On a night when Stephen Curry scored 47 points against the Los Angeles Lakers, his outrageous performance had to take a backseat to another story.
The Lakers won powered by Pau Gasol’s 26 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists as well as Kobe Bryant’s 34 points; but that’s not the main story here.
With a little over three minutes left in the game, Bryant fell to the ground and seemed in pain. He gathered himself and nailed his two free throws and then headed straight to the locker room.
After the game, a visibly shaken Bryant fought back tears when addressing his status with the media.
This is a sad day for all of those involved with the NBA.
Whether rooting for or against the former league MVP, he always garnered respect. Bryant is unquestionably one of the most feared athletes of his generation and undoubtedly the most revered.
Very few throughout the rich history of the Association have matched his sustained level of excellence for such a prolonged period of time.
His catalog is the envy of many.
Most of his would be challengers have faded over time and almost invoke ridicule when we think back to the days they were actually part of a Kobe discussion. Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter all had their opportunities but failed for the most part.
Ray Allen is one of the few players that’s matched Bryant’s longevity and given him fits throughout their respective careers but he is currently backing up a Kobe nemesis in Dwyane Wade for the Miami Heat.
It’s worth noting that Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, James Harden and LeBron James have effectively wrestled the torch away from Bryant, but not completely.
The Black Mamba never truly let go despite being in the league for 17 seasons and playing at an incredibly high level. That’s what makes the injury so gut wrenching.
Kobe Bryant wasn’t hanging on, he was carrying the franchise and being voted a top five NBA player in the process. Thus, this is a devastating injury not only for the Lakers, but also for the NBA.
Let’s face it, the Lakers are the league’s marquee franchise. Hence, with their signature player now shelved not only for this season but also potentially for a huge chunk of next season, it completely alters the landscape of the NBA.
Bryant’s injury affects the direction of the franchise and consequently alters the Pacific division. Dwight Howard is a free agent at the end of the season and it was expected that Pau Gasol would get traded in the offseason given the team’s huge salary commitments.
But now what?
These are all questions the front office must now deal with it. But more importantly, have we seen the last of Kobe Bryant?
Kobe will play for the Lakers again, probably next season. I’m no doctor, but it’s difficult to see both sides deciding against giving that Achilles another run in purple and gold.
The Lakers’ all-time leading scorer is gone. His competitive fire still burns and hopefully we see it again as he makes a triumphant return in less than 12 months.
Kobe Bryant as well as basketball fans worldwide deserve that much.
Questions or comments? Feel free to leave them in the comments section or you can contact me by email at [email protected].
Preview: The Los Angeles Lakers (42-37) are survivors. Injuries, internal strife, media scrutiny and a coaching change all could have served as excuses for the team to fall apart and miss the postseason.
But as the finish line approaches, they are running in their lane and have a one-second lead on the Utah Jazz (41-38) in the race for the final Western Conference playoff spot.
An argument could be made that Kobe Bryant has run this relay race alone, passing over the baton to himself. Let’s be clear, he hasn’t carried the team alone but boy has it looked like it as of late.
Between the ridiculous load of minutes and the heavy burden Mike D’Antoni has dropped on Bryant’s back, it’s obvious the team’s success hinges on the exploits of the former league MVP.
In his last five games, the two-time world champion is averaging 45.2 minutes, 31.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game on 44.8 percent field goal shooting. In addition, his usage rate has taken a slight dip comparison to his regular season figures.
With Pau Gasol once again flashing his brilliant all-around skills as a big man, Bryant’s workload has been reduced ever so slightly. His regular season usage rate of 29.9 is down to 28.7 in the past five games per NBA.com’s advanced stats tool.
The Lakers have won four of their last five and look like a team headed for the postseason. The return of Metta World Peace certainly has given the team a much needed boost and the trio of Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard looks good.
The chemistry between all three seems at its best right now when compared to the rest of the regular season. Guys are getting the job done and the Lakers are better for it.
But are they really?
D’Antoni and company needed a 23-point fourth eruption from the four-time All-Star Game MVP to close out the New Orleans Hornets (27-51) at home this week. The Lakers then followed up that effort the next night by surrendering 69 first half points to a Portland Trail Blazers team that started Victor Claver, Will Barton and Meyers Leonard alongside Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge.
In other words, the Lakers have been good, but not great. With Kobe Bryant enjoying one of his finest seasons ever coupled with the extended minutes he’s been playing, barely squeaking out games seems concerning.
Many will cite these last five contests as evidence they’ve turned the corner, but NBA.com’s advanced stats tool tells us they’ve surrendered 102.7 points per 100 possessions. If projected over the entire season, they would be a middle of the pack defense.
With three games left, the Lake Show needs to win out to guarantee a postseason berth. Their next three games will all be played at Staples Center.
Tonight they get the Golden State Warriors (45-34) who were just humbled at home last night by the Oklahoma City Thunder (58-21). On April 14, they draw the San Antonio Spurs (57-21) and then close out the season against the Houston Rockets (44-34) on April 17.
Considering their recent success against the Warriors coupled with Andrew Bogut’s absence tonight (ankle sprain), the Lakers must love their chances against the Dubs tonight.
But prior to game’s end, the Warriors’ backcourt will be heard from.
Damian Lillard lit up the Lakers two nights ago but D’Antoni adjusted in the second half by sending a soft trap in his pick-and-roll coverage that slowed the young Blazer guard.
Stephen Curry has had issues with hard traps, but it’s doubtful the Lakers will execute it sharply against Steph given that their big men are somewhat slow-footed. Curry’s shooting will force the Lakers to allocate some attention his way, which should open the floor for his teammates.
His backcourt partner Klay Thompson will be running all over the court around screens and might force Bryant into exerting more energy than he’s ready for. If such is the case, Kobe’s jumper might be a little flat late in the game.
And make no mistake, Kobe will see a multitude of defenders tonight. Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green will all be featured in the Kobe System. And quite honestly, there’s a great chance Bryant will still be superb.
The playoffs have begun for the Lakers, let’s see if the Warriors can handle that.
Questions or comments? Feel free to leave them in the comments section or you can contact me by email at [email protected].
Let’s all take a moment to appreciate what has become of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The images above represent what the Los Angeles Lakers were supposed to become this season. After the acquisitions of future Hall of Famer’s Steve Nash and Dwight Howard, basketball pundits and fans alike joined forces in what seemed like a unanimous mentality: the Lakers will win the Western Conference and give the Heat a run for their money in the Finals.
Oh how things have changed.
After starting the season 1-4 (ONE AND FOUR!) the Lakers fired Mike Brown, went on a mad scramble to find a head coach only to hire former disgruntled head coach of the New York Knicks, Mike D’Antoni. This was of course after everyone in the basketball world had already assumed the Lakers would pay Phil Jackson whatever he wanted to come back and give Kobe and Co. another serious run at title contention.
It didn’t happen.
Mike D’Antoni brought his run-and-gun (or a slightly modified version of it) to the fourth oldest team in the league (average age of 29.1) and madness quickly ensued. D’Antoni seemed to be in over his head (when doesn’t he?), Dwight brought his “My, Myself & I” mentality over from Orlando, Kobe became just as much a mad man off the court as he was on it, Pau became the usual punching bag that he is and the incredibly weak Lakers bench was constantly exposed for what it was. All this on top of numerous injuries to key players, players that were supposed to contribute to a Western Conference crown and Finals matchup with the defending champions.
While the Lakers have leveled the ship as of late, they still are in the midst of one of the most disappointing seasons in American sports history. Even if they do make the playoffs — which seems more probable as the days go by — the Lakers are still bound for a first round exit no matter who finishes first in the conference. Quite the flip of the script for what was Hollywood’s hottest attraction before the season began.
Now, as the Warriors and Lakers face-off at Staples Center for the final time this season on Friday night, we are finally presented with an opportunity to see these teams play for more than just bragging rights.
This is nothing new for the Lakers, who have had nothing but meaningful games for what seems like their entire existence. But for the Warriors, a team so marred by venality, ineptitude and misfortune for the majority of their days, this is an important time.
The Warriors are now a force. They’re not a dominant force like the Heat, Thunder or any other top contender, but they now give other franchises reason to look their direction. The Warriors were a joke for so long (especially recently), it’s beyond refreshing to see them play meaningful games during the most crucial parts of the season. And unlike the 2007 “We Believe” group which features young (but troubled) players and cocky veterans, this version of the Warriors (along with ownership) will be a force for years to come.
“It’s a message that was sent,” Warriors head coach Mark Jackson said. “I wanted my guys to understand that we are the better team. … We were not going to come into the game on our heels. We respect them and they have guys that will be in the Hall of Fame. … That being said, this is a different day.”
These words uttered after the Warriors 109-103 win over the Lakers on March 25 by Jackson were not outlandish nor false, just facts. The Lakers will still hold the headlines whether they make the playoffs or not, but the Warriors could care less. This is indeed a different day, a day that Warriors fans have been waiting on for years.
The Warriors are a better team than the Los Angeles Lakers.
Whether this is the case for years to come is another question, but it’s not a question now. The Warriors are fighting for the sixth seed at 45-34 while the Lakers are fighting for their playoff lives at 42-37. This isn’t an astronomical difference nor is it a sign of future standings. Still, for two franchises with completely different pasts and far different preseason aspirations, this is an unbelievable change of events. It’s time to soak it in.
Some say rivalries don’t mean anything unless there is something serious at stake. While I disagree with the premise, it does hold some merit. Stakes change from team to team . For the Lakers, playing the Warriors these past seasons has been nothing more than a blip on their Finals-bound radar. For the Warriors, they were the biggest games of the season, a chance for fans — if the Warriors won — to finally talk some semblance of trash for at least a little while. In other words, it meant incredibly more to the Warriors than it ever did the Lakers.
Now, as the Warriors stroll into Staples Center on Friday night, as the Lakers are fighting for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference (while the Warriors have already clinched), as the Lakers future looks anything but secure (while the Warriors does), as the Lakers coach is nowhere near qualified for that position (while Mark Jackson has proven he is), as the Lakers best player is nearing his end (while the Warriors best player is just beginning) and as Lakers management is in the midst of some serious turbulence, the Warriors finally have a steady conglomerate of both smarts and dedicated minds.
Despite what you define a rivalry as, there’s no debate anymore: Lakers-Warriors is now one. It took multiple drafts, trades, signings, firings and hirings, but it’s finally here. This matchup now means more than just trash talk at work the following day. Not only that, but on this particular occasion, despite what happens Friday night, the Warriors will have proven their worth. Forget the past and focus on the present, just this once. The Warriors have overthrown the Lakers from their throne.
Don’t get me wrong, the All-Star Game is undoubtedly the pinnacle of All-Star Weekend, but there is so much going on — Jam Session, media availabilities, press conferences and more — the actual game can get lost in the hubbub that is All-Star Weekend.
This happened this past Sunday, as I woke up early in the morning asking myself if it really was the last full day I had in Houston. Three days felt like three hours, and the once great wonder that was the 2013 All-Star Game was now upon me.
I get up, get dressed, pack my laptop, grab my credential and other various essentials and head out to the Jam Session a few hours before the game.
Jam Session was a good time, and as a fun event for the fans proved to be a worthy appetizer for the main events. Dunking on lowered rims, playing NBA2K13 against strangers on big screens, playing on an actual NBA (although not actual size) court, the huge NBA Store and free autographs from current players and legends are all offered during this four day festival.
Like Major League Baseball has with its All-Star FanFest, Jam Session serves as a fan-friendly carnival of sorts, an affordable good time for those wanting to be part of the All-Star experience. I spent my time dunking on a lowered rim (height of the basket will not be revealed), checking out the NBA Store — which, although large in space, disappointed in quality — and watching the likes of Chris Mullin, Dikembe Mutombo, Ron Harper and Detlef Schrempf play in a game benefitting the Special Olympics.
Harrison Barnes served as a coach for one of those teams as well.
Reader’s Note: Beginning December 8, WarriorsWorld spent two weeks examining the play of David Lee, easily the most polarizing player on the Warriors. We are providing an unbiased look by watching David Lee, and only David Lee, on both ends of the floor for a stretch of games ending with the Lakers at Oracle Arena on December 22. This is the ninth and final installment of “The David Lee Watch.”
This is it. The last game in “The David Lee Watch.”
With so many storylines in what was arguably the NBA’s best game at the one-third mark of the season, it’s hard not to write more about the Lakers’ 118-115 OT comeback victory over the Warriors. But this all about David Lee, so let’s get to it.
This was probably Lee’s weakest performance of the nine “David Lee Watch” games. But was it a bad game? My first thought was “yes” due to some defensive lapses and lack of scoring down the stretch. But let’s go to the notes before I determine anything…
Just when hot starts were becoming the norm for Lee, he throws the ball away after grabbing an offensive rebound on the Warriors’ first possession. This leads to a fast break layup for the Lakers. He is then stripped by Pau Gasol, which leads to Kobe Bryant scoring on another fast break. Next, Lee plays poor help defense and it leaves Dwight Howard wide open for a layup, but he fails to convert.
All of this took place in less than three minutes. The old David Lee may have let this affect him the rest of the game. But this isn’t the old David Lee. It’s the new and improved so-called “White Chris Webber” version (by the way, I hate this nickname for too many reasons to list).
At the 9:30 mark, Lee drills an open 15-footer from the baseline when Howard doesn’t close out. Playing man-up defense on Gasol, Lee positions himself well and holds his ground, forces a missed shot.
With a 7-4 lead, Lee crashes the offensive boards and nicely tips the ball out to Klay Thompson for an open three. But Klay misses.
Later, Lee takes advantage of the smaller Metta World Peace, posting him up and driving towards the middle for a right-handed flip and a 10-7 lead.
Metta takes it right back at Lee, easily converting a layup.
Feeling like the referees are being biased after two questionable calls on Festus Ezeli and Klay, Lee loudly implores the officials to “give us a shot” several times. This took place at the 5:23 mark of the first quarter and the game was actually being called pretty poorly both ways up to that point. Maybe Lee’s pleas actually had an impact and maybe they didn’t; regardless, the officials definitely had some sort of wake-up call because things greatly improved from this point on.
Lee misses a jumper over Gasol, then Metta takes it to Lee again; driving and hitting a short step-back jumper over him for a 13-10 Lakers lead. Lee gets his jumper to fall, hitting an open 17-footer after Gasol helped out on Steph Curry.
At the 4:33 mark of the first quarter, Lee had six points and six rebounds. He doesn’t add any other stats before checking out with 1:27 left. In addition to those numbers, he also had two costly turnovers and several poor defensive plays.
Also note that he grabbed six rebounds in the game’s first 5-and-a-half minutes and just five over his remaining 40 minutes on the court.
Lee checks back into the game at the 9:34 mark of the second with the Warriors trailing 33-36. He quickly goes right at Howard one-on-one and experiences a “get that weak shit outta here!” moment when Howard sends his shot into the stands. The Warriors bring it in bounds and Lee misses an 18-footer. Not a great possession for the hero of our story.
In a sign of things to come for Jordan Hill, Lee backs off to help on Howard and Hill drains a jumper. The next time down, Lee drives the lane and kicks it out to Jarrett Jack who hits an open three. 36-38.
Lee is stopping Peace about as well as Gandhi right now (you know, because Gandhi loved Peace and never stopped it – too much of a stretch?), with Metta viewing Lee like a freeway, driving on him every chance he gets. He forces a foul on Lee and hits 1-2 free throws to cut the Warriors lead to 40-41.
Metta can’t stop Lee on the other end either, though, and Lee takes it to him for a nice running hook and a 45-40 Warriors lead.
Following a Lakers run, Lee does great work on the glass to keep Warrior possessions alive. At the 4:14 mark, he tips the ball off the backboard and Landry grabs the offensive rebound. But the Warriors fail to convert.
Lee has to help Curry on a Steve Nash and Hill pick-and-roll. Klay rotates over, but it’s too late as Nash finds Hill and he scores over Klay. After a Jack jumper ties the game at 49, Lee battles Hill for a defensive rebound on a Metta missed three. Lee wins the battle.
After Klay hits a three to give the Warriors a 52-49 lead, Lee gets in great defensive position on Gasol and draws the charging foul.
A minute later, Lee spins inside to his left on Gasol and finishes with his left hand to give the Warriors a 59-49 lead with 1:36 to go in the half. He pushes the lead to 12 with a 17-foot jumper over Gasol. He gives the Warriors one last possession by getting his hands in front of Kobe, distracting him enough to force a missed layup.
Lee scores six points with two rebounds in the quarter (12 and 8 for the half), playing much better than he did in the first. His efforts on the glass were strong (even when he didn’t get the rebound he allowed his teammates to), he hit some big shots and he balanced out some bad defense on Metta with some strong plays against Gasol and Kobe.
After Bryant opens the half with a turnaround jumper to cut the lead to six, Lee comes right back with a 20-footer over Gasol to make it 63-55. Lee goes quiet for the next few minutes before making a nice grab off a low pass from Curry and getting fouled on his drive to the basket. He hits both free throws for a 68-61 lead with 7:37 left in the third.
Lee finally plays good defense on Metta and forces a turnover. At the 5:44 mark, he gives the Warriors a 10-point lead when he pump fakes to get by Metta and impressively scores over Gasol.
He has a defensive mental lapse when Kobe grabs on offensive rebound and Lee doesn’t move on one side of the key, leaving Gasol all alone on the other side. Kobe finds the open Gasol before Lee finally makes a move and is forced to foul him. Gasol converts the shot and free throw to cut Golden State’s lead to seven at 73-66 with 5:03 left in the third.
Lee goes quiet again, missing a jumper and grabbing just one rebound (defensive) before checking out with 2:24 left in the quarter.
He goes for six points and two rebounds for the second consecutive quarter, but was a non-factor for most of his 9-plus minutes on the floor. A pretty average quarter, but based on his play recently, I’d say it was below average for him.
He begins the fourth quarter with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Knowing that he finished the game (including overtime) with 20 points and 11 rebounds makes me afraid to type the rest of this recap, but here we go.
I will say this: Without Lee on the floor to finish the third and open the fourth, the Warriors were struggling to grab defensive rebounds. However, Ezeli and Andris Biedrins were also on the bench, leaving Landry and Draymond Green to perform the battles down low on their own.
Lee checks in with 10:07 left in the fourth and never sits again. He misses a jumper then watches as Hill hits one over him. 90-82 with 9:23 left. It gets worse for Lee as Curry secures a defensive rebound, but Lee thinks he’s on the Lakers and knocks the ball out of Curry’s hands and out of bounds. On the next play he fails to find Hill as Nash misses a running jumper, and wouldn’t you know it, Hill grabs the offensive rebound and dunks it in. 90-84. Uh-oh.
Lee and Hill are battling down low again, and Hill grabs an offensive rebound off a Kobe missed three. Ezeli blocks Hill’s follow-up shot out of bounds to save Lee.
Leading 95-92 and needing a big basket, Lee forces it as he tries to score over both Howard and Gasol. His miss is followed by a Kobe three and it’s 95-95 with 4:28 left.
Lee doesn’t fold and makes a play he’s been doing a lot lately. He pump fakes Gasol to get around him and draws the help defense. He quickly finds an open Jack for a three that gives Golden State a 100-98 lead.
With the Warriors leading 102-98, Lee made what could have been a difference-making play. Ezeli slid over to play help defense and left Howard alone in the middle of the lane. Lee quickly moved over to foul Howard and made sure he didn’t convert the “and-1.” Smart play because based on averages, the Warriors should have come away from this with a 3- or 4-point lead. But surprisingly, Howard hits both free throws. 102-100 with 2:27 to go.
The Lakers take a 105-104 lead thanks to some porous defense by Curry. Lee’s only points of the fourth quarter are huge as he nails a step-back jumper with 44 seconds left to give the Warriors a 106-105 lead.
A Metta three and a Jack jumper later we’re going into OT tied at 108.
Lee was pretty non-existent in OT, making one bad play and one good. The bad? Down four with 3:41 left he forced a difficult shot over Gasol that had no chance of going in. The good? He took a dribble towards the lane before finding Klay on a nice back-door cut. Klay converted the jumper to make it a 2-point deficit with 2:03 left.
It wasn’t enough as the Warriors lost 115-118.
Summary:
Man, not only was this a tough game to sit through as a Warriors fan. This was a really tough game to judge Lee on. If I’m judging on a curve based on his play this season, I’d have to put this into the “bad game” category. Otherwise I would call it an average game.
He forced a few shots and played bad defense in crunch time, and this hurt the Warriors during a time that they needed him to step up and stop a Lakers run. His lack of scoring in the fourth quarter and OT wasn’t that distressing when you look at the way Jack and Harrison Barnes were playing. Curry and Klay also made some shots, so Lee’s non-production wasn’t a huge issue. More concerning was his lack of rebounding, specifically when faced against Jordan Hill who was beating him to balls off the glass more than any other player in quite some time. And Hill was doing this against Lee during a key fourth quarter Lakers run.
CSN’s Matt Steinmetz commented several times that Lee did not hit any clutch shots. But his jumper with 44 seconds left was an obvious clutch shot. The issue was that he didn’t hit enough of them, forcing and missing several shots. He still shot 50% for the game (9-18 FG), so it wasn’t like he had an awful shooting night.
But based on what he’s been doing lately, I just wish he would have done more. And I think that’s how I’ll summarize this game for Lee: he should have done more.
In our first segment, Sheed and myself discuss the Warriors impressive road trip, their upcoming schedule this week, the importance of the Lakers game on Saturday night and why Buffalo Wild Wings is the worst food establishment in America.
In our second segment we’re joined by Los Angeles Times and HOOPSWORLD writer Eric Pincus as we talk Lakers struggles, the surprising Warriors and the Lakers vs. Warriors clash on Saturday night.
In our final segment, we get into the holiday spirit and talk what gifts we would give each Warriors player. In addition, we slander E-40 – a lot.
Don’t forget to subscribe to us on iTunes and rate us!
Better late than never! Ben and myself recorded this show on Tuesday as we talk the Bogut injury (what else is new?), Klay Thompson’s struggles, David Lee trying too hard (what else is new?) and Mark Jackson’s “coaching style”.
In our second segment we have former/current/former/current WarriorsWorld writer, ESPN TrueHoop-er, Bleacher Report-er Ethan Sherwood Strauss as we talk everything Warriors, the Lakers madness and why he’s too good to attend games at Oracle Arena.
In our final segment, Ben talks about his dinner with Warriors GM Bob Myers and we give our NBA power rankings.
With the Golden State Warriors (3-2) set to take on the Los Angeles Lakers (1-4) tonight at Staples Center, Andrew Kamenetzky of ESPNLA’s Lakers blog reached out to Warriors World for a quick Q&A session, you can find my answers about what to expect from the Warriors against the Lakers here. We also took the time to ask Andy some questions about the Lakers, and you can find them below. It’s worth noting that the Q&A was conducted prior to the dismissal of Mike Brown today.
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