The Climb – The Rockets edged up into the sixth seed in the West this weekend thanks to a blowout win over Sacramento, and Golden State’s not-at-all-suspicious loss to the Lakers in a game with a 50-16 free throw disparity. This is beneficial to the Rockets, so please disperse. To be fair to the Lakers and the referees, I didn’t see the (now historic) second half of that game, and Golden State is one of the grabbiest defenses in the league, so it wouldn’t surprise me if 50 free throws were warranted.
Achilles – It has not been much discussed in the blogosphere outside of our forums, but Kobe Bryant’s injury could have huge implications for whether Dwight Howard stays in L.A. or goes to Houston. While I still think the Lakers could be successful with a hobbled Bryant and a more Dwight-centric game plan, Howard would still be second-fiddle to Bryant in the organization even as Kobe’s game declines. Let’s hope he avoids that sticky situation.
Sympathy for the Devil – Perspective from an avowed Kobe hater–myself–on the injury as posted in the forums this Saturday:
I’ve never felt so conflicted about an athlete before. Kobe Bryant is my least favorite personality in all of professional sports. I’ve rooted against him in every game he has ever played (my dad is a Celtics fan, so I inherited some sports hate). I’m convinced that for much of his career, he has been protected by the league’s vested economic interest in his (Lakers) success–there hasn’t been a player since Jordan that opponents tried so hard *not* to foul, giving him the space he needs to pull off his countless heroic, infuriating jumpers.
At the same time, his work ethic, fitness and commitment to winning are undeniable. If he began his career in a Rockets jersey, he would probably be my favorite player by now. He works and competes the way that every fan wishes every player on their team would do. It’s nice to think that things go right for people who do the right thing. We want sports to reflect what we hope is true in our own lives–that hard work equals success. That fickle fate won’t destroy our dreams. Kobe’s ability to defy his age through relentless work was validation of that hope.
Last night, with poetic cruelty, Kobe’s Achilles’ tendon proved how naive that hope can be.
The Beverly Files - Shoutout to 2016Champions for starting discussion on this article from the Dream Shake this weekend. It’s a thorough and enlightening scouting report on the Tasmanian Devil who plays backup PG for the Rockets:
Part of why Patrick has such an effect comes from his ability to create extra possessions when he is on the court. His single game stats usually do not jump out at you, but as a collective whole, they demonstrate how active he is on the court. He steals, grabs offensive rebounds, blocks shots, and draws charges, all in limited time. Every time he gets one of those, he single-handedly eliminates an opposing position and converts it to a Rockets possession.
The article goes on to say only one guard in the NBA, Eric Bledsoe, generates more possessions for his team.
Tweet That – Daryl Morey retweeted this guy (girl?) who makes an excellent point:
[blackbirdpie url="https://twitter.com/jamie0613/status/323597564479946752"]
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