New Album & The Beginning of Basketball Season

[JackD201]

Just read that the gold and purple just got manhandled as well. Who was put on Kobe that resulted in 6 for 16 shooting?

 

[jadis]

Just read that the gold and purple just got manhandled as well. Who was put on Kobe that resulted in 6 for 16 shooting?

I haven't seen the whole game yet, but my son who saw the first half earlier told me on some instances it was LBJ on Kobe and mostly it was Wade on Kobe. But overall, I don't think it was because Kobe was stopped by a guy. It was a great team effort by the Heat on both ends of the court.

 

[es347]

Hey Kobe....where's the beef?

 

[FrantzM]

Hi

The Heat are getting there.. Yesterday they looked ready to the League, the Lakers did not show up, pitiful effort... Gasol was disappointing , only Odom was at his usual for this year good...Team defense was pityful. I still don't believe the Heat will win a championship this year but once they get themselves a more decent center and a real point guard ... things will change .. Will they become the Yankees of Basketball? I am not sure about that .. There has been such Big threes in Basketball before those and aside from the Lakers of the 80's not much came out of these ... ( I don't consider MJ, Pippen and Rodman to be a "Big Three" by the way .... Rodman????) Meanwhile The Knicks are real .. if they get Melo .. things will change dramatically in the East and the Magics are showing signs of re-awakening and the Celtics are playing as if they were all 20 years old ... Dallas and San Antonio in the West ... Interesting Basketball season

 

[Steve Williams]

It is a very interesting basketball season and their is ever increasing parity in the league which I feel is a good thing

BTW Frantz, Rodman was that guy that everyone either loved or hated. I was in the latter but could never stop admiring at his defensive abilities. IIRC correctly he played very briefly with the Lakers while he was living in Newport Beach.

If anyone saw Kobe's press discussion post game, you know that this is killing him. Christmas day on network TV and watched all over the world, this was the game everyone has anticipated for the past 4 months. Frantz was right on. The Lakers didn't show up.

It will be very interesting in the East after the Orlando blockbuster trade however Boston IMO is now looking like the team to win it all

 

[FrantzM]

Hi

DOn't forget the Knicks and the Magic ... If Melo goes East, something Denver has to contemplate because it doesn't look like Melo want to remain there ... and they will simply loose him with nothing to show for it (Call that the Cleveland/Toronto Syndrome: lost their best player and got NOTHING in returm). The only problem with that trade is that the Knicks don't want to lose Gallinari, this kid has greatness written all over him ... and it looks like Sheldon can play .. THey have a team something I wasn't sure of at thebeginning of the season.. Melo + Stouda + Gallinari + Felton is a good mix .. A potentially supeior mix ... Plus I stil beleive Orlando will make more than noises and Atlanta is a real team and Chicago has players and the will and the grit necessary to unseat good teams... The East would be interesting .. In the West , I see the Lakers rebounding ... The Lakers has depth only the Celtics can match ... And they likely will meet in the NBA finals ...again ...

 

[jadis]

IMO, what ails the Lakers (at the moment - to be precise), is not physical, but mental toughness. Being seeded No.1, as the defending champions, they've got a bullseye pinned all over them. ALL teams want to whoop the Lakers and feel like being the best since they beat the best (for at least one game). Being number 2, or 3 and lower, the wannabe teams' slogan can very well be 'we're number 2, so we try harder'. It's hard for the No. 1 defending champs to say that or to even THINK that. The other teams hunger to beat the No.1 simply is just much more. It's very evident in yesterday's Heat-Lakers game. You see the face of Lebron, Wade and Bosh. 'Hunger to win' is written all over their faces. There is determination, even for a single regular season game. I don't see that much in the Lakers faces save for maybe Odom. I see that hunger, that mental toughness to win in the 1985 Lakers team that beat the Celtics in the parquet floor in Game 6. Both teams basically had the same nucleus of stars the previous years, but the fire in the Lakers was just much more than the Celts in Game 6 that even playing on the famed parquet floor did not help the Celtics to win that one game which could have extended it to Game 7. The Lakers must be motivated much more the remaining months to ward off the challenges, from the West, and ultimately, the East.

 

[jadis]

( I don't consider MJ, Pippen and Rodman to be a "Big Three" by the way .... Rodman????)

Neither do I. The Bulls were always about the 'Big 2'.

 

[JackD201]

Anything can happen in the playoffs. Even the unlikelihood of a bottom seed winning it all. This IS probably the most interesting season in recent memory because of how so many of the top teams are untested quantities. I love this game.......again, after so many years of poor midrange shooting and an emphasis on blacktop style. The return to team basketball across the entire league is refreshing!

 

[Ron Party]

Did anyone just see how my man Ellis ended the 1st quarter against the Heat?

 

[Steve Williams]

I did. Watching the game now.

 

[Steve Williams]

Warriors are beating them up 47-35. Saddly LBJ can make that up real quick.

 

[JackD201]

Warriors shut down in 3rd limited to 12 points. Heat takes win. These guys are looking scary.

 

[jadis]

Warriors shut down in 3rd limited to 12 points. Heat takes win. These guys are looking scary.

Yup. With Boston's core crumbling again due to injuries, the younger, fresher, and maybe even hungrier Heat might actually take the East. That is if the Magic does not magically unseat them in the playoffs. The highlight film of Wade passing up a dunk and instead floating the ball in air for an alley oop dunk by James is a scary scene of tight rapport between the 2 superstars. No ego, just friendship and solid bonding. That's a nice if not intregal ingredient in a championship team. Scary indeed.

 

[Steve Williams]

I must admit that watching the Heat come back in the 3rd to destroy the Warriors huge lead does make them look very formidable. IMO the 3 big teams in the East is Heat, then Celtics and then Magic BUT the Magic trade is looking better with each game

 

[jadis]

Jumping into the upcoming All-Star Weekend (I was never much of a fan of this btw), I just read that Blake Griffin will be at the Slam Dunk Contest. Well, why don't they just hand him the trophy today? LOL Watching those highlight films of his dunks, one of them wherein he flew so high his head almost hit the rim, man, I can now believe there are indeed Clipper fans. And they're quite lucky to have an electrifying, young and talented player like Griffin on their team.

 

[jadis]

And how bout the Celts edging the mighty Spurs today? Close game and the Celts show some spunk despite Garnett on the DL. Rondo with 22 assists, 10 rebounds and 12 points. Another triple double. Didn't he have a sprained ankle just the other week? LOL

 

[FrantzM]

Hi

Looks like one of these New England year ... The Pats seem intent on destroying any team they face with no-name-but-one players .. Meanwhilel the Celtics are truly formidable with a sense of all-business, reminiscent of their late 80's editions ... Old guys are playing like happy youngsters and they have Rondo who can beat you without scoring a point ... When comes playoff time they will stand and high and will prevail...
Now my Lakers are playing like prima-donnas .. I am not too worried but , they don't look tight and focused to me ... They have been there and there is the challenge of something rare and not accomplished in the NBA since MJ and the Bulls did it between 1990~1993 ... In passing the coach was the same ... and mark Cuban seems bent on awakening the proverbial sleeping giants ... Looks good to me

 

[Ron Party]

Anyone see my man Monta Ellis against the Lakers? 23 points in the first half!

 

[Steve Williams]

I watched the whole game

Lakers are starting to regain some winning form