yea, what is up with that??? I have friends that would've had a better series than him. A far cry from last year's playoffs.

I'm eager to see how game 7 plays out. The table is set for Kobe to work some of his magic. He'll have to do it with Battier's hand in his face though. They'll have to pressure Brooks a hell of alot more than they've been if they want a crack at Denver.

I don't know what's going on with them. My guess is that team chemistry is all f.ucked up because you have a pacifist douchenozzle for a coach who rode the coattails of Jordan and Shaq and you have a narcissist star player with control issues who chews out his teammates. And when the teammates look for the coach to put the star player in check he plays the p.ussy buddhist route by not taking sides and lets them down in the process.

They need a bully coach who will take sides with Kobe and a bunch of followers who won't get moody when they don't get their way.

He wouldn't do that, because then who would he throw sneaky elbows at? :D

I agree...the chemistry looks like its gone. The clips of Kobe getting in everyone's face were very telling as was Jackson's press conference where he basically said, "oh well, it's only a game."

It looks like Bynum HATES Kobe. About four different times this series they've showed the Lakers bench when Kobe makes a great play and half of them either intentionally look away or just clap once and that's it.

I think the Rockets will lose Game 7, but as a fan I am pleased with their season. I'm tired of saying imagine what'd happen if Yao stayed healthy but they've clearly become a much better team when he's hurt thanks to one of the best front office guys no one knows about.

NT

McGrady and his lack of leadership and horrible defense
has been a bigger factor imo. McGrady does not fit on this
blue collar team.

The Lakers do not appear to be having fun.
Look at the other benchs on these playoff teams,
they are jumping up and down and yelling, waving
towels. The Lakers mostly sit there. Looks like
they think playing is a chore.

You really think Ariza or Fischer are as good as West? Seriously? I happen to be a Knicks fan but if you think that either is close to West your objectivity may not be in question but your sanity certainly would.

Ariza is a limited player. Fischer is just old. I know his glowing stat line from this years playoffs (7 points and 2 assists per) may dazzle you and his defense is Loyola Marymountesque but those intangibles that he brings to the table along with that 7% 3 point shooting during the current series totally tilt the table in his favor.

Ariza is a much better defender than Delonte west will ever dream of being. He is longer and more athletic. Both are very mediocre offensively. What is the big difference? Ariza, at 6 7, can legitimately cover three positions. Regardless of whom you favor, they are about the same level of player.

And why the hell are we debating the merits of career 10 ppg scorers? LOL

The funny thing is Tmac could play defense when challenged. He use to do a pretty darn good job on Nowitzki.

But that was years and injuries ago and regardless of what it says on his birth certificate, TMAC is quite old for his age.

A lot of smaller guys that are athletic give Nowitzki problems because he's not physically dominant. If you are athletic with long arms, you can give Dirk problems. McGrady should never be considered a good defensive player and that's sad because he could have been. Guys like James, Bryant, Wade, and McGrady could all be great defenders because they have the physical abilities. But it takes the mental desire to want to be. Jordan had it. Bryant used to have it. James has it now.

Quite a few offensive superstars decide to play D when they are
shown up. But as far as consistency and helping, forget
it.

Wow. Delonte West basically puts the collar on Joe Johnson and Rip Hamilton and some guy the Knicks deemed expendable is a much better defender? The guy who is the primary small defender on the best defensive team in the NBA? West is head and shoulders above Ariza as a complimentary offensive player.

"Someone the knicks deemed expendable"-

Are you joking? You are talking about an Isaiah Thomas move. Thats like saying that Ben Wallace was worthless because the Wizards (and orlando for that matter) deemed him expendable. Its even more funny when using that to compare him to Delonte West...a guy who was deemed expendable by a team THAT NO LONGER EXISTS.

Delonte isnt head and shoulders above anyone as a scorer in the NBA besides Ben Wallace. He is a career 11 ppg scorer. Come on.

You are going to mention Lebron james as an on the ball perimeter defender in the same breathe as Kobe and MJ in their respective primes?

Surely you jest.

I don't know where you read that. Let's take it further. Not only did I not put LeBron at their level but I don't put Kobe at MJ's level. That is not what I said. I said they all share one thing in common and that is a desire to want to be the best defender. That is not the same as saying they have the same ability when they play their best.

Okay...sorry. I disagree about Kobe not being at Jordan's level. In some ways, i think Kobe was better. He didnt play passing lanes like MJ and he wasnt as physical but in my opinion he was more versatile. Kobe could defend an allen iverson one day and a tracy mcgrady the next.

The Olympics made it very clear Kobe can
defend. When he wants to. He can be totally
disruptive on PG's all the way to 3's. But
on the Lakers in the playoffs, he does not have the luxury of
sitting out major parts of the game. The Laker guards
absolutely stink so far. The have no point. Kobe is
in a bind.

Lebron has Mo Williams and West. That helps a hell of a lot.
Two guys that can handle the ball and score.

True all the way aroud. the laker guards have played horribly and faster guards are going to give them problems.

But...things change fast in the nba and matchups make teams look better or worse.

True.
Houston has some very fast PGs.
Denver does not
have this speed.
And truthfully I had no idea Artest could
hold it together this well. Especially after the
Kobe elbow. I thought his mind would explode.

Artest has really surprised me with his ability to
stay somewhat focused. I really judged Artest incorrectly.
He has sort of grown up in my eyes.

The knicks didnt have a problem with getting rid of players that came back to bite them in the ass. It was the acquisitions that Isiah had trouble with.

PJ Carlisimo is one of the worst coaches in NBA history. Why he didn't play West at his natural position or eventually play him at all is frightening. If you watched the NBA and the playoffs this year and couldnt see that West is a very good player you are either blind or have slipped into the dreaded Scudszone. I just pray the Lakers dont fck it up today or against Denver so you cant weasel out with some hypothetical theory on why Cleveland or West arent worthy.

James can guard all 5 positions on the court, Jordan and Kobe certainly couldnt. Since James decided that defense was important and Kobe didnt the comparisons between the two became academic since James is a better passer and rebounder than Kobe. By the way the Kobe/Spike Lee piece of pr trash last night could have been very good had they not told Kobe which game they were going to film so he could have shown the real side of himself instead of that phony bs persona that he is just one of the guys...

The power of antidepressants!

Lebron seems like a joyous leader. He revels in
the success of others on his team. No real chip
on the shoulder. Kobe seems to be more like Jordan.
He will beat his teammates down.

I wonder which approach works best.

Lebron would have a tough time against the good power forwards
or posts. He could play them, but he would get into foul trouble
and I think the pushing would wear on his legs which is obviously
why they would never play him there consistently.

On the offensive end, he can play any position just like Magic.
Although I will take Magic at point. Lebron not having to handle
the ball as much is a big burden off him. Kobe just does not have
that luxury. If the Laker sdont get the finals I expect Kobe will
whine about teammates again. Maybe he can go to the Knicks.
NY would like it. And so would I.

Really good power forwards like...?

Tim Duncan.

you watch a different game than i watch because there is no way in God's green earth Lebron can cover a decent NBA point guard or even the quicker two guards. He can't cover legit NBA centers. You undermine your point when you make statements that are so far from reality.

I love Lebron and I have pretty much thrown up the white flag when it comes to who is a better player between him and kobe. I like watching kobe a lot more but Lebron is better. But a better man to man defender? And can cover 5 positions? You have to get real.

I think he could cover some PGuards for one main reason:
He might get beat to the basket, but he can block them
so easy from behind he could get away with forcing them to the basket.
Obviously this would wear him down just like covering a big guy leaning
on his legs, so it is clearly not desirable. Just like it would not be desirable
for the Lakers to have Kobe covering Tony Parker the whole game,
just in spots.

Okay, he can cover extremely slow NBA point guards...once in a while. He can cover derek fisher or jason kidd who are both ancient. Can he cover derek rose? devin harris? Gilbert Arenas? Tony Parker? Chauncey Billups? These arent even the best.

Lebron is 6 8 250. He doesnt have nearly enough lateral mobility to cover an NBA point guard. He doesnt have enough lateral mobility to cover the quicker NBA two guards. He doesnt have the size to cover Legit NBA centers.

This is such an incredibly dumb argument i cant believe i am entertaining it.

I think the original intention was to pick one guy who would be the best
at covering all positions defensively. I dont think the original intention
was to say he would be good at it.

If you can think of another guy that could do better at covering
any position, put the name out. This is how I took the original
argument anyway.

Its all in good fun.
I think.

It is. I knew that would come out wrong.

Lebron, as great as he is, cant cover five positions. He can cover 2 well and beyond that it comes down to situation.

Congrats to the Magic. Big growth in da balls. Next dog will be called Pietrus or Glu. Barkley got it right, and I got it wrong. Magic actually made some shots. Turk finally woke up.

Poor Kevin.

LOL..Weird night. Magic wins a game 7, and now fkn quake shaking me. Only 5.0, but shook me pretty good. I must be pretty close.

Yea, centered in Hawthorne..(like just south of HWD PARK.) 5.0 feels like 6 if ya close to it.

Exactly what current Center in the NBA couldnt he guard? Apparently you dont watch many games because he can and does certainly cover guards.

He doesnt have the size to cover centers? With the possible exception of Yao who exactly would he be overmatched with size wise? He absolutely could cover those guards. And he is closer to 280. Watch the games...

I enjoyed the smack talk between Ewing and Rivers. Rivers got knocked down a few notches by disrespecting his former teammate. Doc really should've said no comment instead of being a hater and trying to downplay Ewing's career as a player by pointing out his failures. I mean if Ewing was bad as a player what does that make Rivers? Kurt Rambis with downs?

Kareem might be tough for Lebron to hang with.....The Celts were spared a public flogging if they had gone on.....Clev may sweep Orlando.

Yes...on a switch. He isnt lining up against point guards or quicker shooting guards. If it is a big two guard...maybe. You just went on a tirade about the great delonte west and his defensive prowess and now Cleveland is taking their best player who is 6 8 and having him chase the Tony Parkers of the world. Does that mean Mo Williams gets to cover the other team's 3? LOL. This is folly.

As for centers, again, you are being ridiculous. If you use Lebron to cover a center, who does your center cover. But beyond that, you are telling me 6 8 250 lb Lebron James is going to be able to stop even a very average center like Haywood who is 7 1 300. Or even Shaq at 7 1 330 at 37 yrs old? Bynum? In a case where cleveland goes small and the other team has a center like mehmet okur, then yes i could see lebron covering.

Guys get mismatched all of the time in a switch and hold their own. This is basketball. But no way Lebron lasts in the post against a 7 foot 300 lb center. Thats almost as funny as him chasing around Gilbert Arenas.

You have totally twisted the entire point. We aren't saying that Cleveland is going to do it or fits with their plans. If you had watched the olympics Lebron often covered guards since many of the teams went with three guard offenses. That isnt saying that he is going to cover them all the time but he certainly has the ability to do it. As for your ludicrous assertion that he isnt big or strong enough to cover centers I guess you just dont watch much NBA. I suppose the 6'9" Bill Russell couldnt guard 7'1" Wilt either. Or Ben Wallace wasnt the NBA defensive player of the year at center 4 times while 6'9" and weighing less than Lebron? I ask again, do you really watch the games? There is a good chance that after Shaq, Lebron is the strongest player in the league .

You are actually using Olympic basketball as an example? LOL. Okay, Lebron can cover a euro swingman in the olympics and that means he can cover Dwayne Wade. And you say i am being ludicrous. And i dont watch much NBA?

Ben Wallace was every bit of 6 9 and had freakish upper body strength and athleticism. Besides, Ben wouldnt guard the bigger centers most of the time...that job went to rasheed. Perhaps you should have watched the games back then. They were interesting.:)