Ring for KG or Nash?

[D-Dogg]

Respect in the NBA on the floor is just about skills. This discussion is about playing in the NBA right?

The team Kobe has around him right now is way better supporting cast than shaq ever had, he better be able to do something with it. Titles are hard to win, but a playoff series, cmon, thats a joke. Memphis hasnt won a playoff series, while utah, mavs, suns, clippers and yes even the warriors have. The idea that kobe couldnt win one for 3 years is a sobering fact about his ability to carry a team or be a team leader when it counts. Kobes leadership skills(or lack thereof) are obvious by his pissing and moaning about his teammates in public. Leaders dont blame failures on everyone else in public. Perhaps kobe is coming around, he's a better team player than he ever was, but its taken quite a while for those skills to develop(10+ years?).

He didn't piss and moan about his teammates in public, ever. He said nothing about bynum other than to ship him out for Kidd (good thing that didn't happen). What he was bitching and moaning about was the front office not doing jack squat since the Shaq trade to help the team, something Phil also said. what happens? They move Cook and Evans for Ariza, great move, and Kwame for Gasol...great move. Bynum and farmar improve, and Kobe is happy.

BTW, the best team around shaq was better than what's around Kobe now and they lost in the Finals.

Kobe was also a Tim Thomas shot away from winning a series against the 2 seed, btw. Leading a team starting Kobe-Smush Parker-Lamar Odom-Luke Walton-Kwame Brown to a near upset of one of the best teams in the league is pretty damn impressive. Hell, taking that rag-tag to the playoffs in the first place is shocking.

 

[D-Dogg]

Respect in the NBA on the floor is just about skills. This discussion is about playing in the NBA right?

No, it's not. It's about who you'd want to win a ring if it weren't your guys. Character and likeability come into play there.

I'd say KG if he hadn't died this year, because I loved his emotion and anger and fire and his long-suffering in a craphole. Too bad he's dead. He reminds me of Kobe in his attitude and desire. I admire that.

 

[D-Dogg]

fear in the workplace works for a year. respect in the workplace works forever.

It has worked for Microsoft for years now. They are feared, not respected, but the competition.

Remember, this is about your competition, not your fellow employees.

 

[D-Dogg]

What makes you say that? Please compellingly argue that this current group surrounding Kobe has done anything at all to show that their team is a contender "right now."

( Remember not to defer to the future, either, because any team "will be" a title contender in the future, including Portland, Cleveland, etc. We're talking about "right now," as you put it. )

Oh Lord.

That's just stupid. Look at standings, point differential and strength of schedule for one.

Regular season doesn't matter, true, but neither does past playoff performance which you insinuate. Unless you want to admit that the Suns aren't title contenders either, since they haven't been able to get to the finals.

I guess only the Spurs and Cavs are title contenders this season.

You are better than that, bearded one.

 

[Bufalay]

Actually this is incorrect. Artest used to go to the playoffs regularly. He has only made it out of the first round 1 time.

Career playoff FG% 38.4%

That is absolutely terrible for a 6 year average. Epic choking there.

what the hell? are you arguing with yourself?

 

[Kody Rumin]

No Artest team makes the playoffs. He doesn't scare anyone but the fans.

But it would suck to be guarded by him. I've stood right next to Ron Artest, and the guy is strong. You can't really tell it by watching the games on tv, but the guy is built like a rock, especially compared to the other thin guys on the court. He's a forceful, smart defender.

 

[Bufalay]

Kobe was also a Tim Thomas shot away from winning a series against the 2 seed, btw. Leading a team starting Kobe-Smush Parker-Lamar Odom-Luke Walton-Kwame Brown to a near upset of one of the best teams in the league is pretty damn impressive. Hell, taking that rag-tag to the playoffs in the first place is shocking.

The Suns weren't even supposed to make the playoffs that year, but since they had such an impressive year you say that their playoff win wasn't impressive? Are you saying that if the Suns had sucked all season like the Lakers, THEN their series win would've been impressive?

 

[nowagimp]

Kobe was also a Tim Thomas shot away from winning a series against the 2 seed, btw. Leading a team starting Kobe-Smush Parker-Lamar Odom-Luke Walton-Kwame Brown to a near upset of one of the best teams in the league is pretty damn impressive. Hell, taking that rag-tag to the playoffs in the first place is shocking.

Kobe needed a Dick bavetta falacio job on the suns to even be in that last game, it shouldnt have even gone 7 dude. At the end of game 6, Luke walton stole the ball from out of bounds, right in little dickys face, but he couldnt see it. Wow, laker fans do have a bit of amnesia.

 

[D-Dogg]

Kobe needed a Dick bavetta falacio job on the suns to even be in that last game, it shouldnt have even gone 7 dude. At the end of game 6, Luke walton stole the ball from out of bounds, right in little dickys face, but he couldnt see it. Wow, laker fans do have a bit of amnesia.

Refs happen, players play through that. After that call, you still had to have the tip won, kobe dribble up the court and hit the gamewinner. The call didn't win the game for them, the players did.

Bitching about refs is about the most useless thing one can do. Refs are what they are, a necessary nuisance that often make mistakes. Players play. TT beat us with a great shot, that's the way it goes.

 

[D-Dogg]

The Suns weren't even supposed to make the playoffs that year, but since they had such an impressive year you say that their playoff win wasn't impressive? Are you saying that if the Suns had sucked all season like the Lakers, THEN their series win would've been impressive?

No, it wasn't impressive. You think beating the 7 seed in seven games after being down 1-3 is impressive (well, the comeback was)? Would it have been impressive if Dallas beat Golden State last year? No, but the upset was.

Top seeds are top seeds for a reason, you were the better team that year and you damn near choked it away to a squad starting Smush Parker, Kwame Brown and Luke Walton...and you want the "impressive performance" nod??

 

[nowagimp]

Refs happen, players play through that. After that call, you still had to have the tip won, kobe dribble up the court and hit the gamewinner. The call didn't win the game for them, the players did.

Bitching about refs is about the most useless thing one can do. Refs are what they are, a necessary nuisance that often make mistakes. Players play. TT beat us with a great shot, that's the way it goes.

Bitching about calls is relevant when they enable a victory especially at the end of the game. Lebron also won a playoff game while shooting with one foot out of bounds, its a relevant bitch. In the case of the lakers that possession that they gained in the last seconds enabled kobes shot. A fould could also have been called as nash was bumped from behind, knocking the ball loose. If they call that foul, its 90% at the line, game, series over. So maybe they dont make that call on the MVP, but the jump ball from out of bounds was widely acknowledged as one of the worst calls of the entire playoffs. Only a laker fan wouldnt have a problem with it.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

what the hell? are you arguing with yourself?

Correcting myself. See if I say something that is off the cuff and then find out I am wrong, I want to correct it.

Don't get mad at me because Artest is a playoff dud.