| LeBron Outdone By Kobe Authored by Scott Essman - January 13, 2006 - 12:58 pm
| Current Featured Columns | | 65 Players To Watch In The 2010 NCAA Tournament The 2010 NCAA Tournament is upon us and in this space we examine 65 players who (in vast degrees of varying likelihood) could be soon playing in an NBA arena.
Draft Report: Evan Turner Of Ohio StateEvan Turner can absolutely create his own shot off the dribble with a variety of elusive crossovers and spins, making one of the more polished scorers we have seen in recent drafts.
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A Golden State Look At March Madness
Since March Madness is here and the Warriors’ season is at a point where looking to the future is a good idea, it is an excellent time to go over some of the players they could and should be looking at in the 2010 NBA Draft.
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Checking In On Joel Freeland
Joel Freeland was the final pick of the 2006 NBA Draft, but he is finishing up his fourth season playing in Europe since then. What is his game looking like now and is he finally ready for the NBA?
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Flynn Versus Realistic Expectations
As his rookie season winds down, it seems that the lofty expectations of Jonny Flynn have proven out of reach. Were those expectations fair to begin with? After all, this is a team with a new GM and a new coach.
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More from RealGM's Columnists
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Though Laker guard Kobe Bryant had an "off" night with a wrist injury, only scoring 27 points (over a dozen points off the mark of his previous four games), the Lakers bested the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers 99-98, despite a last second go-ahead attempt by Cavs' star LeBron James, who scored 28 points on 50% shooting.
Highly touted, the Bryant-James rivalry was probably secondary to the play of each star's supporting teammates. Laker forward Lamar Odom provided 20 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists, while guard Smush Parker, center Chris Mihm, and reserve center Kwame Brown all had solid games both offensively and defensively.
On the Cavs' side, center Zydrunas Ilgauskas scored an impressive 29 points from all areas of the court, while forward Luke Jackson drilled three key three-point goals and power forward Drew Gooden scored 15 pounds and grabbed 11 rebounds.
At times, Bryant and James went back and forth trying to outduel each other, which led to multiple lead changes and several highlight reel plays. In fact, one might say that James' style of play mirrors Bryant's, though the former is a bigger albeit quick player. Bryant's hand injury did not seem to be serious as he hit three crucial baskets in the last 90 seconds of the game, putting the Lakers ahead for good in the waning moments.
The Lakers' next game is on the road Saturday against the Golden State Warriors before coming home to face Miami next Monday in yet another Shaq-Kobe square-off. |
