The Lakers solidified their standing as the best team in the NBA (even without Andrew Bynum) with their win over the Cavaliers on Sunday; a win that snapped Cleveland’s 23-game home winning streak. Just like the first time these two teams met, Kobe (who was battling the flu)and LeBron (just 5-20 from the field)were not at their best. Especially LBJ who did not look to be into the game much at all. Very disappointing performance from LeBron in such a big game. But the story of this game? Undoubtedly Lamar Odom.
Here’s a mini recap.
Odom, inserted into the starting lineup after Bynum went down, showed why he’s one of the most versatile, yet most enigmatic players in the league. He had an absolute beastly 28 points and 17 rebounds (7 offensive), both season highs. Yet I would not be surprised one bit if he had an 8-point 5-rebound stinker Tuesday night against the Thunder. This uncertainty about Odom has been the trademark of his career and the reason why his name is brought in trade rumors every year. Now this has been well-documented so I won’t really go on about it anymore.
Back to the game, the Lakers made a huge statement by getting this win at the Q. I mean, getting the W at Boston was impressive enough, but snapping a 23-game home winning streak AND finishing their road trip 6-0 is a championship stamp on the season. Their upcoming schedule is relatively easy until they make a mini three game road trip to Portland, Houston, and San Antonio beginning March 9. Let’s see if they are able to keep this impressive streak up. My guess? They look like a Finals lock.
After Kobe dropped 61 at MSG Monday night, we all wondered…what would LeBron do Wednesday night on HIS visit to New York? Well how about 52 points (17-33 FG, 16-19 FT), 10 rebounds, 11 assists, and 2 blocks? A pretty impressive response I’d say. I had the good fortune of witnessing the game myself (thanks to my buddy Quan) but in all honesty, it didn’t seem all that impressive and wasn’t as much fun to watch as you might think. He took a ton of jumpers, pretty much just dribbling in place until he finally decided to shoot.
It was, dare I say, boring.
There weren’t a lot of the breathtaking highlights we’re used to seeing from the King on a game-to-game basis (besides that ridiculous alley-oop he had coming off a timeout, and another fierce dunk he had in the first quarter, and a killer crossover he had…okay there were still some highlights). As a result, the crowd was never really that into it, not nearly as much as when they cheered for Kobe. (They were really into the game itself though as the Knicks kept it close throughout.) I was there last year for LeBron’s 50-point, 10 assist, 8 rebound performance and the atmosphere was a lot more electric as a result of LeBron himself. The most exciting part of the game was at the end when we were all wondering whether or not LeBron would get that last rebound to complete the triple-double. (Or it could have been at the end of the game when he’s playing some air-guitar to Jet’s Are You Gonna Be My Girl, showing that he could just be one of the guys.) It almost felt like if he didn’t get that board, it may not have been worth the price of admission.
So I sat there in my seat thinking, has it come to this? Me feeling unsatisfied with a performance for the ages? I mean, being there for a 50-point performance is special by itself. Same with a triple-double. But in the same game? By the same player? And I’m still feeling a bit empty leaving the arena? What’s wrong with me? Why am I complaining? The fact of the matter is that we’ve been spoiled by what LeBron has done so far in his career. I’m not talking about all the points he’s scored and assists he’s dished out. We watch his games expecting to see at least two or three “Oh my God I can’t believe he just did that” moments, whether they are jaw-dropping dunks, ridiculous blocks, or no-look passes. And on those rare occasions when he doesn’t deliver, we can’t help but be disappointed and even a little angry at him for “failing” us. 30 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and a block is not enough anymore. When it comes to James, he also has to have a few SportsCenter moments.
Hold your breath.
On top of all of this, everyone (including yours truly) has been saying LeBron needs to add the jump shot that Kobe has perfected, to his offensive arsenal. Tonight he may have shown that he already has a consistent J in his game but I’m still complaining. Now I’m afraid if he masters the jumper, he’ll take too many and his game won’t be as fun to watch.
So please LeBron, keep your shaky jump shot so you can continue to force the ball to the hoop and blow us away with your aerial creativity.
I’m only kidding of course. Kind of.
I mean, if he masters the jump shot, then he’ll only be Kobe Bryant. The three-time NBA champion, reigning MVP, Mr. 81-point, top-10 all-time player Kobe Bryant. With all the milestones he’s reached and accolades he’s already earned at the age of 24, combined with his all-world athleticism and 6′9 260 lb. frame, he HAS to be more. He has to be all that, plus a walking, dribbling, jumping, shooting, passing, stealing, blocking, dunking highlight reel.
But my memory is short and it deceives me. After all, wasn’t Kobe once Mr. SportsCenter, a former dunk champion who gave us highlight after highlight every night? He still does but doesn’t use his athleticism like he once did. We all thought Michael Jordan could fly at one point in his career. But he lost his jets too. So there will inevitably be a time when LeBron won’t be able to show us those awesome displays of athleticism anymore. He’ll become a jump-shooter, like the one he was on Wednesday, on a nightly basis. Like the one MJ became. Like the one Kobe is turning into. But until then, I’ll enjoy this LeBron, even if it means sitting through a couple “boring” performances.
On Monday, the NBA continued its tradition of packing Martin Luther King Jr. Day full of games. 24 of the 30 teams played and the fans were treated to some good ones. Half of the games were decided by four points or less and there were two buzzer beaters courtesy of Chris Paul and Dirk Nowitzki. But let’s not kid ourselves. The NBA saved the best for last as LeBron James and the league-best Cavaliers took on Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.
The game did little to settle the debate over who is the better player (still gotta go with LeBron) as they both had off-nights, and to be honest, it didn’t do much (at least for me) in deciding who was the better team with all the injuries to the Cavs. But what it did reaffirm was the fact that Kobe is a better closer than LBJ. In the 4th quarter, as the two superstars went at each other, Kobe made some big shots when it mattered most and led his team to victory. LeBron on the other hand committed turnover after turnover (6 in total) and missed shot after shot during some key moments and came up short in his comeback bid. And the thing I have to attribute this to is Kobe’s mastery of the jump shot.
As evidenced throughout the whole game, the officials swallowed their whistles and allowed a good amount of contact on drives to the basket. LeBron’s game and more specifically his game in the 4th quarter is all about getting to the hoop and consequently, getting to the line. And when you’re 6′8″ 250 lbs and the greatest athlete in the world, why wouldn’t it be. But some nights you’re just not gonna get the calls you’re used to getting and you have to adjust your game accordingly. The cure for an official who allows contact is a good jump shot. Now while LeBron has improved his jumper greatly, it’s still nowhere near the level of Kobe’s. Every time Bryant rises to take a shot, I think it’s going in. Couple that with his ability to get to the basket and he’s virtually unguardable. There were two possessions in the 4th when Kobe hit two incredible shots over LeBron that in my mind won the game for LA. The second shot increased the lead to 12 and despite a little rally by Cleveland, the Lakers never looked back. Kobe didn’t do much after that (possibly because of his injured finger) but it didn’t matter. He had done enough. LeBron eventually got to the basket, got some points in the paint, and got to the line a few times, but it was too little, too late. I’d still take the King over anyone else besides Kobe in the 4th quarter, but until he seasons that jumper (and he will), he’ll always be Kobe’s understudy.
Now you might be wondering why I don’t think Kobe is the best player in the league despite what I just said. There are lots of reasons for this and maybe I’ll get to them another time.
As for the game itself, it’s obvious Cleveland misses Zydrunas Ilgauskas but they may need more help than that up front if they want to win a championship. Pau Gasol dominated the Cleveland bigs all night long and Andrew Bynum (who is one of the cheapest, most immature players in the league) owned for two quarters before making his customary disappearing act after halftime. Lorenzen Wright had a +/- of -8 in only 8 minutes of play and rookie JJ Hickson (who may have the worst hands in the league, maybe even worse than Emeka Okafor) had a -18 in 19 minutes of play. Hickson is only in his first year so there will be some growing pains with him, but as far as the current year goes, GM Danny Ferry will need to think long and hard about making a move or he may be kissing LeBron goodbye in 2010.
So finally we now know what LeBron’s big announcement was about. Well, we did already know it was football-related and he’d be playing so I guess the bigger mystery was who the commercial was for. And the mystery sponsor is………………..State Farm. I guess we could’ve just put 2 and 2 together and figured it was State Farm considering it’s conference championship week and the commercial was debuting on Sunday, but my guess would’ve been Vitamin Water. Interesting that State Farm is behind a commercial that would generate so much hype or intentionally create so much hype to begin with. I guess they really are trying to make LeBron a focal point of their marketing strategy to appeal to a younger audience. And I know why they put LeBron on his jersey but they should’ve just put James. Call me traditional. Anyway, peep out the new commercial:
As you guys probably already saw on Ball Don’t Lie, LeBron James had a ridiculous almost-from-the-free-throw-line dunk against the Bucks the other night. But it’s worth mentioning again over here.
With the start of a new basketball season also comes the start of a new advertising season. Here are a few of the new commercials that have been popping up so far (in no particular order):
KEVIN GARNETT: THE GAME HAPPENS HERE
I’m sure you’ve all seen this commercial by now but it really is great. It makes you want to continue to watch and listen to what KG is going to say next. I just feel bad for the people who had to watch every single one of his press conferences to get the proper clips together. But I’m sure after seeing the final product, it was worth it for them.
DWYANE WADE: SAME DAY, SAME STORY
This commercial focuses on how everyone has doubted D-Wade in every stage of his basketball life, but I don’t think at the time people were saying he was a “monumental waste of a draft pick.” Who did they want, Michael Sweetney?
LEBRON JAMES: AFTER SIX
I posted this commercial before and it’s not one you’d see on TV, but LBJ is showing his acting chops in this one, proving he’s more than just a basketball player.
LEBRON JAMES: THE CHALK
Nike just capitalizing on LeBron’s pre-game ritual, with a little cameo by Lil’ Wayne.
LEBRON JAMES: GARAGE
State Farm making quick use of their newest endorser. The commercial seems kind of pointless but hilarity ensues when LeBron starts dancing to Kid ‘N Play. Bron has come a long way since that 50 Million Pound Challenge commercial where he looked like a robot.
Great new promo video featuring LeBron James and Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls called “After Six.” I think LeBron can add Best Actor in the NBA to his credentials.
Obviously the big news of the day was the trade that sent Allen Iverson to the Pistons for Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess, and some other dude. It’s tough to say who got the better of the deal because I don’t think either team becomes a championship contender as a result. I suppose the Pistons could still win it all but I have to see how much AI “disrupts” that team-first attitude. Maybe it’ll be good for them to have this elite scorer who will be their go-to-guy in clutch situations by default. I think Allen Iverson is genuine when he says he is a team-first dude but we just have to see how he gels with his new teammates. But if anything, this trade does give the Pistons one of the most marketable guys in the NBA. He’ll sell tickets, jerseys, and other Pistons merchandise.
And for the record, I don’t buy all this crap about how the trade is just one step in a grand scheme to sign LeBron James in 2010. First of all, the Pistons have cap space after this season so there’s no way they give up on an entire season just to get LeBron. And why would he go there anyway? Because they’ll always put a contending team on the floor with LeBron? LBJ will win wherever he is and he’s shown that playing in Cleveland all these years, annually leading a D-League team to the Playoffs. They run a classy organization? No team would mess up having a once-in-a-lifetime athlete on their team and if they did, the team should be moved to Guam. Plus Detroit has been his chief rival during his tenure in the NBA so far and there’s no way he’d jump ship to join the Pistons. And finally I thought the rumor was LeBron was leaving Cleveland to enhance his marketability so he could become a global icon. And he’s going to do that in Detroit???? Seriously?????
JR Smith. Dude can score.
As for the Nuggets, they definitely improve in the short-term. I never thought they needed to trade for Iverson in the first place, especially with their glaring need for a true point guard. Now they have one of the best and also JR Smith ready to come in and take over the 2-spot. Having McDyess play for them would be great but it looks like he’ll get bought out. The problem I have with this trade is AT BEST, the Nuggets will be a low-seeded playoff team for the next few years, in a place I like to call Playoff Purgatory. That means Denver will be good enough to make the playoffs and give their fans a couple of playoff games but won’t be bad enough to get an impact rookie that will help them down the road. Kind of a LeBron-effect in Cleveland these past few years. In any case, that’s the best case scenario which makes you wonder why they made the trade in the first place. They could’ve had Iverson’s contract come off the books this year but now are stuck with Chauncey’s contract for at least 3 years. It’s tough to figure out where this team is going. Oh well, I guess that’s why i’m not an NBA GM.
PATHETIC STAT LINE OF THE NIGHT
Mikki Moore:
18 MINS 0 PTS 0 REBS 3 ASTS 1 STL 0 BLKS 0 TOS 0-2 FG 0-0 FT -17 +/-
A 7-footer who couldn’t even grab 1 rebound in 18 minutes of play. Seriously?
IMPRESSIVE STAT LINE OF THE NIGHT
Marc Gasol:
36 MINS 27 PTS 16 REBS 1 ASTS 1 STL 3 BLKS 6 TOS 9-11 FG 9-11 FT +2 +/-
6 turnovers is a lot especially for a big man but this was probably the best performance by a rookie so far in the young season.
The Olympics have come and gone and finally, the NBA season is here. The offseason seemed shorter than usual because we had the Redeem Team to carry us through the summer but still, opening night could not come soon enough. We had a fantastic season last year and Bill Simmons writes that the NBA is back. The league opened up in style as the LeBron and the Cavs took on the defending champion Boston Celtics and Greg Oden made his debut with the Blazers against Kobe’s Lakers. But before I get into my thoughts on opening night, let’s take a moment to honor this great nation of ours:
RIP Marvin Gaye.
Moving on from one emotional thing to another, it was a hugfest in Boston as the Celtics received their championship rings and raised their banner. Tears were flowing everywhere, but especially on Paul Pierce as 10 years of ups and downs finally came to a head when he got his bling. Although I do not particularly like the Celtics, it was nice seeing PP show that professional athletes can be more than just greedy, overpaid prima donnas (which, let’s be honest…you’d give anything to be that. I know I would.) It reminded me of Yao Ming playing with so much hustle and heart against Team USA while representing China in front of his countrymen. And I mean…it must’ve been emotional because Reggie Miller compared the whole thing to The Notebook. It’s gotta be real serious if you’re gonna do that (he even said Nicholas Sparks!) I was about to get ready to pop in the DVD and blow off the game completely until TNT decided to show a gross close-up of Scot Pollard’s finger hairs. That completely ruined the whole thing for me. Anyway, onto the game.
I never thought The Notebook would make its way here.
Honestly, it was like the game was perfectly scripted: Celtics start off slow because of all the emotion from the pre-game ceremony. Check. Cavs take advantage and take the lead early. Check. Both teams are very rusty. Check. Cavs hold onto the lead at the half. Check. Celtics make proper halftime adjustments (because that’s what champions do), have a strong 3rd quarter, and take the lead. Check. The 4th quarter is back and forth and it comes down to a one possession game at the end. Check. Down by 3 with 15 seconds left, LeBron has the ball in his hands. Check. LeBron drives to draw the foul. Check. He does. Check. He misses a free throw. Check. Cavs lose. Check.
Getty Images/Doug Benc
Listen, I love LeBron. I think he’s the best player in the NBA but he’s gotta be one of the most unclutch free throw shooters in the entire league. As an LBJ fan, I want him to do well and I root for him. But I can’t help but get nervous when he’s on the free throw line with the game on the line. Did I get nervous when Michael Jordan was taking big free throws? Never. Notebook fan Reggie Miller? No. Do Kobe fans with Kobe? No. If LeBron wants to win championships and get all the spoils that come from it (which includes possibly going down as the G.O.A.T.), he MUST improve on his free throws. And really, his average free throw shooting is a result of his average jump shooting ability. With him now in his 6th year in the league (can’t believe it’s been that long already), it’s a bit disappointing he doesn’t have a reliable jump shot yet. He has, however, been giving up his summers to play for Team USA so I’ll give him a pass. LeBron will have the next few summers free though, so I fully expect him to have that jump shot by the time he comes to New York in 2010.
Some other things I took from the game:
Paul Pierce pretty much had his way with LeBron on defense; so much so that Anderson Varejao had to guard him out of a timeout in one of the last possessions of the game.
Leon Powe thought he was still playing the Lakers.
It pains me to say this because I love Madden, NCAA Football, and FIFA, but I am not sure why EA Sports would pump so much marketing money into such a terrible game. NBA Live is a bad, bad game and everyone knows the NBA 2K games are a billion times better.
Daniel Gibson is beginning to show signs he’s not just a 3-point shooter anymore. He took the ball hard to the basket a few times and had a couple of nice hand-offs.
Rajon Rondo is turning into a great all-around point guard. But I wonder what kind of player he’d be if he was on another team.
I think Gibson and Rondo might be identical twins. Must be why Boobie shaved the Batman logo into his head.
LeBron had his usual handful of highlights but the most impressive might’ve been his one-handed rebound over Kendrick Perkins for the putback in the 4th quarter…Okay you’re right. It was definitely one of his dunks.
Speaking of LeBron, he must hate the hoops in Boston. My friend Dave (the biggest Illinois Fighting Illini fan you’ll ever meet) reminded me of all the shots that went in and out for Bron in last year’s playoff series. That seemed to continue today as he missed a few shots that would drop in any other arena.
Tough loss for Cleveland and good win for Boston. They stole a win with KG and Ray Allen having off nights.
That’s the book on the Cavs/Celts game. Right now it’s halftime of the Lakers/Blazers game and I don’t think I’ll make it through to the end of the game. Kobe and co. are obliterating Portland (Greg Odenis trying way too hard and he might set an NBA record this year for most 5-second backdown violations, if ever plays of course. It was disappointing to see him get injured to say the least.), simultaneously putting me to shame for predicting that the young Blazers would win their division and for proclaiming that LeBron is the best basketball player in the world. But it DOES look like the Lakers will be having their own Nicholas Sparks moment in next season’s opening night. It’s a long and winding road until then, however, and I’ll be happily watching every step of the way.
Posted by david im 
