Tag: Stephen Curry

Tribute to Kobe Bryant

13 April 2016

Kobe Bryant is not our favorite athlete, has never been and never will be.

With him holding the ball for most possessions, the 6302 assists comes as a by-product of his selfishness. He is a control freak. He can’t let go and trust his teammates.  He drives teammates away with his single-mindedness.

These are the reasons why we could not like Kobe Bryant as a basketball player like we do Stephen Curry (who found a better balance between the selflessness of Steve Nash and selfishness of Kobe), but they are also why we admire Kobe Bryant as a human being.

He has every reason to be selfish, to only trust himself at the most crucial moments. Who else has worked on that fade-away hundreds of thousands of times? Who else has practiced that precise footwork every night? Who else is consumed by basketball and the desire to win as much as he is?

It’s not about the five championships that he won, or the number of times he’s been on the all-defensive team, or the Finals MVPs. It’s about his drive to win, his growth through the years, and his desire to be better. Kobe taught us there is no need to be ashamed of the hunger to improve.

While we could never like a basketball player that played so selfishly on the court that does not mean we could not admire the person that Kobe is. ‪#‎ThankYouKobe

#10 Draymond Green

10 April 2016

Yup, dray dray, in the top 10. First time I watched Draymond on live television was that aircraft carrier game, Michigan State vs North Carolina (1) (2). Definitely thought he was a nice player, undersized for the 4, but really good rebounder, real tough. Never thought he would be more than a role player though. Heck, wasn’t even sure if the NBA would see the value in him and give him a roster spot.  Now he is a top 10 player in the NBA (3). Stephen Curry would not be the MVP without Draymond Green (4). Green IS the modern NBA. He unlocks so many different things for the warriors, both on offense and defense. His playmaking and passable 3-point shooting allows Curry to do his thing. His versatility keeps the Warriors switching defense going (5). Top 10. No doubt.

  1. All I could think of while watching that game: “f***, it was the wind”
  2. Harrison Barnes! John Henson! Kendall Marshall! Tyler Zeller! James Michael McAdoo! That team was stacked. That 2011-2012 NBA Lockout College Basketball season was definitely one of the best. Also, three current Warriors in that game!
  3. To a hall-of-fame level GM such as me, who would know how to build around Draymond’s versatility, of course
  4. Or Andre Igoudala, or Klay Thompson, or Steve Kerr. But that’s just being nitpicky
  5. I called this switching revolution at least 4 years ago, for real. Think about it, the shot clock is only 24 seconds; the offense is playing against both the defense and the clock. The defense only has to keep the offense at bay until it becomes that last second one-on-one chuck to beat the buzzer.

 

Now for the best Draymond mix on youtube (from one of the best mixmakers, Mayo Highlights):

Top 10 NBA players Countdown

10 April 2016

Since the regular season is coming to an end this week, it is prime time to do a top 10 player countdown. This list assumes that the player is healthy and 100% (1). The best player is the player that you would want to build a new team around with (2). In other words, if I have Stephen Curry as my number 1, it means that I think Curry, as a foundation piece, gives the franchise the best chance of winning a chip (3) (4).  To make things simpler, this would be for winning one season, so the player’s age and development is disregarded (5).

 

 

  1. At least as hundred percent as a player like Derrick Rose can be… (Hold-on… I’m not saying he’s in the top 10…). This means that injury history is still a concern.
  2. You, I am assuming, are a hall-of-fame GM, not Doc Rivers.
  3. Does this mean I have Curry as #1? I’m giving it away, or am I?
  4. Yes, poor Sam Hinkie, the best chance to win a chip, not the lottery.
  5. Hey, trying to not think like Doc is already hard enough.