A Message For The Kobe-HatersApril 23 07 I can hear the Kobe-haters. After remaining silent for most of the season, they’ve come out of the woodwork to criticize his game 1 dud. They’re knocking his 1 for 10 fourth quarter shooting performance. They’re blaming the loss on what they see as his typical ball-hogging antics. This isn’t fair. After all, Kobe the Facilitator had to become Kobe the Scorer for the Lakers to make the playoffs. With Lamar Odom and Luke Walton injured, the purple-and-gold needed their all world guard to drop 50 points per game. He’s had to score for his team to win, simple as that. Once again, on Sunday, Bryant had no choice but to look for his own shot and go for 50. And he was close, tallying a remarkable 28 points in the first half. Sure, down the stretch, he missed a lot. But no Laker, other than Lamar Odom, was looking to contribute. And no other Laker wanted the ball-they all looked afraid. Besides, this team already made their choice. They decided long ago to live by Kobe the Scorer and die by Kobe the Scorer. Last night, they died by their choice. So blame Bryant for missing those shots, but don’t blame him for taking them. That’s on Bryant’s teammates who have come to rely on Kobe the Scorer. Click here and read Oly Sandor’s NBA blog everday.
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on 04.29.2007 | Suns in 6 is my prediction . | Posted by
Ohh
on 04.27.2007 | to Coach T:your the biggest kobe hater in the world. he is surrounded by s---yet he still managed to bring us to the playoffs. you shoud kiss his ass . | Posted by
on 04.25.2007 | STOP HATEING HE IS THE BEST PLAYER SINCE MJ HE CAN SHOTSTOP HATEING . | Posted by
lakers4ever
on 04.25.2007 | Blinblin.. i totally agree... game 1 first half, wow kobe did a great job and got his teammates involve, but everything unfolded when he decided to take over and shooting the Lakers out of game 1. Phil is to blame, he’s the coach, Jordan didn’t win championships by himself, his teammates contributed. Kobe needs the help and he needs to realize that and realize how well they did in GAME 1 FIRST HALF when they are flowing and playing great offense which entails great defense. C’ON PHIL & KOBE realize that.. IT’S A TEAM GAME = TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP... Jordan have never won Championships alone, think about it!!!! Let’s Go Lakers! . | Posted by
Jeremy
on 04.24.2007 | Well then. As a team, the Lakers suck. The shots he took were forced and sometimes he had 3 defenders on him. No team ever won with 1 player so why even try. If they went all season depending on Kobe the Gun, what were they preparing themselves for. Jordan did not win until he got others involved. I’d rather my star have a triple double than 50 pts. I am not a Kobe hater. I just don’t like watching bad basketball. Kobe’s game is more like watching Streetball. . | Posted by
Coach T
on 04.24.2007 | Sorry about Kobe getting ripped as a ball hog but the dude has always wanted the ball and the attention. He wanted to be THE MAN, and now the he is the man and got exactly what he wanted, he doesn’t know what to do with it. He should have been happy with Shaq to help him. For all of you Kobe lovers that think he can do no wrong...wake up and smell the Lakers record. Stop blaming the rest of the team because this is what Kobe wanted. I don’t hate Kobe but I’m tired of the poor excuses that Kobe lovers give all the time. Stop the whining and accept the fact that you have a mediocre team that Kobe formed and Kobe runs. The rest of the players and Phil Jackson look like they are just going through the motions with no heart. . | Posted by
GeMelle
on 04.24.2007 | The Laker offense never has any flow to it, it’s a sad offense. People try to down Kobe as a ball-hog, and whatever else. Has any one noticed what I’ve noticed about these lakers that Kobe plays with? Besides Lamar, Luke, and Jordan Farmar, no one knows how to pa-------the ball crisply. I’ve seen Kwame, and Andrew Bynum with position asking for the ball, and all I see is someone too scared to toss it over the top to them and just reverse the ball instead, even when the big man has one defender without weakside help. I get frustrated everytime I see their inability to move the ball when teams step up their defense. I cant even bring up the Laker’s lack of D right now. . | Posted by
raek1
on 04.24.2007 | used to hate kobe but not anymore. i hated him bec. of his cockiness, his relationships with shaq, phil and karl and the me, myself and I attitude. but not anymore. not only after dropping 62 and 81, but he showed leadership and improved his team skills. he should be respected and appreciated for what he does. the lakers need him to step up mostly in scoring bec. of the talent he has. he may be even the best offensive force in the nba (tmac injured, and sorry but dwade and lebron aint got a reliable jumper) . scoring is what he does best and the lakers need it. if he has guys like KG, Pierce. J. oneal or whoever is rumored in the trading block and scores like that with a mediocre record thats when you call him a ballhog. . | Posted by
on 04.24.2007 | my oh my,,, mr sandor... i hope you know to analyze the game of basketball, a dunk, lay up and jumpshot has 2 points, but if the player like kobe knows how to assist the ball, every [player of the team were encourage to give not only the best but their hearts as well, to kobe... learn to assist normally.... you have your teammates... for me,, lakers will not have a chance to be at the second round . | Posted by
Coach T
on 04.23.2007 | If Kobe were in a one on one game...he would do great! The problem is that the NBA has TEAMS. . | Posted by
John
on 04.23.2007 | Maurice Evans, Brian Cook, Andrew Bynum and Sasha Vujacic are not great teammates. Ballhog’s don’t average 5 assists a game either. . | Posted by
J-Con
on 04.23.2007 | I used 2 b a Kobe hater no doubt, but his game has just gone 2 a level no 1 has ever seen before. Wow they lost game 1, but 28 first half points. His shots r just unbelievable. He has made a believer out of me so I believe he can make a believer out of anyone. He is unbelievable and he is without a doubt the best player in basketball. . | Posted by
Lance Walton
on 04.23.2007 | I understand that, but what I said ties into the overall Kobe scenario. When a team puts pressure on the Lakers then, the Lakers downfall is they end up playing the other teams way. And to try and get back into it, Kobe trys to take over, sometimes he’s on fire and other times he’s off. Sometimes they win that way, and other times they lose. Yesterday ended in a loss for them. Anybody who truly watches them closely can see what I’am talking about. My point is also how Kobe is percieved,but I just broke it down on why he’s percieved that way. The offense runs through him no matter what. Odom is not enough and he knows it so he tries to do too much. . | Posted by
Blinblin
on 04.23.2007 | Kobe is a heck of a scorer but he cannot win games and involve his teammates. There was no rythym for the Lakers in the second half because as usual Kobe sucked it out of his teammates. . | Posted by
Kobe till I die
on 04.23.2007 | LW...I don’t think the story’s commenting on what specifically happened... There were lots of factors to the second half crumble.... your right...that’s easy to see...He’s not trying to look at that... He’s addressing this Kobe thing as a whole...this thing that’s bigger than one game...and just how Kobe’s looked at and perceived...no matter what....that’s in a lot of ways more interesting than the game..... . | Posted by
Lance Walton
on 04.23.2007 | Yesterday Kobe Bryant put on a brillant first half performance. The second half though had many factors involved, the Suns defense stepped up and put more intense pressure on Kobe and the Lakers. Also the Lakers offense had no flow to it, Phoenix made them play there style of ball, which is up tempo up and down the court offense, the Lakers can’t play like that for long. Another thing is as the superstar go to player Kobe had to try and take over ecspecially since he was on fire in the first half, he felt like he would get back into it eventually, unfornately he didn’t and as a result he rushed shots, made bad shot selections and put the Lakers behind to cough up a nice lead and allowed the Suns to win the game. . |
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Oly Sandor | Daily take on NBA Oly Sandor is an NBA analyst and sports journalist based out of Vancouver, Canada.After years of the free-lance game, Oly Sandor is bringing his unique brand of NBA analysis exclusively to (...) More |
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