Kobe No MVP this 2011

Truehoop has an excellent article why LBJ won’t register a triple-double season. Made me do this post too. I have this in mind yesterday whilst watching Lakers cruised to a win over the Memphis yesterday… Kobe will retire with only one MVP trophy! One less than Nash’s.

Why Kobe Won’t Win the MVP This Year:

• Reason 1 (20%): THE KNEE - He’s opening the season coming from a knee surgery. Though he says he’s 100%, I highly doubt that. Only sheer talent allows him to go over 20 points average on limited minutes this young season.
• Reason 2 (20%): THE (mile)AGE - He is after all, 32 friggin years old with a ton of mileage.
• Reason 3 (20%): THE BENCH - Phil Jackson, the master, is putting on building blocks for a successful playoff run. He is giving more time to the relievers (Brown, Barnes, Blake) and it eats up few Kobe minutes. Though not in his DNA, Kobe too, clearly is making effort to acclimatize new players and the bench. Passing up some shots along the way.
• Reason 4 (20%): THE SPANIARD - The emergence of Pau Gasol as a prime player or focal point of the Lakers offense. Gasol is shooting 6 more shots from last year (19 FG attempts per game this year with an efficient rate of .533).
• Reason 5 (20%): THE BLOW-OUTS - They are blowing out teams! Which sends the Lakers starters straight to the bench with full quarter (and sometimes, a quarter and half) to go. Thus, Kobe averages only 31 minutes per game down from 39 a game (same reason why LBJ’s minutes and numbers are down).

If anything, the record that Lakers can shoot for is the 72-10.

72-10 - difficult and a misguided target, but this is within reach. Contrary to Jeff Van Gundy’s claim that Miami Heat is capable team to get 72-10, I say the Lakers are more likely to get to 72 than the Heat. An off-night by Kobe and Gasol, they are still capable of beating teams. That can not be said about the Heat. If LBJ and Wade take a night off, Heat are doomed. The Lakers can still win against most NBA teams with a Laker injury here and there (recovery by Bryant and Bynum/Walton absence has no effect thus far).

Current Lakers is better team than the championship teams of 2009 and 2010. They got 3 seven footers who got game (Odom, Gasol, Bynum), the best closer (Kobe), solid bench (Brown, Blake), great defense (Barnes, Artest), etc.

The Lakers are currently 4-0.

68 wins to go!

Posted last November 4 2010.

LA Are The Champions

LeBron James KO'd, Orlando Magic vs Los Angeles Lakers Finals

After Lakers game 6 close out of Denver, I wanted Magic for the Lakers, now I got it…

Speaking of Magic… Abra-kadabra, wooshhhhh, the King is Gone!

I witnessed that.

Sorry David Stern, sorry Nike, sorry BTV, the Kobe-LeBron dream showdown was spoiled by the Magic. LeBron has left the Building.

To be fair, LeBron’s supporting cast is incomparable to Dwight’s (But you know what, during the 66 win regular season & the 8-0 playoff blitz of the Cavs, I did not hear a lot of people rambling about his mediocre supporting cast).

Sorry LeBron, looks like it’s Kobe time this year.

LeBron is still on his first little toddler steps to greatness so he should be fine. It’s not his time nor the 2007 ring, nor the 2008th ring. It’s now up to Ferry to retool LeBron’s crew. Perhaps a bigger shooting guard & a younger frontline player.

I repeat… After Lakers game 6 close out of Denver, I wanted Magic for the Lakers, now I got it.

I feel that Howard, though he can get his monster numbers, he can not beat the Lakers alone. The Lakers will have some answers. I know, Phil will have the answer with the massive three-point shooting of Orlando.

Though now ousted, I still feel Lebron’s Cavs is tougher team to beat for Lakers. With the Kobe-Lebron greatness debate at stake, that will drive LeBron to go nuts. LeBron (like we’ve witnessed bunch of times), he alone can single-handedly score 1 to 2 wins over the Lakers. And with the way Melo banged-in a couple of high scoring games against Ariza & Walton, just imagine Lebron’s line.

Via Lebron’s heavy numbers & minutes, Cavs is a pretty good team. They are vacationing now because they run into multiple matchup problems in Orlando.

Given, Howard is too much for either Ben or Z and the human-flopping-machine Varejao. What did the Cavs too is the combo of Hedo & Lewis. Hedo feasted on Delonte’s defense. While a roving LeBron allowed his men, Pietrus & Lewis those momentum generating threes. Cavs guard Daniel Gibson said… “It’s hard watching the dream go away with every 3-point shot they made.” And then, Lee & Alston found their shooting rhythm. That spelled SEASON OVER for the Cavs.

Against Lakers, Luke Walton & Trevor Ariza will offer better defense vs Hedo. Odom, AKA Up-Lharma-Down (the inconsistencies, got it?, the band, got it?) pretty much cancels out Rashard Lewis.

It’s up to Bynum & Gasol to counter Dwight Howard energy, defense & numbers. Dwight speed, strength & size present problems really but Josh Powell and D.J. Mbenga carry 12 fouls combined. That’s 24 FT attempts gifts for a supposed poor FT shooter Howard. Foul him, grab him, don’t allow and-ones and the perimeter Lakers should not double off Hedo/Lewis/Pietrus/Lee/Alston and my fave, Redick.

Oh wait, there’s this guy named Kobe Bryant.

As hard as Pietrus tried against Lebron, Lebron fired a close to 40-point average in 6 games against Orlando. That’s with Pietrus as the main cover. With Kobe having 200 more moves than Lebron, can you see him doing better against Kobe. Nahhh!

The problem of containing Kobe (not only scoring but you know, the decoy thing) will have to be the problem of Stan Van Giddy. He aint a bad coach, he can prove to his dad, that he’s the best Gundy coach in the world f he can contain Kobe and the Lakers.

With a streak of 0 and 2 in the finals (1 by Detroit, 1 by Boston), I just can’t see Kobe Bryant letting this one slip away. At 31 (this August), Kobe’s time is clicking, he knows it. This is BEST EFFIN SHOT he’s got in bagging a ring without the Shaq-string.

We’ll hear the familiar chant, Beat L.A. Beat LA… to which Kobe and his gang will say… No Way!

The Lakers Are In

Trade Rumors, BURIED. Check.

Regular Season, TOPPED. Check.

Denver, DONE. Check.

Jazz, NO MORE. Check.

Spurs, SPANKED. Check.

Sometimes, I almost want to agree... that... whoever has the best player on a seven game series, that team usually wins (Miami-Wade over Dallas, Bulls-MJ over everyone else, Celtics-Bird in the 80s, Magic-LA in the 80s too, Shaq-Lakers over Reggie, Iverson and Jason Kidd, Spurs-Duncan over Billups, Kidd, Allan Houston). Safe digits... 75% likely, the best player's team wins. This is the case with the SPURS -Lakers West conference showdown. KOBE BRYANT is the best player. His team won. He finished off the Spurs with a variety of moves in the second half. Every Bryant shot, air is sucked out of Spurs' will.

But credit too should be given to the following...

• Lamar Odom for not sucking each time he's got his customary slump. Finding a way to contribute and somehow able to deliver some needed points at crucial stages.
• Derek Fisher. For showing up and playing Tony Parker well (with the aid of Lakers' team defense). True to his form, he's the Spurs' Curse. Remember the 0.4 secs? Remember the Barry-non-call?
• Sasha Vujacic for harassing the hobbling Manu Ginobili all the way to the CR. BTW, he's the MOST WANTED GUY in San Antonio for creaming game 5 with the unnecessary three point shot made, game already won.
• Ronnie Turiaf. Tired of using this... but really, he gives so much energy off play, on bench but still able to contribute on court. He's one of the Lakers' glue guys and unlike other "energy guys," Ron actually contributes. He had key defensive moments against Timmy. And for just him, going PONY TAIL during the most important game of the season, that was the lucky, ahhm, charm.
• Jordan Farmar. For his energy and point production this Game 5. BTW, unknown to many, he's also the undercover scout for LA, reporting directly to Brian Shaw. With Farmar's ears, he's able to hear opponents bench huddles some 40 feet away.
• Chris Mihm. For acting like he is really excited and for eating up some cap space. Had there been enough cap space, Mitch Kupchack could have signed these guys... Sprewell, Payton, Juwan Howard, etc.
• Luke Walton. For being there when Kobe needed him the most. See, he's Kobe's favorite punching bag. He's Kobe's outlet. Whenever Lakers play bad and Luke is on court, expect Kobe venting some heat on Walton. BTW, nice corner three from Walton.
  
• Vlad Radmanovic. He's Mr. First Quarter Man. Quick 10 points, easily. Plus, he found a way to give up his love for SKIING for the betterment of the team.
  
• Pau Gasol. After Bynum knees went AWOL, we, Lakers fan should appreciate the GIFT FROM Memphis. Plus, how could you not love this guy, he plays with passion and team concept in mind. In fact, he's on track to break the world's record for most career HIGH-FIVES given and received. (Currently, RONNIE MAGSANOC holds the record with 27,124 career high-fives.) Seriously, never mind that some of Pau's inside shots are soft, somehow rushed, looks half-baked. Without Pau, I don't think Lake show goes this deep.

As for the Spurs... Though it ended 4-1, this isn't a L.A. massacre. Could have been 3-2 SPURS leading, you know. Manu's clearly injured but he played thru it and didn't give excuses. Tim Duncan played great. Parker played well, as the usual Tony Parker. But, in the end, Spurs were too tired and a little old for the Lakers. The Lakers are fresh, very well coached, have a pool of reserves, they played well and got the BEST BASKETBALL PLAYER.

BRING ON, KG!

Happy Holdiays From Me And Ariza