West Coast Bias » Shaquille O’Neal

NBA All Star game strongest in years

WCBias — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 06:49:00 +0000

On Sunday NBA fans were witness to the most entertaining NBA All Star game in years. It had intensity and a very interesting sub plot.

The game actually featured defense and intense play (yes, by the end of the game it was a dunk contest of such with the west leading by 20 or so). Typically the All Star game would only get defensive if the game was close near the end. So how could this be? I think we can all thank Kevin Garnett. As much as I hate the Celtics for beating my beloved Lakers in last year’s finals, I have to credit KG and the dominating Celtics team defense for making it cool to play hard-nose defense again. And just like trickle down economics, the defensive-mindedness and intensity of the Celtics has seeped down into the rest of the NBA. Hence, an All Star game with some actual defense.

There is a battle between several of the NBAs top dogs to be named the league’s alpha dog. Players like D Wade, Amare Stoudemire, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Paul Pierce know that an All Star MVP is a chance for them to separate themselves from the rest of the pack. With all of these top players wanting to be the leader the game was played at a high level. In the end, Kobe, claimed half of the All Star MVP honors, to establish himself as the reigning NBA alpha dog.

Lastly, the subplot of Kobe, Shaq, and Phil Jackson playing together again for the first time since their break up of 5 years ago was so overblown that it threatened to bore us all enough to turn the game off. But by the end of the third, Kobe and Shaq had become the front-runners for the MVP honor of the game. Who could turn the game off now! If one of these former teammates won it over the other, who knew what Shaq would say in his next free style rhyme fest. But fortunately (or unfortunately) they were Co-winners of the MVP award. Makes you wonder, how many championships they could have won together.

Now, if somebody could only put some life back into the rest of the All Star weekend. The dunk contest was the weakest it has ever been. The self proclaimed addition of Lebron in the Dunk Contest for 2010 could help to change that. The game of HORSE was intriguing except for the fact that the players involved don’t have enough of a fan base to make it interesting. How about a horse game featuring Kobe, Lebron and D Wade? Now, I’d watch that.

What if … What if … What if Shaq & Kobe stuck together

WCBias — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:44:00 +0000

Great question posed on the Dan Patrick show today:

Are Shaq and Kobe remembered for what they did together (three titles with the L.A. Lakers) or what they didn’t do together (nine titles?)? Reminds me of Billy Hoyle and Sidney Deane in White Men Can’t Jump. Those dudes coulda won so much more dough.

Then again, had Shaq and Kobe stayed together we wouldn’t have had this or this.

The saga continues tonight in Phoenix at 7:30.

Yo RK, tell me how my ass taste!

One more question: How about those Thunder, i.e. the franchise formerly known as the SuperSonics? 1-11!?

Maybe Seattle is glad it lost its team.

As Billy Hoyle once said, “You’d rather look good and lose than look bad and win.”

Oh wait, Oklahoma City’s unis, logo and team look like crap.

Rockets get a steal in Artest

WCBias — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:00:00 +0000

Ron Artest is allegedly going to the Rockets for next to nothing. I don’t know why more people aren’t making a big deal about this trade like they did when the Lakers “stole” Pau Gasol from Memphis for next to nothing. What are the Kings getting for Artest? The Rockets’ first-round draft pick next year, this year’s late first-round pick, Bobby Jackson (dude is like 134 in NBA years) and 1 million cold cash. Memphis got Kwame Brown, two future first-round draft picks and Jarvis Crittenton for Gasol. They both seem pretty weak. I know the Kings must have decided they need to cut their losses, but I think there is better value for Artest out there.

What does this do for Houston? I don’t know if it makes the Rockets contenders, but it sure as hell makes them deadly. Battier and Artest on the same floor playing lock-down defense is scary.

* * *

Here is an interesting article on the Kobe and Shaq feud. Speaking of Shaq, are we gonna see a new Phoenix offense? Maybe the Suns will run the offense through Shaq. If that happens, they definitely won’t make the playoffs.

Make sure to check out “the Machine” skits at Lakers-fan.com. These guys from SB are hitting the funny bone with every Laker fan. Good job!

Cover your eyes, Shaq's at the line

Slim — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:05:00 +0000

Tonight’s Suns-Spurs game reminded me of the Elks Lodge Hoops Shoot contests we used to compete in as a kid.
You know, those cover-your-eyes free-throw contests where 8- to 10-year olds shanked free throws all over your rundown junior high gymnasium — lucky to hit rim on every other shot attempt.
If you went 7 of 10 you were guaranteed a trophy twice your size and earned spot in the state shootout.
The Phoenix Suns looked like a bunch of snot-nosed kids at the charity strip tonight, hitting just 20 of 37 in a 92-87 loss at San Antonio. That’s a shankalicious 54.1 percent, which wasn’t even good enough to get you in the quarterfinals of the 2008 Elks Lodge Hoops Shoot.
The Spurs, who took the series 4-1 and advance to face New Orleans and NBA Coach of the Year and former Showtime guard Byron Scott in the next round, were 24 of 30 (80 percent).
Shaq was a brutal 9 of 20 from the line in this one, although he did hit 4 of 6 in the final five minutes when San Antonio went to the Hack a Shaq. The Big Cactus always says he hits the free throws when they count, but in the playoffs this year (at least out West), every free throw counts — and watching an aging Shaq shoot free throws nowadays is like watching Charles Barkley swing a golf club. Just plain ugly.
If the Suns hit just 70 percent of their free throws, they keep their season alive.
Instead, the Spurs did what they always do, hit their free throws, played great defense and got a big night out of two of the big three.
Until someone can figure out how carbon copy what the Spurs are doing, the defending champs are still the team to beat in my eyes.