"Kobe Bryant is not as money as we think" - Henry Abbott

[Legends66NBA7]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/7649571/nba-kobe-bryant-not-money-think-espn-magazine


WITH THREE MINUTES LEFT on a frigid February night in Philadelphia, the Lakers had the ball, a two-point lead and, if history means anything, a certain road win. Some 76ers diehards explored halfhearted "Beat LA" chants. But none did so with the glee you'd expect, considering that the man with the ball was Kobe Bryant, the suburban Philly native who once said of Sixers fans that he wanted to "cut their hearts out." The NBA's most celebrated closer was scrubbed in for the cruelest of surgeries.

Bryant held the ball beyond the three-point line and turned to face the defense. At 33 years old, in his 16th season, he's been famously banged up of late. But whether the result of German centrifuges or a surge of crunch-time adrenaline, you wouldn't have known that from his vicious slash to the left, threatening the precious territory in the middle of the floor.

Mirroring Bryant's every step was the Sixers' best on-ball defender, Andre Iguodala. Every inch as tall as Bryant and with arms as long, Iguodala is thicker through the shoulders and chest and five years younger. Physically, the matchup was no contest, and even Bryant seemed to sense it, retreating once again beyond the three-point line, chewing on his dribble like a piece of gum, building tension as his teammates watched the show, waiting for the explosion.

Two power dribbles toward the baseline and Bryant was into his signature move: rising and firing that floating, fading 15-footer. Iguodala stayed between Bryant and the basket and, even without jumping, reached his red-sleeved left arm into Bryant's face as the shot was fired.

Bryant works in grand scale. He's not a man prone to subtlety or to easily admitting defeat. And so, a mighty eight times in the final three minutes, the Lakers entrusted their offense to him, flying solo, almost always against Iguodala, with other Lakers in great position to score: Matt Barnes cutting hard to the hoop, Pau Gasol calling for the ball with deep post position solo-covered by a point guard, Derek Fisher alone on the perimeter -- and not even getting a look.

The plan failed miserably. That 15-footer? It clanked off the rim, not long before a Bryant turnover. A feathery baseline jumper over Iguodala's fingertips couldn't find its target, a heroically long three over Jrue Holiday bricked, a left-side jumper hit nothing but iron, a foray into the paint resulted in a miss over three Sixers and, in the closing seconds, a turnaround, fadeaway three had no chance. In all, Bryant scored two points in that stretch as the Lakers' two-point lead became a five-point loss.

The hearts of Sixers fans remained, to a person, firmly inside their chests. And another failure in the long and puzzling history of the least effective strategy in team sports -- a mass delusion masquerading as tradition -- was firmly in the books.

"You can be sure of succeeding in your attacks if you only attack places that are undefended." -- Sun Tzu

IF THERE WAS one takeaway from February's All-Star Game, one thing fans could agree on, it was this: LeBron James should not have forced the pass that led to a last-possession steal. Even in meaningless exhibition games, passing is taboo in macho crunch time. And bad passes are unthinkable. There's a reason that even James, a man well-practiced at defending late-game gaffes, was quick to express regret for this one. Nobody respects the crunch-time passer. He's an affront to the game -- the game of hero ball.

Perhaps you've heard of hero ball. Maybe not. That would hardly be a surprise, as its practitioners like to pretend it doesn't exist. But even though hero ball looks suspiciously like basketball -- it's played on the same court and uses the same rims, same ball and at least some of the same players -- it differs from basketball in one key respect: The goal of hero ball is not necessarily to outscore your opponent. The goal of hero ball is, instead, appeasing egos, saving coaching jobs, kowtowing to talking heads and mollifying idiot owners sitting on the floor. If hero ball is tangentially about winning basketball games, it's about winning them only through the least efficient, most predictable means of doing so.

The first (and only) rule of hero ball: Big-name scorers must always take the last-minute shot. That the numbers now exist to prove it doesn't work is, curiously enough, beside the point. In the world of hero ball, when Bryant -- by the numbers, the least efficient clutch-time go-to scorer in the league -- barks at James at the end of an All-Star contest for not jacking up a low-percentage shot, Kobe is praised, LeBron is vilified and the world mouths along with the Laker yelling: "Shoot the f--ing ball!"

So how did we get here? You could blame Michael Jordan, whose last-second heroics spawned the posters that adorned the walls of a generation of wannabes. Bucks assistant coach Jim Boylan has his own take: "You're down one. There are 15 seconds to go. You come down the floor, make a few passes. Somehow your best player ends up not getting the ball. Now there are five seconds left, four, three, two ... boom. Got to shoot. You miss. After the game, everyone asks, 'Why didn't your best player, your highest-paid player, get the basketball? This is why he's here. We're paying him to get the ball at the end of the game and win it for us.' As a coach, you're stuck."

"The clever combatant looks to the effect of combined energy." -- Sun Tzu

GARRICK BARR was once a member of Mike D'Antoni's coaching staff in Phoenix, a video coordinator with great aspirations. A former college player and college coach, the son of an engineer, Barr was an ex-jock with the soul of an egghead. He was also frustrated by a lack of meaningful leaguewide stats. So in 2004 he took matters into his own hands, launching a company called Synergy Sports Technology. His dream and Synergy's mission: to systematically chart every single play in the NBA.

In those early years with the Suns, Barr had seen what John Wooden, Red Auerbach and Phil Jackson all preached: Going one-on-one, without the benefit of passing or other team actions, is seldom effective. Pick-and-rolls, cuts, coming off screens all deliver more points per possession. "Open looks," Barr says. "That's what it's all about." And over the years, as Synergy grew and its metrics became more complex, what Barr found only served to confirm his suspicions.

Start with the basics. The goal of basketball, in its simplest form, is to turn possessions into points. And on that basis, when Synergy began breaking down NBA plays by type in 2004, what it found would have made Wooden smile: Plays involving off-the-ball cuts (1.18 points per possession) and transition plays (1.12 ppp) are by far the most efficient, followed by putbacks (1.04 ppp) and pick-and-rolls in which the ball reaches the hands of the rolling man (0.97 ppp). And the least efficient? Isolation plays, good for only 0.78 points per possession.

Perhaps as a result of that dismal track record, of the 10 play types Synergy identified, isos are only the fourth most frequently run, accounting for just 12% of all plays in an average game. But in crunch time (defined by Synergy as the last five minutes of regulation and close overtime situations), their usage rose to 19 percent, second highest behind spot-up plays.

There was more. The stats revealed that when a player passes out of an iso, his team's points per possession rise from that woeful 0.78 to a more tolerable 0.93. Despite that, players pass out of isos only 20 percent of the time -- and only 16 percent during crunch time. If that player is the team's top iso threat, the number drops to 12 percent.

There it was, right before Barr's eyes: Go-to scorers in crunch time who are isolated against one or more defenders -- the very definition of hero ball -- almost never give up the basketball even though they are, in that moment, the least effective scorers on the court.

"In war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak." -- Sun Tzu

HERO BALL is to the NBA what polyester is to clothes. Few claim to like it, yet curiously, it never seems to go away.

TNT analyst and former Suns GM Steve Kerr can hardly contain his glee when he hears Synergy's stats. "Well ... hello!" says Kerr, whose title-clinching 17-footer for the Bulls in 1997 is perhaps the signature anti-hero-ball moment. "I've never been a big fan of isolation."

Robert Horry, aka Big-Shot Rob, had the chance to win games in crunch time only because ball movement brought the shot to the open shooter: him. Horry, not surprisingly, calls isolation "bad basketball," before adding that it's something the best coaches simply don't use: "People always want the lead dog to take the shot. People forget you've got to be pretty good to be in the NBA. Even though they don't take a lot of shots, those other players are very capable of making those shots."

Although Thunder coach Scott Brooks coaches one of the league's top hero-ball scorers in Kevin Durant -- with a 1.07 ppp in clutch-time isolations -- Brooks still disavows it all, telling his players, "If the right play is for you to shoot it, shoot it. If the right play is for you to pass it out of a double-team, I don't care who you pass it to, you just have to pass it."


Continued .....

[Legends66NBA7]

Who else hates hero ball? Apparently, Bryant's teammates. This season, when shooting out of crunch-time isos, Bryant has averaged roughly 0.5 ppp. If the Lakers offense worked that miserably for 48 minutes, the team would score fewer than 50 points a game. Still, Bryant easily leads the league in crunch-time iso attempts. Why?

"I don't know, man," says Bryant's teammate Andrew Bynum, with a dejected shrug, after this year's All-Star Game. He calls it stating the obvious to say the team's late-game offense is a problem. Bynum, a 54% shooter, is one of the Lakers' most efficient offensive weapons. Gasol, at 50 percent, is another. But the two bigs almost never have late plays run for them. Bynum's guess? "Because some guys get paid big bucks to hit shots, so that's what they've got to do."

"Do not repeat the tactics that have gained you one victory, but let your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances." -- Sun Tzu

NBA LEGEND RICK BARRY is cranky by nature. He's especially cranky watching crunch time come down to isos. "It's crazy!" barks the Hall of Famer, sitting courtside at the recent D-League All-Star Game. "It's not good basketball. It's not high-percentage basketball. Why in the world do you want to put your best player in the situation to work that hard against the best defender the other team has?" Even if superstars are selfish glory hounds, Barry argues, this is hardly the way to win. "As great as these players are, they make the game so much harder. You run LeBron off a double- or triple-staggered screen, give him the ball on the move, I defy anybody on earth to guard him."

Barry, for one, blames the so-called heroes for hero ball. And he's hardly alone in doing so. Consider Carmelo Anthony, with a 0.72 ppp in clutch isos, insisting to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith that the last Knicks shot should be his: "Of course I want to take the last shot, let's be quite frank: I've been doing it for nine years already, and I've made a ton of them."

Or consider Jackson, owner of 12 NBA rings, writing in his book The Last Season of the many times Bryant broke plays to call his own number at the end of games. As Raptors coach Dwane Casey says of Bryant: "In the flow of the game, he's a willing passer. But in crunch time, he is looking to get his. He's not looking to pass, and I tell my team that."

Does that sound like criticism? Then consider too that it's actually how Bryant describes his own approach. After missing 22 shots in a New Year's Day loss to Denver, he scoffed at reporters who hinted that he should have moved the ball: "If you're asking me if I'm going to shoot less," he said, "the answer is no. It starts with me. I do what I do. We play off of that, and that's not going to change."

This is good news for fans of hero ball. It is not good news for anyone who likes to see made baskets. Or Lakers fans. Or fans of Bryant who do not enjoy watching him fail.

There is, however, one person who grins at the thought -- a guy who is paid in no small part to prevent baskets, the defensive stalwart, Iguodala. He looks back on all those Lakers isolations a few weeks ago and sees nothing wrong at all. "It worked out well for me," he says, before adding, "it usually does."

Hasn't this been talked about already ?

[selrahc]

Kobe is most clutch player in league. Everyone knows already.

[Legends66NBA7]

Kobe is most clutch player in league. Everyone knows already.

Yeah, especially tonight going 1-10 in the 4th.

Super clutch.

[305Baller]

Let him go out shooting like a good soldier damn it.

:lol

[Legends66NBA7]

Let him go out shooting like a good soldier damn it.

:lol

To he honest, it's not just all stats.

Kobe no doubt can produce in crunch time, but it's his apporach to it, I think is messed up.

[thelucifer69]

Kobe is most clutch player in league. Everyone knows already.

Who is currently the most clutch player in the NBA? (http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=254904)

[keepinitreal]

NBA LEGEND RICK BARRY is cranky by nature. He's especially cranky watching crunch time come down to isos. "It's crazy!" barks the Hall of Famer, sitting courtside at the recent D-League All-Star Game. "It's not good basketball. It's not high-percentage basketball. Why in the world do you want to put your best player in the situation to work that hard against the best defender the other team has?" Even if superstars are selfish glory hounds, Barry argues, this is hardly the way to win. "As great as these players are, they make the game so much harder. You run LeBron off a double- or triple-staggered screen, give him the ball on the move, I defy anybody on earth to guard him."

I actually liked this quote. People forget that the closing moments of the 4th quarter don't need to come down to isos. That being said, it is pretty exciting/dramatic.

Now it's time to wait for the funny did-not-read gifs. :D

[LeFraud James]

Agenda is so obvious.

All of those meaningless words put together into neatly organized paragraphs. :facepalm

The author of that garbage and the OP would gargle LeBron's nuts in their mouth if they had the chance.

[RazorBaLade]

Agenda is so obvious.

All of those meaningless words put together into neatly organized paragraphs. :facepalm

The author of that garbage and the OP would gargle LeBron's nuts in their mouth if they had the chance.

lol this post along with the username

the most unbiased post ive ever seen

[LakersReign]

Abbott writes for ESPN, the very same network who tried to ram "king james" down our throats for the last 7 years. It's no coincidence they've been pronouncing the eulogy of Kobe's career for the same amount of time. Nothing new here:sleeping

[LeFraud James]

Abbott writes for ESPN, the very same network who tried to ram "king james" down our throats for the last 7 years. It's no coincidence they've been pronouncing the eulogy of Kobe's career for the same amount of time. Nothing new here:sleeping

They are going to have an absolute FIELD DAY once/if Lebron wins a ring.

I can already see the article headlines.


The KING and his RING


Lebron nipping at Jordan's heels

[LakersReign]

They are going to have an absolute FIELD DAY once/if Lebron wins a ring.

I can already see the article headlines.

They can try all they want to. But I've always held the opinion that they've let the Lehype grow a life of it's own and the only way to go now is downhill. It's like putting way too much air in a balloon, or tire. Eventually it's going to pop. At this point, it's title or bust for him this year. Another year without a title means all those years of overhype were for nothing. But I could care less cuz they were trying to do Kobe dirty to bulid up Lebron. So if he fails again, it's just karma that's all.

[RonySeikalyFTL]

They can try all they want to. But I've always held the opinion that they've let the Lehype grow a life of it's own and the only way to go now is downhill. It's like putting way too much air in a balloon, or tire. Eventually it's going to pop. At this point, it's title or bust for him this year. Another year without a title means all those years of overhype were for nothing. But I could care less cuz they were trying to do Kobe dirty to bulid up Lebron. So if he fails again, it's just karma that's all.

Aww poor Kobe, persecuted by big bad espn lol.

You do realize they used to publish articles comparing Kobe to Jordan right? It's just people thought that was way too ridiculous so they stopped. In fact, there was an article by that idiot Jamilla Hill saying Kobe was BETTER than Jordan but I'm pretty sure no one takes her seriously anymore as a result.

[LakersReign]

Aww poor Kobe, persecuted by big bad espn lol.

You do realize they used to publish articles comparing Kobe to Jordan right? It's just people thought that was way too ridiculous so they stopped. In fact, there was an article by that idiot Jamilla Hill saying Kobe was BETTER than Jordan but I'm pretty sure no one takes her seriously anymore as a result.

:roll: @whatever the **** that rambling piece of hot garbage above was supposed to be:roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

[Lebron23]

Fisher is more clutch than Kobe.

[BlackWhiteGreen]

:facepalm if you guys could ignore the whole kobe/espn shit, its a decent point. Everyone goes iso late in games, why?

[Psileas]

"Kobe Bryant is not as money as we think" - Henry Abbott

"Hero basketball" in general is not as money as we (actually, as you) think. I'm a Lakers' fan and I always supported Kobe, but what happens so often is ridiculous. I don't know whether this guy has an agenda against Kobe (I don't read him), but it doesn't matter, because in this case he's right. The Lakers are the most predictable team of them all in the clutch. "Give the ball to Kobe and cross your fingers". Zero player movement, zero ball movement, zero alternative shooters. LeBron got ripped because he made a mistake by trying a bad pass in the ASG and a non-winning pass in that Utah game, although he did pass to an open teammate, while he had 2 players following him. Yet, Kobe commits crucial mistakes multiple times per game by taking all kinds of ill-advised shots in the clutch, but for you it doesn't matter because he's doing what the "leader", the "alpha male" is supposed to do.

Margins of losses of the Lakers this season:

1, 9 (Sac), 9, 11, 8, 11 (Mil), 12, 2, 11, 9, 5, 7 (Lin), 12 (Pho), 15, 3 (Det), 5 (Was).

We could have easily won 5 more games if we had worked out some plan B's instead.

[RRR3]

They are going to have an absolute FIELD DAY once/if Lebron wins a ring.

I can already see the article headlines.
http://images.cheezburger.com/completestore/2010/1/30/129093925625517925.jpg

[Psileas]

:facepalm if you guys could ignore the whole kobe/espn shit, its a decent point. Everyone goes iso late in games, why?

Apparently because team basketball is too Euro, too sissy and too boring for the casual fan, who wants to see heroic individuals, not heroic teams.
I'm glad Magic doesn't play nowadays. He'd get criticized so much for passing up shots.

[Bigsmoke]

I dont kno' who this "Henry Abbott" guy is but he gets some cool points on that shit.

**** Kobe

[Human Error]

If you shoot that many as Kobe you are supposed to make some shots and the public will only remember your made shots. But you have to keep in mind that missing almost every shot with the game on the line is one thing, but havingthe authority to shoot every shot with the game on the line is another. Kobe is a poor performer when the game is on the line but I respect that he earned the right to do whatever he wants.

[Legends66NBA7]

Agenda is so obvious.

All of those meaningless words put together into neatly organized paragraphs. :facepalm

The author of that garbage and the OP would gargle LeBron's nuts in their mouth if they had the chance.

Well your not biased at all.

I actually like Kobe more than LeBron, but what more can I expect from a username like yours ?

Idiot.

[Deuce Bigalow]

Dirk, Kobe, Pierce, Melo, Rose are the clutchest players in the league.

[Legends66NBA7]

"Hero basketball" in general is not as money as we (actually, as you) think. I'm a Lakers' fan and I always supported Kobe, but what happens so often is ridiculous. I don't know whether this guy has an agenda against Kobe (I don't read him), but it doesn't matter, because in this case he's right. The Lakers are the most predictable team of them all in the clutch. "Give the ball to Kobe and cross your fingers". Zero player movement, zero ball movement, zero alternative shooters. LeBron got ripped because he made a mistake by trying a bad pass in the ASG and a non-winning pass in that Utah game, although he did pass to an open teammate, while he had 2 players following him. Yet, Kobe commits crucial mistakes multiple times per game by taking all kinds of ill-advised shots in the clutch, but for you it doesn't matter because he's doing what the "leader", the "alpha male" is supposed to do.

Margins of losses of the Lakers this season:

1, 9 (Sac), 9, 11, 8, 11 (Mil), 12, 2, 11, 9, 5, 7 (Lin), 12 (Pho), 15, 3 (Det), 5 (Was).

We could have easily won 5 more games if we had worked out some plan B's instead.

It's too bad they aren't more Laker fans like this.

Excellent post. I see this often times as well, when I'm watching Laker games.

And I agree that Abbott does have an agenda against Kobe. He's been writing so many articles against the guy for things that are, for the most part, common knowledge to hardcore basketball fans.

[boozehound]

"Hero basketball" in general is not as money as we (actually, as you) think. I'm a Lakers' fan and I always supported Kobe, but what happens so often is ridiculous. I don't know whether this guy has an agenda against Kobe (I don't read him), but it doesn't matter, because in this case he's right. The Lakers are the most predictable team of them all in the clutch. "Give the ball to Kobe and cross your fingers". Zero player movement, zero ball movement, zero alternative shooters. LeBron got ripped because he made a mistake by trying a bad pass in the ASG and a non-winning pass in that Utah game, although he did pass to an open teammate, while he had 2 players following him. Yet, Kobe commits crucial mistakes multiple times per game by taking all kinds of ill-advised shots in the clutch, but for you it doesn't matter because he's doing what the "leader", the "alpha male" is supposed to do.

Margins of losses of the Lakers this season:

1, 9 (Sac), 9, 11, 8, 11 (Mil), 12, 2, 11, 9, 5, 7 (Lin), 12 (Pho), 15, 3 (Det), 5 (Was).

We could have easily won 5 more games if we had worked out some plan B's instead.
I dont really think abbot has an agenda against kobe, but he is the posterchild of clutch hero ball, despite the actual facts. He has been pushing this view of isos in the 4th as bad bball and using kb as the example for a while now. I actually agree with him on almost all of his points. Just look at the role of bynum and pau down the stretch in these last two games. They win both if kobe plays more as a decoy/facilitator in the 4th. I think the quote from bynum from the ASG is pretty telling.

On the other hand, if a star does pass up the shot (aka lebron) and the open look doesnt drop, they get lambasted by the illinformed media and public. Now, should they care about that? hopefully not, as they should make the smart and higher % bball play everytime.

[Mr. I'm So Rad]

http://i44.tinypic.com/m361v.gif

[chips93]

one thing that irritates the shit out of me with abbott's arguement, is that he takes late-game execution as a given.

he makes it seem like teams could get great shots by running standard offense, if they just tried.

but, in reality, defense late in games step up. a lot. so simple screening and cutting, having everybody on the same page, its not as simple as just deciding to do it. it takes great execution, which is a skill that lots of teams lack.

fact is, most teams make small mistakes on defense every possession, thats why simple offenses work. somebody gets lost on a screen, somebody misses a rotation, somebody is ball watching, these things occur in regular situations and yield baskets for the offense. offenses rely on defenses making mistakes.

but in crunch time, when the defense is locked in, these mistakes are greatly reduced, so the offensive teams suffer, if they are running standard sets.

im not going to defend kobe, but this idea that all you have to do is decide to run some screens, everything works perfectly, and you get lay-ups is nice in theory, but when the other team is digging in defensively, and the pressure is on, executions suffers.

thats why teams go to isolations. you dont have to worry about execution and cohesion, because it is so simple. get him the ball, get out of his way, and we get a decent shot. as opposed to running some elaborate screening motion, where there are a lot of moving parts, where only one thing has to go wrong, and the play is ruined.

you need very smart players to run good plays at the end of games, and most teams dont have enough of these smart players to make it work, so they resort to isos.



in an ideal situation you have 5 smart guys (like say the celtics or spurs) or a great floor general (cp3) who can get everybody on the same page, then you can run real plays, and get good shots. but if you have metta world peace, or andrew bynum, you are probably going to have to resort to something much simpler.

[Mr. I'm So Rad]

But what i don't get is how people just assume that giving the ball to Pau or Bynum to take the last shot would necessarily work out. How do you know? People just scream "Give it to the bigs!"

I mean, Kobe has been a winner throughout his career playing the way he has. I mean, in his mind he's probably like, "Why change now?"

[DMAVS41]

one thing that irritates the shit out of me with abbott's arguement, is that he takes late-game execution as a given.

he makes it seem like teams could get great shots by running standard offense, if they just tried.

but, in reality, defense late in games step up. a lot. so simple screening and cutting, having everybody on the same page, its not as simple as just deciding to do it. it takes great execution, which is a skill that lots of teams lack.

fact is, most teams make small mistakes on defense every possession, thats why simple offenses work. somebody gets lost on a screen, somebody misses a rotation, somebody is ball watching, these things occur in regular situations and yield baskets for the offense. offenses rely on defenses making mistakes.

but in crunch time, when the defense is locked in, these mistakes are greatly reduced, so the offensive teams suffer, if they are running standard sets.

im not going to defend kobe, but this idea that all you have to do is decide to run some screens, everything works perfectly, and you get lay-ups is nice in theory, but when the other team is digging in defensively, and the pressure is on, executions suffers.

thats why teams go to isolations. you dont have to worry about execution and cohesion, because it is so simple. get him the ball, get out of his way, and we get a decent shot. as opposed to running some elaborate screening motion, where there are a lot of moving parts, where only one thing has to go wrong, and the play is ruined.

you need very smart players to run good plays at the end of games, and most teams dont have enough of these smart players to make it work, so they resort to isos.

I think its more about just not doing something that isn't working. Kobe is shooting 27% overall in crunch time this year while taking 28 shots per 36. Words can't describe how truly horrendous that is.

You have to try something else. Anything. Just not iso Kobe or Kobe ball because it simply isn't working.

And as a whole, iso ball late in games doesn't work that well from the perimeter to begin with.

Its all about results.

[Droid101]

Abbott is a fool who has been disproven many times.

If you hate Abbott (I don't see how you couldn't), go here:

http://wrongagainhen.wordpress.com/

This guy basically goes in an points out all the logical inconsistencies (and editing errors) that Henry Abbott has. Does a good job of it (though, he hasn't covered this new article yet).

[DMAVS41]

But what i don't get is how people just assume that giving the ball to Pau or Bynum to take the last shot would necessarily work out. How do you know? People just scream "Give it to the bigs!"

I mean, Kobe has been a winner throughout his career playing the way he has. I mean, in his mind he's probably like, "Why change now?"

Bynum is shooting 87% in crunch time this year
Kobe is shooting 27% in crunch time this year

You can never be 100% sure, but logic would tell you that Kobe needs to stop shooting so much late in games.

Its really not that hard. Kobe either needs to play a lot better or pass more. Pick one.

[Legends66NBA7]

one thing that irritates the shit out of me with abbott's arguement, is that he takes late-game execution as a given.

he makes it seem like teams could get great shots by running standard offense, if they just tried.

but, in reality, defense late in games step up. a lot. so simple screening and cutting, having everybody on the same page, its not as simple as just deciding to do it. it takes great execution, which is a skill that lots of teams lack.

fact is, most teams make small mistakes on defense every possession, thats why simple offenses work. somebody gets lost on a screen, somebody misses a rotation, somebody is ball watching, these things occur in regular situations and yield baskets for the offense. offenses rely on defenses making mistakes.

but in crunch time, when the defense is locked in, these mistakes are greatly reduced, so the offensive teams suffer, if they are running standard sets.

im not going to defend kobe, but this idea that all you have to do is decide to run some screens, everything works perfectly, and you get lay-ups is nice in theory, but when the other team is digging in defensively, and the pressure is on, executions suffers.

thats why teams go to isolations. you dont have to worry about execution and cohesion, because it is so simple. get him the ball, get out of his way, and we get a decent shot. as opposed to running some elaborate screening motion, where there are a lot of moving parts, where only one thing has to go wrong, and the play is ruined.

you need very smart players to run good plays at the end of games, and most teams dont have enough of these smart players to make it work, so they resort to isos.



in an ideal situation you have 5 smart guys (like say the celtics or spurs) or a great floor general (cp3) who can get everybody on the same page, then you can run real plays, and get good shots. but if you have metta world peace, or andrew bynum, you are probably going to have to resort to something much simpler.

Great post, man. :cheers:

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Abbott is a fool who has been disproven many times.

If you hate Abbott (I don't see how you couldn't), go here:

http://wrongagainhen.wordpress.com/

This guy basically goes in an points out all the logical inconsistencies (and editing errors) that Henry Abbott has. Does a good job of it (though, he hasn't covered this new article yet).

He's not wrong. Kobe shoots 27% in crunch-time. Time to pass the ball, sport.

[boozehound]

Apparently because team basketball is too Euro, too sissy and too boring for the casual fan, who wants to see heroic individuals, not heroic teams.
I'm glad Magic doesn't play nowadays. He'd get criticized so much for passing up shots.
no doubt. as you point out, the media and fan base is supremely superficial. Just look at the game highlights that are available on espn or even nba.com (not to mention actual sportscenter). I have seen highlights that only show dunks and other spectacular feats of athleticism by stars on a squad, meanwhile that team lost. The shallow view of bball has really changed the game. Its more about marketing and fancy moves by those who are marketed than quality XO bball.

[Droid101]

He's not wrong. Kobe shoots 27% in crunch-time. Time to pass the ball, sport.
How is Andrew Bynum going to create his own shot in clutch situations?

[boozehound]

But what i don't get is how people just assume that giving the ball to Pau or Bynum to take the last shot would necessarily work out. How do you know? People just scream "Give it to the bigs!"

I mean, Kobe has been a winner throughout his career playing the way he has. I mean, in his mind he's probably like, "Why change now?"
Well, I think one of his main points is that it really isnt working. Sure, kobe has hit some incredible game winners. But if you look at the numerical data for his late shots, he is not actually that clutch. The data is all there, and someone like abbot is basically just pointing out that how we perceive it is skewed from a objective data driven approach.

[RRR3]

He's not wrong. Kobe shoots 27% in crunch-time. Time to pass the ball, sport.
http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzcqj9O4cr1rpznnqo1_400.png

[Legends66NBA7]

He's not wrong. Kobe shoots 27% in crunch-time. Time to pass the ball, sport.

Yes, it's either:

1) Pass/Better ball movement

2) Find better shot selection. He's supposed to be the "most skilled" player ever right ? Use some of those skills to get a better shot at the basket or even create for a teammate (hence, going back to #1).

[chips93]

I think its more about just not doing something that isn't working. Kobe is shooting 27% overall in crunch time this year while taking 28 shots per 36. Words can't describe how truly horrendous that is.

You have to try something else. Anything. Just not iso Kobe or Kobe ball because it simply isn't working.

And as a whole, iso ball late in games doesn't work that well from the perimeter to begin with.

Its all about results.

like i said, im not saying that what the lakers are doing is working, just that you dont simply decide to be great at executing late in games.

[boozehound]

How is Andrew Bynum going to create his own shot in clutch situations?
the idea that only a handful of stars can create their own shots is absurd. maybe kobe could create an opportunity by drawing a double and then passing it? Bynum can pretty much get his against most of the other centers in the league. Setting him up out of a timeout with a high quality shot should be relatively straightforward.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

How is Andrew Bynum going to create his own shot in clutch situations?

How is Kobe gonna make the Lakers better late in games when he's missing 73% of his shots?

[DMAVS41]

like i said, im not saying that what the lakers are doing is working, just that you dont simply decide to be great at executing late in games.

Its never that simple, but right now the Lakers are "deciding" to let the least efficient late game player take 28 shots per 36 minutes of crunch time.

That is a decision they have made against all logic and evidence.

You can decide to run plays and not iso. You can decide to drop it down to the bigs a little more often.

Its not simple, but its not rocket science either. Its still just basketball.

[Droid101]

I can't resist.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-OEUf4uSzYnM/T1jyeoA_oZI/AAAAAAAAQbw/aoT3fOCtgZg/w300/35ns7d.jpg

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Yes, it's either:

1) Pass/Better ball movement

2) Find better shot selection. He's supposed to be the "most skilled" player ever right ? Use some of those skills to get a better shot at the basket or even create for a teammate (hence, going back to #1).

It's really not that hard. Kobe HAS those skills, he just refuses to give the ball up. It's why the Lakers are statistically one of the worst teams in crunchtime.

[chips93]

Great post, man. :cheers:

thanks

:cheers:

this whole clutch topic is a really interesting one

[chips93]

Its never that simple, but right now the Lakers are "deciding" to let the least efficient late game player take 28 shots per 36 minutes of crunch time.

That is a decision they have made against all logic and evidence.

You can decide to run plays and not iso. You can decide to drop it down to the bigs a little more often.

Its not simple, but its not rocket science either. Its still just basketball.

the detroit overtime was an interesting case, from very recently

the lakers basically just handed kobe the ball, and had pau pick for him

the pistons (despite kobe scoring very inefficeintly most of the night) tried to trap him. he happily gave up the ball to pau, who hit a mid range jumper or two. then the pistons made an adjustment, and bynum's man began rotating out onto gasol, and when they did this, pau just dumped it down to bynum for about two more fgs, ( one was an and1 iirc)

then finally, the pistons adjusted again, and had stuckey rotate down to bynum, leaving artest open from 3. he, predictably, bricked it.

kobe was as unselfish as you could ask, but because he wasnt isolated, the pistons could help onto whomever they needed, and leave the lakers non-threats alone.

if the pistons had been smarter, (and most decent defensive teams would have been) they would have played the lakers this way from the start, and not given up as many easy looks as they did.



the lesson learned was, kobe gave up the ball, but he wasnt isolated, so the pistons were able to help oneanother, and as a result they were able to force artest to try and beat them.

[Droid101]

the detroit overtime was an interesting case, from very recently

the lakers basically just handed kobe the ball, and had pau pick for him

the pistons (despite kobe scoring very inefficeintly most of the night) tried to trap him. he happily gave up the ball to pau, who hit a mid range jumper or two. then the pistons made an adjustment, and bynum's man began rotating out onto gasol, and when they did this, pau just dumped it down to bynum for about two more fgs, ( one was an and1 iirc)

then finally, the pistons adjusted again, and had stuckey rotate down to bynum, leaving artest open from 3. he, predictably, bricked it.

kobe was as unselfish as you could ask, but because he wasnt isolated, the pistons could help onto whomever they needed, and leave the lakers non-threats alone.

if the pistons had been smarter, (and most decent defensive teams would have been) they would have played the lakers this way from the start, and not given up as many easy looks as they did.



the lesson learned was, kobe gave up the ball, but he wasnt isolated, so the pistons were able to help oneanother, and as a result they were able to force artest to try and beat them.
:applause:

[Legends66NBA7]

thanks

:cheers:

this whole clutch topic is a really interesting one

It is, because I don't think Kobe is going to be BAD exactly, in clutch situations. He generally will make a shot if you guard him ISO.

It's all about approach. I mean, sure, you got Kobe who can make any shot on the floor if you need him to, but that's not necessarily the best shot you can take.

There's more ways to go about it with the Lakers offense. Another thing that really didn't get covered is Mike Brown's inability to run offense. That right there is another reason why the Laker's struggle so much in the crunch time offense.

I mean, there's also the stress factor going into the games. It can't be all numbers like the article is stating. Some of these guys are going to feel fatigued as hell, coming down to the stretch.

I feel that big men get tired even more, so that's why when people say "give to the big men", how much stamina do they have left ? They can't create as well down the stretch as a guard can... which is why most of the time, you don't see them with the ball down the stretch. And that's not just the Lakers, that's pretty much every other team.

Most teams don't have big men who can create their own shot, with the same amount of stamina. It's almost funny that Dwight Howard says he wants to be the closer. There are too many holes in his game for the crunch time pressure...

[Deuce Bigalow]

Bynum is shooting 87% in crunch time this year
Kobe is shooting 27% in crunch time this year

You can never be 100% sure, but logic would tell you that Kobe needs to stop shooting so much late in games.

Its really not that hard. Kobe either needs to play a lot better or pass more. Pick one.
http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/243/50351ydhlaorl.jpg

[Heavincent]

Abbott is a brain-dead moron. Why do people even read his agenda-driven BS? :confusedshrug:

[PickernRoller]

Abbott is a brain-dead moron. Why do people even read his agenda-driven BS? :confusedshrug:

Just like dumb nuts here follow Jason Whitlock........

Journalist need stories, and when they don't have one, they make up one. They get paid for writing.........so they write. Nothing more to it......the topic that gets the most hits = $$$$

Just get a laugh when these morons go to writers for food for thought.....just tells you how pathetic and retarded they are......Just look how they get a thread 4-10 pages strong on the topic :oldlol: :oldlol:

[I<3NBA]

How is Andrew Bynum going to create his own shot in clutch situations?
Kobe is going to create for him. defenses would collapse on Kobe and IF Kobe passes to either Gasol or Bynum, they get a great look. doesn't take a genius to understand this, does it?

[chips93]

if abbott is so full of shit, then why cant either of you find any holes in his story?

[Clifton]

fact is, most teams make small mistakes on defense every possession, thats why simple offenses work. somebody gets lost on a screen, somebody misses a rotation, somebody is ball watching, these things occur in regular situations and yield baskets for the offense. offenses rely on defenses making mistakes.

but in crunch time, when the defense is locked in, these mistakes are greatly reduced, so the offensive teams suffer, if they are running standard sets.
You're right. On the other hand, run the plays harder. You've got a guy with the ball in motion, 2 guys coming off screens, one big guy moving to a different spot down low.... that's a lot for a defense to keep up with, and the defense must always react. You get enough movement chances are something will open up even with the defense trying. If not? 8 seconds on the shot clock? Fine, then you run Kobe off a screen, give him the ball on the wing for an iso. Maybe send Pau over for a pick. Nobody's saying the focus shouldn't be on Kobe, but nothing else is even tried, because Kobe's convinced that if anyone other than him has the ball for more than a second, they're going to dribble it off their foot or something.


But what i don't get is how people just assume that giving the ball to Pau or Bynum to take the last shot would necessarily work out. How do you know? People just scream "Give it to the bigs!"
Well, you're right, neither of these bigs is nearly as clutch as Kobe is. Nobody's as clutch as Kobe is. But the bigs are taking shots that are 5-8 feet away from the basket, over guys who are shorter than they. Kobe's taking shots 20 feet away from the basket, and he's not bothering to screen out those that are very unlikely to go in and that are likely to have rhythm-disrupting long rebounds... he's not looking for what's developing down low (like a favorable mismatch). He doesn't care who's in position to rebound. He just chucks. It's hero-ball. Great article.

[Legends66NBA7]

if abbott is so full of shit, then why cant either of you find any holes in his story?

I think it's because some people are taking it as the perception that Kobe has never performed or just flat out sucks in the clutch.

So rather than break it down, paragraph by paragraph (which I know some people can do and find a great counter-argument)... it comes down to childish name calling ?

I've also read on the ESPN site comment section of that article, some of these fans giving Abbott death threats. Why is that warranted, exactly ? Just break down the article...

[Droid101]

if abbott is so full of shit, then why cant either of you find any holes in his story?
Here is the response to the posted article by the Blog I posted: http://wrongagainhen.wordpress.com/



Henry posted an interesting list of FG% in crunch time in support of an article once again harping on how Kobe isn’t the closer everyone thinks he is. In that list, the Laker’s late-game field goal percentage was higher than the Thunder, the Blazers, the Suns, the Clippers, and the Bulls.

It’s a shame that Henry wrote what he did (or rather, rewrote or republished). Rather than see that list as a potential window for a more insightful investigation, he put the same axe on the same grindstone and churned away. Whereas I was thinking: How do the Lakers have a better late offense than Durant/Westbrook, the team-oriented Blazers, the unselfish PG-led Suns and Clippers (headed by Chris Paul, the leader of the best crunchtime offense in NBA history or somesuch at New Orleans), and the Bulls?

But what’s even better is he then followed it up with a video of Derrick Rose winning a game by going iso with the last shot. And remember, Rose beat the Lakers on an iso shot over a doubleteam earlier in the season, a fact which went unmentioned in a post where Abbott criticized Kobe for going iso over a doubleteam IN THE VERY SAME GAME.

There are a few thoughts I might think about if I were going to write about the Lakers. Thoughts that might lead to more interesting questions than the same idea that Henry Abbott keeps hitting.

--There is not a Lakers fan in the world, including me, who doesn’t think Kobe is taking bad shots.

--The reason for that, and the suggested solutions, are up for debate.

--Is it possible that things like fatigue, game decisions, usage, and turnovers would be different if Kobe were playing with a competent point guard? Particularly in a new offensive system that, like most NBA offenses except the triangle, needs a PG?

--Before you go harping on about how wonderfully efficient Gasol and Bynum are, make sure you watch them play. See how often they assert themselves and demand the ball. Note that Bynum described his demeanor in the loss to the Wizards as “loafing”. Is he the next LA alpha male?

--Did Kobe Bryant’s ballhogging somehow force Andrew Bynum to turn the ball over 7 times against the Wizards?

--Just because a player shoots 6-11, does it mean he would shoot 12-22? 18 for 33?

--Where are Henry Abbott’s articles about Kobe when he goes 13-24 against the Kings or 14-23 agains the Heat?

--Would giving Darius Morris serious minutes really be that much worse than what Fisher and Blake currently bring? (Morris was just sent down to the D-League.)

--How is Kobe responsible for losing 10 points of the lead against Washington when he was sitting on the bench for the last 2 minutes of the 3rd quarter?

--Is there a team in the league with worse players in the 4 through 12 slots on the roster?

Abbott is a hack. And a terrible writer to boot.

[Legends66NBA7]

Here is the response to the posted article by the Blog I posted: http://wrongagainhen.wordpress.com/

Abbott is a hack. And a terrible writer to boot.

That was very well thought out.

Nice to see some objectivity and rebuttal to the article.

:applause:

[chips93]

You're right. On the other hand, run the plays harder. You've got a guy with the ball in motion, 2 guys coming off screens, one big guy moving to a different spot down low.... that's a lot for a defense to keep up with, and the defense must always react. You get enough movement chances are something will open up even with the defense trying. If not? 8 seconds on the shot clock? Fine, then you run Kobe off a screen, give him the ball on the wing for an iso. Maybe send Pau over for a pick. Nobody's saying the focus shouldn't be on Kobe, but nothing else is even tried, because Kobe's convinced that if anyone other than him has the ball for more than a second, they're going to dribble it off their foot or something.

thing about bolded is, everybody prefers to play offense. so there just isnt that much more effort to give. everybody likes to score, whenever during the game, so i dont think that there is a ton more effort that you can give, unlike defense, where plenty of guys have a lot more effort that they could give.

i totally agree that the lakers should have more movement. im not saying what they are doing is the best option, im just trying to say that 'just running plays' doesnt always get you better shots. it can lead to confusion, and worse shots.


I think it's because some people are taking it as the perception that Kobe has never performed or just flat out sucks in the clutch.

So rather than break it down, paragraph by paragraph (which I know some people can do and find a great counter-argument)... it comes down to childish name calling?

I've also read on the ESPN site comment section of that article, some of these fans giving Abbott death threats. Why is that warranted, exactly? Just break down the article...

its not just this though, its when people just brush something off by dismissing the person who wrote it. its not just the abbott-kobe crunch time think, it happens all the time. its just a lazy way of thinking.



Is it possible that things like fatigue, game decisions, usage, and turnovers would be different if Kobe were playing with a competent point guard? Particularly in a new offensive system that, like most NBA offenses except the triangle, needs a PG?


i hate to bring lebron into it unnecessarily, but james had brown as a coach in cleveland, with a pg who couldnt create for others, but it didnt force him int taking bad shots in crunch time, so why cant kobe?

[QUOTE]
--Before you go harping on about how wonderfully efficient Gasol and Bynum are, make sure you watch them play. See how often they assert themselves and demand the ball. Note that Bynum described his demeanor in the loss to the Wizards as

[SwooshReturns]

Anybody insinuating Bynum should be a number 1 option needs to get smacked in the face. Have you ever seen this kid try to handle a double team? Now imagine no Kobe, and he's the main option. His team would be atrocious. He can't pass to save his life. Kobe's agenda is score, score, score ... but I at least know he can handle doubles and has the ABILITY to read defenses and pass. It's just not in his nature to give it up. Is it selfish? Sure. But he's still the better more proven number 1 option.

[Legends66NBA7]

Anybody insinuating Bynum should be a number 1 option needs to get smacked in the face. Have you ever seen this kid try to handle a double team? Now imagine no Kobe, and he's the main option. His team would be atrocious. He can't pass to save his life. Kobe's agenda is score, score, score ... but I at least know he can handle doubles and has the ABILITY to read defenses and pass. It's just not in his nature to give it up. Is it selfish? Sure. But he's still the better more proven number 1 option.

I agree with this, as well... which is all the more reason the Lakers need a legit passing PG.

Kobe can still be the #1 option, but shots needs to be divided accordingly.

Kobe should not be averaging 24-25 shots... More like 18-20 shots.

Bynum/Gasol should have averaging 14-17 shots a game as well...

[SwooshReturns]

Kobe should not be averaging 24-25 shots... More like 18-20 shots.
Agreed. But in the playoffs, I want to see Kobe shooting 24 shots a game.

I don't trust Bynum or Gasol with that kind of accountability. Gasol's too soft, Bynum's too stupid and not talented enough.

Bynum is selfish too, btw. I've never even see this guy make the obvious kick out pass when doubled, re-position, and ask for the ball back to make a quicker, smarter, prepared decision.

:facepalm

[PickernRoller]

Hehehe people are still writing their ass off in this thread.....I guess the fail is strong when it comes to Henry abbot. Bunch of basketball illiterates I see.

So to resume, Kobe = fail? :violin:

[Eat Like A Bosh]

I actually agree. It's never a good idea for one person scoring all of the points. Yeah, they definitely need to divide up the shots evenly, preferably Kobe shooting 20 times while Pau and Drew each get 15-17 shots a game.

Pau and Drew need to be more aggressive and demand the ball more.

[Vien]

one thing that irritates the shit out of me with abbott's arguement, is that he takes late-game execution as a given.

he makes it seem like teams could get great shots by running standard offense, if they just tried.

but, in reality, defense late in games step up. a lot. so simple screening and cutting, having everybody on the same page, its not as simple as just deciding to do it. it takes great execution, which is a skill that lots of teams lack.

fact is, most teams make small mistakes on defense every possession, thats why simple offenses work. somebody gets lost on a screen, somebody misses a rotation, somebody is ball watching, these things occur in regular situations and yield baskets for the offense. offenses rely on defenses making mistakes.

but in crunch time, when the defense is locked in, these mistakes are greatly reduced, so the offensive teams suffer, if they are running standard sets.

im not going to defend kobe, but this idea that all you have to do is decide to run some screens, everything works perfectly, and you get lay-ups is nice in theory, but when the other team is digging in defensively, and the pressure is on, executions suffers.

thats why teams go to isolations. you dont have to worry about execution and cohesion, because it is so simple. get him the ball, get out of his way, and we get a decent shot. as opposed to running some elaborate screening motion, where there are a lot of moving parts, where only one thing has to go wrong, and the play is ruined.

you need very smart players to run good plays at the end of games, and most teams dont have enough of these smart players to make it work, so they resort to isos.



in an ideal situation you have 5 smart guys (like say the celtics or spurs) or a great floor general (cp3) who can get everybody on the same page, then you can run real plays, and get good shots. but if you have metta world peace, or andrew bynum, you are probably going to have to resort to something much simpler.

This

[Smoke117]

Kobe Bryant is easy to defend now because he goes to the same moves over and over. His days of getting to the basket are over so he just takes ISO fadeaways. Hell a 36 year old Ray Allen guards him well even. All you have to do is not bite on his fakes and put a hand in his face and that's what Allen does. Sometimes he gets hot, but I never worry about it and always wonder when people are...he's bound to go cold and start missing again....you just have to wait out his hot streak.

[TheAesirsFinest]

one thing that irritates the shit out of me with abbott's arguement, is that he takes late-game execution as a given.

he makes it seem like teams could get great shots by running standard offense, if they just tried.

but, in reality, defense late in games step up. a lot. so simple screening and cutting, having everybody on the same page, its not as simple as just deciding to do it. it takes great execution, which is a skill that lots of teams lack.

fact is, most teams make small mistakes on defense every possession, thats why simple offenses work. somebody gets lost on a screen, somebody misses a rotation, somebody is ball watching, these things occur in regular situations and yield baskets for the offense. offenses rely on defenses making mistakes.

but in crunch time, when the defense is locked in, these mistakes are greatly reduced, so the offensive teams suffer, if they are running standard sets.

im not going to defend kobe, but this idea that all you have to do is decide to run some screens, everything works perfectly, and you get lay-ups is nice in theory, but when the other team is digging in defensively, and the pressure is on, executions suffers.

thats why teams go to isolations. you dont have to worry about execution and cohesion, because it is so simple. get him the ball, get out of his way, and we get a decent shot. as opposed to running some elaborate screening motion, where there are a lot of moving parts, where only one thing has to go wrong, and the play is ruined.

you need very smart players to run good plays at the end of games, and most teams dont have enough of these smart players to make it work, so they resort to isos.



in an ideal situation you have 5 smart guys (like say the celtics or spurs) or a great floor general (cp3) who can get everybody on the same page, then you can run real plays, and get good shots. but if you have metta world peace, or andrew bynum, you are probably going to have to resort to something much simpler.

Fantastic post. Stuff like this is why I cringe at the lack of basketball IQ/bad coaching in the NBA. It takes a lot of work and smart players to be able to function like a true team in the NBA. You can't expect teams to simply turn off iso ball and turn on great team basketball. Heck, a lot of players can't even notice open guys when they're too busy trying to run a set properly.

[PickernRoller]

Fantastic post. Stuff like this is why I cringe at the lack of basketball IQ/bad coaching in the NBA. It takes a lot of work and smart players to be able to function like a true team in the NBA. You can't expect teams to simply turn off iso ball and turn on great team basketball. Heck, a lot of players can't even notice open guys when they're too busy trying to run a set properly.

Brown trying to play offense based on sets is ridiculous with this team. You don't do it in a team full of scrubs period. That's the difference between Phill's triangle and Browns traditional NBA offense. I am not saying he's wrong to choose that offense, I am just saying the pieces at his disposal will not do a good job at it period. In the triangle, freedom allows scrubs even to be a part with little IQ. For Brown's offense to work you need role players, a good PG and the Lakers lack all of the above. All things considered the transition is clearly a pain and the Lakers bench and scrubs don't help it either. Add to that Kobe being off for a game or two and you get complete meltdowns on the road. Also add the insecurity of trades for everyone in that Laker's team and you get total chaos.

It's a bad year to be a Lakers fan...... I am pretty pleased how they have performed at home and the current record. Could have been way way worse. At least Brown's defense mentality is paying off at one part of the equation. Who would have thought the Lakers starters would play such defense this day in age?

[ZenMaster]

one thing that irritates the shit out of me with abbott's arguement, is that he takes late-game execution as a given.

he makes it seem like teams could get great shots by running standard offense, if they just tried.

but, in reality, defense late in games step up. a lot. so simple screening and cutting, having everybody on the same page, its not as simple as just deciding to do it. it takes great execution, which is a skill that lots of teams lack.

fact is, most teams make small mistakes on defense every possession, thats why simple offenses work. somebody gets lost on a screen, somebody misses a rotation, somebody is ball watching, these things occur in regular situations and yield baskets for the offense. offenses rely on defenses making mistakes.

but in crunch time, when the defense is locked in, these mistakes are greatly reduced, so the offensive teams suffer, if they are running standard sets.

im not going to defend kobe, but this idea that all you have to do is decide to run some screens, everything works perfectly, and you get lay-ups is nice in theory, but when the other team is digging in defensively, and the pressure is on, executions suffers.

thats why teams go to isolations. you dont have to worry about execution and cohesion, because it is so simple. get him the ball, get out of his way, and we get a decent shot. as opposed to running some elaborate screening motion, where there are a lot of moving parts, where only one thing has to go wrong, and the play is ruined.

you need very smart players to run good plays at the end of games, and most teams dont have enough of these smart players to make it work, so they resort to isos.



in an ideal situation you have 5 smart guys (like say the celtics or spurs) or a great floor general (cp3) who can get everybody on the same page, then you can run real plays, and get good shots. but if you have metta world peace, or andrew bynum, you are probably going to have to resort to something much simpler.

I disagree with a lot of your post, I think you're missing some things concerning practice time and effort. I might come back to this thread tomorrow.

[SwooshReturns]

Kobe Bryant is easy to defend now because he goes to the same moves over and over. His days of getting to the basket are over so he just takes ISO fadeaways. Hell a 36 year old Ray Allen guards him well even. All you have to do is not bite on his fakes and put a hand in his face and that's what Allen does. Sometimes he gets hot, but I never worry about it and always wonder when people are...he's bound to go cold and start missing again....you just have to wait out his hot streak.
Pretty much. This has probably been the scouting report on him since 2010. Kobe hasn't been the same as an all around offensive juggernaut since the end of the 2008 season. Each season he has lost more and more ability to go to the basket. 2009 he could still do it at times, but with each progressing season he has looked slower and slower, and realied more on his jumper with each progressing season. Couple age with bad fingers to where it makes creating off the dribble difficult, and you become strictly a jump shooter. He does stagnate the offense when he goes ISO and you know all he can do is shoot difficult contested jumpers.

[Jasper]

Coach Brown stated a day after a media interview that Kobe should be considered a MVP candidate : that Kobe should just be Kobe , and the Bynum / Gasol duo would get the cream .....

Did it really back fire ?
Fact is Kobe with the mask was playing at IMO one of his higher efficient scoring periods (aka 3-4 years ago)

* But did Brown do this purely on a mental scale for Byrant to fail as he has the last two games , ignoring his teammates and just going shooting crazy :confusedshrug:

You have to wonder : Phil Jackson must of called him out at times while he coached him , and then Kobe went into a "non-shooting mode"

Maybe this is how Brown is getting Kobe to be a 'team first player' because -
Just maybe
just maybe

Kobe is really hard to coach ....

and the only way to get through to him , is making him embarrass himself :confusedshrug:

See the OP and watching commmentaries as well as read what coach's , ex-players say ... and then you just have to wonder.

[TheBigVeto]

So what's new? Kobe has always been a selfish ballhog chucker. He took a lot of shots, a few of it went in by sheer luck and then he is considered 'clutch' by morons. He's happy about his 'clutch' reputation so he will keep on doing this.

[Da_Realist]

Coach Brown stated a day after a media interview that Kobe should be considered a MVP candidate : that Kobe should just be Kobe , and the Bynum / Gasol duo would get the cream .....

Did it really back fire ?
Fact is Kobe with the mask was playing at IMO one of his higher efficient scoring periods (aka 3-4 years ago)

* But did Brown do this purely on a mental scale for Byrant to fail as he has the last two games , ignoring his teammates and just going shooting crazy :confusedshrug:

You have to wonder : Phil Jackson must of called him out at times while he coached him , and then Kobe went into a "non-shooting mode"

Maybe this is how Brown is getting Kobe to be a 'team first player' because -
Just maybe
just maybe

Kobe is really hard to coach ....

and the only way to get through to him , is making him embarrass himself :confusedshrug:

See the OP and watching commmentaries as well as read what coach's , ex-players say ... and then you just have to wonder.

No, Mike Brown just doesn't have the balls to actually "coach" his superstar. Phil Jackson had no problem with this.

[Deuce Bigalow]

So what's new? Kobe has always been a selfish ballhog chucker. He took a lot of shots, a few of it went in by sheer luck and then he is considered 'clutch' by morons. He's happy about his 'clutch' reputation so he will keep on doing this.
lol :facepalm

[NumberSix]

Fact is Kobe with the mask was playing at IMO one of his higher efficient scoring periods (aka 3-4 years ago)
Really? So it doesn't matter that he was getting almost no assists, rebounds, steals, blocks and played very little defense? Shooting is all that matter?

[Legends66NBA7]

Really? So it doesn't matter that he was getting almost no assists, rebounds, steals, blocks and played very little defense? Shooting is all that matter?

I think he was categorizing the first 3 games with the mask... not so much the last 2 games...

And he was getting enough rebounds and assists... steals were ok.. he's not much of a shot blocker, his post defense was alright, but overall it wasn't that good (I talking about the first 3 games... again, it's a very small sample size.)