nbaoffseason:
THE PLAYOFFS START ON SATURDAY!
Plan your weekend accordingly and say good bye to all loved ones as you watch entirely too much basketball this weekend.
SATURDAY:
- Philadelphia 76ers V. Chicago Bulls at 1pm/10am on TNT/Local Channels
- New York Knicks V. Miami Heat at 3:30pm/1:30pm on ABC
- Orlando Magic V. Indiana Pacers at 7pm/4pm on ESPN/L.C.
- Dallas Mavericks V. Oklahoma City Thunder at 9:30pm/6:30pm on ESPN/L.C.
SUNDAY:
- Utah Jazz V. San Antonio Spurs at 1pm/10am on ESPN/L.C.
- Denver Nuggets V. Los Angeles Lakers at 3:30pm/1:30pm on ABC
- Boston Celtics V. Atlanta Hawks at 7pm/4pm on TNT/L.C.
- Los Angeles Clippers V. Memphis Grizzlies at 9:30pm/6:30pm on TNT/L.C.
Now, let’s boogie!
Feel like my pick is the Grizzlies, but it has been most of the season. I hate how popular they are right now though. It worries me when there’s a consensus sleeper
nbaoffseason:
fuckyeanba:
The Lakers are 4-1 with Kobe out, including last night’s 112 - 108 victory over the defending champs. I made a joke about this last week, but it seems Kobe really is helping his team from the sidelines.
Mark Medina reports:
“This proved his time to shine. But this time, it had nothing to do with Bryant hitting a game-winning shot, setting up a teammate in the post or making a defensive stop. He’s still sidelined because of a sore left shin. So beyond receiving treatement, Bryant’s kept himself busy doing something else.
He placed his right hand on Coach Mike Brown’s shoulder and pointed to something on the court while Andrew Bynum took a free throw in the waning minutes in regulation during the Lakers’ eventual 112-108 overtime victory Sunday over the Dallas Mavericks. It sparked many examples where Bryant suddenly became what assistant coach John Kuester had described as the Lakers’ ‘fifth assistant.’”
Andrew Bynum claimed “‘He’s coming up with plays and watching things that are going on. He’s telling us where the double teams are coming from and how we can be effective moving the basketball.’” That does not sound like the hyercompetitive and uncomprimising Bryant I remember.
Is Kobe Bryant relaxing a little right before the most intense time of the year for NBA players? Is he becoming a real teacher? Or is he finally succumbing to whatever humanity he has left over when he’s not destroying NBA players?
I hate to think this, let alone write it, but I’m starting to kind of like Kobe on a personal level. I know. It’s weird for me too, and my moms still thinks he’s a monster, but he seems to be getting more likable. What do you think readers?
Harry How/Getty Images
As always, some great points from Fuck Yeah NBA! and I would want to chime in a little bit…
In the past, it’s been difficult for the premier players in the Association to make that transition from elite player to elite coach. Magic Johnson, when he briefly coached the Lakers lost five out of six games before resigning. Look at Isiah Thomas’ disastrous turn with the New York Knicks and Michael Jordan’s track record as an executive with the Wizards and Bobcats. These players have an elite desire and need to win and succeed that can’t be easily translated as a coach. There’s an expectation that if I can do, then they can do it. Greatness can’t teach greatness.
Is it possible that Kobe Bryant could have a Larry Bird/Jerry West type of career after he finally retires? It could be assumed that the Lakers are listening more intently to Coach Bryant as oppose to Coach Mike Brown because they fear and trust Bryant or maybe Bryant knowns how this team works better than anybody else.
They listen to him because they know he can still get any of them traded whenever he wants. I mean partly. He’s also a basketball genius. I would love to see him coach against another Laker who we all expect to be a coach, Derek Fisher
I need to get this guys jersey
