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For quite some time, there was an ongoing debate about whether Kobe Bryant deserves to be in the same conversation as Michael Jordan in terms of overall play and greatness. It’s still discussed by some to this day.
One person that would really have a concrete idea of the matter is Phil Jackson, who coached both players and saw the best and worst of the two in their respective prime. He, however, never wanted to get into great detail when comparing the players.
Bruised and bloodied, the Chicago Bulls have no chance of overcoming a 3-1 deficit against LeBron James and the Miami Heat, right?
Right?
Well, don’t be so sure. Some pretty good players have been on the wrong end of 3-1 comebacks in the playoffs. Guys like Kobe Bryant. Patrick Ewing. Julius Erving. Charles Barkley. George Gervin. Jerry West. And Wilt Chamberlain.
And Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant and New York’s Carmelo Anthony don’t have enough help to overcome a 3-1 deficit and win their respective series, right?
Right?
Are the New York Knicks suffering from a selfish brand of basketball?
When you think of this team, you primarily think of Carmelo Anthony as the team’s offense. That has always been the case (save for a brief period of Linsanity) for any team that ‘Melo has been a part of. And then, of course, you have J.R. Smith, who is known as volume-shooter number two on the team. So you have to figure that when Tyson Chandler is calling out the team’s lack of ball movement, there can only be so many that he may be referring to. Frank Isola of Daily News has details:
The All-Defensive teams were announced on Monday, and suffice to say, Denver Nuggets shooting guard Andre Iguodala was not happy about being left off the team for the second consecutive season.
Iguodala, known for his defensive prowess, received 16 total points (2 First Team votes) and was edged out for the Second Team by Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley, who played just 50 games this season.
His frustration is understandable. Last season, he was curiously edged for the All-Defensive Second Team by Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, who has shifted most of his attention to the offensive end of the floor.
This raises the question of who should really vote for these awards. The fans vote for All-Stars, the media votes for the MVP (and other end-of-the-year awards like MIP), and coaches vote for All-Defensive Teams. Players often believe that they should be the ones to vote for everything when it comes to awards and accolades. Unfortunately, someone will always be unhappy no matter who the voters are, because there are simply too many talented players and not enough awards to go around.
Tweet of the Day: Media responds to All-Defensive Team selections
Here’s the bottom line on Carmelo Anthony’s recent play. Using the measuring stick of points per shot, it is his worst four-game stretch of the postseason since the first four playoff games of his career.
Furthermore, when compared alongside other worst four-game stretches of contemporary solo superstars, it is near the bottom.
Following Sunday’s loss to Indiana in the Eastern Conference semifinals opener, the Knicks are 1-3 in their last four games, including 0-2 at home. Their only win saw them nearly squander a 26-point lead in a matter of minutes as they repeatedly force-fed Anthony (and, to be fair, J.R. Smith) in isolation situations.
