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The Cinderella-story continues! Dit keer 31 punten van rookie Daniel Gibson (in 30 minuten vanaf de bank), waarvan 19 in het vierde kwart.
Opeens heb ik zin in de finale gekregen
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ESPNCity embraces its CavaliersBy Chris Sheridan
ESPN Insider
CLEVELAND -- It was about five minutes before midnight -- a good 20 minutes after the final buzzer had sounded -- when the exit doors ringing the Q Arena burst open simultaneously and a sea of fans poured outside to join a street party the likes of which I've rarely seen.
All along Ontario Street, in the concourse between the Q and Jacobs Field, and on both sides streets at either end of the arena, thousands upon thousands of maroon-clad fans joined in on a screaming, yelling and whooping festival that rivaled the decibel level heard inside the arena in the final minute of the game.
You always remember what it looks like when a city's team that has never been somewhere before finally bursts through -- last year in Miami it was the sight of hundreds upon hundreds of white seat covers twirling through the air as the Heat won the East -- and a couple snapshots will stick with me.
Outside the arena, it was fans high-fiving police officers, boyfriends embracing girlfriends, husbands hugging wives and a bunch of guys hugging anyone they could find, from their buddies to strangers.
Inside the Q, it was the sight of nobody -- and I mean nobody, from the fans in the premium courtside seats to the folks in the nether reaches of the upper level -- getting up to leave for a full 20 minutes as the Cavs stayed on the court to celebrate the 98-82 victory in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals that sent Cleveland to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.
"Man! Oh man!" was all LeBron James could summon when he took the microphone and began to address the fans.
And then, with his voice hitting a high pitch that I never knew he had in him, LeBron played to the fans and gave them what they wanted to hear: "First of all, man, I'd like to thank every single one of the 20,000 fans. This is special. This is so special, man!" James said. "This is the best thing that ever happened to me, but listen here: It doesn't stop."
No it doesn't, but it'll stop for a couple days until the NBA Finals begin Thursday night in San Antonio. And in the meantime, the city of Cleveland will awake Sunday morning with what's known as a happy hangover, the euphoria of the previous night not quite worn off, but the reality of the bigger picture -- the fact that this city hasn't had a championship of any kind in any pro sport since the Browns won the 1964 NFL title, which was back in the days before anybody had even dreamed up the idea of a Super Bowl. Not only was LeBron James not even alive, yet, neither was his mother.
It'll be interesting to see in the years ahead whether a third generation of the James family, little LeBron Jr., age 2, will remember any of what he saw from his daddy's arms after James picked him up after finishing his mini-speech at center court and went to join his teammates, coach and owner in their celebration.
That coach, Mike Brown, also broke into high-pitch mode as he took the microphone and yelled to the crowd: "I'm in it to win it for this team, and for the fans of Cleveland, Ohio!"
Finally, NBA legend Bill Russell took the mic to hand over the Eastern Conference titlist trophy to Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, but before he'd let it go he pointed a finger directly in LeBron's direction and waited for the crowd noise to die down so everyone could hear his message.
"You are no longer just representing yourselves and your city, you are representing the Eastern Conference, and so I'm going to end by saying: Make me proud.," Russell said.
The Cavs will enter the finals as fairly prohibitive long shots against the Spurs, who are by far the more veteran, more playoff-tested team. Funny however, how this series-deciding victory was clinched by the play of rookie Daniel Gibson, someone probably too young to realize how few and far between these chances to make the game's ultimate stage come along.
It was Gibson, not James, who was the Cavs' best player in the final quarter of the game, a period that began with Cleveland leading just 67-66.
Two 3-pointers by Gibson in the first 75 seconds of the quarter quickly got the lead up to six, and another 3 make it 79-67 just 2:17 into the period. Rasheed Wallace's meltdown came 90 seconds later when he drew his sixth and final foul and then got his money's worth on two ensuing technicals, unleashing a stream of profanity at referee Eddie Rush that even made lip-readers cringe.
It was at that moment that you knew the Pistons were a beaten team, although the folks in the stands didn't quite see it that way. They had a palpable nervousness, wondering whether this lead could somehow be frittered away. But given this city's history, you couldn't really blame them. At halftime, I heard several of them, and several local writers, too, lamenting how the broken scoreboard that took the fans out of it at the start of the second quarter would go down in local lore alongside Red Right 88, The Ehlo Shot, The Drive and The Fumble.
But the Pistons (was this the last gasp of a crumbling powerhouse, a clear-as-day sign that their ride atop the East is coming to an end?) didn't have anything left, and Gibson kept going and going (19 points in the fourth on 5-for-6 shooting, including 4-for-4 from downtown), and the final minutes and seconds played out in a scene of massive controlled bedlam.
"If I could put into words what's going on in my head right now, man, we would be here for another three hours," James said from the interview podium afterward.
What he was experiencing was elation on a level that he had never witnessed before, a high even higher than the endorphin rush that fueled his epic performance in the fourth quarter and the two overtimes of Game 5 in Detroit.
And what he was feeling was also being felt by tens of thousands of locals, who took to the streets and let decades of frustration spill forth from their lungs. It was a scene to behold and a scene to remember, and it'll lead me to move on to the next big question in the days ahead: Are the Cavaliers so happy with what they've accomplished that it'll make no difference what they do in the fourth and final round?
Only the Cavs can answer that question, and only the Cavs can decide if they're already truly fulfilled. They sure seemed that way afterward, but we're quickly learning that we never quite know for sure what lies ahead for them. Keep that in mind before writing them off before the finals even begin.
Opeens heb ik zin in de finale gekregen
.Van harte Deli!
Boot laat Groningen fijn achter. Er is enorm veel geld doorheen gejaagd voor peperdure Amerikanen en andere buitenlanders, maar de jeugd is nog altijd matig.Landstede start Summerleague sterk
ZWOLLE - Landstede is de Summerleague 23 & Under 2007 ijzersterk gestart. De Zwolse ploeg won de eerste drie wedstrijden en deed dat overtuigend. In eigen hal werden zaterdag Aris en Den Helder verslagen en zondag in Leeuwarden werd Hanzevast van het veld gelopen: 113-43. De Groningers verloren zaterdag ook van Oranje onder 20, dat op de tweede dag ook Amsterdam versloeg. In de andere groep won Zorg en Zekerheid twee van zijn drie wedstrijden. EiffelTowers had op drie uit drie kunnen komen, maar kwam niet opdagen in Rotterdam. Dat kwam door fileproblemen, maar die waren er zaterdag richting Leiden ook al en toen waren Goedee en zijn mannen wel op tijd.
Ton Boot blijft verbazen, zelfs nu hij 'sabbatical' is. Nu weer in een column in de Telegraaf. Vind het verbazingwekkend dat juist Boot het waagt om kritiek te hebben op het gebruik van veel Amerikanen en het verwaarlozen van de Nederlandse jeugd. Zou die man niet in de gaten hebben dat hij met deze column zijn eigen werkwijze van afgelopen seizoenen compleet belachtelijk maakt? Als er iemand alleen maar met Amerikanen speelde en de jeugd (Nederlandse) jeugd op de bank liet zitten is Boot dat wel. Van inversteren in Nederlands talent/jeugd heeft Boot nog nooit gehoord daar plukt men bij Capitals nu van: afgelopen seizoen geen inschrijving in de diverse jeugdcompetities en het team dat Capitals ingeschreven heeft voor de U23-competitie wordt van het veld af geveegd.GRONINGEN – De NOS-Finalemaand is ten einde. Bij de meeste takken van sport zijn de beslissingen gevallen, zo ook bij basketbal. Den Bosch is weer kampioen geworden. Nijmegen, de revelatie van het seizoen, werd in de finale met 4-0 verslagen. Groningen maakte zijn favorietenrol niet waar.
De Nederlandse basketbalvelden werden dit seizoen overspoeld met Amerikaanse spelers. De eredivisieverenigingen hadden in al hun wijsheid besloten om het maximum van drie Amerikanen per team op te krikken naar negen(!). Deze yankees van het derde en vierde garnituur zijn goedkoper dan Europese en beter dan Nederlandse spelers. Het resultaat laat zich raden. In veel wedstrijden stonden er alleen maar Amerikanen op het veld. Terwijl men bij de meeste sporten klaagt over het grote aantal buitenlanders, worden bij het basketbal de Amerikanen met open armen ontvangen. Kortzichtigheid of een briljante strategie?
Eén van de gevolgen was een verregaande nivellering van het niveau. Alleen Den Bosch torende hoog boven de rest uit. Zij betaalden hun toppers salarissen van 80.000 euro per jaar of meer. Beneden de 60.000 euro zijn er slechts marginale verschillen tussen de spelers. Amerikanen die 20.000 euro verdienen kunnen zelfs beter zijn dan hun landgenoten met 60.000 euro. De scouting in deze categorie is grotendeels gebaseerd op toeval. De competitie was vanaf de start een loterij met een zekere winnaar Een ander gevolg was dat bij de meeste clubs niet de coach maar de grote groep Amerikaanse spelers in feite de dienst uitmaakte. Je moet ook wel sterk in je schoenen staan om aan hun krachtig en weinig kritisch groepsgedrag weerstand te kunnen bieden. Al gauw werd deze wantoestand met de term inspraak getolereerd. inspraak getolereerd. Inspraak houdt wederzijdse verantwoordelijkheid in. Daar was hier geen sprake van, het (vermeende) eigenbelang stond voorop. Veel Amerikanen huldigen het begrijpelijke, maar voor de topsport funeste, efficiëntieprincipe: met zo weinig mogelijk inspanning zo veel mogelijk voordeel verkrijgen. Nederland is voor hen een Luilekkerland, waar de sport een betaalde vakantie is. The American dream.
Een andere idiote beslissing van de eredivisieclubs, zij zijn machtiger dan het bondsbestuur, is per jaar het aantal toegestane Amerikanen met één te verminderen. Het komende seizoen kunnen er dus acht per team opgesteld worden. Eerst een drastische toename, dan een geleidelijke afname. Onbegrijpelijk, ben ik nu zo dom of zijn zij nu zo slim?
De enige reden kan slechts zijn om de generatie van 20-jarige Nederlandse basketballers “een kans” te geven. Dit zal voorlopig niet gebeuren want over vier jaar staan er toch nog vijf Amerikanen bij elk team op het veld.
Bovendien zijn de huidige Nederlandse eredivisiespelers, wier kansen juist ontnomen zijn, nog altijd beter dan de komende generatie. Deze laatste is, hoe triest ook, een verloren generatie waar nauwelijks tijd en geld aan verspild moet worden.
Er zijn te weinig goede Nederlandse spelers. De enige mogelijkheid om het basketbal op een hoog internationaal niveau te krijgen is op een structurele wijze alle aandacht, energie en geld aan onze vroegste jeugd (10-jarigen of jonger) te besteden. Het vereist een visie, plan en uitvoering op lange termijn van de bestuurders van de basketbalbond. Dat mag nu eenmaal niet van hen verlangd worden. Er is dus geen perspectief.
Het Nederlandse basketbal, 25 jaar geleden tot de top van Europa behorend, is verworden tot een Amerikaanse competitie op laag niveau.
Nee, Boot kan trots zijn op datgene wat hij bereikt heeft in Groningen de afgelopen seizoenen en het is volledig terecht dat hij nu achterover leunt in zijn stoel en kritiek levert op de gang van zaken. Wat een lozer!
Als je er verleden tijd zet ben ik het met je eens! Denk alleen wel dat zijn geloofwaardigheid ernstig tanende is. gezien zijn uitspraken in de Telegraaf doet hij zelf in ieder geval zijn best om zo ongeloofwaardig mogelijk over te komen.Jabu schreef:Toch slikt men, binnen en buiten de basketballwereld, zijn verhalen voor zoete koek.
Kobe should take a page from LeBron's book
Mark Kriegel / FOXSports.com
As viewed from Los Angeles, a town that has been more egregiously indulgent of Kobe Bryant than any of its teen starlets, the Cavaliers post-game press conference came as a welcome event. After Cleveland's improbable victory over the Detroit Pistons, one would expect LeBron James at the podium. Less expected, however, was one Daniel "Boobie" Gibson, a second-round pick out of Texas.
LeBron James took Daniel Gibson under his wing, and 'Boobie' has paid him back in full. (Amy Sancetta / Associated Press)
At 21, Boobie's not much. He's neither big, nor, as his draft status suggests, did he arrive in Cleveland with much of a rep. In fact, he spent most of his rookie season — the regular portion of which concluded with averages of 16.5 minutes and 4.5 points — on the bench.
In other words, he's exactly the kind of scrub Kobe Bryant would whine about having to play with.
But there he was, the unlikely hero of an historic upset. His line in the boxscore included 31 points, 19 in the fourth quarter when Detroit and Rasheed Wallace imploded for the last time.
When asked to what he attributed his great good fortune, Gibson could not have been more clear.
"From day one," he said, "LeBron's been in my corner."
I found myself wondering if Kobe was watching. I sure hoped he was, as he had subjected me to a miserable couple of days during which he thought to air his demands. Said demands might be summarized thusly:
Trade me. I want to be a Laker. Trade me. I want to be a Laker. Trade me. I want to be a Laker for life.
Lindsay Lohan, recently arrested on suspicion of drunk driving, made more sense when she cracked up her convertible on Sunset.
In keeping with this starlet theme, one can't help but think the timing of the tantrum had something to do with the ascent of James and the Cavaliers. Perhaps Kobe couldn't stand the lack of attention this time of year. Or, perhaps he knows that the comparison with LeBron James does not flatter him at all.
Bryant keeps complaining about the Lakers' lack of talent. But with the case of Boobie Gibson now in evidence, I would submit that there's not much difference between the talent level surrounding James and Bryant. In fact, let's dispatch right here with the fictitious notion that the Lakers without Kobe are a bunch of scrubs. LeBron James doesn't have anyone nearly as talented as Lamar Odom. The difference is how each star treats the talent around him.
Can you imagine any of the Lakers saying about Kobe what Gibson said about LeBron?
No.
Boobie Gibson went on about how James would encourage him after practice. "Keep shooting," he told the rookie. "Don't worry about nothing."
"My teammates," said James, "(are) my family."
To watch the Cleveland-Detroit series was to acknowledge James' greatness. He shoots when he has to, and from as far as need be. He can attack the rim like Bryant, but see the court like Magic Johnson. Still, his strength and quickness suggest yet another Laker legend, James Worthy. But even more striking than his individual attributes was the unmistakable sense that guys liked playing with, and for, LeBron James.
Last month, on the eve of the Cavaliers engagement with the Nets, Richard Jefferson was asked to assess the degree of difficulty in trying to guard James. The key, said Jefferson, was "he gets his teammates involved...It's not just the LeBron show. He's not a Kobe Bryant where he's just going to go out there and score at all costs."
Great players are supposed to endow the players around them with greatness. Kobe Bryant does not. While James is about winning, Kobe is about Kobe.
Kobe Bryant is driving a wedge between him and the rest of the Lakers. (Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press)
In relation to his teammates, Bryant inhabits a parallel universe, separate and unequal. Perhaps you recall former Laker Chucky Atkins remarking with some frustration, "Kobe's the GM of this team." I'll not forget the way he showed up his teammate, Luke Walton, who had the temerity to pass the ball back to him during an overtime loss to the Knicks. And while there's some fantastic revisionism emanating from the Lakers' high command, you may remember that even his own coach couldn't stand him.
You think anything has really changed?
Kobe Bryant doesn't instill confidence in the guys in the locker room. He communicates by text message.
In fairness, it's worth mentioning that Bryant plays in the West, where the Cavaliers would have had a much more difficult time. Also, there were injuries to key Lakers this past season, especially the one to Lamar Odom. But this idea that Bryant cannot deign to trust his teammates is nonsense. No one's asking him to trust Boobie Gibson. Again, put Bryant in context: this is a guy who couldn't trust Shaquille O'Neal.
Kobe Bryant is going to be 29 soon, and entering his 12th NBA season. He provided a partial template for LeBron James. He was the first, a basketball prodigy with a huge sneaker deal before he left high school.
James is only 22, and about to play in his first Finals. But suddenly this gap in age and experience counts for nothing. It is James who now sets the example. In watching him, Bryant may yet learn the difference between a starlet and a star.
Mark Kriegel is a national columnist for FOXSports.com. He is the author of Namath: A Biography and Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich, both New York Times bestsellers. He also was an award-winning sports columnist at the New York Post and the New York Daily News.
ESPNTale of the Tape: LeBron James vs. the Spurs
A year ago, when Cleveland faced San Antonio, LeBron James averaged 32 points per game. So you know that, when the Spurs faced the Cavaliers this season, they were taking him seriously.
How did it go? Does it tell us anything about what might happen in the Finals?
Thanks to the magic of Synergy Sports, I just watched video of every single possession LeBron James had against San Antonio's defense this season.
Plenty of food for thought for all those of us who assume San Antonio will win. (I'm thinking long and hard about that at the moment, in fact.)
First of all, the Cavaliers won both games. It was 88-81 back in November, and 82-78 in January.
But that's only the beginning of the story. The main point is that when LeBron James got the ball against San Antonio's defense, the Cavaliers managed to get a good shot an alarming percentage of the time. There were a smattering of offensive fouls, certainly. And a couple of times James forced a pass that was picked off.
I watched 50 possessions, between the two games. Eight times (nine if you count a pretty amazing Tim Duncan block of Anderson Varejao) the Spurs forced the Cavaliers into a turnover, an offensive foul, or a truly difficult shot.
Trusting my observations, that means the Cavaliers had good looks 84% of the time. Seems like a high number against any team, but especially San Antonio.
Those 42 times San Antonio was not successful? The Cavaliers either:
* Scored.
* Got fouled.
* Scored and got fouled.
Missed easy shots (which they do sometimes).
I have a feeling what happens with those easy shots will decide the 2006-2007 NBA champion.
James finished those two games a combined 21-43 from the field without ever really getting on a hot streak from long range. By my count he missed 15 very makeable shots (not counting "and one" opportunities when he missed shots after being fouled), including an alley-oop, a few layups, and several open jumpers. Give James those same looks every game, and he could have some nights when he makes 70% of his shots.
This is hardly the final analysis. In fact, how San Antonio defends Cleveland in the regular season may have very little to do with how they handle the Finals after a ton of time to prepare. And we'll all be learning MUCH more as all the preview insight is published. However, here are some things I noticed from watching that video:
Bruce Bowen guards LeBron James almost all the time, except for a couple of Manu Ginobili cameos. Against a lot of players, Bowen is omnipresent and annoying. Against James, Bowen is a barely noticeable gnat. James can use his mighty frame to put Bowen into any and every pick, and then he's often wide open. When isolated against James, Bowen can't do much to bother James' fallaway jump shot, which is sometimes a high percentage shot.
With the help of a pick, and sometimes without, James can get to the rim against the Spurs with shocking ease. Now, those of you who watched San Antonio play against Phoenix can tell you that "at the rim" is a nearly impossible place to score against the Spurs. The story is you're better off pulling up in the mid-range (which is the Achilles heel of LeBron James). I am here to tell you, sports fans, that those rules do not apply to LeBron James, who finishes at the rim against San Antonio with regularity -- at least in these two games. One reason is because often Tim Duncan is coming over to help far from the rim, and is not entrenched in the lane. But that only accounts for some possessions. On others? James is that rarest of players who just can score over and around Duncan. The genius of Duncan's defense is that he does not jump. He stays on the ground and saves his jumps for after the shot has been released. But James comes to the hoop so hard, he is so long, he is so strong, he is so fast, and he has a point of release so high, that he can score over or around a stationary Duncan -- forcing the big man into some non-routine habits.
You can see James posterizing Duncan. That play was not entirely typical of the James/Duncan relationship. But note how easily James left Bowen behind when he had a pick and a mind to get to the rim. That happened a lot.
The kryptonite of the Spurs is getting Tim Duncan in foul trouble. LeBron James could get Tim Duncan in foul trouble. I'm sure this series will be hyped in some fashion as LeBron James vs. Tim Duncan. Of course, they play totally different positions, and that would seem to be all hype. But, in fact, LeBron James vs. Tim Duncan may prove to be the key matchup for the various reasons outlined here. I should also mention that James does not look remotely scared of Duncan. You know how a lot players go away from Merlin? Not LeBron James.
James posts Bowen a fair amount. This is not the easiest way for James to score, but it's a very effective way to get Tim Duncan coming over to help -- and when he gets there, James likes to spin to the baseline and lead everyone on a race to the hoop. It's clear, as that race unfolds, who is younger. More than once, in the half-court, James had layups with Duncan entirely behind him.
The Spurs were not "going easy" on James in the footage that I saw. They tried a zone in which three players cheated way over to James. They briefly experimented with a high-energy trapping defense (James one-dribbled away from his man, and pulled up for a made jumper). They sent help early and often. And whenever James beat his man baseline -- where the passing angles are tougher -- as many as four Spurs met the young star.
LA TimesMark Heisler: NBA
Don't believe the hype -- Spurs are the real deal
Cleveland's James is getting all the attention, but San Antonio deserves the acclaim for building a workman-like franchise that's on the brink of winning its fourth title in eight seasons.
June 7, 2007
SAN ANTONIO — LeBron who?
Real greatness is at hand, all right, it's just not the hype ABC and Nike are peddling.
If Cleveland's 22-year-old LeBron James is the face of the Finals, however briefly, the Spurs are everything else, including overwhelming favorites.
If the Spurs sound familiar but you just can't place them, they're the little team from Nowhere, Texas … that's expected to win its fourth title in nine seasons … which would put San Antonio one ahead of the Lakers over the same span.
In other words, barring a historic upset, the Shaquille O'Neal-Kobe Bryant Lakers are not only history, they're about to be eclipsed by their old foils, who may or may not have been as great but indisputably stood the test of time.
In an age and a league dominated by ego, the Spurs are the Great Anomaly.
Not that it's going to turn around their image as the team America least wants to see in the Finals.
Of course, it's one thing to be foils to O'Neal and Bryant and another to be overshadowed by a post-adolescent, who's the only player on the Cavaliers who would start for the Spurs.
Being the Spurs, they don't care and barely notice.
"I'm just hoping every once in a while, they'll throw the Spurs in there between LeBron highlights," said Tim Duncan last week. "That would be nice."
This is an amazing disconnect between reality and hype. Duncan is a proven great, on the threshold of his fourth title, which would tie him with O'Neal.
If James was the most-hyped prospect in the game's history, Duncan is the least-hyped superstar ever, with a personality so low-key, his cute sense of humor is overlooked.
For all James' acclaim after living up to a monstrous buildup, he has little to say and a personality more bland than Duncan's, as James demonstrated again in Wednesday's news conference.
Duncan does have a hookup with Adidas but as teammate Robert Horry noted, he appears in ensemble commercials and if you blink, you miss his part.
Maybe that's all that's missing — a series of commercials with him playing a variety of roles, THE DUNCANS!
Not that Duncan and his teammates are completely ignored. Sometimes the press insults them, as when the Spurs beat the crowd-pleasing Phoenix Suns and people began noting how ratings cratered in prior Finals appearances.
You may have missed the Spurs' five-game romp in the West finals, which ended the week Kobe went off.
Under the headline, "In other news, Spurs win West," the Dallas Morning News' David Moore called it "the NBA's fifth-biggest story behind Kobe's desire to be traded, Kobe's hurt feelings, Kobe's indecision and Kobe's declaration that he wants to be a Laker for life.
"Luckily, no one asked Kobe Bryant whom he would have chosen to replace Paul Wolfowitz at the World Bank. Otherwise, the Spurs wouldn't have cracked the top five."
The Spurs don't even have their old Boy Scout image anymore. After the Suns' ballerina troupe whinnied about how rough they were, a hue and cry arose, claiming the Spurs were dirty.
Ik neem aan dat dit een retorische vraag was? Zo niet: Zou Cleveland voor de eerste keer in hun bestaan de finals gehaald hebben zonder James?
Maakt het vertrek van Jones de weg vrij voor Downey?
Aldus de wandelgangen-rubriek op debasketballsitevannederland.nlSpelverdeler Sam Jones vertrekt uit Den Bosch. De 29-jarige Amerikaan die binnenkort een Nederlands paspoort hoopt te krijgen heeft volgens EiffelTowers een contract voor het leven naast zich neer gelegd. Jones speelde vijf seizoenen in Den Bosch. Het bestuur van EiffelTowers betreurt zijn keus.
Hanzevast Capitals had vorig jaar al interesse in Jones, en de band met Toon van Helfteren, zijn eerste coach in Nederland, toen bij Den Bosch en nu bij Rotterdam, is voor de hand liggend.
Maakt het vertrek van Jones de weg vrij voor Downey?
Dat weet ik natuurlijk niet. Ik heb eerlijk gezegd ook wel betere dingen te doen dan het volgen van de Cavs. De meeste teams hier hebben wel een speler die er bovenuit steekt. Bij de Indians blijkbaar Lebron. Het viel mij gewoon op dat men zei dat hij beter is dan Kobe en toen ik ging kijken schoot hij pas halverwege de 3e periode zijn eerste emmertje raak, dus kan ik me die vergelijking niet helemaal voorstellen. Vandaar de vraag waar is hij zo goed in om die kwalificatie te verdienen? Scoren iig niet en assists geven zo te zien ook niet. Rebounds misschien? Positioneel verdedigen? Anderen coachen? Of is hij gewoon een soort talisman? Of is hij normaal wel goed maar kan hij het niet onder de druk van de finale?Frank schreef:Ik neem aan dat dit een retorische vraag was? Zo niet: Zou Cleveland voor de eerste keer in hun bestaan de finals gehaald hebben zonder James?
Het mooie van die Amerikanen vind ik dat ze erg uitgebreid (soms te) stats bijhouden.
Ik zou zeggen, kijk eens op de site van de NBA naar de gecombineerde points/rebounds/assists stats van de playoffs. Dan zul je zien dat hij in de eerste ronde en de conference finales de beste stats van iedereen had en in de conference semis maar twee man voor zich moest dulden.
De eerste wedstrijd in de conference final was hij ook niet top. Ik verwacht dat hij de rest van de wedstrijden nog wel boven komt drijven.
Ik zou zeggen, kijk eens op de site van de NBA naar de gecombineerde points/rebounds/assists stats van de playoffs. Dan zul je zien dat hij in de eerste ronde en de conference finales de beste stats van iedereen had en in de conference semis maar twee man voor zich moest dulden.
De eerste wedstrijd in de conference final was hij ook niet top. Ik verwacht dat hij de rest van de wedstrijden nog wel boven komt drijven.
Nummer 2 op die lijst is Antawn Jamison. Ook beter dan Kobe? Als ik puur op stats afga dan zou ik zeggen dat Nash van de Suns de beste is. Het maakt ook niet zoveel uit. Ik geloof graag dat LeBron James een goede talentvolle speler is. Er wordt alleen zo snel gezegd dat iemand 'net zo goed is als Kobe'. Terwijl je dan nogal wat zegt. Vorig jaar had je Dwayne Wade (kent u 'm nog?). Als Kobe fan kijk ik altijd erg kritisch naar zulke gehypte nieuwkomers. Ik hoop dat James in deze series nog opbloeit want basketball zonder smaakmakers is als het eten van een bak onrijpe aardbeien. Verwacht niet dat de Cavs gaan winnen. De Spurs komen op mij over als een team dat heel goed weet waar ze mee bezig zijn.
Ze zijn hartstikke goed, maar lekker niet zo goed als Kobe!!Jabu schreef:Zowel Dwayne Wade als de pas 22-jarige Le Bron James zijn ook toppers.
Maar ik zal er over ophouden...
Ik heb de partij van gisteren niet gezien. Wedstrijd was halverwege al gespeeld zeker? Was er nog wel wat aan?
Spurs humor schreef:And at the same time, a fan held up a sign saying, "Bring Out LeBroom.''
Following the game, pumped-up Spurs fans walked the hallways chanting, "Sweep, Sweep.''
Tussenstand op dit moment 62-55 in het voordeel van de Spurs. Lage score en Spurs op weg naar weer een overwinning......
Ondertussen 72-70. Pavlovic en Le Bron zijn goed bezig.
Eindstand 75-72. Le Bron miste in de laatste seconde een driepunter (dat gaf nog wel Ilgauskas de gelegenheid om zijn 18e rebound te pakken).
3-0 dus.......
Ondertussen 72-70. Pavlovic en Le Bron zijn goed bezig.
Eindstand 75-72. Le Bron miste in de laatste seconde een driepunter (dat gaf nog wel Ilgauskas de gelegenheid om zijn 18e rebound te pakken).
3-0 dus.......
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Monkey Tonk
- Berichten: 9667
- Lid geworden op: vr sep 19, 2003 6:54 pm
- Locatie: route 66