That's the problem. Only a coach of Pop's stature, or in the past a Sloan, Riley, Jackson, can sit a mega superstar in the 4th without major repercussions from said player, his agent and even the owners. Pop sat Aldridge without a second thought....and it was genius move (actually more like common sense). Luke knows if he sits Lebron for very long in the 4th, it's a bus ride 6 hours north to beg Kerr for his old job back.
Lakers were doing heavy damage with Lebron on the bench, there was absolutely no reason to bring him back in. Kuz was on fire. Lonzo and Kuz were game highs +8 and +10 and then Bron came in and it went downhill.
Joined: 02 Jan 2011 Posts: 36081 Location: 502 Bad Gateway
Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2018 10:21 am Post subject:
AirTupac wrote:
That's the problem. Only a coach of Pop's stature, or in the past a Sloan, Riley, Jackson, can sit a mega superstar in the 4th without major repercussions from said player, his agent and even the owners. Pop sat Aldridge without a second thought....and it was genius move (actually more like common sense). Luke knows if he sits Lebron for very long in the 4th, it's a bus ride 6 hours north to beg Kerr for his old job back.
Lakers were doing heavy damage with Lebron on the bench, there was absolutely no reason to bring him back in. Kuz was on fire. Lonzo and Kuz were game highs +8 and +10 and then Bron came in and it went downhill.
Lonzo and Kuz had played the whole quarter, right? I think the was plan to give them a breather while Lebron managed the offense.
The writing was on the wall with that. I know that D'Antoni claims no-one could control Kobe but holy (bleep) that's a time where you pull everyone, tanks if you have to, to pull Kobe out to get him some healing time after those initial serious injuries he played through in that game.
LeBron seems to be very durable right now so I don't think he'll get a serious injury but I think Luke Walton is also a lot better about not being like, "Ok, go screw yourself if you want to" kind of a coach like D'Antoni was. He has interest in taking care of LeBron whereas D'Antoni was an ass.
I think the last sentence of this snippet sums it up the best. Kobe was a dedicated warrior, and delivered on his promise, unfortunately all work he put in went to waste in 1 single moment.
Quote:
"I'm not disputing it at all," D'Antoni says today. "I knew it was an abnormal thing, what he was doing. We talked about it. We talked about it every game."
But Bryant didn't budge.
"There was no talking him out of it," D'Antoni says. "I think even at one point, I talked to [Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak] about it. I said, 'Mitch, he can't continue to do this. He's got to come out of the games.' There was no denying him from doing what he wanted to do. We tried. He told me on different occasions, 'Mike, I'll tell you when I'm tired, and I'll tell you when I need to come out.'
"So be it. I didn't think we should get into a wrestling match right there in front of 19,000 people, and that's what it would've taken to get him out of the game, and he just wouldn't come out. It was unbelievable.
"Obviously, it's not ideal, and you don't want that, and you wouldn't play players like that, but again, there was no denying him from doing that. He even said, hey, if other coach didn't take him out, he's not letting me take him out. It is what it is."
If Bryant withheld from his coaches information about how he felt, he couldn't do that with the players.
"We all knew how hard he was pushing, how hard he was trying, how much he was playing," Gasol says. "I think it was remarkable, but at the same time, it tells you that it's probably not a good idea to do it."
If there was concern about Bryant, he says he didn't notice it.
"I didn't pick up on it, and I wasn't conscious about it whatsoever," he says today. "I had one task, which was to get us there. So everything I had with them was all executional. In conversations, it was all about getting my body ready all the way up until tipoff and then getting out there and being ready to go for the full 48."
"People can say he was stubborn, but his stubbornness for that many years has led him to greatness," Morris says. "It's kind of like the gift and the curse of being Kobe Bryant."
It's extremely obvious that now Lebron is a Laker and the refs aren't giving him his usual calls. Last night he got nailed across the forehead by Demar. How does a GOAT level player not get that call?? The ref treatment this season has been atrocious.
It's extremely obvious that now Lebron is a Laker and the refs aren't giving him his usual calls. Last night he got nailed across the forehead by Demar. How does a GOAT level player not get that call?? The ref treatment this season has been atrocious.
This guy is amazing. It's a pleasure to watch him play. _________________ Nobody in the NBA can touch the Laker brand, which, like the uniform color, is pure gold.
Just another night at the office. 32 min, 20 pts, 9 assts, 8 rebounds, 2 stls, +21. _________________ Nobody in the NBA can touch the Laker brand, which, like the uniform color, is pure gold.
"Nah nah nah I'm not friends with a lot of people in the league" (paraphrased LeBron post game interview)
context?
Ireland started a question with "Lebron, you have a lot of friends around the league"
and then Lebron cut him off with "no, no I don't. I don't have a lot of friends in the league" or something to that effect. It was weird. Not sure what that was about.
Joined: 15 Sep 2012 Posts: 29487 Location: La La Land
Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2018 7:49 pm Post subject:
Ziggy wrote:
Jesusdelonla wrote:
Staccatos wrote:
"Nah nah nah I'm not friends with a lot of people in the league" (paraphrased LeBron post game interview)
context?
Ireland started a question with "Lebron, you have a lot of friends around the league"
and then Lebron cut him off with "no, no I don't. I don't have a lot of friends in the league" or something to that effect. It was weird. Not sure what that was about.
He doesn't like Ireland _________________ "Every hurt is a lesson, and every lesson makes you better”
LeBron gave his game-work shoes to a woman who works for the Grizzlies. He hugged her late in the fourth quarter and she was very emotional. Here’s why.
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