Lakers: Livin’ large at the line
Kobe Bryant went 18 for 18 at the free-throw line in Game 3 on Friday.
The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Thunder 99-96 in Game 3 on Friday night thanks to their near-perfection at the free-throw line.
The Lakers converted an astonishing 41 of 42 from the line (.976), the second-best percentage in NBA playoff history (30 or more attempts) to the Dallas Mavericks making 49 of 50 (.980) against the San Antonio Spurs in 2003.
During the regular season, the Lakers were a middle-of-the-road team from the line, ranking 16th in the NBA (.756). Had the Lakers shot their usual percentage at the line, they would have had scored nine fewer points (32 for 42).
The Thunder, which converted 26 of 28 (.929) in Game 3, led the league in three-throw percentage (.806) for the second straight year.
Here is what the Lakers shot on Friday compared to the regular season:
PLAYER; GAME 3; REGULAR SEASON
KobeBryant; 18-18 (1.000); .845
PauGasol; 4-4 (1.000); .782
Metta World Peace; 2-2 (1.000); .778
Steve Blake; 2-2 (1.000); .778
Ramon Sessions; 2-2 (1.000); .713
Andrew Bynum; 11-12 (.917); .692
Jordan Hill; 2-2 (1.000); .625
Lakers; .976; .756
Thunder 119, Lakers 90
Nuggets from my notebook from Monday’s win over the Lakers.
- Because of the blowout, the biggest news of the night is the status of Kendrick Perkins. The big man aggravated that hip injury early in the third quarter and had to be removed from the game. He was immediately taken to the locker room and, although he returned to the bench, he did not return to the game. He’s likely to again be listed as day-to-day and a game-time decision for Game 2 Wednesday. His health ranks near the top of the list of the single most important factors in OKC taking care of business in this series. If he’s unable to play, or is limited, because of this nagging injury, advantage Lakers.
- In Perk’s absence, Nazr Mohammed stepped in and stepped up in a big way. His post defense was commendable, especially considering he hasn’t played meaningful minutes in about three weeks. If there’s any reason why Perk can’t go Wednesday or throughout the rest of this series, Naz is going to have to step up big time to keep the Lakers’ bigs from bullying OKC in the paint. This is again the most significant development in this series.
- Russell Westbrook’s all-around dominance goes down as the second most significant development in Game 1. The Lakers threw Kobe Bryant at Westbrook from the start, and Westbrook still managed to do work. In the process, he put the Lakers on notice that Bryant may no longer be able to consistently stay in front of him and slow him down as he did in the playoffs two years ago. Coming into this series, that was supposed to be an advantage the Lakers held over the Thunder. It doesn’t look to be so anymore.
- It’s too early to say Bryant can’t check Westbrook. I’m not about to bet against one of the greatest players ever to play the game. But when Westbrook is ducking behind ball screens and swishing his mid-range shot and slicing through L.A.’s pick-and-roll coverage and setting up teammates as he was tonight, he’s virtually unstoppable. Good luck to whomever has to cover the Honey Badger at that point.
- Westbrook’s final line: 27 points, seven rebounds, nine assists, two steals, one turnover, 10-of-15 shooting.
- You read that right. Nine assists. One turnover. That was easily the most impressive aspect of Westbrook’s performance tonight. He was under control. He displayed great decision-making. He played with terrific pace. And he didn’t force anything all night. He took what was there and his assist-to-turnover ratio bears that out.
- Westbrook when asked how this Game 1 against the Lakers felt different from his playoff debut in 2010: “I just feel a little more experienced. I feel a lot more comfortable. My teammates do a great job of getting me open and getting me to the spots where I can be effective. I’m just feeling a lot more comfortable. This is my fourth year now.”
- Lakers coach Mike Brown on Westbrook: “I thought he was good. I thought he was good in pick-and-rolls early on. And then I thought he was good in the post as the game went along. So he had a great performance on both ends of the floor.”
- As a team, the Thunder dished out 20 assists and had just four turnovers, an Oklahoma City-era low.
- The Thunder had just one turnover in the first half! That helped OKC build a seven-point lead after one quarter and a 15-point lead at the break. Get this. OKC’s second turnover didn’t come until 5:18 was left in the third quarter! That’s darn near impossible, especially for this team, especially in the playoffs. I don’t have to remind most Thunder heads that this team lead the league in turnovers in the regular season. Fantastic job by the Thunder tonight of taking care of the ball. (more…)
Carlisle: Marion Could Cover Westbrook
No matter how many defenders Dallas has thrown at Russell Westbrook, the Thunder's point guard has had an answer.
Kevin Durant is averaging 25.5 points on 34.1 percent shooting in this series with Dallas.
Russell Westbrook is averaging 28.5 points on 52.3 percent shooting.
Yet, the Mavericks have continued to throw their best defender at Durant while Westbrook eats them alive.
“He’s been the guy that’s been killing us,” Mavs star Dirk Nowitzki said of Westbrook following the Thunder’s Game 2 win.
For the Mavs, the Thunder’s two-headed monster has become a pick-your-poison equation. Durant is struggling primarily because of Marion. He’s 4-of-16 against Dallas’ bulldog defender, with 12 of those 16 looks being contested attempts. Marion has suffocated Durant, and the Mavs’ team defense on the three-time scoring champ couldn’t be better.
But that’s allowed Westbrook to go bananas. And the question now is whether that’s a proposition the Mavs can continue to live with?
“Can we live with it?” Carlisle asked. “With him scoring 28.5? That’s a lot. It’d be one thing if we were winning the games. But at this point, when you’re down 0-2, we got to do better on him.”
But how?
The Mavs have thrown Delonte West at Westbrook, as well as both Jasons, Kidd and Terry. Dallas also has given Westbrook and the Thunder a steady dose of its puzzling zone. Westbrook has plowed through it all. The last option seems to be Marion.
“Possibly,” Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said when asked if Marion could slide over and cover Westbrook a bit. “But look, you’re talking about taking your best defender and a guy that was a real candidate for Defensive Player of the Year off of a guy who he’s doing a great job on to put him on another guy. We can look at it at different times of the games, but let’s not forget how great Durant is. He’s in the MVP conversation.”
Therein lies Dallas’ biggest dilemma.
If the Mavs take Marion off Durant and put him on Westbrook, they immediately run the risk of taking one step forward and two steps back. Dallas no doubt would prefer Westbrook to score 29 points on 21 shots than watch Durant go off for 40 on the same 21.
Then there’s the matter of whether Marion can even slow down Westbrook. There are plenty of reasons to believe he can’t, the largest being hardly no one can. Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has had success in the past. But, generally, when Westbrook struggles it’s because of his own doing.
Tonight might be the first time in this series that we see if Marion can make a difference.
If he can’t, the Mavs are toast. Because the clock is ticking and the defending champions are quickly running out of time.
“They present a lot of problems,” Carlisle said of the Thunder, “and we’re working on solutions.”
-DM-
Kevin Durant Creeping Toward Third Scoring Title
Kevin Durant is on the verge of securing his third straight scoring title.
If he can hold of Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, the Thunder’s All-Star forward will join an elite group of players that have won the scoring title three straight seasons. It’d be the first time a player has done it since Michael Jordan from 1995-98. The others: Wilt Chamberlain, George Gervin, George Mikan, Neil Johnston and Bob McAdoo (see list below).\
Durant is averaging 27.90 points with two games remaining, starting with tonight’s contest against Sacramento. Bryant is averaging 27.86 points with one game left to play, which is Thursday at Sacramento.
“Kobe’s an unbelievable scorer, man” Durant said. “And he’s having a great season as well. If it happens, then that’s cool. If not, then I’m not worried about it. I’m just going to go out there and play my game. I’m not going to force anything just so I can score more points than Kobe.”
MOST CONSECUTIVE SCORING TITLES
7: Wilt Chamberlain Philadelphia/San Francisco 1959-1966
7: Michael Jordan Chicago 1986-1993
3: George Mikan Minneapolis 1948-1951
3: Neil Johnston Philadelphia 1952-55
3: Bob McAdoo Buffalo 1973-76
3: George Gervin San Antonio 1977-1980
3: Michael Jordan Chicago 1995-98
-DM-
Kobe Bryant, Lakers Support Derek Fisher
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Following a lengthy practice session Saturday, members of the Los Angeles Lakers weighed in on the increasingly public spat Thunder guard and players association president Derek Fisher has found himself caught in the middle of.
With the association’s executive committee seeking to oust Fisher in his role as president, Lakers guards Kobe Bryant and Steve Blake both voiced support for their former teammate and his goals of hiring a law firm to conduct an independent audit to examine the union’s business practices.
“What’s wrong with doing an audit?” Bryant asked. “I’m very curious about that. Extremely. We all should be.”
Bryant went on to say that his primary focus is the audit rather than Fisher’s role.
“To be honest, my first thought is to focus on this audit,” Bryant said. “That’s my first reaction. The Derek thing, if guys don’t won’t him in there, you really can’t do too much about that. But as an organization, I mean every organization does an audit every now and then. I mean, I don’t see anything wrong with doing an independent audit. It’s not that big of a deal. Just get it done.”
Fisher has responded to the union’s request for him to step down by repeatedly saying he does not plan on resigning from the position. In a statement released Friday night, Fisher said he will continue to strive to protect the players in the union and added the executive committee’s “has now waged a personal character attack on me to divert attention from the real issue. The truth.”
Blake, the Lakers’ player representative, stood behind Fisher and stood up for his character.
“All I know is Derek’s a great guy,” Blake said. “I think he was a great leader for our team, and I think he’s a great leader for the players association.”
Blake then said he has “complete faith” in Fisher and was confident in Fisher’s leadership throughout last year’s collective bargaining agreement negotiations.
“Of course,” Fisher said. “Anybody that knows him would be with him 100 percent. He’s got great character…I’m going to support him, for sure. I don’t know all the details. But as of right now, I don’t have a reason to not support him.”
Lakers coach Mike Brown also vouched for Fisher’s character.
“He’s a great guy,” Brown said. “He’s a natural born leader and he’s done a lot, people would say, for L.A. and for the Lakers. But, really, he’s done a lot for the game. I think when people look at him and they see the type of character a guy like that has, it makes people want to draft and find the right types of players to add to your program.
“There are a lot of positives that Derek Fisher stands for, and you just hope that whatever he’s going through it turns out best for him and his family.”
-DM-
Thunder 115, Timberwolves 110
Observations from the Thunder’s 115-110 victory over Minnesota at the Target Center on Saturday night:
- Good news for the Thunder: Minnesota has been mathematically eliminated from the Western Conference playoffs and can’t possibly be a No. 8 seed. In other words, OKC is done playing the Timberwolves this season. “That’s not good news, that’s great news,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said after Saturday night’s 115-110 victory at the Target Center. “That is good news,” OKC forward Kevin Durant echoed.
- Russell Westbrook had 16 points of his 35 points in the third quarter and Durant had 20 points of his 43 in the fourth quarter. Westbrook picked up the slack when Durant was on the bench with four fouls in the third period. When Durant re-entered at the start of the fourth quarter, Westbrook selflessly deferred to the two-time scoring champ. Further evidence these two stars work extremely well together. On rare occasions, they fail to click – like last Wednesday’s loss at home against the Clippers – but that was because their shots weren’t falling (a combined 10 for 35), not because they were selfish.
- Minnesota’s current list of shortcomings is astounding, particularly for a team that’s more good than bad. The Wolves have now lost nine straight and 10 of their last 11 games; they’ve lost 12 straight against the Thunder, when they could have easily won at least one-third of those game; they’ve also lost 25 straight games in April. Only two of Minnesota’s last dozen losses to OKC have been by double-digits, five have been by five points or less and two have come in overtime. The Wolves also have now lost 163 games due to injuries this season.
- To those still wondering why the Thunder is so high on center Kendrick Perkins: After the game, Perkins spent 10 minutes speaking one-on-one with forward Serge Ibaka. The exact conversation was unknown, other than Perkins repeatedly asked Ibaka if he understood where he was coming from, to which Ibaka repeatedly nodded. Perk appeared to be explaining to the 22-year-old Ibaka why things happened the way they happened in Saturday’s game. Perhaps Ibaka was troubled by how he was used in the rotation. He played 21½ minutes and finished with eight points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots. At times, the Wolves were killing the Thunder with the pick-and-roll, which they probably ran 70-plus times. In the end, Perk again made sure Ibaka was OK and also asked Thabo Sefolosha to double-check on Ibaka. This is an example of what makes Perk valuable. Perk seems to care as much about his teammates –perhaps more — than he cares about himself.
- It’s amazing how effective Minnesota point guard J.J. Barea is at the pick-and-roll. Why Dallas let him go without a competitive contract offer still astounds me. He simply toys with OKC. Players on the Timberwolves’ bench were shaking their heads and smiling at how easily Barea scored 17 first-half points. Barea does what the great point guards do – he’s in a rush, but not in a hurry; and he constantly keeps his dribble alive – just like Chris Paul, Steve Nash, Tony Parker, et al. Barea is fantastic.
- Durant on Barea: “Barea is an unbelievable guy at pick-and-rolls and that’s what they did. It’s tough to stop, but I think Russell did a great job in the second half. Him a Fish (Derek Fisher) did a great job. Pick-and-roll is such a big part of his game and that’s all they ran. I think we responded well in the second half. Wish we could have played a little better, but we got the win.”
- Tough night for sixth man James Harden, who missed Friday night’s game with a sore right knee. Harden was a last-minute activation for the game. He shot 1 for 11 from the field, including 0 for 8 from 3-point range. Asked if he might have rushed Harden back too soon, Brooks said, “No, I don’t think so. A lot of those shots tonight were good looks, open looks I thought might fall.” Harden did not appear to limp in his 30½ minutes of playing time.
- It’s hard to find a nicer man than University of Minnesota coach Tubby Smith, who was on hand to watch Nazr Mohammed, who played for him at Kentucky. Smith, who previously coached at Tulsa, still speaks fondly of the experience and said he believes Danny Manning will do very well at the job.
- Brooks shakes his head at Minnesota’s 25-36 record. It’s upside-down because of a slew of injuries. “They’ve had some tough luck,” Brooks said. “They were right there in the mix (for the playoffs). They’re a good team. They’ve done a good job of laying a foundation.”
- Rumor is Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is resting his sore shin because he had a comfortable lead to win this year’s scoring title. I don’t believe that. Doesn’t sound like Bryant, an egomaniac who prefers to settle things on the court. Durant erupted for 43 points Saturday. If Bryant (28.1 ppg) sits the remainder of the regular season, Durant (27.8) would have to average 30.7 points in the final six games to win his third straight scoring title. That’s certainly doable.
- Target Field, the new home of the Minnesota Twins, is located next to the Target Center, the longtime home of the Timberwolves. The Twins lost 6-2 at home to the Texas Rangers on Saturday afternoon and fans stayed in the neighborhood for some post-game beverages prior to a sellout crowd of almost 20,000 arriving for the Wolves. After the Thunder-Minnesota game, the area was packed with a younger crowd going to numerous night clubs. A very cool setting. Major-league facilities located side-by-side have always fascinated me.
- Next up for the Thunder: A day off Sunday, followed by a 9:30 p.m. game at the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center.
Recapping All-Star Weekend
A bunch of random thoughts and observations from three days in Orlando.
- Russell Westbrook was one of two people who became the first to welcome me to Orlando. Take a look for yourself.
- Kevin Durant nearly ruled the weekend. He narrowly lost a tiebreaker shootout to Kevin Love in the 3-point contest on Saturday. And then he ran away with MVP honors in the big game on Sunday. The guy is a superstar. He never shrinks in the moment. The only time he’s even come close was last year in the 3-point contest in L.A. But that doesn’t even count because KD didn’t take the event serious.
- As coach of the West Celebrity All Stars, Durant did watch his team get drubbed by 29 on Friday. Said Durant: “It was bad. I won’t be the next Scotty Brooks, I know that.”
- Brooks on his experience this weekend: “I loved every minute of it. I will cherish it for the rest of my career.”
- At this point, I can’t fault LeBron James and Blake Griffin and any other big name you want to throw out there for turning down the dunk contest. It’s virtually impossible to impress anymore. Everything might not have been done yet. But we’re just about there. Besides, any star who signs up for the contest would only be setting himself up for failure. Everyone would go in expecting the greatest show since MJ and Dominique. And there would be no way they could live up to the expectations.
- With that said, LeBron’s left-handed half windmill dunk in the first half of the All-Star game was better than about seven dunks we saw in the dunk contest.
- In case you missed it, here was LeBron’s explanation on not joining the dunk contest. “It’s not me,” James said. “I’m not a dunk contest type of guy. I’m an in-game dunker.”
- Immediately after offering up that explanation, James was asked what he would do if a $1 million, winner-take-all pot was the prize? “Then I’d reconsider,” James said. “Wouldn’t you?”
- The next time someone nationally criticizes Westbrook or KD, Thunder heads should jump for joy. Because, clearly, all it’s doing is bringing the two players closer together. They’ve bonded extremely well in the face of outside negativity. More and more, they’re having each other’s back and making it a point to support the other on and off the court. That hasn’t been clearer at any point quite like their media sessions on Friday afternoon. Durant listed Westbrook as the best in-game dunker. Westbrook, meanwhile, named Durant as the game’s most clutch player, the league’s toughest cover regardless of position and the teammate whose couch he’d prefer to sleep on if he had to. Keep in mind they were on opposite sides of the room, far from an earshot of the other, as they supplied their answers.
- One of Westbrook’s best answers of the weekend came when he was asked what skills he would combine to form the ultimate point guard. “The skills I got,” Westbrook said.
- Dirk Nowitzki proved he didn’t belong in the All-Star game. If I’m a snub, I look at his seven-point performance on 3-of-8 shooting and I’m heated.
- Charles Barkley did nothing to taint his standing as my all-time favorite interview. I got a few minutes with the Round Mound of Rebound on Saturday night and he was once again a great interview, albeit in a much more condensed version. Think what you will about his opinions or his jokes. But I love that the guy speaks his mind and tells it like (he thinks) it is. It’s rare and it’s refreshing. (more…)
Kobe Bryant speaks out on Thunder
For 2½ hours Thursday night, every non-Lakers fan in a sellout crowd of 18,203 at Chesapeake Energy Arena seemed to boo superstar Kobe Bryant.
Roughly an hour after the Thunder’s 100-85 victory and well past local newspaper deadlines, Bryant showed OKC far more respect than he had just been shown himself.
Here are some of Bryant’s thoughts on the game and the Thunder: (or watch the whole interview here.)
- On OKC All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook, who at times has been heavily criticized: “I don’t know what the media is doing out here, but everybody just needs to lay off of Russell. That’s a bad little dude, man. That’s a bad little dude, man. You guys are fortunate to have him. You guys have got two explosive scorers here. I like how he’s playing. He just has to continue to improve and do his thing.”
- Does Bryant see any of himself in Westbrook? “He’s got the same type of dog that I had in me — that I still have in me — when I was coming up playing with Shaq (former teammate Shaquille O’Neal). He’s got the same fight and he’s just 6-4.”
- How has center Kendrick Perkins instilled his tough attitude into the Thunder? “Perk, in my opinion, he’s the best one-on-one post defender in the league. He’s that good in the low-post. That gives them an added presence. He’s also a very good help defender and a screen-and-roll defender. Boston really gift-wrapped them one (with the Feb. 24, 2011 trade that sent Perkins to OKC).”
- How has Kevin Durant developed? “He’s just going to continue to get better. He’s making great plays for other players. He’s obviously been a phenomenal shooter. He has a developing post game. They’ve got two, three of my favorite players in the league on that team, man. They’re fun to watch.”
- On the verbal altercation with James Harden with less than two minutes remaining: “The conversation was pretty brief. I mean, I was doing all the talking. There are certain things you can’t (share publicly) … Maybe one day they’ll be able to sit at my lunch table [laughing]. Right now, we’re at two different lunch tables, man. That conversation was pretty brief.”
- Western Conference All-Star coach Scott Brooks says you’re going to play a lot this weekend (to wear you out): “(Expletive). [Smiling] Let me tell you something, man, this is his first rodeo. This is my 14th, man. I’m pulling rank. … I told him, ‘Look, you can put me in the last two minutes, if you want.’ “
Thunder 101, Jazz 87
Scott Brooks will coach the Western Conference All-Stars.
Observations from the Thunder’s 101-87 victory at Utah on Friday night. Forgive the delay in posting. Massive wireless issues for me in the Great Salt Lake:
- The Thunder’s victory clinched Scott Brooks becoming the Western Conference coach at the Feb. 26 NBA All-Star Game in Orlando, but director of team operations Marc St. Yves was the only person to shake Brooks’ hand on the court afterward. Why? Russell Westbrook didn’t know the win sealed the deal. Nick Collison knew, but forgot, same goes for Kevin Durant and Nazr Mohammed. It wasn’t that no one cared. It’s just their minds didn’t refocus immediately after the game.
- Durant playfully suggested Brooks’ first duty as All-Star coach might be to start Westbrook, even though fans voted for Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant as the starting guards. “Yeah, yeah,” a smiling Durant said when asked if Brooks should wield his power. “He might tell CP to sit down for a little bit to start.”
- Brooks’ effectiveness as the Thunder’s coach was clearly evident Friday. Based on answers given by several players that day, Brooks is dealing with the team’s turnover issue the right way – not with humiliation and threats but rather with calm concern. In addition, roughly three hours before the game at Utah, Brooks and Durant sat and chatted one-on-one for 20 minutes in the front row along the baseline. Judging from Brooks’ hand gestures, he appeared to be sharing advice on options Durant might have coming off the dribble and how a play could develop. The 46-year-old Brooks has the perfect temperament to handle a young and extremely competitive group like the Thunder. Brooks doesn’t get near enough credit. Perhaps his appearance at the All-Star Game will change that.
- Westbrook said Brooks becoming an All-Star coach is far-reaching. “It’s great for the organization, the city, the community. It’s truly a blessing to see what’s going on around here (OKC),” Westbrook said. “We’ve got a lot of talent on this team, but at the same time, we’ve got to be coached. He’s a guy who keeps us steady and keeps our head above water.”
- You must check out Nick Collison’s appearance with Dan LeBatard in “Highly Questionable.” With seven minutes left Friday against the Jazz, Collison drove hard to the basket and converted an acrobatic scoop layup with the shot clock winding down. At that exact moment, I thought, “Shooter!” Listen to the interview and you’ll understand.
- EnergySolutions Arena was another tough venue for the Thunder, just like the four previous stops during the road trip at San Antonio, Portland, Golden State and Sacramento. However, I’ve never heard the Jazz’ building so quiet. The Thunder did a superb job of not allowing the sellout crowd of 19,911 to take control. Winning helps, of course, but other than going on a scoring spurt, what’s the best way to take the home crowd out of a game? “Get fouls called, get some steals, get to the free-throw line,” Westbrook explained. By the way, all five arenas were sold out for the Thunder’s visits.
- Westbrook isn’t crazy about doing interviews, but one of his favorite subjects is discussing the Thunder’s ability to bounce back after a loss. “Oh, definitely,” Westbrook said after OKC upped its bounce-back record to 25-7 the past two seasons. “In this league, you can’t afford to lose three or four in a row and be an elite team. We know that and we’re getting better each and every season, and in every game. When we lose one, we take it personal coming back the next day to be ready to play.”
- The Thunder is now 34-10 in the regular season since center Kendrick Perkins joined the starting lineup last March. “Pretty impressive,” Perkins said, eyebrows raised. “I’ll take 24 games over .500 any day.”
- Perkins won the 2008 world championship with the Boston Celtics, who went 66-16 (.805) that season. The Thunder is 21-6 and has a similar winning percentage (.778). Perkins said even great teams still lose games. The trick is letting the losses go while not forgetting what happened. “Obviously, we’ve let a few slip away this year that we still think about, but we know what to do about it now,” Perkins said.
- An .800 winning percentage is truly impressive. Look at it this way: For every game that team loses, it must immediately go on a four-game winning streak to make up lost ground. The Thunder would have to finish 53-13 this season to reach .800 or higher.
- On Thursday, OKC had 23 turnovers. On Friday, it had 17, which is still about four or five too many, but it’s far better than 23. Pointing out the obvious, the Thunder sure looks much prettier when it’s collecting steals and not handing over the ball. “Oh, gosh,” reserve guard James Harden said with a smile. “It’s always such a relief when you get easy buckets on the road. It calms the crowd down. They’re game-changers.”
- Rookie guard Reggie Jackson missed his first five shots Friday and attacked the basket with 10 seconds left in the third quarter rather than playing for one last shot. He’s a rookie and has a long ways to go. Better decisions and less hesitation running the half-court offense are Jackson’s biggest challenges.
- I miss watching Eric Maynor play. Then again, I knew I would.
Darnell Mayberry returns in this slot on Tuesday. Commence cheering.
- JOHN ROHDE
What’s Not To Love About Super Teams?
LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh didn't form the league's first super team. And they clearly won't be the last.
Count me in.
Today, I officially got on the super team train.
Bring ‘em on, I say. The more the merrier.
Some people say they weaken the league. I say that’s hogwash. A trio of stars on one team is nothing but interesting. For everyone. The fans, the league, the networks and, yes, for competition.
This is now a topic because less than two weeks after the NBA lockout was lifted, star players went right back to throwing around their weight and orchestrating their way out of their small towns and on to big-market teams with other big-time talents. I’m speaking, of course, about Chris Paul and Dwight Howard. Though the scenario was originally floated by Mark Heisler 10 days ago, trade rumors that would land both Howard and Paul in Los Angeles to team up with Kobe Bryant are now heating up and seemingly becoming more realistic by the hour.
And you know what? I would pay to see that team. And most of you who are NBA fans would, too. Whether you’re rooting for them, against them or perhaps just want to see what they’re capable of, you’d be glued to the tube. Television ratings would go through the rough for Christmas games and the All-Star Game and the NBA Finals. Which, isn’t that the point of sports to begin with? To entertain us? To give us an outlet? To provide something we can come together with as a community to share and support?
Put arguably the league’s best point guard (Paul) with arguably the game’s best shooting guard (Bryant) with undoubtedly the world’s best center (Howard) and you’ve created 82 games (or 66) of non-stop excitement. We’d be talking about a season filled with alley-oops and game-winners and 20-assists nights and triple-doubles and a six-month-long block party. More than that, we’d be talking about championships. Plural. A trio like that would immediately have the makings of a dynasty-caliber team. Howard and Paul, both 26, could easily carry the 33-year-old Kobe for three title runs.
But here’s the best part. The Lakers wouldn’t be guaranteed anything. There’s enough quality teams throughout the league, including right here in Oklahoma City, that L.A. could combine those three All-World players and still fall short. Take a look at some of the core units that have blossomed throughout the NBA.
Atlanta: Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Al Horford.
Boston: Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.
Chicago: Derrick Rose, Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah and Luol Deng.
L.A. Clippers: Eric Gordon, Caron Butler and Blake Griffin
Memphis: Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol.
Miami: Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh.
New York: Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire and (reportedly) Tyson Chandler
Oklahoma City: Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka
San Antonio: Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan. (more…)
