Kobe Rises to Yet Another Level

By R.G. Gaznabi

A few thoughts on Kobe's series clinching performance in Game 5 of the Lakers-Spurs 2008 Western Conference Finals.

I'm sure some folks might say that Kobe dominated the scoring too much or he didn't involve his teammates as much in the 4th Q or simply that he wanted the individual glory--

--BUT...

Kobe did his whole 'takeover' thing in a very 'healthy' way...and what I mean by that is he still managed to do his 4th Q heroics with the help of the rest of the Lakers. And he did this by staying within the offense to get free, using multiple screens and good spacing by his teammates.

What Kobe also did was that he realized that none of his teammates were exactly getting 'hot' over the course of the game. They all had their moments but no one was consistently scoring as we all (including Kobe) would have liked. And like a true MVP, like a true franchise player and like a true once-in-a-lifetime player, Kobe decided to take over and send a message to the Spurs from the very start of the 4th Q and pretty much put them in a state of high alert: HERE COMES THE MAMBA!!!

And as a result, the Spurs had to deal with so much pressure on their defensive end due to Kobe's aggressiveness that it did affect their game on the offensive end. For example, Manu had to take turns guarding Kobe (and expend a ton of energy on D) and when Bowen played Kobe it was obvious that Bowen's limited offensive game was hindering the already anemic Spurs scoring. So, the Spurs were always stuck in a dilemma of whether to play Bowen on Kobe or to replace Bowen with a more offensive player, which they desperately needed...and of course, none of the options worked out because of Kobe's reletntless (and very successful...over 50% FG) attacks.

Plus, there was so much attention given to Kobe that it freed up Gasol to grab 19 boards, including 10 offensive ones, which was HUGE.

Another aspect of this game, and particularly Kobe's individual game was his mental/emotional growth as a player which was evident in the TYPE of shots that he took. Even though Kobe wasn't getting any calls whatsoever he didn't try to force the issue. In the days of yore, Kobe would keep driving all the way to the hoop amidst multiple defenders and try to PROVE to the referees that he DESERVES a ton of free throws and in the process turn the ball over or get T'd up or simply take his teammates out of the offense.

But this time Kobe not only did NOT complain about the non-calls but he also didn't force too many 1-on-5 forays to the hoop. He simply pulled up for jumpers from the 12 to 18 foot range, which were all high percentage shots for him all night long. And he even got most of these jumpers as a result of screens, cuts and spacing by his teammates...so even if Kobe's teammates weren't taking a big chunk of the shots in the 4th Q, but they certainly were INVOLVED in helping Kobe get the ball in good spots on the floor with good spacing. And this involvement of the team on offense (even if it was just facilitating Kobe's scoring), it really helped them gel very well on the defensive end.

So even though it might seem that it was just another game that Kobe simply 'took over', there were all these subtle adjustments that he made that really showed that he is elevating his game to yet another notch. It even shows in the stats where Kobe has shot for a very high FG% (I think 53%) and I also heard that this was the highest FG% for Kobe in a playoff series in his career...and it came against the seriously tenacious defense of the Spurs who not only have Bowen, one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA, but also one of the best overall team defenses in the league.

One of the best qualities of the truly great ones in this game, like Magic, Bird & MJ, was their ability to adjust and somehow figure out a way to deliver, specially during the pressure filled playoff games where every moment becomes magnified many times over. In my opinion, Kobe did that again and again in this series against a team like the Spurs and capped it off with his best performance in this series clinching game 5.

The rate at which Kobe Bryant is elevating his game, just during these playoffs, all I gotta say is, watch out NBA Finals...

...HERE COMES THE MAMBA!!!

The Mental Toughness...A Huge Step for the Lakers

By R.G. Gaznabi

In the pivotal game 4 of the 2008 Western Conference Finals, the single biggest improvement of the Lakers, including Kobe's, has been their individual mental toughness and resiliency. Here's some examples from last night's game against the Spurs:

- Kobe doesn't get any free throws at all but he still keeps his cool and plays a great game. In years past, or maybe even a few months ago, he would complain vehemently to the refs and most likely get T'd up. But I don't remember Kobe even complaining all that much, let alone show any kind of anger or frustration.

- Lamar was constantly tagged with ticky tack fouls but he plays through it and comes up clutch in the 4th quarter. Numerous times in this season and in seasons past, I have seen LO taking himself out of games mentally once he sees that he's just not getting the calls or worse yet, he's getting called for silly fouls. This was a landmark game for Lamar as far as his growth (especially mentally) is concerned in the NBA.

- Luke started off poorly and even heard an earful from Kobe at point. In the past, this would certainly take him out of his rhythm but this game he bounces back beautifully with hustle plays and solid defensive rotations.

- Pau gets banged around by Duncan, gets scored on by Duncan and gets outrebounded by Duncan -- but still manages to contribute with hustle, timely blocks, decent help defense, 10 boards, six assists and overall good passing in the triangle. The Pau of old (the one with Memphis) would have crumbled in a playoff situation like this but this time he came through by doing all the little intangible things on the court. Pau should really try to learn a few things from Kareem who was also not the most strongest guy on the court but really used his length and quickness very well to deal with bigger centers and forwards in the league.

- Sasha, Farmar & Vlad...they all contributed in their own ways even when their shots weren't falling or they weren't getting the right calls from the refs.

All I'm gonna say...it's a giant step forward for this young Lakers team. Who would have guessed it would happen this fast?

That's the beauty of the NBA.