Bleacher Report - Articles by Pradesh Paris K Rai

The NBA Finals, Kobe, KG, Paul Pierce....and The Rest....

Pradesh Paris K Rai — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 22:41:03 -0400

So, the Finals are 2-1 now, with the pivotal Game 4 on Thursday night in L.A.

Wondering what the Big Two of the Big Three is thinking before Game 4?

Is Kobe Bryant so committed and sure about success that Game 3 was just the beginning of his ascendancy?

Will a Game 4 defeat, and a series tie, put Doc Rivers in critical mental pressure? Will experience (Phil Jackson) prevail over inexperience (Rivers)?

Will KG and Pierce, and Gasol and Lamar respond like Kobe and Allen?

But then again, we kind of expected this, didn't we? That Boston would take the first two at home, then LA would sweep three in their home court, Boston would take Game 6, and the all-important Game 7 at L.A. would go to the hosts.

For Boston to spring a surprise, they have to take one of the next two in L.A. If they can't, they shouldn't even bother coming back for Game 7 in L.A. No way.

For L.A. to take this championship, they need to sweep Games 4 and 5, and play for their lives for Game 6 at Beantown. Call me biased, or just plain positive, but if it's 3-2 for L.A. before Game 6, I wouldn't doubt L.A. on taking the title in Beantown itself.

L.A. has done far better on the road this playoffs than Boston has. And whether you want to hear it not, L.A. has Kobe. And we all know how he has thrived under pressure this season.

It's scary...trust me, it is.

Hold on, you might say...L.A. taking a game at the Garden? or even Boston taking one of 4 or 5? Nothing's impossible...but at the Staples Center, at Bryant's home court, this will take serious doing.

Serious series-changing events are supposed to be what the NBA Finals are about. This isn't the first round, or the Conference Finals...this is the NBA Finals...the best of the West against the best of the East...man, it's got to rise above this.

And there's the officiating...there's credible reason for those horse whisperers to stay afloat. Much of the officiating has been incorrigible and downright incomprehensible...probably, in light of the latest Donaghy scandal, the less said about the officiating, the better.

But then again, the playoffs are not your routine early playoff matches, are they?

Whoever thought the Spurs would bow out in five to this young, inexperienced L.A. team? or that Boston would struggle against the minnows Hawks and the Cavaliers all the way? or that a one-man inspired Hornets could come almost all the way and threaten, even dare to eliminate, the experienced Spurs.

Perhaps it's fitting that we now have the two best teams left.

Emotion and sentiment says that Bryant will just push himself, and his teammates, exhort them because, frankly....if he can't win this time, after all this season has turned out to be, I don't expect him to do better in the future. This is his time...should be.

What then for KG? Can he forgive his inexcusable Game 3 and pull himself up? It's funny...when a superstar has a bad game, everyone and everything goes haywire.

It's not the end of the world, or even a series, and already, we're proclaiming doomsday. Give the guy a break...and give him some respect...he'll step up, because he's KG, because it could also be his time now.

Ever thought about that?

But I expect more from Paul Pierce this Finals. No disrespect to KG, but Paul has been the marquee player besides KG for this Celtics.

He has thrived and succeeded, while still deferring to KG in the loyalty and popularity stakes. Paul has been the man, the leader. Ray Allen? Jesus Shuttleworth was no fluke before, he's no fluke now.

But sometime in these crucial matches, someone will crack up. Some superstar, from whom we expected much, will buckle under the gagging pressure, someone will let up, and titans will rise and fall. It is but inevitable.

And could we please, please put a stop to all these "Is Kobe better/greater than MJ?" whispers and broadcasts. Can Mr. Mark Jackson wake himself up from his MJ-hateful spite and memory and call it what it truly is, what every second person knows: Kobe's no MJ; he will never be.

He will just have to be KB forever, because that is what his legacy should be. Not as a Jordanesque legend, but as Kobe Bryant, the best after Jordan.

And seriously, is there even any competition or doubt on that? Kobe against Jordan? Seriously? Why? Because Kobe had all those monster scoring games, those freak streaks?

Get some perspective, basketball is not just about freakish monster scoring or defending nights, it's about dedication to the craft, to the skills, to the team spirit and morale, to the team cause, to longevity, to endless perfection, to mental durability, to setting it clear that you will never give up, that you will not whine and moan about bad calls, about hostile environments.

Think Jordan would ever succumb in a big stage? Did he ever?

Granted, a lot of other things also do need to come about for success, but no one ever said that winning championships, and being champions, was easy.

Kobe has had, at best, a season or two of such team success. Compare Jordan with that, and the reality that none of Jordan's six championship teams ever started 0-2 in the Finals. Or the fact that he never lost in the Finals.

Jordan was never held to below 40 percent shooting in a Finals series. That Jordan literally carried his team even when Scottie Pippen and the supporting cast had a doubt or two about themselves...night in and out, healthy or sick, at ages 33, 34, and 35. How's that for mental durability?

Kobe is far, far better than his contemporaries...let's just leave it at that. Compare him with his competition, not his predecessors. Like Kobe himself said the other day, "MJ...he's the monk sitting on top of the mountain."

Ask Kobe to win this championship, against this wonderful Boston team, and ask him to win a couple more...ask him to take a Defensive Player of the Year Award or two, or more MVP awards, and First-Team and All-Star selections, or overall team success and impact. Then we will start taking names for all-time's sake.

Ask him to excel, and carry his team, on the road...ask him for all-court, all-time dominance and intimidation...then, we'll pitch his case.

And the man himself knows it. And he's sick and tired with this endless monotonous tirade and persistence for him to even state his own case. We all forget that he doesn't need to do it.

Just being Kobe Bryant will do. If he's the Kobe Bryant he ought to be, the one we believe and rewarded him with.

Until then, let him be.

NBA Conference Finals: A Mouth-Watering Prospect!

Pradesh Paris K Rai — Tue, 20 May 2008 19:30:18 -0400

So, after the long wait and anticipation, it's now clear just who faces whom. It's the LA Lakers vs. the San Antonio Spurs, complete with history and rivalry. And it's Boston vs. Detroit with the young, eager hotshots against the old, experienced warriors.

In a way, it makes sense that the four best remaining teams of the regular season and the playoffs are now meeting to decide the two teams that will go to the finals.

Boston vs. Detroit and LA vs. San Antonio—what a mouth-watering prospect!

As I write this, Boston has just taken a 1-0 lead over the Pistons...at home, in case you forgot! This Boston team has yet to prove it can go all the way playing like this on the road.

But then, chances are that in this series, they might...just might, because they really have to...after all, it'd be one huge travesty if they were to win the whole thing without taking a road game!

What then of LA-SA? How will this turn out? Most analysts I've read recently have given it to LA for six or seven. I agree with them, but only reluctantly.

I'm not one to underrate the Spurs, not with their history, but given the fact that LA has been the team of the playoffs, I am a little concerned about the Spurs' ability to take this one.

And when you consider that they're facing a team that is progressively getting better, that has KOBE BRYANT on it, and with a supporting cast that is slowly getting every bit as good as Bryant wants it, and the fact that they're a slightly younger team than the Spurs, you might just find yourself edging for the Lakers.

But then again, there's no better thing than experience. Talent, the will to win, determination, it all fades away because experience is all this and more.

And this Spurs team has plenty of it. They've been through so much this decade, and I have a feeling that Gregg Popovich is on his team night in and out with this single foundation: that the Lakers may be the NBA's team of the moment, but even they don't, as with Boston, have the experience that his Spurs, or even the Pistons, have.

Sure, Bryant and Fisher have been there before. Sure, KG and Paul Pierce have been there before. But it's a newer, younger team that these four have.

But real-time pressure in clutch games can either make or break champions...a Gasol or an Allen, or even a Duncan. Surely, a few will crack.

I have full faith in LA, but Gasol's game, as versatile and wonderful he is, will be susceptible against the Spurs. If you think Duncan's going to lay down and let Gasol ride roughshod over him, you've got another thing coming.

If you think Gasol will find a way to dominate, either offensively or defensively, he's in for the test of his life. The Spurs are no Nuggets, no Jazz, these guys have been there, done it before.

This Spurs team is all about efficiency and defense. The former might be a natural tendency for the Lakers, but the latter still remains an afterthought. And don't forget the rebounding disadvantage so far in the Lakers' playoff journey.

It's well-nigh important that LA rights its wrongs, because Duncan can rebound, because Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are two of the most underrated small men in the league, and because both Vladimir Radmanovic and Sasha Vujacic have never been here.

And as frail as Duncan may be, the man has a history, of success. As overrated as I find him, the guy can play. Just ask the latest hot shot, Chris Paul.

Bruce Bowen against Kobe now? Some might be licking their mouths at the prospect of seeing these two up against each other...but not me. Kobe will find a way, and he passes and distributes better than ever. Inevitably, Bowen's dirty tactics will come in play. Don't discount the high rate of technicals in this one.

But note this: Kobe's main problem this season has been his inability to control his frustration and temper during crucial, difficult moments. Remember, he was but a whistle away from a suspension. So I have a fair guess that SA will exploit this. I would if I were Bowen.

With Bowen one-on-one against Bryant, multiple help from regular screens and double-teams, and extra pressure on Odom and Gasol to make plays and shots, we will see how the young LA turks respond. Also, the Spurs' two small men, Ginobili and Parker, can run and harass and compete.

Extra note: Bryant shot 9-of-26 with a huge chunk of free throws for 32 points in their playoff opener against Denver, but Gasol erupted for 36. So this is the niggling headache of their offense: Gasol can dominate. He just has to be stopped.

Just ensure that Kobe isn't allowed free rein to distribute and dish, because if he does, chances are some of his dishes might actually turn into points.

Bryant thanked his teammates for their contributions to his MVP award, and he rightly should have done so. If the Spurs do get the Lakers down a hole, wonder how will his teammates, and Kobe himself, react?

Pressure...that's the name of the game.

It is well-known that when Kobe's having an off-night, chances are his team will invariably have one. This is when the technicals will come in play. I always thought riling up Kobe when he's down makes him worse. Just ask Detroit for pointers...they should know. He averaged less than 25 a game against them at just 35-odd percent in the 2004 Finals....that last tumultuous year with Shaquille O'Neal.

The Pistons just competed against every Bryant shot. They harassed him into forcing desperation shots. Bryant struggled to distribute the ball to the main scoring threat, O'Neal. Think the underlying feud between the two scuppered their chances? Nah...the Pistons' relentless defense took maximum mileage off their cold war.

Psychological warfare, mental intimidation...this is when it heats up.

Just how will Kobe pull himself and his team down from deficits, in the fourth quarter, either at home or on the road, in foul trouble, when things are just not getting anywhere...this is where it all matters. He has been THE PLAYER this year, but the Spurs aren't the Spurs for nothing.

They were expected to roll over and let the brash upstarts, the Hornets, ride over them, the old lions, and NO should have, as should the Lakers. They were both 2-0 up and found themselves in a seemingly unending hole.

Good thing, LA finished off the feisty Jazz in their own maddening home court! As for NO, whew...your eyes must wet with the memory of seeing a teary-eyed Paul.

Don't be too hard on yourself, Chris. You did more than any other man this season, well, besides Kobe.

For Boston vs. Detroit, I have a feeling that it'll be Boston. But with the Pistons brick wall defense (as tough as Boston's, in my eyes), and their somehow weird and amazing playoff history, you just can't tell.

Billups, Hamilton, Wallace, and Prince are no flashes in the pans. These guys are the real deal, the true NBA warhorses. It'll take one momentous, epic effort to get through these guys in a seven-game series.

But I'm just so confident of the ultimate final: Boston vs. LA, that the heart just believes that it's possible.

Of course, the playoffs are where THE AMAZING HAPPENS...who knows.

For what's it worth, let the best teams come through. And let's enjoy what we have.

MVP, Winning, Playoffs.....It Gets Interesting by The Day!

Pradesh Paris K Rai — Wed, 14 May 2008 22:15:45 -0400

In case you're wondering if Kobe Bryant deserved it more than CP3, I'll say it to you now: yes, yes, and YES.

If CP3 was just as amazing and inspirational as Kobe: yes, yes, and YES.

If LeBron got duped and screwed in the MVP race: yes, yes, and YES.

Was Dwight Howard deserving or overrated? Yes, yes, and YES.

Sure, the Pistons are no easy opposition, but as an All-Star, an NBA First-Teamer and an MVP candidate, you're supposed to elevate your teammates.

For chrissakes, go down 4-3, not 4-1! Losing 4-1 is for chumps like the Hawks and the Raptors.

I've read a lot recently about how we should centralize the MVP race or even divide it, with one each for the regular season, playoffs, and NBA Finals. This is a valid thought and argument, and I do support it.

It makes the MVP race more valid, because as we've regularly seen, sometimes your regular season MVP just can't do a thing in the playoffs. Just ask Dirk, Steve Nash, and so many others.

Speaking of Nash, his two MVP titles are just a scam. Hate me for saying this, but if he just enhanced his teammates and led them to the best records, then this whole MVP debate would be a facade.

The MVP is supposed to be the most valuable to your team, the one that your team just can't do without. Those two years he won it, I'm not sure if he was any more valuable to his team than Kobe Bryant was for his Lakers, or LeBron for his Cavaliers.

This is the problem with the MVP race now. When Michael Jordan won his first MVP award back in 1988-89, he did so because he accomplished something. His Bulls won 50 games for the first time in history, and they did so on the back of his all-around impeccable game. The guy scored, defended, stole, rebounded, dished, blocked, and led his team in all departments. That is the definition of your MVP: the one indispensable star.

Like LeBron was for his Cavs, Like CP3 was for his surging Hornets. Like KB24 was this season for his Lakers.

But not KG for me.

Granted, he's one of my all-time favorites, but this year, for all the talk about the Boston resurgence, he was no more valuable for his team than Ray or Paul (or even Rondo, for that matter!). And don't even get me started about the 7-2 Celtics in his absence.

This is where it gets so heated. And confusing.

For me, an MVP isn't just the best player on your team. It's about the intangible value and worth of a star, of an individual so head-and-shoulders above everyone else, combining the physical with the mental to lead his team to success.

And with the game on the line, or down by a deficit, a true MVP stirs his team up and inspires them to believe it's never over until it's truly over. That winning is still possible.

Jordan was one of the few who strived for this immaculate perfection. He hardly ever missed a game. Even in the midst of such a horrendous off-court existence (packed to the brim with endorsements and other engagements), he consistently delivered.

Commitment? He had plenty. Desire? He had plenty. He topped 30-6-6 on a daily basis, and also won.

Most importantly, he dominated. Teams knew that it was never over until MJ said it was over. No one else before or since has demanded that level of respect, that level of intimidation.

If only individual excellence were the criteria, Jordan should have won it all those years from 1987 till 1993. Let's face it, he was the supreme athlete, the one that your best player feared because he could just lock you down, the one your coaches advised you to stay clear of because you just couldn't stop him. He was the one who dominated night in and night out, led his team night in and out, and never gave up. That should be your MVP.

Alas...that criteria just doesn't exist. We are just enamored with success, with results, with the obvious. It's much better that a team is 65-17 rather than 45-37 but with comparatively more heart and soul.

This is the problem.

That is why the 1995-96 Bulls are the team of my generation. And if I may dare suggest, the team of the last 30-35 years, before the Boston Celtics. It's not just the 72-10 season, it's a lot deeper than that.

It was Jordan's first full season since his surprise retirement in 1993, and that came alive with equal skepticism as expectation. It was also the year that saw Dennis Rodman become a Bull, and Scottie Pippen found a new meaning to the idea of a team leader, that it warranted patience, understanding of not just the physical aspects of basketball, but also of the mental ones.

Jordan's will, determination, strength of mind and purpose, was just the tonic for his team. He led them night in and out, inspiring lesser men to greater glory. They ravaged the entire league and dominated.

And oh, by the way, they scampered off with the top individual and group awards as well.

You think it was all a given considering they had that season? No, it's because they were the best team that season. They carried on uninterrupted for a fourth championship, because they didn't stumble like other regular season leaders did. They went all the way.

What's more, they won it all again the next year. And the next.

By the way, those next two seasons, they were pretty much neck-and-neck with the Utah Jazz for the best winning percentage.

The 2007-08 Boston Celtics and LA Lakers will do well to remember this. The regular season and its glory are over. This is where it all counts.

LeBron just might find it a lot tougher to scrape by, and he should. This Boston team is just that good.

Their defense is stifling. Their offense stands up when it counts. Their resilience? Just ask KG if he thinks his Celts are just a blip on the Lakers' radar and you'll get the answer.

What about the Lakers? After 3-2, can it be 4-2 next, or are we headed for another Game Seven? If it's Game Seven, it's a hell of a worry for the Lakers. Not just because it's one more unnecessary night of sweating, but because they've just not come through as they should have.

Kobe and Co. can say the Jazz were just tougher and feistier but the truth is obvious. They just messed it up in Games 3 and 4. At least, Game 4 should have been taken.

But then again, in Utah, Deron and Carlos are just two angry souls. And the fans...well, LA can surely take heart from their last regular season win there when they came and beat the Jazz' home-winning streak by almost 20.

It means the impossible is possible.

And also, remember, LA won two straight in Denver. There is no reason why they can't win at least one now.

What then of New Orleans-San Antonio? Is Game Six the end of the playoffs for the Spurs? or will it be one more road deja vu for the Hornets?

As I remarked earlier, the playoffs just get more interesting, and this is what you need now. Intensity. Winner takes all. High stakes. Dead important.

Champions are moulded from the deepest cores of desperation and hopelessness. How will Kobe, KG, LeBron, and Duncan respond?

Man...Game Six is where it's all going to come alive.

Raise your hands and cheer...we're seeing something historic in the NBA.

Kobe, The New MVP: How Deserving Is He?

Pradesh Paris K Rai — Tue, 06 May 2008 18:38:18 -0400

Poetic justice?

PR appeasement?

Call it whatever you will, Kobe Bryant finally gets his MVP trophy. Yes, that trophy!

Inarguably the most maligned and most feared player in recent NBA history, his game has pleased as much as it has shattered our expectations.

Yes, he has been the single most awesome force since Michael Jordan. Yes, he has been the most feared weapon in the NBA, the one whose mere presence shakes teams and defenses.

But also, he has been the most widely covered, the media has followed his every step, and also his every whisper. He dominates a good majority of your NBA discussions and he still gets the flak day in and out. Nothing is just good enough!

Possibly, not since Jordan has any single player been so harassed and covered by the media, and the coaches, and the players.

It hasn't been easy, but Kobe's lived with it, for years. Even when they said that he was just too selfish for his team to prosper, he still played and won, and lost.

Yes, Shaquille O'Neal might have never had those 3 titles if not for Phil Jackson. And again, if Kobe weren't Kobe, Shaq wouldn't be Shaq either. They were the perfect foils for one another, the perfect team.

Sad that they just couldn't get on in later years. But they are now friends, with a deep respect for one another-one climbing the stairs to salvation, and the other trying to find his way into the hallowed rooms he once inhabited.

But then, for every door closed, another window opens.

And it did. Kobe carried his team night in and out, shred defences and offenses apart, the records kept on piling, and still, his team was nothing without him. The Cavs without LeBron? Please.....without Kobe, the Lakers would just be another inner city ball club.

And now, back to May 2008, with a red-hot Pau Gasol, a rejuvenated Lamar Odom, an inspirational Derek Fisher, a bench that threatens to be the best bench in the league, and his blink-and-you'll-miss-it leadership and game, Kobe's Lakers sit at the top of the Western Conference, just an edge ahead of the red-hot New Orleans Hornets, and you would even be inclined to suggest that the last 10 games of the regular season just, just made the difference.....

LA won 8, and NO won 6, and of those four losses, one was to LA, another to Dallas, and again to the Spurs, and this is where it all faded away....Chris Paul could have plastered the MVP award those last games, but he cracked....and so did his team.

And remember, some of those road wins and losses for the Lakers and the Hornets respectively....just, just told you....that Kobe was the man. That Paul would improve in later years, but for now, Kobe was just irrepressible.

Kobe's lived with this pressure all throughout his career, and the last few seasons, no one has had to deal with as much.

Yet, he plays and gives it his all, admonishes his team mates for not living upto their potential, for not giving it their all, takes over games and defences and just shreds them apart, and still gets so much dirt thrown at him that it's sometimes preposterous that he's still with the Lakers, still in the league.

Paul and Kobe were my top 2 this year, not because KG and LeBron were any less deserving, but because Paul and Kobe were the main forces this year.

LeBron will, from now on, be the new Kobe, because he shares the same predicament-his team is just not good enough for his skills, his leadership.

This series against the league-leaders, the Celtics, will present LeBron his toughest test yet.

Chris Paul was amazing, the turnaround for his team absolutely mind-boggling, and those victories over some of the NBA's top teams, just wonderful. He did all he could, made his teammates All-Stars, rejuvenated some other's flagging careers, and hell, he even made his coach the Coach of the Year!

But he wasn't Kobe....no one else was. Just ask any of the players or coaches in the NBA.....if they had to, they just wouldn't face Kobe.

Kobe is the man you look out for, the one you search for in those four-five minute spans of the final quarters, the one who destroys a team before it even initiates its first possession in the opening quarter, the one who just looks at teams in the eye, licks his fingers and hands (and one sore finger too!), and just goes to work-doing what he now better than anyone else-score, assist, distribute, steal, block-and oh.....his team is now 5-0 in the playoffs, mind you!

Supposedly, the toughest Conference in years, right? Naah, his team was at the summit.

A game or two was the difference between him and Paul, you'd think, right?

If the last 10 games had been different, Paul would be receiving the award, and you'd be saying, "Paul came good in those last games so he deserved it".....look at it another way, "Paul was awesome, but he was no Kobe".

Kobe shed off those unforgivable losses to Charlotte and Memphis, two of the NBA's worst teams, and just continued to play, and inspire his team. They had one of the toughest end-schedules in the league, and they dominated.

New Orleans was torn apart to the tune of a deficit of 30, the Spurs manhandled on way to a crushing 20-point defeat, the same for Dallas, and at the forefront of it all....the man who egged his team to believing that something was real possible....Kobe.

Stats will never tell you the true story, because if they did, then, Kobe should have received his first trophy back in 2002-03 when the Lakers rode on his shoulders, in the absence of O'Neal, or in 2005-06 and 2006-07 when he had a stratospheric season when he towered over his team's wins...and their losses.

He was the last warrior, the last samurai....he should have won it all then, but he didn't.

It's not about numbers, because Kobe Bryant is now way, way above that. It's just Kobe and KG now, they're beyond stats, beyond numbers-their impact and MVP-ness just plain apparent and understood in their team, the one their team looks up to....that's what a true MVP is.

That's what Kobe Bryant now is.

The debate will continue unabated, over the critics and the fans, but one thing is simple-the playoffs just got better, because Kobe Bryant and his team are The Team of the Moment, the ones you just can't get your eyes off of.

The team that shows you just how much they've grown this season, and has the results to show for it.

The perfect Hollywood ending? (not if Mr. James has his say)

Kevin Garnett, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant And THAT GUY!

Pradesh Paris K Rai — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:08:56 -0400

It sure is a funny world!

In his third professional season, Mr. James gets 48 points in a sterling must-win playoff game, on the back of a wonderful season, and he's compared to THAT GUY.

A veteran of over 10 seasons, of which the last five have been magnificent (in any way you want to take it), night after night, his performances instigate talks of the ultimate comparison-is he better than THAT GUY?

To me, this is what is wrong about the naysayers, the critics, the fans, of the NBA. That immediately after we see the gold, we tend to believe that the rust and dust has already abated and waned. It's not fair, not to Jordan, and certainly not to James and Bryant. Let'em be....let us enjoy them for who they are.

It's pretty simple-no one compares to Jordan, as no one does to Dr. J, Bird, Magic, Russell....or any of the all-time greats. Jordan was, in the eyes of a huge percentage of NBA minds, the greatest of all time, with stats and records to match, and perhaps, never ever reach.

Kobe can certainly get there, but I doubt if he has time (and mental cohesion) on his side. Which, does help Le Bron's case, because he certainly has the benefit of time.

The best part about these big 3 is so obvious-you can't take your eyes off'em. You just can't. You look at how they do the things they do, the fear they put in the opposition's minds and strategies, the havoc they create, the joy they bring to the fans, and also, the occasional heartbreak.

For me, it's so easy-Jordan was always the MAN. You knew that he'd step up, that he'd rile his team back from any deficit, that he'd steal anything near and around him, that he'd clamp down anyone (Just ask Vince, for our generation's sake!), and that he'd never ever give up, not for a second. Doubt was never his salvation, determination and force of will was.

Since maybe 2002-03, I have seen the same in Kobe, though he's seen worse. Lets not even talk about the preseason banter about Kwame, Bynum, management, etc.....call him selfish, jerk, prick, whatever you will, you know deep inside that when he's on the court, nothing is safe, not your team, not your defence, nor your offence. He's that irrepressible.

And LeBron.....man, what a force of nature. Big, athletic, powerful, versatile, what can he not do? Alas....that' the paradox....he can do everything...but he just has nothing to play with. How many seasons can you expect him to pull his team through, night in and out, series after series....? It's bound to demoralize him any day....IF Washington does the impossible and ends his season, I bet that he'll have a hard talk with management. He deserves it.

I realize I've given Boston a pretty hard time of late. I apologize for it, but I'm actually a bit jealous......KG's always been one of my favorites and I just appreciate his team-ness, his play, his force of will. And now, co-helped by two solid All-Stars, it's actually gotten easier for him, the two have facilitated his immense abilities, fortified their team's presence, and the results prove it.

Just how the hell did they lose two straight to Atlanta is just beyond me.

But maybe, I'm just over-excited.

I pity Kobe actually. Shaq was the dominant force during the 3-title run, but he couldn't have done it if Kobe wasn't Kobe then. And all the while, they said that Kobe was a ball-hog, that he just cared for his numbers-poor Kobe. Run 40 straight for 10 games when the big guy's out, carry his team to playoff contention, and still get no votes for MVP.

Have an outrageous scoring season and lead a team of no-hoppers to playoff contention against the West's best team and almost get through....and still get crucified, because he just didn't trust enough? Perhaps, he just didn't....and who can blame him for his teammates' inefficiency?

Maybe he was no leader then, maybe he just wasn't patient and tolerant enough....but it's over, just a lesson for his team now. Because they have grown up. And Kobe has led them by example and by faith.

I wish I could say the same about LeBron next year, and the next. As I can say about KG now. These are gems....they truly are.

Yes, we can say the same about those eternal usual suspects-the Spurs and the Pistons....yes, they are what a team should really be. And hats off to them and their consistency through the years....sadly, they just don't do it for me. They just don't make my blood boil and race, it's just not good for my heart.

Not that I don't appreciate what they give and do-I do. How else can you explain their success and belief through the years? You have to give them that.

But this playoffs, I'll take Kobe, KG, and LeBron over them... and one day soon, maybe I won't have to regret my words.

Is It Kobe's Time Now?

Pradesh Paris K Rai — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:10:31 -0400

So, LA swept Denver. New Orleans brushed aside Dallas, and what do you know.....San Antonio dismissed the undeserving Suns.

Over in the East, things got interesting...very interesting. Boston lost twice and now holds a slim 3-2 lead over the resurgent Hawks. Make no mistake.....LA could have made it 11 straight back in March but Kobe's final-second turnover made it difficult. Mr. Johnson's defence didn't help either! Atlanta's no slouch....n I figure Game 6 should be a cracker. If they do gate-crash this party, this will be the biggest upset in recent playoff history, even bigger than Dallas' crash down to earth last year against Baron Davis' Warriors.

What then of Cleveland-Washington? Down a game and with everything to play for in Game 6, how will LeBron and his team respond? Do Stevenson and Butler truly believe that James is overrated and his team too dependent on him, as the series has progressively shown? Tune into this for more drama on Friday evening!

What then of the ones who are already in the second round? What then of LA, NO, Orlando, SA?

And finally, what is to come out of the Utah-Houston series? Will McGrady and co. inspire a Game 6 revolution and tie it all up? or are they facing the end of the tunnel where another slow, dark tunnel of mental recuperation starts again?

The first round of the playoffs has come alive.....thanks to one man, and another one. The superlative Kobe Bryant and the young brat, Chris Paul, have energized the playoffs this round. Kobe has been a fearless leader and so has Paul. LeBron could have been the same, instead, it appears that his team's eternal hope and dependability on him saving their butts everytime is seemingly exhausting him. It is understandable.

The LA-Denver Game 2 was, to put it mildly, intoxicating......sheer joy because of that one man, Bryant, and his indisputable will to exhort himself to success. Poor AI must be ruiing why he said what he said before the series. Sorry bro, you were great before, you took your team single-handledly once to the very top, but this is Kobe's time.....at least till now.

I have no doubt that LA will crush any of the two-Utah or Houston-and reach the Conference Final. This is where it'll get tricky-will it be the Spurs' experience and team spirit to carry them through the red-hot Hornets, led by that awesome Paul?

I tell you, if Paul carries his Hornets through, it'll be a bigger achievement than Kobe doing the same for his team.

Whoever LA faces in the Conference Finals will be fun.....much like the Finals before the Finals. If it's the Spurs, then, we are in for a heck of a ride. If New Orleans, I'm afraid it won't take more than five or six for LA to scrape ahead. The way Kobe's got the team on his shoulders, believing in his team mates, and also stepping up whenever it is sorely needed, no one else in the league has his will and determination.

He will do all it'll take this season, this playoffs.....he believes it's his team, I believe so....but it's a fragile situation....get the Lakers down a desperate deficit and that should be the ultimate test of how they've grown this year.

For the East, it really doesn't matter......any of the Western teams alive, and I mean either LA or the Spurs, is going all the way....though it'd take a fool to bet against Boston reaching the Conference Finals....I still think it'll be very tough for them to get by Detroit.

And by the way, the regular season is over......does not matter, done with. Winning records or losing records......it's the past. What matters is now and right here.

Boston was by far the most impressive team in the regular season. This playoff, they have been just as unimpressive. If Joe Johnson and team of no-hoppers (and 45-37, mind you!) can make it 2-2, after being crushed the first two games, can do this to them, what won't Detroit and its resilience do?

I bet Kobe's just waiting for Boston....I don't think he's even contemplating any other team. He has a score to settle....a legacy to build....and it's his time. If not, it'll never be.

And lastly, for all the talk about Kobe not deserving the MVP because he had Gasol and Odom....get this.....Pau and Lamar are playing the way they are playing, because of Kobe....because Kobe believes in them and has given them their space and freedom, and still, it takes Kobe to step up and carry his team. Yes, KG also has Paul and Ray, but if you ask me, if it's La and Boston in the Finals, there's no doubt as to who is gonna come out tops.

It's Kobe's time....has to be....he doesn't have much left.

All the best for his opposition.....it's Hurricane Mamba time!

The 2007-08 NBA MVP Debate: Pros and Cons

Pradesh Paris K Rai — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:53:51 -0400

The much-hyped and debated MVP race in years?

Lifetime Achievement Award...due?

Heart and Soul of his team?

Rise of the underdogs to the top?

Please stop it. It's simple. Stop the press and the media from going overboard and for once, just once, give it to the ones who face the fire each night, the ones in the line of fire each quarter—the players and the coaches.

Yeah, stop appeasing the press, the TV stations. Get the guys and the players involved. If the players weren't there, the league itself would cease to exist.

A look at the most deserving candidates.

1. K Bryant

Sure, he's turned it around for his team, best atop the tightest West in years. But again, tightest West in years? Why? Coz six or seven teams won 50 games? My god, if so many won so many, how the hell is it the tightest conference in years?

Look over to the east. Barely six or seven have even won 50. THAT is the tightest conference.

West was tough? Yeah right! And Bryant...Well, pound for pound, what he brings to the court, whether he scores, defends, assists, rebounds, or plain fat inspires his teammates (and the results are obvious, by the way!) is in a league of his own.

He's my first-choice for MVP, not because it's due to him, not coz he's been the most amazing talent since MJ, but because he's finally learned to succeed as the leader, as a teammate, as a superstar, and more importantly, has the results to show for it.

2. K Garnett

Inspiring his team to the greatest turnaround in NBA history and the best record this season is just a little, not enough.

Sure he has a presence, a personality, his force of will and strength of mind and character just blow you. but again, when you're down by 10 midway through the fourth quarter, who do you want in your team—KG or Bryant? or James? or Paul?

To me, the MVP race is simple: Who has the most havoc, effect, in the opposition's plans?

It's simple: The bigger the danger, the greater the value of a player. And KG just does not cut the ranks in this category. He is a true leader of his team, but just not the league MVP. (And we're not even talking about his two All-Star teammates yet.)

3. C Paul

Apparently, inspiring a downtrodden team to second-place in a 'dead-tough' conference just isn't enough for the MVP media, eh? Only if LA and Kobe hadn't put a skid on their ride last week, this race could have been a lot easier.

But again, what Chris does, very few can. Make All-Stars out of wannabe talents, put up numbers to boggle the senses night in and out, take his team to the top, alas, when it matters most.

When it's time to stand up and be counted, he just fails to make the cut. We aren't just talking about last week's LA game. Think about the game before that, the ones with the Spurs, and Dallas later.

4. L James

The saddest man on this list, and his team...and he himself, to an extent, is to blame. By far, the unluckiest superstar in the NBA.

Has all the moves, the points, the rebounds, the assists, the whole package, and yet, his team can barely stand up on its own. The others got deserving teammates. What has LeBron got?

Sadly, the greatest stats in so-so years just don’t do it anymore. Any other year, he or Paul, would have been a shoe-in for the award, but his team cost it for him this season.

He still has time though. Keep knocking hard on management's door, demand and order a better team, and keep on sticking to it...

5. T McGrady

It's a toss-up between McGrady and James. A 22-win streak? Who cares, right? Poor Tracy...All his contributions to his team's resurgence melted in the face of rising media attention on LA and New Orleans, but he still continued to play and perform.

Inconsistent performances in pivotal games just meant he was not true MVP material, at least this season. An MVP leads from the front, whether by numbers or by sheer force of will and, alas, for me he just isn't that strong enough.

He can do better, he has the game, but between him and Bryant this season, at least, there's no debate as to which man has the bigger effect on defenses, and offenses.

Last, but not the least, an honorable mention for the backroom candidates: Manu, Dwight, Deron.

You guys were great, inspired your teams, but just didn't make the cut. Sadly, in this age of media coverage and blanket swamping, your teams were just not 'media savvy.'

Tips for next season—continue the good work on the floor, and get a wise, smart media department.

Speaking of deserving...Marcus Camby for Defensive Player of the Year? Why? Coz he blocks this much each night? Ahem, in case you forgot, his team leaks a million points each night too.

What do his blocks suffice for? Maybe, Most Improved POY is good enough for Marcus, but for overall impact, pedigree, and influence, KG or even any of the back-room guys from Detroit or the Spurs gets my vote.

Remember, stats can be highly deceptive and misleading sometimes. A true MVP goes beyond stats and numbers. Just ask the coaches and players.

Lastly, and I am sure I'll get a ton of bricks and stones for this, isn't Tim Duncan the most overrated player in NBA history? Is he so highly rated coz he's big and clumsy and still means so much to his team? Or is it because he just goes to work silently and talks with his 'game'?

Funny...The last I saw of him, he was as clumsy as a big gorilla, running here and there, and Ma-nu and Parker controlled the whole game. If his team goes all the way this season, maybe, just maybe, I'll have a new respect for him.

It's easy—between him and Shaq, no matter Shaq's age and dwindling athleticism, I'd go for Shaq.

I don't know if any of you feels that I've covered ground in this article. I just wanted to express my thoughts in public, doesn't necessarily have to hit home every time we utter our minds out, does it? It is just an effort—like it or trash it, feel free. No harm will be presumed.