Isolation: LeBron James Vs. Paul Pierce

While the rivalries from the past two Isolation pieces have been somewhat forced, (by the media in the case of Kobe and LeBron and by Danny Granger in the case of Granger and LeBron) Paul Pierce and LeBron James have a legitimate rivalry as documented in this ESPN piece. 

Here is how the matchup went in Game 1.

Isolation: LeBron James Vs. Danny Granger

Mike Ehrman--Getty Images

Here is the second installment of the 'Isolation' series, which compares the play of two players matched up against each other.  You can check out the first installment here.

LeBron James Vs. Danny Granger
May 20th, 2012 -- Game 4 of Eastern Conference Semi-Finals


Some players in the Indiana Pacers -- Miami Heat series have earned themselves fame and future earnings (Roy Hibbert and George Hill) and some have earned lots and lots of grief (Dwyane Wade).  But LeBron James and Danny Granger--each team's best player-- are engaged in the most exciting matchup of the series.  Along with being the best matchup in terms of skill, James and Granger are each trying to prove something in these Eastern Conference semifinals, and these playoffs.  Granger is trying to show everyone that he is not afraid of the Heat, that he belongs among the NBA elite and can be the best player on an NBA Finals team.  LeBron on the other hand, is desperately trying to prove that he doesn't shy away from pressure and can win not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, but one measly title.

First Quarter:
To start off the game LeBron looked like one of your crappy friends driving to the basket for a contested layup and just hoping for the best.  He had two contested layups that didn't touch the rim before getting an easy dunk to get on the board a few minutes in.  From there he used his superior size over Granger to get great position on the block and settle down with a couple of easy jump hooks and layups.  Although he didn't shut him down defensively, Granger did well in the first quarter keeping LeBron from totally dominating the game on offense.  In plays where Granger guarded James, James only managed to make two of his five shots while going two for four against other Pacers.

On the offensive end Granger also went two for five, making one three pointer.  As usual, all of Granger's shots were jumpers, most of them being contested.  For many players this would be a problem, but this is Granger's game and he has proven that he is pretty good at it.  Granger also did relatively well distributing the ball; on two occasions he got the ball to Tyler Hansbrough in good position to finish with a layup.

LeBron kept the Heat relatively close in this first quarter, playing all twelve minutes while Dwyane Wade struggled to provide any offense.

Second Quarter:

For Danny Granger, the second quarter was more of the same.  He shot contested jumpers, making two and missing two.  LeBron however, turned up the Heat.  He made four of five shots, all of them good, high-percentage takes.  His only missed shot was a contested layup where a foul should have been called on Roy Hibbert.  He also did well distributing the ball, including one great backdoor bounce pass to Wade for an easy dunk.  Despite James' terrific play, the Heat were still down at halftime, due in large part to Dwyane Wade.  He continued where he left off in Game 3 and left the Heat looking like the Cleveland Lebrons.

Things got interesting after Roy Hibbert fouled Wade with what Wade viewed as excessive force.  Granger got in Wade's face earning his third technical in as many games.  All series Granger has been trying to show that he is not scared of Wade or James.  In doing so, Granger has split NBA fans; some are annoyed by what they see as a 'tough guy act' (shoutout to Cole Hamels), while others appreciate his fire and intensity.  I personally have enjoyed Granger's attitude and think that it's important for a young team trying to establish themselves.

Another note: In a halftime interview Granger made it clear that the Pacers' gameplan was not to shutdown LeBron but to win.  That's good and well, so long as you actually win, (which the Pacers were at half).  LeBron going off usually means bad things.

Third Quarter:


The third quarter was where LeBron completely separated himself from Granger and brought the Heat back.  It isn't a coincidence that this happened when Dwyane Wade finally found his legs and his shot.  The differences between James' and Granger's games are significant, and they were fully on display throughout this quarter.  Granger was pretty passive; he went one for four and only shot three-pointers.  He had one assist to Hansbrough (again), but other than that wasn't anywhere to be seen.

Meanwhile LeBron put up a truly ridiculous quarter.  He got to the line eight times, making six free throws to match his career FT% of 75.  Twice he made great passes to Wade, one backdoor and one a beautiful entry pass over the top while Wade's man fronted him.  He also had two steals, showing off his uber-athleticism in one of them.  Finally he went four for five from the field to bring his game total to 12/19.  The Heat ended the quarter with a six-point lead.

Fourth Quarter:


Granger did well again in this quarter, but it wasn't enough after the ridiculous run Wade and James went on.  He ended up making three of five shots for the Pacers, including an absurdly contested three-pointer from the corner.  He also played very good defense for a couple series, denying James the ball.  But James continued to fill up the stat sheet en route to the second Heat victory in the series.  He went two of four from the field, highlighted by an awesome putback dunk.


Game Review:

When looking at the quarters individually, it seems like Granger played at least on a similar level to James.  In reality, LeBron put up a historically good night.  He finished with 40 points, 18 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals, while making 14 of his 27 shots.  Granger's numbers didn't even compare.  He had 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists (no blocks or steals).  James doubled Granger (at least) in every major statistical category.  Granger said the Pacers would be content having LeBron drop 30 in a victory; how about 40 in a loss?

Winner: LeBron James


Tweets of the game:


@NBAGuru: "Granger HATES the "arrogance" of the Heat. He's not going to back down.


@WhitlockJason: "Does Tyler Hansbrough belong in the NBA? I'm serious. Drives me f---ing crazy."

The Tale of Kerry Wood

               Earlier this week, and about a quietly as possible, a legend hung up his spikes for good.  If you’re unsure of who I’m talking about, I urge direct your attention to this video.   In only his fifth Major League start, Kerry Wood struck out 20 batters, equaling his age, giving up only one infield hit in a complete game shutout.  He is the 2^nd pitcher in MLB history to strike out his age, after Bob Feller at the age of 17, and third pitcher to strike out 20 in a game after Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson.  According to the Bill James model of pitching performance, Wood’s gem was the greatest game ever pitched, and it’s not even close.  Keep in mind that this was against the Astros, who, at the time, were one of the best hitting teams in the league, led by Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, and Moises Alou.  The Astros lineup was absolutely overpowered by Wood’s mix of heat and whiffle-ball like off speed pitches. Unfortunately for Cubs nation and baseball fans everywhere, Wood’s career began to unravel not long after this dominating performance.

Back in the Game, but Bayern Chokes Hard

I apologize for the lack of posting; chalk it up to lacrosse and the aftermath of my encounter with the long arm of the law.  But I'm back with big things planned.  First, I need to point out to the LBS staff that I posted before Walter.

More importantly, I'm writing this post from a coffee shop in St. Petersburg, Russia.  I've been here a week with four more to go.  So, my idea was to post every Sunday while I'm here, writing about the interesting stuff that I do and, of course, sporting events that occur over here.  Obviously, that means I'll be posting about more European sports and not so much the NBA or NHL playoffs, or baseball.  Our readers will be so much more cultured after the next few weeks.

Unfortunately, that means covering the Champions League final from last night (Saturday afternoon for the rest of you) 

My proudest day as a fan

As a sports fan there are not many times when you can actually be proud of your fan base. The overwhelming amount of joy or anguish you experience comes from your team’s performance on the field. Today though, is a day where I couldn’t be more proud to be a Vikings fan because of what the incredible fan base has made happen. Only three weeks ago it looked like the Vikings’ stadium deal was done and it was only a matter of time until they followed the Lakers to LA. But thanks to a visit from Roger Goodell, Governor Mark Dayton’s tireless efforts, Senator Julie Rosen’s hard work, and the incredible support from Vikings fans, the Vikings are going to stay in Minnesota for at least another 45 years. At one point, anti-stadium politicians said that the majority of Minnesota was against this bill, this was until Viking fans got going and started emailing, calling, and writing state legislators to get the deal done.

Exit Sandman? Closing in on the end of a Yankee great

It was inevitable, I suppose. Either through a sudden, jarring injury or the unavoidable decline that comes with the years, Mariano Rivera was going to toss his last pro pitch. Perhaps the ACL tear that will undoubtedly end his 2012 campaign will not prove to be the end of his career, but the collective feeling in the wake of this unfortunate situation is that it has. Either way, it's got me thinking.

The first of five World Series wins
for the greatest closer of all time.
Photo courtesy of ibtimes.com

What makes Mariano Rivera so special? Of course, he holds claim to the most all-time saves in both the regular season and postseason. He's also compiled some astounding statistics: a 2.21 career ERA, including an unthinkable .70 runs against in the playoffs. He has five World Series rings. There's a World Series and ALCS MVP to boot (remember that he plays just one or two innings a game, if at all). That's just the tip of the iceberg. These reasons are enough for Rivera to land unanimously in Cooperstown, and to be widely recognized as the greatest closer to ever play the game of baseball. But to me, there's something else about Mo that sets him apart.


It's the most recognizable thing about him. Even my own mother can appreciate it. So can yours. It's something engrained in the American psyche, something that transcends sports and hearkens us back to olden days.


He's a Yankee.

Mariano Rivera: The greatest

Often times habit is a stronger feeling than love.  This is sometimes the case for married couples that fall out of love, but have grown so accustomed to a life together that they never take the steps to split up.  For me, this is also the case with Mariano Rivera.