Kobe Bryant Needs to Stop Making Excuses

Kobe Bryant says the Lakers are too old. I say he needs to stop making excuses and lead his team. (Andrew D. Bernstein)

The Philadelphia 76ers might not have the prestige names and honors that the Los Angeles Lakers players have had. However, the young 76ers stormed into the Staples Center and dominated the much older Lakers in a 103-99 victory on Tuesday night. The loss dropped the Lakers' record on the season to 15-16. After the game, Kobe Bryant had a colorful explanation.

"You just saw an old @#!*% team," Bryant continued. "I don't know how else to put it to you. We're just slow. You saw a team over there that was just younger and just had fresher legs and just played with more energy, and we were just stuck in the mud. I think individually we all have to figure out how to get ourselves ready each and every game to have a high level of energy. That's all that is."

Do you want to know what this boils down to? An excuse and to be quiet honest with you, a pathetic one at that. They are the fourth-oldest team in the NBA with an average age of 28.4. If this was their fourth game in five days or something, I would completely understand. However, the Lakers came into the home game against the 76ers on the three days rest.

If age is such a huge concern, how come I don't hear other teams and players complaining about? The New York Knicks are the oldest team in the NBA with an average age of 32.7. Rather than whining, the Knicks have been one of the league's surprise stories with a 21-10 record, good enough for the second-best mark in the Eastern Conference.

The Lakers’ next game is Friday against their crosstown rivals. The Clippers are the second-oldest team in the league with an average age of 29.3. All they've done recently is rattled off a streak of 17 straight wins. That is more wins than the Lakers have managed to get all season. No wonder more and more Lakers fans are becoming Clippers fans every day.

Bryant, 34, is supposedly the leader of the Lakers. Tim Duncan, 36, is the leader of the San Antonio Spurs, a team that is perennially called too old, but is always one of the best teams in the NBA every year. In tonight's win over the Milwaukee Bucks, Duncan scored 28 points (11-20 FG, 6-7 FT) to go with 13 rebounds, six assists, one steal and three blocks.

Duncan and the Spurs let their play do the talking, rather than their words. Bryant is so busy running his mouth and making excuses off the court that he isn't finding solutions on it. If he wants to be the leader on the court, than he needs to step up and make his teammates commit to working harder. Will the Lakers ever turn around this season? It will be when they start making the plays on the court, rather than complaining off of it.

2012 NBA Christmas Day Preview

James Harden singing Jingle Bells is just one of the joys of five NBA games on Christmas Day. (TotalProSports.com)

Christmas Day has almost arrived, which means a great day of NBA matchups will be on ABC and ESPN. I will preview what to watch for in each game. Merry Christmas to all!

Boston Celtics at Brooklyn Nets  - 12:00 PM EST, ESPN
The Celtics will travel to Brooklyn to take on the Nets in a budding Atlantic Division rivalry. The premier matchup of this game will be the point guards, Rajon Rondo of the Celtics and Deron Williams of the Nets. Rondo is averaging 14.3 points and 11.1 assists in December while shooting 52 percent from the field. Meanwhile, Williams is having a down year as he tries to find his role with his newly formed team. He is shooting just 40 percent from the field and 30 percent from behind the arc. Williams is still averaging 16.8 points and 8.1 assists a game. There's also a player on each team who is capable of taking the game over. The Celtics' Paul Pierce has been superb lately and is averaging 23.8 points per game in December. Joe Johnson has emerged as the go to guy for the Nets. He scored 22 points in their win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.

New York Knicks at Los Angeles Lakers - 3:00 PM EST, ABC
Both teams have been two of the NBA's biggest surprises. The Knicks have emerged as of the league's top teams behind great three-point shooting. The Lakers have struggled to come together as a team, but they will benefit from Steve Nash's return from injury. This game features some great matchups. The Knicks' Carmelo Anthony and the Lakers' Kobe Bryant are two of the league's top scorers. Anthony is scoring 33.7 points and shooting 50 percent from the field in his last 10 games. Meanwhile, Bryant is averaging 33.8 points per game since the start of December. Another intriguing matchup will be two of the league's top centers. Dwight Howard is in his first season with the Lakers, while Tyson Chandler anchors the Knicks' defense. Howard has struggled a bit recently, averaging just 15.1 points per game in his past five games. As the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Chandler will look to shut him down.

Oklahoma City Thunder at Miami Heat - 5:30 PM EST, ABC
This is probably the most anticipated matchup of any of the Christmas Day games, featuring a rematch of last season's NBA Finals. This is the first meeting between these two teams this season, and the Thunder will be looking for revenge. As if you couldn't figure it on your own, the premier matchup in this game is obviously the NBA's top two players Kevin Durant of the Thunder and LeBron James of the Heat. Durant is averaging 27.9 points and 8.4 rebounds this season, while James is putting up 25.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists a game. The defensive matchup between the two will be intriguing as well. They will most likely be guarding one another for the majority of the game. The Heat will have the home crowd at their back, but the Thunder experienced what that was like last summer.

Houston Rockets at Chicago Bulls - 8:00 PM EST, ESPN
These two teams may not appear to be two of the NBA's top teams, but both have played surprisingly well given their circumstances. The Rockets weren't expected to compete for a spot in the playoffs at all. However, a preseason trade has changed everything. James Harden, the centerpiece of the trade with the Thunder, has averaged 25.6 points and 5.6 assists a game as a starter in Houston. He has emerged as one of the league's top shooting guards right now. Meanwhile, the Bulls have kept winning, even without one of the NBA's top players. A number of players have stepped up in Derrick Rose's absence. Joakim Noah is averaging 13.5 points and 10.6 seen rebounds while Luol Deng leads the team in scoring with 17.8 points per game. They have helped the Bulls remain competitive while they wait for their superstar to return.

Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Clippers - 10:30 PM EST, ESPN
The Clippers are one of the NBA's hottest teams right now. The Clippers' offense is led by Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. Paul runs the show with 16.1 points and 9.6 assists per game. In the post, Griffin is averaging 18.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. The Clippers also have an elite defense that allows opponents to score just 91.6 points per game, which is fourth best in the NBA. The Nuggets are one of the most balanced teams in the league. Ty Lawson is one of the fastest players in the NBA and pushes the tempo of the offense. He loves to facilitate the ball to his teammates, such as Danilo Gallinari, Andre Iguodala and Corey Brewer. Lawson did strain his left Achilles in Sunday's game and is listed as questionable for tomorrow's game. If he is indeed out or not 100 percent, it would be a huge blow to the Nuggets' chances.

Analyzing the Dwight Howard Trade From All Angles

At a press conference Friday, Dwight Howard holds up his new jersey as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. (Kevork Djansezian)

When a blockbuster trade such as this occurs, it isn't just the teams involved who are affected. The whole league feels the repercussions. Just as with every action there is a reaction, every trade seems to have its winners and losers. With a trade this large, the winners and losers become more broad as well. I will focus on what I believe to be the teams that are most directly affected by this trade.

Winners

Los Angeles Lakers
Putting Dwight Howard's deficiencies aside, he is still the best center in the league. Whatever team has him is a better team from a talent standpoint. The Lakers have been trying to land him for a long time. They've come to realize that the combination of Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol in the paint simply wasn't good enough to bring them a championship. After sending offers with all sorts of combinations of players and picks, the Lakers ended up only having to give up Bynum and one first round pick for Howard. Any GM would give that up in their sleep. Combine this trade with their one for veteran point guard Steve Nash, and the Lakers have to become the favorite in the Western Conference. With a core four of Howard, Nash, Gasol, and Kobe Bryant, the Lakers are going to be tough to beat on any given night. Resigning Howard long-term could turn into another media circus, but the Lakers will worry about that next offseason.

Philadelphia 76ers
Without giving up the best player in the deal, the 76ers were the beneficiaries of receiving the second-best player, Andrew Bynum. Bynum is a 7-footer who averaged nearly 19 points and 12 rebounds per game last season. Those type of players don't become available very often, especially one as young as Bynum. In return, the 76ers did trade away their best player, Andre Iguodala, and their two most recent first round picks, Nikola Vucevic and Moe Harkless. The team's relationship with Iguodala wasn't the best, and while Vucevic and Harkless do show promise, neither one is expected to blossom into stars nearly as talented as Bynum. The big question for the 76ers as well is whether they can re-sign Bynum long term. Since he grew up not too far from Philadelphia, there is certainly a chance. Even if they are unable to resign him, they will have freed up enough cap room to sign a top free agent or two.

Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets were able to acquire Andre Iguodala from the 76ers as part of this trade. Iguodala will pair beautifully with Danilo Gallinari to give them a dangerous duo at the wing. Iggy won't have the pressure on him to score like he did with the 76ers. He will be able to focus on playing tenacious defense and let that lead to fastbreak offense. The Nuggets did give up guard Aaron Afflalo and veteran big man Al Harrington, but that combination doesn't come close to comparing to Iguodala. Additionally, the Nuggets will reportedly save approximately $23 million in future money as a result of the trade. This means that the Nuggets were able to become a better team and save a considerable amount of money down the road. That shows they are a winner if you ask me.

Losers

Orlando Magic
You know I didn't think that anyone could handle this situation worse than Dwight Howard, but the Magic themselves found a way. In July, the Magic were fielding some great offers. The Brooklyn Nets offered Brook Lopez, MarShon Brooks, and four first round picks. The Rockets offered roughly $12 million in salary-cap relief and a better package of picks. The Lakers even offered Bynum and Gasol combined with picks. No, the Magic turned all those down to settle for this in August. You have got to be kidding me. The Magic are getting the combination of Aaron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Nikola Vucevic, Moe Harkless, Josh McRoberts, Christian Eyenga, three lottery-protected first round (five overall) picks. There's a lot there so there's a chance that someone could turn out to be a star, but there isn't anyone there right now. The Magic turned down a bunch of better offers only to accept this assortment of unknowns. I am disappointed for the franchise and their fans.

Small Market Franchises
All around the league, there are small market front offices shaking their heads at this trade. As the old mantra goes, the rich gets richer. That's what happened again here. While many franchises hope to have just one superstar player, the Lakers now have four. While the new CBA does discourage signing many stars like the Lakers have done, it doesn't stop them from doing so. Even though it is true that the small market teams below the tax will benefit from the Lakers' penalties, it won't help them to get any closer to a championship themselves. This trade only hinders these small market franchises even further.

Western Conference Contenders
Just in case the road to the NBA finals wasn't difficult enough last season, the Lakers are now absolutely stocked and reloaded. Teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, and Dallas Mavericks now have to adjust their lineups to be able to matchup with the new Lakers lineup. Each of these teams and any team in the Western Conference are going have to work even harder in order to make it to the NBA Finals.

Individual Players' Poor Choices Costing Teams Chances to Win

Photo Credit: Lynne Sladky/AP Photo

Everyone knows who egotistical athletes can be at times. We have all acted that way at one point or another. What is unfortunate is when you allow these attitudes to turn into actions that affect other people. That is what three NBA players who are often in the spotlight have done. I already blogged about Metta World Peace elbowing James Harden. His seven-game suspension was a weaksauce move by the league. The Lakers still won Game 1, but the lack of depth and cohesiveness in the playoffs, could come back to bite them in the playoffs.

Sunday, the Boston Celtics were frustrated by how they played and some of the officiating in the game, which was understandable on both accounts. However, Rajon Rondo let the frustration get the better of him. After a loose ball foul call on Brandon Bass, Rondo yelled at the official, which earned him his second technical of the game, and proceeded to chest bump the official. This left the NBA with no choice. I am sure that the league didn't want to suspend Rondo for a instance like this, but they didn't have a choice. The rules are very clear about player contact with the officials. Today, Rondo was suspended for Game 2. This leaves the Celtics, who are already down one game to none in the series, without one of their best players and substantially less guard depth. This puts his team in a real predicament.

Tonight, the Miami Heat beat the New York Knicks to take a 2-0 series lead. The Knicks were obviously disappointed, but one star player acted rashly as a result. Amare Stoudemire punched the glass around a fire extinguisher following the loss. He suffered lacerations on his left hand, which required stitches. Stoudemire is almost certainly out for Game 3, basically a must-win for the Knicks, and possibly out for the whole series. The Knicks clearly need him to have a chance in this series. Poor choices have consequences. It is unfortunate, but they most certainly do. When an athlete puts his or her personal ego first, it hurts the team and its chemistry badly. What I would suggest to athletes is that they need to work on thinking being for they act. The choices they make affect lots of people.

Metta World Peace Makes Mockery of His Name

ABC Screenshot

We thought Ron Artest, or Metta World Peace as he is called now, had changed who he was as a person. We were sadly mistaken. Ron Artest first became famous as the instigator who started the 2004 brawl that took place in the Palace of Auburn Hills when playing for the Indiana Pacers. For that incident, he received an  86-game suspension. Since then, he had supposedly changed who he was. He changed his name to Metta World Peace, gave away thousands of dollars to charities, and won the NBA's citizenship award. All looked good, until he showed his utter lack of self-control once against in today's highly emotional game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

With 1:39 remaining in the second quarter, World Peace made a slam dunk to draw the Lakers to within one. He celebrated by beating his chest excessively, and then carelessly elbowed Thunder guard James Harden in the back of the head violently. The blow knocked Harden to the floor, where he lay for several minutes. Upon viewing the video evidence, the officials obviously ejected World Peace from the game.

World Peace and the Lakers are of course deeming the incident an accident. How anyone can believe that is nonsensical to me. The elbowing looks to be completely on purpose. Even if it was not, World Peace still has to be punished. Think about an example of killing someone. Even if it is an accident, you are going to prison. World Peace has to be punished either way. The play was ugly and unruly and deserves to be punished as such. The NBA needs to make an example out of World Peace. I believe the minimum punishment should be a suspension for the entirety of the playoffs. There is a chance that Harden could be out that long, which means World Peace should be as well. Personally, I think that he should be banned for life. This is the second major incident in his career.The NBA has tried to cleanup its image since the 2004 brawl, and here is the same player soiling that image once again. World Peace is simply a player who cannot control his emotions and body and is a danger to the well-being of other players, coaches, officials, and fans. For their protection, World Peace must be punished, and in my opinion, heavily so.

Bynum Looks to Take His Game to the Next Level

We have all heard how incredible Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum is going to be someday. Up until this point, it always had to be someday because Bynum couldn't seem to stay healthy. He had only played one full season in his career (2006-07) due to frequent injuries. So far this season, he has stayed healthy and thrived because of it. Since the All-Star break, Bynum is averaging 21.3 points per game, 11.4 rebounds per game, and 1.9 blocks per game. More importantly for the Lakers, he has also stepped up his game as a clutch player.

Tonight, the Lakers had a big game against the Dallas Mavericks. This one had playoff implications written all over it, but the Lakers knew they would be without Kobe Bryant. So who did the Lakers turn to in the fourth quarter and eventually overtime? Bynum. He had eight points in the fourth and made a clutch jumper in overtime to help propel his team to victory. The Lakers are turning to him in clutch time for good reason. According to 82games.com, Bynum is 23rd in the NBA in points per 48 minutes of clutch time (the last five minutes) with 29.5 points. That is the most for any center in the league. That is exactly what the Lakers have been looking for from Bynum, especially come playoff time.

Bynum has truly taken his game to the next level this season for the Lakers. If I didn't convince you with his post-All-Star break stats, performance Sunday, and clutch numbers, let me remind you what he did in a win last Wednesday at the Spurs. Bynum had 16 points and 30 rebounds. He became only the second player (Trivia Question: Who is the other player?) to grab at least 30 boards in the past 12 seasons. Bynum wasn't even satisfied with his performance. After the game, he said, "It's great to have 30 boards, but my shot's not working and I am a little upset about that. For me, I'll remember shooting poorly (7 of 20 from the field)." Bynum is striving to improve, and it is evident by his play on the court. He appears to be headed for stardom. The only reservations I still have are questions about his health and character. I have a really hard time imagining anyone doubting his talent, but the injury history and temper issues are concerning. For now, Bynum is leading the Lakers to success. How long that will last, will remain to be seen.

Answer to Trivia Question: Kevin Love in 2010.

Lakers' Trade Deadline Moves Do Not Fix Problems

The Los Angeles Lakers have not been playing basketball they way they have wanted to all season. Coming into the season, it was clear ownership had had enough of the current roster. They dumped Lamar Odom for basically nothing. Then, after failing to trade for Chris Paul and Dwight Howard, they did not to improve their team. At the trade deadline, the Lakers tried to make some big moves, but ultimately didn't have the personnel to get the job done.

Instead, the Lakers made two small deals. In the first trade, they acquired the Cleveland Cavaliers backup point guard Ramon Sessions and seldom used guard Christian Eyenga. The Lakers sent Luke Walton, Jason Kapono, and their 2012 first-round pick to the Cavs in return. In the second trade, the Lakers added backup center Jordan Hill from the Houston Rockets. The Rockets received veteran point guard Derek Fisher and a 2012 first round pick as compensation.

What does this do for the Lakers' problems this season? In all reality, basically nothing. Sessions is younger than Fisher, but isn't that much better of a player to improve the point guard position for the Lakers. They still don't have a solid option at the small forward spot, other than Metta World Peace. Hill will barely crack the rotation, fighting for minutes behind Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. What the Lakers did here is like the equivalent of putting a Scooby Doo band-aid on a gash that requires 50 stitches. This simply won't solve all of the issues this team has. The Lakers will still be a playoff team, but you can bank on an exit similar to last year's playoffs again this season.

Kobe, Rondo, Rose, & D-Will Shine in Sunday Wins

Kobe Bryant - 33 points, 1 assist, and 3 rebounds

This was a statement game for Kobe Bryant. All the Hollywood Hoopla will turn this into revenge against Dwayne Wade for breaking his nose. But Kobe was far more concerned with getting the win. All Kobe has done since the injury is lead his team to victory. In three games, Kobe has scored 30+ points, and the Lakers have won all three games. A broken nose won't stop Kobe from putting on a show and helping lead his team to victories.

Rajon Rondo - 18 points, 20 assists, and 17 rebounds

The game was aired on national television. Everyone was talking about Jeremy Lin's return to Boston. But it was the Boston Celtics who showed up in a big way. Paul Pierce had a game-tying three to send the game to overtime. Pierce had 34 in the game. However, the star of the game was Rondo. He did everything on the court, earning his second triple-double in three games. The 17 rebounds were a career-high.

Derrick Rose - 35 points, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds

When the game was on the line at the end, both the Philadelphia 76ers and Chicago Bulls turned to their stars. Andre Iguodala air balled a shot and bricked one off the backboard. Meanwhile, Derrick Rose sealed up the Bulls win with his impressive performance. Rose tied a season-high with 35 points, including 20 in the second half and a pair of quarter-ending buzzer-beaters. The win gave the Bulls their sixth straight win and league-best 31st overall.

Deron Williams - 57 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds

Deron Williams loves to come off pick-and-rolls, but everyone knows that, so they always double team him. But tonight, D-Will noticed that the Charlotte Bobcats weren't doing that. Williams took full advantage as he scored a franchise-record 57 points in the Nets' win. D-Will outscored the rest of the Nets combined by ten points. He was a perfect 21 for 21 from the charity stripe. Williams all-around effort was impressive to say the least.

NBA Friday: Separating the Contenders from the Pretenders

Boston Celtics 91 New York Knicks 89

Paul Pierce and Ray Allen helped the Celtics secure a much needed win at home. The Knicks fall to 8-15 on the season. Questions and complaints continue to circulate about this dysfunctional team.

Orlando Magic 102 Cleveland Cavaliers 94

The Magic had trouble closing out the end of January (they went 2-6), but picked up their second win in two February games. Dwight Howard had 19 points and 16 rebounds in the win. We will have to see the Magic are back on track as it appears.

Miami Heat 99 Philadelphia 76ers 79

The Heat pounded the 76ers behind big games from Wade and LeBron. LeBron has had a MVP first-half of the season to lead the Heat. The loss drops the 76ers' home record to 12-3. While that is still impressive, this game showed the 76ers to be more of pretenders than contenders.

Oklahoma City Thunder 101 Memphis Grizzlies 94

Kevin Durant closed out another impressive win for the Thunder. Their record now stands at a league-best 18-4 (9-1 at home). Each game makes the Thunder look more and more like serious contenders. On the other hand, the Grizzlies have been a disappointment so far this season. Many people liked their talent for a short season, but they have been mediocre to this point.

Indiana Pacers 98 Dallas Mavericks 87

The Pacers are playing like contenders right now. They won in Dallas for the first time in eight years. Their ten road victories are tied for the most in the league. Paul George nailed seven three pointers and scored a career-high 30 points. The defending champion Mavericks continue to struggle. Right now, they are looking a lot more like pretenders than contenders.

Los Angeles Lakers 93 Denver Nuggets 89

The Lakers have had their struggles on the road, but got a quality win in Denver to improve their road record to 3-7. Kobe didn't have his best game, but his solid effort combined with those of Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum were enough to secure the win. The Nuggets are trying compete against the top tier of the Western Conference, but lack a true star. They might be regular season contenders, but that is a recipe for a postseason pretender.

The Intensity Meter is on the Rise in the Battle of the Staples Center

Since 1999, both of the NBA's Los Angeles teams have played in the Staples Center. For most of that time the Lakers have bullied their little brother, the Clippers. After all the Lakers won three NBA championships in a row back in the Shaq and Kobe era. Then, they won back to back titles in 2009 and 2010. Meanwhile, the Clippers have struggled, making the playoffs only once (2006) since the move to their new home.

The Lakers carry that era of superiority when the play. They are of course still led by the aging, but resilient Kobe Bryant. They also still have Derek Fisher running the point and Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynam as their starting big men. The one guy they let go for basically nothing was Lamar Odom. The team needed to make a change following their ugly collapse in the playoffs last year, and Odom was the causality. The Lakers did try to make improvements by trading for superstars Dwight Howard (unsuccessful) and Chris Paul. The Lakers had a deal for Paul, but the league vetoed it.

This opened up the door for the Clippers. They already had a young superstar in Blake Griffin, but they were looking for another star to pair with him. When the Lakers' deal fell through, the Clippers reacted quickly. They finally acquired Paul and two second round draft picks for guard Eric Gordon, center Chris Kaman, forward Al-Farouq Aminu, and the Minnesota Timberwolves' 2012 first round pick. During the offseason, the team also signed forward Caron Butler and veteran point guard Chauncey Billups.

The trade made the Clippers playoff contenders right away. Soon afterwards, people started asking the question of who was the best team in Los Angeles for the first time in a very long time. On Saturday, January 14, the Clippers took first blood. However, last night, the Lakers took revenge with a fourth quarter rally to win. The game featured hard fouls, plenty of trash talk, and wrestling between players. With one second left in the game, Pau Gasol patted the back of Chris Paul's head. The two exchanged pleasantries afterwards.

Anyone who watched the game can tell you that this is growing quickly into an intense rivalry. The Clippers are only going to get better as time progresses. But the Lakers are not going to just sit back and let them take over. The Clippers are planning a coup to supplant the Lakers' throne of superiority, while the Lakers look to hold firm. This will be an interesting storyline to follow this season and for years to come. Basketball in Los Angeles just got a little bit hotter.