March 10, 2008 at 5:50 am · Filed under NBA, NCAA, Videos
The NBA draft is still three months away, but the top lottery picks are already starting to rise to the top. The NCAA features another handful of fabulous freshman this season, many of which will be “one-and-dones.” Among the players likely to jump up to the NBA next season include O.J. Mayo, Kevin Love, and Michael Beasley.
So if college basketball seems a little bit too structured for you, enjoy the highlights of this always-sloppy McDonald’s All-American game.
March 5, 2008 at 9:18 am · Filed under NBA, Videos
Chuck Hayes, for your information, shoots 15% better from the field than from the free throw line. He is not the most intimidating shotblocker, rebounder, or shooter (his F, but Chuck Hayes deserves some credit for a skill few NBA players take time to refine: creating lane violations.
On the other hand, getting a second try isn’t all that valuable when you’re shooting at a 38% clip.
Over the past two weeks, we’ve seen two of the top players in the NBA make completely opposite decisions in regards to international basketball.
Yao Ming has decided to sit out for the rest of the season, effectively ending the Houston Rockets‘ chances to go deep in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Kobe Bryant is managing to put up 30 points per game, and lead the Los Angeles Lakers to the #1 spot in the Western Conference.
You can argue for or against either player. Yao is adamant about dominating this summer in the Beijing Summer Olympics, so his eagerness to rest for the remainder of the year encourages people to believe isn’t fully committed to the Rockets this year. But who can blame him? He’ll be turning 32 the next time Olympic Basketball comes around, and this is his best chance, playing in front of his home country.
Kobe Bryant faces a similar situation. Although Andrew Bynum is out, the Lakers may have their best chance at a championship with the addition of Pau Gasol and not one Western contender completely setting itself apart from the rest.
The Rockets have won fourteen games in a row, and they’re only two games out of the top spot in the West. Los Angeles is essentially tied for the top spot in the Western Conference. In the end, though, the contenders (the Lakers) are going to be separated by the pretenders (the Rockets) because Kobe Bryant recognizes the opportunity and is going for it.
Sure, this could be a mistake for Kobe if he suffers permanent damage to his finger. We don’t know how well Kobe will play for USA basketball after playing three months with a torn ligament.
But the contrast of Yao and Kobe brings up a good question: When should a player throw in their $80-million towel to recover from injury or prepare for the upcoming season/summer play? Of course, if a player’s permanent health is at risk, they are fully justified. But while Yao Ming seems to want more preparation time for the Olympics, Kobe is playing (remarkably well) with torn ligament in his shooting hand.
Kobe Bryant faces a similar situation. Although Andrew Bynum is out, the Lakers may have their best chance at a championship with the addition of Pau Gasol and not one Western contender completely setting itself apart from the rest.
