Kobe Should Not Have Played Tonight
by DexterFishmore on Dec 12, 2009 11:43 PM PST
in Game Recaps
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PrintYou know it. I know it. Kobe knows it. Most of all, the Utah Jazz know it.
To say that he shouldn't have played tonight isn't a diss of Kobe. It's really not. It doesn't mean he isn't tough, or that he isn't completely awesome. It just means he has a human body like the rest of us, one vulnerable to harm and illness. With a broken finger and a stomach virus, not only was he not his usual self tonight. He wasn't even at sufficient strength to help the Lakers, who lost to the Utah Jazz by the score of 94-102.
The numbers are bracing: Kobe shot 7 for 24, his worst shooting performance of the season. He didn't have the energy to get to the basket, to get lift on his jumpers, or to keep up on defense. The Lakers have proven that they have enough talent to win games without Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. That means they have enough to win a few without Kobe, and both he and Phil Jackson need to realize it. If he needs a week or two off to get better, the franchise will survive.
The game tonight came down to that obscure skill known as making baskets. Those shots that fell for the Lakers at Staples wouldn't stay down. All those bricks the Jazz threw up at Staples found their way to the bottom of the hoop. It's the mystery of home-court advantage in the NBA. You either come to terms with it, or you drive yourself mad.
With the loss the Lakers are 18-4, no longer proud owners of the NBA's best record. To Chicago on Tuesday night we go. Times could get worse, but they're likely to get better.
(P.S. - Can't quite put my finger on why, but the screengrab below encapsulates this game for me perfectly.)
(P.P.S. - Hot Rod Hundley is a total disaster.)
|
|
Poss. |
TO% |
FTA/ |
FT% |
EFG% |
TS% |
Off Reb% |
Def Reb% |
PPP |
|
L.A. |
89 |
19 |
0.30 |
71 |
48 |
52 |
35 |
76 |
1.06 |
|
Utah |
89 |
17 |
0.23 |
83 |
56 |
60 |
24 |
65 |
1.15 |
87 comments
|
0 recs |
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Comments
i think we should worry
not time to panic. but wow ive never seen kobe play that bad. what the nba should worry about is that he was slowed down by a back to back and had the flu?
i expect kobe to be back to at least the greatest player in the league form very soon. greatest of all time might have to wait till he gets healty in the off season
YOU CAN PUT IT ON THE BOARD YES!
www.reverbnation.com/czheckproductions
The question is, who should make that decision that Kobe sits?
If there is no consensus between all parties (Phil, Kobe, Medical Staff), isn’t ultimately Phil’s call? Kobe is always going to say he can play.
"This is not a game for boys. This is a game for men." - Phil Jackson
phil jackson. he souldnt be afraid to make that call. hes the best coach in history. he should be able make whatever call he wants and not have to be afraid of the consequences. and i agree, kobe should not have played tonight. i said it before the game, and obviously afterwards.
Well Phil being that best coach in history
should definitely take a look at that schedule for this week and sit Kobe.
There are basic Fundamentals that are needed to move forward in this game. Always keep your guard up at all times to avoid being caught in a trap. Overcome the fouls that will be commited against you REBOUND AND PRESS ON. ADJUST to the LimeLight: ALL-STAR PLAYERS ARE ALWAYS THE CENTER OF ATTENTION. Know what your role is and play your position. Find a game plan and execute it. REMEMBER YOU ONLY GET OUT OF THE GAME WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT.
too bad we couldnt have played all the mediocre teams first
then play the jazz on the final game of the road trip
in that situation i woulda sat him the first game
but since we were playing the jazz
its a much different situation
oh well we were bound to lose at some point
if he does play wednesday, hopefully we blow the bulls out so he can rest…
i think he will because he will say hes ok or something
in the meantime gasol and BYNUM need to step up their play
and artest needs to finish those shots in the paint.
id also be nice to see odom step up too
he really has not had a really strong performance in any of his games so far this season.
Leave Chad Billingsley alone!!!
Fans Shouldn't expect Kobe not to play
There is no off/on button for being competitive. Personally, I take the good with the bad. The same drive that pushes Kobe to play in these type of games is the same drive that has resulted in four banners. Asking him or even worst expecting him as a fan for him not to play is like asking him not to breath. Whether he plays or not who cares. It is just one game. I will take Kobe with the stomach flu and a broken finger over anyone in the NBA.
"These young guys are playing checkers. I'm out there playing chess" - Kobe
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Dec 13, 2009 1:40 AM PST reply actions
lol nah I'd take a healthy Kobe over the brokedown Kobe anyday
He needs all five fingers not three, I understand the passion but seriously if he wants to repeat, he should think about that hand needing to be fully effective and healed come playoff time.
There are basic Fundamentals that are needed to move forward in this game. Always keep your guard up at all times to avoid being caught in a trap. Overcome the fouls that will be commited against you REBOUND AND PRESS ON. ADJUST to the LimeLight: ALL-STAR PLAYERS ARE ALWAYS THE CENTER OF ATTENTION. Know what your role is and play your position. Find a game plan and execute it. REMEMBER YOU ONLY GET OUT OF THE GAME WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT.
I doubt seriously
that he would even consider that
"These young guys are playing checkers. I'm out there playing chess" - Kobe
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Dec 13, 2009 11:34 PM PST up reply actions
i hated watching kobe play tonight...
it was painful to watch him shoot dribble and do soo much stuff with his left hand.. i wanted to change the channel
Painful for you? The guy is playing with a broken finger and the flu and its painful to you?
by West-Coast21 on Dec 13, 2009 3:40 AM PST up reply actions
yeah it was painful
the guy played with no energy and effort on D for 3/4 of the game and on offense hampered the team.
yes the guy is great and all, but he should not be playing if hes going to hurt the team like he did yesterday
And...
The Celtics still keep their winning streak while ours breaks. I cant wait for January 31 when we go to Boston. Anyway..
Kobe is one tough son of a gun. I think Phil should bench him against the Bulls. You know, just to be safe. And if things go a little bit out of hand, then Kobe can come in.
But thats never gonna happen
LA Lakers title Defense *Coming Soon*
Niners Nation, UNITE!
LA Dodgers with the grandslam!
Winning since the 1940's
It's interesting
It’s interesting to me that I couldn’t look anywhere online or on ESPN or anywhere else without seeing some mention of the Laker’s win streak (since the streak was at about 7 or so) and yet had to look it up to see that Boston had a win streak almost as long going. Of course, the Lakers’ streak was one game longer as of today, but they played a whopping ONE road game in that streak, and it was in Golden State which is hardly far enough to count. Boston’s 10 game streak has had 7 on the road, yet no one ever mentioned it. Strange.
Anyway, I’d love it if Kobe kept playing and hurt his finger even worse as a result of his arrogance. His team is good enough to play without him if he isn’t 100%, and he disrespects his team by taking 24 shots when he’s clearly having a bad night. He could’ve played and just passed a lot, but instead he chose to be a ballhog and take 24 shots. I’d love to see his arrogance and lack of trust in his team bring him further harm.
Are we back to "arrogance" and "lack of trust"
The man was just Finals MVP, the Lakers lose one game, and all of a sudden, he’s bad bad Kobe.
People really need a villain, don’t they?
"This is not a game for boys. This is a game for men." - Phil Jackson
by Gils_Keloids on Dec 13, 2009 6:07 PM PST up reply actions
Nah man, don't you know the truth?
The Lakers won the title in spite of Kobe last year. If it weren’t for Kobe’s selfishness, the Lakers would have gone 73-9 last year, and undefeated throughout the playoffs.
Seriously man, you wouldn't believe how quick people are ready to jump all over the hate
I know it’s a reaction to what they perceive to be a Kobe love-fest, but even still it’s comical – it’s like all the hate is pressing on a dam, and as soon as there’s a tiny crack (like a Lakers loss) the hate comes rushing through, because it was waiting for any reason to come out!
"This is not a game for boys. This is a game for men." - Phil Jackson
by Gils_Keloids on Dec 13, 2009 6:16 PM PST up reply actions
Dude plays with a broken finger and the flu
And you are saying he’s disrespecting his team? Classic.
You clearly see only what you want to see, since I’ve seen plenty of coverage Boston’s recent run of success. Could be that you can’t see the word “Lakers” without seething inside, so it stands out a bit more. And for the record, the Lakers last four games have been
-The Shot against Miami
-Beating an elite team by 20
-Holding the Jazz to a 6 point quarter
-Kobe breaks his finger
The Lakers win streak wasn’t the story. How they were getting the wins was.
I want to introduce a new word to SSR "Drive-by Posts"
You have fans like Roxanna on SSR who post comments and run away only to never be seen again. I have seen her posts here before but I can guarantee that she will not stick around long enough to hear the opposition’s point of view.
Look at the difference in points or the margin in points that the Lakers have won by. The Lakers haven’t barely won games like the Celtics have against teams that are below 500. It’s one loss.
"These young guys are playing checkers. I'm out there playing chess" - Kobe
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Dec 13, 2009 6:59 PM PST up reply actions
Just looked up the box score
Because while I agree Kobe could have hurt the team, it is interesting that he was still a plus 6 in the plus minus column.
Artest, Bynum, and Farmar were -16,-18, and -14 respectively.
"This is not a game for boys. This is a game for men." - Phil Jackson
by Gils_Keloids on Dec 13, 2009 7:02 PM PST up reply actions
What gets overlooked is that the collectively, everybody just played horribly. Pau, despite what the box score says, didn’t have a good game. Besides Artest, everyone was out of sync, didn’t hustle, and lacked energy. Also, the players weren’t making the extra pass, instead the players would make one pass and the player who was on the receiving end of the pass would shoot.
Wow thats way off line Roxanna
Did you really watch the game from beginning to end? Cause Kobe shots attempts climbed late in the game when it was too late but he was trying to get something going for the Lakers, give dude some credit, he played when some people(cough…Lebr….and me) would have taken a seat on the bench and bail on his team, but he tried to help and he just didn’t have it and Lakers were going to Ron, Gasol and Bynum on the block for the most part off the game, they just could not hit any outside shots, just compare this game to the last time Lakers faced Utah at home and Utah got beat by 24 so give me a break, Kobe did what he could.
There are basic Fundamentals that are needed to move forward in this game. Always keep your guard up at all times to avoid being caught in a trap. Overcome the fouls that will be commited against you REBOUND AND PRESS ON. ADJUST to the LimeLight: ALL-STAR PLAYERS ARE ALWAYS THE CENTER OF ATTENTION. Know what your role is and play your position. Find a game plan and execute it. REMEMBER YOU ONLY GET OUT OF THE GAME WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT.
I said this earlier, but if it were up to me, Kobe would not have played.
But I suppose there’s a reason why Kobe’s being paid 21 million to play basketball and I’m not. So regardless of whether or not I want him to play, Lakers fans just have to support him better than his finger did.
And that picture reminds me of the face Dr. Cox makes when he’s frustrated.
And I can’t understand a word Hundley says. But he’s an old school Laker and a little before my time, so I’ll respect him for that.
I agree. Kobe should not have played. He looked extremely week after coming down
with a stomach illness. I think the illness was more responsible for that performance than the injured finger. If Kobe is still sick, Phil should sit him down. A sick Kobe who is not totally aware on the court could lead to other serious injuries like sprained ankles or knees.
Confidence level: 20 out of 10
I agree, the Lakers seemed surprised that shots don’t fall quite as easily on the road.
I am fine with Kobe sitting a few games at least. Another finger thing worries me. It would be interesting to see them play without Kobe a game or two.
And I hate to say it but we might have some more losses coming if we don’t get focused and play well. I am sure the Bulls will play with extra energy after that beat-down we gave them at Staples.
The Lakers "Too big, too strong, too long, too good."
Here's something to think about:
What was more important in Kobe’s suckiness? The finger or the sickness?
I’m not Kobe and I’m no doctor but I think it’s his sickness because I’ve seen him play with a screwed up finger before. If I’m right then I don’t see why Kobe shouldn’t play(don’t yell at me through your computer if you disagree). But if it is the finger then go ahead and sit him.
Shaquille O'Neal: "Tell him Shaq doesn’t respond to juvenile delinquents without a college degree. Tell him to get his degree, and we can talk. In the meantime, he should call me Dr. Shaq because I’m working on my PhD." (Referring to 17-year-old rookie Andrew Bynum, who compared himself to Shaq…except that he can make free throws.)
(courtesy of www.shaqquotes.com)
You forget that
His last injury was his pinky. This one is his index finger, which is wayyy more important to shoot than your pinky. I think the pinky was bothering him more.
by Julio Nievas on Dec 13, 2009 9:32 AM PST up reply actions
good point but ya never know
Shaquille O'Neal: "Tell him Shaq doesn’t respond to juvenile delinquents without a college degree. Tell him to get his degree, and we can talk. In the meantime, he should call me Dr. Shaq because I’m working on my PhD." (Referring to 17-year-old rookie Andrew Bynum, who compared himself to Shaq…except that he can make free throws.)
(courtesy of www.shaqquotes.com)
Kobe
Looked like he was running on fumes in the 4th quarter, followed by a number of bricks he shot. I agree that Kobe should have rested this one out, everyone knows he’s a warrior, but sometimes you just got to rest up
nobody
played well.Without Kobe this looks like a 34-38 win team.
I think he means between 34 and 38 wins.
Not a 34-38 record. I thought the same thing you did at first glance.
Billy Mac: "Lamar, can you see yourself actually getting in the (boxing) ring"?
Lamar Odom: "No. My face is too pretty."
The goal of the season
Is to be holding the trophy when it ends.
It’s hard to see the Lakers lose, because we’re fans, and we’ve been spoiled the last month or so with a lot of blow-out games. Unfortunately, bad games happen, and the Utah Jazz are not stiffs. Kobe probably should have stayed home, or sat the game. Try telling him that. How many times has Kobe played through sickness and injury to help the team? More times than he’s hindered the team that’s for sure.
Stuff to think about:
1. The Celtics are playing great basketball, and without the hype they’ll most likely take their winning streak several more games. So what? They’ve also played one of the weakest schedules. Let’s see how they do once they’re up against real competition.
2. The Lakers lost the “best” record. Again, who cares about this? I know they aren’t. As fans it’s these little “gems” that we clamp on to as ammo (not the skinny bench-warmer) for our blog/forum/SBnation wars with other fans.
3. Drew hasn’t been rebounding. He sure has been scoring. Remember, he’s a young guy and will need to develop this part of his game. He doesn’t seem to have that “rebounder mentality”. I know the Lakers staff will work with him on this, because if it’s obvious to us, it sure is obvious to the team.
4. I really, really like Artest.
5. I like what I am seeing from the bench. More determination, more guts, better play.
That’s all! It’s one loss ya’ll. We haven’t thrown any games to sub-.500 games. We’ve got four losses to good teams.
Actually that's Kobe 2nd worst games
He shot 5/20 against the Rockets and that was the last game that we lost to.
You don't have to live with him dude
No one is going to bench Kobe Bryant except for Kobe Bryant.
He has played sick many times and had good games. But, you’re right, he shouldn’t have played last night.
i think we can survive
if we sit kobe for wednesday. i know hes tough and all and he wants to help the team. But we cant have him playing like this again. its gonna hurt our team. we need to just let his finger heal up.
plus take into consideration the way chicago has been playing the past week or so we can certainly beat them.
Leave Chad Billingsley alone!!!
We play Chicago on Tuesday, Milwaekee Wednesday
He should sit out those 2 games and come back for next Saturaday’s game against New Jersey. That would give him a full week and his finger should be at least a little better. Even without him, theres no reason we shouldnt win those 2 games. Oh and Drew, MAN UP LITTLE BOY!!! GET SOME FRIGGIN REBOUNDS!!!
by desecrator09 on Dec 13, 2009 12:04 PM PST up reply actions
top 10 nba players in the nba today
1. kobe bryant
2. lebron james
3. dwyane wade
4. kevin durant
5. chris paul
6. pau gasol
7. dwight howard
8. carmelo anthony
9. steve nash
10.chris bosh
1. kobe bryant
2. lebron james
3. dwyane wade
4. dwight howard
5. chris paul
6. carmelo anthony
7. steve nash
8. KG
9. kevin durant
10.pau gasol
Leave Chad Billingsley alone!!!
Mr Diamond
cool name. Horrible list.
"These young guys are playing checkers. I'm out there playing chess" - Kobe
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Dec 13, 2009 8:24 PM PST up reply actions
1.Kobe
2. Wade (has actually led a team to a title)
3. Paul Pierce (led a team and won the title)
4. Howard ( has actually been to the finals and won one game)
5. Lebron (Has been to the finals and got swept)
6. Pau Gasol ( 2nd best player in the last decade)
7. Melo (Led a team to WCF)
8. Nash
9. KG (has ridden PP’s coat tail better than anyone else)
10. KD (Has a lot of promise)
"These young guys are playing checkers. I'm out there playing chess" - Kobe
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Dec 13, 2009 8:22 PM PST up reply actions
If you want to include accomplishments, then where is Duncan?
Otherwise Pierce makes no sense because Boston was awful for most of the decade. Gasol should also be decreased a ton because Memphis was consistently a doorstop in the playoffs. Too much inconsistency.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
sarcasm
go back and read my comments and you will notice that I was just being sarcastic….
"These young guys are playing checkers. I'm out there playing chess" - Kobe
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Dec 13, 2009 10:08 PM PST up reply actions
and jason kidd should be 3rd
he went to the finals twice.. and won more games then howard..
okay then so what is your list?
"These young guys are playing checkers. I'm out there playing chess" - Kobe
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Dec 13, 2009 10:08 PM PST up reply actions
kobe
lebron
wade
carmella anthony
chris paul
dwight howard
kevin durant
dirk nowitski
tim duncan
deron williams
by matthewmafa on Dec 13, 2009 10:51 PM PST up reply actions
oh shit
i forgot tim duncan
he should be number 8 or 9 on this list.
Leave Chad Billingsley alone!!!
maybe dirk as well.
heres my new list:
1. kobe bryant
2. lebron james
3. dwyane wade
4. dwight howard
5. chris paul
6. Dirk
7. carmelo anthony
8. KG
9. Tim Duncan
10. Steve Nash
Leave Chad Billingsley alone!!!
when matthewmafa
replied to me I thought the same thing…
"These young guys are playing checkers. I'm out there playing chess" - Kobe
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Dec 13, 2009 11:35 PM PST up reply actions
Durant is worse than every player on that list
Rest is a wash.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
Um, no, I'm realistic
Being overly positive doesn’t do anyone any good.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
open your eyes next time you watch a basketball gaming involving durant. the guy, while his game is nowhere near established, is already a phenomenal player.
Yes, on offense
He’s pretty poor on defense and doesn’t pass that well. It’s not a knock on him; you’re simply comparing him against the best in the league and while he’s arguably an All-Star this year, he’s not at that level yet.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
he does everything
i really cant think of something he cant do.. except really Shoot.. he doesnt shoot too well.. like jumpers.. like kg type jumpers..
WRONG
That honor goes to Phillip Rivers.
by desecrator09 on Dec 13, 2009 1:02 PM PST up reply actions
I'm a SD fan
And I can safely say that statement is bogus.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
I actually think its a good thing that Kobe played
We all know that Kobe will play through anything as long as he can stand. It’s part of what makes him the best player in the game. We know that Kobe played well through injury before. I believe that this is a result of games like last night. He seems to learn from those games and know how to respond when they present themselves again. Yes, we might lose some games but we dont have to worry about Kobe making his injuries worst. Hes too smart for that. We already know, this team will be in the playoffs so a few loss in meaningless. However, thanks to game like last night, we won’t to worry about those injuries/sickness should they come in the playoffs. By then Kobe would have learned to play with them. And Id rather him figure them out now then later. Sure he could rest, but then he wouldn’t be Kobe.
One loss
not even stressing it. Not even stressing Kobe playing bad. He’s due to have a bad game every once and a while. Especially when hes sick, has a broken finger, and is on the second night of a back to back. It’s only December people.
Lakers will continue their winning ways. Next loss will be on the other side of Christmas.
Lamar = Laker for Life...Go Pads...Go Bolts
by mrbarneydangles on Dec 13, 2009 4:43 PM PST reply actions
Not worried
It’s one game on a back-to-back against a tough home team. Our schedule up to the Cleveland game (CHI, MIL, NJ, DET, OKC) is fairly easy, so Kobe won’t be overly taxed in the interim. Kobe will adjust to the new circumstances, and we’ll forget about this game as the season goes on.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
Trust the 10 Rings and the Black Mamba
Phil obviously knows something you dont. Phil always use these type of situations to teach his players. As long as the professional trainers dont see any potential long term danger to players’ health then it is almost always up to the players to decide; and we all know about Kobe’s passion. He is always looking for challenges, pushing up the ante. It’s all a game for him, in sickness and in health…and Phil will not deny Kobe the challenge that the situation brings.
I can buy into this one
We just got opinions, that’s all, but Philly-O knows what he’s doing.
"This is not a game for boys. This is a game for men." - Phil Jackson
by Gils_Keloids on Dec 14, 2009 9:29 AM PST up reply actions
i agree DEX
Kobe should sit and now for the better PLEASE
There are basic Fundamentals that are needed to move forward in this game. Always keep your guard up at all times to avoid being caught in a trap. Overcome the fouls that will be commited against you REBOUND AND PRESS ON. ADJUST to the LimeLight: ALL-STAR PLAYERS ARE ALWAYS THE CENTER OF ATTENTION. Know what your role is and play your position. Find a game plan and execute it. REMEMBER YOU ONLY GET OUT OF THE GAME WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT.
lol why arent their any comments about the picture?
That lady wants to go all tiger woods on kobe.
In Kobe we trust!
I said the exact same thing during the game thread
Talk about Eye-Screwing…
"These young guys are playing checkers. I'm out there playing chess" - Kobe
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Dec 14, 2009 8:52 AM PST up reply actions
Thank you!
I was proud of that screencap.
by DexterFishmore on Dec 14, 2009 12:38 PM PST up reply actions
haha
yeah
but this isnt the first time
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NExxOKfGjQU
Leave Chad Billingsley alone!!!
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