Daily Tidbits 6/8/09 (updated all day)

POSTED 11:48 PM This angle shows the difficulty of Lee's last second shot in regulation (LA Times)

POSTED 10:51 PM NBA.com: Kobe's hoops legacy secure with or without another ring

This is a public service announcement for Kobe Bryant. He is two wins away from his FOURTH ring, not two wins away from his FIRST ring. The rhetoric -- for the five years since Shaq bounced from Hollywood to Hollywood South -- has been revisionist, ignorant and misguided. "Kobe's never won a ring without Shaq." That's what they've said. What they've meant is, "Kobe only won those rings because of Shaq. Those were coattail rings. His rings were Scottie Pippen rings, James Worthy rings." Excuse the juvenile retort, but -- shut up!

POSTED 10:24 PM Jalen Rose's viewpoint: Mickael Pietrus needs to step up defensively - Los Angeles Times

Hedo Turkoglu played great defense against Kobe Bryant in Game 2, but I think it's asking too much of one player to expect him to keep doing that. He's supposed to be hitting threes, be a second scoring option to Dwight Howard, and then stop Kobe? That's too much, and I have a lot of respect for Turkoglu.

POSTED 6:45 PM Steve Nash to report on NBA finals for Letterman - NBA - Yahoo! Sports

... Should be funny, Steve Nash is a funny guy. But he shouldn't have been MVP. Twice.

POSTED 4:28 PM The Null Hypodermic: Superstars and the PER

... Brian Tung breaks down the design of John Hollinger's PER model

... most people associate statistics with objectivity, and people with subjectivity, with the end result that (a) fans of the player that ends up with the highest PER lord over fans of the other stars, and (b) those fans of the other stars start hurling invectives and accusations of bias at the PER designer (usually Hollinger)

POSTED 4:23 PM Scoop Jackson: Kobe Bryant thrives on all our hate - ESPN

... Scoop gets the scoop from "Hate"

POSTED 2:11 PM Remember Dancing Barry? | lakers, barry, dancing, richards, game - Sports - OCRegister.com

... I think "Dancing Barry" overestimates his effect on the team just a little bit, in this feature about the one-time Lakers entertainer.

POSTED 2:02 PM Sports Radio Interviews " Blog Archive " Devin Harris Knows What Can Happen To LA

... Devin Harris' thought on the NBA Finals

POSTED 1:59 PM

...(Hat tip BDL)

POSTED 1:59 PM FAN INTERACTION BEFORE GAME 2 " The Official Dwight Howard Blog

...(Hat tip to BDL) Dwight with Lakers fans

POSTED 11:53 AM Rick Reilly's Go Fish - ESPN The Magazine

Emailed Kobe Bryant to get his post-mortem on the Kobe-LeBron puppet ads, since nobody seems to have asked him.

Q: How do your girls (ages 6 and 3) like the puppets?
Bryant: They think they r hilarious!
Q: You think your puppet looks like you?
Bryant: No, more like The Count from Sesame Street.
Q: Do you get to keep the puppet when the season is over?
Bryant: No.

POSTED 11:50 AM Ireland Blog: More Than A Missed Lay-Up - cbs2.com

... John Ireland feeling confident about the Lakers

POSTED 11:39 AM For Magic’s Turkoglu, the Highs Can Be Fleeting - NYTimes.com

... The Turkish MJ

POSTED 11:38 AM Lessons to take away from Game 2 - FOX Sports on MSN

... Uncle Charley on the lessons both teams should take away from Game 2, and what to study for Game 3

POSTED 10:57 AM L.A. HELD HOMECOURT; LET’S DO THE SAME " The Official Dwight Howard Blog

Their defensive plan against me in the post has been really good. Phil Jackson is a smart, smart coach. I’m not saying the coach from Cleveland isn’t, but the way they’re using their bigs on the defensive end has been a little tricky for me. But it’s something that I’m learning from. Their bigs are doing a great job of forcing me to other the bigs. It seems like I beat one guy and there’s another one waiting on me or the guards are always there digging down and trying to strip the ball.

POSTED 10:55 AM Kobe Bryant proves he's championship caliber once again in Game 2 Magic defeat -- OrlandoSentinel.com

... Orlando Columnist gushes over Kobe's work ethic

POSTED 10:37 AM Hat tip to Forum Blue and Gold, from LA Times blog

POSTED 10:26 AM NBA.com: To climb from big Finals hole, Magic need history lesson

"We have to go home and have a great Game 3," Van Gundy said. "I've seen series turn. I was still in Miami, not doing a damn thing, but I was in Miami when they lost both games to Dallas and [the Heat] way down in the third quarter in Game 3 at home, came back and won that one.

"Dallas never won another game."

POSTED 10:23 AM Despite Slow Start, We're Halfway Home in NBA Player Blogs in Fan Voice

... Luke Walton's Blog:

Credit Orlando for a great inbounds play at the end of regulation with 0.6 seconds remaining and the score tied, 88-88. Hedo Turkoglu threw a perfect pass to Courtney Lee, who made a nice cut to the basket. We all sort of held our breath when he caught the ball and then watched as he shot it a little too hard off the backboard. Whew.

POSTED 9:39 AM NBA.com - Officiating

... 2008-09 NBA Rule Book

RULE NO. 11—BASKET INTERFERENCE—GOALTENDING
Section I—A Player Shall Not:

h. Vibrate the rim, net or backboard so as to cause the ball to make an unnatural bounce,
or bend or move the rim to an off-center position when the ball is touching the ring or passing
through.

POSTED 9:31 AM SLAM ONLINE | " SLAM #37

... Photo of a young Lamar Odom

POSTED 9:17 AM Chuck Swirsky Blog - Foreign matter - ESPN Chicago

... Rumors: Ben Gordon to Greece? Gortat to the Knicks?