Around the League: Week 25 4/11 - 4/17

[Sunsfan4life]

Gotta give it to the mamba. I hated him for so long, but one of the best players to ever play. I have much more respect for a guy like Kobe then a guy Like SHAQ who just seems like a goof off.

Still...I'm proud to say we handed him back to back playoff L's in 06-07 including the epic 2006 comeback. What made that one of if not the most enjoyable playoff series for me is how much I Hated Kobe.

[The Bobster]

There have be 190 50-point games since the beginning of the 1983-84 season, this is the first one where the player shot under 50%.

[carey]

There have be 190 50-point games since the beginning of the 1983-84 season, this is the first one where the player shot under 50%.

Buzzkill.

[carey]

Btw, Larry Nance Jr. had himself a nice little rookie year. 5.5 points 5 rebounds in 20 minutes per game.

[carey]

Conversely, I was fairly disappointed in Randle's 2nd year even though he basically red shirted his rookie season due to injury. But 11.5 pts & 10 rebounds on 43 % shooting in 28 minutes per game. I expected more from him, but he was better than Alex Len who only averaged 9 pts & 8 rebounds on 42% shooting in just 23 minutes per game.

[The Bobster]

A little bit better rebounder than his dad's rookie campaign, but nowhere near the scorer or shot blocker.

Looks like he'l be a productive NBA player though.

[The Bobster]

I certainly wouldn't trade Len for Randle. they are both excellent rebounders and limited offensively, but Len has potential to be a very good defender (although he regressed this year), Randle doesn't look like he's ever going to be a anything above average defensively.

[Furlanfufi]

I hated Kobe. I think everyone here did. But gotta recognize he was a hell of a player.

By the way, #thanksrajabell

[Indy]

I hated Kobe. I think everyone here did. But gotta recognize he was a hell of a player.

By the way, #thanksrajabell

Well said. Especially the last part.

[Superbone]

Btw, where IS everyone? You got GSW about to set the record, Curry hitting 400 3's in a season, and the Kobe show and this thread is empty. Everyone tuned out on the season already?

In front of my TV watching all of it plus the Suns game.

[carey]

Haha. Anyone see Smush Parker's tweet? Dude is still bitter.

"Once a ball hog, always a ball hog."

[ShelC]

The Warriors mindset all season has been impressive. It's difficult to keep that kind of focus night in and night out so I have a lot of respect for that. It's more than just talent, it's going into each game locked in and not just writing one off because it's the 4th game in 5 nights or thinking you can just show up and beat someone.

Regarding Kobe, I've actually been disgusted all year by the lovefest. He was a douche his entire career, a bad teammate, a bad guy to reporters, raped a girl and got away with it, yet created this illusion in his final year as some loveable, gracious athlete and ambassador to re-write his own history. I think the Lakers sold themselves out with the Farewell Tour farce to make money and stunted the growth of the team and their younger players. I think the Lakers and Kobe disrespected the game last night by giving him 50 shots so he could blow it out one last time. So all I can say is, good riddance. I won't miss him and I'm glad the Lakers have lowered themselves to that level.

[The Bobster]

Regarding Kobe, I've actually been disgusted all year by the lovefest. He was a douche his entire career, a bad teammate, a bad guy to reporters, raped a girl and got away with it, yet created this illusion in his final year as some loveable, gracious athlete and ambassador to re-write his own history. I think the Lakers sold themselves out with the Farewell Tour farce to make money and stunted the growth of the team and their younger players. I think the Lakers and Kobe disrespected the game last night by giving him 50 shots so he could blow it out one last time. So all I can say is, good riddance. I won't miss him and I'm glad the Lakers have lowered themselves to that level.

This pretty much sums it up for me.

[Mori Chu]

I hated Kobe. I think everyone here did. But gotta recognize he was a hell of a player.

By the way, #thanksrajabell

This GIF (or a better one of the same moment) should be the site logo.

[Mori Chu]

Regarding Kobe, I've actually been disgusted all year by the lovefest. He was a douche his entire career, a bad teammate, a bad guy to reporters, raped a girl and got away with it, yet created this illusion in his final year as some loveable, gracious athlete and ambassador to re-write his own history. I think the Lakers sold themselves out with the Farewell Tour farce to make money and stunted the growth of the team and their younger players. I think the Lakers and Kobe disrespected the game last night by giving him 50 shots so he could blow it out one last time. So all I can say is, good riddance. I won't miss him and I'm glad the Lakers have lowered themselves to that level.

This pretty much sums it up for me.

They basically gave away a year to let him chuck and ballhog. Typical. Oh well. I am not sure that many teams would have done differently under the circumstances. Pretty funny that they just fed him the ball to chuck up shots all night. I didn't watch because I was glued to the Warriors' 73rd win. Did the opposing team guard Kobe or did they just let him score? Was this an "Emperor's new clothes" situation?

[Mori Chu]

http://www.basketball-reference.com/lea ... _game.html

[Indy]

Regarding Kobe, I've actually been disgusted all year by the lovefest. He was a douche his entire career, a bad teammate, a bad guy to reporters, raped a girl and got away with it, yet created this illusion in his final year as some loveable, gracious athlete and ambassador to re-write his own history. I think the Lakers sold themselves out with the Farewell Tour farce to make money and stunted the growth of the team and their younger players. I think the Lakers and Kobe disrespected the game last night by giving him 50 shots so he could blow it out one last time. So all I can say is, good riddance. I won't miss him and I'm glad the Lakers have lowered themselves to that level.

This pretty much sums it up for me.

They basically gave away a year to let him chuck and ballhog. Typical. Oh well. I am not sure that many teams would have done differently under the circumstances. Pretty funny that they just fed him the ball to chuck up shots all night. I didn't watch because I was glued to the Warriors' 73rd win. Did the opposing team guard Kobe or did they just let him score? Was this an "Emperor's new clothes" situation?

I can't see many teams doing that. First, if you have a top 20 player of all time, on your roster for 20 years, you are likely a storied franchise. They wouldn't do that. I can't see the Spurs doing that for Duncan, or Duncan wanting to do that. Kobe is a bitch (with amazing basketball talent), and as Shel said, good riddance.

[Indy]

Regarding Kobe, I've actually been disgusted all year by the lovefest. He was a douche his entire career, a bad teammate, a bad guy to reporters, raped a girl and got away with it, yet created this illusion in his final year as some loveable, gracious athlete and ambassador to re-write his own history. I think the Lakers sold themselves out with the Farewell Tour farce to make money and stunted the growth of the team and their younger players. I think the Lakers and Kobe disrespected the game last night by giving him 50 shots so he could blow it out one last time. So all I can say is, good riddance. I won't miss him and I'm glad the Lakers have lowered themselves to that level.

Thank you for this. I don't get why so many smart people lost their perspective this season with that guy... and what he has done off the court.

[Aztec Sunsfan]

The Warriors mindset all season has been impressive. It's difficult to keep that kind of focus night in and night out so I have a lot of respect for that. It's more than just talent, it's going into each game locked in and not just writing one off because it's the 4th game in 5 nights or thinking you can just show up and beat someone.

Regarding Kobe, I've actually been disgusted all year by the lovefest. He was a douche his entire career, a bad teammate, a bad guy to reporters, raped a girl and got away with it, yet created this illusion in his final year as some loveable, gracious athlete and ambassador to re-write his own history. I think the Lakers sold themselves out with the Farewell Tour farce to make money and stunted the growth of the team and their younger players. I think the Lakers and Kobe disrespected the game last night by giving him 50 shots so he could blow it out one last time. So all I can say is, good riddance. I won't miss him and I'm glad the Lakers have lowered themselves to that level.

To me, it was the perfect smokescreen for LA horrible season. What else could you talk about? They really miss a full season developing their guys, but still it was not like Penny playing ahead of Joe Johnson, they have Jordan Clarkson and to some degree Nick Young as their future SG, nothing to lose sleep about them not "developing, unlike Russell, who also benefited for the missing spotlight, both in an off the court, and still somehow found a way to blew his cover.

If we are mentally exhausted from only having Booker as a source of hope, I don't know how the average laker fan (and by average, I mean delusional) would have handled a season as dismal as theirs. So the Front office went to their star one more time, sold him into the legacy thing and Kobe delivered big time. To me, this charade meant to Kobe just another kind of game to master.

[carey]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nb ... /83020094/

Curry achieved his first 50-40-90 season, too, finishing with a career-high 50.4% mark from the field overall, 45.4% from three-point range and 90.8% from the free throw line. According to basketball-reference.com, that feat has now been done 13 times by nine different players. The 50-45-90 mark that Curry reached is far more rare, with only Warriors coach Steve Kerr (while with the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls who had the previous regular season record of 72 wins) and Warriors player development consultant Steve Nash (with the 2007-08 Suns) having done it before him. Last but certainly not least, Curry is the first perimeter player to average 30 points per game on 50-plus percent shooting since Michael Jordan in the 1991-92 campaign.