new found respect for kobe

[magic1fan]

http://vimeo.com/2640874


not trying to make excuses or reopen old wounds,but this video proved that i wasn't seeing things when it looked like the celtics were getting away with murder on kobe. i also love how the guy kills the myth that kobe was settling for jumpers,kobe was attacking and not getting the respect he deserved.

[EHL]

Well, the main issue is the nonsense about no hand-checking; that applies during large stretches of the regular season (to most teams), but when it comes to the best teams in the league (Celtics, Spurs, etc.), no question there is consistent hand-checking that is not called. Certainly not on the level of, say, the last 5-15 years, but without question it exists. Not to mention, of course, zone.

[phat_24]

Those illegal screens are absolute bs. Now KG is getting to the stage where he's taking down innocent Europeans AND still getting away with it.

I'm so glad this team stood up to his pussy-antics ala Gasol and Odom. I really want a clip of Odom's takedown of KG. We gotta show the same aggressiveness and straight-up toughness in Boston. The handchecking will likely never be called as it's very hidden during the course of play. Kobe was called for that off-the-ball foul because he's going to get scrutinized as a superstar.

Do I sense a conspiracy theory with the double standards in officiating and Boston getting their first title in 22 years? I feel the league has some justifying to do especially with blatant crap like illegal screens. We lost game 6 without putting up a fight but man, our job winning the title would have been a little easier if the right calls were made.

[Erik Eleven]

I'm sure the Lakers must have sent in a complaint tape similar to this one. It was obvious then as it's obvious now. But then again, there is always something to be said for being the aggressor — amongst other things, it buys you a bit of a free pass with the refs. Next finals, I wish the Lakers could be the ones that got away with playing too hard on the defensive end.

[kobeaki]

wow that was great , im tempted to post it on every single board here...every team and general etc...

i wont but i want to...

[semi-sentient]

I actually wish they would allow hand-checking again. The Celtics played some great, great defense in that video as a result.

And for the record, I've argued in other Kobe-bashing threads that Jordan never faced a defense as dominant as either the Pistons or the Celtics, at least not in the Finals. I actually think Kobe played pretty well overall against the Celtics, so I wouldn't chalk that one up as poor performance. Against Detroit, sure, Kobe played poorly. If you look at some of Jordan's stats in his last 3 titles (particularly against the Sonics, which happens to be the best defensive team Jordan faced) you'll see that the only difference between the two is that one won a championship and the other didn't. Teammates tend to have something to do with that.

Anyway, we have to establish ourselves as a defensive team and that's the bottom line. They are not going to allow us to play tough, physical basketball without having a reputation for it. That's just the way it is.

[A-Train]

hated those bench distractions.

[lakerz12]

wow that was a great video- really shows you that a lot goes on that you don't see without slowing it down.

I think doing sneaky things on purpose to foul but not get called is one of the lowest and dishonorable things a player can do and I hope that it isn't true.

The screens KG sets and that foul call on Kobe are just ridiculous. I would be the last one to ever say anything about a conspiracy but that makes you wonder.

[garcia3]

Lakers should have retaliated by doing the same to the Celts, they were too soft to even attempt it, that's why they lost. How do you let your franchise player get fouled repeatedly after the whistle and not get in his face or do something about it?. Some of the things in the video are blatantly obvious, but in the end, the most aggressive team won it and deserved it.

[Erik Eleven]

^ You can't just suddenly start trying something like that in the Finals. In order to be allowed that slack in the Finals, you have to consistently establish that game during the long haul of the season and make it your living bread and your identity as a team. Yet another reason why it's so important for this team to start creating good defensive habits at this stage of the season.

[Gus McCrae]

well, if I remember the finals correctly...which I tried to block out of my head...Boston had a couple games where the refs bailed them out relentlessly and we had one, that we won, where we were bailed out as well.

Water under the bridge, yes, they're dirty plays but it's the refs job to call them. If Tom Thibedau (sp?) is so smart he can concoct plays that refs are unable to see, then I guess he is the defensive coach of the year. That's on the refs though, not the Celtics.

Very good video though, well broken down.

[Sedale Threatt]

SS and Erik is spot on.

The only way you're going to get consistent slack from the officials on judgement calls is if you establish a certain style of play over the course of an entire season.

Watching that video, yeah, the Celtics get away with a lot, but crying about it now is little more than sour grapes. They were the aggressors, they were the better team, they deserved to win. Period.

I'd love for us to develop a consistent mean streak like Boston. That's when we'd know that this team has finally, and permanently, turned the corner. Until then, I'm always going to have doubts about our defense.