Reviewing Lakers-Spurs from 1/14/09

A moral victory. A good loss. Generally, I don’t buy into those ideas. But I really don’t know how else to classify this game. The Lakers were playing the second game of a back-to-back Texas-double-dip in San Antonio. It was the Spurs’ first game against the hated Lakers since L.A. knocked them out of the Western Conference Finals last year. And the Lakers were suiting up without Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic and Luke Walton. Plus, the Lakers had upcoming showcase games against Orlando and Cleveland.

All the ingredients were in place for a blowout. But Kobe Bryant and company had other ideas.

After falling behind by 11 points in the fourth quarter, Bryant spearheaded a comeback effort that saw the Lakers take the lead. Josh Powell—this year’s Ronny Turiaf—even contributed in a big way, nailing three fourth quarter jumpers when Bryant was double-teamed on the pick ‘n roll.

Then, after Tim Duncan scored on a ridiculous flip shot to give the Spurs a one-point advantage, Kobe drained what appeared to be a dagger three, prompting him to break out the Sam Cassell testicle dance. Unreal.

There was still time on the clock, however. The Spurs found Roger Mason Jr. in the corner when Derek Fisher unsuccessfully gambled for a steal. Mason hit the shot and caught the body of an out-of-position Fisher, to earn a bonus free throw that put San Antonio up by one.

The Lakers brought the ball up for a final possession with 10 seconds remaining. Kobe was again double-teamed and passed to Trevor Ariza at the top of the key. As he drove, he was bumped by Manu Ginobli, who was trying to rotate to take a charge. The bump affected Ariza’s footing and he was called for a travel, effectively ending the game and securing a 112-111 win for San Antonio.

It was incredibly frustrating to watch the final play sequences as a Lakers fan, but I came away form this game feeling more encouraged than disappointed. Their were plenty of plays that, had they gone the other way, would have won the game for the Lakers, including a silly foul by Ariza at the end of the first quarter and a buzzer-beating three from Ginobli to end the third.

It was a big win for the Spurs, no doubt. But the Lakers have plenty to feel good about, too:

• Kobe Bryant is playing the game better than ever.
  He’s not the athlete he was when he teamed with Shaq to win three titles, but this Kobe is better. He’s still a world-class athlete, but he’s also mastered the subtleties of the game in a way no one since Jordan has. He knows how to pick his spots offensively. He knows how to get his teammates involved and make them better. And he is a tireless, ferocious defender with infectious tenacity.
  
  
• Their depth is a blessing.
  The good news about all the Lakers injuries is that they have such a capable bench. They essentially played the Spurs with just two guards—Bryant and Fisher. The versatility of players like Ariza and Lamar Odom allows them to adapt as well as any team in the NBA. This game also had to boost the confidence of Josh Powell, the new guy in the Lakers locker room this season. He’ll surely be called upon at some point in May or June, and this game will be one that gives him confidence to play those big minutes.
  
  
• Bynum is progressing.
  He’s not Dwight Howard, but he’s not Greg Oden either. Bynum is coming back from last year’s injury-shortened season, and he’s making a difference. He went toe-to-toe with Tim Duncan for parts of this game, and the young fella held his own. He could have done more on the boards, but his defense definitely seemed to bother Duncan.
  
  
• They showed some heart.
  With everything stacked against them, it would have been easy for the Lakers to have mailed this one in after they fell behind in the fourth quarter with both Bryant and Pau Gasol on the bench. Instead, they mounted an impressive comeback with textbook offensive execution and some timely stops on defense. That sort of fourth quarter execution sans the final two plays is what will win games in the playoffs.

I cannot say with absolute certainty that the Lakers are the best team in the league, but they are in the conversation. I do believe they have the most talented roster. And if they’re able to give this effort in the playoffs, watch out.

At full strength, it’s hard to imagine them not winning this game. So, congratulations to the Spurs for winning what I would call the most entertaining game of the NBA season so far. Getting Fisher on the losing-end of a close call in San Antonio was probably poetic justice. But the Spurs are still chasing the Lakers in the standings, and I like L.A.’s chances of remaining the best in the West this season.

Yes, This (NBA Finals) is About Kobe

There are many ways to measure a basketball player’s impact. And Kobe Bryant measures up pretty well against all of them.

Scoring titles? He won two of those.

MVP Awards? He has one of those.

All-Star Games? He’s played in 10 of those, winning two MVPs.

Championships? He’s won three of those, and you might have heard he’s playing for number four starting Thursday.

But there’s one measuring stick that Kobe can’t seem to live up to: Michael Jordan.

The 10-time scoring champ, five-time MVP and six-time NBA champion also played in 14 All-Star Games, winning the MVP three times, and won two gold medals in the Olympics for Team USA. (Despite being a 20th century performer, Jordan even beats Kobe in the ultimate 21st century who's who litmus test: Google search hits. See image at right.)

Yet of all the players to earn “the next Jordan” label, no one has come close to Kobe in terms of coming close to Jordan. Harold “Baby Jordan” Miner won dunk contests. Vince Carter won dunk contests and made All-Star teams. Jerry Stackhouse even won a scoring title (in terms of total points) in 2001. But none came close to putting together a package comparable to MJ. And none won a championship.

Except Kobe.

In a recent interview with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, Bryant tried to shrug off any comparisons to Jordan, saying, “Michael is Michael…I just want to be the best player I can be.”

And maybe that’s the way we should let it be. Because right now, Kobe Bryant’s game is top notch. He is the best basketball on the planet today. For the next 4-7 games, let’s put aside Kobe’s place in history among the greats. Those debates will surely linger on. At 29, Bryant has several good years left in him.

I wasn’t fully aware of what I was watching when Jordan won six titles in eight years, capped with that freeze-frame follow-through to seal the ’98 championship against Utah. I was 13 when Jordan hit that shot – only six years old when he beat my Lakers for his first title.

I don’t want to take Kobe’s performance for granted now. My appreciation for the game is too great not to appreciate his game. If you don’t like the Celtics or Lakers, fans of basketball, put on your color blinders for a minute. Turn the green and white and purple and gold to shades of gray and watch Kobe and company play the game at the highest level on the biggest stage in the 2008 NBA Finals.

You won’t see Jordan, but you might glimpse Jordanesque moments. That’s something you just can’t measure.

Mamba #1: Kobe Bryant is MattHubert.com's 2008 NBA MVP

Click to read my article explaining how I came to name Kobe Bryant as the 2008 NBA MVP.

The NBA is a league built upon moments. Wilt Chamberlain posing with a scribbled ‘100’ on a piece of paper. Magic Johnson sweeping across the lane in the Boston Garden with his version of the sky hook. Michael Jordan holding his follow through after a game-clinching, picture perfect jumper in Utah.

Perhaps that is why it’s so hard for people to come to a consensus on Kobe Bryant as the 2008 NBA MVP. The Lakers have had so many non-basketball moments this season that it’s sometimes easy to forget they’ve won 56 games – far exceeding preseason expectations.

The season started in turmoil with Bryant’s trade demands. But management held firm and Bryant remained a Laker. And much to everyone’s surprisethe Los Angeles Lakers exuded the qualities of a cohesive team (and a good one to boot). Andrew Bynum developed into a double-double machine. Derek Fisher returned consistency to the point guard position and young reserves Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic and Ronny Turiaf fueled one of the deepest, most productive benches in the NBA.

Suddenly, purple and gold moments were happening around Kobe and not simply because of him. It seems strange to speak of the improved impact of Bryant’s teammates in his MVP column, but isn’t that the main claim for those clamoring for Garnett and Paul? Well, Kobe’s team went from just two games over .500 last year to the top of the ultra-competitive Western Conference in 2008.

Amid all this team talk let’s not forget that Kobe has had his moments. There was the 18-foot jumper with less than five seconds left to secure a 123-121 overtime victory on the road in Seattle in the first game after Bynum’s inury, dropping 41 points to spoil Shaq’s debut with the Suns and shooting 15-for-15 at the free throw line in the second half and overtime in a March 2 victory against the Mavericks.

However, many of Kobe’s moments this year have been uncharacteristic of “The Black Mamba” nickname Bryant gave himself a few seasons ago. Without losing his killer instinct or poise in the clutch, Kobe has seemingly become less venomous, especially with his teammates. Watching Kobe yuk it up on the sidelines with teammates during a Lakers rout is a sight for sore eyes. He’s smiling, laughing and having fun. Basketball is a game, after all.

Make no mistake about it, though, Kobe’s numbers are still great. At 28.5 points per game, he’s number two in the league in scoring. He also leads his team in assists at 5.4 per game and is ninth in the NBA in steals at 1.85 per game. And let’ s not forget that since February he’s been doing this all with a torn ligament in his right pinkie finger. Still, this is not his best season statistically. Yet his body language shows that he has no problem sacrificing shots (down 500 from two years ago) for wins (up 14 from a year ago with one game left to play).

And perhaps nothing put a bigger smile on Kobe’s face than the Pau Gasol trade, which should only bolster Kobe’s case for MVP. The team was a half game out of first in the West when Bynum went down with injury. They lost their starting center for the rest of the season and, admittedly received a gift from Memphis. However, they plugged him into the lineup and kept on rolling in the loaded West. No one has a better record than the Lakers’ 19-11 mark against the other Western Conference playoff contenders.

A great team is better than the sum of its parts, and so is a great player. That is what Kobe is all about. He’s a great scorer, ballhandler, defender, crunch-time performer and – now more than ever – great leader. Among the current Lakers, only Derek Fisher has been in league as long as Bryant. Including the playoffs, he’ll have played more than 1,000 games played before the age of 30. And he’s now using that experience to help his teammates learn the intricacies of the game.

Kobe’s had more moments than most could ever dream of: winning the ’97 Dunk Contest, starting in the ’98 all-star game as a 19-year-old kid, scoring 81 points in a game. But three June moments stand out in his mind.

And all the little moments from this season are just stepping stones toward the one Kobe wants most of all – hoisting that NBA Finals trophy once again. In the mind of this MVP, there’s a reason why that defining MVP moment is hard to pinpoint – it hasn’t happened (yet).

Calling Out Kobe Bryant

Do you want to win your first MVP, Kobe? Of course you do. Championship, Finals MVP, regular season MVP. That’s your mindset. And you want it all now. Do that and you’ll force your critics to shut up, stand up, and ‘fess up to you as the greatest baller on the planet today.

But in order for all that to happen, you need to shut up and step up first. Enough is enough, Kobe. We get it already. Nobody in the league today matches your competitiveness, your will to win, your ‘I want to be the best’ inner drive. But you’re going about it all wrong by showing up the referees.

You played with Shaquille O’Neal for eight years, witnessing firsthand that star players actually don’t get all the calls. No one in the history of basketball was involved in more physical contact without a whistle than Shaq. The refs could have called a foul on almost every possession, but Shaq rolled with the punches. Oh by the way, he also won multiple championships as The Man, 3 Finals MVPs and a regular season MVP. Fuel for the fire. (You’re welcome.)

This year, you are arguably the NBA’s MVP. Arguably. But your role in the Lakers most recent loss, an unthinkable 108-95 clunker at home against the Bobcats, defies MVP logic. The glaring number on your 27 point, 6 rebound, 3 assist stat line is 2 as in the two quick technical fouls (his 14th and 15th for the season) that got you ejected during the fourth quarter of what was a bad loss, plain and simple.

One more tech in the Lakers’ final 10 games would earn you an automatic one game suspension. At your current rate of one technical foul every 5.5 games, it’s not that much of a stretch to think you could cost the Lakers home court advantage in the playoffs by missing a crucial game down the stretch. In a Western Conference race where you’re nearly as close to the top of the standings as you are close to the lottery, one game means more than ever. You, more than anyone, should know that and honor it.

Few can get to the basket at will the way you do, Kobe. Fewer still can finish the way you can with the left or right hand, off the glass softly or with authority over a would-be shot-blocker. So why do you insist on doing that screaming/moaning/grunting routine every time you drive to the basket? It’s not professional. It’s not believable. And it’s not acceptable from the game’s best player.

Just make the play and play on. If you get fouled, the refs will probably call it. If not, they won’t. Every once in awhile they’ll make a mistake. Either score despite the contact or make up for it on the defensive end. But you have to put a stop to your verbal flopping. No one likes a whiner. And let’s face it, Kobe, you have no reason to complain. Not this year.

The basketball gods have smiled upon you. Bynum’s blossomed. Farmar’s flourished. Sasha’s shimmered. And they gave you Gasol for crying out loud. They handed you your perfect pick-and-roll compliment, a missing piece to the Lakers championship puzzle and you didn’t lose anyone to note besides “Mr. Addition by Subtraction” Kwame Brown.

There are just 10 games left in the season. It’s winning time. The schedule is such that you don’t have to leave the Pacific Time Zone for the rest of the season. Heck, you only have one game left outside the state of California. Losing to Charlotte was a serious slip-up. Still, you should lead the Lakers to the top seed in the West regardless of injuries. That’s what an MVP would do.

No excuses. No more whining. No more technicals. Just win, Kobe.

Kobe Bryant Blog Day

Today is Kobe Bryant Blog Day at Hardwood Paroxysm and the basketball blogosphere is taking the time to do it right.

Not one to miss out on a holiday, I thought I’d join in fashionably late.

My first glimpse of Kobe Bryant came live and in person on March 23, 1996, nearly twelve years ago when he led Lower Merion Aces into the Hersheypark Arena in Hershey, Pa., to face the Cathedral Prep Ramblers for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class AAAA state championship.

That’s right, the same Hersheypark Arena where Wilt scored 100 on March 2, 1962. Kobe was the main attraction in the building some 34 years later.

But heading into the game I knew very little of Bryant other than the fact that he was “very good” and “possibly going to go straight to the NBA.” My focus, as an 11-year-old fan and cousin of Prep’s senior point guard Keith Nies, was on the Ramblers and their defense of this “high school phenom.” And defense it was (take note, Toronto Raptors of the future). In fact, the Ramblers held Kobe scoreless in the first quarter and to just 8 points at the half while building a 21-15 lead.

In the second half, however, Lower Merion surged ahead and Kobe delivered a few highlight reel glimpses of his athleticism en route to a hard fought 48-43 win. What I didn’t know then as I lamented the end of my hometown high school’s loss was that in a span of about three months, Kobe would be drafted into the NBA and immediately dealt to my favorite team, the Los Angeles Lakers.

All of a sudden, the too-talented-not-to-boo Bryant was donning the same purple and gold that I rooted for. And before long, he was making it look too good not to cheer with breathtaking dunks and that potential – perhaps the most dangerous word in basketball – to be great.

Fast forward to March 11, 2008. Kobe is the best player one of the best team’s in the league. That 6’6” high school bean pole – unfortunately, the program didn’t list their weight – has been chiseled, hardened, sculpted, matured and perfected into a basketball art form. Stick it in the opponent’s eye jumpers that give you goosebumps. Crossovers so smooth they break both ankles. Dunks that unleash primal roars from within. And a cockiness/confidence that transforms every Lakers fans into bloodthirsty carnivores when they see Kobe with the ball in an end-of-game situation. We simply know he’s going to make the play.

Notice the ‘we’? We’re all guilty of it. We want to stake our piece of ownership to greatness. And in sports, perhaps more clearly than in any other facet of life, we know greatness when we see it. I was introduced to Kobe as a rival, as a villain. And many have portrayed him as such since. But between those painted lines, whether wearing #33 (his high school jersey), #8 or #24, Kobe has always seen himself as the #1 player on the court. When he retires, and don’t blink because it’ll happen all too soon, don’t be surprised if you tend to agree.

LeBron for MVP?

Put your MVP arguments for Kevin Garnett, Chris Paul, Brandon Roy or anyone else aside. Yesterday’s matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers featured the NBA’s two biggest stars. They are LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, and neither one has won an MVP award—yet.

LeBron’s Cavs won back in December when they met the Lakers in Cleveland. With no football on TV, Sunday’s center stage was all set for the rematch, and the game lived up to the hype.

The Lakers led 26-24 after one quarter. The Cavs rallied back to take a 49-40 halftime lead. Then the Lakers dropped 31 points in the third to reclaim a 71-69 lead. In the fourth quarter, the Lakers extended that lead to 84-75 with just over eight minutes to play and it looked as if the Lakers would ride the momentum to split the season series with the Cavs.

Instead, LeBron led the Cavs back from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter to win 98-95, making a bold MVP statement in the process. View extended game highlights here.

Kobe was good, but LeBron was better. Kobe scored 33 points on 10-of-21 shooting. LeBron netted 41 on 16-of-32 shooting. Kobe may be missing Andrew Bynum, but LeBron’s supporting cast includes no one as skilled as Lamar Odom or big game tested like Derek Fisher.

I had made some “Kobe for MVP” claims to friends in recent weeks, but after watching LeBron’s Cavs beat Kobe’s Lakers twice this year, my MVP vote today would go to LeBron, hands down.

What stood out most of all in this one was crunch time. That’s usually Kobe time. He’s made a career out of late game heroics. But LeBron outperformed him on Sunday. After Luke Walton split a pair of free throws to give the Lakers a 93-92 lead with 1:28 to play, LeBron shined while Kobe fizzled. Just look at the play-by-play breakdown.

1:15 - LeBron James makes driving layup (94-93 Cavs)
1:07 - Kobe Bryant offensive foul
0:54 - Larry Hughes misses 6-foot jumper
0:53 - Ronny Turiaf defensive rebound
0:42 - Lamar Odom misses layup
0:40 - Ira Newble defensive rebound
0:20 - LeBron James makes 22-foot jumper (96-93 Cavs)
0:20 - Los Angeles full timeout
0:15 - Derek Fisher misses 26-foot three point jumper
0:14 - Ronny Turiaf offensive rebound
0:13 - Ronny Turiaf makes layup (96-95 Cavs)
0:13 - Larry Hughes bad pass (Luke Walton steals)
0:13 - Larry Hughes blocks Kobe Bryant's layup
0:12 - Kobe Bryant offensive rebound
0:11 - Kobe Bryant lost ball (Daniel Gibson steals)
0:10 - Cleveland full timeout
0:09 - Kobe Bryant personal foul (LeBron James draws the foul)
0:09 - LeBron James makes free throw 1 of 2 (97-95 Cavs)
0:09 - LeBron James makes free throw 2 of 2 (98-95 Cavs)
0:09 - Los Angeles 20 Sec. timeout
0:00 - Lakers fail to get off shot before time expires. Game over. (98-95 Cavs)

In the final 1:15 of the game LeBron scored six points, including a long step-back jumper in Kobe’s face and two critical free throws. In that same span, Kobe was called for a charge, missed a layup, lost the ball and failed to get off a shot as time expired.

Is LeBron flat out better than Kobe? LeBron will tell you no. He still says Kobe is the best player in the NBA. But Kobe was only the second best player on the court on Sunday, and that’s unfamiliar territory for him.

It’ll be interesting to see if these two match up against one another in the all-star game. Unless they meet in the NBA Finals—a marketer’s dream, albeit an unlikely one—the all-star game will be the last time they share the court this season. Basketball fans have to be disappointed by that.

There is no better one-on-one matchup in the game today. And it may go down as one of the all-time best. Rarely do two players go head-to-head while playing at such an elite level.

Early in his career, Shaquille O’Neal was dominated by Hakeem Olajuwon. Similarly, in his younger days Michael Jordan routinely came up short against Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Isiah Thomas. But neither Shaq nor Jordan had a worthy adversary during the prime of their careers. You have to go back to Bill Russell vs. Wilt Chamberlain or Bird vs. Magic to find a superstar matchup that rivals Kobe and LeBron today.

Kobe is 29, still in the prime of his career. And he does have three rings to his credit. But if he doesn’t get the MVP this year, his chances of winning one are only going to decrease. As for LeBron, whose age matches his jersey number of 23, there’s no telling how good he can become. His prime is likely still in the future, and he hopes championship rings are in his future as well. But by beating the man he calls the best, LeBron is already making a claim—even if only on the court—to be the best player on the planet and win this race between two greats a first MVP trophy.