They also no longer have the services of Dwight Howard, their best remaining player, after he was ejected in the middle of the 3rd quarter following his second technical of the night.

It was an ending reminiscent of 2011, when Andrew Bynum was ejected late on in Game 4 of their first round series against the Dallas Mavericks.

With Howard set to be a free agent, it is fair to wonder whether that will be the last we see of him as a Laker.

(Thanks to @SBNationNBA for the .gif)

This is what he’s had to say so far.

I like how Nash is moving so far. Both teams a lil out of rhythm to start

— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 21, 2013

Gotta get to the block. See wat spurs r gonna do with pau and d12

— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 21, 2013

Gotta keep the spurs offense in front of our d. They r great at penetrating and pitching to their shooters

— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 21, 2013

#redmamba haha I luv that

— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 21, 2013

What I would say if I was there right now? “Pau get ur ass on the block and don’t move till u get it” #realtalk

— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 21, 2013

Post. Post. Post.

— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 21, 2013

This game has a “steal one” written all over it for us

— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 21, 2013

Gotta milk pau in the post right now and d12. Will get good looks from it

— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 21, 2013

Matador Defense on Parker. His penetration is hurting us

— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 21, 2013

Nothing worse then watching your bothers struggle and u can’t do crap about it #realtalk

— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 21, 2013

@philjackson11 I gotta do something. It’s horrible not being able to at least be there with them.

— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 21, 2013

Apr 14, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan (21) blocks a shot by Los Angeles Lakers guard Jodie Meeks (20) at the Staples Center. The Lakers defeated the Spurs 91-86. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

I arose from slumber on Thursday to see the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets. That means, we get to see the Lakers elevate to the seventh seed in the West to face the San Antonio Spurs. First, I’m mildly disappointed in Houston for allowing that to happen, mainly because Houston could’ve created an interesting series with San Antonio. No matter. The Los Angeles Lakers also provide some intrigue to San Antonio, but can they truly beat them after a roller-coaster of a season? Let’s look at both teams to see if the Lakers can upset the Spurs, or if San Antonio has this series in hand.

San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs are the machine. For the past 15 years, San Antonio have dominated the Western Conference with Tim Duncan and other players around him. Eventually, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker settled in and created the team we see today. The Spurs rank 7th overall in offensive efficiency and 3rd in defensive efficiency. They aren’t the same Spurs, but they seem like it. Around the big trio, guys like Danny Green, Tiago Splitter, Gary Neal, and Boris Diaw just fill in the holes to keep the team afloat. Over the past two months, the Spurs seem to have taken a step back (mainly because of Ginobili out), but as the playoffs loom, look for the Spurs to be the same dangerous team.

Can San Antonio get Ginobili back? Out with an hamstring injury, the Spurs simply cannot expect to advance past round two with him. With him, I think San Antonio could make the Western Conference Finals, but without him? I think San Antonio is ripe for the picking against a Los Angeles Clippers team. Sadly, Ginobili has been battling injury for most of the season. Could the duo of Leonard and Green hold the fort down until Ginobili returns? Sure. However, if San Antonio can’t rely on Ginobili for twenty-five minutes a game after this round, the Spurs could be in trouble.

Player To Watch: Kawhi Leonard

The connection between the aging Duncan and Ginobili is Leonard, who in his second season, taken a huge step forward for the Spurs. He’s not the elite defender many make him out to be, but he’s one of the underrated offensive players in the league. For San Antonio, he’ll be placed on James Harden and will see some defensive action against Chandler Parsons. Where Leonard should fear Houston is his ability to shoot from the corners. If Leonard could continue his scoring totals, while providing moderate defense against Harden on the perimeter, the Spurs could have this series in a cakewalk.

Los Angeles Lakers

The most tantalizing team this season. From acquiring Dwight Howard and Steve Nash in the offseason, to a sluggish start, the Los Angeles Lakers provided the most storylines this season; and it isn’t even close. Now, after Kobe Bryant went out for a season-ending injury, the Lakers finally got into the playoffs off the backs of Dwight Howard and “Trade him, don’t trade him” Pau Gasol. Even with the large disappointment of the season, the Lakers fan base and organization seems to feel like this is a fresh start, and against a familiar foe like San Antonio, the Lakers look to upset San Antonio, and get to the second round.

The role players have to step up with Bryant out for the season. The candidates? Steve Blake, Jodie Meeks, and Earl Clark. Blake gives Los Angeles a huge boost on the offensive end with his three-point shooting, Meeks doubles that three-point shooting dose, while adding a bit of slashing, and Clark is the dimensional player who can score, rebound, and move the ball around the perimeter. Clark is interesting because he can give Los Angeles another fluid athlete who can get baskets in the interior at the small forward position.

Player To Watch: Steve Nash

He’s never been 100% all season, and yet, I expect him to be back for at least game two of this series. The Lakers need someone who can run this offense, and Nash is perfect. With constant double teams against Dwight and Pau, I can envision the Nash getting a ton of open looks from three, and that could change the entire look of the series. Nash only played 50 games this season, only played two minutes in the last nine games, and yet, Nash could be one of the biggest X-factors of any series.

Prediction: Spurs in 6: I think the Lakers will fight in this series, and I wouldn’t be shocked if they pushed San Antonio to seve games, but I’m going Spurs for many reasons. The first is the lack of defense in Los Angeles. The Lakers finished 16th in the league in defensive efficiency, while San Antonio finished 7th in offensive efficiency. The second reason is Tony Parker. Los Angeles struggles to defend point guards, and Parker has played like one of the top 10 players in the league. Not only Parker can tear up the Laker defense, but Patty Mills, and maybe….maybe Gary Neal. I think Howard won’t go out without winning a game for the Lakers, but in the end, I think San Antonio will win at the end of the day. 

Apr 12, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) dribbles against the Golden State Warriors during the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Kobe Bryant finished with 34 points Friday night as the Los Angeles Lakers squeaked past the Golden State Warriors 118-116.

Unfortunately, late in the 4th quarter, Bryant suffered what looks like a torn achilles tendon according to multiple sources.

The Lakers believe Kobe Bryant tore his Achilles. He will have an MRI tomorrow to confirm.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) April 13, 2013

If this is true, it is a crushing blow to whatever remaining hope the Lakers had of making a playoff run, if they even get to the post-season.

Kobe has played at an extremely high level this season, especially in the last few days, averaging over 30 points in the last 5 games. As he’s tried to drag the Lakers into the playoffs, he has also carried a very heavy workload, playing nearly 45 minutes a night over the same stretch.

It’s a tough end to the season for one of the game’s all time greats.

Bryant on next steps: “MRI, surgery and then recovery.”

— Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) April 13, 2013

Bryant: “I’m just tired, man…. This is a long mountain to overcome.”

— Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) April 13, 2013

Apr 3, 2013; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz shooting guard Gordon Hayward (20) controls the ball during the second half against the Denver Nuggets at EnergySolutions Arena. The Nuggets won 113-96. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

With just 12 days left in the NBA regular season, nearly all of the playoff spots are locked up. Only the 8th seed in the West is left up for grabs. And with only a few games left, it has come down to a three-team race between the Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks.

Today, in Saving The Skyhook’s first roundtable discussion, our writers take a look at the race and give you their pick for who will wind up with that 8th and final spot.

Quentin Haynes (@Haynesenburg) – Give me Utah. Not only are they currently holding on to the 8th overall spot, but their remaining schedule has those two Minnesota games, and that’s where I think Utah will sneak in. Los Angeles has a tough set of remaining games, and so does Dallas. Utah has a brutal one, but Golden State, Minnesota (twice), and New Orleans seem like winnable games. If Utah can snag the Denver or Oklahoma City game, I think they get in. (Editor’s note – Submitted on Wednesday)

Taylor Armosino (@tarmosino) - The Jazz are the team that makes the most sense here due to their manageable schedule moving forward, including a crucial home and home with the mighty Timberwolves, and the fact that they hold the tiebreaker with the Lakers. Having said that, I can’t trust Tyrone Corbin to press the right buttons down the stretch, and so I’m going with the Lakers. They play 5 of their last 7 games at home, really 6 of 7 because one of those ‘road games’ is against the Clippers, where they’re 26-11 on the season. Tuesday night’s huge win over Dallas was possibly the best the team has looked all season and one would have to think they’re going to play with that same sense of urgency from here on out. Despite all their flaws, Bryant and Howard have played well as of late and they now have Pau Gasol back in the fold. Los Angeles has the talent to go on a small run here to end the season and I think they’ll probably go 5-2 in these last 7. Although the cards are stacked against them, given that they must finish with one more win than Utah, the Lakers are a much more talented than the Jazz and I think they pull out that 8th seed.

Mar 27, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Los Angeles Lakers power forward Pau Gasol (16) congratulates center Dwight Howard (12) following a basket against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the fourth quarter at Target Center. Lakers won 120-117. Mandatory Credit: Greg Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Sonny Giuliano (@SonnyCG) - Lakers. It absolutely has to be the Lakers. You would probably guess that this is either a chalk pick (Los Angeles has the slightest leg up in the standings on the date of publication), an talent-will-win-out pick, or a “Please let’s not watch Utah get manhandled by San Antonio in the 1st Round again” pick. I’m going against the grain, and I’m going to say this is a fate pick. I believe in the idea of Sports Gods, and Basketball Gods in particular. If there is such a thing, they will give us a Spurs/Lakers 1st round series. I want Kobe and Duncan, both in the middle of resurgent seasons of sorts, to battle one more time in the playoffs while father time, salary cap rules, and David Stern will allow it. It’s too perfect not to happen.

Reece Hooker (@ReeceJHooker) - Lakers – Following their convincing effort against the Mavericks, I’d be a fool to bet against the Lakers. They have all but one game at Staples for the rest of the season (including one ‘away’ game against the Clippers). Their one away game is one I predict them dropping, against the Blazers on the second half of a back-to-back at the Rose Garden, a venue where the Lakers are 6-23 since 1996 during regular season games. They face tough opposition in their final home run – the Grizzlies, Clippers, Warriors, Spurs and Rockets, but it all seems to be coming together for L.A. and I can’t see Kobe Bryant nor Steve Nash letting their team miss post-season action this year, not with so little time left in their careers.

Jack Maloney  (@jmaloney9) – With the Mavericks currently 3 games back of the Lakers, and only a few games remaining, the race will come down to the Jazz and the Lakers. The Lakers are holding on to the 8th seed by a 1/2 game over the Jazz at the moment, and have played one less game. And despite having the toughest schedule in this final stretch, the Lakers are my pick to get the final playoff spot. They looked fantastic in their crucial win over Dallas on Tuesday, Dwight Howard is starting to look like his old self recently, averaging 20 points and 15 rebounds in the last 5 games, and Kobe Bryant is still playing at an extremely high level. While they certainly haven’t looked like the dominant team myself and others expected them to be this season, I’ve always believed they would do enough to get to the playoffs, and I’m sticking with that belief.

Mike Hallihan (@MikeHallihan) -

I’m going with a simplistic and scientific method to predict who takes the 8th seed in the Western Conference. The almighty power of the simulation.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS (39-36)

(Remaining games = 7 | 5 Home, 2 Away)

Vs. Grizzlies – WIN – Tough home win

@ Clippers – LOSS – Toss up

Vs. Hornets – WIN – Easy

@ Blazers – WIN – Blazers have too many injuries and are out of the picture

Vs. Warriors – WIN – Lakers owe the Warriors

Vs. Spurs – LOSS (Pop will probably “rest” some guys)

Vs. Rockets – WIN – Last game, Kobe finishes with a bang

Finishing Record: 44-38

The Lakers have got this. They aren’t going down without a fight and these last seven games, with the Jazz so close behind them, they’ll be desperate. They do have a collection of tough teams to play, but four of those games are at home and by the time the final three roll around, those teams might have little to play for, having clinched a spot (especially the Spurs, and we ALL know about Popovich’s “resting” strategies). I think even if the Lakers can go 4-3 (worst case scenario), they’ll hang on to the spot. With 5 at home (technically 6 with the Clippers), they should finish 5-2.

UTAH JAZZ (39-37)

(Remaining games = 6 | 3 Home, 3 Away)

Vs. Hornets – WIN – Pfft, easy

@ Warriors – LOSS – Overmatched in Oakland

Vs. Thunder – LOSS – Thunder on a mission to clinch top seed

Vs. Timberwolves – WIN – Home win

@ Timberwolves – LOSS – Timberwolves playing very well recently

@ Grizzlies – LOSS – Grizz as tough at home as Jazz are

Finishing Record: 41-41

The Jazz are already at a disadvantage with one more game played and one back in the loss column. They play so well at home, but only have three of their remaining six at Energy Solutions Arena. Having the Timberwolves back-to-back may look easy on paper, but this team has been playing very well of late and if Kevin Love comes back to get a few games in, they become really tough games. The Warriors and Thunder may or may not have anything to play for with seeding slots, but either way, they’re tough games. Even if the Jazz were to finish 4-2 in these six, that still puts them a game behind in my opinion. I think they end up going 2-4 down the stretch.

DALLAS MAVERICKS (36-39)

(Remaining games = 7 | 4 Home, 3 Away)

@ Kings – WIN – High scoring, close game, but a W

@ Blazers – LOSS – They have to lose at least one of these seven

Vs. Suns – WIN – Phoenix, bleh

Vs. Nuggets – LOSS – Nuggets fighting for playoff positioning, something to play for

@ Hornets – WIN – Tough game, but get the win

Vs. Grizzlies – WIN – Desperation

Vs. Hornets – WIN – 2nd win over Hornets in 3 games, strong finish to the season at home

Finishing Record: 41-41

The Mavs are already way behind the other two teams. Realistically, they’d have to rip off all seven wins to even finish with a 43-39 record, which still might not get the job done. The 1-point, last-second loss to the Nuggets REALLY killed them. They certainly do have some weaker teams remaining with the Kings, Hornets (twice), Suns and banged up Blazers. If I’m being generous and putting them at 5-2 down the stretch, that still leaves them short. The reality is that they’ve dug too deep a whole in the past week to dig out. Oh well, there’s always free agency coming up, right Cuban?

Apr 2, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; From left to right, Los Angeles Lakers former members Jerry West, and James Worthy, and Elgin Baylor, and Phil Jackson and Jamal WIlkes join Shaquille O

During tonight’s crucial Western Conference clash between the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks, the Lakers organization retired the #34 jersey worn by Shaquille O’Neal during his historic tenure with the purple and gold. It was a touching moment for both O’Neal and his fans, and seems to represent the final step in bridging the rift between the Lakers and Diesel which was at one stage so large that they dealt him to the Heat to defuse the tensions.

The ceremony opened with a video montage combining the tender off-court mannerisms of the giant prankster with the crushing dunks and game-changing blocks that made him a basketball immortal. The jumbo-tron then showed a pre-recorded message from Kobe Bryant, one-time antagonist and former teammate of Shaq’s; now paying tribute to the big man who he won three titles with earlier in his career. Surely for Shaq there would be no one sweeter to hear such praising words from than the man who once usurped him as top dog in Lakerland.

Shaq’s only coach during the Lakers era, Phil Jackson, was present to make a brief speech about their times together. In his typical quirky, philosophical manner, Jackson reflected on the time spent with the 2000 NBA MVP. Following Jackson’s speech, Jeanie Buss introduced the unveiling as a representative of her family, more specifically her late father, who had a close relationship with O’Neal during his time in L.A. As the jersey hung and Shaq took the mic, the fans started chanting ‘We want Phil’, referring to the controversial decision to choose Mike D’Antoni as Lakers coach earlier in the season over the much loved Phil Jackson. Reggie Miller later reported during the third quarter on TNT’s broadcast that Kobe Bryant brought the team’s attention back to second half strategy to deflect attention from Mike D’Antoni in the undoubtedly embarrassing and awkward situation.

Finally, the big man gave some words. Opening with a thunderous call of ‘Can you dig it?!’ , it was clear the entertainer in Shaq had clearly outlasted the now retired basketballer in him. During the speech, the fifteen-time All-Star thanked the fans, his coaches (specifically Jackson), his family and in a classy move, singled out the contributions of the Buss family and paid tribute to the late owner Dr. Jerry Buss.

With all wounds healed and a giant #34 adorning the wall of Staples Center next to Magic Johnson’s famous #32, the Los Angeles Lakers can happily write the last page of the most recently completed chapter in their large book of historic franchise Centers. Despite the bitter trade in 2004 souring the bond between the Lakers/Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, growth and maturity from both parties have helped repair the relationships. Thankfully, the legendary contributions made by one of the game’s greatest have finally been able to be formally acknowledged and O’Neal’s jersey is hanging where it belongs alongside his fellow Laker champions.

Check out a video of the ceremony below.

Mar 28, 2013; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) backs down on Milwaukee Bucks forward Marquis Daniels (6) during the third quarter at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

It has been an injury plagued, disaster of a season for the Los Angeles Lakers. Yet somehow, they have found themselves right in the middle the playoff race. Despite last night’s loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, the Lakers are still in possession of the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.

Unfortunately for the Lakers’ however, losing to the Bucks wasn’t the only bad news of the night. According to numerous reports, their fearless leader Kobe Bryant suffered an injury to his foot, and had to leave the arena on crutches.

Kobe Bryant has a bone spur in his left foot. He’ll be examined by a doctor in Sacramento on Friday

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 29, 2013

Kobe Bryant leaving Bradley Center with use of a crutch for bone spur in foot. “Inflamed on me,” he told Y! “I’ll be all right.”

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) March 29, 2013

More should be known about the injury after he sees a doctor today. However painful his foot may be, as long as he can walk, Kobe will most likely try to give it a go in the Lakers’ next game tomorrow night in Sacramento. He might play poorly, as he did in his ill advised return from an ankle sprain a few weeks ago, but play he will.

Feb 24, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) shoots in the fourth quarter against Dallas Mavericks forward Elton brand (42) at the American Airlines Center. The Lakers beat the Mavs 103-99. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Throughout the history of the National Basketball Association, very few players have earned the luxury of being recognized simply by their first name. You have guys like Michael, Larry, Magic, and Kareem. If those names are brought up during a basketball themed conversation, one is expected to know exactly who is being referred to. I purposefully left the fifth name out due to the fact that he is still an active NBA player. If you’re sitting there asking yourself, “Who is he talking about?,” then you need to reassess yourself as a basketball fan. The fifth name belongs to surefire Hall of Famer and 5-time NBA champion, Kobe Bryant.

Kobe has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Whether it was kids at school yelling, “Kobe,” as they shot a ball of paper into the trash can or Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers beating my Boston Celtics in the 2010 NBA Finals, (we got him in 2008 though, just a reminder…). I can also admit that I even incorporated Kobe’s grip on the basketball when he shoots the ball into my own shot. Bottom line is, even though he plays for my Celtics’ biggest rival, I have the utmost respect for him and I’m not so naive to believe he isn’t one of the greatest to ever do it.

Yesterday, February 24th, Kobe became just the fifth player in NBA history to surpass the 31,000 point mark for their career. He’s done so over a 16 and a half year career where he has posted averages of 25.5 PPG on 45% from the field, 34% from beyond the arc, and 84% from the charity stripe. A career that has seen him fail to hit the 1,000 point mark in a single season just twice. In Kobe’s defense, one of those two seasons was his rookie year and the other he fell short by just 4 points. No worries though, he has made up for those two sub-1,000 point seasons by surpassing the 2,000 point mark 7 times throughout his years in the Association.

At the ripe age of 34, nobody really knows for sure when Kobe will step away from the game. He has one year remaining on his current contract that sees him through to the end of next season. A large amount of fans believe that it’s more than likely he will announce his retirement when the 2013-14 campaign comes to a close. However, despite that being a sensible time to hang it up, Kobe will only be 35 at that point. I understand that he has virtually played the last 5-plus at less than 100% when it comes to his health but that hasn’t stopped him from remaining at the top of the NBA ladder. Another factor to consider is whether or not the Lakers would be willing to resign him, even if it were just for a year or so. Although I personally believe that it’s ridiculous to even think about the possibility of the Lakers’ brass turning Kobe away, there are people out there that believe it could happen. If the Lakers chose not to resign him, then that would probably be the final straw because I can’t even imagine Bryant putting on a different uniform. This tweet is focused on the loss of Dr. Jerry Buss, but also pay attention to his first statement, “It’s an honor to put the Golden Armor on everyday.”

Its an honor to put on the Golden Armor every day. Laker fan or not, respect all that Dr B’s vision has done for sports #immortal

— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) February 22, 2013

That being said, I don’t think that even Kobe could imagine taking the floor in any color other than purple and gold. Finally, I remember Kobe saying, “I will keep playing in the NBA as long as I continue to dominate.” This speaks to his competitive nature and the want and desire to perform at a very high level. On Ahmad Rashad’s one on one interview with Michael Jordan, Michael was quoted as saying, “He’s [Kobe] cursed just like me.” The curse obviously being the love and passion that both have for the game of basketball. Oh yeah, and Kobe? I have news for you man, you are dominating right now and I see no signs of you slowing down just yet.

Retirement concerns aside, I’ve been pondering something that warrants the same amount of thought. Can Kobe Bryant overthrow the throne that is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s All-Time Scoring record? I’ve decided to look into it and figure out what it would take for Kobe to achieve such an immaculate accomplishment. As of February 25th, the All-Time Scoring list looks like this:

November 16, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Former pro basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar attends a ceremony unveiling the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar statue at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 38,387
2. Karl Malone: 36,928
3. Michael Jordan: 32,292
4. Wilt Chamberlain: 31,419
5. Kobe Bryant: 31,027

There is no doubt in my mind that Kobe will pass Chamberlain by the end of this season and, barring any injuries, will pass Jordan for third all-time before his contract is up at next season’s end. Those are the near guarantees, but what about going after Malone and Abdul-Jabbar? If Bryant were to try to break the record, he would have to continue to play obviously. What if the Lakers weren’t willing to resign him? Would he play for another franchise to try to get the record? Who knows?

Let’s assume that Kobe resigned with a team, whether it be the Lakers of another franchise, what would it take for Bryant to become the All-time leading scorer? Currently, Kobe is trailing KAJ by 7,360 points. After crunching a few numbers, the most realistic way for Kobe to go after the record would be to do it over the next four seasons. That would break down those 7,360 points into 1,840 points per season. Assuming Kobe were to play 75 games each year, he would have to average 24.5 PPG for the next four seasons if he wants to break the record. That would make him 39 years old when it was all said and done. Now that seems like a bit much but it’s completely doable for a player of Kobe Bryant’s caliber. As I said before, Kobe is showing no signs of slowing down and I can imagine he would average more than 24 PPG over the next couple of seasons. If that’s the case, then he would have a lighter work load going into his last one or two years. As age hits him it will effect his ability to get to the rim and finish at the basket. However, there are three things that Kobe will never lose: his footwork, his jump shot, and his motivation to be the best.

These numbers aren’t set in stone, it is just a plan of attack to get to the top of the list. I have all the faith in the world that Kobe will score more than 2,000 points next year. I also believe that he has the ability to play more than 75 games in the next couple of seasons. In essence, he might not need four more years, it could take him three. There is no way to be certain but I sincerely believe that Kobe Bryant has a legitimate shot at passing KAJ. As of right now, there are only two active players in the NBA that have good chances at topping the list. Kobe Bryant is the first and the second is Kevin Durant.

Kobe Bean Bryant has had the type of career little kids dream about as they grow up. He is nothing short of amazing to watch and if you’re a student of the game, you have to watch Kobe play. I hold him very highly and I know that he will go down as one of the greatest players to ever step foot on an NBA court. This may or may not come to a shock to my readers, but I also truly believe that he is the closest thing to Michael Jordan that we will ever see. Enough of this Lebron/MJ comparison because that’s not even close. Michael has him by a long shot and they’re two different kinds of players. You want someone to compare LBJ to? Ok, Magic Johnson is your guy. When we’re talking about the greatest of all time, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant is the only player who should be compared to him.

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“Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” – Dylan Thomas, ‘Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night’

The passing of Lakers owner Jerry Buss today is a tragedy not just for the world of sports, but the world as a whole. His impact on the Lakers organization, and the way we view basketball today, is beyond words. With his passing, we’ve lost one of the greatest owners in the history of pro sports.

It’s only fitting to begin this post with a quote from one of the most famous pieces of contemporary poetry. Dr. Jerry Buss was all about shining the spotlight on his employees and growing his team’s brand to universal heights. He was an owner who was known by all, and I believe I needed to start this post with a poem as iconic as the man himself.

Nov. 7 , 2011; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Jerry Buss (right) and guest before the start of the press conference held by the Magic Johnson foundation at the Staples Center. 20 years to the date Irvin “Magic” Johnson announced his HIV status and retirement from the NBA. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

It’s difficult to write heartfelt words about a man you’ve never been in the same country as, let alone one you’ve never met. It feels almost wrong, because you’re so far detached from the true mourning that is occurring as we speak. One can only extend their most heartfelt condolences to the Buss family and their inner circle.

We all have reasons to be thankful for Dr. Buss and his impact on the NBA. He was the owner that oversaw the birth of “Showtime At the Forum”, coupling one of the most exciting squads of all-time with an equally memorable atmosphere. He embraced the showmanship of Magic Johnson and his championship teams, whipping The Forum into a frenzy of excitement and glorious passion. He oversaw the growth of the Lakers into a worthy contender to the Boston Celtics. And over the course of his career, watched the team shift from Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the dynasty of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, collecting 10 championships under his watchful ownership.

I have a personal obligation to be thankful to Dr. Buss and the work he did in growing the Lakers into a global brand. Living in Australia, the NBA is sparingly advertised and only found if one seeks it out. The Lakers were the first team to pique my interest, partly due to their large profile in all parts of the world, including Australia. It’s perfectly possible that had Jerry Buss never decided to buy into the Lakers and proceed to grow their brand, I may not have been so exposed to them and in turn, the NBA – which is a terrifying thought for somebody whose life is about the NBA.

Buss’ passing puts things into perspective for a Lakers franchise suffering through one of the most intolerable seasons in recent team history. It’s a tragic, subtle reminder that whatever happens on the hardwood, things are hardly bad. There will not be a single sadder day for the Lakers this season – regardless of whether or not they miss the playoffs, who goes down injured, or where Dwight Howard signs this summer. At the end of the day, basketball is just a game. Granted, it’s a game we’re all very passionate about, and an integral part of our lifestyle. But there’s a real world out there with life, love, loss and death which sometimes can escape us when we’re looking at the league with NBA-centric tunnel vision.

The past few days have brought up the 50^th birthday of the immortal Michael Jordan, and now the passing of a man who lived his entire 80 year life like he was a 25 year old. It’s a sobering reminder that no matter how many years Kyrie Irving has ahead of him, or how exciting the future is for the New Orleans Hornets, nothing in the league, nor the world, lasts forever. Jerry Buss lived his life in many ways: flamboyantly, with determination, with intellect and a lot of success. It’s difficult for a lot of us to simply embrace those maxims, but there is one that we can learn from not just in regards to this sport, but in this life – enjoy what you have, and live in the moment.

Feb 12, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (12) is congratulated by guard Steve Blake (5) in the second quarter against the Phoenix Suns at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports

Rajon Rondo For Dwight Howard?

Both Rondo and Howard have been mentioned in trade rumors on numerous occasions this season. In the last few weeks however, Rondo tore his ACL and Howard was supposedly told he wouldn’t be traded.

According to CBS Sports’ Ken Berger, however, the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers engaged in preliminary talks involving the two stars.

“CBSSports.com has learned that the Lakers have engaged in preliminary trade discussions with an unlikely trade partner regarding Howard: their fierce rival, the Boston Celtics. The centerpieces of the possible deal, which hasn’t gained any traction, would be Howard and Rajon Rondo.”

Lakers’ GM Mitch Kupchak almost immediately denied the reports, saying,

“I haven’t talked to Danny Ainge in weeks.”

While the deal is unlikely, as Berger mentions, it is still surprising that the teams would discus such a swap. While Kupchak’s denial doesn’t mean much, (any GM would deny having those talks) it would be absolutely shocking to see a trade based around Rondo for Howard happening.

Kevin Garnett to the Clippers?

Late last night, another rumor involving the Celtics and a team from Los Angeles broke, this time it focused on Kevin Garnett.

Yahoo! Sports reported that the Celtics were involved in talks with the Los Angeles Clippers.

“The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers have been discussing a deal to trade forward Kevin Garnett for guard Eric Bledsoe and center DeAndre Jordan, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.”

Garnett, who has a no-trade clause, is the emotional leader of the Celtics. If he were to leave Boston, it would be a tough decision for him to make, and even tougher for fans to accept.

However, from a strictly basketball perspective, this trade makes sense for the Celtics. Adding Jordan and Bledsoe for Garnett, who has only a few years left at the most, would allow them to still compete this season and build for the future.

For the Clippers, this would be a very shortsighted move, intent on winning a title immediately. Trading two young, talented players for a veteran on the verge of retirement will hurt their future. However, they may be willing to mortgage their future if they think adding Garnett would make a championship more viable.

- Stay tuned to Saving The Skyhook as we continue to follow all of the latest trade rumors across the NBA

Josh Smith:

The Atlanta Hawks’ forward has been involved in trade rumors for quite some time now. And according to CBS Sports’ Ken Berger, the Hawks are open to trading the talented lefty.

Berger reports that,

“The Hawks are very open to moving Josh Smith, and Danny Ferry the general manager there really doesn’t feel anybody on the roster is untouchable”

With Smith set to become a free agent after this season, and contract talks not going anywhere, it makes sense that Atlanta would look to make a trade. If they are not going to resign Smith, which looks likely, then they might as well try to get something in return. On the other hand, the Hawks do not want to take on a long-term, large contract that will prevent them from making a move in free agency this summer.

Feb 10, 2013; Toronto, ON, Canada; New Orleans Hornets shooting guard Eric Gordon (10) goes to the basket against the Toronto Raptors at the Air Canada Centre. The Raptors beat the Hornets 102-89. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

Eric Gordon:

The young New Orleans Hornets’ guard was reluctant to stay in New Orleans after signing an offer sheet with Phoenix in the summer. Now, there are rumors that maybe he will be leaving town after all.

According to Chris Broussard,

“The Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors are amongst the teams that have expressed interest in Gordon.”

Broussard notes however, that New Orleans actually agreeing to a trade is unlikely.

Gordon is talented, but he didn’t exactly endear himself to the organization with his actions this summer. So while nothing seems imminent, it is interesting that New Orleans was willing to listen to offers. At the very least, this is something to keep an eye on over the next week.

Los Angeles Lakers:

With the team not performing up to lofty expectations, trade rumors involving the Lakers have been rampant this season. But according to Head Coach Mike D’Antoni, the likelihood of the Lakers making a move is growing increasingly unlikely.

D’Antoni told reporters,

“We could bring somebody in to bring them on the bench for a while. But that doesn’t make any sense for us either”

With Pau Gasol, the team’s most likely trade piece out for an extended period of time, the Lakers don’t have many options, even if they do want to make a move.

- Stay tuned to Saving the Skyhook as we continue to follow all the latest trade rumors around the league.

Jan 15, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; New Orleans Hornets guard Greivis Vasquez (21) shoots a layup during the first quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA is a star studded league filled with incredible talent. Guys like Kevin Durant and LeBron James run the Association. However, it’s easy to overlook the talent of the other immensely gifted players, because a lot of people pay closer attention to the best guys on teams that are successful. If you’re on the Magic then forget it you must stink, right? Wrong. I put together a list of five guys, on losing teams, that hardly get noticed for their play. Enjoy.

Kemba Walker, Charlotte Bobcats Kemba Walker is a star in the making and since he plays for the lowly Bobcats, he’s often overlooked. I’ll admit that he didn’t live up to expectations in his rookie year but he’s really made an impact in his sophomore season. Walker has really improved in every facet of the game since last year. Through Tuesday, he’s averaging 17.3 PPG which is almost 5.0 more points a game than last years average. Although, he’s stood pat at 3.5 RPG he has increased his averages in assists, steals, and blocks. In fact, he has either tied or bettered the averages of All-Star, Kyrie Irving. Now I’m not saying that Walker should be an All-star but what I am saying is that his numbers call for more attention than he’s getting. Walker’s field goal, 3-point, and free throw percentages are also all up from last year.

Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons Am I the only one that thinks Lawrence Frank is out of his mind for playing Drummond a measly 20 MPG? According to Basketball-Reference.com, the guy is averaging 13 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 blocks per 36 minutes. Those are unbelievable numbers for Drummond, who was thought to be extremely raw coming out of college. There is really no justification for starting Maxiell over Drummond and I would love to hear any sort of reasoning Frank might have. Drummond is an explosive athlete with loads of potential. Unfortunately, fans hardly know about his success due to the small amount of playing time he gets and because he plays for the Detroit Pistons. I can’t imagine it will be too much longer until Drummond makes a name for himself in this league.

O.J. Mayo, Dallas Mavericks For some reason I feel like only a handful of people have noticed how vital O.J. Mayo has been for Dallas. The USC product did everything he possibly could to keep the Mavs relevant until Dirk returned from injury. Since Dirk has returned, Mayo hasn’t been as effective but he continues to show us what he can be as a basketball player. After failing to meet expectations in Memphis a fresh start in Dallas was just what he needed. He’d no longer be buried on the bench and he would be able to silence the doubts people may have had. Mayo has averaged career highs in almost every major category. This includes his conversion rate of 42% from beyond the arc. If I’m Memphis, I wish I had kept him because he would’ve been able to fill the void left by Rudy Gay seamlessly. Oh well, all they can do is watch as he quietly does his thing for a struggling Dallas squad.

Greivis Vasquez, New Orleans Hornets Greivis Vasquez is having a career year but playing for the 15th ranked team in the Western Conference doesn’t help. It also doesn’t help that he has rookie phenom Anthony Davis, who garners all of the attention, for a teammate. Vasquez ranks third in the league in assists per game, second if you don’t count Rondo. He’s only trailing Chris Paul by 0.1 assists.

Ill give you a moment to let that sink in. Ok, time’s up. Seeing as Greivis only trails two other point guards in the race for the assist crown, that also means for more mind boggling news. Vasquez has more assists than the likes of Deron Williams, Russell Westbrook, Steve Nash, etc. Those guys are all considered elite and while Vasquez isn’t elite yet, he definitely has the whole passing thing down. Look for him to only get better year after year.

Earl Clark, Los Angeles Lakers Earl Clark was supposed to be a throw in so the Lakers could get Dwight Howard, right? Well if he is just a throw in, he’s a pretty good one. Clark isn’t the kind of guy that’s going to put up eye popping numbers. However, he is someone that’s going to give 110% night in and night out. In 21 minutes per game, Clark is putting up 7 points and 6 rebounds. Again, not exactly star numbers but he’s not really a star, he’s a glue guy. He’s been a small bright spot in the Lakers nightmare of a season, filling in admirably for the likes of Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol. We’ll get to see a lot more of Clark now because of both Howard and Gasol being injured. I wouldn’t be shocked if he was a 10 and 10 guy when Gasol returns in 6-8 weeks.

*All stats from NBA.com unless otherwise noted.*

Follow @TimMaclean_StS

Jan 25, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers point guard Steve Nash (10) controls the ball against the Utah Jazz during the first half at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

“Just another chapter in a difficult season,” said the normally optimistic Steve Nash following another drubbing, this time at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies. The statement has more resignation than positivity in it, and considering it’s coming from Steve Nash – a man with a storied history of having to stay positive – that’s an extremely concerning factor.

The Los Angeles Lakers organization, to their credit, have tried everything bar blowing up the roster to get this season to work.

They’ve replaced the coach, shifted the line-ups (fun fact: Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard are the only Lakers to start consistently this season) and even had an audious team-meeting before the Memphis game to air all their issues. Following this clensing, transforming meeting that was supposed to bring together the Lakers as one, they promptly got hammered by the Grizzlies and went back to the LA with their tails between their legs.

The world has given their explanations for the Lakers failings, and oh my, we have tried. The real issue for the Lakers is that there’s simply too many issues to diagnose and saying, “If they play Gasol/Howard/Nash/Jamison right, they’ll be fine,” is fruitless. To start looking anything like the championship calibre squad we expect, they need to significantly boost their team defense, find a reliable scoring option other than Kobe Bryant, cut down on turnovers, greatly lift their transition defense and get some consistency from their bench. Sound like much? Yes, I know. It is.

But really, none of these proposed improvements matter if the individuals aren’t in the right mindset to enact them. For all of D’Antoni’s coaching faults, he’s been willing and able to try to motivate his team. Their ‘season’ has started two or three times already but the team has failed to show any sense of urgency. It appears that perhaps most of this Lakers outfit has checked out and given up on the season, just as many fans already have. Steve Nash played hard and tried to smile in Phoenix, even when he knew the only thing the Suns could win was the lottery. Dwight Howard doesn’t appear to be helping the Lakers’ cause, although it can be significantly difficult to decipher fact from fiction when ‘a source’ chimes in reports on what went down behind closed doors.

It would have been laughable to once suggest Kobe Bryant and Metta World Peace would be the most inspired of all the Lakers, but that seems to be the case for this Lakers outfit. While Kobe can be hypercritical and aggressive, and Metta World Peace can be…Metta World Peace, they’re the only two individuals who have played their hearts out for the Lakers all season. There was another in Jordan Hill, but he’s gone down for the season with a hip injury.

With a three games at home approaching for the Lakers, they need to do something, anything to inspire hope and winning would be the best way to start. Dwight Howard’s back and shoulder may still be beat up which could excuse his diminished play, but his despondant effort and destructive comments are inexcusable. At the start of the season, he said he’d learned lessons from his Orlando Magic trade saga, but seems to be repeating all o those mistakes again this season besides requesting a trade and axing the coach – which are probably two things most Lakers fans would wish he’d do this time around.

So, is there any hope left for this season for the Los Angeles Lakers? Maybe, but probably not. At 17-25, they’re hovering around the same mark that Golden State, Detroit and Cleveland sat at last season. Those teams finished the season ranked 22nd, 26th and 29th in wins respectively. Of course, those teams didn’t feature two All-Star starters, one of the most skilled post players in the NBA and one of the best passers in the league, but it shows how far the Lakers sit out of the playoffs at this point in time.

With 40 games remaining, the Lakers now need to go 28-12 to simply match the 45 expected wins to make the Playoffs in the West. They face the Thunder twice, the Clippers twice and encounter San Antonio, Miami and Memphis once. Pencil in a March clash with the Bulls who may have Derrick Rose back and you have eight very difficult matches. There’s a lot of challenging but winnable games within their run home including an away game against Brooklyn, a trip to Boston two days after that and a back-to-back on the road against Dallas and Denver.

If the Lakers fall short of the playoffs, don’t doubt heads will roll. This is an organization that sacked a head coach after 5 games and is very well-versed with the term ‘accountability’. The Lakers are reminiscent of the New York Jets, only a lot more disappointing – while they’re still a mathematical chance to make the Playoffs halfway through the season, it feels like we’re just waiting for the decisive loss that ends the season.

The playoffs are looking impossible for the Lakers, but one would have said it would be impossible for four future Hall of Famers to be 17-25 at this point in the season. If Steve Nash regards their latest loss as another chapter, then perhaps it’s time for the Lakers to change books and start with the line, “It all began with a win…”

The city of Sacramento- Those poor, poor Sacramentans. The history of the Sacramento Kings is one littered with disappointment. First, in the only draft that Sacramento had the number one overall pick, they selected Pervis Ellison. Then they struggled to a somewhat unthinkable 1-40 road record in 1991. Then they drafted Duke standout point guard Bobby Hurley, who got in a near fatal car accident two months into his rookie season. Then Dick Bavetta and the Lakers happened, derailing the best Kings team in the franchise’s history. And now, after a relatively tortured past, the Kings are most likely going to be relocating to Seattle in two shakes of a lamb’s tail. All Sacramento really has to hang its metaphorical hat on is that is the capital of California. But then again, so are Helena, Concord, Bismarck and Cheyenne.

The idea of unselfishness in Sacramento- To make this really simple for everyone and avoid having to find any statistics to back up this point, I’ll just say this: the idea of unselfishness in Sacramento is just as real as Manti Te’o’s girlfriend.

The Mike Brown Era- Poor, poor Mike Brown. I think a lot of people saw this coming from many miles away. At the first sign of struggle the Lakers were going to need a scapegoat, and coaches usually don’t make out too well in those kind of situations. Just ask Avery Johnson, Jerry Sloan, Mike D’Antoni (New York version), Stan Van Gundy (Miami and Orlando version), Mike Brown (Cleveland version) and every other notable coach who got the axe because a player wanted him out, or because the team was underperforming. Mike Brown never stood a chance. Once the Lakers started 1-4 Mike Brown was canned and there were instantly rumblings that Phil Jackson would be open to returning. But then, a funny thing happened…

January 15, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach Mike D

The Mike D’Antoni Era- After Mike Brown was fired the Lakers signed Mike D’Antoni to a three-year, $12 million contract which came as a shock to the Lakers fans who were clamoring for the return of Phil Jackson. Although D’Antoni had coached Steve Nash for many years in Phoenix during Nash’s prime and reportedly had a good relationship with Kobe Bryant, the hire was met with some skepticism. There was uncertainty as to how D’Antoni’s system would work with Pau Gasol (I continue to believe it is Pau’s lack of touches in the post that have ultimately led to his stock dropping… More on this coming up) and Dwight Howard in the line-up. There was no guarantee that the Lakers, a relatively old team, would be able to play at the “7 seconds or less” tempo D’Antoni would likely prefer to play. And my cousin Paul Clark refused to stop referring to Mike D’Antoni as a creep and shyster. D’Antoni was facing a lot of pressure and some heavy expectations, and so far the results haven’t been great. You could make the argument that the Lakers haven’t been healthy all year, particularly since D’Antoni was hired. But the record often doesn’t lie. The Lakers are 10-16 under Mike D’Antoni this year. Sure, D’Antoni has had more success than Mike Brown did this year, but clearly, Bernie Bickerstaff was the man for the job.

Pau Gasol as the best Gasol in the NBA- Pau’s run as the best Gasol in the NBA was a long and successful one. From the 2001-02 season to the 2011-12 season Pau averaged 18.7 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.7 blocks while also being the centerpiece of one of the biggest hijacking’s in NBA history, and winning two NBA titles after that trade. As his younger brother Marc was inching closer and closer to taking the metaphorical conch from his older brother, Pau dominated the 2012 Summer Olympics and nearly spearheaded a Spain upset in the Gold Medal Game, leaving most to believe that Pau had something left in the tank and was more than just a trade piece for the Lakers. Thanks to creaky knees, a Javale McGee elbow, Mike D’Antoni’s system and his younger brothers continuing emergence, Pau is for the moment 2^ndin the Gasol Power Rankings, and way further down on the California Power Rankings than I’m sure he’d like to see himself, and much further down that I expected him to be. Pau almost single handedly beat the United States in the Gold Medal game. This cannot be forgotten.

Jan 18, 2013; Memphis, TN, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) drives against Memphis Grizzlies forward Marreese Speights (5) at the FedEx Forum. Memphis defeated Sacramento 85-69. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

DeMarcus Cousins Potential as a member of the Kings- I can’t think of a player in the NBA who desperately needs a change of scenery more than Boogie Cousins does. I’m the kind of fan who wants to see good players playing in meaningful games. Unless there is a major overhaul or a literal change in scenery (i.e. perhaps relocation for the franchise… we’re getting there), Boogie might never reach the level that he could, and should. We’re talking about a player who averaged 26 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists his freshman year in high school; a player who could’ve possibly been the number one pick in the NBA Draft if scouts weren’t saying things like this: “To his credit he made it through the entire season without any suspensions or ejections. However, there were a few times (flagrant fouls) where he may have deserved to be.” Whoa! Congrats Boogie! You made it through a whole college season without getting suspended or ejected. A tremendous accomplishment! Instead, Cousins dropped to the 5^th pick and was slated to be the centerpiece of the in-total-shambles Sacramento Kings, where he’s been flanked by a bunch of perimeter players who care about themselves on just a slightly lower level than Lance Armstrong does. Hopefully Boogie Cousins gets his head on straight, lands on a contender, and perhaps emerges as a star player and feel-good story.

Dwight Howard- Dwight Howard is my least favorite player in the NBA and I’ve never been afraid to say that. I think he got let off the hook for what he did to Orlando. I think he gets vastly overrated historically because he is playing in an era where more and more teams are playing small ball. And from a skill-set standpoint, he’s one of the least impressive “superstars” I’ve ever seen played in person. Still, I had Dwight ranked the third best player in the NBA before the season started. Slightly hypocritical, I know. I believed that a guy built like an ancient Greek sculpture (as I knock Dwight’s basketball skill set, I will say he and LeBron James are the two most impressive physical specimens I’ve ever seen in my life) would be able to shake off back surgery and thrive in a new role with a new team and new coach. Apparently back surgery wasn’t something Dwight could just “shake off.” And apparently, the new team and coach wouldn’t be providing much help for an easy transition from Orlando to Los Angeles.

I’m firmly planted on the “Dwight isn’t totally healthy and doesn’t really want to be playing in Los Angeles” bandwagon. I don’t think Dwight is any better than 75% healthy. He certainly doesn’t look like it. And I think he still has his heart set on playing in Brooklyn, which would make all kinds of sense. Not only would Dwight walk into Brooklyn as easily the most marketable player on the team, but he and Deron Williams would have all kinds of fun getting a coach fired every month while Joe Johnson would sit there quietly not saying a word while he was still busy counting the $119 million he got in 2010. Doesn’t that sound like fun?

Golden State’s Championship chances- Who would’ve thought that this conversation would be warranted in mid-January? Even as someone who picked Golden State to make the playoffs, I didn’t think it would be necessary to evaluate their title chances. Frankly, as I’m about to do so, it still feels a little weird. To sort it out, let’s go through the checklist of everything a team needs to be considered “Championship caliber.”

Scorers: Stephen Curry and David Lee have emerged as one of the best point guard/power forward duos in the league, and for people who haven’t seen the Dubs play that much, you just need to look at the stats to see where the Golden State resurgence is stemming from. Curry and Lee are both sitting in the top ten in scoring, one of three groups of teammates to be able to boast this (Durant/Westbrook and LeBron/Wade are also in the top ten). Plus, Klay Thompson is always will to take on the scoring load. He’s inching his way closer and closer to a “Brian Cook All-Stars” roster spot. CHECK.
Rebounding/Defense: I decided to combine these two sub-categories into one larger category since Golden State was 28^th in the league in both rebounding and scoring defense last year. Thanks to some personnel changes and brilliant coaching by Mark Jackson, the Warriors have improved in both categories this year. The Dubs are 4^th in rebounding (a drastic improvement) and 22^nd in scoring defense (not as big of a jump, but they are no longer playing pick-up game defense like they were last year). Also, keep this in mind: Golden State has been playing without 7-footer Andrew Bogut all season long. CHECK
Coaching: I give Mark Jackson the slight edge over Mike Woodson, Tom Thibodeau, and Frank Vogel in the Coach of the Year standings right now. The impact he’s had on this team in a year and a half has transformed the Warriors from perennial lottery team to playoff contender. And stylistically, he’s been the catalyst in changing the Warriors from a street ball team to an actual basketball team. I touched on the rebounding and defensive improvements, but he’s also changed the way Golden State plays offensively. Oddly enough, the Warriors were 28^th in assists last season. This season they’ve jumped up to 8^th. He’s engrained in them a mentality to not only look for the right pass, but to also look for the extra pass. Mark Jackson is a very good coach. CHECK
Bench: Part of what has made Mark Jackson so successful in year two is the moves Golden State made over the last 12 months. The acquisitions of Jarrett Jack and Carl Landry, and selection of Harrison Barnes, Festus Ezeli, and Draymond Green have made Mark Jackson’s job much easier. Every coach would welcome that kind of talent influx. But it’s been Jackson’s decision to bring Jack and Landry off the bench that allows Golden State to get the check mark in this category. I’ll discuss Jack and Landry’s sixth man of the year candidacy in a little while. Most games Golden State won’t skip much of a beat when they start bringing the bench players in, and often times they’ll close the game with Jack and Landry on the floor. CHECK
Free Throw Shooting: Golden State sits in 2^nd behind Oklahoma City in team free throw percentage. You have to make your free throws to close out games, and the Warriors late game line-up can do just that. Stephen Curry, David Lee, Klay Thompson, Jarrett Jack and Carl Landry all shoot over 80% from the free throw line. CHECK
Home Crowd: Don’t think this can’t swing a series. Remember back in 2007 when 1 seed Dallas got upset in the 1^st round by, wait a second, what team was that again… oh that’s right, it was the Golden State Warriors who rallied behind their frenzied home crowd to become only the third 8 seed to ever upset a 1 seed. CHECK
Experience: No check mark here. The Warriors are inexperienced and haven’t been through the pain and heart ache of coming close and falling short. Jordan, Kobe, LeBron, Shaq… they all suffered heart breaking defeat before they got to the top. This is why Oklahoma City is so dangerous this year. That’s why 3 years from now Golden State, if they stay together, could be a title contender. Right now they are missing the key ingredient though.

Jarrett Jack as Sixth Man of the Year- Jack has been 0.5% better as a sixth man than Jamal Crawford, 10% better than Matt Barnes and Carl Landry, and 9,000% better than Jodie Meeks.

DeMarcus Cousins Potential on any team but the Kings- I touched on this briefly before, so instead of repeating what I said above, here are my favorite/most interesting/totally unrealistic DeMarcus Cousins fake trades thanks to ESPN’s NBA Trade Machine.

Trade #1: Sacramento receives Rajon Rondo and Josh Smith; Boston receives DeMarcus Cousins, Tyreke Evans and Jimmer Fredette; Atlanta receives Jeff Green, Jason Thompson and Aaron Brooks.

NOTE: Former high school teammates reunite as the faces of the new team out west. Boston takes on DeMarcus Cousins and Tyreke Evans, and most likely get the most out of both players. Atlanta accomplishes what seems to be a big goal of theirs by finally trading Josh Smith.

Trade #2: Sacramento receives Dwyane Wade; Miami receives DeMarcus Cousins, John Salmons and Jimmer Fredette.

NOTE: I had to.

Trade #3: Sacramento receives Dwight Howard; Los Angeles receives DeMarcus Cousins, Marcus Thornton and John Salmons.

NOTE: I asked my cousin Pauley, a Lakers fan, if he would want this trade. His response: “Man that’s really tough. If Cousins wasn’t such a dick I think I would for sure.” Ladies and gentlemen, DeMarcus Cousins!

Trade #4: Sacramento receives Kevin Love; Minnesota receives DeMarcus Cousins and Paul Millsap; Milwaukee receives Al Jefferson and John Salmons; Utah receives Monta Ellis, Ersan Ilyasova and Nikola Pekovic.

NOTE: Oddly enough, I think every team improves in this trade. The franchise formerly known as the Kings gets a marquee player to toss a ton of money at and build around. Minnesota gets two high quality pieces for Love. Milwaukee also makes out on the deal, especially if they could keep Al Jefferson around. And Utah doesn’t have to deal with the dilemma of losing Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap without getting anything back.

Trade #5: Sacramento receives Marc Gasol and Pau Gasol; Memphis receives Joe Johnson, Gerald Wallace and Marcus Thornton; Los Angeles receives Rudy Gay, Brook Lopez and Francisco Garcia; Brooklyn receives Dwight Howard, DeMarcus Cousins, John Salmons, and James Johnson.

NOTE: This would go down as my favorite trade of all-time even though Memphis and Los Angeles are simply pawns. Big picture, it teams the Gasol’s up in Sacramento Seattle, AND it would result in Dwight Howard, Deron Williams and DeMarcus Cousins would be on the same team. No coach is safe!

Kobe’s homicide potential- This was at the top of the power rankings a couple of weeks ago until Kobe joined Twitter, reconciled with his wife and actually gave credit to LeBron James after a tough loss last Thursday night. Kobe Bryant isn’t a competitively homicidal maniac… maybe he’s actually a cuddly teddy bear. 

Kobe’s scoring leader potential- Roughly half way through the season Kobe (29.2 points per game) is trailing Kevin Durant (29.5) and tied with Carmelo Anthony (29.2) in the race for the scoring lead.  With the Lakers collective back against the wall, Kobe knows nothing to do besides shoot his way out of trouble. If I were a betting man, I’d have my money on Kobe to close out the season as the leading scorer in the league.

January 4, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers small forward Metta World Peace (15) and Los Angeles Clippers power forward Blake Griffin (32) during the game at the Staples Center. Clippers won 107-102. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Bad Blood amongst the California teams- I’m a huge advocate of teams not liking each other (or at least playing like it), and out west there is no such thing as California Love. The Lakers and Clippers turned into a rivalry when David Stern intervened and took Chris Paul away from the Lakers, essentially deciding that the league was better off with Paul throwing Blake Griffin a whole bunch of lobs and Kobe not winning six or more titles (just kidding, but that is what a lot of the Lakers fans will say). There are a whole bunch of big personality and hyper-competitive players that make any Clippers/Lakers game must-see TV. Not to feel left out, the Warriors made their mark this year by playing in what was probably the most entertaining game of the season against the Lakers back in December. Then they followed that up by openly mocking Blake Griffin after he horribly missed three pointer, only to be on the losing end of Blake Griffin and Chris Paul eff-you games three nights later. Last night, Golden State handed the Clippers their 10th loss of the season as Stephen Curry outplayed Chris Paul. Finally, you have the Kings who aren’t going to be relevant in this conversation unless DeMarcus Cousins decides it would be a fun idea to challenge Metta World Peace to a fist fight, which is something we can’t rule out.

The Clippers “Lob City” Moniker- Observe.

San Francisco 49ers Championship chances- The 49ers are the early four point favorites in the “Harbowl” and I have them winning by seven points. 27-20, the San Francisco 49ers are your Super Bowl Champions.

Chris Paul’s MVP credentials- If LeBron James wasn’t playing the best all-around basketball of dare I say all-time, and if Kevin Durant wasn’t “next in line” to win the MVP Award, it would already have Chris Paul’s name etched onto it. The Clippers are improbably 32-10 just three years removed from being the premier cellar-dweller in the NBA, and it wouldn’t be possible without Chris Paul. Sure, they’ve got a roster that goes ten deep, but all of the Lob City hoopla started when David Stern decided it would be fun to put Chris Paul in the mix. Did you see the YouTube video of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan after they heard about the trade? There is a reason why Blake Griffin reacted like a 7 year old kid does when he walks out of his bedroom on Christmas morning, and it’s not just because he knew he was going to be catching an exorbitant amount of alley-oops. It was because for the first time, the Clippers were going to be relevant. Chris Paul turned the Clippers into the best team in California. Every night he goes out and competes harder than anyone else. He’s fearless, and his play and attitude reflect that. More and more I think the Clippers can win the title just because of Chris Paul.

The NBA- Let’s run through this super quick since I’ve already surpassed 3,000 words: There are four NBA teams currently in California. Three are going to be making the playoffs (Yes, I hesitantly include the Lakers). On those three teams, you could make the case that there are seven top 30 players (Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Blake Griffin, Stephen Curry, David Lee and Pau Gasol). The fourth California team is moving back to a city that is craving an NBA team, and provides a much bigger market for television ratings than Sacramento does. So to quote Charlie Sheen, the NBA is winning.

Jan 15, 2013, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Steve Nash (10) dribbles the ball against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Staples Center. The Lakers defeated the Bucks 104-88. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports

Yes, the self-obsessed, hyperbolic Los Angeles Lakers have been bad. And everyone talking about it hasn’t helped. But this is sports in 2013, where a team still seeking its groove before half the season is through, is scrutinized like Kim Kardashian jogging in Malibu.

Dissecting the Lakers can be equally harsh. The main problem with the offense has been its lack of movement. This new star-stacked L.A. team is the victim of nothing more than bad habits, chief of which is ball watching. A typical trip down to the offensive end, for example, sees four Lakers cemented on the perimeter, while either point guard, Steve Nash, or two guard, Kobe Bryant, single-handedly manufacture a play. When Nash does it, at least he’s sniffing out opportunities for others. Bryant, however, desperate to right all wrongs, is hoisting balls at the hoop like the apocalypse is coming. In his mind, it might be.

Obviously this squad lacks cohesion, but what’s worse, there’s not an inkling of glue holding them together. Of course, calling your team old, as Bryant has, or sulking around the bench, as Dwight Howard will do, won’t really improve camaraderie.

Much of the disjointedness starts with Bryant, who has a tendency to halt others, hold the ball at the apex of the key, and then barge his way into the paint, where he inevitably fades back into a jumper or struts in for a lay-up. Young Kobe got away with this. Older Kobe needs to be more thoughtful and creative—if this team is to challenge for the title. Don’t get me wrong: he can still score, and score in high volumes. He just dropped 31 on the Milwaukee Bucks, after all. It’s just questionable if he can learn to adjust to his new teammates and get them winning consistently.

Steve Nash still does his thing with aplomb—that being organizing, patiently waiting for crevices to open, and then threading the ball to an open man. But in this offense, where there are fewer teammates on their toes, and a distinct shortage of offensive IQ, Nash seldom finds spots to drop the ball. He routinely makes a three-foot bounce under the hoop, to big men who sometimes enjoy the set-up, and other times look stunned to receive the pass. This isn’t quite Phoenix, is it? Knowing this, Nash often takes the shot himself, which at this point seems a sensible idea.

It’s a worry when your second unit shows more initiative than your starters, but that’s what seems to happen with the Lakers on a nightly basis. The bench are more willing to set picks, their feet have some bounce, and when led by the bulky Metta World Peace, they drive at the goal. They have purpose.

Still, none of this represents the substance of a total offense. And much of it has been caused by a mismatch of parts, each new acquisition a lesser version of his true self. For instance, a cumbersome Dwight Howard, a desperate Bryant, an awkward World Peace, and a frustrated Nash. Notably, these personas recently disappeared against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks, teams with paper-thin defenses. Bryant and Howard especially collaborated better in those games. But we need to see it when it counts, and against more formidable opponents.

When all is said and done, it might be Nash who holds the key. He plays the game instinctively. When he’s had success it’s been because he controls the attack, and picks apart the defense, whipping the ball into spaces past rubber-necking defenders. But will Bryant allow Nash the touches he needs to excel?  The answer is that he must if he wants to win more. He now has the closest thing to Bob Cousy by his side, a man who given the chance, will slice up the floor and part the lane like his new haircut. Bryant needs to stop whiling away the clock, and quick-triggering as he so often does, and allow Nash to become the team’s glue. 

Oct.1, 2012, 2012; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (12) and Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) during media day at the Los Angeles Lakers Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers are a big disappointment this season. That’s been said by everyone from the anchors on SportsCenter and general manager Mitch Kupchak all the way down to your friends, family and work mates. They started the season with an ailing Dwight Howard, physically absent Steve Nash and a physically and mentally missing Pau Gasol en route to their current 15-18. Despite improved health, the Lakers have continued to stumble and it has left fans and analysts alike in shock.  Rumors have began swirling about disharmony within the Lakers locker room, specifically the relationship with Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant – two men both known for being a disruptive force in the locker room seasons prior. To respond, Kobe Bryant tweeted a jovial picture of him and Howard preparing to go to blows to mock the report and silence any doubt. For a team that’s displayed nothing but disharmony on the court this season, the latest surge of conjured rumors may be the push they needed to galvanize off of the court and hopefully for Lakers fan, find a good working relationship on the court.

Before the NBA season began, CBS Sports unanimously predicted the Lakers would reach the NBA Finals and fall to the Miami HEAT  while the NBA.com team believed  that the Lakers would once more claim the crown of the Pacific Division over the Clippers. Fast forward to only early January and those two propositions appear laughable. There have been flashes of the LA outfit that fans dreamed of before the nightmare began, including the encouraging five game winning streak that culminated with a pulsating Christmas Day victory over the streaking New York Knicks. However, for every night like that there’s another defensive meltdown against the Clippers or deflating home loss to the Denver Nuggets.

Dwight Howard incited some speculation when he alluded to the key difference between the Lakers and their dominant crosstown rival Clippers, via Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.

“We have to play like we like each other,” Howard said. “Even if we don’t want to be friends off the court, we have to respect each other.”

Howard stressed there’s no animosity between teammates. He just believes the Lakers’ haven’t reached their full potential for reasons beyond age and injuries.

“It really starts off the court,” Howard argued. “You have to have that relationship and that chemistry off the court for it to really blossom off the court.

“Those guys on the Clippers team, they really enjoy each other off the court and it shows.”

The specific statement to pinpoint in Howard’s curious comments would be the phrase “it really starts off the court”. The inference of course, is that by ‘starting’ they don’t currently have a very tight-knit bond off the court. It comes as little surprise given the play of the Lakers, but Howard’s affirmation is damning for the purple and gold. Examining the personalities on the LA roster, Mike D’Antoni’s history with blending talent, the environment of the basketball loving city of LA and the time the Lakers have to get their act together, it appears the Lakers desperately need something to spur a bond within the players circle.

Perhaps they can thank Stefan Bondy from the New York Daily News for giving them a prime opportunity to unite as a team for his inflammatory article that has enraged the Lakers organization.

Bondy’s article on the alleged feud between Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard  outright accused the two stars of having a “heated exchange” and stated “Howard was restrained from going at his teammate”. Those are pretty loaded words, and if it were true, would suggest at an irreparable disconnection between the two. Especially by  embroiling Bryant, who has a storied history with Shaquille O’Neal, and his tendancy to hold grudges over seemingly minor and strange issues (see: Smush Parker), in the report

However, the Black Mamba has already found a use for his new Twitter account, taking to the social media outlet to all but fully dispel any notion of bitterness between the two stars.  If it were a player such as Kevin Durant or Derrick Rose, with reputations of being great teammates who could possibly sweep a locker room issue under the carpet to try and keep their team focused, maybe it wouldn’t silence the doubters. But a man like Kobe Bryant has never shied away from telling reporters exactly what he thinks, often to the disdain of the Lakers organization.

Dwight Howard is a man who also knows the damage of rumors and has joined Bryant in the pursuit to dispel the report, speaking candidly to reporters earlier today.

“We’re losing. Every little story that comes out is geared towards breaking ou team up, but we’re bigger than that. We’re stronger than that and we’re not going to let anything divide us,” He said.

Howard’s portrayal of the Lakers locker room appears to be a far cry for the same team that he said “have to play like we like each other, even if we don’t want to be friends off the court,” less than a week ago, and is an extremely encouraging sign.

It’s instances like this that bring good teams together. Bonding as a united front against flat out lies is a brilliant way for this Lakers franchise to discover some kinship. Sometimes rumors and reports can break up a team (Oh hi there, New York Jets), but this specific case instead offers a chance for Bryant and Howard to join fellow veterans Steve Nash, Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace in showing the world the truth in the one way they know how – by playing good basketball.

Unfortunately for the Lakers, the plans of showing Bondy and the league why they’re wrong may be on hold for a while with developing injuries to Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard. The uphill battle to the playoffs just got a bit steeper, but there’s no physical injury that can deter the Lakers from building chemistry off of the court, and for the embattled franchise that should be their number one priority if they hope to creep into the playoffs this season.

Dec 26, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden (13) dribbles against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Greg Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Heat might be the best team in the NBA, but concerns about their inability to rebound seem valid (they are the league’s second worst rebounding team according to ESPN.com). Hey, that’ll happen when you’re undersized. Has an NBA club ever been more infatuated with players of 6-feet-8-inches? The bottom line is that when you jack up hasty shots and don’t, well, rebound, poor stats follow. Forward Chris Bosh said the team needed to figure out a way to fix the problem. Here’s a suggestion Chris – try rebounding.

Houston Rockets superstar, James Harden, no longer second fiddle in Oklahoma, has taken the league by storm since his relocation. Harden top scored for the Rockets in most of their December games and also dropped 20-plus points in a 14 straight contests (at the time of writing). His beard, too, continues to be the benchmark for NBA facial hair, and has moved past Bill Walton’s werewolf era fuzz on the all-time list.

Like Washington’s politicos, the city’s Wizards face an unnerving precipice, one which could see its entire future fall into disarray. Okay, let’s be honest: the Wiz haven’t cast a good spell since Harry Potter sought the Philosopher’s Stone. And yet, amid all the turmoil, the ineptitude and disgrace, rookie Bradley Beal has been a beacon of hope on The Hill. Beal led all Eastern Conference rookies in scoring (13.4 ppg) and total assists with (41) in December. He also had six games with 15-plus points during the month.

It took an unlikely opponent in the Brooklyn Nets to upend Oklahoma City’s 12-game home winning streak with a recent 110-93 victory. This was, in part, helped by the ejection of a rather conversational Kevin Durant. The other part was a combination of Joe Johnson scoring 33 points, and Deron Williams taking charge with 19 points and 13 assists. Amazing how quickly he’s adjusted to his new coach, isn’t it?

Don’t look now but the Detroit Pistons are motoring, winning five of six en route to a 12-22 overall record (as of January 4). Sure, their record is still woeful, but we’re talking about the Eastern Conference here folks, where a sub-500 record is fashionable, and making consecutive free-throws is cause for All-Star consideration.

Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics are flat out of luck, losing four straight and dropping below .500. Most alarmingly, the Cs have lost each of these game by an average mark of 20 points. Things haven’t been this bad in Beantown since the Celtics 15-win season of 1996-97 on the back of Antoine Walker’s 33% from three-point land. Good times.

Portland Trail Blazers point guard, Damian Lillard, has fast become Rookie of the Year favorite. With the Blazers playing mid-tier ball, it was surprising to see them rattle the New York Knicks at home, let alone beat them. But Lillard is a big reason for that. He’s fearless, and plays an all-around game—scoring, rebounding, passing, you name it. For the Knicks, Amare Stoudemire returned to a standing ovation. He then proceeded to light up Madison Square Garden with 6 points, one rebound and two turnovers. Spike Lee was beside himself.

No round-up would be complete without something about Kobe Bryant. In recent days, the league’s best scorer has called his Los Angeles Laker team “old” and “slow”, and admitted that their Staples Center roomies, the once lowly Clippers, are in the mix for the NBA crown. Kobe even called the Clips, currently among the Western Conference’s elite, “one of the top contenders”. Presumably L.A. reporters are now seeking Bryant’s view on Daniel Day Lewis as an Oscar favorite, and his take on other outrageousness circling the internet.

November 7, 2012; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) during the second half against the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena. The Jazz defeated the Lakers 95-86. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-US PRESSWIRE

File this topic under “Things that have gone relatively unnoticed so far in the NBA season.” Since the Los Angeles Lakers losing ways (now 1-4) have not only taken, but dominated center stage in the basketball media world, Kobe Bryant’s tranformation of sorts, has been slightly overlooked. This transformation being his new found scoring efficiency.

Now, don’t confuse this as an opinion piece, though Kobe Bryant is always the source of unlimited debates, but more so an informative reminder that even though it’s only 5 games into the new season, this efficient scoring trend has developed.

What does it even mean on a team level? Clearly not wins, though there are much deeper issues point to the reason they’ve started out losing 4 of 5 games.

On an individual level, it could mean nothing more than Kobe deciding to create a new challenge for himself, even in the midst of minor team panic. At an X’s and O’s level, to keep it very simple, Kobe is taking better shots, which really means that he’s driving to the basket more frequently, rather than settling for jumpshots. Which is a strange behavior, considering he now has the league’s best rebounder under the basket to clean up those errant, beat-the-shot-clock launches.

Kobe’s stat line for the season is impressive: 37.0 mins, 27.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.4 steals.

Even more impressive is Kobe’s raw shooting percentages for the season: 56.0% (FG), 42.9% (3PT) and 91.7% (FT).

Compare those percentages to Kobe’s career high season avereages of 46.9% (FG) in 2001-02, 38.3% (3PT) in 2002-03 and 86.8% (FT) in 2006-07, and yes, we have a distinct rise in efficiency this season.

His games of 22 points (11-14 FG) on opening night and 40 points (14-23 FG, 10-10 FT) against the Clippers were particularly impressive from an efficiency perspective.

Will Kobe sustain this? The answer is no. Again, consider the minute sample size of games in which he’s done this. But that doesn’t mean he can’t finish with career highs in each percentage category. It’s just interesting to look at the numbers he’s produced so far this season with certain team dynamics in a state of change (Princeton offense, Dwight/Nash, limited bench).

Rather than a personal challenge, maybe Kobe has just learned (accepted) to play within the system, allowing Howard (and Gasol) to do their thing. He’s been picking his spots better and taking “better” shots.

Or, maybe he’s trying to prove a point, that’s always an option with Black Mamba. Regardless, his numbers have laid out a pattern of efficient scoring and something to at least take note of… even haters. Overall, the bigger question may be: Does it even matter? While his personal box scores suggest it should be making a positive team impact, that “4″ in the loss column suggest otherwise. But that’s for another post.

Oct 21, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (12) shoots against Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (right) during the preseason game at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-US PRESSWIRE

Dwight Howard
Resume: 20.6 points, 14.5 rebounds (1st in league, career best), 2.1 blocks (3rd in league), 1.5 steals (career best), 38.3 minutes (5th in league, career best), 43 double-doubles (2nd in league), 572 free throw attempts (1st in league), 57% FG (2nd in league) and 49% FT… Team record in games played: 33-21 (4-8 without)… All-Star, 7th in MVP Voting, 1st Team All-Defense, 1st Team All-NBA

Over the last month and a half you’ve probably noticed a few not so subtle jabs at Dwight Howard. It should be no secret by now that I’m not Dwight Howard’s biggest fan. I don’t like the way that he wasn’t as harshly criticized for leaving Orlando as LeBron was for leaving Cleveland, even though what he did was roughly 25 times worse. Did LeBron ever ask for a trade during the season? Then take it back? Then ask for one again? Then take it back and sign a contract extension? Then ask for one again? Then act like he loved his coach and teammates? Then quit on his teammates and get his coach fired? Then take a smelly dump all over the organization and fans? Well, you could probably argue that LeBron did the last part based on the way he handled “The Decision”, but up until his last game in Cleveland (a triple double at Boston, which everyone seems to forget), LeBron never sold out EVERYONE IN THE MIDDLE OF A SEASON like Dwight did. For someone who is completely obsessed with people’s opinion of him, Dwight Howard managed to just about completely mangle his image in a matter of months, and I don’t feel bad at all.

I promised to be as unbiased as possible when ranking the players and that is why Dwight Howard sits at #3 on the list. I don’t think Dwight Howard is historically as good as he will likely be remembered. He’s playing in an era with no other truly elite center, and is reaping the benefits of that statistically. Is he really anything more athletic version of Dikembe Mutombo? If Dwight Howard came into the league in 1994 would we even be on the same level as Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O’Neal, David Robinson or Patrick Ewing. I think you could argue no. I saw Dwight in person. He is an absolute physical specimen. He legitimately looks like an Ancient Greek sculpture. He is a freak athlete. But for someone who has been in the league for 8 years and has every physical tool you could conceivably want for a big man (except he is a little shorter than most people realize), he is still incredibly raw as an offensive player.

Recently Shaquille O’Neal caught some criticism on NBA TV’s Open Court for saying that Dwight Howard was underachieving, should be averaging 28 points and 15 rebounds, and wasn’t even the best center in the league. For a man built like Dwight is, he could conceivably be putting up those kinds of numbers. If Dwight Howard had Tim Duncan’s offensive game we could probably give him the next 5 NBA titles and not even play the seasons. But he doesn’t. He still doesn’t have any consistent way to score other than catching lobs or off of offensive rebounds. You can’t throw the ball into him and know for a fact you are getting a guaranteed two points. It’s just not happening. But where Shaq went too far was when he said that Dwight Howard wasn’t the best center in the league. It’s safe to assume that a good portion of that comment comes from some bitterness on Shaq’s part, but saying Dwight isn’t the best center in the league is foolish. I wouldn’t even go that far.

You can knock the lack of evolution in Dwight’s offensive repertoire or even the way the league has changed since the days of Shaq, Hakeem, Robinson, Ewing, etc. but you can’t try to take away the title of best center from Dwight when for the last 6 years or so it’s belonged solely to him. Up until this year Dwight had been one of the most durable workhorses in the league (in his first seven seasons Dwight only missed 7 games), even though he gets hacked harder and more often than just about anyone in the league. No one in the league defends the rim or rebounds as well as Dwight. And I guess in Dwight’s defense, his post game has come along well enough that combined with his strength he does draw a lot of double teams. The ultimate sign of Dwight’s dominance in the current landscape of the league comes from something I mentioned back in February during my Eastern Conference power rankings.

He can turn chicken shit into chicken salad. Have you looked long and hard at Orlando’s roster? Ryan Anderson, Jason Richardson, Jameer Nelson, and a well-past his prime Hedo Turkoglu are the top non-Dwight Howard options.

Dwight Howard has upgraded and is now playing with talent that is equivalent to chicken parmesan. You’d think that he would appreciate this, fill in whatever role the Lakers need him to, flash that big smile that everyone love and stay happy as the Lakers roll through the regular season. As long as that is the case the Lakers are arguably the odds-on favorite to win the NBA Championship.

Oct 21, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) drives to the basket against Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (left) during the preseason game at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-US PRESSWIRE

Kobe Bryant
Resume: 27.9 points (2nd in league), 5.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.2 steals, 38.5 minutes (4th in league), 381 free throws made (3rd in league), 451 free throw attempts (6th in league), 43% FG, 30% 3PT, 85% FT… Team record in games played: 36-22 (5-3 without)… Playoffs: 30.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 39.7 minutes, 44% FG, 83% FT, 5-7 record… All-Star, 4th in MVP Voting, 2nd Team All-Defense, 1st Team All-NBA

Here are the phrases I’m going to try to avoid for the next 700 or so words so I can focus on the more important point of this piece: Kobe Face, Michael Jordan, 81 points, Smush Parker, and Kwame Brown.

Alright, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I can go forward with the main point of this whole thing. Kobe Bryant is 34 years old and has logged 51,018 minutes of regular season and playoff NBA basketball. This doesn’t include the time he spent playing for Team USA, his pre-season minutes and the thousands of hours he’s likely spent honing his skills in the offseason. He’s endured countless injuries in his 16 year career: sprained ankles, torn ligaments in his wrist, a shoulder injury that required surgery, a fractured right index finger and knee troubles. Despite the constant pain, abundance of minutes, and never ending criticism (he’s absorbed more than anyone except LeBron James over the last decade or so), Kobe Bryant remains one of the very best players in the NBA. I have Kobe Bryant ranked 6^th on my top 50 list, but let me relate back to a point I’ve made before, one that I stole from Bill Simmons.

In a giant pickup game with every player available and two knowledgeable fans forced to pick five-man teams, with their lives depending on the game’s outcome, what would be the order of the players picked, based on this season alone?

I won’t get into the breakdown of how I’d expect the picks to pan out, but we can probably agree on two things:
1.) LeBron James would be the number one pick
2.) You’d be absolutely terrified that your life was about to end if Kobe Bryant wasn’t on your team

Let’s assume that there was a week between the time you picked the teams and the time the game was played, so that way the teams had time to practice together, talk to the media, etc. I know, this just went from a pick-up game to a very intriguing Friday night for ESPN. I feel like I’d be having a lot of trouble sleeping for that week because Kobe was feasting on the stories that were leaking out about how I didn’t pick him. I can just picture Kobe staying late after practice and taking extra jump shots, just thinking about the joy he is going to take in being an integral role in ending my life.

I just painted a pretty interesting picture comparing Kobe Bryant to a homicidal hyper-competitive maniac and that actually isn’t too far off. By all accounts Kobe Bryant is the most blood thirsty professional athlete still actively participating in his sport, and you could argue that this is what keeps him in this discussion for top players in the NBA (along with a killer jump shot, trusty low post game, incredible clutch gene, etc.). The question now becomes whether or not Kobe can harness that competitive fire in a way that could help the Lakers succeed. With the additions of Steve Nash and Dwight Howard, a burden would seemingly be lifted off of the back of Kobe Bryant, who last year had to do way too much for the Lakers. Can the Lakers manage to limit Kobe’s minutes? Will he accept not always having the ball in his hands late in a close game? Will he be able to keep Dwight Howard happy? The Los Angeles Lakers are full of question marks, and Kobe might as well be dressed like The Riddler. So many questions about how will interact with teammates, how his game will change and what his legacy will look like when it is all said and done. Yes, the legacy. I said I wasn’t going to bring up Micha— His Airness— but with Kobe supposedly having just two years left in the league, it’s a question that will start coming to the surface more and more. It’s a different conversation for another time, but just know that Kobe Bryant is chasing that elusive 6^th NBA Championship ring, and God help whoever gets in his way.

Tomorrow there will be no post, but the countdown will be continuing on Friday with a look at numbers 4 and 5 of the rankings!