Is this game on anybody's radar? Tonight the LA Lakers travel to Miami to face the Heat. There will be a few storylines in play during tonight's game. LA vs. Miami - this could be an NBA Finals preview. Kobe vs. LeBron - which star shines brightest? Who comes up big for their team if the game is close in the fourth quarter?
The Miami Heat come into this game missing a major piece of their puzzle - Dwyane Wade is out indefinitely due to ankle and foot injuries. The Lakers come into the game also missing a piece of their puzzle, although not one as significant at D-Wade is to Miami - Steve Blake, the Lakers' backup point guard and leading scorer off their bench is out with fractured rib cartilage. At this point of the early season, neither of these teams is the team that they will be if they happen to meet in the NBA Finals. So while it could be an NBA Finals preview, I think this game will actually serve as more "lighter fluid" to throw onto the Kobe vs. LeBron debate.
There has been much conversation recently concerning various NBA analysts' rankings of their best players in the NBA, Kobe vs. LeBron, etc. In those two players, you have two of the most talented, if not, the two most talented players in today's game. These two are the league's leaders in scoring (Kobe at 30.8 ppg and LeBron at 29.8 ppg). And you have two players that will probably be right at the top of the NBA MVP conversation.
At 33 years old, in his 16th NBA season, while also dealing with a torn ligament in his wrist, Kobe Bryant is having one of his best seasons. He is averaging 30.8 points per game, which leads the league and is his highest total since the 2007-08 season. His rebounds (5.7 per game) and assists (5.5 per game) are also the highest they have been in recent years as well. Kobe has also made noise lately with a four game 40+ point scoring streak that came to an end with a 14-point outing in their most recent win over the Dallas Mavericks. Kobe appears to be enjoying new coach, Mike Brown's system, which allows Kobe to dominate the ball and look to score or make a play for his teammates. He is averaging 24.9 shots per game, his highest total since 2005-06, and is shooting 45.6% from the field.
Likewise, LeBron is having a tremendous season as well. He is second in the league in scoring at 29.8 points per game and is fourth in the league in field goal percentage at 57.7%. He is also averaging a career-high 8.0 rebounds per game and his 7.6 assists per game is the second-best total of his career. In addition, he is also shooting a career-best 43.8% from three-point range. LeBron's Player Efficiency Rating of 34.25 is second in the league as well, behind only Manu Ginobili of the Spurs.
But despite the numbers for both players, everyone will have their eye on the fourth quarter. Everyone know the struggles that Miami and especially LeBron has had in the fourth quarter of games. Everyone also knows that, whether Kobe makes his shots or not, he will be aggressively looking to shooting the ball in the fourth quarter. Maybe Kobe has a big fourth quarter and helps lead his Lakers team to a victory. Maybe D-Wade being out of action tonight forces LeBron to take the game over for Miami and exorcise his fourth quarter demons if the game is close late. Who better to do it against than Kobe and the Lakers? In either case, tune in tonight, especially in the fourth quarter.
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