Zachariah Blott: Something Smells Foul in Cleveland

[Killakobe81]

I wasnt around in '72 but with the stakes of last Olympics i think those games were more important.
We needed to reclaim the US place in basketball ...
I know in 72 it was the aftemath of the Cold WAR and all and "politically" those games meant more but in basketball history China more significant IMHO

[JoeTait75]

1972 was significant in BB history because the United States had never lost a game in international compe ion to that point IIRC...

They were also losing by one when Collins was fouled. He got knocked into the basket support and had to get up and hit both FT's to put the Americans in the lead. Kobe's dagger came w/the Americans leading. Great shot, he took over late in that game... but it can't get more clutch than Doug Collins stepping up and sticking those free throws in the eyes of the Soviet.

Of course, if either Walton or McAdoo had played it would have been a dead issue anyway.

[The_Dude]

What "stakes" exactly were there from the '08 games? If the USA didn't win gold were the Chinese going to take over the world?


This is going to be interesting...

[Killakobe81]

What "stakes" exactly were there from the '08 games? If the USA didn't win gold were the Chinese going to take over the world?


This is going to be interesting...

LOL ...basketball ...i said that ...

And i have to admit hitting important FT's late can be tough no doubt about it ...

But I don't know i expect great shooters to make FT's ...pressurized or not. I am not saying ...Kobe's shot was better though it was amazing... i have watced the Olympics since 1980 and thought basketball wise it was the most critical game.

AS a history major US/Soviet relations were critical that is why the miracle on Ice was so special and THAT game even more critical than the Beijing one

[The_Dude]

Basketball stakes....yeah.

[himat]

There is an explanation for this.

Jordan and Kobe are solid perimeter defenders. They are almost always guarding the other teams best player.

LeBron's defense is a sort of highlight reel type of defense. All he does is provide weak side help 75% of the time. That gets him all him amazing steals and blocks. Occasionally you see him in a defensive stance against the other teams best player, but not so often.

And I think most of you guys would agree with me that 90% of calls the ref makes are on the ball fouls. That means they call a foul on the offensive player with the ball, the defensive player guarding him, or occassionally a player trying to set a screen. LeBron is rarely in this on the ball mix because he comes from the weak side.

[Killakobe81]

Solid analysis

[JamStone]

I think LeBron probably does get away with a lot on defense, but hey, that's what you get with a superstar. Ben Wallace in the mid 2000s got even more favorable calls on defense when it came to not getting fouls for attempted blocks or taking charge fouls or bodying up on the post and he wasn't even an offensive superstar. Superstars get favorable calls in the NBA. This is not a shock. Does it suck? Yeah, if you're the fan of the other team. But, that's the NBA. I can't believe someone went through all that trouble to try to prove LeBron is favored that much more on defense and when it comes to getting fouls. I'm more appalled at a guy like Wade getting every call on offense even when good defense is played on him.

[Killakobe81]

I think LeBron probably does get away with a lot on defense, but hey, that's what you get with a superstar. Ben Wallace in the mid 2000s got even more favorable calls on defense when it came to not getting fouls for attempted blocks or taking charge fouls or bodying up on the post and he wasn't even an offensive superstar. Superstars get favorable calls in the NBA. This is not a shock. Does it suck? Yeah, if you're the fan of the other team. But, that's the NBA. I can't believe someone went through all that trouble to try to prove LeBron is favored that much more on defense and when it comes to getting fouls. I'm more appalled at a guy like Wade getting every call on offense even when good defense is played on him.

Jamstone with a solid take as usual.i must say pistons fans as a whole best posters in this site Himat and Jam i may not always agree with but they dont spew hate or nonsense ...

[himat]

Jamstone with a solid take as usual.i must say pistons fans as a whole best posters in this site Himat and Jam i may not always agree with but they dont spew hate or nonsense ...

Well we don't have much room to talk anymore...(our team is tied for the 5th worst record in the league.)

[Killakobe81]

Well we don't have much room to talk anymore...(our team is tied for the 5th worst record in the league.)

record doesnt stop Heat fans (on here) from being idiots LOL
i started on here during the pistons/Spurs series always respected the piston fans ...

[djohn2oo8]

]All I know is the league tried to ice Kobe out in 04[/B], and build it's reputation around a boring Duncan, and the upcoming Wade/James/Carmella era. They failed so miserably, that Stern had to beg Kobe to play in 08. Now, the stats you posted are facts, but you what you failed to post is Kobe saying that he would not be the offensive destruction that he has been throughout his entire career, but he'd focus totally on defense to help improve the team's chances of winning the gold. He did just that, because he's a man of his word, unlike James and Wade. When the going got tough in the final moments of the championship game, and Pau seemed to be leading his county to another upset over the Americans, Wade simply goes over to Kobe and says, "IT'S KOBE TIME." What came after that was no doubt the greatest, most clutch shot in the history of International sports.

James, Wade, and Carmella had the opportunity to seize this moment, but they all bowed to THE GREAT ONE, while Duncan sat at home with his thumb up his ass.

Great one? Not even in the top 10 of all time

[djohn2oo8]

I, too, wish Duncan and the Spurs would stop being hyped so much.

...

...



The fact that you actually believe this is why the Lakers fanbase is the worst in all of the NBA.

Don't shortchange them, they are more like the worst in all of sports. With a few exceptions

[23LeBronJames23]

[LeBron James playing on one of the best teams in the league]


If you remove LeBron from the Cavs they'll be no where near the playoff but with LeBron Cavs are the best team in the league

This article is full of

[himat]

This article is full of

The article is pretty credible. Now there are other explanations besides, LeBron is the NBA's golden boy, that can explain his lack of foul calls, but to say this article is full of is ignorant. Its math. LeBron doesn't get fouls called on him by the refs. Its completely true.

[IronMexican]

It's finny hearing BR talk. Whenever someone says that CP3 gets extra calls or he flops, he says " of course he does. All super stars get them. So what" But not one es more than him when it's anyone else. And for what it's worth, the OP is re ed. Go back to LG.

[The_Dude]

The article is pretty credible. Now there are other explanations besides, LeBron is the NBA's golden boy, that can explain his lack of foul calls, but to say this article is full of is ignorant. Its math. LeBron doesn't get fouls called on him by the refs. Its completely true.

I posted three very good links. Read them.

[The_Dude]

http://blog.cleveland.com/cavshq/200...s_of_john.html

http://community.foxsports.com/tsuna...personal_fouls

http://www.cavstheblog.com/?p=1256

^ Some good comments to read as well that explain why Blott has no idea what a chi-squared test is.

[Killakobe81]

Look let me say it right here ...i have no problems with those that think Lebron is the best or better than kobe.
But in that note: I DO have isues that wont admit Kobe is at least on the same level or that argue: Roy, JoeJ, Pierce, vince, etc are in kobe's class.

Or that say he is just media hype overrated etc.

some ready to say Lebron is the best without a le and that is cool ...

But if he wants it without a doubt ...he needs a ring. MJ knew this that is why he set his sights on 6 ...he wanted to eclipse Magic. He knew he was the better player but he still had to go out and PROVE it and he did .

Lebron is the same boat in fact he needs to catch wade even if he is the better player to be considered the best ...

Wade had good aging talent (similar to what Lebron has now though i think Heat was better) and won a le ....

Lebron needs to seal the deal ...

[ffadicted]

That won't be a problem.

LeBron usually defends on the perimeter, and not against the opponent's best perimeter player, at least not till late in the game. Anthony Parker, Jamario Moon and Delonte West get the bulk of the defensive minute's on the other team's top perimeter player.

He really doesn't guard a man throughout much of a game. He plays more of a "rover" style of defense, playing passing lanes, looking for block opportunities off the weak side- activities that really don't result in many fouls. When you're not guarding a man, it's tough to foul a man.
.

Fair enough, but considering your post, tell me exactly how he gets DPOY nods...?

[HarlemHeat37]

These types of articles are way too biased and manipulative of the numbers..I would have to actually see extensive video proof to believe the theory to believe his point..the numbers are nice and all, but it's not impossible that Lebron actually doesn't foul as much as all the players he compared him to..

I really hope the guy with the ugly name that wrote it isn't a Lakers fan..

[Killakobe81]

Fair enough, but considering your post, tell me exactly how he gets DPOY nods...?

Great point. but i can answer thatpeople ARE idiots!!!

[midnightpulp]

Yeah, but Duncan and played, and they both stunk, and failed our great country, and it took Kobe to go to China and redeem our stars and stripes.

You're such an idiot. Duncan played fine in the 04 Olympics. Led the team in points, boards, blocks, and FG%.

[midnightpulp]

All I know is the league tried to ice Kobe out in 04, and build it's reputation around a boring Duncan, and the upcoming Wade/James/Carmella era. They failed so miserably, that Stern had to beg Kobe to play in 08. Now, the stats you posted are facts, but you what you failed to post is Kobe saying that he would not be the offensive destruction that he has been throughout his entire career, but he'd focus totally on defense to help improve the team's chances of winning the gold. He did just that, because he's a man of his word, unlike James and Wade. When the going got tough in the final moments of the championship game, and Pau seemed to be leading his county to another upset over the Americans, Wade simply goes over to Kobe and says, "IT'S KOBE TIME." What came after that was no doubt the greatest, most clutch shot in the history of International sports.

James, Wade, and Carmella had the opportunity to seize this moment, but they all bowed to THE GREAT ONE, while Duncan sat at home with his thumb up his ass.

Lakers homers and their insanity. Will it ever end.

If you're referring to the 4 point play, please describe to me how that shot was the greatest clutch shot in the history of International sports?

It came with the US up by 5 at the 3.00 mark, and if not for the drama of the foul, it would simply be another routine 3 pointer. Also, Kobe's defense was garbage down the stretch in that game.

It also worth noting that "The Great One" couldn't even manage 50% shooting against soft international compe ion while James and Wade crushed it with 76% and 67% marks, respectively.

But yeah, as inconsistent as Kobe was during the 2008 Olympics (if memory serves, I think he shot around 30% against freakin' Angola), he was indeed the best player because he had a good 4th quarter against Spain.

[LkrFan]

It's finny hearing BR talk. Whenever someone says that CP3 gets extra calls or he flops, he says " of course he does. All super stars get them. So what" But not one es more than him when it's anyone else. And for what it's worth, the OP is re ed. Go back to LG.

Hold up essay. Where did I call you re ed? Is English your first language? Anyway, refute the post, not the poster. Gracias mi amigo!