Kobe Bryant: The Greatest Player in the Game Today?

Not even a concussion and a broken nose could stop Kobe Bryant!

“He’s the best player in the game, it’s just that simple, there is nothing that Kobe Bryant can’t do”, raps Lil Wayne in his song “Kobe Bryant”. Weezy wrote this song in 2009, the year after Kobe had won his fourth championship. People thought that the Black Mamba was on fire. 

Fast forward to the end of last year. His Lakers, Kobe’s Lakers, had just lost four straight games in the NBA playoff semifinals to the Mavericks. People thought Kobe’s reign at the top was finished. That LeBron is the new king of the court now. Well, think again. After LeBron choked in the finals against the Mavs, Kobe knew that he had to do something. 

And this past season he has. When Lakers’ management pondered trading Lamar and Pau, and then they didn’t, he told them it was a distraction. They traded Lamar, which Kobe was a bit unhappy about Then a few weeks ago, he told the management to trade Pau or don’t trade him. Just decide, he said.

Meanwhile, Kobe has flourished this year. He is leading the NBA in scoring with 28.5 points per game. And how old is he? He is 33 years of age. In third place on that list, Mr. LeBron James. The so-called “King”. 

Yeah, Yeah. Call Kobe a “ballhog”. So maybe he doesn’t pass the ball to often. But he doesn’t need to pass very much. Five assists per game is fine. As long as he can play well, that’s what matters. 

Uh Oh. That’s the feeling that Lakers’ fans had when Dwayne Wade elbowed Kobe in the All-Star game. Lakers’ fans became even more worried when they found out that he had a concussion and broke his nose. 

So what does Kobe do? How many games does he miss? None. That’s right, none. A true champion. In fact, in his first game back, Kobe drops 31 on the Timberwolves, all while wearing a mask. 

Kobe is a true baller. Five championships. If he can get one this year, the MJ/Kobe debates can finally begin. Who knows what we will say in June?

NBA at the Break

The NBA at the Break

Signs like this one have been appearing everywhere Jeremy Lin has played.

Note: There was no posting in the past few weeks because I had surgery. I will now be back to posting weekly.

After an extremely long, unnecessary lockout, the 30 NBA teams began the 66 game season on Christmas Day. The season began with Carmelo Anthony leading the Knicks to a 106-104 victory over the Boston Celtics. Anthony and his compatriot Amare Stoudemire had been carrying the Knicks, until about two weeks ago. With Anthony injured, and Amare grieving the death of his brother; an unknown, twice cut, Harvard educated point guard stepped up to the challenge. You know his name.Jeremy Lin. Lin has dominated this season as a starter for the Knicks. He has been the Tebow of the NBA. 

So, what else is going on? Well the defending champion Mavericks got off to a very slow start. Led by Dirk, a new look Mavs team bounced back, and is now in fourth place in the Western Conference. How’s the Big Three doing? Well, in their last game before the All-Star Break, they figured out a way to stop Linsanity. But besides that, the Miami Heat has dominated. They finished with the best record at the break, a half a game ahead of the Bulls. 

Okay, now, what about the teams who didn’t make the championship? Well, the Lakers, coached by new coach Mike Brown cannot seem to win on the road. A 6-12 road record, harms the almost perfect home record. Kobe has been his old solid self, leading the league in scoring with 28 points per game, as well as third in minutes per game. Kobe has tried to convince Lakers’ management to trade or to keep Pau Gasol. 

He's playing well, but Kobe has to be upset with the Lakers' play.

Despite constant speculation, Dwight Howard has stayed with the Orlando Magic. Lakers fans want him, Nets fans want him, but the Magic fans have him. Who knows if he will stay there for the rest of the season? Lamar Odom struggled at first, but has played better recently in his first year for the Mavs. Odom left the Lakers in a bittersweet trade for some cash and a draft pick.

And of course who could be forgetting the Clippers? Led by new acquisitions Chris Paul, and the now injured Chauncey Billups, as well as Blake Griffin,  the Clippers have cruised this season. They even beat their rival, the Lakeshow at one point. Coach Del Negro has coached the Clippers to third place in the conference. 

Oh yeah, there’s Durant too. Durant and his Thunder crew have been ballin’ it up this season, winning 27, and losing only seven. Good for first in the conference. The Thunder could be able to reach the Finals this season, and Durant can finally erase all the doubters, not that he has many. 

NBA 2011-2012 Preview

Kobe Bryant and the Lakers will win the 2011-12 NBA Championship.

Derrick Rose will lead his Bulls squad to the finals.

Predicted Order of Finish

Western Conference

1. Oklahoma City Thunder (Northwest)

2. Dallas Mavericks (Southwest)

3. Los Angeles Lakers (Pacific)

4. Los Angeles Clippers  (Pacific)

5. Memphis Grizzlies (Southwest)

6. Denver Nuggets (Northwest) 

7. San Antonio Spurs (Southwest)

8. Portland Trail Blazers (Northwest)

9. Utah Jazz (Northwest)

10. Houston Rockets (Southwest)

11. Phoenix Suns (Pacific)

12. Golden State Warriors (Pacific)

13. Sacramento Kings (Pacific)

14. Minnesota Timberwolves (Northwest)

15. New Orleans Hornets (Southwest)

Eastern Conference

1. Chicago Bulls (Central)

2. Miami Heat (Southeast)

3. New York Knicks (Atlantic) 

4. Orlando Magic (Southeast)

5. Indiana Pacers (Central)

6. Atlanta Hawks (Southeast)

7. Boston Celtics (Atlantic)

8. Philadelphia 76ers (Atlantic)

9. Milwaukee Bucks (Central)

10. Washington Wizards (Southeast)

11. New Jersey Nets (Atlantic)

12. Charlotte Bobcats (Southeast)

13. Detroit Pistons (Central)

14. Cleveland Cavaliers (Central)

15. Toronto Raptors (Atlantic)

(See below for playoff results)

After 149 days, the NBA finally returned to work. The players had to deal with abbreviated training camps, and less time for free agent signing and trades.  But now it’s time for Amazing to Happen. The Big Three, Kobe, the Durantula, CP3, Blake the Snake, Dirk, Amare, and more. The NBA is back. 

What happened during the free agency and trading period? Chris Paul almost went to the Lakers. Dwight Howard stayed in Orlando, Tyson Chandler is now a New York Knick, Lamar Odom and his wife Khloe moved to Dallas. The most surprising move however, was the trade of Chris Paul. Chris Paul was traded from the New Orleans Hornets to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu, and a first round pick. The Clippers also added veteran guard Chauncey Billups. (you can read more about the Clippers’ acquisition of Chris Paul here.)

Kyrie Irving, Derrick Williams, Jimmer Fredette, and Ricky Rubio joined their respective teams during the lockout. After a reduced preseason, which of the rookies from this year’s will stand out from the others? Will it be number one overall pick Irving? Irving will try his best to usher in a new era in Cleveland. Or, will it be Derrick Williams? Williams, who with the support of Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love, will help the T-Wolves reach the playoffs for the first time since K-G left. Or, will it be Jimmer? Fredette, who was traded from the Bucks to the Kings, is expected to score numerous points off the bench for the Kings.

Playoffs: 

Western Conference Finals                                           Eastern Conference Finals

Lakers beat Thunder 4-3                                                Bulls beat Knicks 4-1

                                                                       Finals: 

                                                                      Lakers beat Bulls 4-2

                                                         

In a rematch of the 1990-1991 NBA finals, the Bulls and Lakers will battle it out. This time however, the Bulls will not have Phil Jackson or Michael Jordan. Derrick Rose has played just 28 career playoff games, while Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, has played in 208 postseason games. Experience always rules in the postseason. Rose and the rest of his team will take lessons from Kobe, and fight for a title next season. The Lakers should take this season as a “last hurrah” and will fight to win one last championship. Who knows when they will have an opportunity to play for another one? 

How Chris Paul Affects Both the Clippers and Lakers

Chris Paul has come to one of the most famous cities in the world. He gets a chance to play in one of the most prestigious arenas in the NBA. However, he’s not suiting up for the purple and gold. Instead, he’s suiting up for the Red and Blue. Instead of going to the famous LA Lakers, CP3 is coming to ball with Blake the Snake. 

Chris Paul should have been on the Lakers. Paul and Kobe should have been in the same backcourt. The NBA disallowed the trade. Blame David Stern, blame the Hornets, doesn’t matter. What matters is that Paul will join a backcourt with the aging Chauncey Billups at the two guard, and Mo Williams to back him up.  Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, and Al-Farouq Aminu were packaged to N’awlins to complete the trade. The signing of Paul excites a Clippers fan base that has endured countless terrible seasons and players. 

Is Chris Paul the missing piece that the Clippers needed? Will he lead them to the play-offs? Will he start a Clipshow dynasty? Will he make the Clippers the talk of the town? He just might. He just might. If B-Griff is ever having an off night, CP3 can score at will. If CP3 isn’t scoring, then Blake can dunk on the opposition. If they are both missing shots, another new acquisition, Caron Butler, can score as well. 

The main question about Paul is, can his new team dethrone the Lakeshow? Sadly Laker fans, it could be  possible. The Clippers have a solid playmaker now, who is going to play alongside a guy who can jump over a car. If Blake Griffin can continue his stellar scoring and rebounding, to go along with the veteran leadership of Caron Butler, the Lakers could be in trouble. That being said, the Lakers still have the necessary  experience in the postseason. 

The Clippers traded away the one remaining player from the team’s last playoff appearance, Chris Kaman. Chauncey Billups, Mo Williams, as well as Chris Paul, were all brought in to playoff experience to the team. Those three players will attempt to lead the Clippers back into the postseason for the first time since the ’05-06 season. The only player on the roster who has won a championship, is the aging Billups. The Lakers have Kobe, Fish, Pau, Metta World Peace, and even Luke Walton, who all have won championships. 

Everything is against Paul. The “Clippers Curse” is destined for him. Will he get injured before he plays in a game, like Blake Griffin? Or will his stats take a steep decline? Fortunately for the loyal Clippers fans, Paul is healthy and as far as we know, excited to play in LA. 

No. The Clippers will not dethrone the Lakers for the top team in Los Angeles. The Clippers will however, make a giant improvement with in the win column, and will contend for a play-off spot. Will Chris Paul be hit with the Lakers curse? Unlikely. Will CP3 and Blake the Snake lead the other Los Angeles team to a championship? Unlikelier. Will Donald Sterling lead the Clippers out of the Doldrums? Keep on Dreamin’.

Why the Lakers Will Win the 2011-12 NBA Championship

No that’s not a typo. The Lakers are going to win the NBA championship. I’m not just saying that because I am Laker fan, it is true. Look at the Lakers’ team. Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, Metta World Peace. That lineup can win and has won a title. Plus, the lineup includes one of the men who saved the NBA, Derek Fisher . 

How can a team whose best players are all over 30 win a championship? Look which team won it last year. Look which team beat the Lakers last year in the play-offs, the Mavericks. The Mavs’ best player was 33. Kobe’s the same age this year. If Dirk can do it, Kobe can too! 

In addition, the Lakers are getting a fresh start. Phil Jackson is retired, he’s done. In steps former Cavaliers coach Mike Brown . Besides Brown, there are plenty of other new assistants. Brown is determined to win his first championship, something he could not do with LeBron. . Brown lost in the ’07 finals to the Spurs. Who was the best player on that Spurs team? A 31 year old center named Tim Duncan. 

Another advantage for the Lakers is the lockout. Because of the lockout there is a shortened season. As stated before, the Lakers’ team is not the youngest.  The players could get fatigued, and become injured. Fatigue and injuries is how the lockout is benefical. Since there is a shortened season, the Lakers’ starters can get extended minutes, since the players are only playing 66 games. 66 games? That’s how many games Kobe plays when he’s injured! Imagine 66 games, full strength. The Lakers will have more time to rest, and recuperate. Because they will have so much rest, Kobe and Pau will be unstoppable! 

How can Kobe and Pau beat the Durantula and Russell Westbrook? These two teams are really different. The Thunder is young and raw, while the Lakeshow is “a bunch of old geezers”.  How can the Lakers beat a young and raw team like that? It’s simple. Experience. How many players on the Thunder have been past the conference semifinals? Get rid of recent trade acquisition Kendrick Perkins, and their is no one. Zero, Zilch. How many Lakers have won a championship? The entire starting five. Kobe, Pau, Odom, Fish, and if you count an injured Bynum, have all won multiple championships.

This is most likely the Lakers’ last year as a dynasty. There are other up and coming teams in the western conference that can easily win the championship in the next few years. The Lakers are destined to win the championship this year. They have all the right pieces. A core group of players, an encouraging coach, and lots of play-off experience.Finally, in the coming weeks, the Lakers could be getting Chris Paul and Dwight Howard to form a new “Big 3”.  Kobe and those two guys, and a shortened season. A match made in Heaven.