Re: NBA News
Another take on Kobe Bryant's relative clutchness
As Mr. Dwyer explained a little bit ago, this post by Henry Abbott on TrueHoop has taken our basketball corner of the Internet by storm Friday for claiming that Kobe Bryant(notes) is not as clutch as everyone thinks. By the numbers, Kobe makes a little less than one of every three shots when his team is down two, down one, or tied on the final possession, which makes him one of the worst performers among players with at least 30 attempts in those situations. Kobe also rates poorly in all situations in the final five minutes or overtime.
This is obviously surprising given his reputation as the best closer in the NBA. But the fact remains that Kobe does have this reputation, and it's there that we must question why it persists even if the numbers claim it's wrong.
The most obvious reason is that laymen and commentators across North America say Kobe's the best in late-game situations. Those comments feed upon itself, and eventually everyone just accepts that Kobe owns the fourth quarter.
At the same time, that reputation wouldn't seem viable to most observers if it didn't have some basis in reality. Kobe hits big shots at the end of games, sometimes, but the far greater reason for his clutch reputation is that the Lakers win in the postseason. Kobe usually plays a huge part in those wins -- he's been the first or second-best player on five championship teams -- and he wins acclaim because of it.
That doesn't mean that his clutchness is an illusion, because the term can apply to many situations apart from the end of games. In baseball, for instance, Barry Bonds once held a reputation as not clutch because of his terrible stats in all playoff situations, not just at the end of NLCS games. The same logic can apply to basketball: if a player performs well in any postseason context -- even if it's just starting a blowout at the beginning of a game -- he can be seen as someone who comes up big in pressure-filled situations.
Kobe has won a lot of big games for the Lakers, which means he's seen as a winner, which means he becomes seen as someone who turns the tide in close games. So even if he fails to make big shots at the end of close contests, those aren't remembered because they don't fall in line with the established Kobe narrative. That doesn't mean that his reputation is wrong -- just that it's not a complete picture of how Kobe performs in crunch time. When someone is seen as a champion, we tend to remember the great moments, like Kobe's big shot against Phoenix in 2006 or his dominance of the Pacers without Shaq in 2000. These moments stand paramount in our memories because they fall in with the larger view of his career.
Again, the numbers in Henry's post do not necessarily establish that Kobe is not clutch, if only because clutch can mean many things: coming up big in huge games, performing well at the end of games, the thing that makes cars shift, etc. What the numbers do show, though, is that the popular view of Kobe as an indomitable closer is oversimplified. He's not perfect, but he's also provided us with more memorable late-game moments than any other active player. The important question may not be whether Kobe's clutch or not, but why we insist on saying he's one or the other.
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Re: NBA News
Lakers lost today to the Kings
but Kobe did pass Hakeem's scoring record.
Let's see how they will do against Boston
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Re: NBA News
Spurs use balance to climb to top
Anyone who knows Gregg Popovich knows there are probably 347 other places he’d rather be than walking the red carpet at the All-Star Game next month in Los Angeles as coach of the Western Conference team. He doesn’t do extravagant parties, and the over-the-top showmanship of the NBA’s annual entertainment weekend likely doesn’t appeal to him. More than anything, he’d rather just not have the attention.
Popovich has always preached a we-over-me mantra with the San Antonio Spurs, and that comes from his days at the Air Force Academy, where he was a walk-on for the basketball team.
“I’m just guessing, but everybody that goes there has a 3.8 or 4.0 [grade-point average] – valedictorians – and did all kinds of stuff,” Popovich said. “And you go there and everybody is the same. They strip you bare. You start over again, and during the four years you learn it’s not about you. It’s about the group. It’s about the people that are around you and how people come together and how teams are put together and how you have each other’s back and that sort of thing.
The Spurs reached the halfway point of their schedule on pace to win 70 games thanks to good health for Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and the rest of the team's starters.
“You learn that one person really doesn’t get anything done. In any business, in any endeavor, the people around you have to be good people and have to be able to work together. That’s where the real joy is – when you’re sharing success with somebody.”
Over the last 13-plus seasons, no major U.S. professional sports franchise has enjoyed more sustained success than the Spurs. They’ve won 70.1 percent of their games during that time, a mark that ranks ahead of the NFL’s New England Patriots (68.3 percent) and the Spurs’ own rival, the Los Angeles Lakers (65.9). They’ve also won four NBA championships and seven division titles and may have produced their biggest surprise yet this season: At a time when many thought the Spurs would slip from the ranks of the league’s elite, they’ve surged to their greatest start ever with a league-best 38-7 record.
“Everybody is surprised by that record,” Manu Ginobili(notes) said. “But now we are here. We earned it and we want to keep the lead as long as possible and finish No. 1.”
The Spurs have benefitted from good health: They’re the only team in the league to use the same starting lineup for each of their games. But they’ve also won because of their remarkable balance. They rank fifth in the league in scoring, averaging 104.1 points per game, but don’t have a single player averaging even 19 points. Ginobili is the team-high with 18.6 while Tim Duncan, content now to steady the Spurs with his rebounding and defense, is averaging just 13.6 points.
In short, these Spurs may be as team-oriented as any roster Popovich has ever had. All of the Spurs’ three stars – Duncan, Ginobili and Tony Parker – are also averaging fewer than 33 minutes. With nearly everyone on the roster contributing in some form this season, the Spurs have continued to win in their usual understated style.
“Even if we’re up by 30 we’re not going to keep screaming and yelling,” veteran forward Antonio McDyess said. “That’s why a lot of people call this team boring. Regardless, we get the job done.”
That’s all Popovich has ever asked. Beginning with David Robinson, the Spurs have had a long line of players who have bought into their team-first mentality, including their three current stars. Players who come into the system learn to adapt – or leave.
“We try not to bring people in who we think they are a bit full of themselves and think they invented the dunk or something like that,” Popovich said. “And after that if somebody is in, the players set an example and react appropriately. If one of our young guys was to try to show up the opponent or beat his chest, I might be the fifth guy to him. There will be other players saying, ‘Hey, whoa, you look foolish doing that crap.’
The Spurs rank fifth in the league in scoring, led by Manu Ginobili's 18.6 points.
“And if nobody does, I’ll obviously do it.”
Richard Jefferson learned that early last season after he joined the Spurs.
“There were a few times where he got on me early about screaming after a dunk and showing that kind of emotion,” Jefferson said. “You do what your coach asks for.”
Parker went through his own growing pains with Popovich. And for McDyess, playing for the Spurs is quite different than his days with the Detroit Pistons.
The Pistons often had a stereo blaring music in their locker room before games. That won’t be found in the Spurs’ locker room. After the Spurs’ win over the Golden State Warriors on Monday, the team enjoyed a dinner together in San Francisco.
“When I got there, the Pistons were playing music, rapping and cursing,” McDyess said. “They said that’s what worked for them. And half of them said that if they don’t go out [the night] before a game they don’t play well. On this team you don’t get that. Different things work for different teams.”
In part because of their business-as-usual nature, the Spurs haven’t received much attention for their strong start. They reached the halfway point of their schedule on pace to win 70 games and much of the season’s headlines have been devoted to the exploits of the Lakers and Miami Heat or Carmelo Anthony’s trade demand. The Spurs could care less.
“Luckily enough I don’t look at the radar so I wouldn’t know what is going on,” Duncan said. “I have better things to do, I guess.”
The Spurs also don’t measure themselves on their success in the regular season. If they keep winning in the playoffs, the acclaim will come.
“We laugh about it and love it,” Popovich said. “The less attention, the more time and focus we have to concentrate on what we’d like to do. Having the success we’ve had with championships, we don’t need anyone to give us credit.”
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Rudy Gay gets 27, Grizzlies rout Lakers 104-85
LOS ANGELES (AP)—Rudy Gay and the Memphis Grizzlies didn’t get overly excited about beating the Los Angeles Lakers so thoroughly that the Staples Center crowd booed its two-time champions off the court.
The Grizzlies were just pleased they had seized their second chance for a fresh start to the new year.
Gay scored 27 points, Zach Randolph added 21 points and eight rebounds, and the Grizzlies roared away in the second half for a 104-85 victory over the lifeless Lakers on Sunday night.
One day after a rough loss at Utah, and four days after losing to the NBA-worst Sacramento Kings, the Grizzlies’ blowout had their bench standing in celebration for much of the second half.
“Whenever you play good basketball, things like this happen,” said Gay, who spent most of the past three days off in bed with a stomach virus. “It’s just like any other team. Every other team in this league is looking at them like they’re just another team to beat. With all due respect to them, they’re a great team, but I felt that we came out here and played great basketball.”
O.J. Mayo scored 15 points for the Grizzlies, who made a 19-4 run in the third quarter to take a 17-point lead. Los Angeles never threatened to get back in it despite a 21-point second half by Kobe Bryant, and the Lakers were left wondering how the Grizzlies are just 15-19 after losing to Memphis twice in less than five weeks.
“We feel like we can play with anybody, and we should have a better record than we have,” said point guard Mike Conley, who had 12 points and six assists. “We’ve laid eggs here and there, but we’re working hard to become a more consistent team.”
Gay hit two 3-pointers, repeatedly scored in transition and punctuated his night with a steal and a dramatic dunk with 6:40 to play. Randolph went 9 for 17 in the low post to win his matchup with Pau Gasol, who had 10 points and eight rebounds.
“Coming out like this against the world champs should really motivate us to keep playing hard and winning,” Randolph said. “This is really how we’ve got to play in the new year.”
Bryant scored 28 points for the Lakers, who have lost three of their last four home games—all three by at least 16 points, with a narrow New Year’s Eve win over Philadelphia in between—and four of six overall.
Los Angeles still leads the woeful Pacific Division by eight games, but the Lakers have looked decidedly average for most of the past two weeks. The Lakers made 20 turnovers and trailed by 26 points in the fourth quarter, eliciting boos from the fans who didn’t leave early.
Although Bryant earned yet another technical foul for a post-basket outburst, he seemed more clinical than emotional afterward.
“We didn’t execute well, and defensively we were poor,” Bryant said. “We’ve just got to come out focused and ready to play. It’s tough when you have to try to regenerate that energy every single night. It starts individually. You have to look at yourself and try to find things to get you going. Right now we can’t beat anybody, but we’ll be fine.”
Andrew Bynum had nine points, 11 rebounds and five blocked shots for the Lakers, but Memphis scored 28 fast-break points and repeatedly beat Los Angeles down the court.
Los Angeles appeared exhausted at times during its fourth game in six days, and it’s a problem that’s only going to get worse. The Lakers are early in a stretch of 15 games in 25 days, and they won’t get consecutive days off again until Jan. 22-23.
“We’re not really playing together, and as a result, it’s costing us,” Bynum said. “Right now, we’ve got to be concerned. We have to be. … Good teams are looking at us like we’re soft.”
Memphis took a nine-point lead at halftime and then took control with a 19-4 run late in the third quarter after Bryant shot the Lakers back into it with 17 third-period points. Bryant was visibly frustrated, slapping the back of a seat in anger when he came out of the game in the third. The crowd agreed with its boos.
Gay scored 10 points in the first quarter for the Grizzlies, pushing them to an early lead. Randolph scored 15 first-half points on 7-for-10 shooting, and Memphis closed the second quarter with a 10-2 run to take a 48-39 lead.
Joe Smith made his Lakers debut in the final 4:36.
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Re: NBA News
Parker helps Spurs beat Warriors 111-94
SAN ANTONIO (AP)—The San Antonio Spurs were determined to make franchise history at home.
Tony Parker(notes) had 19 points and nine assists, and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Golden State Warriors 111-94 on Wednesday night to set a franchise record for best start in a season through 21 games.
“We just try to play well at home, win as much games as we can because we know the second part of our schedule is going to be a lot of games on the road,” said Parker, who was 9 of 14 on field goals.
DeJuan Blair added 15 points and 13 rebounds for the Spurs (18-3), who have won their past 25 games against the Warriors in San Antonio.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - DECEMBER 8: DeJuan Blair #45 of the San Antonio Spurs grabs the rebound against the Golden State Warriors during the game on December 8, 2010 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.
It was Blair’s third double-double of the season.
Reggie Williams(notes) made eight 3-pointers and finished with a career-high 31 points for Golden State (8-14), which has dropped five straight and 10 of 11. Monta Ellis(notes) added 19 points.
“I thought Reggie (Williams) was good,” Warriors coach Keith Smart said. “I had a film session with him today. I shared with him that ‘You look like you’re not ready to play, and you’re afraid to make a mistake on the floor,’ and he saw that on film.”
The Warriors also lost Stephen Curry(notes) in the second quarter to a sprained right ankle. The second-year guard was dribbling behind the 3-point line when he hunched over, called a timeout and fell to the ground in pain. He was helped off the court by teammates and did not return.
The team said Curry’s X-rays were negative and the club thinks the injury is a sprain.
“Any time you lose a talent, you drop down three or four levels,” Smart said. “Not having him on the floor was definitely difficult because I had to move a lot of players around to positions to bring some of the younger guys off the bench to play.”
“You have very little room for error against a team like this team.”
And Golden State used up all the room it could, turning the ball over 22 times, which the Spurs translated into 20 points.
San Antonio shot 51 percent and put six players in double figures. George Hill(notes) scored 17, Manu Ginobili(notes) and Tiago Splittereach had 12 points and Richard Jefferson 10.
Tim Duncan, who had a triple-double in San Antonio’s win at Golden State on Nov. 30, finished with eight points in 17 minutes.
“Coach said it was going to be a penetrating and kick out kind of game,” Hill said. “If we do that we’re gonna have a lot of open shots. It started with (Parker) and (Ginobili). They started the game moving the ball great and finding the open shots for everybody else, and we just fed off that.”
Parker’s driving layup from the right side sparked a 16-0 run in the first quarter as the Spurs held the Warriors without a field goal for more than five minutes.
The Warriors rallied in the second quarter behind Dorell Wright and Williams. The duo each knocked down a 3-pointer and a jumper during a 10-0 rally that cut it to 46-43 with two minutes left in the half.
But San Antonio, in the middle of its longest homestand of the season, held Golden State to 42 percent shooting in the first half and led 57-47 at the break.
“I thought everybody did a really good job of finding the open man, being aggressive, but understanding that teammates were open and making the easy pass to the next guy,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “I thought everybody did that very well.”
Notes: The Spurs’ 25 straight home wins against the Warriors is the longest active streak of its kind for any NBA team against a single opponent. San Antonio has won nine straight against the Warriors overall. … San Antonio has scored at least 103 points in 15 of its wins. … No Spurs starter played more than 30 minutes.
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Re: NBA News
You're talking to a guy that doesn't even know how to rep his own team. It's like talking to a 30 year old Fisher Price plastic wall.
Anywho, the crowd impatiently awaits as Lebron goes back home tonight!Leave a comment:
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