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32
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 Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 8:42 am Post subject: Lakers in the News 8/24/12 |
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| Quote: | Metta World Peace wants the blame if Lakers lose 2013 NBA title
Whenever the Lakers don't win a championship, change takes place.
The front office makes trades. Fans assign blame to whoever they deem responsible. The cycle continues until the Lakers hoist another Larry O'Brien trophy.
The Lakers and their fans aren't worried about that now. They're too excited about having Dwight Howard, Steve Nashand a reasonable bench. Oh yeah, the Lakers have Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol too. But should the team fail to collect its 17th NBAchampionship in the 2012-13 season, the general public will find a scapegoat. And Metta World Peace says he wants the fingers pointed directly at him.
"If we don't win, kick me in the L4 or L5 nerve. That's right below your buttocks," World Peace said at the Voice Awards Wednesday night at Paramount Studios where he was honored for his work with mental health charities. "You ever been kicked hard in the buttocks? Kick me right there."
It's unlikely anyone would literally accept that invitation. Many still remember when World Peace lost his cool last season and gave Oklahoma City Thunder guard James Harden a concussion with one elbow swing. There's no telling how World Peace would react if someone actually kicked him.
But MWP's general point seems well taken. The Lakers boast a star-studded lineup in Howard, Nash, Bryant and Gasol. That could leave World Peace with wide-open three-pointers, unless there just aren't enough shots to go around on this team. Considering World Peace recorded a career-low 7.7 points on 39.4% shooting, it's possible those numbers could plummet even more.
This isn't the first time World Peace asked for public scrutiny if L.A. didn't win a championship. Months after joining the Lakers with a five-year, $33-million deal, World Peace (then as Ron Artest) said at an appearance in San Diego that fans should blame him if the Lakers fail to win a second consecutive championship.
"They won last year, and I'm the new addition," World Peace said at the time. "The fans expect to repeat. Everybody in L.A. expects a second ring. And if we don't, then yeah, they should point it right at me, throwing tomatoes and everything."
That didn't happen. Instead, Laker fans wildly cheered him. World Peace's 20 points on seven-of-18 shooting and five steals played a large part in the Lakers winning Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. Afterward, World Peace publicly thanked his psychologist.
That came full circle in a way on Wednesday considering his award for mental health charities partly stemmed from his Game 7 performance. Calling out his psychologist paved the way for World Peace to visit schools and hospitals, shoot various public service announcements and raffle off his championship ring to help the charities.
It remains to be seen whether MWP putting pressure on himself again could yield to the same breakout performance in the playoffs. Yet, it appears he's taking the right steps toward doing that.
On July 18, I viewed one of his private workouts at UCLA where he looked in great shape performing various conditioning drills. At his appearance at the Voice Awards, World Peace's face looked much thinner. He said he weighed 255 pounds, down markedly from the 268 pounds he weighed to open last year's training camp. World Peace also credited the Lakers' training staff for treating a nerve issue in his back, something that he believes attributed to his averaging 14.07 points per game in April.
"I'm ready to be a part of something special, definitely ready to play good ball," World Peace said. "It's not going to take me until April to be at that elite level."
Aside from his customary role of defending the opposing team's top player, it remains to be seen how World Peace will fit with the Lakers' starting lineup of All-Stars. Nonetheless, MWP pegged the Lakers' title hopes on a different variable.
"We can if we play together," World Peace said. "We can have that many All-Stars.
If that doesn't happen, blame World Peace. He'd want it that way. |
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Last edited by 32 on Tue Aug 28, 2012 6:03 am; edited 1 time in total |
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32
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| Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 8:45 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | L.A. sports star power rankings
1. Kobe Bryant, Lakers: An easy No. 1 based on his Lakers reign and strength of personality.
2. Matt Barkley, USC football: Sports Illustrated cover boy poised to be the top player in America's top sport.
3. Dwight Howard, Lakers: With Steve Nash, brings the Lakers a Dream Team aura.
4. David Beckham, Galaxy: Defines star power; in most cities, he's probably No. 1.
5. Matt Kemp, Dodgers: Immense talent in a hip-hoppy package; bonus points for celebrity dating.
6. Albert Pujols, Angels: One of the greatest to ever play the game; but is he big enough for L.A.?
7. Serena Williams, tennis: After a great year, probably a contender for the No. 2 or 3 spots. Has she peaked?
8. Chris Paul, Clippers: Class act with monster ball skills; can you wait for his matchup against Nash?
9. Mike Trout, Angels: If he holds course, he's someone you'll tell the grandkids about.
10. Blake Griffin, Clippers: Dunks — big, bad dunks; and big, positive Q Scores.
11. Steve Nash, Lakers: Very marketing savvy, with strong ties to the entertainment world.
12. Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers: Draws comparisons to Sandy Koufax, the Dodgers gold standard.
13. Alex Morgan, USA soccer: With a smile that could light the dark side of the moon, may be the next Mia Hamm.
14. Dustin Brown, Kings: Hockey's Clint Eastwood led the Kings to the promised land.
15. Venus Williams, tennis: Remember when she was the best player in the family?
16. Shaun White, action sports: No doubt a big deal in the extreme sports set, but has his moment passed?
17. Jonathan Quick, Kings: Perhaps L.A.'s most under-appreciated athlete.
18. Misty May-Treanor, beach volleyball: Face of the Olympics, a gritty role model for young athletes.
19. Allyson Felix, track: For any sports-drink marketer, she would be very high on the target list.
20. Kerri Walsh Jennings, beach volleyball: Gold medals, insane athleticism and a mom. What's not to like?
Honorable mention: Andre Ethier, Dodgers; Landon Donovan, Galaxy; Torii Hunter, Angels; Pau Gasol, Lakers; Jered Weaver, Angels; Candace Parker, Sparks; Laird Hamilton, surfing; Marqise Lee, USC football; Robert Woods, USC football; Mark Trumbo, Angels; Shane Victorino, Dodgers.
Chris Erskine
Sources: Based on popularity ratings from the Q Scores Co., General Sentiment's measures of social media presence, Forbes magazine rankings of most-powerful athletes. Steve Caplan of Message/LA assisted with the rankings. |
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32
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| Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 8:49 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | TNT analyst Kenny Smith considers Miami Heat NBA title favorites
To tackle some questions regarding the Lakers' 2012-13 season, I talked with TNT NBA analyst Kenny Smith, who has been recently promoting the video game, NBA Baller Beats. This is the first in a two-part interview with Smith.
The Lakers' off-season signings have been huge with the acquisitions of Dwight Howard and Steve Nash, the signings of Antawn Jamison and Jodie Meeks and the re-signing Jordan Hill and Devin Ebanks. With these moves, how do the Lakers stand relative to the rest of the league? They won't win a game (laughs). Arguably, they have four guys who are at the top 5 of their position. Any time you can put that kind of talent together, basketball being a game of mistakes, is it eliminates mistakes. Even as great as Oklahoma City has been, the Lakers probably have an advantage. They're veteran guys. They aren't guys who are being thrown together and being in an intense situation for the first time.
Mitch Kupchak has done a great job in bringing together talent. It's probably the most talented team in the West. Whether that's enough for a championship? We don't know. But this is the most talented team in the West. Last year, they weren't.
How will the Lakers fare against Miami? I never compare much East to West, because you have to get all the way to there. But I think Miami has three guys who are the top five in their position. I don't think they're nervous about what happened with the Lakers. They kept an eye on it for sure. But they have a better chance and have done it now. I would say Miami is still the team to beat.
What challenges do the Lakers face in winning a title? Injuries. They're older. They're great players, but they're not the Miami Heat, where those guys are in the middle of their prime. These guys are at the end of their prime, with the exception of Dwight Howard. But all of these guys have plateaued.
That veteran experience that you cited, where does that give the Lakers an advantage in how they'll execute against the Thunder? Steve Nash is a guy who makes shots easier. This is the first time Kobe doesn't have to play as a point guard. He'll get to play as a shooting guard. His responsibility his entire career has involved handling the basketball too much. I don't think anyone on a consistent basis got him easy shots. This is the first time they'll actually run pick and roll. When the Lakers run pick and roll, it was with Kobe Bryant. This will be the first time they can say, 'Kobe, go on the other side of the floor and not be part of it' on a consistent basis.
With the talent the Lakers have, how do they make sure as a unit they're the most efficient? That's Steve Nash's job, which has been his job his whole career. The point guard's job is to make sure everything runs smoothly and that the ball is distributed throughout the team to the right people at the right times. That's why he's a two-time MVP. It's not because of his great athleticism. It's not because of his great shooting abilities. It's because of his great understanding on how to get everyone involved. That's why he's often led the league in assists. To me, Mike Brown has an easy job because he has a guy who already knows how to manage that.
Mike obviously was dealt a tough hand last year with a limited training camp, dealing with new players and being new. How would you compare that to this year's challenge in having to manage such a high level of talent? He was replacing Phil Jackson with Phil Jackson's team. No one is going to look at this team as a Phil Jackson team. Mike had to run the triangle offense at times because those guys would go to it instinctively. Dwight Howard has never run the triangle. Steve Nash never ran a triangle offense. Jamison and Meeks have never run a triangle offense. So Mike has a team that doesn't fall on the crutch of Phil Jackson.
I don't think training camp [last year] was an issue. I think the personnel was. If he had this personnel last year and didn't have a training camp, he wouldn't have been complaining. He can implement the system he wants in these guys' heads and they don't already have something in their mind that works and won championships for them.
With Howard, how does he go about having a championship mind-set, rehabbing the reputation he had with Orlando and dealing with the possibility he won't be the No. 1 option? I do think he's the No. 1 option. I don't think he has to change anything. I'm from the school of thought that great players don't change what they do. You implement what they do. Guys who can't play, you have to create a system for them and opportunities for them. Guys with great players, they are the system (laughs). Dwight Howard commands a double team. So now there is an offense once they get double teamed. What are they going to do?
With you saying Howard should be the No. 1 option, is there a particular pecking order you think the Lakers should follow? Dwight is the No. 1 offensive option, but I don't know about a pecking order. To me, what makes a great team is no one thinks their role is less important. I don't think Steve Nash should think his role is less important because he's leading the team in assists and not scoring. I don't think Dwight should think he has a lesser role because he leads the team in rebounds, but maybe not scoring. But in terms of establishing the inside presence, that's going to be done through Dwight Howard. That's what typically wins basketball games.
Given the veteran makeup of this team, do you envision the Lakers having that mind-set in which they're not concerned about a pecking order and concerned with just running the offense correctly? Having the ball inside will have the offense run smoothly. Kobe has played with Shaq before. Their issue was only off the court, not on the court. They won championships and looked great together. It was just guys not getting along together off the court. Being in L.A., we heard about it. If they were playing in Cleveland, we probably wouldn't have heard as much about it.
What do you make of the Lakers reportedly using the Princeton offense, mixed with pick and roll? I'll believe it when I see it. I don't know how many NCAA championships Princeton won. I don't know if I'd go to that offense. I think they're saying they want to share the ball and that's why they're calling it that. But I don't know how many championships Princeton won.
So you are of the mind that they just should run pick and roll and they'll be fine? (laughs). I'm doing the North Carolina, Duke and Kentucky offense. Those are the teams that won a lot of championships in the NCAA.
How do you see Pau Gasol's role evolving from last year's? I think he'll have one of his best years because the expectation level will be changed. The expectation of what he was supposed to do and how much he was supposed to do, I thought was a little bit unwarranted. Now, 17 points for him now will be a killer 17. I think 17 was a disappointment last year, at times.
In what respects were the expectations unwarranted? I don't think he's ever been a guy who will get 25 or 30 points a night. I thought the expectation at times from the Lakers fans was for him to dominate and have a low-post presence. That's not really his thing. If you compare it to boxing, he's not Mike Tyson where he will knock you out with one punch. He's going to jab you, do different things and counterpunch you. Sometimes you need a knockout punch and he's not a knockout punch. He's not going to end the game with 45.
What will Metta World Peace's role be? Metta is a guy who understands. If you ask him, would you rather have 40 points or hold your man scoreless, he will say, "Hold my guy scoreless" every time. So he'll have to chase guys around. Gasol doesn't have to chase the [power forward] guys. Put Ron [Artest] on him. Or he can guard the other small forwards and shooting guard so Kobe doesn't have to guard them. Ron's always going to guard LeBron [James] when he comes to town. It's a great fit for Metta. |
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unleasHell
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| Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 9:59 am Post subject: |
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No problem since MWP will probably be amnestied after the coming season...!
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BlakeJay
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| Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 10:14 am Post subject: |
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Dwight Howard is not the #1 Offensive Option Kenny Smith  |
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Bryant-Bynum Lakers
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| Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 10:19 am Post subject: |
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I want to see this team on the floor together playing beautiful, beautiful basketball. MWP will be the pitbull and DH will be the Alpha Dog in the middle.
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Chronicle
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Location: Manhattan
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| Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 10:22 am Post subject: |
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| unleasHell wrote: | | No problem since MWP will probably be amnestied after the coming season...! |
No he won't...! |
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LuciusAllen
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| Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 10:59 am Post subject: |
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| Chronicle wrote: | | unleasHell wrote: | | No problem since MWP will probably be amnestied after the coming season...! |
No he won't...! |
He probably won't -- because he'll be a last-year contract at that point and could be a tradeable asset. If the Lakers consider the amnesty route, it will be because they saw enough from Devin Ebanks this year to want to make him a starter (and they'll need to re-sign him). |
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AY2043
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| Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 10:59 am Post subject: |
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| Kenny Smith wrote: | | But I think Miami has three guys who are the top five in their position. |
Oh yeah? Well we have four. |
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LakerJam
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| Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 1:02 pm Post subject: |
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| AY2043 wrote: | | Kenny Smith wrote: | | But I think Miami has three guys who are the top five in their position. |
Oh yeah? Well we have four. |
That's exactly what I thought. Lol. |
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ForrestHump
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| Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 1:20 pm Post subject: |
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| LakerJam wrote: | | AY2043 wrote: | | Kenny Smith wrote: | | But I think Miami has three guys who are the top five in their position. |
Oh yeah? Well we have four. |
That's exactly what I thought. Lol. |
Miami - only guy that's the best at his position is Lebum
Kobe - #1 SG
Dwight - #1 C
Nash - top 5 PG
Pau - top 5 PF
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waterman40
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| Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 2:31 pm Post subject: |
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I think Metta is right - if he has a poor or fair year, he is going to get and deserve some of the blame if we don't win a title. However, if Artest has a good year, which I'd equate with 12 ppg or higher, great shape, good defense, no suspensions, then I think we are well on our way to a title.
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VicXLakers
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| Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 2:31 pm Post subject: Re: Lakers in the News 8/24/12: Metta World Peace wants the blame if Lakers lose 2013 NBA title |
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[quote="32"] | Quote: | Metta World Peace wants the blame if Lakers lose 2013 NBA title
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that will be on Kobe's shoulders... |
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Tanlentueux
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| Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 5:04 pm Post subject: |
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| ForrestHump wrote: | | LakerJam wrote: | | AY2043 wrote: | | Kenny Smith wrote: | | But I think Miami has three guys who are the top five in their position. |
Oh yeah? Well we have four. |
That's exactly what I thought. Lol. |
Miami - only guy that's the best at his position is Lebum
Kobe - #1 SG
Dwight - #1 C
Nash - top 5 PG
Pau - top 5 PF |
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AY2043
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Joined: 26 Feb 2012
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| Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 7:16 pm Post subject: |
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| Tanlentueux wrote: | | ForrestHump wrote: | | LakerJam wrote: | | AY2043 wrote: | | Kenny Smith wrote: | | But I think Miami has three guys who are the top five in their position. |
Oh yeah? Well we have four. |
That's exactly what I thought. Lol. |
Miami - only guy that's the best at his position is Lebum
Kobe - #1 SG
Dwight - #1 C
Nash - top 5 PG
Pau - top 5 PF |
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Well, there's CP3, DWill, Rose (when healthy), Westbrook, then Nash. Dude led the league in assists last year... He's still a top 5 PG. |
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JUST-MING
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| Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 8:32 pm Post subject: |
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If they win, then Steve Blake will be “amnestied” (saves $15-20 million).
Last edited by JUST-MING on Fri Aug 24, 2012 8:37 pm; edited 3 times in total |
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projecktecks
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| Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 8:34 pm Post subject: |
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Artest is still playa, down for the cause and a true Laker!! Taking blame is holding yourself accountable and the way he played game 7 againts Boston made me proud he was a laker. Just being reminded of the elbow to Harden, Its messed up but damn get out the way you burnt burrito!
Win that Championship!! |
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tao
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| Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2012 8:30 am Post subject: |
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| AY2043 wrote: | | Tanlentueux wrote: | | ForrestHump wrote: | | LakerJam wrote: | | AY2043 wrote: | | Kenny Smith wrote: | | But I think Miami has three guys who are the top five in their position. |
Oh yeah? Well we have four. |
That's exactly what I thought. Lol. |
Miami - only guy that's the best at his position is Lebum
Kobe - #1 SG
Dwight - #1 C
Nash - top 5 PG
Pau - top 5 PF |
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Well, there's CP3, DWill, Rose (when healthy), Westbrook, then Nash. Dude led the league in assists last year... He's still a top 5 PG. |
Rondo>Nash.
Westbrook is not a PG, so I'd take him off the list. He reminds me of Wade early in his career when he played PG for Miami.
Nash>DWill. Dwill shoots 40% from the field, 33% from 3, and averages less assists per game than Nash despite playing more mpg. He's a low efficiency volume scorer that can pass, but not as well as Nash. Nash shoots 53% from the field, 40% from 3, and is the league leader (by far) in assists per minute. You can make a legitimate argument that Nash is STILL the best offensive PG per minute in the NBA. He is the best passer/distributor in the NBA, and the best shooter from the PG position in the NBA.
1.CP3
2.Rose*
3.Rondo
4.Nash
5.Dwill
Rose gets the asterisk because he's not healthy, and we can't be sure that he will be the same player going forward. We've seen guys like Grant Hill and Penny Hardaway fall from grace due to serious injuries, so Rose shouldn't really be on the list until he's proven to be back.
K. Irving will be top 5 very soon. |
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Lakerfan 4 Life
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| Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2012 10:07 am Post subject: Kenny Smith On The Lakers |
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| Quote: | TNT analyst Kenny Smith considers Miami Heat NBA title favorites
By Mark Medina
August 24, 2012, 8:00 a.m.
To tackle some questions regarding the Lakers' 2012-13 season, I talked with TNT NBA analyst Kenny Smith, who has been recently promoting the video game, NBA Baller Beats. This is the first in a two-part interview with Smith.
The Lakers' off-season signings have been huge with the acquisitions of Dwight Howard and Steve Nash, the signings of Antawn Jamison and Jodie Meeks and the re-signing Jordan Hill and Devin Ebanks. With these moves, how do the Lakers stand relative to the rest of the league?
They won't win a game (laughs). Arguably, they have four guys who are at the top 5 of their position. Any time you can put that kind of talent together, basketball being a game of mistakes, is it eliminates mistakes. Even as great as Oklahoma City has been, the Lakers probably have an advantage. They're veteran guys. They aren't guys who are being thrown together and being in an intense situation for the first time.
Mitch Kupchak has done a great job in bringing together talent. It's probably the most talented team in the West. Whether that's enough for a championship? We don't know. But this is the most talented team in the West. Last year, they weren't.
How will the Lakers fare against Miami?
I never compare much East to West, because you have to get all the way to there. But I think Miami has three guys who are the top five in their position. I don't think they're nervous about what happened with the Lakers. They kept an eye on it for sure. But they have a better chance and have done it now. I would say Miami is still the team to beat.
What challenges do the Lakers face in winning a title?
Injuries. They're older. They're great players, but they're not the Miami Heat, where those guys are in the middle of their prime. These guys are at the end of their prime, with the exception of Dwight Howard. But all of these guys have plateaued.
That veteran experience that you cited, where does that give the Lakers an advantage in how they'll execute against the Thunder?
Steve Nash is a guy who makes shots easier. This is the first time Kobe doesn't have to play as a point guard. He'll get to play as a shooting guard. His responsibility his entire career has involved handling the basketball too much. I don't think anyone on a consistent basis got him easy shots. This is the first time they'll actually run pick and roll. When the Lakers run pick and roll, it was with Kobe Bryant. This will be the first time they can say, 'Kobe, go on the other side of the floor and not be part of it' on a consistent basis.
With the talent the Lakers have, how do they make sure as a unit they're the most efficient?
That's Steve Nash's job, which has been his job his whole career. The point guard's job is to make sure everything runs smoothly and that the ball is distributed throughout the team to the right people at the right times. That's why he's a two-time MVP. It's not because of his great athleticism. It's not because of his great shooting abilities. It's because of his great understanding on how to get everyone involved. That's why he's often led the league in assists. To me, Mike Brown has an easy job because he has a guy who already knows how to manage that.
Mike obviously was dealt a tough hand last year with a limited training camp, dealing with new players and being new. How would you compare that to this year's challenge in having to manage such a high level of talent?
He was replacing Phil Jackson with Phil Jackson's team. No one is going to look at this team as a Phil Jackson team. Mike had to run the triangle offense at times because those guys would go to it instinctively. Dwight Howard has never run the triangle. Steve Nash never ran a triangle offense. Jamison and Meeks have never run a triangle offense. So Mike has a team that doesn't fall on the crutch of Phil Jackson.
I don't think training camp [last year] was an issue. I think the personnel was. If he had this personnel last year and didn't have a training camp, he wouldn't have been complaining. He can implement the system he wants in these guys' heads and they don't already have something in their mind that works and won championships for them.
With Howard, how does he go about having a championship mind-set, rehabbing the reputation he had with Orlando and dealing with the possibility he won't be the No. 1 option?
I do think he's the No. 1 option. I don't think he has to change anything. I'm from the school of thought that great players don't change what they do. You implement what they do. Guys who can't play, you have to create a system for them and opportunities for them. Guys with great players, they are the system (laughs). Dwight Howard commands a double team. So now there is an offense once they get double teamed. What are they going to do?
With you saying Howard should be the No. 1 option, is there a particular pecking order you think the Lakers should follow?
Dwight is the No. 1 offensive option, but I don't know about a pecking order. To me, what makes a great team is no one thinks their role is less important. I don't think Steve Nash should think his role is less important because he's leading the team in assists and not scoring. I don't think Dwight should think he has a lesser role because he leads the team in rebounds, but maybe not scoring. But in terms of establishing the inside presence, that's going to be done through Dwight Howard. That's what typically wins basketball games.
Given the veteran makeup of this team, do you envision the Lakers having that mind-set in which they're not concerned about a pecking order and concerned with just running the offense correctly?
Having the ball inside will have the offense run smoothly. Kobe has played with Shaq before. Their issue was only off the court, not on the court. They won championships and looked great together. It was just guys not getting along together off the court. Being in L.A., we heard about it. If they were playing in Cleveland, we probably wouldn't have heard as much about it.
What do you make of the Lakers reportedly using the Princeton offense, mixed with pick and roll?
I'll believe it when I see it. I don't know how many NCAA championships Princeton won. I don't know if I'd go to that offense. I think they're saying they want to share the ball and that's why they're calling it that. But I don't know how many championships Princeton won.
So you are of the mind that they just should run pick and roll and they'll be fine?
(laughs). I'm doing the North Carolina, Duke and Kentucky offense. Those are the teams that won a lot of championships in the NCAA.
How do you see Pau Gasol's role evolving from last year's?
I think he'll have one of his best years because the expectation level will be changed. The expectation of what he was supposed to do and how much he was supposed to do, I thought was a little bit unwarranted. Now, 17 points for him now will be a killer 17. I think 17 was a disappointment last year, at times.
In what respects were the expectations unwarranted?
I don't think he's ever been a guy who will get 25 or 30 points a night. I thought the expectation at times from the Lakers fans was for him to dominate and have a low-post presence. That's not really his thing. If you compare it to boxing, he's not Mike Tyson where he will knock you out with one punch. He's going to jab you, do different things and counterpunch you. Sometimes you need a knockout punch and he's not a knockout punch. He's not going to end the game with 45.
What will Metta World Peace's role be?
Metta is a guy who understands. If you ask him, would you rather have 40 points or hold your man scoreless, he will say, "Hold my guy scoreless" every time. So he'll have to chase guys around. Gasol doesn't have to chase the [power forward] guys. Put Ron [Artest] on him. Or he can guard the other small forwards and shooting guard so Kobe doesn't have to guard them. Ron's always going to guard LeBron [James] when he comes to town. It's a great fit for Metta. |
http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-la-tnt-analyst-kenny-smith-considers-miami-heat-nba-title-favorites-20120823,0,1091180.story?track=rss&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&dlvrit=53297 |
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KobeRe-Loaded
Franchise Player
Joined: 09 Dec 2003
Posts: 14944
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| Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2012 10:13 am Post subject: |
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Wow great interview
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JUST-MING
Retired Number
Joined: 23 Jun 2005
Posts: 43989
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| Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2012 10:15 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | Mark Medina – With Howard, how does he go about having a championship mind-set, rehabbing a reputation he had with Orlando and dealing with the possibility he won’t be the No. 1 option?
Kenny Smith – I do think he’s the No. 1 option. I don’t think he has to change anything. I’m from the school of thought that great players don’t change what they do. You implement what they do. Guys who can’t play, you have to create a system for them and opportunities for them.
Guys with great players, they are the system (laughs). Dwight Howard commands a double team. So now there is an offense once they get double teamed. What are they going to do? |
This.
Last edited by JUST-MING on Sat Aug 25, 2012 10:21 am; edited 3 times in total |
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LGD
Star Player
Joined: 20 Apr 2002
Posts: 2605
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| Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2012 10:19 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | Mike obviously was dealt a tough hand last year with a limited training camp, dealing with new players and being new. How would you compare that to this year's challenge in having to manage such a high level of talent?
He was replacing Phil Jackson with Phil Jackson's team. No one is going to look at this team as a Phil Jackson team. Mike had to run the triangle offense at times because those guys would go to it instinctively. Dwight Howard has never run the triangle. Steve Nash never ran a triangle offense. Jamison and Meeks have never run a triangle offense. So Mike has a team that doesn't fall on the crutch of Phil Jackson.
I don't think training camp [last year] was an issue. I think the personnel was. If he had this personnel last year and didn't have a training camp, he wouldn't have been complaining. He can implement the system he wants in these guys' heads and they don't already have something in their mind that works and won championships for them. |
Biggest issue that no one has been talking about. This year will be massively different than last for Mike Brown, for this reason alone. |
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frenzy
Star Player
Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 1161
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| Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2012 10:57 am Post subject: |
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| thought he made some really good points about pau and expectations |
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Omar Little
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Location: Formerly Known As 24
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| Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2012 11:05 am Post subject: |
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I found his analysis of the Princeton offense below his usual standards. It's useless because Princeton has no titles? He does know that it helps a team without anything approaching top level talent compete and even beat the occasional top team.
Put another way, if Princeton ran the Duke or NC offense, they wouldn't win titles either. In fact, there's not a single offense that would make them a title team, so does that mean no offense is any good?
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dfchang813
Star Player
Joined: 19 Jun 2010
Posts: 1508
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| Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2012 11:28 am Post subject: |
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| 24 wrote: | I found his analysis of the Princeton offense below his usual standards. It's useless because Princeton has no titles? He does know that it helps a team without anything approaching top level talent compete and even beat the occasional top team.
Put another way, if Princeton ran the Duke or NC offense, they wouldn't win titles either. In fact, there's not a single offense that would make them a title team, so does that mean no offense is any good? |
Yeah I thought that was pretty lame too. Does he actually even know what the Princeton offense is?
It was good enough to get a NJ Nets team to back to back Finals before it rang up against the Shaq/Kobe and Duncan dynasties.
At the end of the day, talent and players win championships not necessarily gimmick systems.
What system exactly was Miami playing last year? Use that system with any team without Lebron on it and see where that gets you . . . |
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