Overpaid, underproductive and unmotivated. At points in the 2011-12 season, all three of these words have been used to describe both Pau Gasol and Carlos Boozer.
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Who agreed to pay them this much?
Both are power forwards. Both are amongst the highest paid players in the league; Gasol at $18.7 million ranks seventh while Boozer ranks 25th pocketing $13.55 million this year. Both players should be their team’s #2 scoring threat.
Neither player has been asked to carry the load this season- just serve as a complementary, consistent piece that can be relied on when the team’s star (Derrick Rose, Kobe Bryant) is hurt or less than productive.
Prior to this year, there is no comparing the careers of this two players- Gasol has two rings and the production to surpass Boozer. But what makes them similar this season is how bad their teams have needed them. And at certain points, neither player has delivered.
After an underwhelming regular season which saw Boozer set career lows in most major categories, he followed that up with an even worse series against the Sixers. With no Rose, the Bulls needed Boozer to earn his money and produce for the remainder of the series, and he didn’t, contributing three points and one made field goal in a one point loss that ended the Bulls season.
Gasol stepped up in a game seven victory versus the Nuggets in round one with 23 points and 17 rebounds, but in the six games prior he averaged just nine ppg and 6.5 rpg. His lack of production was a huge factor in why the series even went seven games.
If you don’t get Gasol involved early, just like with Boozer, you may get nothing out of him that night. And more than any season prior, when Gasol isn’t involved in the low post game he drifts further and further out of the lane, content to settle for shots 15 feet away and beyond. Gasol has the touch to make more of those shots than the average seven footer, but why when he can be a complete beast in the paint, especially alongside Andrew Bynum?
Is Gasol to blame for the game one loss to OKC? Absolutely not. But what happened to the guy who put up 20 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists against the Thunder in a double OT win less than a month ago? The Lakers need him to show up ASAP, or their season is over, just like Carlos Boozer’s.
A lot of people are less than fond of Shaq as a halftime host on TNT. And while breaking down X's and O's may not be his forte, Shaq's best work in front of the camera comes when he is allowed to be his silly self.
HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: It can't be worse than the Aaron Carter video for "That's How I Beat Shaq".
Today in 1971, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored a career-high 55 points in Milwaukee’s 120-104 victory over Boston.
HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: It's somewhat suprising his career high wasn't higher.
And that's not a slight to the former Lew Alcindor at all. He was just such a dominant player for such a long time, and considering he is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, I would've guessed it would have been north of 60-65 points.
In 20 professional seasons, he never averaged less than double figures, and in 17 of those seasons, he averaged 20+. A lot of his points scored came via the famous "Sky Hook" shot that he created while in just the fifth grade. It's interesting because his proficiency at it made him synonymous with it, which in a lot of ways, limits how he is remembered historically. It's like a game of word association, when I say "Sky Hook", you're going to say "Kareem", to the point where it obscures his dominance in all other areas. In college, the dunk was outlawed from 1967 until 1976 because of his overpowering use of it.
The average NBA fan knows that Abdul-Jabbar is the highest scorer in league history, but did you also know he is also the leader in games played, minutes played, field goals made, field goals attempted, blocked shots, defensive rebounds AND personal fouls? The most amazing stat of all may be that he currently ranks 35th in NBA history in assists! From 1970 to 1989 he missed one all-star game. There are may be a handful of players who have made the impact that Kareem made to the game.
Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships, six regular season MVP awards, two Finals MVP awards, led the league in scoring average twice, rebounding average once, and blocks per game four times.
41 years ago tonight, Kareem scored more points than he ever would in another NBA game.
The NBA season really doesn't begin until Christmas Day.
HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: But what you may not know is that the tradition of the NBA on Christmas started all the way back in 1947.
The current format of five games on Christmas Day started in 2008- prior to then, the most ever played was three on Christmas Day. Tomorrow when the Knicks play the Lakers, it will be the 48th time the Knicks play on Christmas which is the most of any NBA franchise. The game will be the 39th all-time for the Lakers (second most). When the Celtics visit Brooklyn to play the Nets, it will be their 29th appearance on Chrsitmas, third most all-time.
The Knicks have played in nine more games than any other franchise and have also won the most Christmas Day games, by a margin of 22 to 20 over the Lakers.
Love him or hate him, Kobe Bryant has made as significant impact to Christmas Day games as any player in history. Tomorrow will be his record extending 15th Christmas game. Dolph Schayes, Shaq and Earl "The Pearl" Monroe all played in a total of 13.
Like King's 60 point game, there have been some other memorable performances on Christmas Day.
In 1992, Michael Jordan scored 42 points against a Patrick Ewing led Knicks squad en route to a 89-77 victory. 40 years ago, Tiny Archibald set a Chrstmas Day record with 18 assists. That same year he would be teh first player to ever lead the NBA in scoring and assists in the same season. 25 years ago Dominique Wilkins had 45 points, nine rebounds and three assists in a 106-100 Hawks victory over the 76ers.
As the popularity of the NBA has grown, so has the interest worldwide. Tomorrow's games will be broadcast in 215 countries in 47 languages and will feature 23 playes from 16 countries.
Merry Christmas to everyone! Hopefully Santa doesn't fill your stockings with coal, homeboy! In the spirt of that, here's a classic Chrstmas joint from Run-DMC that I'm sure we will hear during the games tomorrow:
41 years ago today, the Lakers set an untouchable record.
HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: This is potentially the most overlooked record in all of sports.
To put the record into perspective, the Clippers 17 game winning streak that ended less than a week ago was little more than half as long.
On 1/7/72, the Lakers beat the Atlanta Hawks 134-90 for their 33rd win in a row. Two days later the streak was broken during a 120-104 loss to a Milwaukee Bucks team led by Kareem Abdul-Jabar and Oscar Robertson. If you're going to have an epic streak broken, it may as well come against two of the best players in NBA histroy.
Led by Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlin, Elgin Baylor, Gail Goodrich, Pat Riley and Jim McMillian (and including former Phil Jackson assistant coach Jim Cleamons), the 1971-72 Lakers are arguably the greatest team of all time.
On their way to the best record in NBA history (until the 1995-96 Bulls eclipsed it), the team culminated the streak by winning the NBA title, the first for the franchise since the move to LA from Minnesota. The Lakers didn't lose a game for over two months, going a combined 30-0 in November and December.
So is it the most impressive winning streak in American (because who knows what the hell is going on in Pakistan or Uganda; it doesn't matter) professional sports history? Let's compare it to the other major sports.
The MLB record for consecutive wins is 26 by the then baseball NY Giants. In the NFL, the New England Patriots won 21 in a row between 2003 and 2004. In the NHL, the Pittsburgh Penguins set the mark with 17 straight in 1993.
NBA wise, you may be surprised to know that the second longest winning streak is 22 held by the Houston Rockets in 2007-08. Nobody expected anything out of the Rockets that year and they somehow went off before showing "they are who we thought they were" and losing in the first round of the playoffs.
Do you think the Lakers record of 33 consecutive wins will ever be broken?
LeBron and the Heat have won 17 in a row, but they've got their work cut out if they want to break this record.
HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: The Heat are currently tied for the 12th longest winning streak in NBA history.
The current 17 game streak is tied with the Clippers for longest winning streak this season. But, both are just slightly more than half as long as the all-time best.
33, LA Lakers 1971-'72
The Lakers didn't lose a game for over two months, going a combined 30-0 in November and December.Led by Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Gail Goodrich, Pat Riley and Jim McMillian (and including former Phil Jackson assistant coach Jim Cleamons), the 1971-72 Lakers are arguably the greatest team of all time.
22, Houston Rockets 2007-'08
You may be surprised to know that the second longest winning streak is 22 held by the Houston Rockets in 2007-08. Nobody expected anything out of the Rockets that year and they somehow went off before showing "they are who we thought they were" and losing in the first round of the playoffs. Sadly for T-Mac and Yao, this was the height of their time together.
20, Washington Capitols 1947-'48 thru 1948-'49
The Capitols were part of the Basketball Association of America before being absorbed into the NBA in 1949. Not coincidentally, the team was led by NBA Hall of Fame coach Red Auerbach, who led the squad from 1946-'49. The team won 20 games through two seasons.
20, Milwaukee Bucks 1970-'71
Already boasting Lew Alcindor at center, the Bucks acquired Oscar Robertson in a trade and found immediate success. The Bucks set a franchise record for wins that season (66) that still stands and won the NBA title in their third year of existence, the fastest for an expansion team in NBA history. The 20 game win streak was exceeded a year later by the same Lakers team that leads this list. Interestingly, this Bucks squad beat that Lakers team and snapped their NBA record 33 game win streak.
19, LA Lakers 1999-'00
In Phil Jackson's first year as coach, the Lakers started the season by winning 31 of their first 36 games, which included a 16 game winning streak. Later in the season, from February 4th to March 16th, LA won 19 in a row. After that loss, the Shaq and Kobe led squadron won another 11 in a row and earlier in the year also had a seven game streak. One of the best teams in NBA history, LA won the title by beating the Pacers 4-2.
19, Boston Celtics 2008-'09
The Celtics started out 27-2, including the 19 game win streak, and also had a 10 game streak to their credit. Boston won 62 games but lost in the 2nd round of the playoffs after Kevin Garnett was injured and missed most of the second half of the season. The first round seven game series versus the Bulls is arguably the greatest playoff series in NBA history.
Just two more wins would put the Heat into the top five. Four more wins would make their streak the second longest in NBA history. 16 more (man, that's a ton of games!) Would tie them with the Lakers for longest streak ever- think they can do it?
Currently, the Lakers are in possession of the Western Conference's eighth seed by one game over the Utah Jazz.
HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: If the Lakers don't make it, they have at least five legitimate reasons why they failed.
Firing of Mike Brown, Hiring of Mike D'Antoni, Not Hiring Phil Jackson
After five games, the Lakers brass fired Mike Brown. But before he got fired, they forced him to employ the "Princeton Offense," an offense that never got properly instituted because of injuries to nearly every key player in the preseason. Brown was out, but who would replace him? For several days, Phil Jackson was going to be re-hired, it looked like a foregone conclusion. But under the cover of night, late on a Sunday evening, the Lakers announced they would hire D'Antoni instead. As the season has now almost completely played itself out, they couldn't have been any worse if they would've just retained Bernie Bickerstaff for the entire season, who won four of his five games as head coach.
Injuries
Every significant player on the team was injured at some point this season. Steve Nash, Kobe, Dwight Howard, Metta World Peace, Pau Gasol- and those are just the starters. The bench was equally ravaged. Robert Sacre, Devin Ebanks, Jordan Hill, Steve Blake; and that's the short list. No wonder they haven't had any chemistry all year.
Lack Of Pau Gasol
Gasol's head wasn't right all season. And yours wouldn't have been either if your name was Pau Gasol. No one has taken more of a beating for being "soft". But if he was soft, Gasol wouldn't have two rings and a slew of all-star appearances. So what does he get for his trouble? He gets benched for Earl Clark by D'Antoni, who was trying to assert his power to "motivate" Gasol. That was a "bass-akward" thing to do. To make it worse, D'Antoni did it when the Lakers rotation was being held together with duct tape. If he was healthy, the Lakers should've squeezed every last second out of him.
Where Was "Ron Ron" All Year?
I get that "Ron Ron" has decided to completely give up on scoring. I get that he fancies himself a lockdown one on one defender. But for a guy who has scored over 20+ ppg in his career, for him to not be more involved offensively (and I don't mean hoisting up three's from the corner, which has become his signature offensive move), I mean getting involved and productive when the team needed him. He didn't, so Kobe had to carry the squad, and still is, like always.
Dwight Howard Saga
I don't care what Howard's numbers are, or if Andrew Bynum missed the entire season- Howard killed the Lakers with his endless, me first drama. It started before he got traded to LA, then continued once he arrived because of "injuries" and a bunch of other excuses. Dwight Howard is a drama queen and softer than Pau Gasol- FACT.
HoopsVibe spoke with University of Wisconsin guard Traevon Jackson.
HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: Traevon spoke about his experience in the NCAA Tournament, playing against Naismith Award winner Trey Burke and who's the better player- him or his dad.
During the 2012-2013 season, In his sophomore year, Jackson posted career highs in all major categories while playing in 35 games, starting 29 of them.
Jackson was second on the team in free throw percentage (.765), first in steals (1.0 spg) and 15th in the Big Ten in assists.
HoopsVibe- What was your experience like playing in the NCAA Tournament?
Traevon Jackson- "Obviously, it didn’t end the way we wanted it to. Just playing in the tournament was great, getting that kind of experience. You really grow up fast because it’s the attitude of “loser goes home” and unfortunately, we had to go home. But it really puts into perspective what you need to do to prepare for it going forward. And learning that this year, helps us next year."
HV- Is there added pressure based on who your dad is (14 year NBA vet Jim Jackson) to succeed? What’s the dynamic of that like?
TJ- "Growing up, I felt it more than I do now, but now I don’t even think about it at all, actually. The pressure that I feel now the most is pleasing the Lord. That may sound cliché, but that’s an everyday type of task and the biggest thing for me. As long as I continue to grow in that aspect, there is no other question."
HV- Did your dad give you a hard time when you went to Wisconsin instead of Ohio State?
TJ- "No, he supported me. He told me what I was getting into as far as the coaching staff and what to expect, and he was right; he was right about a lot of things. At the end of the day he was just happy for me because he had seen where I started from in terms of basketball and what I had become. He was just very happy for me, and my mom too."
HV- Who would win one on one right now?
"Oh, me of course (laughing). Easily. He can beat me in golf and all the other games, cards, all that stuff. But he’s not beating me on the court."
HV- How did him moving around during his NBA career, playing for 12 different NBA teams, impact you as you were growing up?
TJ- "It was great. I got to go to a lot of different cities and see a lot of places I wouldn’t have probably otherwise seen. But, just from watching him, I got to really go through and experience his career with him. He started out as a top guy in the league and eventually became a productive role player. Just seeing how he handled it was awesome. It taught me to never give up, no matter what. I think about it now when I go through adversity, I never saw him put his head down; he always found a way, just like my mom. Just keep working hard and good things will come."
HV- You just finished your sophomore year and you were a big part of the Wisconsin rotation, playing almost 28 minutes a game. What helped your development the most between freshman and sophomore year?
TJ- "Mainly going home and working with my trainer Anthony Rhodman. This was my first full summer going back home and doing all the skill work that I needed to work on. Coming back in this year I was way more confident and better overall. It took a little while, had to go thru adversity. I didn’t achieve all the goals I wanted to, but the little bit of success I had is like a glimpse of the future."
HV- How’d you hook up with Anthony Rhodman?
TJ- "I saw Trey Burke going off in Ann Arbor. We were seniors in high school at the same time and he was killing that year; he won Mr. Basketball, all the awards and I asked him, "Who are you working out with?" And he told me about Anthony. Then I heard Trey talk, and I’d never heard him say so many things he was saying about the Lord, so I knew he had everything straight. And it took me off guard so I wanted to talk to Anthony. I hit Anthony up to introduce myself and he had heard of me and was planning on talking to me. We just hooked up from there and started working."
HV- Who would win one on one between you and Trey Burke?
TJ- "It would be tough but right now, it would be me (laughing). I always have to say me (laughing). It’s fun though. We play one on one in the summer and just always have fun."
HV- Favorite NBA player?
TJ- "Deron Williams. I love D Will because he’s a bigger guard and I always see myself being like him; the way that he uses hesitation and the between the leg dribble. He's explosive and can do it all."
HV- What’s the most annoying or creative heckling you have heard in any Big Ten arena?
TJ- "A lot of stuff about my dad, believe me. But I’ve heard that forever so it’s rare I hear anything new. There was this one lady at Indiana after we beat them. It was after the game and I was walking off the court and she was just sitting there on the sidelines. I was walking off the court and apparently I was smiling, even though I wasn't aware of it, and she said, “There’s nothing to be smiling at!” It caught me off guard and I thought, “Why are you so mad?” That’s one thing that comes to mind. Fans always say “Jimmy’s better!’ (laughing) but I’m so focused on the game I don’t even pay attention except at maybe at a dead ball."
Marc and Pau Gasol’s respective starts to the 2011-2012 season have gone in completely opposite directions so far; but can it last for the duration of the year? Is Marc suddenly the best Gasol in the NBA?
After the strike and being without a hint of basketball action since last June, it’s easy to overreact to what we see out of the chute. We were all so starved for so long it’s only natural to read too much into what transpired during the NBA’s first week of the season.
Fours year ago when Shaq’s production started to decline and he couldn’t stay healthy the “Shaq is done” and “he wasn’t that good” chatter began to commence amongst the haters. And in that four year period more and more people suddenly couldn’t wait to see him gone. People that once marveled at his size and power now used those same traits as a reason to discredit him.
Fresh off winning the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award Lamar Odom carried the Lakers to a tough 87-78 victory in game two on Wednesday night reminding everyone how important he is to the team. After watching that, the question that begs to be asked is why can’t Odom start over Ron Artest who just completed his least productive season ever?
Saturday, October 08, 2011
Written by HoopsVibe News
So we go back to the timeout and I’m [upset], right? He goes, ‘I was wide open.’ ‘Yeah, I know.’ This is how I’m talking to him, like, during the game. I said, ‘You’re going to be open again, Kwame, because Rasheed is just totally ignoring you.’ He said, ‘Well, if I’m open don’t throw it to me.’ I was like, ‘Huh?’ He said, ‘Don’t throw it to me.’ I said, ‘Why not?’ He said, well, ‘I’m nervous. If I catch it and they foul me, I won’t make the free throws.’ I said, ‘Hell no!’ “I go to Phil [Jackson], I say, ‘Hey Phil, take him out of the game.’ He’s like, ‘Nah, let him figure it out.’ So, we lose the game, I go the locker room, I’m steaming.
Friday, October 07, 2011
Written by HoopsVibe News
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: The mighty has fallen.
Not long ago, Adam Morrison was the darling of NCAA basketball and a lottery pick in the NBA draft. Sure, it didn’t work with the Bobcats, but the swing won a championship or two as a practice piece for the Lakers.
Now Morrison, who is toiling away in the European leagues, is only news when he gets into a shoving match with his Serbian team.
Anyway, watch the clip and get at us with thoughts in the comment box below.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Written by HoopsVibe News
And whether you want to read a lot or a little into it, note this: When talking about the contrasting offensive styles Brown will show from Cleveland to here, the new Lakers’ coach summarized the coming Lakers offense as feeding Gasol and Bynum inside, not being the Kobe show.
“This team is completely different from what I had in Cleveland,” Brown said. “In Cleveland, I had a guy who liked to come off the top of the floor, liked to play in space and play pick-and-roll and make plays for others. Here, I’ve got two guys similar to what we had in San Antonio; you’re able to throw them the ball on the block.”
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Can a new coach and his new philosophy create new results for the Los Angeles Lakers when the NBA season begins?
It’s been a few months since Phil Jackson, the Hall of Fame coach and undisputed master of all things Zen, was replaced with Brown as sideline boss by the Lakers.
Brown, it seems, isn’t scared to shake things up, and wants to utilize his super-sized front-court.
Translation: less Kobe Bryant, more Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol.
However, it’s not known how Bryant, the club’s reigning top dog and Alpha Male, will feel about sharing his lofty perch with Bynum and Gasol.
Bynum is attached to Jim Buss, the controversial son of long-time owner Jerry Buss. Many feel the younger Bynum to leave his imprint on the Lakers.
And Gasol’s meltdown in last year’s playoff shocked the mortgage industry, prompted a twitter tirade from Snopp Dogg, and led to a physical confrontation of sorts with Jackson.
So Bryant may or may not buy-in. One thing is certain: the Lakers will be different.
--Oly Sandor.
Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
Written by HoopsVibe News
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: If soccer players get to do it then why can't Terrence Williams of the Rockets?
In a recent summer run, Williams threw down an impressive jam over the Lakers’ Derrick Caracter, and then celebrated by taking off his jersey and spiking it on the baseline.
Since this wasn't an NBA game, there was no technical foul, ejection, or whistle.
--Oly Sandor.
Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.
Yes, it’s been a tough few days for Pau Gasol, the star power forward for the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers are the NBA’s version of Hollywood. When you’re winning, they love you. When you’re losing, the knives, machetes, and daggers come out.
Here’s the thing: the Lakers need Gasol. If the purple-and-gold is to have any chance of defeating the Dallas Mavericks, he must find his old form.
And fast.
After all, the Mavericks lead the Western Conference semi-finals 3-0. They’re confident. They’re loose. And they’re determined. The Lakers, on the other hand, are none of the above in large part because of their Spaniard’s struggles.
Gasol must battle on both ends of the floor. He must improve his offensive numbers, while doing a better job defensively against Dirk Nowtizki.
This only happens if he has support. So Coach Jackson has to stop embarrassing him during timeouts; the team’s communications director must end the TMZ style gossip about his love life; teammates must have his back and silence one of the club’s high profile fans.
Like it or not, Gasol is key to a comeback. And it won’t happen if everyone around him is in attack mode.
--Oly Sandor.
Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Written by HoopsVibe News
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: By now, you’ve seen it.
You’ve seen Kenny Smith pull a ‘Bundini’ and rep for Blake Griffin like he was former heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali.
You’ve seen the choir pump up the Los Angeles crowd by belting out the R. Kelly classic ‘I believe I can fly’.
And you’ve seen Griffin leap the hood of a car, catch a Baron Davis alley-oop, and throw down a fierce two-handed jam, which won the Clippers superstar the 2011 Slam Dunk Contest.
However, Griffin didn’t invent the car leap. He simply mastered it.
A few years ago, Lakers great Kobe Bryant made news when he jumped an Aston Martin. ‘The Black Mamba’ didn’t dunk a basketball, but his aerial antics –despite reportedly being aided by special effects- impressed.
Watch the clips and tell us in the comment box below if Griffin or Bryant did the best job hurdling a car.
(Kenny `Bundini` Smith. The choir. And Griffin leaping a car.)
(Kobe: `I got this.`)
--Oly Sandor.
Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.
Thursday, February 03, 2011
Written by HoopsVibe News
"I think Ron enjoys being in L.A," Phil Jackson said. "I think he likes the Lakers. I think he likes the action. I think he likes the attention we get as a basketball club. I think that feeds into who he is as a person." Artest was admant that he doesn't want to be traded. "I feel good every day," Artest said. "We've got a chance to win multiple championships here...trying to work towards another banner."
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: He’s out. No. He’s in.
In less than 24 hours there have been conflicting reports on Ron Artest’s future with the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.
Yesterday, Marc Stein reported that Artest had requested a trade. The ESPN reporter quoted an unnamed source who mentioned that the three-man was tired of being blamed for the team’s struggles and wanted a greater role in the offense.
Today, the Lakers were in damage control mode, with player and team both denying the report.
Forget the rumors. All is not well with the purple-and-gold.
Part of this is boredom. The Lakers have had two especially long seasons, playing from October to the end of June. They’ve also been in some epic game sevens, which probably makes it tough to play the Memphis Grizzlies in January.
Part of this is fear. Everybody else is better –much better. The Miami Heat have the Three Kings in Chris Bosh, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade; the Boston Celtics are deeper, especially down-low; the San Antonio Spurs’ Big Four dominate both ends of the floor.
The Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Orlando Magic, and Oklahoma City Thunder also have designs on winning a championship.
So ‘three-peating’ won’t be easy. Artest and the Lakers have to focus on the challenge.
--Oly Sandor.
Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.
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