Go East, Young Man?

Marc Stein and Henry Abbott both see LeBron envy as motivating Kobe Bryant's trade demands. He wants, in Abbott's words, "to get himself traded to the East, where a star perimeter player and some role playing teammates gets you to the NBA Finals."

Whether or not that accurately reflects Kobe's motives, there's clearly some truth to the idea that one's odds of reaching the Finals are much better out of the East. It should be said, though, that LeBron's teammates tend to be somewhat underrated. King James plus some role playing teammates actually produces precisely the ineffective offense you would expect -- 105.5 points per hundred possessions, good for 18th in the league. Where Cleveland shined was on defense, where they were fourth best in the league. LeBron's not playing that defense by himself. To be effective offensively -- even in the East -- you need multiple threats even if you're LeBron James, and to be effective without an effective offense you need great defense.

Photo by Flickr user Compujeramey used under a Creative Commons license

Comments

LeBron's not playing that defense by himself.

The last two words are extraneous.

Posted by jhupp | June 20, 2007 12:05 PM

Kobe likely isn't going anywhere. If he goes somewhere, it's unlikely to be in the East unless a third, Western, team is involved. We've just spent X months complaining, rightly, that the East sucks when compared with the West. The conference sucks because, by and large, the players in the East suck when compared with those in the West. The Lakers aren't taking Deng and crap for Kobe, no matter how much he wants them to do so.

If I were the Lakers, I might take Ray Ray plus Durant for Kobe, though. I don't see Seattle accepting that trade or, more importantly, Kobe allowing it to go through.

Posted by SomeCallMeTim | June 20, 2007 12:10 PM

Allen & Durant? I don't think the Sonics would trade Durant for Kobe, straight up. And they shouldn't.

Posted by too many steves | June 20, 2007 12:13 PM

Well, since Kobe is a superb defender (something I say grudgingly and with Kobe-hatred in my heart), I would think this observation is an additional argument for him going East. After the Cavs, Bulls, and Pistons, nobody in the East can really defend. If they look good, it's because they're playing D against other Eastern teams with abysmal offense. Hell, Kobe could go to freakin' Milwaukee and make them a contender.

Now, that said, and again with Kobe-hatred in my heart, I'd love to see him go East to any team other than Chicago or Toronto. That way, he'd still be prevented from getting back to the Finals. Because, lets face it, Chicago and Toronto are the teams of the future in the East.

Posted by collin | June 20, 2007 12:22 PM

"Where Cleveland shined was on defense, where they were fourth best in the league."

Yup.

For all the focus on the 48 point game, the Cavs won the East by successfully trapping Chauncey Billups and thus taking Detroit out of their offense.

Posted by Petey | June 20, 2007 12:26 PM

Nobody knows how good Durant is going to be. People put far too much weight on a single season in collegein a denuded college environment. Wayman Tisdale was elected as an All-American his freshman, sophomore, and junior years, at a time when the college game was much stronger. At the time--and maybe still--he was the only freshman to be so elected. He went second in the draft after another Next Great Center, Ewing. And he was a journeyman.

Kobe's not just a great player, but also a moneymaker. You're going to have to offer the Lakers a package that replaces both characteristics to interest them.

Posted by SomeCallMeTim | June 20, 2007 12:28 PM

"If I were the Lakers, I might take Ray Ray plus Durant for Kobe, though."

Folks always overestimate the players on their favorite team.

SCMT thinks Kobe is worth far more than he actually is, just as Chicago fans think they should be able to get Kobe for Nocioni and Duhon, because they're both really, really good.

Posted by Petey | June 20, 2007 12:36 PM

Folks always overestimate the players on their favorite team.

Such as your absurd optimism regarding the Nuggets.

If Kobe goes to Chicago, I may have to just stop watching basketball for the next decade. I can't take having him on my team.

Posted by Freddie | June 20, 2007 12:43 PM

"Such as your absurd optimism regarding the Nuggets."

Watch out for the Powder Blues this coming season...

Posted by Petey | June 20, 2007 12:49 PM

As a Laker fan, I can tell you that the major downfall of the Lakers was terrible defense. Now obviously a good offense that get inside looks helps defense by keeping you out of transition, but the Lakers had an absolutely terrible defense. The first problem was atrocious point guard defense. The second was bad rotations. And the third was not having a big man who could effectively change shots (though Bynum showed potential in that department).

Posted by Mavis Beacon | June 20, 2007 1:09 PM

Wayman Tisdale was elected as an All-American his freshman, sophomore, and junior years, at a time when the college game was much stronger. At the time--and maybe still--he was the only freshman to be so elected. He went second in the draft after another Next Great Center, Ewing. And he was a journeyman.

Yeah, but can Patrick Ewing play jazz guitar?

Posted by JP | June 20, 2007 1:39 PM

07-08 will be all about the Powder Blues!!

Or maybe not:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_online/covers/issues/2007/0625.html

Does anyone deserve a cockpunching more than Kobe? I can't think of one other NBA player....except maybe Jason Terry, simply because he's a grown-ass man and pretends to fly like a jet in front of thousands of other grownups.

Posted by MP | June 20, 2007 2:15 PM

Yeah, but can Patrick Ewing play jazz guitar?

Uh, that would be BASS guitar that Wayman is playing...

Posted by shnooky | June 20, 2007 2:20 PM

Yeah, yeah...

Posted by JP | June 20, 2007 2:36 PM

"07-08 will be all about the Powder Blues!!"

Don't count 'em out. Who needs Bruce Bowen on defense when J.R. Smith is now a legitimate threat to kill opposing players.

Posted by Petey | June 20, 2007 2:46 PM

dude.

Posted by MP | June 20, 2007 3:02 PM

Nobody in Chicago thinks that Noc and Duhon are good players. You might be able to find a few misled morons who think that of one or the other, but nobody could be dumb enough to believe they both are... right?

I watched the Bulls in the baby bull era, the Tim Floyd era. And I could well tune them out if they get Kobe. Sigh.

Posted by dbt | June 20, 2007 3:30 PM

Re: the first comment, Lebron has turned into a good though not yet great defender.

The Cavs are also a very good rebounding team, another secret to their (relative) success.

Posted by mq | June 20, 2007 4:14 PM

I only saw him in the playoffs, but I was not at all impressed with LeBron's defense. Maybe he had orders to avoid fouls at all cost, because thats what he always seemed to do.

Posted by matthew c | June 20, 2007 6:23 PM

If they weren't in the same division, Seattle trading #2 pick + (everything except Allen) wouldn't be bad. They'd even be able to con the taxpayers into footing a new arena if Kobe came.

Posted by sherifffruitfly | June 20, 2007 7:38 PM

They'd even be able to con the taxpayers into footing a new arena if Kobe came.

'Zactly. Or have a nice reason for new fans to attend in the new city. Star power matters. But the Sonics would have to give up Ray, I think, and Kobe would never, ever, ever do it (so much for Pluto).

Kobe's staying with the Lakers because there isn't shit he can do about it.

Posted by SomeCallMeTim | June 20, 2007 7:58 PM

I was afraid for a second there that yglesian spelling errors meant that Mark Steyn was writing about the nba now. it would have been objectively bad but a striking confluence of blog topics.

Posted by belle waring | June 20, 2007 10:15 PM

I'm sure Mark Steyn must have some thoughts about all the super-breeding foreigners taking over the league.

Posted by too many steves | June 21, 2007 10:17 AM

I'm not so sure if the desire is to go East so much as to go specifically to Chicago. That's the one team in the NBA right now that is built to go deep into the playoffs (I'd pick them to win the East next year with their current roster) and still lacks a defining star. The problem is they don't have the contracts to make it work and I don't see a third team with a compelling interest to help out (the prizes involved, Deng, Bynum, Gordon, late picks, etc, just aren't compelling enough to become a facilitator for two other teams in a blockbuster deal...although Ainge likes to be helpful).

The Lakers are NOT trading Kobe to Seattle, Seattle is NOT giving up Durant to get him, and Kobe is NOT waiving his no-trade clause to go to a small market that's ready to give up on basketball. Maybe the Las Vegas Sonics can sign him in the 2009 offseason, but it ain't happening now.

Posted by Jake H. | June 21, 2007 10:51 AM