Skill Vs Talent: Kobe Vs Lebron

This was posted on March 13, 2009. Today, the argument is no longer an argument (no matter how brilliantly Bryant is currently playing). Lebron is still the most talented player in the league, but his skill level has taken leaps and bounds which makes him, without question, the best player in the league right now.

But back in 2009? Everybody had an opinion on this argument. Just ask my coworker Chris Lee. He'll literally get physically and emotionally angry if you bring this up to him. He didn't talk to me for an entire day because of this topic.

David Robinson Vs Shaquille O'Neal

Dominance can be done in different ways. I still believe this argument.

Old Guys Getting it Done

It's highly unlikely that any of the following gentlemen will be winning the Finals MVP this year. None of them are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (who won the award when he was 38). That said, there's a ton of old guys doing work in the Association this season. Just pick a Knick.

Sam I Am the Alien: HOF?

I'll be in Tokyo for a week, so while I'll be checking boxscores and reading a ton on basketball, I won't be able to watch any and I won't have a computer to write anything. So, I thought I'd dig back into some interesting posts I've written in the past that probably have never been read by anyone. Lol.

Being that this is November, and Sam Cassell was born November 18, and since he's one of my favorite players of all time, I thought I'd jump start this with a little Sam I Am love. It was a piece I wrote back in 2008 and it was actually published on ESPN's Truehoop. I was a big fan of Truehoop when it first began, but quickly fell out of favor with it for various reasons I won't get into. That said, this piece is a true Truehoop piece.

Team snapshot: Knicks

I don't know much of what's being made of the early success of the New York Knickerbockers so far this season (they beat the Spurs earlier today), They are high on the power rankings, but under all the excitement is the probable cautious treading. Given how poorly the Knicks have played the last dozen years, with Jeremy Lin's 20-some-odd games last season as the lone bright spot in that span, we have good reason to be skeptical of the Knicks' 6-0 record. I still am kind of shocked that New York is the only undefeated team three weeks into the season. But the more I think about it, the more it makes sense.

There Will Be Bledsoe

Imagine if Russell Westbrook was drafted by a team with Chris Paul. Imagine he had to earn his minutes. Imagine he spent a lockout shortened 66-game season and then an entire offseason learning to imitate how Paul plays. Now close your eyes and imagine the type of player he would be. When you open them up, go ahead and Google Eric Bledsoe.

While he's been dubbed "baby Lebron" by no less than Lebron James himself, Bledsoe really is more like a mini-Westbrook with his zest for playing, his energy, his hops, and his high flying acrobatics.

But beyond the highlight reel plays (like last night’s facial block at the rim on a Dwyane Wade dunk attempt), Bledsoe has taken a quantum leap forward in his development in his third season. He’s always had the athleticism, but this year, he’s added a ton of thought to his game. And it absolutely shows.

The Royce White Dilemma

What is generalized anxiety disorder?

Most people have an opinion about it. There are those who believe that it is simply a technical (medical) term labeling someone who is unable to face their fears and take responsibility in confronting things that are difficult. Others will swear that it is indeed a very real diseases and a debilitating condition that renders a person unable to do things that most others can easily do.

Whatever your thoughts may be on the issue, the fact of the matter remains that Houston Rockets forward Royce White is at the center of a situation that is already escalating into a full blown disaster.

Chris Duhon's Return to Relevance

With Mike D'Antoni now the head coach of the Lakers, don't be surprised at all if the corpse of Chris Duhon is resurrected. He had a career season as the lead guard under D'Antoni in 08-09 averaging 11 points and 7 assists for the New York Knicks. Was he suited for the Steve Nash role? No. But he did excel in the system.

Jim Buss Appreciation Day

So, apparently, I was a bit quick off the draw to label the Seven Seconds or Less era dead and gone. Quite the opposite has happened in fact as it is literally being resurrected in Los Angeles. Steve Nash and Mike D’Antoni are now reunited in Lakers Purple and Gold.

Seriously, go back in time to the mid-aughts when Nash was in the midst of back-to-back MVP seasons and D’Antoni was the Coach of the Year. The Suns were the top team in the western conference and a conference finalist two years running. Back in that time, when SSOL was at the height of its powers, who would have believed that both of them would be in Los Angeles trying to win a championship with Kobe Bryant?

And yet, here we are.

Mike Brown Fired

What a panic-driven move if I've ever seen one. While anything is possible, I feel like the Los Angeles Lakers have significantly reduced their chances of winning a championship this year with the short-sighted, knee-jerk reaction firing of Mike Brown today. And, it's not as if those chances weren't already slimmed down thanks to the injuries to Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant, the winless preseason, and the inability of the big four to mesh together overnight.

Kobe Bean

The Lakers as a whole have not looked particularly good, let alone historic-level good as some anticipated. Sunday against the Detroit Pistons helped, but was far from an impressive showing.

Dwight Howard has put up some terrific numbers, but he is not nearly as explosive as he was early last season. He also is a step slow. And while he physically looks like Adonis, Howard is clearly out of shape. Despite all that, he’s averaging 23 and 10 and shooting 69 percent.

Steve Nash looked like anything but Steve Nash in the two games before his injury. There’s been calls for Mike Brown’s head on a stake. There’s been hullabaloo over handing the keys of the car over to Nash who from 2002 to 2010 orchestrated the NBA’s best offense.

And while I recently wrote the obituary of Seven Seconds or Less, Nash will adapt to the Princeton offense. When that point comes, the pick and rolls will follow.

Outrageous Statements About Clips/Cavs Game

Blake Griffin is Too Athletic

DeAndre Jordan is 6-11 with a 7-6 wingspan, a 9-5 1/2 standing reach and insane hops. Blake Griffin is 6-10, has a 36-inch vertical, and a poster with Kendrick Perkins...

And yet, the Los Angeles Clippers are a terrible defensive rebounding team.

The Death of Seven Seconds or Less

Having watched the first two games of the Lakers this season my instantaneous reaction—like many others out there—was one of shock and disbelief. How could the Lakers not be utilizing Steve Nash, orchestrator of arguably the most beautiful style of basketball--Seven Second or Less? Why was this two-time MVP running around and setting picks and spotting up behind the three-point line?

I found myself thinking, “Give the damn ball to Nash and let him do his thing.”