The Gift and the Curse

After last night's game, I checked in at Silver Screen and Roll to read the recap Dex wrote. Instead, what really caught my attention was a fanshot link he posted, "Now we can focus on winning games again," a story by Kevin Ding regarding Pau Gasol's frustrations with Kobe's shot attempts.

But it wasn't just Pau. Phil chimed in too. "Let’s get him over the hump, so we can play team ball again." On a night when Kobe passed Jerry to become the Lakers All-Time leading scorer, these shot selection stories or lack of "pounding the ball inside" issue are the bigger story. No matter how good Kobe was, both Phil and Pau had a point. They're kind of right - at least last night they were.

I'm as big a Kobe supporter, defender, apologist (whatever you want to call it) as the next Lakers fan. I feel he's earned the right to have the benefit of the doubt. I rarely question his shot attempts or the volume. There's nothing he hasn't done on the court, and there's nothing he can't do, but even I am able to realize when there's good Kobe and "c'mon you know better than that" Kobe. A lot of the time, things are overblown because it's Kobe. Last night? He frustrated me. For the most part it was "good" Kobe. When he's hitting his shots, most of it is good, even when mortals like us wonder why he would attempt a certain shot. He's always going to take shots that some feel he shouldn't. I can accept that. He going to _make_ shots no one else can hit because he's just that good. There was also "c'mon, you know better than that" Kobe. Nothing showed more than the last play.

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The "Soft" Tag, Hard Fouls and the Intimidation Factor

(Originally posted on Silver Screen and Roll 1/25/10)

They're back and they're getting louder. The renewed questions about the Lakers being "soft." Their apparent lack of toughness or willingness to get physical. This "soft" tag doesn't come from a lack of physical strength, but what seems like the lack of mental strength that may throw them off their game due to an opponents physical play. In order to respond to physicality, one has to have mental tenacity, or stick-to-it-ive-ness, to play their game regardless. Or at least have the wherewithal to match an opponents' intensity or willingness. The Lakers are not soft. At least not deep down. You don't become Champions being soft. They proved that during last year's regular season and in the Playoffs. We've seen them step up and respond to physical play. The thing is, they typically aren't the aggressors. This gets confused for being soft. They're reactive rather than proactive. It has to be brought out of them. Physicality in itself does not make a team or person any better a basketball player. Still, there's always going to be this unofficial rule of thumb that physical teams have an edge because they choose to be. Good teams or players who can get physical typically win more often than not because of the mental edge gained on an opponent. The choice to initiate contact and dictate the energy of the game. Why do they wait for the issue to reach the tipping point before we see it? Sometimes, this is where the Lakers are lacking, and nothing shows this more than their inability to commit the good ole fashioned hard foul.

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