NBA Finals Game #6: Los Angeles 92, Boston 131
Series: Boston wins 4-2
A 39-point margin in a championship-clinching game means that one team was relentlessly magnificent and the other quit early and never bothered to revive. Quite frankly, I'm shocked at how thoroughly the Celtics cut the heart out of this Lakers team, but a new champion has been crowned, so let's stroll on the sunny side to start.
Any coach or player will tell you that defense is a team concept and that the most important component of it is trusting all four of your teammates to make the right rotation or adjustment or decision within the prevailing scheme. The Celtics were blessed to have three perennial all-stars wholeheartedly buy into making defense the priority – how often do one, or even two, actually make that commitment? – and then piecing together rock-solid character guys like Posey and PJ Brown who know their roles off the bench. Add in a pair of young starters who both are far superior on defense than offense, and you have a team identity based around the most energy-intensive – and yet, if you achieve that critical mass of trust and effort, energy-effective – style of play. One of the hoariest cliches in all team sports is that defense wins championships. The Celtics epitomized that for the NBA this year. Of all the amazing stats in this series, the two that jump out are from last night's first half, when the Celts so thoroughly throttled and out-hustled LA that Boston had more steals than the Lakers had field goals, and that LA missed 19 shots, going 8-27, and yet didn't garner a single offensive rebound.
Kevin Garnett deserves all sorts of credit for this defensive identity – he was the linchpin and the physical and emotional tone-setter. But stellar defensive play from KG is not surprising, nor is it surprising from Posey, or PJ, or, except for their youthful errors, Perkins and Rondo. But Paul Pierce and Ray Allen? Has either player put together a six-game stretch of defense even remotely as effective as these Finals? (The only answer I'll accept is Pierce on LeBron two series earlier, and that still doesn't come *that* close to topping his D vs. LA.) The Celts built their defensive identity on trust and grit, and then dug down for another notch of intensity and telepathy in the postseason. How many people, even among those who picked Boston to win, believed that Pierce and Allen with a big dollop of Posey would be able to shut down Kobe Bryant as a passer *and* a distributor for much of this series? I will never again regard either one as mediocre, never mind soft, on defense until age inevitably takes its toll.
As much as this was a team-wide triumph, Pierce became a superstar in this series. By that I mean that he became whatever was required, like Tim Duncan hitting that trey to beat Phoenix about 8 weeks ago to begin these playoffs. Pierce was a point guard in the best sense of the description: He recognized and reacted to the opposing defense with acute versatility, decision-making and execution. Be it distribution, penetration, long-range shooting, pick-and-roll variation, tempo shifting (calming to catalytic and back to calming), even decoy – much more often than not, Pierce chose the right strategic option and then followed through brilliantly. I'd love to be inside his brain for just 24 hours, going over what I'd just done.
Before this postseason, I always considered Allen primarily a catch-and-shoot player; against Detroit and LA, two long, quick teams, he expertly set up his jumper with dribble-drives and vice-versa. And what happened to his bad ankles 48 minutes in pivotal Game Four? Of all the Celtics, he was the most consistent.
Posey has trailblazed one habit and reinforced another in today's NBA. The innovation is realizing that when your opponent is striving for a continuation basket after being fouled, you can get a free lick in – how does that not get adopted by practically every defensive-oriented role player? The reinforcement is being money on the trey from the baseline, Bruce Bowen style. Every contender should have a guy with ice water in his veins for that spot-up corner trey, and yet the muscle and the moxie to drive baseline into the tall timber to foster some crucial hesitation on the close-outs. If I remember, Posey was more of a elbow-beyond-the-arc three point shooter in the past; these baseline treys are perfectly suited for his temperament and skill set. FWIW, I think Ryan Gomes has great potential to be a corner-trey shooter on the Wolves, continuing the franchise's modest but noble tradition of Sam Mitchell, Malik Sealy, and back to Mitchell (and no, Tod Murphy doesn't count).
Of all the Big 3, Kevin Garnett elevated his game the least in the Finals. But then KG had the smallest distance to his ceiling, having finished third in the MVP voting and having already achieved MVP status four years ago. I made my feelings known about KG – my favorite current NBA player – in a three-pointer after Game Four. His shout-out to 'Sota was meant for many readers of this blog, and you know who you are. As a player with a deserved rep for being amped to the max under pedestrian circumstances, it was a kick watching him trying to channel it all with Michelle Tafoya at the end of the game last night, and funny watching Stuart Scott nervously give him the once over on the awards podium after the game, then decide he didn't want to risk a live interview. As much as I enjoyed the 'Sota mention, the words that brought goosebumps were, "I'm certified! I'm certified! What you gonna say now?! We made it Mom!" He took that monkey off his back and tossed it in Kevin McHale's direction.
I won't waste much time talking about the Lakers because it isn't worth much time. I will concede that I overrated them *twice* – at the beginning of the series and then after Game Five, when Gasol and Odom showed a pulse in the paint and I thought they were gathering some momentum of the their own that might create some space for Kobe to operate on the perimeter for games six and (if necessary) seven. Speaking of burdens to bear, before this series there were whispers that Odom was flighty and Gasol was soft. After their shocking display of mutual enervation, people aren't bothering to lower their voices when questioning their desire and grit now. These guys aren't inexperienced like Perkins or Rondo; Odom is 28 and has been in the league 8 years; Gasol will turn 28 in three weeks and has 6 years in the NBA plus time in Europe. They're not finished products, necessarily, but both fell into an ideal situation with the other plus Kobe sharing the court. They not only should be flourishing, they should be imposing their remarkable athletic skills on their opponents.
Instead, in an elimination game last night, Odom had *zero field goals* after three quarters. Gasol had four turnovers in the *first quarter,* and, in the signature presaging moment of the night, was flattened by Garnett, who turned around and gently tossed it in the hoop with no whistle while Pau was prone. When KG is the more brutish player down low, it is time to go to your bench.
Will Gasol and Odom recover from this stain? Too soon to tell. But their Finals will be defined by ugly memories of lackluster performances until and unless they ever get a chance to rewrite the crunchtime script.
Let's not sugarcoat it: The Lakers were a very unlikeable team in this series. I understand the venom emanating from Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy and Jon Barry, because, as one who picked LA to win this series, I felt it myself. They played stupid, selfish, uncaring basketball. Vlad Rad, Vujacic and Farmar were absolutely dreadful – they didn't guard anybody worth a damn, they eschewed the extra pass (Vujacic and Farmar actually bickered over backcourt touches – in the NBA Finals!) exercised terrible shot selection, and pretended passion in a manner so blatantly superficial you wanted to get right in their faces and shout WTF?!
On that score, Phil Jackson needed to caffeinate the zen with a little fire and brimstone. Normally I'd be a little shy about dispensing advice to a guy with nine rings, but I can't imagine anything I'd suggest working less well than whatever it was Jackson was trying to instill in his crew the past six games.
And Kobe Bryant? Let's brand him the Dirk Nowitzki of 2008 and call it a season.
For fans like myself, who didn't get a chance to see a lot of college hoops before March Madness, this video breakdown by Jay Bilas is a good "Draft Prep."
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2008/news/story?page=DraftVideo-Beasl...
A couple things that stood out in there to me are OJ Mayo's mediocre athleticism on display on his clips, Russell Westbrook's monster dunks in traffic, Bilas' dubbing Eric Gordon as the draft's best scorer, and his praise for DeAndre Jordan as a shot-blocker and rebounder (I think those are two things the TWolves could probably use).
Anyway, it's a good watch--each video is about 30 seconds.
Let me play devil's advocate here for a minute... If the Lakers were soft and they won the west, how do you think the Celts would have faired against SA or NOLA or even PHX?? Would it have been over sooner or later or not happen at all? After all, TD and Shaq are *alot* tougher than Odom/Gausol and yet those teams all lost. Or..... is this a case of the Lakers having the easiest path through the playoffs? Didn't the Celtics have a very easy path to the Finals also??
I'm so happy for KG that I could (and did) scream for joy for him. I understand the euphoria of winning a championship and the frustration of not getting there. Unfortunately for me, it was only on the local level, not the national scene, where you know the pressure is greater. Now that KG has won his title, I can go back to despising the Celtics.
Britt - Thanks for articles. I just stumbled across your blog via a reference in a national rag. Not only you but most of the reader/respondants have great insight into the game and make reading the articles/responses a joy rather than a tedium that the national articles have become. Thanks again to all of you.
I picked Celtics over the Hornets back during the 2nd round. It's not that the West is soft, even though Kobe didn't "attack" the basket for the first time until 2 minutes to go in the 3rd when the reserves were in and even Gasol got a put-back dunk. Letterman said it in an interview with KG & Allen: the Lakers are "dental hygienists", so it's official...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=rm3JNH6HCtY
... the West prepares nurses and the East prepares docs.
Vengence? Vengence?
More like redemption. Redemption for an aging cadre of basketball players. Redemption for Pierce who had to endure several years of sub-par teams. Redemption for KG who even in the Finals was being second-guessed for not attacking the basket and who had to find a team willing to pay the luxury tax required in bringing in a seasoned core of vets to surround him with.
And, surely redemption for Ray who was blasted for not putting up his usual big numbers in several playoff games.
And, redemption for Doc, a true class of the league. I loved his photo snap with the cigar right next to the photo of Red.
And a swan song for "big ballz" Cassel. Say "good night" Sam.
I am so proud of Rondo. Amongst all the Big Tickets and Kobes, Rondo shined.
I think Britt meant "vengeance" in the sense that they blew the Lakers out in Game 6 to close out the series (correct me if I'm wrong, Britt). All of those people you mentioned probably also experienced redemption.
Apologies for possibly derailing this discussion, but Britt gets a shout-out in an essay in the Boston Phoenix:
"The best sports blogs don’t aggregate information from traditional media; they provide original analysis of great depth and sophistication. Take Britt Robson, who writes online at The Rake, and may be the best basketball writer working today."
http://thephoenix.com/Boston/News/63452-Bad-sports/?page=3#TOPCONTENT
Kevin McHale may not be the only one who needs to look over his shoulder when it comes to Minnesota hoops.
What made this NBA playoff season so great for me was to be able to root for a team with my favorite player knowing they actually had a chance to win it all. The Celtics did it the hard way with all of two 7 game series, all the road losses and all of the injuries. En route they beat the two teams with the two best players in the league and they did it by shutting these players down. I'm extremely happy for KG, Pierce, and Allen.
And I think this is not a one and done deal. Having mastered the playoff learning curve in their first year together, how good can this team get ? Isn't a repeat imminent ? The Big Three are all in their 30’s but are all in very good shape. Pierce’s knee injury was obviously not as bad as I thought (a torn ACL) and the prospects of him coming back at full strength are probably quite good. The Celtics bench is deep and proved to be better equipped to handle the playoff pressure than the Laker bench. Cassell and PJ Brown are veterans and signed on to this team late. As instrumental as they were to this championship, they most likely will not return. But if Boston can keep the reserve core of Posey, House, Powe, and Davis. this team should be favored to win the East again next year.
And what about the Lakers ? With Bynum back in the lineup, they'll have the toughness in the paint they sorely lacked in the Finals. Kobe and Jackson will come out of this hungrier than ever. With some tweaks in the roster (get rid of Radmonovic and maybe try to trade Odom) and with the playoff experience the reserves got, they are going to be hard to beat. It wll be harder for them to get back to the Finals than it is for the Celtics but I like their chances.
I am so happy for Kevin Garnett. Sure he's been paid and he may not be the best scorer in the league to take games over in the 4th quarter.
But right now, he is the best defensive player on the planet and perhaps the best teammate. Not to mention the 20 and 10. Boston would not have won without him.
He is a hall of famer with a Championship ring. His name will long be mentioned by countless coaches, basketball players, and announcers when trying to sell the "team" concept.
Perhaps best of all, at least for me, is that he is a good person. No criminal rap sheet, yet loyal. Loyal in an era when the prevailing business theme is "me first."
As for the Wolves, the blueprint is out there. One need only look at the caliber of players on the championship teams. But McHale is still here.
The blueprint for the Wolves is there stylistically as well. Not only do the Wolves need more players of championship caliber, they also need to foster a defensive identity and bring in players that can perform to that level. More than ever, I find myself agreeing with those that say that a defensive-minded big is the biggest need on the team right now. A true PG would be great, but there have been teams to win without that. Off the top of my head, I can't think of a single team ever that won the title without a strong defensive presence on the inside. Even the "superstars win championships" saying has caveats, like the 04 Pistons. I can't think of any such exception among championship teams with respect to strong interior defenders...they all have them. So let's hope the Wolves find a way to bring Big Al the help up front that they never were able to provide to KG.
For those who didn't see it, here's the post-game interview I mentioned below that KG had with Stephen A. Smith. Check the 3:24 mark for a message to those of us that Britt assured us KG's not forgotten:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJmxOzmfQqU
That's absurd. KG singlehandedly transformed this franchise (e.g. Pierce) with his team first mentality. Boston appreciates him as much as Minnesota did. We wish we could have seen him develop, daily, in his earlier career but we're glad we've got him. Don't denigrate Boston fans - there's room enough to appreciate contributions from every player. Boston sports fans are smart and we know what happened.
I think that KG made it as clear as reasonably possible that he considers Minnesota and its fans his home. Both in the Tafoya post-game interview - when KG's first coherent words were to dedicate the win to 'Sota, and in the SAS interview when he was composed and had the time to really articulate his thoughts he went out of his way to sincerely thank Minnesota as strongly as he knows how. Even Celtics fans still consider him to be more Minnesota than Boston...that's part of why, as much as they appreciate him, they still in their hearts have more love for Pierce. It's natural, after all the blood/sweat/tears shared in both locations over the past decade.
Some Timberwolves fans accused KG of turning his back on them this season, so I think it was really cool to hear directly from the horse's mouth that isn't the case.
I'm so happy for the Celtics.
I want to say the Doc Rivers did an excellent job this year. Coaching the game , by drawing up the plan, the X's and O's is one thing, but managing personalities is another beast. Phil Jackson, the zen master, has garnered much credit for his ability to manage personalities and make it mesh. It's time to sway some of that credit towards Doc Rivers.
His team, went through a lot of personal before the season, and during. They added 2 other big named players who all, if you watched the post game interviews could tell, had distinct personalities and they, themselves even touched on that.
I give a ton of credit to Doc Rivers in meshing the personalities, and by using the unique talents and skill sets that his players had.
Britt, perhaps you are right and LA does/did have the superior bench, but I think Doc Rivers got more of what was needed at the right time from the right people on his bench. But after this series, you will have a hard time to convince me that they do in fact have the better bench.
I will admit, the biggest surprise in game 6 for me was Rondo. I was so mad at him for stretches. And I know that he didn't play well. But he brought his A game when you need to bring your A game. So I give him credit there. I noted in previous blog that his career is kinda going ala Tony Parker (not that they're the same player or play the same, well the jumper thing is similar) but, having to deal with criticism early in his career to being benched in the finals for periods. But if he does go the route of Parker, the kid is only going to gt better and learn from this year's season and in this year's playoffs. I think he will be a good point guard in the future and shed the criticism layer by layer, year by year.
Go KG!
Here's what I took from the Finals:
-The best team won.
-Even the best player on the planet needs help to win four out of seven games.
-There are some really bad players on the Lakers, especially Vlad Rad: it was painful watching that guy during the Finals.
-Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol are soft, finesse players that were intimidated by a physical and crafty Celtics front line.
-Phil Jackson's system may be more reliant on great players than nine rings would lead one to believe.
-Kobe is great. Some of the shots he made, particularly contested threes, and his ability to get anything with pathetic and apathetic teammates and defensively staunch opponents proved to me that he is truly great. Comparisons to Jordan have to take into account that Jordan always had better supporting casts than Kobe has now.
-There's something in the water in Beantown. The Patriots are the class of the NFL, the Red Sox are the class of MLB, and it looks like the Celtics are the class of the NBA. During the Finals I kept thinking of the style of play the Patriots have relied upon during these last years: great, intimidating defense with enough tact and skill on offense to pull it out in the end. Am I correct in drawing a decent comparison to the Celts style of play?
-The NBA is more of a team game than I thought. I am just coming back to basketball from focusing most of my fandom on football for quite a while. I grew up in the Jordan era and have up to this point been led to believe that a great player or two could dominate the NBA. I now know that great teams like the Celtics of this year and the Spurs of the last few years will usually triumph but the league needs to push individual superstars for marketing purposes. Too bad a lot of the sports media I consume buys into this as well. I hope I've learned my lesson.
- The Timberwolves having Al Jefferson as a premiere post scorer is great but they will not get anywhere without perimeter D and someone to block shots. Watching McCants, Foye, and Telfair on defense last year was disappointing to say the least and while Al improved on defense he is primarily on offensive threat and certainly cannot make up for the porous perimeter D the Wolves trotted out last year. Watching the Lakers pathetic defense really drives home the fact that winning teams play at least play hard defense if not good defense.
I think you're far too kind to say that Kobe is 2008's Dirk. He's a 6'6" Alan Iverson. Always has been and always will be. The question will be who he gets traded to in 2-3 years when Bynum doesn't work out.
Perhaps this is true. It just gets me thinking. I mean we are talking about Dirk Nowitzski and Allen Iverson as if this is an insult. You'd thnk we were calling Kobe - Ricky Davis or something for last night's performance (Now, S&P don't even think about it). Dirk's a pretty good player. Someone KG could have been easily compared to if Atlanta had managed to steal one game in Boston or even Labron and Cleveland. And, Allen Iverson is a future hall of famer and belongs amongst the best point guards with the biggest heart to ever play the game. A 6'6" Iverson is not exactly an insult. Damn, A 6'6" Iverson should scare the hell out of anyone, and I suppose Kobe does.
And, you know what, for all the NBA worries about Iverson and cornrows and his bad attitude and image, he has actually turned out to be a pretty decent person and representative of the NBA as he has aged into his veteran years. I suspect Kobe has as well.
I have to admit getting the warm fuzzies about KG's enthusiasm and heartfelt thanks to "Sota after winning last night. But, the warm fuzzies also came while reading Ashe's interview with him. Sometime's the hugs of Magic and Isaih before games kind of gets to ya and you would rather believe as a fan that players just can't turn it on and off like that. The opponent is suppose to be the enemy. But Kobe and KG can do it. They have a genuine love and respect for each other. Form the interview.
"[At that moment, Kobe Bryant — done with his own media availability — walked over. The two players embraced.
"What's up, Kobean?'' Garnett said.
"Just chillin', my man,'' the Lakers All-Star guard said.
After a few private words, Garnett said loudly, "Absolutely.'' Then he picked up his answer.] "
Don't know why, but that makes me like and respect Kobe and KG all that much more.
I like Dirk. I meant that Kobe wasn't worth the compliment that he was Dirk. Iverson and Bryant are very good players but there's limits as to what they can do with a team. Dirk is in the KG mode of players and I don't think that Kobe deserves to be included in that type of selfless, team based kind of player.
PS: My dislike of Kobe (and AI) has nothing to do with cornrows and other assorted quasi-racist bullshit. I'm not sure what the image thing has to do with my dislike of AI's or Kobe's game. I don't like volume shooters and I think that both of their games are built on getting theirs more than your average player. I completely agree that these sorts of players need a certain type of teammate to succeed. However, KG didn't need a Kobe or AI; he needed a Pierce and Allen to win, and if I can't get you to believe that there's a difference between Kobe/AI and Pierce/Allen, then we'll just have to agree to disagree. Kobe couldn't have done in a million years what Pierce did this year and his ability to play nice and absorb some of his game into the team is one of the biggest reasons why Kobe's going home without a ring. Again, Ray Allen tagged this years ago with Kobe: he wants to do it on his own to prove something and he's simply not that good enough of a player to do it a'la Mike.
There's a lot to digest on that post.
"KG didn't need Kobe or AI; he needed a Pierce and Allen to win."
---For one thing, KG and Kobe would've won the title. The only difference would've been that no series would've gone to seven games. For another, I'm not sure I understand the comment. He didn't need one more Hall-of-Famer, he needed two more. It sounds pretty logical to me.
"If I can't get you to believe that there's a difference between Kobe/AI and Pierce/Allen, then we'll just have to agree to disagree."
---Regarding Kobe vs. Pierce/Allen, nobody would disagree with you that there's a difference, but every reasonable person would find the main difference to be that Kobe is a better player than Pierce or Allen, although perhaps not better than Pierce & Allen combined.
"Kobe wouldn't have done in a million years what Pierce did this year and his ability to play nice and absorb some of his game into the team is one of the biggest reasons why Kobe's going home without a ring."
---This one has a couple of issues. One, Kobe's already got three rings on his fingers, so "a million years" might be a stretch, since it happened in the past decade. Also, this is the first criticism I've read or heard that Kobe should've tried to "absorb more of his game into his team" in this Finals. In the games I watched, I saw his teammates royally sucking, and if anything, Kobe trusting them to a fault. Are you really suggesting that Odom and Gasol needed more touches?
And finally, the classic... "he wants to do it on his own to prove something and he's simply not that good enough of a player to do it a'la Mike."
---Assuming you mean Jordan, you'll have to remind me of the title MJ won without not only a fellow Hall-of-Famer, but fellow Top 50 of All-Time performer in Scottie Pippen. Then you'll have to remind me of the ones he won without a bruising forward that made All-Defensive teams, and finally you'll have to remind me of how Jordan's supporting cast did without him immediately after his departure. Actually, I'll answer the last one--55 wins and a questionable foul call away from the East Finals. Either MJ won a title with the Wizards that slipped past me, or I'm not sure he won anything on his own.
I don't think you have any concept of just how much MJ carried his teams by himself. Go take a look at his poss% and efficiency rates and then go back and look at what Kobe did vis-a-vis Shaq. Shaq is the only player that has come close to shouldering that much of his team's burden while doing it so efficiently. Kobe is in every sense of the word a Pippen-esque player while never being the kind of player that MJ was. With the Celts pulling off the biggest single season turnaround in league history, did you know that MJ also has a top-10 turnaround to his credit? It's a long way from 47 to 72. If you ever wanted to know what a player like MJ or Shaq was worth, take a look at what the Bulls did without MJ (55 and 47, no titles) and the Lakers teams without Shaq (still in progress). MJ *was* the Bulls and he carried them to an extent not matched by any other player in league history.
All the other stuff is simply he-said/she-said disagreements between us and we'll just have to agree to disagree as there's no stats or history to prove it either way. I just don't think Kobe has the makeup to have a season like Pierce did this year where he let his ego get absorbed into the team.
About the 47-72 thing...I believe Rodman also joined Chicago in that off-season. He was at his absolute prime at that point, and considered a major acquisition for them. Sort of like Boston acquiring both KG and Ray Allen. Add two studs to a team that already has one, and miracles happen. There's no getting around the fact that MJ played a lot of seasons where he didn't win titles, and the times he did involved tremendous supporting casts. He's still probably the greatest player in history, but it's just not as clear-cut as many think. His marketing has widened the margin in most people's minds. There are guys who won more than Mike (Russell) and guys with better stats than Mike (Wilt, Big O) and now guys with superior talent than Mike (Kobe). Perhaps none packaged it all together quite like he did, but I think he was in a perfect situation with the ideal sidekick in Pippen.
Just to compare the year in question (1996) with one of Kobe's better efforts (2002), let me show you how the 2 break down:
2002 Kobe:
Poss: 1766
Scoring Poss: 949
Floor %: 0.54
ORtg: 112
% team poss: 30
1996 MJ:
Poss: 1833
Scoring Poss: 1064
Floor %: 0.58
ORtg: 124
% team poss: 31
First of all, a bit of perspective. ORtg is a pretty simple concept. It's the number of points produced by a player per 100 possessions. In the NBA, if you're between 110-115, you're pretty frickin' good. As you can see, MJ and Kobe factored in their team's possessions pretty much at an even rate. What MJ was able to do with his possessions is end them in a much more efficient manner than Kobe, to the tune of 12 points/100 possessions. Quite simply, that's stunning. If you go back and look at MJ's career, he *always* shouldered between 30-36% of his team's possessions while getting up to 125 points/100 possessions. Kobe's best pts/poss # in his career (even after being unburdened from Shaq; who actually held his stats down more than Pippen held MJ's down) is 1.07. MJ was getting 1.25 at his peak. Again, over the period of 100 possessions, that's a lot of points, that's a lot of wins, and that's a lot of championships...all produced by a single guy. Remember, the better teammates you have, the more your individual numbers are likely to get worn down. Shaq is a better player than Pippen. If you look at Bryant post-05, his per/poss numbers go up as do other efficiency stats like PER. Even after being unburdened of the diesel, Kobe couldn't come close to putting up the numbers that MJ had *with* Pippen, *with* Kukoc, and *with* Rodman. Bird couldn't do it, Magic couldn't do it, Russell couldn't do it, Chamberlain couldn't do it, and Kobe hasn't been able to do it. (BTW: over at Hoopus, we have a post up today where we link to a post about Win Share scores between Beasley and Love; one of the reasons why Love's look good is because he had a better supporting cast with more people that could take away from his stat line...in the end, by being able to post Beasley-esque--and in some cases Beasley posted Love-esque--efficiency numbers on a good team, Love has the better adjusted numbers.)
Marketing or not, MJ was otherworldly when it came to being the engine that ran a team. Lebron, in his 5th year, is already at Kobe's best post-Shaq numbers.
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/LeBron-James-2967/stats/
He has a shot of getting into the discussion, but even he's still a ways a way (cough...jump shot...cough).
I'm a novice with basketball stats, but I'd guess that Wilt's 50 ppg season ranks pretty high in any measure. Also, I believe The Big O averaged a triple double with 30+ ppg (but could be wrong on that). To me, those are more jaw-dropping stats than any of MJ's seasons. However, I agree with 99% of people that MJ had the most impressive career of any, and his stats rank right up there, and definitely ahead of Kobe's. I just think it's closer than people realize, and a big part of it is how perfect of a teammate Pippen was (today's comparisons would probably be Shawn Marion or KG--possibly Josh Smith if he continues to develop) and how tough his power forwards were. You pointed out that Chicago went from 55 to 47 wins between 94 and 95...I think that's when Grant left for Orlando--who jumped up to a Finals team that year. He was very good at that time.
One thing I don't understand are the people (again, Bill Simmons) who over-emphasize the hand checking that Jordan put up with. If I were an explosive two guard in the NBA, I'd rather have one guy playing me physical than five Boston Celtics shading my direction at all times. Thibedeau or Rivers devised one heck of a zone-like D in these Finals, and even MJ would've had to resort to more 3's and less penetration--if his teammates weren't there to help him, which Kobe's were not. As it was, MJ's entire Bulls career was played against straight man-to-man defense, and it's pretty hard to double-team a two guard, when the other three guys aren't allowed to shift into a zone.
As far as stats go, I'd recommend looking into possession based stats. They deal more with quality than quantity. Net numbers don't really speak to how efficiently any given player goes about his business or to their overall impact on team play (esp raw assist numbers). Think of a basketball game like an ongoing string of football possessions. During each possession a number of things happen that either end the possession favorably or unfavorably. Ultimately, the goal of any basketball game is to hold the ball as much and as efficiently as possible and to get it back as efficiently as possible. If you go simply by net numbers, you really learn nothing about the quality of play. Just look at the Denver Nuggets. They have a massive gap between their efficiency and league rankings for net numbers. At the end of the day, they have players who put up nice numbers and they win a fair amount of games, but they're really not that great of a team. And so goes any net number comparison between someone like Kobe and MJ. The way in which MJ went about his business was so much more efficient than what Kobe does that even though they both could score 30 ppg, MJ would do so with fewer missed shots, turnovers, and other assorted ways of ending a possession in a negative manner. Again, this sort of efficient play allows his teammates to put up big numbers without his own being dragged down. He literally was so good that he absorbed the weight of his teammates relative inefficiency.
As for the rules changes stuff, there's a pretty solid set of data that shows how the NBA has become a less offensive league in the past 10-15 years. It's pretty hard to argue against. I'll dig around and see if I can find a link to an article or two on the subject.
Rodman's absolute prime got you 8 points a game, tops. Greatest rebounder since Moses, no doubt, and could guard damn near anyone in the league, but it's not like he was the straw that stirred the drink or anything.
Jordan needed teammates, just as Shaq/Wilt/Russell/Kareem/Magic/Bird/Isaiah/Hakeem/Duncan/KG you get what I'm going for here? Yeah, he needed teammates, and Rodman/Pippen/Ho-Grant/Kerr/Paxson were nice to have (especially Pippen, who may be the most underrated player ever).....but those 72 wins aren't because of two studs being added to one stud.
Those 72 wins are about MJ wanting to kill people with his mindgrapes. MJ's mind/will was in a league us mere mortals can't comprehend.
5.5 offensive rebounds a game is nothing to ignore. His five rings are not of the Tony Allen variety. His teams needed him to make their goals. Grouping Pippen and Rodman with Kerr and Paxson is just sophistry. You might remember that Jordon only got past the Pistons when his teammates started making their shots. His greatness never really changed, his team changing got him the rings.
Of course, you said it yourself. Rodman was added to the team and he gave 8 points a game. That pretty much accounts for all the extra wins.
I agree.
PPS: And I'm not accusing you of bringing up quasi-racist bullshit. Just to be clear I can't stand the whole image thing with the NBA and I think it's ridiculous. I just don't get what my comments about Kobe have to do with image. I know that can come across kind of crass over the internets. No harm intended.
No big deal. We can agree to disagree. I think Kobe and Al are every bit as good of players as KG or Pierce and twice the player that Allen is and I don't think saying that is that controversial.
I love team players, but I also love players who have heart and can take over games by themselves. There is a subtlety there, and players like Kobe and Al do need to have teammates that mesh with their games and also know how to work with those teammates. I believe both Al and Kobe can do that and I also have little doubt that either of them could have teamed with KG to win a championship with any supporting cast after seeing KG do it with Pierce. Its all right that we disagree on that because we'll never know.
I only mentioned the cornrow thing not out of race, but because I believe both Kobe and AI suffer from the same sort of image problem and each one takes more than their share of hate from fans who despise them for any number of reasons. S&P, believe me when I say I'm not accusing you of racism. Iv'e read enough of your stuff to admire your knowledge of b-ball and believe you judge players for what you percieve to be their contributions on the court. You have added to my knowledge of the game and players many times. I know you despise Kobe and AI for their selfish play on the basketball court and that has nothing to do with race, but there are many who hate AI because he has cornrows and embodies the street thug image associated with gang members on a street corner and there are even more who hate Kobe because he was accused of raping a white woman - that is just a fact. I just admire the way they play basketball and both have had their share of success as individuals and as members of winning teams.
Fair enough. I completely get where you're coming from and respect the take.
Let me just add that there is one thing that KG's championship proves to me and I agree with KG whole heartedly on this now. If The Wolves front office really wanted a championship with KG, they could have gotten it done, but it would have cost them some money. Ainge might have traded Pierce to MN, Kobe wanted out of LA and Philly traded Iverson. Pearing any of these players alongside of KG in a timberwolf uniform would have put the Wolves back on top in the west, I am convinced now after last night. Hell, perhaps it would have taken some work and the Wolves may have not had much to give in return after all the failed trades and lost draft picks for Jaric, Banks and others - but KG needed a scorer next to him that was much bigger than Wally or, even Cassell. He needed a Kobe, Pierce or Iverson. He needed a Dwane Wade a Steve Nash. We know that, now, there is no doubt, and the only thing Mchale and Taylor failed at was not getting that type of player over here to play next to him. They thought they could not afford two stars and insisted on KG being the only star and surrounding him with role players. Its nothing against KG to be compared to Pippen. Jordan couldn't have done it with Pippen either. And Pierce could not have done it without KG.
I have firmly believed, in both my head and my heart, that the Celtics have been the best team in the NBA from day 1 this season. I picked the Celtics to win the Finals in 6 games, and it drove me crazy that so very few in the basketball world seemed to see the things that I thought that I saw (the best defense, the more difficult tests coming in, and three great players that would walk on glass barefoot to get this ring).
The view that the Celts had no real shot was so pervasive, though, that I had to question myself. I know that I am biased when it comes to KG, so I always had the worry that maybe I was letting my hopes influence my analysis. Even as the series was playing out, with the Celtics looking like the better team, I had to worry that maybe I was wrong. When KG missed the Game 5 FTs I had to worry if maybe I was wrong that he could step up when it counted (and after karma smacked me for the second time for talking before the series was over, there was no WAY I was posting on here again until after the trophy was presented).
So for them to demolish the Lakers...like THAT. For KG to play like THAT in the closeout game. To see the outright jubilation in the postgame play out like THAT. I can't even describe how great this is. There are no words.
Certified!
Certified - yes. YES.
But also certified for me is how difficult it is for KG to change his stripes.
Despite his promise to come out tougher and some early muscle (and I Ioved Britt's take that if KG is brutalizing your starters in the paint, better call on your bench) I direct your attention to the 3rd Quarter, when KG went 0-3 shooting jumpers and missing bunnies that should have been dunks. When the team has a 20+ point lead, it's easy to overlook, but if the game had been tight, all the KG haters would be clamoring.
If there is anything for KG to improve on, being willing to lean inside and take the contact while jamming the ball in the hoop is it. Even his spin move from the left block into the lane turns into a jumper - when the rim is oh so close. Arrgh!
Still, he can play for me anytime. And unlike McHale, I'd try to insure that he actually had a team of team players to play with. This year's Celtics were the epitome of team -- I wanted to call so many players key to the victories that it became ridiculous. Rondo and Perkins. PJ Brown especially. Posey and Powe. I enjoyed Glen Davis dominating Turiaff, even though Big Baby hadn't played in the series. Eddie House. ANd perhaps the most amazing thing of all was (with the exception of Cassell) was how, no matter who was on the floor, the team defense was amazing throughout most of the games.
Certified: Team defense trumps individual offense.
"Despite his promise to come out tougher and some early muscle (and I Ioved Britt's take that if KG is brutalizing your starters in the paint, better call on your bench) I direct your attention to the 3rd Quarter, when KG went 0-3 shooting jumpers and missing bunnies that should have been dunks. When the team has a 20+ point lead, it's easy to overlook, but if the game had been tight, all the KG haters would be clamoring."
I think this is more than a bit of a stretch. KG wasn't credited with his first shot attempt in the 3rd quarter until there was only 5:18 left in the 3rd and the Celtics were up by 31 points. Prior to that point he had drawn two shooting fouls and made all 4 FTs and had grabbed four boards in the quarter. He had also just used 1-hand to force to jump ball with Gasol that kind of epitomized the game. He clearly dominated the inside at both ends of the court for the entire competitive portion of the game, well past the point where the Lakers gave up, so to cherry pick three missed shots during what amounts to garbage time doesn't really do much to support your point. KG clearly delivered on his promise in that game.
The point I am making is black and white. In general, KG tends to avoid contact on offense. And once he gets tired he takes difficult shots, like the turnaround fade -- and misses them. It's the same whether he's up by 30 or down by 20. That this tendency showed up so clearly in the championship clinching game is merely a "certifying" data point in a decade's worth of games.
I think you'd be best off just agreeing with drza44. He's in a zone.
KG was actually taking more outside shots in the 1st quater. KG going strong against 2 defenders under a minute left 2nd quarter and taking the contact:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bifOgD0a0cc
KG actually was 5 of 6 on free throws in the 3rd comig from 3 fouls in the low post.. He also took it to the hole later and would have gotten the offensive rebound and putback, but Rondo, his teammate, either beat him to it or KG eased up and let him have it. Granted, he wasn't attacking like Rondo, but Rondo was psychotic and forcing up too many shots.
Great post, Britt. And another great season.
Anyone see KG's sit-down interview with Steven A. Smith later in the night? When Smith asked KG to address his time and fans in Minneapolis. KG looked straight into the camera and offered a lengthy, heart-felt thank you to Minneapolis and his fans there. "I didn't want to leave, but all good things come to an end" -- I wanted to give the brother a big hug when he said that. The fact that he hasn't turned sour over his time in Mpls is just another reason (not that we needed another) to love this guy and what he's all about.
Great post, Britt. And another great season.
Anyone see KG's sit-down interview with Steven A. Smith later in the night? When Smith asked KG to address his time and fans in Minneapolis. KG looked straight into the camera and offered a lengthy, heart-felt thank you to Minneapolis and his fans there. "I didn't want to leave, but all good things come to an end" -- I wanted to give the brother a big hug when he said that. The fact that he hasn't turned sour over his time in Mpls is just another reason (not that we needed another) to love this guy and what he's all about.
Britt,
For a series that went six games, and had one game gift-wrapped for the eventual winner, I think you may be a little too-kind to the winner and too-harsh to the loser. But I agree that Boston played incredible defense that entire series and are the first example of how to utilize the post-illegal defense rules against a mega-star like Kobe Bryant. I'll add a couple random thoughts and observations.
* LA won't win a title until Odom leaves their roster. I've never really liked him on that team, and he completely lived up to his reputation as a headcase who doesn't show up when it matters most. The most unsettling part is watching him interviewed, when he denies that anything has gone wrong.
* The Gasol trade wasn't as bad as many originally thought. Memphis has a young superstar in Rudy Gay, whose only flaw that most people criticize is being soft on defense. I'm not sure why they would want to complement him with an even softer center in Gasol. While they could have waited and shopped him closer to the deadline, I'm not a GM and can't second guess the fact that a soft center in a physical league might not be worth much more than cap room and late first round picks. Maybe he'll look better at the power forward when Bynum returns.
* Perhaps more than defense winning championships, I agree with a quote I read from Pat Summit a long time ago that "defense wins games, and rebounding wins championships." Last night, LA came out with a better approach against Pierce, and actually played decent defense for the first half. However, they couldn't get a defensive (or offensive) rebound, and Boston was cruising along in spite of shaky shooting from everyone but KG. The final tally was 48-29.
* Back to the post-illegal defense rule stuff, this is the first time I've really noticed its effect. No longer can one player carry a team's offense, unless he's able to bomb from three and explode to the basket. It's much like college in that respect. I think it's great because you really know you're watching something special, when one guy takes over in spite of the rules----perfect example was LeBron's 48-pointer vs. Detroit. While I remember the TNT-crew blasting Flip for not quadruple-teaming 'Bron, the truth is that he was hitting 3's off the dribble that were unstoppable. For LeBron & Kobe to win big playoff games, they need to do that type of damage from outside, or hope their teammates can step up. That's the way basketball should be. I just wish they didn't have the defensive 3-seconds rule. Boston was predictably called for a couple last night, but it was well-worth the risk to play that effective zone-like defense. It's a much-more fun game to watch than the 1990's "back down my man for 10 seconds" game, ala Charles Barkley and others.
* Great playoffs. The best I can remember, in spite of the somewhat anti-climactic finish. Boston had multiple 7-gamers en route to their title, and the ongoing Ray Allen struggles made it that much better to see him come back and prevail, in spite of his really unfortunate situation with his child getting diabetes. As sick as it makes me to see Boston win another title with a Minnesota product, KG deserves a ring. I don't think it makes me a KG-hater to wish that it came in Minnesota, and to care less about Boston's seventeenth banner than perhaps most of 'Sota did.
Andy G--
I know you're a big Laker fan and also feel it is a little much to simply transfer your affection for KG over to Boston instead of being loyal to the local squad. (And yes, I know you are a long ways from being a KG hater.) Thus, last night's blowout and the series in toto was a bit of a double kick in the gut for you. Just wanted to say that I admire your ability to remain analytically astute, to answer my opprobrium toward your squad in a rational manner, but without leeching all the passion out of your prose. Getting a diversity of opinion on this site in all types of weather, fair and foul, greatly enhances it and I thank you for your contribution in that regard.
Thanks, and I should add that I took the route that many Laker-fans probably did last night and chose sleep over watching the blowout ensue. So, I don't know how the 2nd half played out besides the final score and perhaps LA deserved the harsh words that you and others have given them. While that series could've gone LA's way with a break here or there in Game 2 or 4, Boston was the better team for a solid majority of the time and deserved to win.
*re: Odom. Like I said a few blogs back, I really think Odom and Gasol were perfect sidekicks to Kobe Bryant this year: immensely talented players with a less competitive mentality that would allow them to play (and thrive) as followers to Kobe's brilliance. I think, before this Finals, that is how Kobe would have drawn it up. Now, though, the other side of that coin is apparent...namely, that the same flaws that make Odom and Gasol natural followers also makes them untrustworthy when the heat is turned up. They just don't have the dog in them.
I don't know if Odom has to go or not, but the Lakers (and I think Kobe) must now realize that they need some more heart to go with the talent. There are rumors that they'd be after Artest...that is a scary combo in more than one way, but even I (who REALLY don't like Kobe) can't deny that Artest has the ability to be a Pippen/Rodman combo next to Kobe and they could be very formidable together.
*Re: Gasol trade. I don't think the majority of the criticism was that the Grizzlies were willing to trade Gasol...as you point out, there are valid justifications for the trade. But the fact that they got so LITTLE for him without (apparently) ever testing the market for better offers is what makes it such a ridiculous deal. You're right that they are trying to build around Gay, but Gasol was a significant asset. If they were going to move that, they needed to get valuable assets in return, which they didn't.
Fair point about Gasol. I guess I'll put it this way. The trade worked SO WELL for LA up until this Finals, that it looked like "highway robbery" as I believe Sir Charles called it frequently on the TNT show. After the Finals, where the trade basically didn't work at all (hell, the stronger Kwame might've fared better against Perkins/Brown/Garnett) I think it's an opportune time to defend the trade. It's clearly somewhere in between a "fair trade" and "highway robbery." So much of people's opinions of this Finals are shaped by the unrealistically high expectations that LA (and Kobe, mostly) created for themselves by playing over their heads throughout most of the season and the West playoffs. Kudos to Doc and Thibideau for exploiting LA's weaknesses.
I think I see what you're aiming at here, but again I just disagree a bit with the final point. That trade was outright robbery for the Lakers, because they basically got something for nothing. It may not have worked out in the Finals, but without that trade they don't even sniff the Finals. With a 50-win team missing the playoffs in the West, it's arguable that without that Gasol trade the Lakers might have even missed the postseason altogether. Once Bynum went down Kobe was holding the team together but they were playing .500 ball, then Gasol got there and they exploded. No Gasol, and Kobe might have been re-enacting his "trade me!" interviews from last season instead of playing in the Finals over the last couple of weeks.
You're right that LA would have done worse, although even without the trade, they had the same group that made the playoffs each of the past two years, only sub Fisher for Smush. The Smush group took Phoenix to 7 games in 2006.
And I don't think that late-first rounder was "nothing." I've read TWolves' blogs that hope MN tries to move up and get a pick like that, if it means a player like CDR...the player selected probably won't amount to Gasol's level, but they certainly might be able to rebound or play defense; two important qualities that the tall Spaniard is clearly lacking.
If Pau Gasol is an All-Star (I believe he was in 2006 and haters of that trade generically call him an All-Star), then Al Jefferson sure-as-shit better be next year. Both guys struggle to defend in the post, but nobody will convince me that Al's offense would disappear like that with Kobe taking so much pressure off him.
I think much of the underrating of Boston had to do with Doc's rotations. If House stays on the bench, and Cassell is not only the first of the bench but also the most significant, it looks like the Celts have nothing at all. Offensively, Farmar and Vujacic would be able to get their shots and all would be happy in LA land. How profoundly things changed when Doc remembered House. I think we all knew how good Posey was, but playing House was another stalwart defender who could hit the three to boot.
Also, it wasn't just the previous two rounds that Ray Allen was absent. During most of the season it was the big two plus the guy in the Spike Lee movie. He brought the whole package to the finals and it just screwed the Lakers. For perimeter defenders, the Lakers have one. Great though Kobe is, it just didn't cut it when Ray takes Vujacic as easily as he took Denzel. In my post Finals overhyped opinion, the Lakers still have plenty of options offensively and are fine, but without another perimeter defender, I don't think they recover from this.
Well, I picked LA too and I was as wrong as anyone (I predicted a sweep, no less). But, I think you are beign a little harsh on LA Britt. They certainly disappointed, but I put that at Boston's effort more than LA's not arriving.
Boston was the better team and played there best basketball in the finals. It threw LA off and they could not match the intensity. Pau Gasol, Kobe and Odom do not have the same symmetry as KG, Pierce and Allen and the benches followed the example of their leaders. LA did stink, but Kobe the Dirk of 2008? He just led his team to the finals by dethroning the defending champs and before that beating a gritty Utah team. Dirk's MVP year was punctuated with the first round exit to GS. Let's call Kobe disappointed and then reserve our judgement until next year to see if he can turn that disappointment to motivation and rally his teammates to a redeeming championship run under the calm guidance of the Zen Master.
But, Britt, I do have to ask if you have some insider knowledge we were not aware of. KG reads this blog? KG, congrats dude. Forgive me for everything I've ever said in the past. You're certified all right. I love ya man. I do! I love YA! You are Certified! You Deserve it!
But, Dude, I'm still rooting for Big Al to kick your ass next year. I hope he was watching the finals, closely observing your commitment to defense and team play, cause I want him to get to your level some day. I know, you're a one of a kind. But still, You the Man, but 'Sota is still Twolves country and Mchale, dimwit decisions and all is also one of our own, and someday we're going to get a championship too. Big Al is our hope now. We're just hoping he can approach the level of play and standard you set here and this year in Boston. But, he'll be ready. He was watching you... Congrats.
Andy B--
Last thing first--no inside knowledge as to whether KG reads this blog. Frankly I doubt it. What I meant was that I know my past KG advocacy has brought a fair share of longtime KG fans here and those folks are the kind of people Garnett was referring to in his 'Sota shout out.
The Lakers quit last night. They have played lousy defense this entire series. Every indicator of hustle has pretty much gone against them, despite the fact that Boston is the older, less athletic squad. I don't think I'm too harsh on the Lakers.
The Dirk Nowitzki reference was to the year before the MVP, when Dirk took Dallas to the Finals vs Miami and couldn't seal the deal.
Oh Well, I was hoping he did.
I agree LA quit last night and for that they should be reflecting oon their performance. But, I'm not ready to write off Kobe, Odom or Gasol for next year and the year beyond. Sometimes a superior team really can cut the heart out of an opponent causing them to quit. It was a lost cause for LA last night. Now, two things can happen. Either LA takes this as a lesson to improve and Kobe, Odom and Gasol grow closer together and lead their team next year on another run, or there heart was cut out for good and odom and gasol accept that they don't have it in them to be champions and Kobe doesn't persuade them that they do. In the latter result Kobe loses in the first round of the playoffs next year as a number one seed. In that case he can be called the Dirk of 2009. And, if Kobe and LA take the loss as motivation, I'd call Kobe...Jordan (just kidding). I'd forgive LA for quitting last night knowing they used the experience as motivation. And, if I was a betting man, I'd still place my bets on the Zen Master getting that message accross to the lakers and Kobe. But, I'm not a betting man, because I predict things like LA winning this year in a sweep.