Kobe is a Problem, but the Real Problem is Lakers Management

"LaMarcus Aldridge didn't quite gel with Kobe Bryant." Many critics will quickly say that Kobe Bryant was the problem and that Aldridge doesn't want to be a Laker because of the Black Mamba. However, this isn't necessarily true. While Kobe Bryant may have been a small part of the reason Aldridge and many other free agents don't want to sign with the Lakers, he's only there for one year, and probably doesn't play as big a role as many believe in these free agents decisions. The real problem is Lakers management, most notably, Jim Buss.

The Lakers have not landed any marquee free agents since Jim Buss has taken over the team after his father, Jerry, passed away. This is because Jim isn't the charming, charismatic figure that Jerry was. There isn't that mystique about him that you know you're talking to a guy you can trust. There isn't the basketball knowledge and desire to win. All you have is a guy who seems to have a big ego and not want to listen to anyone else that disagrees with him. Jim Buss was supposed to improve the Lakers this offseason after passing up on Jahlil Okafor for the prized point guard, DeAngelo Russell. The idea for the draft pick was that the Lakers would get a big man in free agency. This has not been the case. The Lakers are looking like they're going to strike out in free agency (again) and the bulk of the blame has to be put on Jim Buss who didn't know what LaMarcus Aldridge wanted to hear, he didn't know Larry Nance tweeted about Kobe Bryant, and he didn't know Dwight Howard wanted out of LA and refused to get anything in return for him. 

Jeanie Buss has stated that Jim has 2 more years to get the Lakers back into playoff contention, but will the fans wait that long? 

Lakers in hot pursuit of DeMarcus Cousins

According to multiple sources ,  the Lakers are doing all they can to reach some type of agreement with the Kings in order to bring Cousins to the city of Angels. As one can assume, the biggest standstill could possibly be whether or not the Lakers are willing to give up their number 2 pick. If the Lakers can manage to receive Cousins AND keep their pick this year, they will be much improved. If this were to happen, it would be believed that the Lakers would at that point select point guard D'angelo Russell. The tandem between Russell and Cousins would give Kobe life , and give the Lakers two stepping stones to build around for the future.

If the Lakers are unable to do both, they would more than likely have to give up that #2 pick. If this is the case , they still receive one of the top centers in the league. The Lakers hope that this would entice players to consider during free agency of 2015 and 2016.

Kobe Retirement

Should Kobe Really Consider Retirement?

Nineteen years in the NBA Kobe Bryant has endured. He is the last of his 1996 draft class, arguably the greatest NBA draft class, to still be playing in the NBA at an elite level. His number of accomplishments is infinite. He’s overcome countless setbacks many thought that would have been the end of him. He’s never been known to take the easy route and this time shouldn’t be any different. So when the question comes up on whether, the great, Kobe Bryant should retire or not, my answer is a definitive and firm, N-O. There is no way in hell that the legendary folklore of Kobe Bryant can end on such a negative note of injury, on a season where he led the league in scoring for a lengthy timetable, played an unreasonably high amount of minutes at age 36, and even achieved a game with a career high assist total.

Kobe can still Ball, and the Fans think so too

Kobe Bryant has proven that he can play at an elite level of basketball this season, whether people agree or not. Is he playing at the same level he did 5, 10 years ago? No, but the vast majority of NBA players would love to be averaging 22.3ppg, 5.6apg, and 5.7rpg. His legendary work ethic is what got him to be averaging those totals, even in his 19^th season in the NBA while averaging more than 35 minutes per game in the majority of those seasons. This same work ethic is what will help him arise in the 2015-2016 NBA season with some more troops to make one last run at an end of one of the greatest players to ever touch a basketball. The fans still want to see him play, as the NBA All-Star voting proved. They long to see the circus shots that no other player could make, or even attempt to execute, the nostalgia of a player who’s career has been mirrored by none other than the greatest of them all, Michael Jordan, and one of the last players in the NBA who play and carry themselves with an old school mentality.

He does, indeed, have a shot at a Title

Many would argue that Bryant doesn’t have a shot at a good run at an NBA Championship, but they forget the Lakers have a top 5 pick next year (unless the Cavs somehow manage to get the 1^st pick of the draft somehow), return Julius Randle, and have enough cap space to sign some pretty good players. There’s no question that Bryant would have to approach his run with a different mentality and that the Lakers may have to trade a young piece to actually think about contending, and that the possibility is extremely low; however, the possibility is still there. Kobe has to play more similar to how he did right before his injury than he did the start of the 2014-2015 season as well, but it seems he is more than willing to take on that role with the results he saw.

Yes it’s about the Money!

Lastly, and lets be honest and frank here, why in the world would Kobe give up over 25 Million dollars plus a good chunk more for endorsements? Yes, it’s true that he has made a lot throughout his long career, but for anyone to give that type of money up would have to be delirious. Call it greed, call it classless, call it whatever you want, but it’s easier for us, as a third party, to say that he should retire and let go of this type of money. Kobe is no idiot, but there are many athletes who have gone broke after retiring... No matter how much they had made during their careers.

The Final Chapter

 Let us come to the conclusion that there is no way that Kobe Bryant is retiring, whether you think he should or not. There are more than 25 millions not to... most of them green, but still there are other reasons too. No real NBA fan could be happy to see him go, let alone go this way. So how about we all buckle up, and hope Kobe Bryant can prove the doubters wrong one more time, shutting the door closed on the final chapter of his career.

           

            

NBA Christmas Games Recap

Another day,  another game. Christmas Day is a time in which many SportsWatcherss come together and watch the NBA games as a part of their respected festivities. Whether or not relatives and friends are rooting  for the same team, these particular games have a way of bringing people together. Here's a short recap of all the games played.

1) Washington Wizards vs. New York Knicks 

Hosted in New York, the Knicks and Wizards went head- to - head in a east coast battle. As expected, the Wizard handled the Knicks 101-91. John Wall led the way for the Wizards, totaling 24 points and 11 assist. Melo was able to drop 34. The biggest highlight of the game was the scuffle between Wall and Knicks forward Quincy Acy. Acy fouled Wall , in which Wall fell to the ground. After landing on the ground awkwardly, Wall quickly stood up and shoved Acy. Acy then retaliated with a weird half punch towards Wall. The fight was swiftly broken up players and referees.

2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs 

This game was quite the surprise. The Spurs were the favorites in many NBA fans' eyes due to Kevin Durant's injury. In addition, the Spurs were playing at home. The Spurs' game plan would seem simple: stop Russell Westbrook and everything else will fall into place. Unfortunately for the Spurs, everything did not go according to plan. Russell Westbrook went off for 34 points and 11 assist. Westbrook received plenty of help in this game. Serge Ibaka scored 21,  Steven Adams scored 16, Perry Jones scored 16, and Anthony Morrow added 15 off of the bench. In the final quarter, Morrow hit 2 key three pointers to hold off the Spurs. The Spurs were able to keep the game close for the entire 48 minutes, but a key missed three pointer by Manu Ginobli ended their late game push.

3) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Miami Heat

This was the marquee game of the day. LeBron was returning back to Miami for the first time since he decided to play for the Cavs once again. Many were anxious to see how:
1) the Miami Heat fans would respond to LeBron  
2) how  LeBron would perfom against the Heat
In his first return to Cleveland back in the 2010-2011 season, LeBron exploded for 38 points. Needless to say, his return to Miami was quite the different story.  When LeBron was introduced prior to the start of the game, the crowd reacted with mixed sounds. While there were a few boos , the majority of the noises were cheers. In addition, during the first quarter of the game, the Miami Heat organization played a video thanking LeBron for his time in Miami.  While many expected the actual game to be a blowout, the Heat had other plans.  Dwayane Wade finished the game scoring 31 points, with Loul Deng backing him adding 25.  LeBron was able to hit 30 points, with Kyrie adding 25 points. Much love was seen between LeBron and the Heat players, as he talked to all of them after the game. His bond is especially strong with Wade as they were talking and laughing before, at halftime, and after the game.

4) Los Angeles Lakers vs. Chicago Bulls

For the first time since leaving the Lakers , Pau Gasol played against his former team. With Kobe not playing due to "old age" , the Bulls were just too much for the Lakers. While the Lakers were able to keep the game close for the first three quarters, the Bulls were outscored 16-30 in the 4th quarter. Pau Gasol led all scorers with 23 points. Rose added 20, and the future Most Improved Player of the Year Jimmy Butler added 21 points (predicting that award already). Look for the Bulls to be the  biggest threat for the Cavaliers in the playoffs this season. For the Lakers , Wesley Johnson led all scorers with 19 points.

5) Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Clippers

The final game of the NBA Christmas Day games ends with two high powered offenses. Golden State has simply been on a tear this year with the best NBA record: 23-4. The Clippers have been pretty good, with a 19-10 record. While the Warriors have the much better record, the Clippers were able to cool down the Warriors, winning the game (). Chris Paul finished the game with 22 points and 7 rebounds. Both Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan finished the game with double-doubles. Jamal Crawford added 24 points off of the bench. The Warriors had a 4th quarter let down, shooting horribly in the 4th quarter. The Splash Brothers (Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson) shot for a combined 11-30.  They were just unable to really get it going tonight.

Another year, another NBA Christmas Day gone. This Christmas was filled with fights, thrillers, love, and make-or-break 4th quarters. Hopefully this level of high quality basketball can continue into the rest of the season.

Are the Lakers Actually... Decent?

The Los Angeles Lakers have one of the worst records in the NBA right now, sitting at 5-13. However, are they really a terrible team? Or are they a victim of a brutal schedule given by the NBA? By no account am I saying that the Lakers are a good team, or even an 8th seed contender by any means, but the Lakers seem to have been competitive in many of their games that they have played against, and most of those games have been against strong teams. They have even taken out the Raptors in the last two days, the Eastern Conference's best team. 

Really Bad Losses?

Out of the Lakers 18 games that they have played, 13 of them have been against playoff teams. One may be quick to point out that they’ve had poor losses to the T-Wolves and Nuggets, but those games were highly competitive and it seems had the Lakers gotten a break or two, they would be the victors in those games, and many other of their losses as well. Three of the Lakers 5 wins are against top 4 seeded teams in their respective conferences as well.

What’s with the Scheduling?

            Although many of us may forget it now, the Lakers had a ridiculous opening schedule that was part of their 5 game skid. For some reason, the NBA felt it right to give the Lakers 4 games in the first 5 days of the NBA season. Some teams hadn’t even played their second game by the time the Lakers were starting their fourth. Team chemistry is tough to develop quickly, and with all the new players, coaches, and styles of play, it made the opening to the season really rough for the Lakers.

Conclusion:

            All in all, it just seems unfair to deem the Lakers as one of the worst teams in the NBA. They have some decent talent. I think we can all agree at this point that Kobe Bryant is not just the 40^th best player in the NBA per ESPN. Nick Young has come back and provided the Lakers with some good firepower to go along Kobe. The Lakers may just need a simple fix to get back on track. My suggestion: start Ed Davis over Carlos Boozer, who has the worst +/- statistic on the team. The Lakers just don’t play well when Boozer is on the court because of his poor shot selection, bad defense, and lack of effort. The Lakers need to start closing games better as well and maybe, their record will show them to be a decent team. 

Melo: Knickerbocker

It seems as though the "Home is Where the Heart is" quote sums up this year's free agency for the marquee players this off season. Carmelo Anthony has agreed to a 5-year 130 million dollar deal with the Knicks. Melo has said that he is a "New York Knick at heart." This was not a bad business deal for Carmelo either. Melo would have to leave 30 million on the table to go and play for any other team.

Not long after LeBron made his decision, Carmelo made his. The other teams that were in contention for Melo was the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers. Both the Bulls and Lakers made very strong runs at Melo, but at the end of day, home is where he wanted to be. In addition , he believes in Phil. He believes that Phil can eventually make the Knicks a championship contender. For Melo's sake , he needs to have at least one more deep run in the playoffs (he had one with Denver). Melo has not had great success in the playoffs whatsoever. If Phil Jackson could put the right pieces to play around Melo, then the city of New York will be revived basketball wise. 

Return of Live

   It's been a few years, but it's FINALLY coming back. NBA Live will return after three long years since it's 'NBA Elite 11' collapse. For as long as I can remember , when it comes to professional basketball video games, the "NBA 2K series" and the "NBA Live" have competed back and forth for the title of the #1 selling basketball game. The NBA Live series lasted until 2010. For 2011, EA Sports changed the name of the series to "NBA Elite". The game NBA Elite 11 was set to release in October of 2011, but due to many glitches and such, EA decided not release the game. In the demo, one prevalent glitch displayed former Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum being stuck at half court.

   Since then, the basketball gaming world has been dominated by the NBA 2K series. NBA 2K 12 sold for over  five million copies, while NBA 2K 13 has the franchise record for most sales during a debut week in the history of the franchise. While these two games have been great, part of their success is because of the lack of competition. 

     Determined to return, EA Sports hired a whole new team to bring back the once very popular NBA Live game. With new features such as bouncetek, the user will have the ability to control how the players dribble like never before. The EA Sports team is aware  that they have a lot of ground to cover, but  seem to believe that they can reestablish their spot as a top notch game within the gaming industry. Since March, EA Sports has been advertising their advancement with a new video machine called the Ignite E3 engine. This engine is something that will be used to take games to another level, especially for the XBOX one and the Play Station 4 counsels. During an EA Sports NBA Live 14 Q & A via Twitter, I was able to ask how this engine will help the game. EA responded to my question stating: "Animation quality, physics, and fluidity to name of few."  As an excited NBA Live fan, I can only hope that this engine would serve as a positive step in the right direction. NBA Live 14 drops in the fall.

 NBA Live 14 Trailer