On the subject of free throws

An interesting stat made the rounds today: Dwight Howard has missed as many free throws (332) this season, as Steve Nash has in his ENTIRE 17-year career.  Howard is coming in this season at 314-for-646, a balmy 49%, which is dead last among qualified players.  That is down from his career average of 57%.

Nash, on the other hand, is a 90.4% career free throw shooter, the best in history.  So maybe not the most fair comparison.  Nevertheless, still ridiculous to think about.  All that money, and you can't even count on him to make free throws.  A franchise cornerstone who is a liability at the end of close games.  Wild. 

 

If the playoffs started today...

The Associations regular season is entering its final lap, with each team having less than 20 games remaining on the schedule. Curious what the postseason matchups will look like if the playoffs started today? Wondering who will advance? Say no more then...

Eastern Conference
(1) Miami Heat vs. (8) Milwaukee Bucks
Prediction: Heat in 6
LeBron & Co. will advance in absolutely any matchup they draw in the first round. But Milwaukee is actually the opponent that might give the Heat the most trouble. Quick talented guards, along with Larry Sanders protecting the rim, does not match up well against the boys from South Beach.

(2) Indiana Pacers vs. (7) Atlanta Hawks
Prediction: Pacers in 5
Indiana's frontcourt will be able to contain Al Horford and the rest of the Hawks big men. A certain Club Bosh contributor has managed to get his with Al Horford's cousin in the VIP of the Club, but I digress.  Indiana's one of the few contenders in the East to challenge the Heat, and the lowly Hawks won't give them much trouble in the first round. 

(3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Boston Celtics
Prediction: Celtics in 6
The NY Knicks have screamed mediocrity recently (20-20 in last 40 games), while the Celtics have played impressive ball since Rondo's injury (15-6 without him). The aging C's should put away the Knicks with relative ease.

(4) Brooklyn Nets vs. (5) Chicago Bulls
Prediction: Nets in 7
This matchup seems the most difficult to pick, mostly due to the uncertainty of Derrick Rose's availability for the postseason. I don't think he will play, which tips the scale ever so slightly to the Nets squeezing past the Bulls in seven games.

Western Conference
(1). San Antonio Spurs vs. (8) Los Angeles Lakers
Prediction: Spurs in 6
This would be a helluva matchup to witness. Kobe vs. Timmy D. again for a chance to keep a title hope alive. Don't think anybody knows exactly what the Lakers will bring come the postseason, but I know the Spurs & Coach Pop wouldn't exactly be thrilled with drawing Kobe & D-12 in the first round.

(2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (7) Houston Rockets
Prediction: Thunder in 5
Another great matchup if this were to happen, with OKC meeting with former star James Harden the same year he was dealt to Houston. Harden and the Rockets have no problem filling the bucket, but would struggle mightily trying to contain RussRuss & KD.

(3) Memphis Grizzlies vs. (6) Golden State Warriors
Prediction: Grizzlies in 6
The contrast in styles in this matchup would make for an interesting playoff matchup. The Griz might be the best halfcourt team in the league behind Z-Bo & the other Gasol, while the Warriors run the floor in transition under the direction of Steph Curry with ease. Halfcourt basketball always tends to be more important in the postseason, thus giving Memphis a bid into the second round.

(4) Los Angeles Clippers vs (5). Denver Nuggets
Prediction: Clippers in 7
The Denver Nuggets have been excellent (especially at home) throughout the season, but a draw against Lob City would mean the end for the Nuggies. CP3 would be able to control Ty Lawson's quick transition game, likely creating problems for Denver to score. Would be a great series, but I don't see the team game that Denver plays being able to overcome Chris Paul & Co. in LA.

How does this happen to a professional basketball team?

In the throws of blowing a 25 point lead including allowing a 20-0 run in the last 6:22 of the fourth quarter, the Hornets found time to forget what basket they were defending and allow Kobe to streak uncontested for a dunk that put the game out of reach.  How, with 24 seconds left in a 2 point game, does a team forget what basket they are defending?  Hopefully the name change to the Pelicans next season can erase the Hornets' recent misfortunes.

PS Kobe ended last night with 42 points on 14-21 from the field with 12 assists and 7 boards.  Here come the Lakers.

Kobe STILL not giving a fuck

On Friday pretty boy, Mark Cuban, was going over some hypothetical situations that teams are faced with under the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement in a hypothetical attempt to educate the public on the difficulties he and many other owners face.  During this impromptu enlightenment, Cuban chose to use Kobe Bryant as a hypothetical example of a player that an owner would have to consider amnestying in order to stay under the hypothetical luxury tax.

Turns out, Kobe wasn't impressed with Cuban's comments and took it out on  Cuban's Mavs on Sunday to the tune of 38 points on 13-21 from the field with 12 boards and 7 assists for a 103-99 Laker win in Dallas.  (Side note: if the Lakers have any shot of winning games when Kobe takes 21 shots, he needs to make at least this many which he has not done.)  After the game, Kobe bestowed on us the single best tweet of all time.

The Mamba knows he's at a point in his career when he can say whatever the fuck he wants and lucky for all of us, he is.

Mamba out.

Definition of WAKAKAKAKAKA

Pau gets hurt, Dwight Drama, getting some wins yet still sitting 3.5 games out of the 8th seed... Doesn't matter to Kobe.  He got his and then some.  And at 34 years old?  God damn.  And Kris, getting posterized isn't something cool guys do. 

 

 

UPDATE! I just saw Kobe's quote about his dunk:

 

"I think everyone has been drinking the Kobe pass Kool-Aid so they kind of stayed on the perimeter like the Red Sea. I felt a little like Moses."

 

Kobe is such a head case.  I love it.  

Dwight Howard's poor free throw shooting leads to spike in kitten deaths

Luckily free throws aren't what wins and loses games according to this genius.  Wait... the Lakes lost last night after he missed both these free throws when they were down 92-90?  I'm sure that didn't have any bearing on the outcome of the game.  They lost because of poor defense and poor defense alone.

Every time Dwight Howard misses a free throw, Ron Ron kicks a kitten.  Howard has single-handedly helped control that cat population of Los Angeles. 

Great job, Dwight!

Kobe Sets Another Record

With his final missed shot on Tuesday night against the Rockets (came with 2:27 left in the 4th quarter), Kobe Bryant missed his 15,296 career field goal attempt, passing John Havlicek for the most field goal attempts missed in NBA history, combining regular and posteason numbers.

Nothing to see here!

See!  Kobe and D12 are joking around, and ol Mikey Defense is stuck in the middle!  Fun-loving teammates and coaches, the lot of em!  Nothing wrong with the Lakers, no sir, everyone just move along...