posted by KellyDwyer
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MrThell I think the biggest factor that skews this study isn't counting the ways that Kobe's shot total can go up incidentally. It's that when the Lakers are losing games, who ends up taking all the shots to get them back in it? When LA is playing poorly or in an offensive slump, who is the guy tasked with getting them out of it? When they're down by 10 or 15 or 20, who suddenly has to take the offense on his own shoulders to at least try to get them back in the game? Kobe. When the Lakers are already losing games Kobe is the one who has to increase his volume of shots, and odds are they lose a much higher percentage of games when playing from behind than when playing from ahead.
In games they are likely to lose Kobe is forced to take more shots than when everything is clicking for the Lakers. When they're playing well on offense without him, he doesn't have to do that, and of course they tend to win games when the supporting cast is doing what they're supposed to do.
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docksquad33 Great points by the both of you. Nice article.
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RedBaron Why do we care about Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson? No way would ABC put them in the broadcast booth and let their already-tired schtick ruin the best Finals matchup of the decade.
Killing Time Until Killing Time
Bandwagon L.A. —
+ First a laugh via Cuzoogle: + Some words on Kobe from Kelly Dwyer at BDL: Save for one, angry season (2004-05, when he shot less than he does now but slept through some games), Kobe Bryant trusted his teammates a little too damn much. In fact, "trusting his teammates" in the playoffs against San Antonio in 2003 and Detroit in 2004 may have cost the Lakers a ring; because had Kobe taken over the games with the same shoot-first but-within-the-offense fervor we saw in 2005-06 and 2006-07, the ball may ...
DAILY BULLETS
Docksquad Sports —
Here are some of our favorite links from around the web. Another amazing piece on Kobe Bryant. This time by Ball Don't Lie's Kelly Dwyer. ESPN's Adande also with a nice piece on Kobe Bryant. Here is a nice interview with Tyson Chandler Nice post by Bob Ryan. He refutes Bill Simmons who says the Lakers and Celtics are not a real rivalry because the Celtics have dominated the series so much. It's kind of crazy to hear about some of these stats that these guys put up back in the day. West, Baylor, and Russell's numbers ...
Reading is Great! Thursday’s NBA Rumors, Breaking News, and Blog Links
Empty the Bench —
- With Malice… - Gaggles of NBA writers, including ETB’s Capt. Thell, make their Finals picks.
- FanHouse - Apparently the Pistons have interest in speaking with Mike Woodson.
- Biz of Basketball - Just in case you have $1,017 in spare change for a pair of shoes…
- Ball Don’t Lie - The idea that less Kobe Bryant is good for the Lakers is bollocks.
- Seattle PI - “Does that mean that I ...
OPEN THREAD: 2008 NBA Finals Game 1
Golden State Of Mind —
... [ESPN]
I loved this game [ESPN- Page 2]
Battle of the best: Which prevails -- Lakers' offense or Celtics' defense? [ESPN]
Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, Talking Hoops [True Hoop]
The Road to the NBA Finals [The Arbitrarian]
NBA Finals Preview Part II: Why We Don't Give A Damn About Your Rivalry [Hardwood Paroxysm]
Red zone [The Boston Globe]
Kobe Bryant: Winning, still can't win [Ball Don't Lie] ...
