Chris Mihm was the difference maker for the Lakers in game 5 of the 2008 NBA Playoffs. I realize this flies in the face of conventional wisdom, but think about it.

In game 4, the Lakers had a 21 point 1st quarter lead, but ended up losing the game.

In game 5, the Lakers had just a 17 point 1st quarter lead, (so the Celtics had them just where they wanted them), until Phil Jackson pulled out his secret weapon: Chris Mihm.

Mihm had 0 minutes in game 4 and the Lakers lost. Mihm had 2:46 in game 5, and the Lakers won.

Obviously, Chris Mihm was the difference! (Yes, I'm kidding.)

But seriously folks, I actually do think Chris Mihm was the difference maker -- well, not Chris Mihm per se, but the fact that Phil Jackson had the courage to play Mihm, particularly after the squall of criticism Jackson weathered for his game 4 player substitutions.

To me, this proves that Phil Jackson still has the courage, creativity and brilliance it takes to win. I am honestly impressed, and you should be too.

The Mihm experiment obviously failed; he had 0 points, 0 rebounds, 2 fouls and 1 turnover in 2:46.

But then again, Ronny Turiaf actually has more fouls than points so far in the NBA Finals, thus putting a very good free throw shooting team on the line. And in 50+ minutes over 5 games, Turiaf has grabbed whopping total of 3 measly rebounds. He's not exactly earning his minutes, is he? For comparison's sake, backup point guard Jordan Farmar has 10 rebounds so far this series, more than three times the total of the Lakers backup center.

Seriously, with production like that from Turiaf, and with DJ Mbenga in street clothes, Phil Jackson would have been an imbecile not to give Chris Mihm a try.

Chris Mihm was once one of the better centers in the league, but thanks to injuries Mihm has basically not played basketball in 2 years.

It wasn't like Phil put Mihm in during a critical point of the game. Jackson experimented with Mihm early in the game and when the Lakers had a 17 point lead.

So, given Turiaf has been MIA, and Mbenga was unavailable, that it was early in the game and the Lakers had a 17 point lead, didn't it make sense to give Mihm a try? And the fact that playing Mihm surprised everyone, that Phil Jackson was the only person to see that this substitution made sense, doesn't that make Jackson brilliant?

Had Mihm played well, Phil might have even been able to play him again in the second half and move Pau Gasol to power forward, Lamar Odom to small forward, and play Kobe Bryant with whichever other guard is playing well. Alas, Mihm looked terrified out there and played terribly.

The same courage and creativity it takes to give Mihm a try, is the courage and creativity it took for Jackson to bench Michael Jordan in game 6 of the 1992 NBA Finals, with the Bulls down big against the Trailblazers, and play long forgotten reserve, Bobby Hansen.

And this is the same courage and creativity it took to play Jordan Farmar (with Fisher, Bryant, Odom and Gasol) at crunch time of an elimination game. Farmar hadn't been playing well in the playoffs, but in game 5, Farmar was effective at blowing by Sam Cassell and Eddie House to get to the rim and finish with a layup, or by assisting a teammate to easily score.

Without that courage and creativity, and with Vujacic having a bad game, Phil would have had to go with Radmanovic at crunch time. Who feels good about THAT decision?

Oh wait, I hear you: what about Trevor Ariza?

After game 4, I was one of the many clamoring for Ariza to get more minutes in game 5, but when I saw Ariza on the floor in game 5, I got worried. Ariza passed on totally open shots, literally. Trevor Ariza earned a seat on the bench by failing to shoot when open. The Celtics defense is bad enough 5 on 5, but if the Celtics are able to guard the remaining Lakers 5 on 4, the Lakers are dead.

Lest I give Phil Jackson too much credit for Farmar's success, I have to mention Kobe Bryant as well.

Remember when Farmar launched an airball 3 pointer? The very next play, Kobe Bryant passed the ball to Farmar at the arc, and Farmar knocked down the 3-pointer. Kobe Bryant unimpeachably manifested confidence in Farmar, even when he had a good reason not to. I'm sure that built Jordan Farmar's confidence, and helped him to play better the rest of the game.

Kobe Bryant, for those too jaded to see it, really does make his teammates better.

Of course, Chris Mihm wasn't really the difference in game 5, Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant were.

I just thought I'd use Chris Mihm to point out to those whose faith in Phil Jackson might be wavering how brilliant Phil Jackson really is, so fear not, and be believing.

The Zen Master is still on his game.

I can't believe how quickly the blogging world has turned on Phil Jackson. And while were at it, I do not get the criticisms I've been reading of Sasha Vujacic or Pau Gasol. Phil is NOT to blame, unless you think that players not taking their coach seriously is the coach's fault.

About the only explanation I can find for people knocking Jackson, Gasol and Vujacic, is that these fans are JUST LIKE the Lakers' players ... they are too focused on offense, and do not take defense seriously enough.

"Defense wins championships" is not just a cliche', it is the truth, and Lakers players and fans alike seem to think the Lakers can win a title allowing the Celtics to score 98, 108 and 97 points per game, even when the Celtics have allowed their opponents to score only 90.3 points per game all season long ... and the Celtics were no where NEAR as motivated as they are now to defend.

The math doesn't add up!

Pay attention to the post game comments, and you can see the that the Lakers are not on the same page as their coach. Phil Jackson alone seems to understand that the Lakers need to take defense more seriously.

These young Lakers have NOT played good defense all year, and that has put them at odds with Jackson. To be specific, the Lakers had the 19th best defense in the NBA this season, allowing opponents to score 101.4 points per game.

By contrast, the Celtics allowed their opponents to score an average of 90.3 points per game.

Given that pace slows down in the playoffs, it is more than reasonable to assume that, for the Lakers to win ANY game against the Celtics, the Lakers will need to hold the Celtics to 90 points or less.

The ONLY time the Lakers did that these Finals, they won. Shouldn't THAT be enough evidence to convince them? Hold the Celtics to 90 points or less, you win. Don't do it, and you lose. Four games have borne that out, how about believing it now?

In the 1st quarter of game 4, the Lakers held the Celtics to 14 points. That defensive effort, combined with the Lakers' rebounding and ball movement, created easy offense for the Lakers as well, hence the 21 point Finals record.

After the first quarter, the Lakers defense let up. In the 3rd quarter, it was exactly as bad as it had been all season. The Celtics scored 31 that quarter.

Remember the sound bites of Phil Jackson in the locker room and on the floor at half time? Repeatedly he warned his players, "Win the 3rd quarter. Are you listening? Win the 3rd quarter and we'll be fine."

Phil Jackson coached in the CBA, where playoff seeding was determined not only by wins, but how many QUARTERS a team won. If Jackson could get the Lakers to think in terms of winning quarters, then he could get a more consistent defensive effort all game long, rather than the big effort at the beginning that vanishes until the 4th quarter when it is painfully obvious it is needed.

After the game, Kevin Garnett commented on how surprised he was that the Lakers were not giving the effort in the 2nd half that they gave in the 1st half.

SUBSTITUTIONS

For all of you baffled by Phil's substitutions, he was not subbing for offense. He was subbing for defense, to stop the bleeding.

Phil Jackson understands what, apparently, not everyone does: the Lakers are NOT going to outscore the Celtics. The Celtics will not allow that. Therefore, the Lakers are going to have to hold the down Celtics scoring to win.

If I were coach, I'd tell my players that the magical number is 22, that way he might be able to make the Lakers give a more consistent defensive effort. If the Lakers can hold the Celtics to 22 POINTS PER QUARTER, the Lakers will be in a position to win.

A NEW HOPE

As a reminder, the Lakers could have potentially won all 3 of the games they lost. The problem always was, they let the Celtics score too much.

The series is not over, but if the Lakers players don't wisen up, defend, rebound and move the ball, it will be.

ABOUT PAU AND SASHA

Not only am I not critical of Phil, I don't get these criticisms of Pau.

Pau is NOT the Lakers starting center, guys! Bynum is! Pau is playing out of position, as is Ronny Turiaf. If healthy, Bynum and Mihm are supposed to be the inside force, and Pau will do his scoring on lobs as he cuts to the rim, not post up play. And Pau has the foot speed to keep up with the Boozers in the league, and the length to really bother them defensively.

As for Sasha letting Allen "walk" by him at crunch time, the worst thing Sasha could have done was foul Allen, that would have been a guaranteed 2 points for the Celtics. Of the 1000's of people who have played in the NBA over the decades, Ray Allen is the 7th best free throw shooter to ever play in the league. By letting Allen by him, Sasha was presumably sending Allen to help, BIGS that would alter Allen's shot or cause him to pass the ball. The team defense is to blame here, not Sasha.

In truth, the team defense is to blame for the hole the Lakers are in. Not Phil Jackson, not Kobe's shot selection, not Radmanovic's lack of hard fouls, not Sasha's letting Ray Allen go by.

Seriously guys, if you are looking critically at the Lakers offense, you are looking at the wrong side of the floor.

The Celtics have the best defense in basketball. That best defense, was NEVER more motivated than it was last night. Naturally, the Lakers are not going to perform as well as expected against that, even the great Kobe Bryant. To expect otherwise is to ignore reality.

If the Lakers score better Sunday, cool. But if it happens, it will be because the Laker defense has allowed them to run out for easy scores. It won't be because they've magically solved the Celtics defense and can now score as everyone expects them to do.

The Lakers need to defend to win.

That's easy to overlook because it is so cliche' to keep saying, "Defense wins championships," but the saying has endured for a reason. And frankly, the Lakers (and probably their fans) don't take defense seriously yet.

And so it was, that the Lakers #24, in his 24th Finals game of his career, was part of a 24 point meltdown that is now in the record books.

All that will be but a footnote though, if the next Lakers record is to become the 1st team to overcome a 3-1 deficit.

That record is the Lakers' for the taking, if they will rebound, move the ball, and play defense as if this season depended on it. Because it does.

Lakers fans: brace yourselves. They'll be no home cooking tonight. The friendly whistles the Celtics enjoyed the first two games of the 2008 NBA Finals in Boston will not likely be reciprocated for the home team Lakers in game 4.

How could they be?

Here it is hours before game 4 of the 2008 NBA Finals, and the biggest story today isn't Rondo's ankle, is it? The big story is Tim Donaghy's accusations that the Lakers were beneficiaries of an NBA playoffs conspiracy.

With a huge story like this hanging over their heads, how could NBA officials not go out of their way to show that they do not favor the Lakers?

Ironically, the solitary voice calling for reformation of NBA officiating is the Lakers Coach, Phil Jackson. Jackson is calling for NBA officials to have their own separate organization, not under the authority of the NBA. You don't need to have a "high basketball IQ" to see how that would help. "It seems to be more consistent with what we want to have happen to keep it from being influenced," Jackson said.

The worst thing about the Tim Donaghy story though, is David Stern. I don't want to hear his denials, and I especially don't want to hear him act as if the only problem the NBA has with officiating is this lone, rogue official. I want to hear him say he will reorganize NBA officiating so transparently that it will forever be above su####ion again.

It's not like Tim Donaghy is the only reason to reform officiating.

2. Mark Cuban is another good reason. Wouldn't setting up another organization separate from the NBA pull the rug out from under these headline grabbing conspiracy theorists?

3. And in Mark's defense, doesn't it feel somewhat un-American to fine someone for practicing his right to free speech? The Mark Cubans and Jeff Van Gundys should not be made to pay for expressing their opinions on officiating, especially when so many others are getting away with it for free.

4. Joey Crawford is another good reason for ref reform. Refs are as human as anyone else, and just as a player or a coach can get caught up in the heat of the moment, so can a referee. A real and transparent grievance procedure would help keep refs in line.

5. Right now, every officiating change is seen as a reaction to a past problem, and subsequently becomes an admission of guilt. Take for instance, the controversial shot Chauncy Billups took at the end of the 3rd quarter in game 2 against the Orlando Magic. If the NBA allows video replay for these situations next year, it is basically admitting the call was blown this year. There are some things the NBA doesn't want to admit, therefore there is a built in reluctancy in the current system to make necessary changes.

6. A study by University of Pennsylvania professor Justin Wolfers and Cornell graduate student Joseph Price analyzed NBA box scores over 13 seasons through 2004 and found that Black players received fewer fouls (4.33 per 48 minute game) than White players (4.97 per 48 minute game). It also found that white refs were more likely to call fouls on black players, and that black refs were more likely to call fouls on white players. The REAL news, however, is that when the NBA dismissed this study, it said it has done more robust studies than this on this topic but has not released the results. WHY?! Why can't the NBA be more transparent with the world about officiating?

Like most of you, I love this game. I watch it, I study it, I blog it, I play it, I coach it and I officiate it. If water-boarded though, (or for a free salmon dinner at Chili's), I'd confess that the one thing that ruins this game for me is not Craig Sager's suits, but basketball officiating.

Officiating has left me with a bad taste in my mouth so many times as a fan, as a player and as a coach, and even as a ref. Either I've swallowed my whistle in support of a fellow official who made what looked to me to be a bad call, or I myself have left games frustrated at how well hard it is to do a good job for the coaches and players who left it all on the floor.

Consequently, over time, I've developed some RADICAL ideas for improving officiating of basketball. Like what? Well, like ....

A BOARD OF GOVERNORS

What do we want from NBA Officials? Only three things really.

1. Accuracy - We want officials to not miss calls, and to make the right calls when they make them.

2. Consistency - If it is a foul for one team, then it should be a foul for the other team... regardless who the home team is. If it is a foul at the beginning of the game, it should be a foul in the closing seconds as well... regardless if some dip stick announcer thinks otherwise. If it is a foul for a rookie, it should be a foul for an established super star as well... regardless if some veteran player feels he deserves more "respect." Stop with the nonsensical unwritten officiating policies and just be consistent.

3. Recourse - Right now, if a player or a coach feels a call was missed or incorrect, they have two options: complain to no avail, or suffer in silence and hope the bad calls even out in the end. Are you telling me this is the best we can do?! We're the species who have been to the moon and back, who cured the plagues of the dark ages, who -- I'll finish this later. I need to go, and I have to post this before game 4 starts for the beginning to make any sense. Sorry.

4. Continuity - Don't slow the game down.

LINE JUDGES

Soccer has line officials, volleyball has line officials, tennis has line officials ... why doesn't basketball?

Answer: greed.

They don't let fans onto the ice in hockey, they don't allow fans onto the pitch in soccer, they don't allow fans on the field in football, they don't allow fans onto the court in tennis, but in basketball, they sell tickets all the way up to and around the teams themselves.

And in the NBA, they then stuff photographers and videographers in front of them. How many times in the playoffs have fans held their breath as NBA stars crashed into cameras and camera men? Yet it doesn't change.

Other major sports seem to be able to cover their games from a safe distance for the players, why can't they do the same for the NBA?

Now, as a person who has enjoyed courtside seats on the floor with my family, I can say that I'd hate to see courtside seats go, but then again, I wouldn't mind if they were another 3 or 4 feet away from the sidelines for safety's sake... especially if that also made room for line officials, and for better basketball officiating.

Basketball needs to add sideline officials.

Sideline officials could watch all lines and make calls such as: 3 in the key, defensive 3 seconds, the restricted "no charge" area offensive fouls, shot clock violations, backcourt violations, and basically free up the 3 on-court officials to watch and monitor player contact.

(more to come)

Forget All-Star weekend, the REAL must-see game of the week happens 3 days after, on Wednesday, February 20, 2008, when the Phoenix Suns host the Los Angeles Lakers at 5:00 p.m. Alaska Standard Time (9:00 p.m. Eastern).

--- Never mind that 5 current and former All-Stars take the floor,

--- Never mind that Wednesday starts another chapter in one of the NBA’s all time storied rivalries: Shaq verses Kobe,

--- Never mind that this matchup of division leaders will affect the losing team’s standings against the other as if they lost two games instead of one,

--- Never mind that this game could potentially swing the “tie breaker” of this tight division race back to Phoenix,

--- Never mind that the Lakers acquired Pau from the Grizzlies for his own brother,

--- Never mind that the Suns acquired Shaq from Miami for his weight in Phoenix players ...

What I want to know is, after blocking the Jason Kidd trade, then going out to shoot 0 for 11, how can (former Laker) Devin George look his Dallas teammates in the eye now?

Back to the subject, this Suns / Lakers matchup is about as intense as drama can get for a regular season game. Especially here.

Normally I wouldn’t blog about a game that hasn’t even been played yet, but seeing as nothing riles people up around here more than the Suns and the Lakers, I thought I’d make an exception.

STANDING FOR SOMETHING

The loss Phoenix suffered today at the hands of the Warriors, and the win the Lakers had at the expense of the Timberwolves brings the Lakers within 1 game of the Suns in the standings. Next on the menu for the Lakers is Atlanta. Next for the Suns is Dallas. It is possible the Suns and Lakers could be tied in the standings when they meet -- tied, but the Lakers own the tie breaker. A Suns victory would give them breathing room. A Lakers victory could drop Phoenix from 2nd in the West to 5th, and vault the Lakers into the 2nd seed.

JUNK FEUD

Shaquille O'Neal injured his hip diving for a loose ball against Utah on December 22. He returned January 16 but an MRI showed inflammation in the left hip, shutting him down from all basketball activity. He’s been cleared to play, but is struggling to get back in playing shape.

Kobe Bryant dislocated a finger on his right hand this road trip and his shooting and ball handling have suffered as a result.

Neither player is at full power, plus the two seemed to take a big step toward making up as the two teamed up to blast Lakers owner Jerry Buss. Consequently, the Kobe verses Shaq factor has really fizzled out.

TRADE TIDBITS

The good news for the Phoenix Suns is that, over the last 10 games, the best two-player combination in the NBA, in terms of efficiency rating, is Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum (+120), and Andrew will not be playing. Drew missed the last game against Phoenix as well, the game the Suns won.

The bad news for the Phoenix Suns is that, over the last 10 games, the second best two player combination in the NBA is Shawn Marion and Raja Bell (+113), and Shawn won’t be playing either.

Also, since trading Marion, the Suns’ defense has become worse, their defensive rating is 113.7. That's pretty bad, especially considering the Lakers are the 3rd highest scoring team in the league.

SHAQ FLACK

Not everyone thinks Phoenix did the right thing trading Marion and Banks for O’Neal, including Phil Jackson. When asked what he thought Shaq’s role would be on the Suns, he teased, "Taking the ball out of bounds and waiting for the other team to get back."

Jackson has also said, "There's diminishing returns for a guy who's 7-foot-1, 300-whatever [pounds]. When you have multiple problems in your legs -- feet, knees, hips -- that's the stability that holds up the frame. It's real difficult. And I knew he'll get in better shape as the year goes on, but ... all the tall guys have back [and] stability issues that go with having to maintain their foundation."

But, Jackson added, "He certainly can be a presence to contend with down there."

Can Shaq's presence and his newfound motivation overcome health problems though?

Speaking of health, Steve Kerr thinks Shaq will be great for his team’s mental health. "I don't think there's ever been a player who can change the attitude of a team like Shaq," Kerr said. "[The trade] was also done for the mental health and emotional well-being of the team. I think [Nash] needed something like this. I think we all did, actually."

If O’Neal can get the Suns a Western Conference Championship, Shaq would be the first player in league history to take four different teams to the NBA Finals. Tim Duncan can’t say that! ;-)

GAME RESET

The Suns will have had 6 days to rest their old bones and get Shaq ready before they meet the Lakers. The Lakers will be playing the second game of a back to back, and they’ll be on the road.

The game the night before the Lakers play the Suns is against the Hawks, the last team to beat the Lakers. These young Hawks are hard to predict. Their record isn’t all that great, but then again the Hawks have already beaten Western powerhouses Lakers, Dallas, Phoenix, New Orleans, Denver and Utah this season.

When the Hawks beat the Lakers, the Lakers got in at 4:00 a.m., were playing second game of a back to back on the road, Kobe had just injured his finger, and Pau Gasol was hampered by a sore back. The Lakers lost by 3.

The Lakers will probably beat the Hawks, but if Gasol and Bryant log minutes doing so, the Suns will have so much the advantage the next night. Remember, the Suns had 6 days to rest, and to practice with their new big man. And with Bynum out, Ariza out, Mihm out, and Ronny hobbled by an ankle twist, the Suns have a more than fair chance of downing the Lakers.

PERSPECTIVE

It is starting to look like Western Conference teams will need 50+ wins just to make the playoffs. I mean look at the Rockets: Houston has won 9 out of their last 10, and they are tied for the last playoff spot!

The Spurs are getting Tony Parker back after the All-Star break.

The Nuggets had an 8 game winning streak going into All-Star weekend, until the Jazz pried it from them.

Jazz have won 10 of their last 11.

But are all these teams just battling for second place?

The Celtics are 16 - 0 over the West!

Is Luke Walton Overrated?

During the second half of the Lakers loss to the Cavs on Sunday, January 27, 2008, commentator / analyst Jeff Van Gundy said that Luke Walton’s skills probably weren’t good enough to start for any NBA team, but Luke’s “basketball IQ” was very high, and that is what makes him an asset for the Lakers.

I like Luke, but I did wonder if people would be saying that if he wasn’t Bill Walton’s kid.

Luke Walton is playing nearly 26 minutes per game, but is averaging just 7.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. What makes those numbers worrisome, is ever since Walton secured his contract with the Lakers, pulling in $4 million this year, he has not been the player he was last year. This year, Luke Walton is down in points, shooting percentage, 3 point percentage, FREE THROW PERCENTAGE, rebounds, blocks, and assists.

In short, with that kind of dip in performance from last year, it is obvious Luke Walton isn’t the reason the Lakers have improved so much this year.

In the closing seconds of the Cavs / Lakers game, Luke used his “high basketball IQ” to kill any chance the Lakers had, slim as they were, of sending the game into overtime. It’s not like they tried to tie the game but missed, Luke made it so the Lakers didn’t even get a shot off.

Luke claimed that he did not know how much time was on the clock. How is that possible? The Lakers called time out to set the play! How could a “high IQ” player, in a crucial game ending play, not know the clock situation?

I wonder if Luke saw how the crowd turned on Kwame and told himself he wasn’t going to be the goat and tossed the ball back to Kobe.

Now don’t misunderstand me, I do NOT think Luke was the reason the Lakers lost; he is just the reason the Lakers didn’t get a last chance to tie the game.

How did the Lakers lose? Let’s start with the easy stuff.

--- The Lakers shot 24 of 37 (64%) from the free throw line. They left 13 free points, with no defenders involved, on the line, including 3 missed free throws in crunch time by team leaders Kobe and Lamar.

--- The Lakers dug themselves into a hole by only scoring 14 points in the 2nd quarter.

--- The Lakers defense let up in the fourth quarter, allowing the Cavs to score their biggest quarter of the game.

--- Kobe outplayed LeBron in the first half, shooting a perfect 6 for 6, leading LeBron in both rebounds and assists, and Kobe had no fouls or turnovers. Then after halftime, Kobe seemed to get caught up in the “Kobe vs. LeBron” aspect and totally changed his game plan. In the 2nd half, Kobe shot 4 for 15 (27%), had 3 fouls, one technical foul, and shot just 1 of 6 in the fourth quarter, with 2 turnovers, and 3 missed free throws.

--- Phil Jackson's got some 'splainin to do too. In the 4th quarter, with the Lakers up by 1 (85-86), Phil Jackson yanked Kobe from the game and put Derek Fischer in his place. A minute and 22 seconds later, the Cavs were up by 4 (90-86), and Phil put Kobe back into the game. Kobe clearly needed redirecting, but obviously that wasn’t the way to do it.

--- The Cavs literally tripped up and threw away their chance to seal the game, but Kobe did a Kwame, and instead of dunking with authority, he missed a layup. Kobe got the rebound, but was stripped by Daniel Gibson and had to foul LeBron to stop the clock.

--- I have been trying to understand why Phil Jackson had that combination of players on the floor for the closing seconds. The Lakers HAD to score 3 points to extend the game into overtime, so it made no sense for the Cavs to defend anywhere but the arc.

Kobe had missed his only 3 point attempt. Derek Fisher was 0 for 5 from the arc. In fact, Sasha Vujacic and Jordan Farmar were the only Lakers to actually make 3 pointers Sunday, and neither were on the floor at the end of the game! Why wouldn’t Jackson put Fisher, Bryant, Vujacic, Farmer and Walton on the floor?

Anyway, it is tempting to say the Lakers lost because there was no Andrew Bynum, but the truth is the game was very winnable. The Lakers, from Kobe to Phil to Lamar to Luke ... just blew it.

One final note. I’ve recently read some comments crowing about how this game proves LeBron James is better than Kobe Bryant.

--- First of all, intelligent people understand that all one game can prove is what happened that game. I remember Gary Payton getting the best of Michael Jordan one game in the NBA Finals, but only a #### would use that as evidence that Payton was the better player.

--- Second, these people have a track record of twisting stories and stats to suit themselves. Here are the lines for Bryant and James:

Kobe Bryant:
33 points, 21 shot attempts, 48% shooting, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 turnovers, +8 efficiency.

LeBron James:
41 points, 32 shot attempts, 50% shooting, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 turnovers, -3 efficiency.

Based on the history we’ve all had with these commenters, if these lines were reversed, we all know they would point to the 32 shot attempts and blast Bryant as selfish and not a team player for shooting so much. They would likewise criticize Bryant for his 5 turnovers, and say James is the better player because he had more assists, more rebounds, and his team benefited more overall when he was on the floor.

Instead, they hypocritically overlook what they would have regarded as faults if it were Kobe Bryant’s stat line, and instead praise LeBron James for them.

LeBron and Kobe are probably my two favorite players, and if LeBron were as mindlessly maligned as Kobe, I’d be defending LeBron James as well.

LeBron James may well be better than Kobe, but LeBron himself doesn’t think so. And even if LeBron is just being modest, one game wouldn’t prove it one way or the other.

One thing is certain, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, plus Chris Paul, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and perhaps a few others... are in a class of their own, and believe it or not, putting down any one of these guys doesn’t make us think you are some kind of unappreciated basketball genius. In fact, frankly, it is quite the opposite. Disparaging any of these players just makes you come off as immature.

--- Note, this is not complete. I'm tired and am quitting for now, but I'll come back and do part 2 later. ---

He was the best of players; he was the worst of players.

I cannot think of a another player in the NBA that sparks the intensity of debate that Kobe Bryant does. Some (like Charles Barkley) say he is selfish and a disease to a team. Others (including Larry Bird), say he is the best player in the NBA.

The debate is made more complicated by the staggering amount of misinformation actively circulating about Kobe Bryant. In fact, too often Kobe debates aren’t differences of opinion, but factual disputes. What is true? What really happened and what really HYPE-ned?!

So I’ve decided to try to provide a fresh (and painstakingly factual) look at Kobe.

My aim isn’t to persuade you to like or dislike him. Besides, it’s too late for that anyways — most people have their minds made up about Bryant.

This piece is simply a compilation of verified facts which can be researched yourself on the Internet. I’ve just put them here in one place so that we can all easily get up to speed and begin to speak from a factual basis, and raise the I.Q. of some of the debate about Kobe.

RELEVANT TIMELINE

- October 2003 -

Shaq uses preseason games and interviews to shame Jerry Buss publicly into paying him more money. O’Neal talked about his pay (or lack thereof) a pregame interview, then in the third quarter, after making six straight shots and emphatically blocking a shot by Mike Dunleavy, Shaq turned to the Lakers bench and yelled, “Now you gonna pay me?” Later, during a timeout, O’Neal mouthed to reporters, “Pay me.” The next game, O’Neal shouted to reporters, “Show me the money! Show me the money!”

Interestingly, Shaq’s contract wasn’t even up that year, Kobe’s was. Think about that a moment. And which selfish player was deliberately and publicly humiliating the Lakers for more money?

- April 2004 -

According to Kobe, Jerry Buss has already told Kobe that he plans to trade Shaquille O’Neal while he can still get good consideration for him.

Meanwhile, Shaq’s points per game has dropped by 6 from the previous season, and his free throw shooting dropped from 62% to 49%.

In fact, Shaq is no longer the NBA’s most dominate big man, although most people hadn’t yet figured it out. Tim Duncan led Shaq in points per game, rebounding, blocked shots, assists and free throw percentage. About the only thing Shaq led Duncan in was turnovers per game.

- June 15, 2004 -

The Detroit Pistons defeat the Los Angeles Lakers in 5 games to win the NBA championship.

- June 17, 2004 -

The Lakers inform Phil Jackson that he is no longer their coach. Shaquille O’Neal demands to be traded. Kobe Bryant becomes an unrestricted free agent. Obviously, this was NOT a good day for Lakers fans.

- June 27, 2004 -

Shaq tells the Riverside Press-Enterprise in an interview, “Unfortunately, it has come to this. But I want the fans to know that it’s not me. They said it’s about the money. It’s not about the money, It’s about honesty, and the honesty me and Jerry West had. That’s been gone for four years now … It ain’t about the extension. Of course, that’s what they are going to make it out to be.”

At the time, most of us scoffed at this, but now that Kobe has demanded to be traded, it is REALLY interesting to read that Shaq claimed in 2004 that the reason he wants to be traded from the Lakers is because he has trust issues with their front office, and that he only trusts Jerry West. WOW!

- July 13, 2004 -

Jerry Buss tells Ross Siler of the Los Angeles Daily News, that he has been “on the fence” about trading O’Neal since negotiations for a two-year contract extension broke off last season.

I repeat, in July of 2004, Jerry Buss told reporters that he had been considering trading Shaq since negotiations broke off during the 2002 - 2003 season.

This means that Buss and O’Neal’s negotiations broke down just PRIOR to Shaq’s “pay me” antics during the preseason, which makes total sense. Shaq was expressing a fresh frustration over salary discussions gone bad, and his antics literally confirm Dr. Buss’s side of the story.

Buss said he offered to make O’Neal the NBA’s highest-paid player for the rest of his career but Shaq demanded more. Remember, Shaquille O’Neal’s salary was “grandfathered” because his contract was set before an NBA collective bargaining agreement put a limit on salaries. Ultimately, Buss said, O’Neal left him no choice but to make the trade.

“Shaq is the most dominant player in the game,” Buss said. “There’s no doubt about that. The question is if I wait until he isn’t the most dominant player in the game, will I get adequate replacements? And that’s just a question of judgment.

“I don’t think anybody actually knows. Maybe I’m trading him too soon, maybe I’m trading him too late. I really don’t know. It just seems to me that everything considered, the entire scenario, that it is now time.”

Having already parted with Phil Jackson, and having decided long ago that Shaq may need to go, with Karl Malone injured and contemplating retirement, and with Gary Payton not meshing at all with the Lakers, and then being soundly whipped by the Detroit Pistons, you can see why the Lakers made it no secret that re-signing Kobe Bryant was the Lakers’ top priority. Sorry if those public statements offended you, Shaq.

Also, the timing of everything unfortunately coincided with Kobe’s free agency, and left a perception that Kobe had forced the changes, a perception which Buss disputed directly in this interview.

“The decision with Phil and the decision with Shaq was made totally independent of Kobe,” he said.

- July 14, 2004 -

After listening closely to other offers from the Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks, Kobe narrowed his choices to the Clippers and the Lakers. Then after what he called a “tough decision,” Kobe decided this night to play for the Lakers. He later said, “I could see myself playing for the Clippers. [But] ultimately, it was in my heart to play for the Lakers.”

- July 15, 2004 -

Kobe Bryant signs a seven year deal worth $136.4 million

- July 16, 2004 -

At a press conference, Kobe Bryant insisted he had nothing to do with the departures of O’Neal and former head coach Phil Jackson.

“That upsets me. That angers me. That hurts me,” Kobe Bryant said. “They did what they had to do. That had nothing to do with me. In a perfect world, we would have all come back and won another (championship).”

- Summer 2004 -

At the time, the NEW Lakers could have looked something like this:

Point Guards -
Gary Payton, Derek Fisher, Chucky Atkins, Sasha Vujacic

Shooting Guards -
Kobe Bryant, Devean George, Kareem Rush

Small Forwards -
Caron Butler, Luke Walton, Brian Cook

Power Forwards -
Karl Malone, Lamar Odom, Rick Fox

Centers -
Brian Grant, Slava Medvedenko, Vlade Divac

In hindsight, the Lakers actually looked pretty good at the point guard, shooting guard, small forward and power forward positions. They were of course, severely lacking at center. However, at this time in the NBA, pretty much everyone bar Houston was lacking at center.

Had the Lakers kept Phil Jackson, they actually might have stayed an elite team. Jackson is used to overcoming weakness at the center position by “committee,” and the Lakers improved substantially over their previous team at the point guard, small forward and power forward positions.

Caron Butler, as you know, is now an all-star. Lamar Odom probably would have been an all star this season were it not for injury. Chucky Atkins isn’t great, but certainly better than Smush Parker.

If you haven't read it already, I thought Charlie Rosen's article, Kobe's trade demand entirely justified, was a great one on this topic.

Jerry Buss is a mess. It isn't just the DUI, or the fact that he was caught with a girl 1/3 his age when he was arrested, but his workplace had long been strewn with the debris thrown from the wreckage that is his personal life.

The Lakers, in turn,  are made in the image of their creator. 

Adrian Wojnarowski's article on the Lakers and Andrew Bynum is a must read for anyone who follows the Lakers.

In the article, he points out that Phil Jackson took a $25,000 fine defending Bynum to the officials, and recently gave the Lakers a film session showing them where they are missing getting the ball to Andrew, and Bynum responded by by having a slacker's attitude and by being late for practices.

Of all the dormant gifts Andrew Bynum needs to develop, perhaps the most important is the inner fire that drives the great ones to WORK to be great.

"There have been a lot of players that have been able to come to this game and get numbers and get salaries, but haven't learned to compete," Coach Phil Jackson said. "That's what we want to instill in Andrew."

"He was reading his press clippings instead of going out and playing hard," Jackson added. "He has to learn a work ethic."

You can teach a player to read defenses, how to move and how to counter, but can you teach a person desire?

The Lakers play the Clippers in a few hours, and if they win, they will replace the Clippers at the top of the Pacific Division. I can't imagine both teams not wanting this game pretty badly; I hope the game will have a playoff type atmosphere.

As for the Lakers, it is hard to know how much of the Lakers' success is due to improved playing and how much is due to their favorable schedule. At the current time, the Lakers have played 7 home games and 3 away, and the Lakers record is 7 wins and 3 losses. Coincidence? Actually, yes, it probably is.

While the Lakers start off with a lot of home games, and many of them against weaker teams, they pay for it later. The Lakers have the hardest road trip of the 2006-2007 NBA season, 8 games in 13 days, and the trip hits in the grueling dog days just before the All Star break (January 30 to February 11). True Kobe should be healthier then, and the rest of the team should be better at playing together, but that will still be quite a test for this young team.

Speaking of playing together, the Lakers are sharing the ball much better this season and are 2nd in the league in assists per game. Kobe leads the Lakers in assists too, with 5.1 apg.

The bad news is the Lakers are also 2nd in the NBA in turnovers at 19.2/game. Leading the way again is Kobe Bryant with a finger buttering 4.75 turnovers per game. But think about how well the Lakers have done, and imagine how the Lakers would be doing if they cleaned up this one problem (turnovers).

It could be argued that the Lakers need to play better defense (they allow 97.2 points per game), and I would agree ... but then again, if you subtract the easy baskets the Lakers give away because they have so many turnovers, opponent shooting percentage would dip, and their defensive stats would look pretty decent.

The Lakers are second in the league in another statistical category: they get the second fewest foul calls in the league. That is probably evidence o####ame dependent on jump shots rather than going to the cup. Because teams such as the Suns and the Spurs have made flopping a defensive strategy, you can see why they do it, especially since the Lakers have been shooting well and are 4th in the league with a 48 percent field goal percentage. Then again, if they made two areas of focus cleaning up turnovers while stepping up their offensive aggressiveness, that could keep their season bright.

About the players, I realize Phil Jackson is much more expert than I am, but why put Kobe Bryant on the floor and ask him to pretend to be Dahntay Jones. If you are going to have a mind bending talent such as Kobe Bryant on the floor, ask him to focus on something more than not scoring too much.

For example, it was puzzling to see the Lakers lose to the Suns in game 7 of last year's playoffs, knowing Kobe had gears he hadn't shifted into yet because he is a team player and sticking to the game plan. However, rather than just play down, I thought they should have given him a meaningful assignment other than scoring.  For instance, if they woud have asked Kobe to play the point guard and / or guard Steve Nash, I can totally see Kobe taking the challenge personally and impacting the game in a way other than scoring. You see what I mean?

Rather than play Kobe big minutes and have him hold back, you could also just let him go all out and limit his minutes. Or, better yet, because good things happen with Kobe on the floor and because you never know when a big shot will be needed, keep Kobe's minutes high but give him a specific challenge -- like to lead the league this season in steals, or to be first among shooting guards in assists to turnovers, or by asking him to bring in double doubles every game. Then, instead of putting Kobe on the floor and asking him to hold back, he can be throwing himself in to something meaningful that would help the team between his reason-defying bail-out shots.

Right now Kobe is 18th in the league this year in scoring, but interestingly enough, Kobe is #1 in the league in 4th quarter points. Kobe scores 9.1 in the 4th quarters, and the people closest to him are LeBron James at 7.3, Gilbert Arenas at 7.3, Allen Iverson at 7.1 and Dirk Nowitzki at 6.8. Notice how far ahead Kobe is from the pack? Clearly Kobe can be depended on to turn it on when it is needed; he just needs something worthwhile to do on the floor until those moments come.

The Lakers need to identify a reliable back court mate for Bryant. Right now the Lakers point guard position is pretty much being filled by a committee (of Aaron McKie, Maurice Evans, Jordan Farmar, Smush Parker and Sasha Vujacic). A committee worked okay for the Center position of PJ's Bulls, but having a committee play point guard might be one of the reasons the Lakers have so many turnovers per game. Hopefully someone can emerge soon as the clear leader at that position.

Luke Walton's all around play has won him the small forward spot in my mind. However, my wife wants to know if he wears eye liner on the floor.  Does anyone have an answer on that one? ;-)

And while Lamar Odom's newly found aggressiveness brings him at least one offensive foul every game, the upside of it is too compelling for him to go back to his former, more passive self. Go go, L.O.!

Andrew Bynum is my new favorite center in the NBA. I didn't say he is the best center, that would clearly be Yao Ming, but I really like Bynum. Did you catch his halftime interview last game? He knew exactly how he was being played and what he should do to counter it. However, Bynum seems at times embarrassed of his new skills; like he feels a bit unworthy of the accolades. To help him get past this, I think Bynum needs to keep the starting job regardless Kwame Brown's or Chris Mihm's playing status so that Bynum can get used to the attention his excellent play is bringing him. When he gets used to it, Bynum will be more consistent.

As I wrote elsewhere, I don't yet get why the Lakers acquired Radmonovic. He is an okay player, and if he works out to be a Tony Kukoc then that would be way cool, but so far I can't see it. The Lakers lack a serious role player rebounder like Horace Grant or Dennis Rodman, so why get a "big" who wants to stand outside and shoot -- especially one who only has a career scoring average of 6 points per game?! What is worse, this 6'10" forward gets almost exactly as many rebounds per game as 5'9" Nate Robinson!

Of all the people the Lakers miss, I think they miss former General Manger Jerry West the most. He built the teams that won the championships.

I also think Phil Jackson misses his former assistant, Tex Winter's bench-side, in-game analysis. Phil Jackson has won championships without Michael Jordan, without Scottie Pippen and without Shaquille O'Neal, but not without Tex Winter. Not yet anyway!

Cheers! 

The Mavs are playing excellent ball, and what is more they are fun to watch play. Coach Avery Johnson finally brought a little D to the "Big D."

Too bad their owner, Mark Cuban, who I normally really like a lot, has opted to act like such a jerk during the streak. It takes away from the enjoyment of the Mav's success.

"I own Phil Jackson," crowed Cuban in his blog. "Not literally of course. That thrill belongs to the smartest businesswoman in professional sports, Jeannie Buss. Figuratively however, the coach formerly known as the Zen Master must now be considered my bucket boy."

Nothing makes a would-be winner more low-class like taunting and crowing. Just as Phil Jackson, Pat Riley and Larry Brown aren't atop the league anymore, the Mavs will someday be rebuilding as well. The difference is that Jackson, Riley and Brown were more or less gracious winners. Cuban, unless he wises up, is going to be one of those guys who the whole league loves to see down when he is down.

Hey, Mark, why not show a little graciousness and class? If they can afford it, certainly you can too.

I've lived long enough now to realize that friends come and go, but enemies accumulate.

Cheers!