The Spurs And Lakers Survive; The Thunder Show Everybody They Are Legit Title Threats
Andrew Bynum (photo. Jeff Forney)
After the Lakers and Spurs each lost their first playoff games, the whole NBA world was put in a tizzy. Despite winning a combined 118 games in the regular season, the Lakers were suddenly soft, the Spurs, old. The sky was falling all over Los Angeles and San Antonio. We recommended taking cover. But last night the ships were righted, like that singles cruise you didn’t tell anyone you went on. Yesterday afternoon, if you would’ve told us that Kobe Bryant was going to look old and finish with just 11 points and that Pau Gasol (8 points, 5 rebounds) was going to play like a ballerina and have an even worse game than he did in Game 1, we would’ve told you it was danger time for the defending champs. But somehow, some way, they defended and rebounded just enough to beat the Hornets by nine and even up the series. The first half might’ve been bad, but the third quarter was just a straight-up slugfest. Bodies flying, elbows, ugly shots – the opening six minutes of the second half was hideous. Ironically, it was exactly the sort of game the Lakers needed. They had to use that type of style to win a game that realistically they didn’t exactly deserve to win. They rode their size and defense, wearing New Orleans down little by little. The Hornets actually had more turnovers (four) in the first three minutes of the second quarter than they had the entire Game 1 (three). And despite his numbers (20 points, 9 assists), Chris Paul didn’t have nearly the control that he did on Sunday … If Gasol doesn’t wake up soon, the Lakers will be going home earlier than expected. They can probably win this series with a non-aggressive Pau, especially if Andrew Bynum (17 points, 11 rebounds) keeps it up, but in round two, they could have some real problems. Gasol has always struggled against undersized, tough and athletic players, but these first two games have hit a new low for him. He hasn’t wanted the ball. He isn’t fighting for rebounds. L.A. has going to him, trying to establish something, but he doesn’t seem to want anything to do with it … After playing the most exciting Game 1 of the playoffs, the Thunder and Nuggets came out and produced a laugher with Oklahoma City pounding Denver into a 2-0 hole, 106-89. The TNT crew criticized the Thunder’s supporting cast during the pregame (They must’ve not watched too many Oklahoma City games this year). Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins and Thabo Sefolosha all came out gunning and had the home crew up 10 early and ahead 31-15 at the end of the first quarter. Plus, while they don’t always contribute buckets, they can play defense. They showed it all night, holding the highest-scoring team in the league to just 89. And what’s got us all jazzed up is the emergence of James Harden as a legitimate scorer/6th man in this league. He had 18 on 6-of-9 shooting, showcasing the jumper, the drive, and the finish throughout. Dude can flat-out play. Still, Denver just didn’t show up to play early, and the Thunder were cooking. Their second unit brought the lead up above 20 in the second quarter. Once Denver fell behind, it was like the whole crowd was waiting for time to run out. The lead stayed right around 12-16 points for what seemed like forever. Even a crowd as great as OKC’s can get bored once in a while, and they legitimately were for the two middle quarters. It’s very rare to see a NBA game, much less a playoff game, where a team never makes a run. Denver never did. Is there still anyone out there who doesn’t think OKC has a legit shot at going to the Finals this year? … There’s bad Russell Westbrook (21 points) and good Russell Westbrook. Bad Westbrook, the guy who somehow ends more Thunder possessions than Kevin Durant (23 points), surfaced a lot, like in the second quarter when he broke down a play to go one-on-one, took five seconds to decide what to do, and then got called for a charge. Still, OKC has to put up with it because the good Russ is too ill. Westbrook had a play in the second quarter where he spun to split a double team at midcourt, then nearly lost the ball, then spun again in the lane and finished with a finger roll … A rare Nugget highlight: Nene dunked all over Durant in the second quarter … Keep reading to see the dominating effect Manu Ginobili has on the Grizzlies…
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April 21st, 2011 at 2:56 am
yoda says:
lakers survived bad night from kobe and pau, so things are good. andrew was nice, he shows why he’s paid that much. if he can only stay healthy. kobe had nice reverse dunk in fourth thou
April 21st, 2011 at 3:04 am
Big Hook Nunez says:
Anybody catch the part where Kenny Smith said, Wade has separated himself as the best shooting guard and Manu is either the 2nd or 3rd best SG in the league. I can see how Manu might have passed a gimpy Kobe…
April 21st, 2011 at 3:26 am
common sense says:
point proven, lakers have 4 legit all stars on their team so even if pau and kobe have off nights lamar and bynum pick up the slack.. thats why when kobe consistantly tries to keep the shine all to himself its annoying. its like he tries to hide the fact that the team are full of great players as not to lesson his contribution… selfish mofo…
the thunder are simply loaded, did the tnt crew really criticize their role palyers?
harden is a future all star, so is ibaka, sefelosha is a great defender who is a compotent offensive player, perkins is an animal, then you have collison and mohammed, maynor and cook, this team has no weakness, they should be considered favourites to win it all..
April 21st, 2011 at 3:53 am
K Dizzle says:
Some “keyboard analysts” need to breathe. Why is it when good teams(Miami, OKC) beat average teams(Denver, Sixers), they’re “contenders”, but when good teams(Memphis, New Orleans) beat great teams(LA, San An),
there’s no contender talk?
It’s the first round. OKC is completely healthy, while Denver played without their starting 2guard, had JR Smith get hit hard on a drive and never get off the pine in the 2nd half, and had Chandler, Martin and Gallo combine for 18. Hopefully, they show up in Denver.
As for Pau, I don’t know what’s up with dude. That offensive rebound and kick out with a minute left was weak. That’s an exclamation dunk n he didn’t even look at the rim. Wierd game. Kobe was movin the rock(gonna put that on fatigue from chasin CP around), Artest n LO were doin whatever they wanted and Bynum showed why only Howard’s a better center. I almost felt bad for Okafor; he couldn’t stop AB n he couldn’t get a shot off on him.
And yeah, Ginobili’s ridic…that’s the only Spurs love I’m givin cuz Sean Elliott’s mancrush on that team and his “Manu has a bad elbow” crap had me seriously hittin that mute button…
Lakers, baby! Deeper than your squad!
April 21st, 2011 at 5:26 am
Soopa says:
Westbrooke needs to calm down. He forces the issue a lot and breaks out of the offense too much for my liking. I love his intensity, but down the stretch KD needs more touches inside the 3pt line and its Russ’ responsibility to feed him the ball.
Ibaka is going to be an All-Star some day. His midrange J is wet, he can dunk on anybody, he is (hyper)active on D and with more minutes his blocks should land around 4 per game and he is an excellent rebounder and help-side defender. Oh and he was born in freaking ’89!
April 21st, 2011 at 5:43 am
Atom says:
Wow, everybody is drinking the OKC kool-aid again. So they put a beat-down on the Nuggets at home. Who is the best Nugget player? Lawson? Nene? A good all around roster may get you far in the regular season, but stars are what you need to win in the playoffs (unless your the Pistons in 04). Call me when they win a series against a contender and we will talk about them realistically getting consideration as the team that can win it all.
And the league can’t get enough of these guys. With the clear offensive interference that won them game one, and some questionable calls again last night, it seems like the edict has been laid down from high above to put the new league poster boy farther in the playoffs this year.
Pau needs to find his nuts. He looks scurred out there.
April 21st, 2011 at 5:51 am
smoove chips says:
First,on watching that game it’s getting obvious that Gasol is checked out of this series.He’s passing outta single coverage,not establishing position and such.we can win this series without him all there if everybody else checks in and i honestly believe there’s going to be a series where he’s going to be an absolute monster for the lakers.
The effort was there the whole game even when the shots weren’t.Props to kobe for the job on chris paul,and the rest of the team on the rotations. We deserved that win.point.blank.period.
Go lakers.
April 21st, 2011 at 6:28 am
Lorenzo says:
@K Dizzle
Why isn’t New Orleans considered a contender despite beating LA in game 1? Because the had some record setting 3 turnovers the whole game and players like Green and Jack were hitting crazy shots at all the right moments to keep the distance and Gray couldn’t miss. And it was still a pretty close game.
I don’t think it’s a good bet it’ll happen 3 more times in the next 5 games. So… NO contenders? No!
April 21st, 2011 at 8:02 am
Detroit Dave says:
After watching last nights game, I’ve come to realize nobody in the NBA plays harder than Tony Allen
April 21st, 2011 at 9:24 am
JAY says:
This is COMPLETELY off topic… NBA 2K11 related
Yesterday I had the whole night open, a rarity for me lately. So i decided to play some PS3. To spice it up a bit, I decided to edit the rosters. I took all the rosters in the “Michael Jordan” mode and put them on the shitty teams in the league and started a franchise. So Malone/Stockton and company are on the Jazz. I put Magic, Worthy, Perkins on Sacramento. McHale, Bird, Parish Celts on the TWolves. I threw Dominique on the Clippers (since he played there). Ewing, Mason is John Wall’s center. Price, Daugherty’s Cavs are the Cavs. Kemp, Payton’s Sonics are the Rockets and I tweaked the other rosters a bit so that the teams are more or less even (Starks is D-Howard’s 2-guard… sick). and I’m controlling MJ’s Bulls as the Toronto Laughtors.
I simmed an entire year and D-Rose’s Bulls finished 1st in the East, the Laughtors finished 2nd, and the Heat 3rd. Utah finished with the best record (57-25) and SA finished 2nd in the West, while the Lakers snuck into the 8th seed(Gasol only played 14 games due to injury). Magic averaged 0.2 rebounds less than a triple dip. And Bird missed a triple double average by 1 reb, and 1 assist.
This means absolutely nothing, but I thought i’d share. I’m going to try and play out the playoffs as the Laughtors. I’m facing Mark Price, Ehlo, Hot Rod and Daugherty’s Cavs in the 1st round. Then, if all the top seeds advance, Miami next. Then the Bulls. Good thing it’s a long weekend.
April 21st, 2011 at 9:39 am
north says:
Why is no one pointing out that the Spurs are struggling huge with the Grizzlies best player not even playing? The Lakers are also struggling and NO is missing their top scorer.
If those two guys were playing it would be 7 and 8 in the next round. Lakers and Spurs best be ready to pack their bags if indeed they do squeak through. Mavs and Thunder are outplaying them with tougher opposition. Frankly I’m ready for a Dallas/OKC West final. Time to usher in the new breed.
April 21st, 2011 at 10:08 am
JAY says:
Now about the NBA…
Laker fans and Kobe supporters. Even you guys have to admit Kobe is trying to do too much. He takes a lot of shots outside of the flow of the offense. He forces shots far too often. Those are shots young inexperienced players take. At this point in his career, and with the teammates he has, he should know better.
April 21st, 2011 at 10:17 am
First & Foremost says:
@Jay – I really thought that story was going somewhere. Then I was blown to read, “This means absolutely nothing…”
@ North – Had Rudy or West been playing, Portland would have gotten bumped down to the 7th or 8th seed. Then people would have been li-ning up to play Denver.
April 21st, 2011 at 10:30 am
That's What's Up says:
wow – it sounds like OKC has won the title this year.
All other teams can stop playing and you can start designing their rings.
they were given the first game, but legitimately won their second game. Let’s see how they fare in Denver before crowning them
April 21st, 2011 at 10:31 am
JAY says:
LMAO!!!! Sorry F&F. Hahaha! I should have put that sentence “first & foremost”. I expect a lot of complaints on that one.
It’s only a video game but it’s interesting that the D-Rose lead Bulls edged out MJ, Pippen, Rodman in the East. and the Malone/Stockton Jazz finished 1st overall even though their ratings as a team were somewhere in the middle of the pack. The 2K team nailed it with the player tendencies. As we all know, it’s not all about getting the best individual players, it’s about combining the right pieces.
^^ I guess there was a point to that post afterall.
April 21st, 2011 at 10:57 am
LMNOP says:
OKC have only done what their sposed to do, and thats win their home games against a team with a worse record. i wouldn’t go anointing them legit threats just yet. their youth an inexperience was on full display last night, westbrook had 7 TO’s and he shouldn’t be taking more shots than Durant. Against a better team than the Nuggets, that would cost them.
April 21st, 2011 at 12:00 pm
JBaller says:
I got club level seats for game 3 in Denver on Saturday night, so I for one am not giving OKC the trophy just yet. A two game hole is hard to climb out of, but I gotta believe it can be done, starting with a home-game in the mile-high city. Maybe the Okies will run out of oxygen or something!
GO NUGGS!
April 21st, 2011 at 12:13 pm
Big Island says:
It’s good for the Lakers to win without Kobe going nuts, but it’s bad because, like Common Sense said, Kobe doesn’t seem to like letting the other guys shine. I don’t know what it is with that dude, I am just a hater.
Westbrook is the guy that goes nuts and then drives you nuts. I’ve seen a handful of OKC games this season and I swear he starts with that “clear out for me, wait what am I gonna do, shit I’ll just jack something up” routine every time. Then they get on a roll and you start hating Howland at UCLA for making him play in that slow down system. Fuck that guy.
April 21st, 2011 at 12:14 pm
LakeShow84 says:
@ JAY
Honestly i thought Kobe played good last night.. he didnt force anything.. and when his offense was flat he got himself to the line in the 4th..
How does he take 10 shots and is still criticized for playing outside the offense??? if anything he kept the ball moving last night lol
Shit bruh u just admitted you didnt even watch the game last night LMAO get outta here with that noise..
Good game from Artest, had my full support to kiss the biceps after that dagger 3..
Bigups to Odom for playing like the 6th MOTY..
And SMALL props to Gasol for ACTUALLY getting pissed and making some aggressive plays late in the game..
And Bynum shaping up into a force.. just his activity and his communication were standing out to me last night.. he was barkin on offense and biting on defense.. even hit the jab step.. If healthy kid is NOT FAR off from Howard.. Quote me..
April 21st, 2011 at 12:18 pm
LakeShow84 says:
At least Big Island admitted it LMAO
Kobe keeps the ball movin and takes 10 shots ALL GAME and u guys still whining????
HATERAAADDDDDEEEE
Now its about he doesnt want his teammates to shine??? LMAO you guys should take a step back and read what ur actually writing sometimes.. its so biased its Junior High schoolish LMAO
HATTEEERRRAADDDEEE
Then again im sorry i guess after game 1 no one could say shit lol go ahead guys get it out of your systems..
April 21st, 2011 at 12:19 pm
pat says:
as a 2 seed playing the 7 seed, we can understand the spurs losing one at home but at the very least dominate the grizzlies in game 2 at home. The problem is that they didn’t. There’s blood in the water.
April 21st, 2011 at 12:29 pm
doc says:
None of these games matter right now.Its about Miami and Boston playing then playing Dwight or Rose to see who gonna play Kobe because unless he get hurt they goin back.Everything else is for TV.
April 21st, 2011 at 12:30 pm
Austin Burton says:
@That’s What’s Up — What do you mean the Thunder were “given” the first game? Are you saying one bad call nullifies the other 47 minutes, 59 seconds of work they put in?
@LakeShow84 — “If healthy (Bynum) is NOT FAR off from Howard. Quote me.”
C’mon son. We could easily argue that Bynum is closer to the Bogut/Horford/Lopez/Noah/Okafor class even when he’s healthy.
April 21st, 2011 at 12:43 pm
LakeShow84 says:
@ AB
I saw that shit yesterday and didnt try to get on it lol
TRIPPIN
Noah is a ROLE PLAYER.. as is Okafor and POST INJURY Bogut.. Bogut was 2nd best C before he mangled his arm.. hopefully gets it back but still only thing dude got on Bynum nowadays is his passing..
Only player id say out of those 4 who is more established is Horford so i cant say AB is better than him cuz Horford plays out of position and holds it down NIGHTLY..
Does Noah have Bynums offense or size??? and seriously who is the better defender??? not motor, DEFENDER??
Can Bogut intimidate on the defensive end like that? Bogut blocks shots dont gimme wrong but peeps aint afraid to go at him.. Bynum ALTERS everything as well..
Lopez????? i mean seriously??? Bynum outboards dude before he even checks in the game most the time lol ill take it you just threw a name out there..
Seriously tho as far as the whole package goes for C’s Bynum is top 2 WHEN HEALTHY.. he gobbles up TOUGH boards in traffic (unlike Lopez), the defense is tailored around him (unlike Bogut), he matches up against bigger tougher players (unlike Noah) and his offense is right where it needs to be..
And yeah you could easily argue a lot of shit dont mean u look smart while doing it.. Just sayin lol
April 21st, 2011 at 12:45 pm
LakeShow84 says:
And Bynum DAMN NEAR outplayed Howard last time they played IN LIMITED MINUTES..
People need to get they head out of they ass with the injury shit.. yes hes injured half the time but when he isnt hes a FORCE..
Noah, Lopez, Bogut aint no mothaF’in force unless they playing the Warriors lol c’mon son..
April 21st, 2011 at 12:59 pm
dr nod says:
@LakeShow84
ALL the more reason the lakers should be beasting the hornets. ALL the more reason Kobe should be looking to involved his teammates first. According to your logic:
Kobe—top 2 in his position (I know you’d say el numero uno)
Bynum—top 2 in his position
Pau—top 2-3 in his position
Odom—6th man of the year
etc.
Sad that this team is struggling against a team with ONE star and a bunch of middling role-players. I’d be a little more cautious proclaiming three-peat until we see something more impressive from LA.
April 21st, 2011 at 1:03 pm
JAY says:
@Lakeshow
I actually like Kobe. I’m don’t consider myself a “fan” per se, but i do like his game.
I wasn’t referring to last night’s game. Just in general. i understand he’s one hell of a competitive dude but I just don’t think he fully understands the balance between getting his and getting the team involved. As the most talented dude on the team, I think it’s his job to do that, and sometimes he just forgets about his teammates.
Maybe it’s bad timing for me to bring it up today because, you’re right, Kobe played within the offense last night. I hope he continues moving the ball and using his teammates because i want the Lakers to win the ring. I don’t think I’m being a “hater” because the only reason i’m critical of kobe is because I want them to 3-peat again. I want Phil Jackson to get his fourth 3-peat as a head coach. That is one hell of an accomplishment.
April 21st, 2011 at 1:07 pm
LakeShow84 says:
@ Dr Nod
I agree with you we should be beasting them but NO aint no slouch..
I cant call their defense championship caliber but they are a defensive team nonetheless with the one of the top 3 PG’s in the league making way on offense.. NUMBER 1 in PT’s against.. who even knew that?? i didnt
Landry has always given us problems and Ariza is being given a lot of slack as far as physical play goes with Kobe, well last night anyways.. Those 2 are matching up against our 2 best players so its going to be a slug fest regardless..
This reminds of the Houston series a few years back.. a gritty undersized team being allowed to push shove us all over the court.. Dont even get me started on NO coming into our house and shooting 32 FT’s..
April 21st, 2011 at 1:08 pm
LakeShow84 says:
@ JAY
Nah i didnt call u a hater.. u werent included in my haterade chants lol
April 21st, 2011 at 1:09 pm
Micha says:
Nene’s Monster Dunk over Durant:
http://www.nbadunks.org
April 21st, 2011 at 1:20 pm
JAY says:
Bynum, IMO, is one heck of a talent. But, in the game we’re playing (trying to say who the best centers are regardless of health), he’s too difficult to judge because the injuries have limited his minutes and ability. to illustrate my point, if you wipe Oden’s injuries off the board, who knows, he could be the 2nd best center in the league if you look at his numbers when he played healthy, and in limited minutes. If dude was 100% healthy, he wouldn’t have played limited minutes, he wouldn’t have played timid, and he may be a dominant force inside.
In the same breathe, If Bynum was never injured I don’t think it’s too crazy to say it would be a battle between Howard and him for the best low-post center in the league (I know I’ll get criticized for saying that). Unfortunately for Bynum, he’s been hampered with some cuts and bruises so he hasn’t been able to play consistantly and grow into a truly dominant force inside.
That said, injuries are a reality and they are a big part of the game. IMO, Bynum is a top 3 center. We know who’s number 1… Bogut and Bynum are more or less on the same level. Either of them can be better than the other on any given night.
BTW, Noah is still my favorite center in the league. He, to me, is the prototypical center. He rebounds, defends the paint, gets dirty, throws his body around, provides a lot of energy, and does it all without complaining.
April 21st, 2011 at 1:38 pm
Ian says:
Shit jay just like first I was waiting for something to happen i don’t play basketball games and was finding the story kinda interesting hehehe. Btw give the spurs an his prime admiral and sim again.
April 21st, 2011 at 1:42 pm
CLAW says:
@F&F: Had to bring back our exchange when the Hornets took the Lakers out that first game.
I said: Next Laker game, Kobe is checking CP3 but the way CP3 played he’ll go right past him.
You said: Kobe guarding PGs only works if that player can’t shoot. They’ll do it verse Boston so that Kobe can always be a help defender and to keep him away from the 5 illegal screens per possession but I wouldn’t have him going long stretches on Paul.
Not to say I told you so, but CP3 did get by Kobe quite a bit but the bigs were looking for him and coming off their guy and making their bigs beat them. No David West has really hurt.
Loved the game, not alot of calls and CP3 could have bitched like Kobe with all the holding and grabbing going on him.
@Lakeshow – You are doing it again, now Bynum is close to Dwight Howard? You are just setting this up, you know its coming. The DNPs are coming!
April 21st, 2011 at 2:18 pm
da man says:
Regarding Andrew Bynum, I think Laker fans deify him just a bit too much. He averages 10 points and almost 7 rebounds a game for his career. Not exactly franchise center type numbers. And yes, I do realize stats aren’t everything and he anchors the defense, scores in the post etc. People always say “if he’s healthy, if he got more shot attempts…”. Well first of all, his knees aren’t going to magically revert to 18 year old knees. This is as healthy as he’ll ever be. Secondly, if they thought Bynum could score every time down low, they would throw it to him more.
And on a side note, zombies do exist because Derek Fisher’s corpse is on the court every night.
April 21st, 2011 at 2:29 pm
K Dizzle says:
@ Austin
You musta missed last night’s game. The best stretch for the lakers was with Kobe and Pau on the bench and Bynum REPEATEDLY abusin Okafor. How can you watch what Bynum’s been doin to Okafor this series and still compare them?
Emeka is averagin 5 and 3 with no West so the shots are available. Lakers were tied at 31 then Bynum checks in and proceeds to swat Okafor’s hook shot, then makes it a 10 point lead with jumpers, running hooks and baby hooks. Noah’s offense is nowhere close to Bynum’s and Lopez’s defense and rebounding is embarrassin for a 7 footer. Bogut is the best comparison and he’s as injured as Bynum is.
This isn’t me being a Laker fan and reppin my guy. Shit is on tape. Put Bynum in San Antonio beside Duncan, put him in Atlanta and move Al to the 4, put him in Miami. Shit, put him in Orlando and move Dwight to power forward and nobody scores, nobody gets a board but those 2.
Would you really take any of the guys you listed over Bynum if healthy? Dude is a 6 year vet, a vital part of a championship squad, 7’0, 285 lbs, 23 YEARS OLD. When he came out of the all-star break grabbin 23 boards here, 19 boards there, everybody ws ready to hand LA the title. Ain’t like dude is just goin down for minor nicks. He’s gettin 200+ lb players fallin, with all their weight, onto his knees. Ain’t like Oden who breaks bones with nobody in sight.
Stop hatin, Austin. Your Pacers would give up Hibbert for Bynum right now.
April 21st, 2011 at 2:31 pm
CLAW says:
I like Bogut ALOT more than Bynum. Can you imagine Bogut on a team that was offensively efficient? the Bucks were horrible on O, I’d take him over Gasol as well.
He does have the same injury concerns but that fall he took at the end of last year by Amare was wicked, that just looked sick.
April 21st, 2011 at 2:32 pm
First & Foremost says:
@Claw – An elephant never forgets. Yes it did work but I think for the next few games, will Kobe be willing to sacrifice his offensive production to keep this winning formula going? Will he selflessly allow the LA bigs to win games while he does what is necessary for this series?
Deep down I think he will find a way out of that matchup so he acn light it up on the offensive end but I’d have more respect if he went the next 3 games on Paul. That would be the definition of the sacrifice that we hear so often from stars as they continue to give up nothing.
Even though Landry could be better than 4-12, he isn’t a Dave West as Dime likes to call him.
April 21st, 2011 at 2:42 pm
LakeShow84 says:
@ F&F
I think he’ll gun more next game.. he was off.. even missed some FT’s.. props to him for not forcing the action when his shot wasnt falling..
Next game he’ll keep the defensive responsibilites but still get his share on offensive end..
@ Da Man
Hes avg those number while playing BEHIND 3 other players.. And his injuries have been caused by other players most the time.. It isnt like he hurts his shit getting out of bed.. Odom injured him the first time.. Kobe the next.. and then the OKC series last year.. This year with the bone bruise he stepped on Blairs foot..
Honestly i have a feeling he’ll be fine from here on out -_-
April 21st, 2011 at 3:34 pm
top_gun says:
Bogut is definately the 2nd best Center in the league. He defends, scores, and boards. What more can you ask for? If it wasn’t for him, Milwaukee wouldn’t even be winning games.
April 21st, 2011 at 3:46 pm
Ian says:
Agree bogut is easily the second best (considering yao died and al h. Is really a pf).
April 21st, 2011 at 4:02 pm
First & Foremost says:
My Top Centers
Howard, Bogut, Bynum
The reasoning is pretty simple. Relatively, Howard has the biggest role and he does it quite well for his team.
Bogut when healthy causes problems on both ends of the floor.
Bynum when healthy puts the Lakers over the top but they got to the Finals without him and then again when he was playing on 1 leg. His role is relatively smaller so there isn’t any pressure on him to perform.
Using the eye test and going on talent, I’d switch Bynum and Bogut.
April 21st, 2011 at 4:07 pm
UncheckedAggression says:
From watching when Bynum has played this year, the only center in the league that can compare is Howard. I agree that the next guy in line is Bogut, but he hasn’t recovered from that injury from last season.
Last night was a perfect example of what us “haters” always talk about. When Kobe does take a step back from the offense, the Lakers look unbeatable. If he was a smarter player, the Lakers would be better. He doesn’t ever seem to learn.
April 21st, 2011 at 4:22 pm
JBaller says:
I like the center conversation. Here’s my list…
1. Howard; obvious
2. Noah; perfect fit for the current Bulls roster and Coach, all the big-man skills, could score more but doesn’t have to
3. Bogut; skills, plays both ends, without him they’re just Jennings and role players, with him they have a PG/Center combo that can take them places.
Bynum #4 or 5 when healthy just for his size and what he’s learned from Kareem.
April 21st, 2011 at 4:25 pm
Big Island says:
@lakeshow – Thanks for the recognition. Kobe is damned if he jacks 30 shots and damned if he doesn’t. I just don’t like him so I feel like I have to bring up the fact that I am a hater when I talk about him.
As far as centers go, Bynum is good. If he could stay healthy he could be alot better, but he ain’t Kareem. He’s huge with great hands so he’s bound to cause some trouble. As far as other guys, it all depends on the team he plays for. Can you imagine someone like DeAndre Jordan playing for the heat? Or Tyson Chandler for that matter? Big, fast, can block shots, and that’s it. It’s Dwight and then everyone else depending on what you are looking for.
April 21st, 2011 at 4:33 pm
Big Island says:
On the center argument again, Noah has about the same numbers as Bynum (games, points, rebounds, blocks, minutes). If you had to get a bucket, you could go to Bynum, probably not Noah. If you want a rebound, defense, energy, you go with Noah. And Noah is more durable than Bynum even though he missed a huge chunk of time this year. I don’t know where I’m going with this at all….shit. Nevermind.
April 21st, 2011 at 4:33 pm
JBaller says:
@ Big I
“It’s Dwight and then everyone else depending on what you are looking for.”
Exactly right, plus good point about the “athletic type” centers as apposed to the prototypical ones. I’d take DeAndre or Tyson on my Knicks any day. We might actually beat somebody in the playoffs if we had someone other than Jefferies on the block.
April 21st, 2011 at 4:40 pm
Austin Burton says:
@KDizzle — How can you watch what Bynum has done against Howard and still compare them? For his career, Bynum averaged 8 points and 6 boards vs Orlando, has more fouls than offensive rebounds, and more turnovers than assists. And he shoots 49% from the field. How does that make him anywhere close to Dwight? BTW, Howard averages 17 points and 11 boards on 60% shooting against the Lakers.
If the argument is that Bynum plays limited minutes, what makes you think that will change? It stands to reason that he’s on the bench due to injuries and/or foul trouble. Six years into his career, is he really going to learn to avoid fouls or get any healthier?
We can’t keep saying “if healthy” if Bynum has no track record of being able to stay healthy. And yeah, I’m sure Indy would take Bynum over Hibbert, which is why I didn’t put him on the list of guys you could say are better.
April 21st, 2011 at 4:45 pm
LakeShow84 says:
@ JBaller and Big I
Yeah that summed it up
“It’s Dwight and then everyone else depending on what you are looking for.”
Cant say IF he stays healthy have to wait and see.. but his build is alreadt rare along with his hands and footwork.. and even patience.. And hes got a soft touch lol
April 21st, 2011 at 4:46 pm
LakeShow84 says:
@ Unchecked
Dont quotation urself ur a hater lol ima Lebron hater dont trip..
“Last night was a perfect example of what us “haters” always talk about. When Kobe does take a step back from the offense, the Lakers look unbeatable.”
Yes we looked mighty unbeatable in a close ass game all the way up until the 3 minute mark of the 4th quarter lol
Straight JUGGERNAUT out there..
Hopefully u can detect my sarcasm lol
April 21st, 2011 at 5:28 pm
jdizzle says:
Two very winnable games for the Hornets and Grizzlies last night. Free throws shooting and turnovers pretty much doomed NO.
As far as the center conversation goes I think everyone not named Dwight Howard and Andrew Bogut/Bynum should all go see Hakeem during the off-season. Imagine what the Clippers can do if DeAndre Jordan develops some low-post moves, or how even scarier the Thunder can be if Serge Ibaka gets a back-to-the-basket game.
April 21st, 2011 at 6:10 pm
Big Island says:
@jdizzle – I don’t know that the Clippers really need to have Jordan on the block offensively since it would eat up Griffin’s space. If he does get a low post game then the thunder should trade for him ASAP. All they need is a guy who can score on the block. Actually, I pull for anyone I like to leave the Clippers and I want all of the guys I hate to get traded to the Clippers. KG and Paul Pierce for Griffin and Gordon would give me a mega boner. I’d whack off for days.
April 21st, 2011 at 6:15 pm
Austin Burton says:
Since jdizzle mentioned Hakeem…
It’s annoying to me how people fawn over the fact that Kobe sought out Hakeem’s mentorship, and then hold it over the heads of guys like LeBron and Dwight as if they are/were being lazy for not doing the same.
This whole “Kobe adds something to his game every summer” concept may or may not have legs — I’d like somebody to go year-by-year and tell me which element they think Kobe added each year — but what everybody glosses over is that Kobe didn’t seek out Hakeem until Kobe was like 31 years old. When Kobe was 25, 26 years old like Dwight and LeBron, why was nobody calling him lazy for not seeking out mentors?
April 21st, 2011 at 7:26 pm
LakeShow84 says:
Damn AB..
I dont even hate on Lebron as hard lmao
April 21st, 2011 at 7:30 pm
Big Island says:
@austin- It’s for the same reason they gloss over Kobe raping a girl. Some people can like a team and that’s it. Other people go into their team is the best or their player is the best and just won’t accept anything else you try to tell them. Sorry Raiders Nation, your team isn’t the best.
Kobe hasn’t added anything to his game, he changed it when his body started breaking down. He didn’t work on a fadeaway or 30 pump fake shots until he couldn’t jump over anyone anymore. Shaq didn’t work on crap and it cost him GOAT status. Maybe since we’ve seen guys who didn’t work (Shaq, TMac) vanish, we want guys with all of the ability (Dwight, LeBron) to maximize it.
Kobe could pull my mom out of a burning building and I’d still hate him. He’d drop out of my top 5 hated though.
April 21st, 2011 at 7:32 pm
LakeShow84 says:
And everyone “fawned” over it that one year really..
But i mean it wasnt like u heard about it and nothing came to light from it.. He went and worked with Hakeem to add that to his game and
DAMN
ANYTIME dude has a smaller player on him he took him into the post.. and he still does it.. shit his first year with that tool he started the year off leading the LEAGUE in points in the paint.. a SHOOTING GUARD lol
It aint like when u hear about a player work on his 3pt game and his % stays the same or evens dips the following year..
another big deal i could see would be the fact that Kobe already had/has so much game.. now hes trying to learn how to play like a big???
At 30-31 and winning a chip and a gold he goes to add something to his game he didnt need to??? Maybe thats what everyone admired so much about it.. Except for you of course LMAO
April 21st, 2011 at 7:32 pm
LakeShow84 says:
“Kobe could pull my mom out of a burning building and I’d still hate him. He’d drop out of my top 5 hated though.”
DDDAAAAAAAAMMMMMNNNNNNNN LMAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOO
April 21st, 2011 at 7:42 pm
LakeShow84 says:
“Kobe hasn’t added anything to his game, he changed it when his body started breaking down”
Sooooooooo he did add to his game right nonetheless right????? lol
April 21st, 2011 at 7:46 pm
Austin Burton says:
@LakeShow84 — I’m not hating on Kobe. I respect his work ethic and don’t try to downplay his accomplishments. But I also recognize that the NBA/media/fans can and will go overboard on the “Kobe works SO much harder than everyone else” and the “Kobe’s WILL TO WIN is unmatched” hype train.
April 21st, 2011 at 8:02 pm
LakeShow84 says:
@ AB
Dont gimme that isht son lol
April 21st, 2011 at 9:34 pm
K Dizzle says:
@ post 47 Mr Austin Burton
“@KDizzle — How can you watch what Bynum has done against Howard and still compare them? For his career, Bynum averaged 8 points and 6 boards vs Orlando, has more fouls than offensive rebounds, and more turnovers than assists. And he shoots 49% from the field. How does that make him anywhere close to Dwight? BTW, Howard averages 17 points and 11 boards on 60% shooting against the Lakers.”
A beautiful summary for sure.
Unfortunately….I never compared Bynum to Dwight…..ever. The convo was about who’s the 2nd best center right now…
Better luck next time.
April 21st, 2011 at 9:44 pm
K Dizzle says:
“When Kobe was 25, 26 years old like Dwight and LeBron, why was nobody calling him lazy for not seeking out mentors?”
Probably cuz apart from Jordan, The Glove and Mark Jackson, there are very few guards with lethal post games. You wanna be the best, you gotta emulate the best, then beat them with their own game.
It’s more embarrassing that the 6’6 200lb 2guard has a more developed post game than the 6’9 260 forward and the 6’11 250 center…