Kobe Bryant: Deliberately Arrogant
Posted on April 25, 2008
Kobe Bryant has done a lot of talking in the first two games of the Lakers’ first round series against the Nuggets. He has also backed it up with his play.
We could talk about everything Kobe Bryant did with the basketball in Game 2. We could talk about the 25 points he had at halftime on .667 shooting, including 10 straight made shots.
We could marvel at his final tally of 49 points and 10 assists while shooting 18-for-27, and the fact that he contributed directly to 71 of the Lakers’ 122 points.
We could compose a veritable highlight reel just from Kobe’s Game 2 performance, including high-flying fast break dunks, off-balance running jumpers, double-crossover drives, and of course, the acrobatic one-handed alley-oop off of Pau Gasol’s beautiful over-the-head lob.
But none of the above is the story of the game. The story of the game — nay, of the series — is, once again, Kobe Bryant’s on-court attitude. He’s confident. He’s cocky. In fact, he’s down right arrogant…
Filed Under J.R. Smith, Kenyon Martin, Kobe Bryant, Lakers, Nuggets, Playoffs, Teammate, arrogance, big games, cockiness, leadership, smack, trash talk | 15 Comments
Kobe Dominates — Even When He Doesn’t
Posted on April 24, 2008
And that, folks, is why Kobe Bryant deserves more credit for Sunday’s Game 1 than his 9-for-26 stat line would seem to indicate.
Yes, he shot poorly in Game 1. Yes, at times he failed to run the offense. And yes, he did finish with only one assist. On the other hand, however, he was the reason that Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Luke Walton were nearly unstoppable.
He made them pay, tallying 49 points and 10 assists on 18-27 shooting, directly contributing to 71 of the Lakers’ 122 points. His performance was exactly what the Nuggets were afraid of — and what they did their best to prevent — in Game 1. It is why they willingly left other Lakers unguarded…
Filed Under Kenyon Martin, Kobe Bryant, Lakers, MVP, Nuggets, Playoffs, Statistics, big games, leadership | 4 Comments
Kobe Bryant vs. Chris Paul: An MVP Microcosm
Posted on April 13, 2008
With the 2007-08 season winding to an end, there remain but two strong candidates for the 2008 MVP Award: Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant. With the two candidates seemingly neck and neck, Friday’s game between Paul’s New Orleans Hornets and Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers promised to be one of the best, and most significant, games of the season.
It didn’t disappoint.
In a game that may have profound ramifications for the 2008 Playoffs, Chris Paul delivered a strong performance. His 17 assists are very impressive, and his effort in leading his team to not one but two come-from-behind surges and the brink of victory cannot be denied.
But Kobe Bryant’s Lakers were at some times supremely dominant, and at all times victorious. And through it all, Kobe Bryant was transcendent. And for those that felt that this game would decide between Paul and Bryant…
Filed Under Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Lakers, MVP, Statistics, Western Conference, big games, clutch, leadership | 33 Comments
MVN Lakers: We’re Fine, Thanks!
Posted on April 7, 2008
I’ve posted a new Lakers article on MVN.com. Here’s a quick excerpt:
With Andrew Bynum yet to return and Pau Gasol recently forced to sit out 10 games with an ankle injury, both the Lakers detractors as well as their fans have been critical of the team’s inconsistency.
In recent weeks, I’ve received a number of ribbing from fans and bloggers of other teams, pointing out that the Lakers are struggling. And they’re not alone. Lakers fans, as well, have become concerned about the team’s recent play.
But while it’s true that they have been inconsistent at best, with a disturbing tendency of late to come out flat against the weaker teams in the league, I believe this is much ado about nothing.
To the fans of other teams, who have all too eagerly pointed out the Lakers’ apparent weakness: Thank you for your concern, but the Lakers are fine.
Not mentioned in the article, but well worth referencing here, is a further breakdown of the Lakers season, particularly their surprising success despite a multitude of injuries.
David Friedman’s NBA analysis may at times bear a heavy Hollywood slant, but on this topic, he couldn’t be more correct. He breaks the Lakers 2007-08 season into three separate mini-seasons, of sorts, and analyzes their surprising success in all three.
Continuing on that theme, Friedman further articulates a point that I have long felt deserves greater consideration…
Filed Under Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Lakers, MVN Lakers, MVP, Western Conference, leadership | 6 Comments