I’m a huge Kobe defender and love watching him. But I’m also one of the first people in line to complain when he starts being too ball dominant and dribbling the ball in the perimeter one on one while the shot clock is running out. I think some of his best highlights come out of the natural flow of the offense. So I want to see beautiful basketball that comes organically. You can reconcile the two things, admiring his play and being critical at the same time.

And for the record, I love Kobe, he is one of the greatest players ever to lace up the sneakers, and we are lucky to have the chance to watch him night in and night out. But with great talent comes great responsibility, and as the team’s Alpha Dog I expect more of him (this is not the temple of Kobe, with unfettered worship of him). But don’t think I don’t feel lucky to get to see him play.

At the beginning of the season most lakers fans were high on Artest’s passing skills despite derision from Rockets and Kings fans. I joined in on this – but I thought all this talk was based more on our hope that the offseason move would provide greater dividends than it’s loss.

But watching the chopping stream I could cop from my ILP, I have to say I am really really impressed not only with his willingness and skill of his ball distribution. Loving the ball movement and the overall effort that last two games!