Links: Predictions and…Kobe

Well, Ariza just had a 32,3,3,2 game against Portland.
I’d still take Ron Artest though.
With the positioning, Toronto might only be a game behind Philly. You don’t know. Or it could be 10 games.

It works out over 82…….

Even without the context, i don’t understand how anyone that KNOWS A THING can rate ANY of the teams in the west, that didn’t make the playoffs last year ABOVE the suns. think about it – the suns have all the tools to replicate IF NOT improve on their 46-36 record from last season, whereas for the clippers to beat that they have to put up a season whereby they complete something in the range of a 25-30 game turn around? The clippers don’t have that in them – Baron Davis is not going to be anywhere near the top 5 PGs in the league to be able to produce the leadership required and that front line of camby, smith, kaman and griffin is far from being ‘Ironman’ material.
The ONLY team that beats the Suns in the Pacific is the Lakers, and by not that much either.

Nice list, Dacre. I liked reading it.

thanks jackie moon….shame i didn’t get the sp[acing right on the divisional groups – reads like a sportsmans shopping list.

Artest is a better player. Artest has better D and has a post game ALTHOUGH i would rather have Ariza over Artest. Ive been watching Ariza all preseason and the beginning of the season he really improved that jumper and upped his dribbles. I think i would rather Artest if i was going to contend for a championship but Ariza woulda been nice for the future with guys like Bynum and Farmar

I think there is one think to get in context regarding the ariza/artest debate, and for me that would be this “fact”:

Artest, today (as in right now) is more hungry to win a championship, than Ariza is. THAT, is what Kobe wants to see from his LAKESHOW team mates. That hunger. Bynum is hungry to win, and to actually CONTRIBUTE at a high level – he expects that of himself, and Kobe really would love to see that come out in Bynum’s activity. I think the history of any underlying friction between Artest and Kobe would have disappeared the very hour Artest came onboard with LA – It would have instantly turned into teamsmanship for that pair. This season certainly, you would take Artest over Ariza to support Kobe’s hunger and desire to dominate in the NBA, if not the world.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK!!!
“We did not bring him here to be a passer,” Alvin Gentry said regarding Channing Frye’s VERY quick start, shooting wise into the season. He has just topped his career high of THREE’s made in a season (13), which he’s done 3 games into this season. THE MAN HAS BEEN SERIOUSLY WORKING ON HIS SHOT.

lol @phx finishing lower then the clippers. lol at everyone who doesn’t have phoenix in the playoffs. arguably this team is better then that 04-05 team. think about it

nbk knows the score.

Clippers huh? Let me know how that works out.

article makes a whole lot of sense
Bleacher report: Who’s better, Kobe or LeBron? It’s no debate at all.

In the same manner in which Kobe Bryant was unfairly compared to Michael Jordan in the late ’90s, the debate continues with LeBron James being similarly compared to Kobe.

Some fans and pundits have even had the temerity to go as far as saying that James has already surpassed Bryant as a player.

They reinforce their arguments with statistics and the many milestones that James has accomplished at such an early age. Many of these same milestones are marks that Kobe held until James surpassed them.

There are areas of the game where James holds an advantage over Kobe, most noticeably the physical specimen department, but most arguments are based on the potential of James and not his current accomplishments.

The only problem with gazing into the crystal ball is that sometimes the present intervenes and renders all predictions useless. It’s much better to live in the present, and based on that, the James argument doesn’t hold up.

While James and Bryant are great players, there are some areas that James has yet to catch up, and in some cases, never will.

The part of LeBron’s game that has seen the biggest improvement is on the defensive end. He is still a much better help defender than ball defender, but his man-to-man defense is steadily improving.

As a youngster James was able to rely on his superior athletic ability to mask his shortcomings on the defensive end. He was simply able to overwhelm opponents with his quickness, size, and strength.

It was clear early in his career that he had the proper defensive principles, but he lacked the technique. His defensive posture was bad, and he had a habit of crossing his feet instead of sliding them.

James has taken steps to correct this and it’s evident in his game, as he has become a better on-ball defender, which helps complement his superior ball-hawking skills.

Kobe had no such problem, as he was an excellent defensive player from the time he entered the league. His man-to-man skills remain superb, and he has the ability to lock down an opponent almost at will.

Bryant was obviously schooled on the importance of defense and that can in part be attributed to his NBA lineage. He recognized the influence that getting stops has on a game and the way it contributes to momentum swings.

Conversely, James is a product of the AAU circuit and the various summer leagues, which place a low premium on defense and emphasize the highlight aspect of the game.

Michael Jordan’s footprints are all over another aspect of Kobe’s game, which is sometimes called the lost art of the mid-range jump shot.

It became the most dangerous weapon in Jordan’s arsenal, and Bryant has emulated it to the barest degree. His ability to pull up from anywhere within 18 feet has made Bryant one of the most versatile offensive players in NBA history.

This is the part of LeBron’s game that could use the most work, as all of his damage is done either from distance or at the rim, there is hardly any in-between.

A mid-range jumper is something that you have to work at, and the evidence is spread throughout the league, with only a handful of players showing the ability to master it.

Besides being the ultimate student of the game, Bryant is probably one of the most fundamentally sound. His techniques on both ends of the floor could be used in basketball tutorials.

James is no slouch in the fundamental department, but Bryant is above reproach. I’m not sure if even the most dedicated regimen could put James in Bryant’s class, which may be second only to Jordan himself.

I feel that all of the above points are solid, but they can be argued, alas this one can’t. The hardware disparity is real and it has grown since James has been in the league.

I have stated that it is fruitless to argue what James may accomplish in the future because we live in the present. The Kobe and Jordan argument would have never started if Kobe was unable to win a ring.

Charles Barkley and Karl Malone are considered two of the best power forwards to play the game, but they are trumped by Tim Duncan, and the argument will always end with the number of rings Duncan is wearing.

Likewise with John Stockton and Magic Johnson. Stockton may hold the assists record, but how many of those assists ever accounted for championships?

This is the final peg on which Kobe hangs his hat. LeBron has the potential to be the greatest player ever, but tomorrow is never promised.

I pay homage to the greatest active player today, who has the game and championships to back it up. Until LeBron wins a ring he will be relegated to second-hand status.

you put jersey 4th ? you blind brotha ?