Defending Kareem

Of course Kareem's gonna look nervous, he's playing behind Kobe. How can he improve even if Kobe moves to the SF position? He still never got PT even before Shaw was backup. Still how can he improve with limited PT? Are ya'll forgettin the times he had a lil' spark? Ya'll are just overridin all that just cuz he looks scurred out there, and made rookie mistakes more than often. But at least he's a rookie, and not an 8 year vet. He will improve when he gets the time to do so.

how could RUSH look scared?..during practice doesn't he match up against the GREATEST PLAYER TODAY during scrimmages?.... ALL SUMMER/SEASON/PLAYOFFS... didn't he learn anything from KOBE during team SCRIMMAGES yellow vs blue squads?.. IF anything he should be more confident that any CHUMP he guards on the FLOOR is nothing compared to what he has to defend during his scrimmages with KOBE. It is obvious that RUSH is not the player management expected him to be. If you can't learn from the GREATEST PLAYER TODAY in KOBE ....playing him one on one .... day in day out during practices... then it just means he is never going to get it. We all know that RUSH will never be as good as KOBE offensively.. but he should have learn how to play DEFENSE AT LEAST after guarding KOBE all those times during practice!!!!
Thats it... I'm OUT ...

The Lakers had a different coach when we had peeler and nick and lynch and christie as rookies, you are talking about phil jackson, he did not play rush, he had people with experience to sub for kobe in the play offs, Rookies have tendencies to make bad decisions like when Del Harris left the Young inexperienced Kobe Bryant in the game in critical situations, instead of Eddie Jones.... DUMB MOVE.... during the Utah series. AIR-Ball.
Don't judge folks because of their facial expressions, T-Mac looks Lazy eyed, Sam Perkins looked sleepy, just because rush looks like he day dreams doesn't mean he can't play. You can't judge rush and say he won't improve, because you don't know his heart, and if you say you do, you're lying, because you haven't seen him play enough and don't know what he does away from the court. Rush had more better games than Pargo did in the reg. season, why? because he played more, of couse pargo had a better play off performance because he played more.... although kareem had better stats than pargo during the play-offs... that makees me wonder!!!

The reason for the remark with his facial expression it due to the fact HIS FACIAL EXPRESSION RESEMBLES HIS PLAY ON COURT. His body language is also a form of expression which translate to no-defense. He PLAYS AS HE LOOKS... LOST!!! Lost on Offense and Defense.
Lets face facts.. he will just be another FRANKIE KING. He was given plenty of minutes all year.. so don't answer that he didn't. He was even given a chance to PLAY POINT.... but we later realise that he had NO HANDLES WHATSOEVER!!! nor can he Pass... Play d-fense .....etc..etc.
Everybody is so high up on him but what did he actually do throughout the course of his rookie campaign?.... ZIPP, NADA...
In response to your comment about HARRIS putting KOBE in to shoot air balls in his rookie year against UTAH.... I admire HARRIS for believing in KOBE. I admire KOBE for not backing down to take those SHOTS!!! He came back stronger and more hungry the next year!!! That series was the defining point to KOBE's career that made him become the player he is today.

Nice point #1kobefan on the idea that Kareem should have learned to play defense with one year playing against Kobe in practice.

Atleast he should have picked a little something. By guarding the best during practice, then these other chumps in the league should be pretty easy to guard during the game. But his defense never progressed, but instead regressed.

Kareem is retarded like KobeStopper. His D should have been ok by now by guarding Kobe in practice the whole season. But instead, it stayed the same.

THANK U LAKER BRAIN!!!!

Sure practice makes u get better, but clutch situations only prepare players for the unexpected. Kareem prolly played great D in practices, but he's unable to step up, cuz of his lack of game play durin actual games, not practices... They're two totally different situations.. So bascially all ya'll are hatin on him just cuz he's unable to put up big numbers in the limited amount of PT he's been gettin. Everything ya'll are sayin, is defenetly irrelivant cuz PT makes players more comfortable on the court.

How can Kareem play PG when that's not even his natural position? Tell that to all the natural 3 guards out there to play PG, and if they don't have the handles to play PG then they aint gonna play... U know how idiodic that sounds??

Of course Kobe got better cuz he was put in durin critical situations where other players were nervous to put up the shots Kobe attempted. Del NEVER had faith in KOBE whatsoever! He always saw him as an arrogant kid outta HS who thought he could handle the NBA. He wanted to make an [Swearing is not permitted at Clublakers. You must edit this post prior to submitting.] outta Kobe, and he did so when Kobe messed up tha series. But experiences and PT only make ya get better!! Kobe got that experience under his belt, and that's what made him the player he is today. But Kareem was never put in situations like that, just cuz he's not a natural PG. So to diss him like that doesn't make sence....

how do you know WHAT DEL THOUGHT OF KOBE?.. you READ MINDS?
I go by facts and NO SPECULATION. The fact is DEL PLAYED KOBE because he EARNED his MINUTES and performed better/was not intimitaded by the competition. He threw a rookie in the final minutes of a playoff game because he KNEW the KID WAS NOT AFRAID TO TAKE THE SHOT and thus BELIEVED IN HIM. DEL was advised by JERRY WEST to bring the KID KOBE in slowly into the League. KOBE played behind one of the BETTER GUARDS in the League in EDDIE JONES. Don't forget CEBALLOS was playing the forward position and STILL KOBE got time at that position.
IF your GUARDING PLAYERS in PRACTICE especially the BEST GUARD playing today ... DAY IN DAY OUT. You would think you learn something.
PLAYING DEFENSE and OFFENSE is completely DIFFERENT!!!! The TRIANGLE is DIFFERENT from playing DEFENSE!!!!!! I KNOW. BUT if the COACH says your GUARDING so and so. You better know how to PLAY DEFENSE. He PLAYED KOBE EVERY PRACTICE!!!! Did he learn anything?
Obviously NOT. To be a good defender it takes EFFORT/DETERMINATION/HUSTLE/HEART. RUSH has displayed none.
I expected RUSH to struggle offensively with the triangle BUT NOT TO STRUGGLE PASSING THE BALL/Showing no HANDLES/Playing MATADOR DEFENSE

You forgot to tell me what RUSH's potential is?..... ohhh potential to be headed to the CBA... i see.

R u blinded or something??? Or u obviously don't remember interviews from the past. I recall from an interview with Kobe, that Del never liked the idea of giving him those shots, but he was the only one who offered to step up. In practices everytime Kobe would do a spectacular move, or throw a great dish, Del would stop tha practice game, and give the ball to the opposition durin practices, and those buckets wouldn't count. So which all that said, it really isn't speculation, it's the way people interpret situations...

IF your GUARDING PLAYERS in PRACTICE especially the BEST GUARD playing today ... DAY IN DAY OUT. You would think you learn something.

This statement is clearly speculation. It's opinionated. Players learn on their own merit, and with others it takes longer... Kareem isn't a PG, so don't knock him when that's what Phil wants him to learn how to be. He's a natural 3.

To be a good defender it takes EFFORT/DETERMINATION/HUSTLE/HEART. RUSH has displayed none.

Again, this is like the same statement above. Rush has had limited PT, so obvously to u, ur gonna assume he's displayed nothing in ur eyes. But I see it differently. He does have the determination, effort, and all that, cuz he's out there playin when he gets PT. AGAIN, with limited PT players aren't gonna get the on court experience needed. And he's not gonna show some tight [Swearing is not permitted at Clublakers. You must edit this post prior to submitting.] dribbling or passing skills like NATURAL PG's, cuz he isn't one...

So... your telling me you DISAGREE with how DEL HARRIS handled KOBE?
KOBE was a coming from HIGH SCHOOL. As a youngster KOBE of course would probably take it a little to the extreme. DEL HARRIS tried to HUMBLE YOUNG KOBE and allowed his game speak for itself without SHOWBOATING. KOBE is a better for it now. He learned that EVERYPLAY does not have to be SPECTACULAR!! HARRIS is an XX's and OO's type of coach and is respected by many of his peers as a great teacher of the game. I believe HARRIS did a lot in improving KOBE's way ofthinking for the game. Look at KOBE now... he is a very humble SuperSTARS of SUPERSTARS.
"To be a good defender it takes EFFORT/DETERMINATION/HUSTLE/HEART". IS RECIEPE to be a good DEFENDER!!!! it is 95% HEART and HUSTLE. IT IS NOT SPECULATION... is a GIVEN!!! JUST LIKE MATH THE MORE YOU DO IT THE BETTER YOU GET it go be said about everything else. SO WHEN I MENTION RUSH PLAYED KOBE EVERYTIME DURING PRACTICE.... WOULDN'T YOU THINK RUSH WOULD TAKE SOMETHING FROM IT? YOU KNOW SINCE KOBE WAS PROBABLY TAKING HIM TO SCHOOL EVERYTIME. ITS NOT SPECULATION... is just a question if he has the DRIVE TO BE A DEFENDER!!!!
I know your a big fan of RUSH, heck you list him 5th as the BEST looking LAKER behind GEORGE .... you can still ROOT for RUSH when he is in a different team.

Thats my take on RUSH. You can say what you want about him.
If RUSH is released and or is traded then I would concur that LAKER MANAGEMENT agreed with my thoughts and not with yours.
We shall wait and see.

SO ur sayin that Del molded Kobe into the player he is now!?? LMAO... Please... Kobe molded himself, and he learned on his own, cuz no one really had faith in what he could bring to the table expect for West. Sure every play doesn't have to be spectacular, but look at Kobe now? Virtually every play is mind boggling, and the crowd loves it. Kobe trained hard, and that's what molded him into the player he is now, and the person he is off the court. Del had nothing to do with it. If he did, then the Lakers wouldn't have got rid of him. So if the Lakers so decide to play Kareem and give him more PT, then I would think that management agrees with mah take on him, along with Laker Brain's take on what his potential is.

LOL.. your blinded by your RAGE in keeping RUSH... its so RIDICULAS

REASONS why HARRIS GOT CANNED:
SHAQ didn't like him
Shaq needed a structured offense
Shaq wasn't happy with his motion offense.
Shaq wanted PHIL
Shaq didn't like him
The team lost respect for Harris
Harris and Exel's blow up.
Shaq didn't like him
Shaq didn't like him
Shall I go on?

JERRY WEST INSTRUCTED HARRIS TO BRING THE KID KOBE SLOWLY INTO THE LEAGUE.... which part of that don't you understand?.....
LET ME SAY IT AGAIN..... HE WAS INSTRUCTED BY WEST TO BRING THE KID IN SLOWLY.
I DID NOT SAY IT WAS HARRIS THAT MADE KOBE THE PLAYER HE IS TODAY. I SAID HE HELP KOBE UNDERSTAND THE xx's and oo's. He HELPED KOBE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU DON'T HAVE DO A SPECTACULAR PLAY EVERY TIME DOWN. LOOK AT VINCE CARTER... MESSED UP HIS KNEE BECAUSE HE DIDN'T KNOW WHEN TO TONE IT DOWN. KOBE is WHAT HE IS TODAY BECAUSE OF HIS OWN HARD WORK AND UP BRINGING. KOBE LEARNED at A LOT FROM HARRIS IN KOBE's first COUPLE Of YEARS. He also learned to PLAY DEFENSE behind EDDIE JONES. HARRIS WAS A TEACHER OF THE GAME AND KOBE WAS HUNGRY FOR BASKETBALL KNOWLEDGE.
AND YOUR GOING TO TELL ME KOBE DID NOT LEARN [Swearing is not permitted at Clublakers. You must edit this post prior to submitting.] FROM HARRIS? YOUR IN DENIAL.
RUSH IS GONE IF NOT THIS YEAR BUT DEFINITELY NEXT YEAR.... ASTA!!