mastering little tricks
Kobe Bryant is still four years away from being eligible, but the near-certain future Hall of Famer already has two people in mind for his induction.
[img]http://www.nflchiefsofficial.com/images//nike_nfl_jerseys/nike_kans...[/img]
The five-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers said he would want Phil Jackson or Michael Jordan on stage with him at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MassachusettsThey've been the greatest mentors, not only in my career as an athlete, but also as a person," Bryant said in an interview with Complex. "And what I might say is just a lot of thank yous. 'Cause I've had a lotta help along [url=http://www.officialsteelersnflauthentics.com/steelers+roosevelt+nix+jersey]http://www.officialsteelersnflauthentics.com/steelers+roosevelt+nix...[/url] the way. A lotta lotta help."
Jackson won five titles with Bryant [url=http://www.49ersofficialsproshop.com/Ronnie_Lott_Jersey_Cheap]Ronnie Lott Jersey[/url] during 11 seasons as head coach in L.A., adding to his six rings he won with Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. After leaving the Lakers, Jackson served as a front-office executive for the New York Knicks for three tumultuous seasons.
Bryant's playing career was constantly compared to that of Jordan's, and the two are mentioned as among the top players in NBA history. Jordan said in August that he would rank Bryant above Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James among the greatest of all time, saying that "five [rings] beats three."
An 18-time All-Star, Bryant retired after the 2015-16 season. He will have his No. 8 and No. 24 jerseys retired at halftime of the Lakers' game against the Golden State Warriors on Dec. 18Holy god. What are you even supposed to do with this guy? Play off of him, and he uses the open space as a runway. If Giannis Antetokounmpo is barreling at a flat-footed defender in the paint, it's over. Your natural instinct -- the only thing you can do, really -- is to backpedal, and most defenders open their hips in one direction as they do. That gives Antetokounmpo a straight line to paydirt.
Somehow hold your ground, and Antetokounmpo buries his head in your chest, tips you off-balance, reaches up, and lays the ball in over your head.
Press him, and he zips around you. He doesn't even need to blow past you; if he just gets side-by-side, he reaches his arm to a spot you can't, and flicks the ball upThe only answer is to send help, and that is old hat for Antetokounmpo now. He sees every possible pass, and with arms that long, almost every pass is possible. When Thon Maker is at center and the Bucks slot four shooters around Antetokounmpo, they will get a high-value shot every single time.
He's getting better at everything. His passing advanced last season. So did his rim protection. He has a soft little floater now, and a Dirk-ish slide-back jumper for post-ups late in the shot clock.
He knows how much defenses fear him. He is mastering little tricks that play on that fear -- subtle acts of cruel puppetry. Watch how he spooks the entire Portland defense into gearing up for a drive, only to pivot into a handoff that gets Tony Snell a wide-open tripleIt's too early to panic about The Curse of the Exiled Powder Blue infecting Denver's offense, but something is amiss. Denver ranks 23rd in points per possession after bumrushing the league last season once they belatedly started Nikola Jokic. The inversion of their shot selection profile from last season to this one suggests a team that has time-traveled back 15 yearsSome of this was inevitable, and will turn as Denver adjusts to new challenges. Teams plan for Jokic's backdoor passing now. Paul Millsap spends more time inside than Danilo Gallinari, his predecessor at power forward, meaning those cutting lanes to the basket are a [url=http://www.49ersofficialsproshop.com/Ronnie_Lott_Jersey_Cheap]Ronnie Lott Jersey[/url] little more cluttered.
But the early issues go deeper; after all, the Nuggets scored like bonkers when Jokic shared the floor with Kenneth Faried. It looks like the entire team contracted mononucleosis from Juancho Hernangomez. Last year's gleeful creativity is gone.
Denver is crawling at the league's sixth-slowest pace after humming at the seventh-fastest a year ago. Possessions die after one or two actions, and Denver doesn't have the scoring or passing oomph along the perimeter to make do with isolations and impromptu pick-and-rolls. Gary Harris pulls up one dribble early. Emmanuel Mudiay can't [url=http://www.officialfloridapanthers.com/Adidas-Keith-Yandle-Jersey]http://www.officialfloridapanthers.com/Adidas-Keith-Yandle-Jersey[/url] shoot from anywhere, or defend anyone. Jamal Murray's 3-pointer remains theoretical. On one stagnant trip against Charlotte Wednesday, Mason Plumlee attempted a post move. It went badly.
The whole team is barfing up turnovers. Start calling Phoenix-area hair salonsThe Thunder have had predictable hiccups integrating three stars on offense. For everyone but the Warriors, this is a real problem.
One fun solution: have two -- Russell Westbrook and Paul George -- screen for each other off the ball in a Golden State-style "split" actionA tap from George is enough; Westbrook explodes to top speed so fast, he needs only the teensiest crease to rampage to the rim. He has long had dormant potential as a lethal cutter.
Smart teams will switch the Westbrook-George dance, but George is ready

[url=http://unit-clan.xippy.us/index.php?page=13&CatID=46135&PostID=889749]http://unit-clan.xippy.us/index.php?page=13&CatID=46135&Pos...[/url]
[url=http://forum.wladimir.su/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=59211]http://forum.wladimir.su/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=59211[/url]
[url=http://www.clan-tdw.com/index.php?page=13&CatID=40287&PostID=889748]http://www.clan-tdw.com/index.php?page=13&CatID=40287&PostI...[/url]
[url=http://www.medbadge.net/oxwall/event/12980]http://www.medbadge.net/oxwall/event/12980[/url]