WITH Andrew Bynum out indefi nitely due to torn ligaments in his right knee, Phil Jackson, suspecting Kobe Bryant’s offense – a consensual 61 points last night against the Knicks – will take care of itself, is pushing Bryant to set a defensive example, as he did for his Olympic teammates.
I understand Mike D’Antoni’s hesitancy to double-team Kobe as long as the score is close, because Kobe is so adroit at finding open Lakers for layups or easy jumpers. However, when the verdict was decided in the fourth quarter, the Knick coach’s attitude should’ve been, “Not on my watch!”
Everything possible should’ve been done to take the ball out of Kobe’s pan-seared hands in order to preserve Bernard King’s Madison Square Garden 60-point record.
At the same time, padding his stats in a meaningless fourth should be beneath Kobe – and Jackson. What if his franchise player severely injured himself while taking out the garbage?
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Seemingly one player (or play) removed from successfully negotiating with the Spurs the last few seasons, the Suns suffered their first losing month (7-8 in January) since Steve Nash returned from Dallas. Still, despite a less daunting rotation loaded with inert, indiscreet blockades, this 26-20 group is built more for the playoffs – when days off in between games become appreciably beneficial – than the regular season. It’d be a shame if the Suns were ineligible.
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Michael Phelps requests the next set of medals be made of milk chocolate. Damn those munchies! . . .
Are the coaches who failed to vote a Cavalier worthy of All-Star reserve status suggesting Cleveland is a one-man team? . . . How many head-coaching changes do you think there would be if their salaries counted against the cap?
On second thought, assistant coaches were correct in denying Kevin Love, the top rookie rebounder, a spot in the Sophomore Challenge. All-Star Saturday wouldn’t be compete without two representatives (O.J. Mayo and Marc Gasol) from the 12-win Grizzlies.
As Larry David would say, Danilo Gallinari is doing “pretty, pretty good” for a “bust.” I do believe that’s what one Knick beat writer rashly branded the rookie during his prolonged recovery from back/disc problems – before the kid even had a courteous chance to show he can compete in the NBA.
For those lucky enough to have had mothers – if not, at least a wife or a sister – you might want to support Barry Manilow’s Valentine’s Day Nassau Coliseum concert; a fat percentage of the proceeds is allocated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
Chinese restaurants have added a “Bonzi Wells special” to their menus, but it’s take-out only. Seems the ceaselessly unsettled Wells did not return from a U.S. holiday, so Shanxi Zhongyu, after granting him two days of grace time, ordered him “to go.”
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Jerry Reinsdorf clarifying John Paxson a great talent judge rings somewhat hollow considering the GM caters to the demands of Chicago’s managing partner. Paxson doesn’t run the Bulls any more than Donnie Nelson runs the Mavericks. Owners love having a front man to take bullets while they and their stunt man/confidants run the show from behind the screens; Milwaukee’s Herb Kohl is a better, more covert example ’cause Dallas’ Mark Cuban is nothing if not overt.
Since Reinsdorf described the 21-27 Bulls’ season as “a disaster” and “embarrassing,” the team has won three straight after losing the previous five. In an shameless effort to maintain fan support, he has enlisted Rod Blagojevich to sell seats.
Richard Jefferson returns to New Jersey tonight, and there won’t be a dry eye – or occupied seat – in the joint. Whereas Jefferson leads active Bucks in scoring at 17.2 point per game (26-74, 35 percent over his last half-dozen), Charlie Villanueva may be the league’s most alluring, overlooked free agent-in-waiting. Every time I catch Milwaukee on TV he goes for 20-plus points and roughly double-figure rebounds. The 6-foot-11, four-year pro is a consistent get-to-the-free-throw-line threat away from becoming a playoff building block.
Temple’s 1969 NIT champs will be paid their due homage Feb. 8 when Rhode Island visits the Philadelphia campus. Captain and assistant AD John Baum (once carried the ABA Nets to an incredible playoff win when Rick Barry was sick), Eddie Mast (Phil Jackson’s favorite Knick teammate), Joey Cromer and a bunch of locals won the tournament when it was as prestigious (16 teams per) as the NCAA. Amazingly, heralded Harry Litwack’s superlative backcourt of Guy Rodgers–Hal Lear never won a national title.
With their Cardinals having come oh-so close, Arizona residents can find solace in the fact the next Charles Barkley mug shot is probably just right around the corner . . . as is his female, ahem, acquaintance.
I don’t care how many football titles the city wins – Pittsburgh shall always remain Condor country.