Perfect Timing
Almost like it was scripted by our friends at Nike, just as the Kobe and LeBron “MVPuppet” ads begin to resurface, the brand’s two showcase guys are on hot streaks and look like they could be headed for an NBA Finals matchup … The Lakers won their ninth straight on Sunday, 20-piecing the Suns behind Kobe’s 26 points and an overall dominant performance on both ends of the floor. It’s this simple: PHX doesn’t have a single defender who can really give Kobe trouble (although Grant Hill tries) while L.A. has enough horses to withstand the Suns’ speed and are significantly taller and more talented in the post … Of all the things people predicted when Ron Artest joined the Lakers, would “Quiet Consistent Non-Controversial Cog in the System” have cracked the Top 10 list? We can’t say he’s been exactly Adonal Foyle off the court, but all Ron-Ron has done on the court is shut down a few All-Star scorers, slap up a 20-point scoring night here and there, hit some timely threes and just play his role. Last night he had 15 points, five dimes and five steals and helped spark the 15-1 run in the third quarter that put the Suns to bed. Does Artest keep up this harmless successful existence, or is a massive “incident” coming soon? … Notice how Jordan Farmar has been making some extra-athletic plays lately, e.g. swatting shots off the glass and getting highlight dunks, just as Shannon Brown is threatening to become famous and maybe steal his minutes? We’re not accusing anybody of anything, but don’t be surprised if a man with a plastic cup comes knocking on Farmar’s door one of these days … Meanwhile, the Cavs were down 11-0 early in Milwaukee, but used a 29-0 run later in the first half to put the Bucks in the rearview and coast to their fourth straight win and seventh W in the last eight games. LeBron had a modest 14 points and 10 dimes, but just like we saw in the Cavs/Bulls game the other night, the team is at its best when LBJ doesn’t do everything. Delonte West was the standout this time, scoring 21 points off the bench, 14 of it during the big first-half run … One time Brandon Jennings abused Mo Williams on a behind-the-back crossover that was quicker than a blink and might have made Mo’s teeth click. Fortunately for Mo, Jennings’ ensuing layup got blocked; unfortunately for Mo, LeBron was the one who got the block, so the play still made the highlight reel … For the pre-game intros, the Bucks’ DJ played “New York, New York” by Frank Sinatra for LeBron and the Cavs. That’s just mean … Four notes from Miami’s win at Sacramento: (1) Tyreke Evans had one of his most complete performances of the season with 30 points and three steals; (2) D-Wade overshadowed it with a ho-hum 34 and 10 assists with his girl Gabrielle Union in the crowd; (3) Apparently Dorell Wright is still in the NBA and hasn’t forgetten how to play; and (4) If you had Sasha Vujacic and Omri Casspi switch teams, a lot of people wouldn’t notice until Casspi started playing. And the Lakers would approve that trade in approximately 0.03 seconds … Now that the Nets 18-game losing streak is over, they can go back to stinking under the radar, like Sunday’s loss to the Knicks that nobody is going to make a fuss about. A couple years from now we could be writing about how this season was important for NJ’s young core of Devin Harris, Brook Lopez, CDR, Terrence Williams, Courtney Lee and Yi Jianlian as they got lots of minutes to build chemistry and bonded through the struggles. Or we could be writing about how the young Nets never recovered from losing 75 games, guys were voluntarily going to the D-League just to remember what it was like to win, and after the Brooklyn arena never happened, the Nets relocated to Seattle … In an NBA TV interview following Detroit’s win over the Wizards, Charlie Villaneuva said about 35-year-old Ben Wallace: “When I get his age, hopefully I’ll be playing like him.” So grizzled vet Charlie V will finally wander inside that 20-foot moat he must think is around the basket and start rebounding and stuff? We can’t wait … We’re out like Ron-Ron’s incidents …
December 7th, 2009 at 6:26 am
knoc says:
the nets will be nipping for that last playoff spot in a few years time. they just need some of their other core players to finally break out. ahem YI ahem
December 7th, 2009 at 6:28 am
Coop says:
Hahaha burn on CV
December 7th, 2009 at 6:35 am
LoBezn0 says:
The early nominees’ list for the 2010 Basketball Hall of Fame has apparently been released. People say that Karl Malone and Scottie Pippen are shoo-ins, however, they’re not sure about Mark Jackson and DENNIS RODMAN (Worm made the early list!).
Here’s hoping that Rodman can get in too, c’mon HOF, give him some props.
What do you think about that DIME?
December 7th, 2009 at 6:54 am
sans says:
That would be crazy if Worm was a first ballot HOFer….just imagine the dress he would wear for that!
Yesterday someone posted that Amar’e is no longer a top 5 PF, and I disagreed until I thought about it–Here’s my list:
Gasol
Dirk
Duncan
KG
Bosh
What’s yours? Does Smoove make it over STAT?
December 7th, 2009 at 7:10 am
BRUCE says:
I am waiting for Yi to breakout. When he does that, I am getting his jersey!
I love Yi, I love that China-man.
Wife wants a dog, I got the perfect name — Yi!
What do you think?
December 7th, 2009 at 7:34 am
sans says:
When did Dorell Wright learn how to play? Shouldn’t it have been “still in league and hasn’t forgotten how not to play”?
December 7th, 2009 at 7:51 am
interesting says:
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4718857
Maybe the NBA should do what some fire departments do, and not have the overall best, but have the best from from race. Remember, in either NJ or NY a firemen was not promoted b/c they had too many of his race already and so they (ny or nj fire department)stateed that they needed to look like a fair employer and promote the another race….
December 7th, 2009 at 7:57 am
chris says:
Just moved to the USA from S. Korea, and was wondering why black people call themself afircan americans and
white people are not called european american? I think i’ll be korean american becuz i was born in Korea. If my I was born in USA i would be american, i think.
December 7th, 2009 at 8:55 am
dmitry of jersey says:
the nets actually showed glimpses of home in the first half against the knicks, but completely fell apart in the 3rd. no cohesion, no plan, no go-to guy. i never thought i’d say this, but i miss VC a little.
December 7th, 2009 at 8:55 am
dmitry of jersey says:
*glimpses of hope
December 7th, 2009 at 9:09 am
Dennis says:
i love those MVPuppet ads lol
December 7th, 2009 at 9:17 am
That's what's up says:
Greg O-Done
If it wasn’t for bad luck he’d have no luck at all
December 7th, 2009 at 9:20 am
Heckler says:
the suns suck and will get bounced in the 1st round. they need to trade steve nash while he still has value.
NJ Nets are in decent shape for the future. no team has as many contributing young players as the Nets do. In 2yrs, they will have a more talented team than the Blazers now. worry not NJ fans…
Kobe and LeBron will NEVER meet in the finals. please stop hype dreaming. Cavs cant beat boston nor orlando iin a playoff series — even if the cavs have homecourt
“Apparently Dorell Wright is still in the NBA and hasn’t forgetten how to play….what kind of line was this? when did Dorell ever know how to play?!!?
Charlie V is the same as Time Thomas and Donyell Marshall. a big that can stretch the defense with his shooting. every team needs that off the bench.
December 7th, 2009 at 9:20 am
Heckler says:
the suns suck and will get bounced in the 1st round. they need to trade steve nash while he still has value.
NJ Nets are in decent shape for the future. no team has as many contributing young players as the Nets do. In 2yrs, they will have a more talented team than the Blazers now. worry not NJ fans…
Kobe and LeBron will NEVER meet in the finals. please stop hype dreaming. Cavs cant beat boston nor orlando iin a playoff series — even if the cavs have homecourt
“Apparently Dorell Wright is still in the NBA and hasn’t forgetten how to play….what kind of line was this? when did Dorell ever know how to play?!!?
Charlie V is the same as Tim Thomas and Donyell Marshall. a big that can stretch the defense with his shooting. every team needs that off the bench.
December 7th, 2009 at 9:22 am
Sweet English says:
Yeah, Delonte had a stand out game.
But we all seem to have forgotten about his Matrix-Neo-Open-Your-Jacket-Please impression.
What happened with that.
December 7th, 2009 at 9:24 am
Heckler says:
GREG ODEN
i dunno if this guy has: bad luck, dumb luck or no luck.
but if he wasnt the next bill russell, then we all should have known (like i’ve said several times) he the next bill walton…
December 7th, 2009 at 9:26 am
Heckler says:
@ LoBezn0 (#3)—
Please keep me (us) posted on the Halls entry list and goings ons.
we all know damn well dennis rodman should be in the Hall of Fame.
please let us know what ever else your able to find out…
December 7th, 2009 at 9:28 am
sh!tfaced says:
They should follow the Bucks’ DJ’s lead and play New York, New York in every arena the Cavs play in.
@BRUCE
Never name your dog after a China-man or it will likely end up as stew… Might as well name it “Kung-pao”, “Chow-mein” or “Peking”…
December 7th, 2009 at 10:23 am
ruballin says:
sh!faced… zinggggggg!
December 7th, 2009 at 10:36 am
Snyde says:
bahahahaha. weren’t you media guys saying this last year? 2nd or ECF exit for the Cavs. the magic would beat them in 5 or 6 and the celtics would too. when it comes to crunch-time, the cavs are the same team they were last year. just 4 guys watching lebron take on 5.
December 7th, 2009 at 10:41 am
Snyde says:
and im just wondering here…whatever happened with delonte’s columbian drug-lord arsenal he got caught with on a motorcycle? because the dude’s bipolar there aren’t any consequences? doesn’t make much sense to me.
December 7th, 2009 at 10:52 am
GABRIEL BROGDEN says:
all i gotta say is, the lakers squad is all that.
i’m not a lakers fan by far.
But the lakers squad is ALL THAT.
Cottamn!
str8 gave ‘em a 20 piece.
str8 scored over 104 pts – which is their average output.
str8 held the highflyin suns under 90 points.
WHOA
a team — Suns — that scores 109 pts/game was held to over 20 points below that…
y’all not hearing me.
when healthy, la is a MONSTER.
December 7th, 2009 at 10:54 am
dz says:
sorry…someone explain the “man with a plastic cup” reference to me?
December 7th, 2009 at 11:21 am
ToAn says:
@dz..i think they mean that Farmar is using some performance-enhancing shit, so maybe the NBA will sent someone with a plastic cup to check him.
December 7th, 2009 at 11:22 am
ToAn says:
……….*send
December 7th, 2009 at 11:25 am
rlf says:
dz,
dime is implying that farmar is using steroids. what dime doesn’t know, which is not surprising is that, farmar has one of the highest vertical leaps around. it was a big deal a couple of years ago.
farmar is jealous of shannon, and is trying harder.
December 7th, 2009 at 11:25 am
No J Mayo says:
White people all look alike and all smell like bologna.
December 7th, 2009 at 11:27 am
control says:
dz
I think it’s a reference to 1man1jar.com
I could be wrong…
December 7th, 2009 at 11:29 am
SJS says:
Dz… I think the “plastic cup” is a reference to checking if Farmar is on roids. Hilar.
December 7th, 2009 at 11:32 am
rangerjohn says:
hey dime did i miss it or was there no mention of jarred jack holding the ball during play to tie his shoe during the raps vs bulls game?
December 7th, 2009 at 11:56 am
Ekstor says:
@rlf
Good point… but just to clarify, Farmar did not have one of the highest verticals of the rookie crop, he was recorded with THE highest! That was a shock to observers because he had been seen as a skilled guard with less-than-average athleticism.
@Heckler,
Congratulations on being the first person ever to imply that all teams need a player like Tim Thomas!
December 7th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
FallODaLdr says:
Farmar was rated the best overall athlete in his draft class during the pre-draft workouts. Dime is ridiculous for even suggesting the guy is using steroids. Also, can everyone get off of Ron Artest’s past. He has been a model citizen and an exceptional role player on a championshipt team. He wasn’t acting crazy in Sactown and Houston. Give the guy a break.
December 7th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
rangerjohn says:
@31,
im with ya on ron in LA (so far) and he was ok here in houston, but he was still nuts while on the kings. wasnt it there that he got suspended for beating his girl or something? and wasnt it there that he got busted for “animal cruelty” or something about leaving his dogs to roam and in the back yard with no food for weeks or something?
while not acting crazy, the guy is still a nut job, and an all around douche.
December 7th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
jmg says:
@31.. thank you!! since the brawl in Detroit, Artest hasnt done anything stupid on the court. off the court, he is pure comedy and lil bizarre but on the court he is a focused BEAST and you would think DIME would know that being a reputable magazine/website…or are they reputable??
they may not be because if they really followed hoops and seen Farmar play the last few years, they would know that the kid is very athletic and always has been and to suggest that “cup” bullshit is whack of DIME. Shannon is on another level but Farmar has always had hoops…Luke Walton and him have a lob play they use to run all the time.. get a clue DIME
December 7th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
D.H. says:
I think the zebras handed the Knicks their win over the Nets. NY went to the line 34 times to the Nets 14! The Nets were up at the half and then it was like, had more FG, better %’s, and looked to be solidifying, and then FT after and1, after FT . . . and the the Knicks had the game. Walsh was paying somebody to not lose that game to the Nets. Donnie, money can cover some things up, but not draft picks like Jordan Hill.
December 7th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
K Dizzle says:
Kobe vs Lebron…..I’ll wrap this up like this:
Lakers waxed the Suns by 20…
Cavs beat on the Bucks…
Out west, we judge you by the opponent you beat down. There’s a reason Bron only needed 14 and 10, but if Cleveland hopin Delonte can keep that up, then Boston and Orlando got somethin for you
Saw Bynum gettin advice from Kareem before the game and then comes out and flips that sweet hook over the head pass over the pass to Pau early on. If this kid adds low post passing to his arsenal, they gonna have to ban him lol
Lakers all day. Nine in a row but quiet as kept, mostly cuz Tiger got caught…
December 7th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
dz says:
@24, 26, 28, 29 — Thanks.