The NBA’s Best Young Rivalry Plays A Classic; Heat Get Their Most Important Win Of The Year
Russell Westbrook (photo. Jeff Forney)
Is there any better young rivalry in the league than the Thunder and the Lakers? No bad blood (well, outside of Kendrick Perkins), it’s just pure, unadulterated talent, a smorgasbord of MVPs, All-Stars, scoring champs, defenders…it’s as good as it gets. We need seven games of this. We can only hope they get the chance to pick up where they left off last night … Down the stretch, it was the kids who played like champions. While the Lakers missed free throws and turned the ball over, Russell Westbrook (26 points) and Kevin Durant (31 points) jabbed the dagger into L.A.’s heart, hitting a couple of impossible shots. It all added up to a 120-106 Thunder win in a game that was much closer than the final score indicated … The Thunder came out scorching, throwing up 36 in the first quarter (27 from Russ & KD). Kobe Bryant (31 points) and Pau Gasol (26 points) kept the Lakers close, and for a while in the second half, it seemed like L.A. was slowly overwhelming Oklahoma City … That’s now five consecutive losses for L.A. Is there any team that plays in spurts as often as the Lakers? Not just week-to-week, but even quarter-to-quarter, we are never quite sure what they will give us. If these two teams meet up in the playoffs, things will be very, very interesting … Basketball is a simple game. If you put in the effort and play together, you can win. In one of their largest tests of the season, Miami took that blueprint and laid down the gauntlet … In a game that basically decided who will have the home-court advantage in the second round, Miami shut the door in Boston’s face, blowing them out, 100-77. Take out the opening minutes, and the Heat strangled the Celtics, rendering everyone outside of Paul Pierce (24 points) and Kevin Garnett (21 points) completely useless … While LeBron James (27 points) had a great second half, it wasn’t so much the stars that won it for the Heat, but it was the energy of the “other” guys like Joel Anthony and Mario Chalmers that made the difference. The hosts murdered Boston on the glass, and their defense seemed to drain the life out of the C’s in the third quarter … So far, it doesn’t look like the Perkins trade is working out. Boston better get their game straightened out soon or that trade might go down as the cause of this team’s demise … Without Dwight Howard to control the paint (had to sit out after picking up his 18th technical against Charlotte on Friday), Derrick Rose gutted Orlando for 39 points in the Bulls’ three-point win. Orlando had a shot to send it to overtime, but Jameer Nelson’s (17 points, 11 assists) long three was just a couple tenths of a second too late. Rose missed just four shots all afternoon, and was blowing by Nelson, drawing fouls and making plays at the rim. As a team, Chicago shot 60 percent. Actually, we don’t know if that’s a positive or negative when referring to Howard. If you are that important to your team, then you shouldn’t be out there picking up stupid technicals and suspensions. Ryan Anderson did what he could to replace the big man (28 points, 10 rebounds) but defensively, the Magic weren’t the same … In the second quarter, Rose had a move that was ridiculous. Normally, great baseline moves end up with reverse layups. Rose went up and under and then scored on the same side with his left hand as he floated underneath the rim. … At the end of the first half, Nelson hit a half-court shot. This time, the shot beat the buzzer … Carmelo Anthony did something you expected, and then something you probably didn’t. First, Anthony (34 points) hit a game-winning, pull-up jumper from just inside the three-point line with 4.9 seconds in the Knicks’ one-point win in Indiana. For someone considered one of the best clutch shooters in the game (he already has three game-winners with New York), that was par for him. But then, Anthony iced the win on the other end by getting up and blocking Danny Granger‘s (20 points) jumper. As Anthony continues to shoot well (six threes), the Knicks look like they could give the Celtics a run in the first round … There may not be a lower-seeded Western Conference team more equipped to push the Lakers than the rugged Grizzlies. They took a step towards meeting the Lakers next weekend by manhandling the Hornets, 111-89. O.J. Mayo came off the bench to score 18 points, but the key was their defense. For the first time in his entire career, Chris Paul was held scoreless (he did have 10 assists) and the two teams are now deadlocked at 46-34, although the Hornets hold the tiebreaker … Other headlines from around the league: Rodney Stuckey (24 points, 11 assists) led the Pistons to an 11-point win over Charlotte; Toronto beat the Nets by seven as Jerryd Bayless had 19 points and three other Raptors (DeMar DeRozan, Ed Davis and James Johnson) had 18; Marcus Thornton (21 points) hit the game-winning shot with 12 seconds left and Sacramento beat the Warriors by one; and Dallas destroyed the Suns by 25 behind Dirk Nowitzki (19 points) … We’re out like CP buckets.
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April 11th, 2011 at 12:58 am
That's What's Up says:
the lakers are hurting.
you better recognize.
April 11th, 2011 at 1:10 am
beiber newz says:
there is gonna be a time where kobe stops winning championships. there is gonna b a time he retires. so what they lost games.
thru losing comes learning.
and the mamba is just storing the venom.
April 11th, 2011 at 1:17 am
beiber newz says:
culd yall imagine if the nba playoffs were setup like ncaa tourney?
all the players people call great becuz of their rings would NOT be looked at in the same way becuz of how many flukes wuld happen.
and tim duncan wuld probaly b looked at as a boring stiff wit no rings. while garnett wuld be called better.
becuz then and only then would people judge athletes based off talent and not accolades.
accolades come from people’s opinions. and those are the opinions people use to categorize players.
which is pretty naive in a way.
byeye view, garnett is better than duncan, skil wise. but ppl giv the nod to duncan because his teams were ‘winning teams’ and he has rings.
we’ve become a society that judges based on wins. would gordon hayward have been a lottery pick if he didnt make it to the championship game. how many players go undrafted without a chance to make the legue becuz they dont impact the win column?
sad.
April 11th, 2011 at 1:28 am
Bill says:
Memphis has two legit wing defenders in Tony Allen and Shane Battier who were nice additions over the course of the past year, they’re a scary under the radar team.
April 11th, 2011 at 1:38 am
jerkishbehavior.com says:
1day next day delivery with Fedex tracking #29495539 of NBA MVP Award to Derrick Rose. Case closed
April 11th, 2011 at 1:41 am
NYK says:
scary 5seed and below teams:
76ers
Grizzlies
Blazers if healthy
Knicks if they can hit the 3s (probably cant upset Boston)
April 11th, 2011 at 1:49 am
john says:
Rose MVP
Miami x Chicago
Oklahoma x Dallas
Miami wins it all
April 11th, 2011 at 1:51 am
QQ says:
Kinda funny that when Lakers fans here proclaim ‘AINT NOBODY WANNA SEE US WHEN WE ROLLIN LIKE THIS’, they go on a 5 game losing streak.
Daaaaamn.
And they will probably say ‘we’re just getting ready for the playoffs, reg season aint shit’.
I’m a semi Lakers fan. I’ll probably say that too.
But the difference is, I aint blind. They ARE playing like shit. And I’m tired of all the ‘were gonna turn it on the playoffs’ bullshit.
Yes the Lakers probably would, but daaaamn, enough the with the fucking excuses, a loss is a loss.
April 11th, 2011 at 2:19 am
yoda says:
@ 3
wow, are you insane? tim might be boring, but there is reason why they call him big fundamental: its because he has all the tools! ergo, k.g. isn’t better player than him. and tim doesn’t pass the ball in 4th quarter, he takes over.
“how many players go undrafted without a chance to make the legue becuz they dont impact the win column?” who would take player who can’t help them win over someone who is proven winner/team player? get full team of dunkers, is that what are you saying?
as for lakers, they are pissing me off. i know they are capable of playing way better, its time for them to start playing like that.
April 11th, 2011 at 2:31 am
pipdaddyy says:
Anyone have a clip of the Rose play Dime refers to in the article?
Boston is looking weak right now, I hope the Perkins trade does not blow up in their face like this.
April 11th, 2011 at 2:32 am
smoove chips says:
dang I’m hating these laker losses !
yo,everyday that perkins trade seems like a bad idea.the celts stay getting punked.
April 11th, 2011 at 2:58 am
Chicagorilla says:
the crazy thing about the Perkins trade is that the guy had been hurt most of the season ans during that time Shaq, JO, Erdan, Kg, and big baby filled in nicely enough for Bos to have the best record in the East. The c’s only fell off when Rondo and Shaq got hurt and Perk came back. Perk only played a few games before he had to sit out with another injury and then Bos traded him.
If there is anything coming from the trade, it’s the players acting like sissy’s because a player got traded from their team. These celts and the media act like they are a dynasty when they have only won….ONE CHAMPIONSHIP in the 3yrs they been together. $h!t is crazy to me, but whatever. The lakers can at least say they won 2 outta the last 3 finals they been in together in the last 3yrs. That is a dynasty.
April 11th, 2011 at 3:15 am
pipdaddyy says:
2 out of 3 dynasty, 1 out of 3 – “nothing” ???
And I hate “ifs”, but Perk was really missed last year in that game 7, if he plays, now Boston would have the “dynasty”. That said, I’m not sure why they got rid of Erden, he was alright. And for team chemistry its much better to wait for a key player knowing you only have to put in extra effort for a few weeks/months, vs. having no real hope, which now seems the case for the Celtics. You cannot count on the O’Neals anymore unfortunately.
April 11th, 2011 at 5:04 am
the cynic says:
Have they lynched Danny Ainge in boston yet?
April 11th, 2011 at 6:26 am
common sense says:
@3 kinda agree but Duncan is the truth. someone needs to rescue steve nash from the suns and KP is an animal. that guys mean mug or shall i just say face is trully epic..
April 11th, 2011 at 6:33 am
K Dizzle says:
@ QQ – yea, OKC won that game. Really ain’t worried. 2 point game with 2 mins left before the Lakers disintegrated. Won’t happen 4 times in a 7 game series. We gotta put Barnes on Harden tho.
As a Pasadena boy, I’m proud of dude, but as a Laker fan, I’m thinkin he needs to get smacked down. Ten freebies?
That ain’t happenin in the playoffs…
Boston disappointed me to no end sunday. Miami stepped up strong, pushed back, got mad, SCREAMED at em….and Boston wilted…They don’t miss Perkins?……..
ok….
April 11th, 2011 at 7:16 am
LMNOP says:
I hate responding to a dude called beiber newz, but fuuuck this guy is a moron …..
anyways, Last nights Boston loss has me praying that the Knicks loose to Chi and the C’s, that MIA win their next two and that Pilly win theirs, and that is an ODD feeling, But the Knicks match up so much better with Miami than they do Boston. Or anyne else for that matter.
I just dont like the Knicks chances against any propper teams in a 7 game series, but the Heat with their 2 1/2 stars, Crappy bench, Weak interior and Shit Coach could be beaten.
April 11th, 2011 at 9:04 am
First & Foremost says:
LOL… Of course people put more weight on winning. Who wants to glorify a loser? Greatest scorers of all-time, Adrian Dantley and George Gervin always get overlooked because they didn’t win. Had Karl Malone won a championship, people would claim Tim Duncan as a Top 5 PF instead of the best to ever do it.
You play to win. “If you ain’t first, you’re last”
April 11th, 2011 at 9:11 am
First & Foremost says:
@Beiber newz – If you are an owner handing out millions of dollars, would you stock your team with guys who have a long history of losing? Would you pick a coach who has lost the majority of his games? Would you model your franchise to other sports teams that have traditions of losing? Not too many owners get their rocks off with epic futility. I guess you’d be the guy looking for highlight reel players instead of guy who have winning tendencies.
April 11th, 2011 at 9:47 am
Chicagorilla says:
damn, i may be the only person who understood what beibernewz was trying to say.
I kind of agree, but i dont whole heartedly agree.
Wins do get too much credit, and guys like Robert Horry get too much praise for being in the right place at the right time.
KG is to Duncan what Westbrook (Rose’s evil twin) is to Rose.
They both have the same skills, but one may be in a better situation to win, which allows them to show other parts of their game as far as being clutch and being the leader.
April 11th, 2011 at 10:01 am
Bird says:
I think I heard that Chicago has a philosophy where they sign players from winning college teams. Think it has to do with a difference in attitude and habits and now its clearly paying dividends.
April 11th, 2011 at 10:25 am
rangerjohn says:
ok here is the thing, put KG on the spurs in duncans place and does he lead the team to 4 titles? i dont think so. kg never had those ridiculous take over the whole series kind of parts to him. he can score, he can rebound, he can pass and defend but he cant win like duncan has/does. kg carried sub par teams in the playoffs, and he had a couple decent teams as well, (before going to boston) but IMO you put duncan on those same teams and you get a better result. duncan just has IT, he is a winner, he doesnt crawl on the floor and talk shit to 6′ white guys, he just does what is needed, no mater how much or how little. the same cant be said about kg.
April 11th, 2011 at 10:32 am
loganlight says:
The Heat are finally looking like a championship team. The defense they played yesterday was staggering. Like Mark Jackson said, when they play D like that, there aren’t many teams who can beat them. If everyone knows their role (looking at you, Mario Chalmers) the Heat might get their ring THIS year. … Haters comment away.
The Lakers looked slow and old. They simply cannot play with younger teams, case closed. Derrick Fisher is practically playing in a wheel chair and Kobe, well, he still doesn’t get “it” and at this point, I can say that he never will. Sorry Phil.
Could the Magic be a better team without Howard? At least Anderson was hitting outside shots and is a real threat at the free throw line… just saying.
Let’s go Heat! Let’s go Heat! Let’s go Heat!
LL
April 11th, 2011 at 10:35 am
top_gun says:
Tim Duncan doesn’t settle for jump shots towards the end of the games like KG does. Don’t get me wrong, KG is a hall of fame player who does everything on both ends of the court, but Duncan is a definition of a winner. Sure he’s had great teammates, but there’s no question of his impact on the team. Dude’s been winning since the day he enterred the league.
April 11th, 2011 at 10:41 am
First & Foremost says:
Exactly^ Throughout their careers it was always 1A) Duncan 1B) Garnett. If Duncan was even the slightest bit more flashy, it wouldn’t even be close.
If you had to build a team would you choose KG or Tim Duncan? Young, Prime, or Old, it doesn’t even matter which versions you compare. TD just has the edge.
April 11th, 2011 at 10:49 am
First & Foremost says:
LOL… No, the Magic aren’t better without Howard. Anderson should at least get 1/2 of what Rashard Lewis got since he is an upgrade over ANYTHING Lewis did.
April 11th, 2011 at 10:53 am
Skeeter McGee says:
@ #3
First off, I usually don’t pay attention to anyone that has “Bieber” in their name but you are the exception here…
How are you going to say that people’s opinions are based solely on winning, rings, etc., and not talent? If that were the case, then why do people like Kevin Love get mentioned as All-Stars, when his winning percentage is horrible?
To your point though:
A series allows the better team to advance, while the tournament allows the HOTTER team to advance.
As a student at VCU, I know the advantage of playing a one-and-done system; hell, we wouldnt have made it to the Final Four if the NCAAs had an NBA-style postseason. But the way society judges people and teams is fine.
Otherwise LeBron James would be the greatest thing we’ve ever seen in the league, considering his talent is unlike any other, but without any rings, he’s as good as anybody, but nowhere near GREATNESS, and that is the fine line between being GOOD and being GREAT.
April 11th, 2011 at 10:58 am
Ian says:
Let’s start with the nick beiber news wtf is up with that??
Dude if kg and td were on the same team kg would be passing the ball to td in crunch time. Change them and there is no way they beat the 03 lakers or the 05 pistons. Can kg guard shaq like timmeh did?? Hell no. Oh and you can bet the wolves aren’t the 8th seed fuck kg wasn’t even the best player on his lone championship run. Kg imo is the 4th best pf this generation if they all were on their prime. Dirk is 2 and cwebb is 3. Don’t say webber doesn’t deserve the spot cuz he isn’t clutch cuz that not kgs strength.
April 11th, 2011 at 11:03 am
Ian says:
Btw loved the part about changing the rules to see if a kg team can get a fluky win over a better player cuz we know that over 7 games the best win.
Hey if the nba had games on the moon shaqs vertical could rival carters just sayin that its stupid to judge players based on the gravity of the planet they are on.
April 11th, 2011 at 11:35 am
Ian says:
Shit I posted the moon crap by mistake fuckin phone hehei wasn’t planning on sending that.
Beiber
How was kg supposed to top the only player in ncaa history with 2000pts 1500rbs 400blocks and 200assists?? Oh didn’t td win all the awards also?
April 11th, 2011 at 11:51 am
First & Foremost says:
If the NBA adopted the 1 & done tournament they have to go all the way. Round Robin Division tournaments, champs get automatic bids. The remaining 10 teams get in based on SOS. If the East only send 4 teams that year, so be it.
As of now it would roughly look like:
Spurs-Suns; Bulls-Knicks; Heat-Rockets; Lakers-Hawks; Celtics-Grizzlies; Mavs-Hornets; Thunder-Blazers; Magic-Nuggets
Played on Neutral sites until the final 4. Better record plays at home.
April 11th, 2011 at 12:18 pm
Austin Burton says:
@First & Foremost — “If you are an owner handing out millions of dollars, would you stock your team with guys who have a long history of losing? Would you pick a coach who has lost the majority of his games? Would you model your franchise to other sports teams that have traditions of losing?”
I also kind of get what BN is saying. There’s a difference between being a “loser” and simply not winning a championship. Guys like Karl Malone and Charles Barkley and Dirk Nowitzki have played on a bunch of very good winning teams, they just never happened to play on THE BEST team in a particular year. That doesn’t make them “losers” in my opinion, just not champions. There’s a big difference between a guy like Dirk and a guy like Ricky Davis who seems to always be on a bad team.
April 11th, 2011 at 12:19 pm
Ian says:
i do like the best records get in. why do the pacers deserve a spot over the rockets??
April 11th, 2011 at 12:47 pm
beiber newz says:
UM HELLO!!!!!!
let me explain what i meant exacty. and I HOPE YALL RESPOND BUT PROBABLY WON’T AFTER I EXPLAIN FURTHER.
people keep saying i wanna STOCK A ROSTER FULL OF GUYS WITH A HISTORY OF LOSING.
um HELLO!!?? all i am asking for a lil bit of TRANSPARENCY. that is my point.
there are GM’s out there who wuld be happy taking a guy with a history of winning over a guy with SHEER better talent.
EXAMPLE: all of yall know guys in the NBA now who garner applaudable nba careers while being A SECOND ROUND PICK.
history tells it all. ANALYSTS even say they enjoy looking baCK ON THE HIsTORY OF DRAFTS compared to a variety of mock drafts to see where they completely screwed up.
so i’m not saying i wuldnt pick a guy from a coach K coached team. i’m just saying, if there is a guy from a talent rich john calipari team, i’m looking there first.
Conversely, i am not opposed picking some1 from duke WHO IS BETTER. ijust won’t let the WINNING aspect cpompletely take over my mind when it comes to decison making.
hence, my other point being thAT guys get left off ALL STAR TEAMS because those franchises suck balls and management in some sense, HOLD THEIR OWN PLAYER’S achievment back because they fail at getting the right personnel to WIN GAMES.
so everybody’s mind as a society puts so much stock in winning that guys talents get overlooked. i mean sheer basketball abilities, are second tier to the winning ways of the duncans.
THE END.
April 11th, 2011 at 12:52 pm
beiber newz says:
ALL YOU GUYS KEEP TRYNA SHOOT ME DOWN BY USING THE WINNING ARGUMENT show you proving my point. you SUBCONSCIOUSLY proving my point.
youre saying tim duncan is better because he wins more.
i just wanted to focus on the sheer talent. the beauty of the games. THE FACT KG CAN play PG!!
the fact he has the handle to cross your two guard. his form, his speed, dexterity compared to duncan would show based on eye taste, kg is better.
April 11th, 2011 at 12:56 pm
beiber newz says:
(post 20)Chicagorilla thank you, you kinda get the drift of what i was saying !!!
(post 22) ranger john, you’re an idiot -refer to post 35 for rebuttal.
April 11th, 2011 at 1:12 pm
Ian says:
no beiber we are sayin hes better because he plays better which translates to more wins. tim is a go to guy that can take over series kg has never shown that. he needed a go to guy like pierce to win. nothing wrong with that but he just doesnt take over in crunch time. kg just screams more thats all he does better than td. i guess you would draft darius miles over duncan also? td has a better allaround game on offense and hes stronger on d to guard guys like shaq and howard. kg can crossover a sg?? really?? why didnt kg own timmy everytime they played each other?? im not talking winning the game even here im talking just blowing by duncan or crossing him up for the easy dunk or shot??
April 11th, 2011 at 1:16 pm
Ian says:
fuck gerald wallace is more versatile than kobe. pippen mighta been the most versatile player of the 90s was he the best?? walton was more versatile than shaq.
April 11th, 2011 at 1:28 pm
beiber newz says:
in response to post 37 and 38
UM STATS GO A LONG WAY TOO YOU DUMB SQUIRRELS !!!!
just like some1 in college can be more talented skill wise than some1 in the nba.
but the nba guy is better becuz he is playing at a higher level!!
tim duncan plays at an mvp level, not currently of course but overall scheme of his career, while miles is a bum.
so u idiots are so dumb using those bad comparisons.
April 11th, 2011 at 1:30 pm
beiber newz says:
p.s.
darius miles, luke walton??? is there even an argument if they’re in duncan’s class?
how can you compare them. yu dummies
April 11th, 2011 at 1:32 pm
LakeShow84 says:
Well…….
Im lost.. What exactly is Bieber talkin about???
Oh and good game last night.. Both teams played hard lol
April 11th, 2011 at 1:37 pm
beiber newz says:
for instance lemme play ur stupid game and prove how illogic yall both sounded.
VUJACIC IS BETTER THAN LEBRON
DARKO IS BETTER THAN MALONE
SCALEBRINE IS BETTER THAN REGGIE MILLER
that is what i would believe if i had botgh of your brains and used that retarded darius miles/duncan comparison and luke walton/shaq comparison.
go eat a bone.
April 11th, 2011 at 1:39 pm
First & Foremost says:
How many players go undrafted because they didn’t impact the win column? Hundreds of thousands if not millions. The more you win the more you are seen. Go to any basketball court and you’ll find a bunch of talented players but for one reason or another they just didn’t have the opportunity to be seen.
Look at how many NCAA bball players there are. the nba draft is only 60 picks. By winning at the college level you have a better chance of being seen. You can’t find talent if you don’t see it. Steph Curry would have been an unknown without his tournament run. Do you honestly believe he is the only guard in the NCAA with handles and range? By winning it put him on the map.
Beiber – How could a player justify being better than another if they both have similar star power but only one has a ring?
So what if KG COULD play point, Boris Diaw can play all 5 positions. Should we compare Diaw to Magic and say they are similar with the only difference being wins?
Wins matter because that is how you get scouted, how many college scouts go to small high schools to watch kids that are on losing teams? There is a correlation between winning and talent, that is why there is an emphasis on winning.
April 11th, 2011 at 1:44 pm
Ian says:
hahaha you idiot bill not luke was more versatile than shaq but by your logic that means hes better. you do know that lukes dad played in the nba. even if you play the retarded game you made up vujajic is not more veratile than lebron , darko is not more versatile than malone. you idiot need to find a versatile scrub and then compare him to a star. i used the one scrub so that you can see how stupid it is to use versatile to say who the better player is. who gives a shit if x player is faster , flashier and can crossover sgs if y is more dominant. gtfoh no one is buying you kg shit retard.
April 11th, 2011 at 1:48 pm
Ian says:
first
“So what if KG COULD play point, Boris Diaw can play all 5 positions. Should we compare Diaw to Magic and say they are similar with the only difference being wins?”
dont waste your time with that one he wont get it.
April 11th, 2011 at 1:52 pm
Ian says:
its easier to put up stats playing with scrubs if you are a good player and yet somehow kgs stats arent any better than duncans.
hey beiber (this is my fault really getting into an argument with a dude that uses beiber online) read your post 34 that last line keep that promise.
April 11th, 2011 at 1:55 pm
That's What's Up says:
he should change his name to ‘bitchy newz’ because he’s definitely getting his period
April 11th, 2011 at 1:56 pm
First & Foremost says:
@AB – What about Jamal Crawford, up until Atlanta he was always stuck on bad teams. Talented yes, a winner – not so much.
——–
Aside from rings how else could you distinguish between two great players? Hakeem>Ewing; I guess you could use the scientifically accepted eye test and assume personal subjectivity is more useful than anything else.
True, going by stats alone is misleading because it is easier to compile stats on bad teams. However, saying one player is better because of your own personal preferences is just as bad.
I guess we need to find a way to have 2 or more players compete in the same event to see who is better. From there, by the rules already established we can set up a scoring system and whoever scores the most would be the winner. The next, step would be to see who “wins” more often over a period of time. I’ll see if I can get a few venture capitalist together and create an organization that will put basketball players on teams that could compete against each other. In my opinion, that is the only way to settle this.
April 11th, 2011 at 2:21 pm
beiber newz says:
refer to post 39 and 42 u IDIOTS !!!!!!!1 AHHHHHHHHHHHH
April 11th, 2011 at 2:49 pm
First & Foremost says:
You can have all the talent in the world but if you don’t combine it with winning, what good are you? Yes, KG is talented but how does that make him better than TD? “THE FACT THAT HE CAN PLAY POINT” So when comparing Power Forwards, one is better because he can play pg? By that logic the t-wolves should have had him play pg and maybe they would have beaten the Lakers and gone on to win a championship.
Shaq is more dominant than Wilt because he can break dance. Not only will he shatter the backboard but he can do 360 headspins on shards of glass… [Sarcasm Font]
Beiber – “By eye view Garnett is better than Duncan” By taste test Coke is better than Pepsi. Making a subjective opinion doesn’t make it a fact.
April 11th, 2011 at 3:06 pm
LakeShow84 says:
Clearly Bieber Newz is 14 years old so why we takin him so serious lol
Everyone gearing up for playoffs mode i see lmao shit talkin and “im rights” flying all over the place!
Anyone who says KG is better than Tim Duncan dont know shit about basketball..
April 11th, 2011 at 3:07 pm
First & Foremost says:
^ Unless you use the all important eye test ^
April 11th, 2011 at 3:16 pm
Showtime says:
C’mon guys take it easy.
Beiber read the statement about Walton being more versatile than Shaq and immediately thought of Luke Walton instead of old Bill.
That alone shows you this dude is probably twelve years old
April 11th, 2011 at 3:19 pm
beiber newz says:
BYE U DUMMIES.
April 11th, 2011 at 3:38 pm
LakeShow84 says:
LMAO @ F&F
D’oh! forgot about that
April 11th, 2011 at 3:44 pm
Ian says:
showtime
for real i was thinking the same thing when i read that luke bs i was gonna tell him to google bill walton.
April 11th, 2011 at 3:49 pm
Chicagorilla says:
wow, this went much further than expected lol.
again, i think im the only who may get what Bieber is trying to say.
Darko and Vuijic have rings, Malone and Lebron don’t. At that time he wasnt using the versatility comparison, and i have a feeling Ian knew that but was just flucking with him lmao.
KG vs Duncan is very debateable and not nearly as one sided as some of you are trying to make it out to be.
Duncan had a huge advantage with Popavich being his coach (and GM i think) while KG had Flip and Kevin Mchale not being on the same page, and then the joe smith deal that ruined the twolves.
As for the eye test. KG clearly shows he is a one of a kind player. There were times where i watched KG run point because of foul trouble to the pgs. His best statistical years show his versatility. Unlike Lamar Odom (who is also uniquely versital) KG wasnt just good, he was great at certain aspects. His back to the basket post game was near Mchale, while also having the passing skills and handle of a point forward.
The big knock on KG was clutchness, but you people arent going by actual games, you are just using the same excuses the media made up so they didnt have to give KG the mvp more than once.
While KG may not have been knocking down walk-off game winners all the timme, he definantly came thru in the last 5min of a tight game. Usually drawing double teams because his teammates were so terrible, and of course they didnt always knock down The open shots KG created for them. But KG always was there in close out games and big games throughout his career. That is clutch to me, showing up in the biggest games, not just taking and making crazy off balance fadeaways to win a game.
like i said, the argument can go either way, but there are more Duncan fans here than KG fans. Me personally, i like them both, but id take each depending on my team make up.
April 11th, 2011 at 3:55 pm
Nodizzel says:
If you go by the all important eye test of course all 12 year olds would pick KG over TD, Timmy is not the most exciting guy to watch. But you can’t deny the mans skill set.
April 11th, 2011 at 3:58 pm
Austin Burton says:
That’s why these arguments last a lifetime, because there are too many variables to take into account when trying to decide whether Player X is better than Player Y. Stats, rings, aesthetics, none of them offer definitive evidence in cases where two players are similar.
I could say that Hakeem Olajuwon is better than Patrick Ewing because Hakeem has two championships while Ewing has zero. But then you have to consider not only the teammates Hakeem had, but also the coaches he played for, the systems he played in, the strength of the conference/League in those particular years, etc. If Jordan didn’t retire in 1993, the Rockets may not have won any titles, and then we’re right back to square one. Maybe Ewing’s best year, in which maybe he was better than Hakeem at his best, happened to coincide with when Jordan was dominating and took the Knicks out.
Or I could say Ewing was better because he excelled in a more high-pressure situation in New York. Or I could say Hakeem was better because he won more MVPs and Defensive POYs; but then when we consider that those awards are also based on opinion (the media who votes), what do they really mean?
Overall, this is all based on opinion and preference. Of course sometimes it’s obvious — nobody is gonna try to argue that Brian Scalabrine is better than Tim Duncan — but in cases where the players are relatively equal, there are too many variables and “what-ifs” to make it concrete.
April 11th, 2011 at 4:17 pm
Austin Burton says:
I also have to agree with Chicagorilla that not only do people mislabel “clutchness,” they do it so much that clutchness has become overrated and misleading.
Take Dwyane Wade. Almost everybody who says D-Wade should be Miami’s go-to guy in the clutch cites the 2006 championship that Wade has under his belt like it should be the deciding factor. OK, cool, but that was FIVE YEARS AGO. And Wade hasn’t been past the first round since. Joe Johnson has had more playoff success than D-Wade in the last five years.
I mean, DMX made a classic album in 1998, but five years later he was making the not-classic Grand Champ. If you were saying in 2003 that DMX should still be a “go-to guy” because he made something hot in 1998, you’d have to bring more convincing evidence.
I remember when LeBron hit his first official buzzer-beating game-winner and people were like, “Wow, how come it too him so long?” It’s because his teams weren’t that often in the situation where they needed a buzzer-beater. Like I’ve always said, sometimes the most “clutch” moment in a game happens in the 2nd quarter, or the 3rd, or early in the 4th. It isn’t always about what happens with 5 seconds left in the game. Jordan hit a bunch of game-winners, but he was also “clutch” sometimes in the 2nd quarter, when he sparked a 15-2 run that effectively ended the game. Or he was “clutch” with 10 minutes left when the opponent was trying to rally and Jordan hit three straight jumpers to kill their will.
Guys like KG, LeBron, C-Webb, Karl Malone and others who get criticized for not being clutch, realize that if they really weren’t clutch, their teams wouldn’t even be in the playoffs or competing for championships in the first place.
April 11th, 2011 at 4:17 pm
Ian says:
chicago of course i was messing with him if he likes a player better than another one its his thing i cant argue with his personal taste.
now heres the thing of course rings dont come into argument when comparing horry to lets say barkley but they have to when comparing barkley to duncan or ewing to shaq or hakeem or robinson.
April 11th, 2011 at 4:23 pm
Ian says:
austin
“I remember when LeBron hit his first official buzzer-beating game-winner and people were like, “Wow, how come it too him so long?” It’s because his teams weren’t that often in the situation where they needed a buzzer-beater. Like I’ve always said, sometimes the most “clutch” moment in a game happens in the 2nd quarter, or the 3rd, or early in the 4th. It isn’t always about what happens with 5 seconds left in the game. Jordan hit a bunch of game-winners, but he was also “clutch” sometimes in the 2nd quarter, when he sparked a 15-2 run that effectively ended the game. Or he was “clutch” with 10 minutes left when the opponent was trying to rally and Jordan hit three straight jumpers to kill their will.”
i like that i kinda use it alot when someone tell me kobe is better than bron because of the close game situations i always say if you had bron instead of kobe for the first three qs you are winning by 15 that same game kobe needs a buzzer beater to win.
now what you said about ewing is why i consider him to be the most overrated player ever he had arguably the best coach of the top 4 centers in the 90s , arguably the best team and hes the only one without a ring or mvp or any major award like defensive player or scoring title. had the man played for the kings we wouldnt talk about him so much.
April 11th, 2011 at 4:24 pm
Ian says:
some players do choke up a bit like malone and cwebb you cant defend that.
April 11th, 2011 at 4:31 pm
Austin Burton says:
True, guys like Malone and Webber have had some high-profile moments where they messed up — like Malone’s missed FTs vs Chicago or Webber’s timeout — but if Malone wasn’t “clutch” at all, there’s no way Utah would have been even in the running for a championship. Same for Webber during his Sacramento run. NBA games are too close for a contending team to have a go-to guy who isn’t clutch at all.
April 11th, 2011 at 4:36 pm
Ian says:
hum ok i can go with that and sorry about the ewing post you know i am a hater everytime i get the chance to call ewing and jeter overrated ima jump on it.
April 11th, 2011 at 5:21 pm
rangerjohn says:
@ 35/36 so your saying that KG is better then duncan because he could, for a short period of time run the PG spot if need be? that has to be what your saying because he surely cant play PG for more then 1 or 2 possessions per game. the other PGs would eat his ass alive. so since you think a big man playing the position of a smaller player makes them better then a big man who we really dont know if he could or could not play that way because he has never had to, i guess you think odom is better then pau? you know because he can handle the ball, and shoots the 3? hell maybe bonner is better then kobe, i mean he can rebound some times but shoots the 3 better.
your argument is ridiculous thats the bottom line.
April 11th, 2011 at 5:31 pm
Austin Burton says:
Zach Randolph plays point guard/shooting sometimes too, so …
April 11th, 2011 at 6:07 pm
beiber newz says:
at #66.
they have to be in the same class of talent. so bonner wouldn’t be in the same sentence as kobe. WHY ARE YOU EVEN COMPARING them rangeridiot? i mean rangerjohn?
and compare legend to legend
all star to all star
star to star
great player to great player
good player to good player
average to average
and bum to bum
stop tryna compare darius miles to a lamar
or a desmond mason to a bryant.
you’re wasting your time and obviously missing the point.
chicagorilla(#57) is the closet to understanding me. he basically got it.
April 11th, 2011 at 6:25 pm
LakeShow84 says:
Im still lost lol
April 11th, 2011 at 6:31 pm
LakeShow84 says:
@ AB & Ian
So you guys are saying if the player is good enough then there will NEVER be a close game???
Thats kinda goofy lol
April 11th, 2011 at 6:47 pm
That's What's Up says:
Kg is good. But nowhere near Duncan.
That should really sum it up.
To me it’s Duncan, Malone and then all others way behind
April 11th, 2011 at 6:59 pm
Austin Burton says:
@LakeShow84 — Of course not. I actually said that because competition in the NBA is so even, a lot of games will be close and you have to be “clutch” to lead a 50-win team, let alone a title contender. That said, being “clutch” goes beyond just what happens in the final minute or 30 seconds of a game.
April 11th, 2011 at 7:13 pm
the cynic says:
Duncan’s peak was A LOT higher than Garnett’s. Winning elevates a players game to another level because everyone shows who they are when the competition matters most. Duncan just so happened to win right away and maintain that level for 10+ years. Watch espn classic and wait for a Spurs game and its Duncan controlling every aspect of the game because he leads his teams and they follow his example. The same couldn’t be said about Garnett, and I refuse to believe that cursing at your teammates every other word is a constructive way to improving a team.
Garnett is a better player these days though, mostly because he is such a deadly shooter. He should be though because he spent a lot of time in Minnesota shying away from the paint, particularly when it mattered most
April 11th, 2011 at 7:27 pm
the cynic says:
Isn’t part of the reason Garnett had some scrub teams because his contract took up the entire salary cap?
April 11th, 2011 at 7:31 pm
LakeShow84 says:
@ Thats Whats Up
I agree.. defense is what KG excels at and Tim Duncan was NEVER a slouch on the defensive end.. and shit he didnt need to get into peoples heads to help his cause..
Still though we talking top 5 PF’s of all time with both of them so u can argue anyside.. KG had better offense to me because of his range.. but could u really say TD was LACKING on the offensive end?? NAH
@ AB
Good because that would be goofy to say that considering the level of competition..
But i say clutch has EVERYTHING to do with the final seconds minute or 30 seconds of a game.. The feel at the end of a game is different.. The crowd is in a frenzy.. ur teammates, coaches and everyone has a what the hell is going to happen look and ur nerves are firing at a 1000mph rate..
Compare that to “oh stopping a big run” at the end of the 2nd quarter.. Ur nerves aint firing when an opposing team goes on a run in the first half.. unless u on a bottom feeder team lol basketball is damn near all about “runs”
Clutch is about coming through when the pressure is damn near touchable in the air.. 15 year veterans aint even comfortable in those situations and u can even see it in their faces AT THE FT LINE..
So i say to understate all that is ridiculous.. and considering i can guess why the whole “clutch” factor is downplayed nowadays its pretty much ridiculous when people try to paint it in different pictures..
It is what it is.. Either u are or you arent.. and being CLUTCH is basically stating whether u have the nerves to decide the biggest moment of the game..
Not to be downplayed like i said lol
April 11th, 2011 at 7:58 pm
First & Foremost says:
As for the clutch issue, play with fire if you want to. I’d rather have a team that just straight pummels people. There is no doubt as to who the better team was on that night. In all close games, aside from the shot that decided the game people talk about those 2 or 3 bad calls that didn’t go their team’s way. Winning close games gives other teams hope. A thorough beatdown puts fear into people.
Look at the games this weekend. Heat-Celtics & Bulls-Magic. With the lineups that were rolled out, the Celtics are fearful if they don’t have Shaq. The Magic losing because games aren’t 48:01 minutes long feel they can beat the bulls. Had the Heat blown out the Celtics opening day, they would have reeled off 20 straight as the rest of the league would have seen them take down one of the most complete teams, easily. Instead everyone felt, “Oh, well they aren’t that good and if we play hard long enough we have a chance.”
That’s just me, I’d rather be the team that Won big than the one the almost lost.