Get ready for great basketball Toronto because Kobe is coming to town. If he drops 80 again I am going to be sick. I can’t stand Kobe Bryant, he brings out so much hate in my heart. I want to throw him in a Vietnamese torture chamber with an irritated Charles Oakley suffering from hemorrhoids, stir in some fire ants and see what comes out…..Ok, that might be a bit dramatic but I really don’t like the guy. The problem is that he is such a good basketball player.
Kobe Bryant is the best player in the NBA. I’m not talking about who you would start a franchise with if you could choose anyone. If I was playing a game of pickup and had first choice of all the players in the league; Kobe is a no brainer. He has matured from a great scorer into a complete player. He can pass, rebound, defend, lead and his basketball IQ is off the charts. The other Lakers are having career years because Kobe is getting them involved, getting them good shots and making it a team effort. He is taking 7 fewer shots a game but his field goal percentage is the highest it has been since 2001-2002. Kobe is still getting the last shot and he takes what is his but last year taught him once and for all that he can’t do it alone.
My hate of Kobe began when he decided that total domination of the NBA wasn’t enough because he didn’t do it alone. All those rings seem to mean nothing to him because he knows, deep in his heart, that Shaq did that. He ran Diesel and Phil Jackson out of town and then, slowly realized that he can’t win a championship alone. After Shaq made a break for the sunshine state, Kobe tried to fill the leadership void left on the Lakers. While he put up great individual numbers, the Lakers slumped in the standings. It takes a team to win a championship and that has been proven again and again. Very rarely has an individual won a championship for a team and if anyone can think of one please let me know (MJ HAD a team I don't care what anyone says). A very good argument can be made for Dwayne Wade in last years finals but I am not totally convinced. The Spurs, Pistons and Suns all play a team game around superstars of all different types (yes Billups is a legit superstar). The NBA and Adidas have tried to hammer that message home with a set of commercial based around the slogan “It takes 5” and it seems Kobe is listening.
The Raptors are listening. Last game they had both point guards get double-doubles!! I am looking forward to a real challenge for the Raptors tonight. The Lakers are the first top level team they have played in a couple weeks. I want to see Anthony Parker getting up on everyone of Kobe’s shots and get help when he needs it. Bosh will carry the load on both ends and I’m calling 30 points and 10 boards tonight!!
Showing posts with label Kobe Bryant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kobe Bryant. Show all posts
Friday, February 9, 2007
It still hurts....Lakers vs. Raps
Coming off another impressive win and a ridiculous performance by Bosh, you would think Coach of the Month, Sam Mitchell would be able to get a good night's sleep. But his nightmare kept him up in a cold sweat all night. What would cause such an unpleasant evening?.....81 POINTS!
Two words Mitchy: Double Team
Kobe Bryant visits the ACC tonight with his own dreams of trying to shake off one of his worst shooting games of the year. Last night Kobe shot 5 of 13 for 18 pts while also committing a dismal 8 of his team's 18 turnovers in a loss to the Pistons. Expecting the Raptors to hold #24 to the same numbers is highly unlikely. Kobe is, as always, an MVP candidate and still the best go-to guy in the league. You can be sure he will want to bounce back from yesterday's performance and look to put up big numbers; and who better to do that against than the team he disgraced a year ago.
The Raptors, however, have an MVP candidate in the making of their own. Chris Bosh has established himself as one of the most dominate players in the NBA. While being a force around the basket, Bosh has made it known to all players that he can now step back and hit the outside jumper. So how do you defend him? Well, like all great players, you just kind of hope he has off nights.
As the Raptors continue to make noise around the league and make a name for themselves in the Eastern Conference, these next two games will truly be a test of how far they have come and where they can go. The Lakers( 30-20 ) are a well coached team that can beat anyone on any given night. Only the Raptors best efforts will give them a chance against a team that they are 4-17 lifetime, with their last win coming nearly two years ago.
This will likely be a close game with a sell-out crowd and lots of highlights for fans to be entertained by. And although I love the Raps, I see Kobe being a little too much, again.
Either way, tonight will not only be a great test for Toronto, but a chance at redemption for the embarrassment the team put its fans through last year. Look for Bosh to try and upstage one of the all-time greatest players and make a case for himself as the league's MVP.
Two words Mitchy: Double Team
Kobe Bryant visits the ACC tonight with his own dreams of trying to shake off one of his worst shooting games of the year. Last night Kobe shot 5 of 13 for 18 pts while also committing a dismal 8 of his team's 18 turnovers in a loss to the Pistons. Expecting the Raptors to hold #24 to the same numbers is highly unlikely. Kobe is, as always, an MVP candidate and still the best go-to guy in the league. You can be sure he will want to bounce back from yesterday's performance and look to put up big numbers; and who better to do that against than the team he disgraced a year ago.
The Raptors, however, have an MVP candidate in the making of their own. Chris Bosh has established himself as one of the most dominate players in the NBA. While being a force around the basket, Bosh has made it known to all players that he can now step back and hit the outside jumper. So how do you defend him? Well, like all great players, you just kind of hope he has off nights.
As the Raptors continue to make noise around the league and make a name for themselves in the Eastern Conference, these next two games will truly be a test of how far they have come and where they can go. The Lakers( 30-20 ) are a well coached team that can beat anyone on any given night. Only the Raptors best efforts will give them a chance against a team that they are 4-17 lifetime, with their last win coming nearly two years ago.
This will likely be a close game with a sell-out crowd and lots of highlights for fans to be entertained by. And although I love the Raps, I see Kobe being a little too much, again.
Either way, tonight will not only be a great test for Toronto, but a chance at redemption for the embarrassment the team put its fans through last year. Look for Bosh to try and upstage one of the all-time greatest players and make a case for himself as the league's MVP.
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