> San Antonio, Dallas, Phoenix and Utah are comparable to Detroit, Chicago, Miami and New Jersey.
- Lakers front office is bad -> Look at the 14 teams that didn’t make the Playoffs and you’ll look at 14 worse front offices
IT’S ALL EXCUSES.
And, I’ll say it again for the millionth time - I LIKE KOBE BRYANT. HE’S ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLAYERS TO WATCH. BUT, LEBRON JAMES IS BETTER.
Since the 2004 Finals, in which Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Gary Payton, Karl Malone and the Lakers lost to Detroit in 5 games (4-1), here’s what Kobe and the Lakers have done (without Shaq, Malone, Payton):
2004-05 Season - 34W - 48L (miss the Playoffs)
2005-06 Season - 45W - 37L (lose in 1st Round to Phoenix in 7 games)
2006-07 Season - 42W - 40L (lose in 1st Round to Phoenix in 5 games)
STOP MAKING EXCUSES AND TELL ME WHY KOBE BRYANT HASN’T SUCCEEDED (other than individually) SINCE THEN…
You can’t.
Gray Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 5:23 pm
As for Bowen, I’ll say this: his job isn’t to “shut down” the guys he defends– No one is going to hold LeBron, T-Mac, or Carmelo to 5 pts a game. I think popovich and Bowen understand this. The goal is to make the opposing superstar work harder than usual, shoot a lower percentage, get frustrated, commit turnovers, and take lower quality shots. To this degree, he has been very successful. LeBron’s turnovers are way up. He’s shooting 37% from the field and a dismal 15% from the three point line. Duncan doesn’t defend the three point line. Having Duncan is unquestionably a huge advantage, but Bowen deserves props for his work.
Michael Bennett Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 5:24 pm
Kobe’s better at:
- 3 point shooting
- mid-range shooting
- free throw shooting
- man-to-man defense (but that gap is closing)
LeBron is better at:
- passing
- rebounding (offensive/defensive)
- driving to/finishing at the basket
- making his teammates better
- winning
- ball handling
- team defense
- blocking shots
Gray Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 5:26 pm
Whoa– looks like I unwittingly stepped in the middle of a street brawl between Michael Bennett and Carnell. sorry, fellas– I’ll step aside and let you go at it!
Gray Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 5:32 pm
ah, what the heck– I’ll jump in.
1st rd playoffs for Lakers– Phx Suns, at full strength.
1st rd playoffs for cavs– Washington wizards, with two starters injured.
C’mon, that’s a big difference….
Eddie Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 5:47 pm
Rashidi Said,
i am trying to figure you out. i know you are not that blind to what i am saying. Here we go again Rashidi, we are talking about the player that has everything, but a jumper. stop talking about what he has. we are hoping he improves what he does not have so he can dominate every night like he did in game 5 of Detroit series. do you understand? my point is a 10 year old can shoot lights out with good mechanics. Shooting is not an age thing it’s a practice good mechanics thing. so stop using the age excuse.
Mh Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 5:48 pm
Michael Bennett, I’ve was on here the days leading to the start of the finals and said, “you won’t hear from me until the cavs lose in 4″, well I lied, I couldn’t resist lol. And just to fill you in, this isn’t on westcoast time you idiot! lol so if I’m up at 1 am, that means I don’t have a girlfriend, look I’m not 40+ so I don’t need much sleep. C’mon, man, and damn the times I post on here, I got other stuff going on for me during the day, meanwhile you spend 8+ hours on this joint like it’s your full-time job. Seriously Mikey, your a lame dude, all these comments on how I don’t have a gf, where does that come from, I mean theres no need for me to prove it on here, but really I think someone’s just bitter and speaking of themselves, what you guys think? Haha
“Lebron taste like a championship”, first you admit you want a piece of him in your mouth (so that lets me further know that you don’t have a gf), then to make it worse, it’s not happening. Have fun in Ohio country boy. Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!!!!! Cleveland, the land of sports biggest dissappointments. WE ARE ALL WITNESS……TO A SWEEP IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES! Give me a finals not a varsity vs. JV game. lol
Eddie Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 5:51 pm
Michael
your responses were fine. They are coming at you from all corners will you give in or fight your way out.
Gray Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 5:56 pm
I agree with you michael Bennett on a few points. I’d rather have Lamar Odom than any player on the Cavs. LeBron’s a better assist guy and that’s impressive ’cause he plays the 3 and kobe plays the 2. He grabs more rebounds, but he should as a forward– he’s crashing the boards more often while it Kobe’s assignment to get back on D. But I do think it’s a legitimate point to say the west is rougher than the east. And the fact that not a single nba coach would give him a single vote for his defense is telling… it’s not an easy choice by any means.
Eddie Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 5:57 pm
Tell me why Jordan did not succeed without Pippen? Why Jabbar did not succeed without Oscar Robertson and Magic? Shaq got lucky with a Kobe clone for a year.
Every star needs a partner. The Cavaliers if they lose will prove how weak the East was this year. If you put Denver, Golden State, Utah and even the Lakers in the East they could have come out.
Michael stop sleeping on Kobe, you have no clue how difficult it is to score 60 points once and he did it multiple times. The Lakers would be one of the worst teams in the league if it was not for number 24.
Clifton Trotter Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 5:58 pm
Lebron=No Jumper, Lebron with jumper= Greatness, Lebron now= good NBA player.
Revmac Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 5:59 pm
Mr. Bennett,
In my opinion (as a die hard Cavs/Lakers fan in that order) there appears to be one thing missing from LBJ’s game that Kobe & MJ definitely have. It is that “KILLER instinct”, offensive nastiness when he gets the ball. I’m talking about that aura that almost seems to overwhelm the defender into an “Oh my God, what am I going to do?” type situation.
Clifton Trotter Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 6:06 pm
I agree with you Eddie. Every great player needs another great player to acheive championship greatness. With the poor supporting cast Kobe had this year, he did a tremendous job. I think Kobe’s only weakness is his horrific leadership qualities. He doesn’t encourage his supporting cast like Magic did or Lebron does. He’s too distant of a personality to relate to his teammates. I think he’s an unbelieveable talent but his talent is also his greatess enemy. He knows he’s so good that he arrogantly separates himself from his supporting cast. I would love to see Kobe humble himself a bit and begin to develop those core leadership qualities. Also, the Lakers would be smart to pick up both Jermaine O’neal and Jamal Tinsely. Jermaine is a formidable matchup for most bigs in league and Jamal is a test point guard that can make plays.
Gray Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 6:10 pm
Revmac– I’ve got to agree. lebron has looked tentative at times and passed on wide open looks. Kobe never does that. Although, on the flip side of that, Kobe’s one weakness in my opinion is occasionally his shot selection.
Clifton Trotter Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 6:17 pm
I think the reason Lebron lacks that “killer instinct” is because he lacks the confidence in his game to have that “killer instinct”. MJ or Kobe don’t sit back a wonder if they can hit a jumper, they just take it. Those guys work so hard to perfect every part of their game that they know they can’t be stop. Lebron still has a long way to go! But one summer of consistent pull-ups, going either way, and a myraid of post moves can make Lebron one of the greatest. Also, MJ and Kobe want it! Those guys wanted to be considered the best that ever did it! True competitors aren’t worrying about be a “Global icon”, they worry about what part of their game they need to work on so they can rip their opponents heart out!
Revmac Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 6:19 pm
Clifton,
In what way(s) does Kobe need to humble himself?
Revmac Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 6:21 pm
Clifton,
Well said!
Gray Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 6:23 pm
Clifton– true, and most players have more than one. Magic, at various times had Hall of Famer Kareem, All-star James worthy, defensive player of the year Michael Cooper, veterans Scott, Woolridge, A C Green… that’s a lot of help. MJ had in addition to Pippen supersub Kukoc, a very good rebounder in Horace Grant, an even better rebounder in Rodman, crafty veteran Ron Harper, 3 pt specialists Kerr, Paxson, Hodges…. etc. neither Kobe or Lebron have supporting casts that can compare.
Clifton Trotter Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 6:34 pm
Revmac,
Kobe should have deferred to Shaq, much like Magic did to Kareem. Now I understand it frustrated Kobe to see Shaq in poor condition when training camp started, but he should have been humble about and kept his feelings “in-house” as opposed to spouting out to the media. Kobe needs to understand that despite his abilites he has to correct his character flaws. He needs to recognize to respect a lot of the guys who came before him. It’s no secret that Kobe gives off the arrogant demanor that turns ppl and teammates “off”. Everything about him seems so calculated. It’s like you never get the real Kobe untill that “Colorado” thing happen. I think he is begining to change. I think this season was humbling for him. I think after this season he realized that he couldn’t do it alone. And that’s why he should’ve deferred to Shaq.
Michael Bennett Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 6:51 pm
Eddie said: “Tell me why Jordan did not succeed without Pippen? Why Jabbar did not succeed without Oscar Robertson and Magic? Shaq got lucky with a Kobe clone for a year.” - YOU DON’T WIN AN NBA FINALS CHAMPIONSHIP ON LUCK. AND, KOBE HAS A PRETTY GOOD SIDE KICK IN LAMAR ODOM. AS YOU’VE SAID AND EVERYONE KNOWS, HE’S BETTER THAN ANYONE ON THE CAVS, SO…
Every star needs a partner. The Cavaliers if they lose will prove how weak the East was this year. If you put Denver, Golden State, Utah and even the Lakers in the East they could have come out. - SO ALL THOSE TEAMS WOULD HAVE BEAT THE PISTONS… NO CHANCE. OR EVEN THE BULLS? NO WAY. THE BULLS AND PISTONS (AND A HEALTHY HEAT) ARE BETTER THAN ALL OF THOSE TEAMS.
Michael stop sleeping on Kobe, you have no clue how difficult it is to score 60 points once and he did it multiple times. The Lakers would be one of the worst teams in the league if it was not for number 24.” - AND THE CAVS WERE THE WORST TEAM IN THE LEAGUE WITHOUT LEBRON. I’M NOT ‘SLEEPING ON KOBE’. I WATCH ALMOST ALL OF HIS GAMES. AND, WATCHING THEM ALL I REALIZE THAT YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE PACKAGE, INSTEAD OF LIVING IN THE PAST (JAN 22 2006) AND LOOKING AT JUST HIS STREAKS. AND, JUDGING BY YOUR HISTORY, YOU DON’T KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO SCORE 60 EITHER. BUT, DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO GET TO THE FINALS?
I can’t believe this… Kobe will never get to/win the Finals again in his career, yet everyone thinks he is the best player in the league. Give him Jermaine O’Neal. Give him Jamaal Tinsley. Give him Rashard Lewis. He still won’t win. Phoenix/San Antonion/Dallas/Utah/Houston will still beat them int he Playoffs.
Kobe is so great that he has 0 Finals MVPs. Yeah, all the greats have 0 Finals MVP trophies. Good one.
Eddie D Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 7:30 pm
Ha ha ha ha ha– Johnny Q– you nailed it– so true! Hulk angry… I love it!
Eddie D Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 7:36 pm
What happened? There was just a funny post by Johnny Q and now it’s gone– what’s up? Censorship? Protectin Michael Bennett? That’s lame!
Johnny Q Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 7:57 pm
Censored BLOG– don’t criticize Michael Bennett or your comments get removed
Johnny Q Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 8:04 pm
Nice censorship!
Johnny Q Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 8:05 pm
4 more comments removed!
Gray Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 8:07 pm
Weakest blog ever
Mh Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 8:21 pm
Michael shuttup with your no it all attitude already lol, your not in the league, never have been, never will, you don’t know anything about being on a court, yet you still got the nerve to ask Eddie if he knows how hard it is to get to the finals, or to score 60? I’ll let Eddie answer that himself, I’m sure he’s cracking up right now reading your previous post, a somewhat of a “callout” message from a nobody, who lives and dies on online forums and blog achievements lol. Your a stand up guy Michael Bennett, get a life.
“kobe will never get to the finals”, just like “the cavs will win this series”, you seem to know an awful lot of stats and everything, but when it comes to picking and choosing, and bold predications, YOUR AN IDIOT LOL.
And if you say Lebron is so great, well, 0 final mvp’s, and 0 rings, including a sweep in the finals, your too into the hype.
Cody Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 8:58 pm
Lebron vs Prince= King Lebron vs Bowen = Prince
MB- “But, the credit SHOULD go to Duncan and Parker… then Bowen. People that are smart recognize Bowen’s contributions. It doesn’t mean you have to write a nine page article about him after every game.”
It does when he just whooped up on yall’s hero and you can’t face the music.
He has been doing this year after year after year. You are the only one who writes 9 page articles and they are about the past but I am telling you that the present = SPURS Championship because of defense and game management. When you grasp the team aspect let me know.
Gray Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 9:06 pm
Comments are appearing and disappearing before my eyes– it’s like a magic show. Wow, this blog really is censored.
Jeremy Martin Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 9:14 pm
Lebron was 0-11 outside of 4 feet last night.
And you can’t call it an off night.
In the three finals games, Lebron is an impressive 2-32 from outside of 4 feet. 2 for 32!
That is 6% from outside of 4 feet. And in the last 2 games he is 0-18 from outside of 4 feet for a grand total of 0%.
LeBron’s a star but not in Kobe Bryant’s elite catergorie as of yet. We soon forget that age 23 Bryant averaged 29, 7 and 6 during the playoffs on his way to his 2nd straight NBA title and the Finals the previous year basically carried the Lakers to a game 4 win @ Indiana hitting big shot after big basket in OT after Shaq fouled out.
Listen, both players are obviously superstars but the question is this: Game 7, down by one, you have the last shot…Kobe or LeBron?
BLACK MAMBA!
strength and honor.
Randell Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 9:37 pm
Preach, Jeremy Martin, Preach! Devastaing Stats! Can’t be denied! Duncan and Bowen cast a defensive spell on LeBron and turned him into Mark Eaton! Big Z has a better J than LeBron in this series! Ouch! Dynasty!
Carnell Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 10:09 pm
Michael Bennett……you are like a hymroid……please go away. If you are the yoda of NBA basketball, as you portray yourself, you would know, although Odom is a good player, Walton is a good player. You never know when they are going to show up. They are very inconsistant. See the years series with the Suns, Walton didn’t show up at all, and Odom didn’t show up til game 5. Kobe’s help is weak…..it’s not an excuse. The front office made
horrible moves. Trading Butler for Brown. Horrible move, not an excuse. Again, like everyone here has been telling you, clown, without 24 the Lakers wouldn’t have seen the playoffs the last two years. The other you speak of, the Lakers were in the playoff hunt, but Kobe & Odom got hurt, and they lost every game of the final month except one, to miss the playoffs by 2 games. You don’t know everything. You’re a moron. Everyone knows that all the greats had someone they could RELY on, and was a great compliment in order to help them win however many championships they won. See Kobe, Shaq, Magic, Worthy, Jabbar, Jordan, Pippen, Duncan, Parker, Ginobili, Robinson, Bird, Mchale, Cheif…..to name a few. Please Eddie, use some Preparation H and make Michael Bennett go away.
Cody Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 10:19 pm
Who gives a flyin crap about Kobe. The Spurs just proved to all you blind media worshiping selfish playing pigs that it takes a team to win a championship. Why do you think Shaq left LA? Because Kobe is all about Kobe. Has he won since? NO Has Shaq won since? YES Lebron has a better future if they can find a few more decent players.
You can tell he wants to do it as a team. Unlike Kobe who shoots a million times a game.
Am I the only Spurs fan here? Why are we talking about Kobe?
Is he in the Finals? NO
Where is the love for the Spurs?
Bring on Kobe, Bowen will close the gate on him too.
At least enough to make him mad where he throws an elbow. Then all you people can start sayin that Bowen is dirty because you can’t admit that a hard workin blue collar guy tore him down with in your face Defense.
Come on Spurs Fans! #4
Carnell Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 10:30 pm
CODY…..CONGRATS IN ADVANCE……I’m not a Spurs fan, but they are going to win it all. You are right it is a team game, but I wanna clear up this
negative image people have about Kobe. If you watch the years he won with
Shaq he passed a lot. As his talent has deminished he has got to the point, he trust himself more than his teammates. Plus if you watch any Lakers game, you’ll see he always tries to get his guys involved, but they are so inconsistant, at some point he has to go off to keep them in the game. If he gets help, Kobe will go back to being a better team player. Plus your Bowen locking Kobe down comment. I’ve watched several Spurs series vs Lakers, he rarely does, Kobe usually owns Bowen. For the exception of the Fisher .4 second shot, it was always Kobe who won those series vs Spurs for the Lakers. As Duncan held Shaq in check. See Kobe dagger shots to end Spurs championship hopes several times. Kobe rebound put back. All with Bowen drapped on him. So calm down. Bowen hell of a defender, has had success against Kobe, but overall, Kobe has got the better of him. Correct me if I’m wrong. Didn’t the Lakers beat the Spurs twice this year, and Kobe had monster nights on Bowen in all 3 meetings. The Spurs only win vs the Lakers this year was a buzzer beater 3 by Finley in OT, in which the Lakers blew a double digit lead.
James Page Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 11:08 pm
The criticism that Kobe has no finals mvp is ridiculous. Scottie pippen doesn’t have one, David Robinson doesn’t– they’re still great players, with rings that they were instrumental in winning. Not to mention Ewing, Barkley, Malone, etc, great players without championships or mvps.
It seems like this Kobe vs LeBron only started to get heated once everybody realized the series was basically over.
Cody’s right– the media ignores the Spurs. If haters say Duncan’s boring, then they must also hate watching Federer win grand slams, Brady win Super Bowls. In other words, they’re not fans of sports, they’re fans of celebrity and theatrics. Maybe some people think it’s cool that a guy has had a dozen run-ins with the cops or that M. Vick raised dogs to fight and kill one another…. I don’t.
Cody Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 11:11 pm
You had to throw the .4 in there didn’t you? Come on man. Everyone knows that was a gimmie there is no way to catch turn and shoot in .4 seconds. . NCAA doesn’t even allow you to catch and shoot under.6, correct me if I’m wrong.
Those days are over. I just enjoy watching Bowen get under players skin. He has very quick hands and is unrelenting. He has taken down Kobe, Dirk, Anthony, Ray Allen(many times),James(king),Williams,Iverson, and so on. He always guards the other teams best player and never gets any credit. It’s always the other person having a bad night or Bowen plays dirty. Hopefully he will finally get some recognition. All that other stuff you talk about is dust in the wind. Spurs are the Champs
Carnell Said,
June 13, 2007 @ 11:28 pm
Cody…you reading me wrong. It’s just the opposite. I actually really don’t
care for the Spurs, but they are a great team, a Dynasty, they have a great coach who don’t get much credit. He’s a great coach and needs more credit for the job he’s done. Bowen not dirty….hard nosed D but pushes the rules to the limit, but hey, that’s the way it’s done and he & Artest are good at it. I was just pointing out….head to head, Kobe has gotten the better of Bowen, but as you said, Bowen has got Kobe a few times, and so has Artest.
Spurs are going to be the champs, and even though I don’t like them, I give them their props. Plus….they beat the Suns and prevented them from moving on, so…..I have to admit, I liked that, cause I HATE the Suns, and I felt, them and Dallas had they moved on, were the only two teams that could take them out. I’m glad they did. Just for laughs and giggles, do you know on the Fox morning news here in Phoenix, they either don’t talk about the NBA finals on sports on the news or if they do, they whine about the Suns should be there if Amare didnt get suspended, it’s halarious. They still bitter here about it, puts a smile on my face though.
Eric Said,
June 14, 2007 @ 4:26 am
I dunno why suns fans still havent gotten over it, i mean its not like no one knew bout the no leaving the bench thing, and the suns fans wanna make it all a big conspiracy……conspiracy to do what???To get a low rating team into the finals????Hell when spurs players get hacked you dont c everyone leave the spurs bench and try to act tough, nor do most sensible players. Some suns fans have even suggested that the spurs should have a * beside this yr’s championship should the spurs win it. I agree…* standing for second championship won while demolishing the suns in the process.
Zane from London Said,
June 14, 2007 @ 8:15 am
With all these comparisons of who’s better, this REAL and simple question is, who would you rather have on your team?
LEBRON, LEBRON, LEBRON.
Kobe has just asked and retracted a trade demand from a team he helped create. The Lakers are a mess BECAUSE of him - I’d make a good case for Kobe making his team worse.
His stats and rings (with Shaq) make a good case, but basketball is not played on a piece of paper. He has no trust in his teammates, and his teammates have no trust in him. This has been a career long trend! The only thing holding the Lakers together is Phil Jackson - and that is to say ‘by a thread’. Without PJ the Lakers are a lottery team with or without Kobe. I don’t think you’ll ever see Lebron single-handedly destroy a championship caliber team in his career (here’s hoping he can keep his ego in check). Kobe might just have more talent at this point than anyone on the planet including Lebron, but he simply cannot put his TEAM before HIMSELF and that is that.
Lebron just makes his team better. His teammates trust him, and he has trust in his teammates - no matter how mediocre they may be. None of his teammates would even start for Detroit, and they beat them in six. He knows that he cannot win it all by himself. He can carry the load and still involve his teammates. He sees this game, as a whole, better than Kobe can ever hope to, and he’s only 22.
I’d like to see see my franchise player unstoppable in attacking the rim and involving his teammates, rather than shooting double-teamed fadeaway jumpshots, hogging the ball, and disrespecting his teammates.
He’s already better than Kobe and Jordan were at age 22, and he has more potential than both had at this point, given his size and athleticism.
As long as he can stay healthy and keep his ego in check, the best is yet to come.
david Said,
June 14, 2007 @ 9:08 am
Horry’s take down of Pop in game 2 was a lot harder than his take down of Nash. And Pop bounced right up.
cody Said,
June 14, 2007 @ 1:58 pm
Carnell- thats funny. I can’t stand the Suns either. Especially after this year. What a bunch of BS. I still laugh when I see the Nash flop. It has to be voted flop of the year. He did a good job but its too bad his team mates don’t have any sense.
I also agree with Eric.
You know if Stodemire would ever grow up they might have a chance, but I don’t see it happening. They also need to quit depending on the fouls as much. Nash could have won that game if he would have went for the shot instead of the foul at the end.
Jeremy Martin Said,
June 14, 2007 @ 3:32 pm
Amen Carnell!
Not to mention that both Walton and Odom were playing with injuries that should have been season ending, especially in Odom’s case.
LeBron is supremely talented, but putting his head down and barrelling to the hoop as he does against most teams just doesn’t work against the Spurs. Bowen is a great perimeter defender, the best since Pippen. But where Bowen struggles on defense is defending the post. If LBJ had a post game, with his strength Bowen wouldn’t be able to stop him. Then you’d see the 3’s raining down from Marshall, Pav, and Gibson.
I understand that Kobe is a polarizing figure, mostly gettin’ the hate, but LeBron’s gotta get past Wade before he can even think about Kobe.
LBJ Said,
June 14, 2007 @ 3:48 pm
I think it’s a lot easier to accept a loss when it comes down to the players making plays. Not when refs or league execs want to flex there muscles. Is it more important to keep the integrity of the game there and get a call right or is it more important to enforce a rule when getting off of the bench had no impact on the game. Which only had 18 seconds left in it anyway. I think that’s why it still lingers and people are still talking about it. Even Stern was still talking about it on Lottery night and he is supposed to be impartial in all of this. There is no doubt the Spurs are a good team. But there will always be a question mark about that ruling. For me personally I feel like you bring all your guys I bring all mine and may the best team win. That’s true competition and that’s true sportsmanship.
cyberpygmy Said,
June 15, 2007 @ 12:54 am
Ahhh! How SWEEP it is!.. The proof is in the pudding… I was wrong about LE BROOME. I gave him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe be i was a swayed a little bit by the ubiquitous HYPE. Saint “LE BROOME’S inability to win a single game in the series was a WITNESS that he is not in the same level as M.J. or K.B..He is merely an athletic dunker with a suspect outside shot, and lacking confidence to remain and be a stud in the low post. It could be that he does not posses the skills necessary to make him successful playing with his back to the basket…I was waiting for him to levitate, and lift the entire team to nether heights. Sort of like, making his teamates better. The kind of stuff they advertised that all great players are expected to do. BUMMER!..
The Don Said,
June 15, 2007 @ 1:10 am
Bennett,
Your posts are just rididculous. While they maybe error free as far as typing goes, they have no substance. You spend most of your time bashing Kobe and the rest of the time defending your ignorant posts. The samething you accuse others of doing with Kobe you are doing with LeBron. Only thing is Kobe has 3 rings and LeBroooom just got swepted out the door.
NOW on to next season you Buster…
david Said,
June 15, 2007 @ 9:29 am
to LBJ — I agree with you about bringing everyone to play…however, what’s lost in all this is : the Spurs beat the Suns 4 times, 3 of which they had all their players (healthy)…and 1 of those times the Spurs were without Horry (not a starter but a contributor nonetheless).
If Phoenix were the better team, they stil could have found a way to win. They lost home court the 1st game. D’antoni only played 7 guys when 2 were suspended…3 never got onto the court, including Banks and J Rose.
I still maintain that Horry’s hit (which came after he got knocked to the ground by Kurt thomas…no call) was 70%Horry and 30% Nash.
I said earlier that Horry hit Pop just as hard and he got right up.
When the Spurs were ousted by the .4 Fisher shot, they still had to lose game 6 to be eliminated. Hard to say they were better than the Lakers…if they were they would have won game 6.
Someone please give the Spurs their due. Pop is a great coach who has consistantly fielded a winning team. Phil Jackson won with MJ and Pippen, not with Pippen alone.. He won with KB and Shaq, not with KB alone.
Carnell Said,
June 15, 2007 @ 4:19 pm
We all witnessed a SWEEP!!!!! Princess James, good luck getting to the Finals again. lol!!!!
Oh yeah………..KOBE 3 RINGS
Princess James 0 Rings
Donald Said,
September 12, 2007 @ 1:07 pm
Donald
I just came across your blog and wanted to drop you a note telling you how impressed I was with the information you have posted here. I also have websites & blogs so I know what I am talking about when I say your site is top-notch! Keep up the great w…
Chad B Said,
November 5, 2007 @ 5:55 pm
carnells an idiot
lebron > kobe
lebron plays on a shitty team and how many championships has kobe won without shaq
i hate when uneducated sports people make dumb comments like carnell
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Wedding Dresses Secretaries In Short Skirts Stockings Tight Braless Shirts…
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Jack Said,
June 9, 2008 @ 8:10 pm
Jack…
Some weblog software programs, such as Wordpress, Movable Type and Community Server, support automatic pingbacks where all the links…
Jessie Said,
June 17, 2008 @ 9:15 pm
Jessie…
As a result, TrackBack spam filters similar to those implemented against comment spam now exist in many weblog publishing systems….
wooden chess set Said,
June 18, 2008 @ 12:25 am
wooden chess set…
Workers at many levels, and in many different fields, have a role in producing and distributing technical communications. Now what…