Nash goes to the Lakers!

Originally posted by shortcircuit
You are a real idiot. Do you believe that players want more touches just so they can
pass it off?? LMAO!!!!

You are the real idiot, once again every player in the NBA wants more touches... are they all ball hogs? Of course they don't want more touches just so they can pass it but that doesn't mean they keep the ball and turn it over trying to do to much, no, they pass it thereby proving they are not a ball hog.

I already showed that his AR is higher than 24 other shooting guards and that he averages near 5 assists per game while you have showed that.... oh wait all you have done is displayed your ignorance with nonsense and name calling.

Originally posted by tomtom232
You are the real idiot, once again every player in the NBA wants more touches... are they all ball hogs? Of course they don't want more touches just so they can pass it but that doesn't mean they keep the ball and turn it over trying to do to much, no, they [b]pass it thereby proving they are not a ball hog.

I already showed that his AR is higher th ...[text shortened]... that.... oh wait all you have done is displayed your ignorance with nonsense and name calling.[/b]

I have watched Kobe jack the ball up repeatedly on nights when he couldn't his squat.
Does he do this because:

a) He is paid to do this?
b) He assumes the odds are in his favor on the next shot?
c) None of his teammates have the capability to score?
d) Because he is Kobe, and he needs his touches?

Originally posted by shortcircuit
I have watched Kobe jack the ball up repeatedly on nights when he couldn't his squat.
Does he do this because:

a) He is paid to do this?
b) He assumes the odds are in his favor on the next shot?
c) None of his teammates have the capability to score?
d) Because he is Kobe, and he needs his touches?

What is this? Its called heresy. You say you have watched single games where he misses a lot.... so what?

1) Give specifics
2) (Assuming you manage to achieve #1)Explain how a couple of games compare to a career stat of 4.7 Assists per game and a season AR better than 24 other shooting guards.

Edit: Also, if he is shooting the ball, he already had his "touch" same as if he is passing the ball.

Originally posted by tomtom232
What is this? Its called heresy. You say you have watched single games where he misses a lot.... so what?

1) Give specifics
2) (Assuming you manage to achieve #1)Explain how a couple of games compare to a career stat of 4.7 Assists per game and a season AR better than 24 other shooting guards.

Edit: Also, if he is shooting the ball, he already had his "touch" same as if he is passing the ball.

If you want dates of specific games, you are out of luck.
You can waste your time looking through box scores and finding the games where Kobe
tossed bricks all night.

Your stat doesn't mean anything to me. It does not disprove my point.

Originally posted by shortcircuit
If you want dates of specific games, you are out of luck.
You can waste your time looking through box scores and finding the games where Kobe
tossed bricks all night.

Your stat doesn't mean anything to me. It does not disprove my point.

You don't have a point.

Have you ever played competitive baskeball? I played in highschool. I was the best shooter on my team but I had my off nights... you know what the coach told me on those nights? He would tell me its ok just keep shooting things can turn around. You don't want an off night to affect somebody's confidence and have it turn into a bad few nights or even season.

I would be willing to bet that on Kobe's off games his coach is on the sideline telling him to keep shooting.

Originally posted by tomtom232
What is this? Its called heresy. You say you have watched single games where he misses a lot.... so what?

I hope you meant hearsay.

If Kobe Bryant is your religion then that explains a lot.

Originally posted by tomtom232
You don't have a point.

Have you ever played competitive baskeball? I played in highschool. I was the best shooter on my team but I had my off nights... you know what the coach told me on those nights? He would tell me its ok [b]just keep shooting things can turn around. You don't want an off night to affect somebody's confidence and have it turn in ...[text shortened]... g to bet that on Kobe's off games his coach is on the sideline telling him to keep shooting.[/b]

Yes dingleberry, I did play basketball in high school, as well as football and baseball.
I was also captain of our chess team.

We were taught, there is no "I" in the word "team".

If you are having an off night, dish it off to a teammate and play good defense.
Maybe you played on a team that only had one guy who could shoot.
We had 5 guys who could shoot, as do the Lakers.
It is inexcusable to repeatedly jack it up when you are tossing bricks.

Kobe is NOT the only offensive option for the Lakers....he just plays like he is.

Go worship the guy if you must, but Kevin Durant will make you forget Kobe someday.

Originally posted by shortcircuit
Yes dingleberry, I did play basketball in high school, as well as football and baseball.
I was also captain of our chess team.

We were taught, there is no "I" in the word "team".

If you are having an off night, dish it off to a teammate and play good defense.
Maybe you played on a team that only had one guy who could shoot.
We had 5 guys who co ...[text shortened]... e is.

Go worship the guy if you must, but Kevin Durant will make you forget Kobe someday.

You're team must have never went anywhere. I know of no coach anywhere that would tell you to pass instead of shoot when wide open, unless there is another person open in a position for a higher percentage shot.

I'm not worshiping anybody, I just don't like it when people spit up propaganda that was forced down their throat.


PS Being from Seattle I am an OKC fan (It wasn't the teams fault that they left)

Originally posted by shortcircuit
We were taught, there is no "I" in the word "team".

But there is an "I" in "win." 😛

YouTube

Originally posted by shortcircuit
Maybe you played on a team that only had one guy who could shoot.
We had 5 guys who could shoot, as do the Lakers.
It is inexcusable to repeatedly jack it up when you are tossing bricks.

Kobe is NOT the only offensive option for the Lakers....he just plays like he is.

Did the Lakers really have 5 guys who could shoot this past season?

Ramon Sessions - Average / streaky shooter. Fell off dramatically in the playoffs.
World Peace - Below average shooter.
Pau Gasol - Good shooter.
Bynum - Bad shooter.
Matt Barnes - Average / streaky shooter.
Steve Blake - Good shooter. Receives limited minutes due to other deficiencies.
Ebanks - Below average shooter. He can't shoot accurately from distance.
Murphy - Good shooter. Doesn't see the floor because of other deficiencies.
Goudelock - Good shooter. Doesn't see the floor because of other deficiencies.
McRoberts - Bad shooter.
Hill - Below average shooter. He can't accurately from distance.

So by my count, only 4 Lakers can shoot, and Gasol is the only one out of them who gets big time minutes. If you watched the Lakers this past season, you would have noticed that opposing teams consistently took advantage of the Lakers' poor shooting by gearing their defense towards stopping Kobe. Kobe would face a box and 1, or similar variations of it, every night, which, as you know, denies the target offensive player driving lanes and post up opportunities.

The Lakers' only other offensive option was to post up one of their bigs. This was a problem since Pau Gasol is too weak to bully defenders, and he could not use finesse to beat defenders since Bynum doesn't space the floor very well. Bynum can bully defenders. He is, however, very bad at passing out of the double team. Thus, the Lakers' offense would become stagnant when they tried running it through Bynum.

The Lakers traded for Ramon Sessions in an attempt to reinvigorate the offense. Sessions, though, is not a good pick and roll player. Thus, Sessions was relegated to a spot up shooter role; something that he is not that good at.

Given the Lakers' offensive limitations, the team relied on Kobe to keep them competitive over the course of the season. He had to shoot a lot for the Lakers to be a playoff team. That style of play is not championship basketball, to be sure. However, I wouldn't say that Kobe's shot selection was inexcusable this past season.

Originally posted by shortcircuit
Yes dingleberry, I did play basketball in high school...

Did your high school league even use a shot clock? Even if it did have a shot clock, have you ever played with a 24 second shot clock? I am going to presume that you haven't.

The NBA shot clock is very difficult to operate in. It typically takes 6 to 7 seconds for the PG to get the ball up the court. That leaves the offensive team with about 18 seconds to work with. Usually, 18 seconds is only enough time to run one play.

For instance, the Thunder will usually run a pick and roll for Westbrook or Harden and they will make a play for themselves or a teammate. The Lakers, on the other hand, will try to post up one of their bigs. It is often difficult to get the ball to the bigs since the Lakers are not very adept in entry passing. Even if the bigs get the ball, they are often not able to make a high percentage play. As mentioned earlier, Gasol does not have enough space to work with, and Bynum can be stopped by doubling him. Often the bigs will work the ball out of the post to Kobe leaving only a handful of seconds left of the shot clock to work with. Kobe typically has to take a contested jumpshot, which he is the best in the world at making. That shot, however, is a low percentage shot; even for Kobe.

If the Lakers run the offense through Kobe rather than the bigs, the opposing defense plays a box and 1 and denies the drive and post. Yet again Kobe is left with throwing the ball out to Sessions or World Peace for a low percentage jumpshot or taking a contested jumpshot himself.

Kobe can keep his team competitive despite his team's offensive deficiencies. This is a testament to his individual greatness.

Shortcircuit have you been watching Team USA's exhibition games? If yes, then how can you say that Kobe is not a team player? Kobe has setup his teammates for high percentage shots either through his defense or offensive play making.

Do you know what a hockey assist is? It is where up to two players are awarded an assist for setting up a player for a goal. This Sunday I want you to count how many times Kobe ought to get a "hockey assist." That is, keep track of all the times Kobe passes to one of his teammates (usually Lebron) and that teammate immediately passes to another teammate who scores.

Additionally, I want you to count how many times Kobe's defense leads to a fast break. That is, keep a tally whenever Kobe creates a turnover or forces his defender into a bad shot that leads to a long rebound and easy bucket at the other end of the court.

Also, I want you to count how many times Kobe gets his teammates to the freethrow line. You should lookout for plays that should have been traditional assists or the unofficial "hockey assists" where the teammate gets fouled and fails to convert the "and 1" basket.

For extra credit, you can also count how many times Kobe sets screens for his teammates. 😛

Suzianne I want you to participate in this exercise as well. 😛

Originally posted by shortcircuit
I don't think so. Kobe wants the ball too much. Nash would dish it, but Howard and Kobe and Gasol (if he is not part of the trade for Howard) would want more touches than they would get.

I don't think there would be any chemistry issues if Howard were on the Lakers. Kobe would still get his touches, and his looks would be a whole lot better than last season. For example, the Lakers could run a pick and roll with Nash which will create a ton of space for Kobe to work with. Or the Lakers could post up Howard who can bully defenders 1 on 1 and effectively pass out of the double team.

Whatever the Lakers decide to run, the floor spacing is going to be a whole lot better if they get Howard since the deal will probably involve Turkoglu or Richardson whom are good shooters. Plus the Lakers will have Jamison off the bench. Thus, the Lakers will have at least four adept shooters on the floor for most of the game.

Although Gasol won't get many post up opportunities, he will get to play pick and roll with Nash, which will create easy looks for him at the basket. Further, Gasol will welcome the opportunity to create plays for Howard. Gasol had a field day setting up Bynum these past few seasons. Imagine what he can do with the athletically superior Howard.

Originally posted by Suzianne
I hope you meant hearsay.

If Kobe Bryant is your religion then that explains a lot.

I did.

I must have misspelled it because it was autocorrected to "heresy."

Originally posted by MoneyManMike
Shortcircuit have you been watching Team USA's exhibition games? If yes, then how can you say that Kobe is not a team player? Kobe has setup his teammates for high percentage shots either through his defense or offensive play making.

Do you know what a hockey assist is? It is where up to two players are awarded an assist for setting up a player f r his teammates. 😛

Suzianne I want you to participate in this exercise as well. 😛

I dunno.

I stopped watching olympic basketball when they started allowing professional players in. It's now a joke.

Jim Thorpe was stripped of his medals for far less, and yet the USA is foremost in now insisting that pros be allowed to play in what should be competition between amateurs. If I played olympic basketball for another country, I would boycott the olympics in protest. This is simply a matter of the USA thinking they have to be first even if they have to rewrite the rules. It is certainly a destruction of the spirit of the games. They should give Jim Thorpe back his medals and his place in the record books.

As for Kobe's performance in the exhibition games, it's amazing what can happen once he starts playing with better players than what he has to work with on the Lakers. Laker management needs to take a clue from this.