The Nextians: June 2012

Monday, June 25, 2012

Talking Heads vs. Real Basketball Discussion

Why Did LBJ shoot more from the left side in 2012 Finals? Because he "wanted it" more?

Question: if LBJ played like 2012 Finals LBJ in the 2011 NBA Finals would the Heat have won? Skip Bayless would undoubtedly say "yes".

Better question: could LBJ have even played "this way" in the 2011 Finals if he had wanted to? Mark Cuban would say "no way".

No matter how good you are you can't just "do what you want" on the basketball court. It is a team game where you react to what the defense gives you. And based on what Cuban gives to us before being interrupted by the non-game watching Skip Bayless the 2011 Mavs threw some intricate and changing defensive sets at the Heat last year. Cool.

Regardless, at least enjoy the first video below before ESPN takes it down to save face:

Here is StephenASmith complaining about access:

Thanks to Ball Don't Lie for the videos and Deadspin for the shot charts

LBJ & The Great Con of Sports

"There's never been any question that LeBron James is a great basketball player. And even when he was coming up short in the playoffs, haters like myself just used those failures as an easy excuse to pile on him further, because he's a dipshit and he deserved it. The fact that he's won a championship doesn't fundamentally alter his character in any way. That's the great con of sports: the idea that winners win because they have character and losers lose because they don't. If you think LeBron is a good guy now because he won a title, then you probably had no business thinking he was a bad guy to begin with, because the outcome of a sporting event says nothing about the person within."

Thanks to Deadspin.com for the quote

Regardless, I need to get me a t-shirt with my face on it just like LeBron. I don't know if that would make me an a-hole or awesome. Probably both.