ESPN's Chad Ford is not getting a Christmas card this year from Kobe Bryant, after really laying out a multi-faceted case that Bryant is not as valuable as everyone might think. For instance, he has a lot of mileage, he's expensive, and he does not share the spotlight well. (He does sell a lot of tickets and drive TV ratings, though, which is worth something.) Then there's this: "According to our best objective measures, Bryant is not the single most efficient or effective player in the game. Some might say that such measures don't account for Bryant's ability in the 'clutch,' but even there, Bryant's reputation exceeds his actual performance. In several studies done at 82games.com, Kobe has come up short of other NBA stars. In one in-depth report, Bryant ranked 21st in the NBA in clutch performance. How does Bryant's postseason prowess compare to Nowitzki's? In the playoffs, Dirk has more points per game, more rebounds per game, more blocked shots per game, a higher field-goal percentage, a higher 3-point field-goal percentage and a higher free-throw percentage. In the past three seasons, Nowitzki has led his team to the NBA Finals, while Bryant hasn't won a single playoff series. Great player? Yes. The best? Probably not."
Roland Lazenby, in a column posted on the Lindy's website, has the feeling that Kobe Bryant the Lakers are stuck with each other. He also thinks Kobe Bryant is immensely fascinating: "He'll do whatever it takes to be successful. He'll rattle cages, and yell at very rich men. He'll invite public ridicule and dare to be very, very different. He's always flown way high. With no net. Balls out and gunning. For my money, that's why he's the most compelling story in sports today."
Terry Porter was always my favorite player. Sam Mitchell has a lot of respect for him, too. Here's a little Mitchell anecdote about TP, as reported by Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun: "I remember one night we were playing Utah and Karl Malone, every time Terry Porter would pass the screen, Malone would (throw out his elbows and hit Porter in the jaw on the way by). Third quarter, Porter goes by Karl again, Malone sticks that wing out there and Porter (hits him with a short right jab to the groin). Malone drops like a rock. The ref didn't see it. The next pick Malone set he kept those arms (and elbows) in. Terry was slick about it. He didn't wind up. He just tapped him. Just rang the little bell and Malone dropped." (Somewhere Reggie Evans is shaking his head and saying: "oh, so that makes you a hero?")
Elie Seckbach catches up with the Sonics. There's plenty of Kevin Durant, but the memorable parts are all Delonte West (if he wasn't in the NBA, he says, he'd be a carnie) and Robert Swift (tell us about that big tattoo of an assault rifle on your arm, Robert ...).
Gilbert Arenas knows how to make Larry Hughes effective again: "... if you want him to be what he was, you need to change the tempo of your game. Besides Ilgauskas, you have runners. You have a team that wants to run. A team like Cleveland can run up and down and still bog down on defense. Their leader is one of the top athletes in the world. When we used to play them they always had us down 20 in the first period because they just ran and you couldn't stop them on the break. That's why I mentioned when LeBron first got there when he had Ricky Davis and Darius Miles, they were just flying up and down. I know Mike Brown came in and tweaked the defense and stuff like that, but if you want to utilize what Larry Hughes is, you need to open the floor and let them run more. With that team, your defense isn't going to go anywhere. But you want to bring the tempo up. You keep hearing his name in trade rumors and fans going, 'We want him out of here, he doesn't fit the system.' Well, sometimes you have to change the system for your players. I know a lot of coaches say the players need to fit their systems, but sometimes you have to tweak the system a little too. It's a 50-50 thing."
SI's Marty Burns has sources saying Anderson Varejao would sign a one-year deal: "It is unclear whether Cleveland would be interested in going the one-year route with Varejao. The Cavs hold all the leverage, and might not feel a need to pay more than market value since there are no team with significant salary-cap space. Cavs GM Danny Ferry has not commented on negotiations, other than to say the club had made 'a fair and respectful' offer. But for what it's worth, Varejao appears ready to go for it. According to the source, the Brazilian energizer would have accepted a one-year deal back in training camp had the Cavs offered him mid-level money instead of just the $1.2 million qualifying offer. 'He was willing to do a one-year deal,' the source said. 'He just wasn't going to do it for $1.2 million. He knows he's worth a lot more than that.'"
Who would tell children to fight other children? Dwight Howard.
By one estimate 100 million people in China watched the Bucks beat the Bulls the other night. And it looks like Yi Jianlian can play a little bit. Holy cow was that a good draft pick for the Bucks.
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