more Blazers-Lakers (non-celtics)

["Berry, Mark S" <berrym@BATTELLE.ORG>]

Have any of you seen anything more egregious than the star treatement the
officials gave Kobe last night. I think it was Ronnie Nunn who whistled Kobe
for an (offensive) foul, and extended his arm to make that call, but
suddenly realized that would be Kobe's sixth. He changed the call to a foul
on Rasheed Wallace (outrageous). The next trip down, Kobe is fouled, takes
three steps and tosses in a shot and gets the continuation call. Pathetic.
Costas and Collins kept talking about how gutsy it was for Phil Jackson to
leave Kobe in the game with his foul problems, but Jackson knows as well as
anyone that Kobe will have to break someone's arm to foul out of a game.

A few other things: Dunleavy was at it again last night. This time it was
Bonzi Wells. Damn near cost them the lead, and if they had fallen behind,
forget it....  Does anyone else find it unbelievable that it took Dunleavy
five games to figure out that a big backcourt of Steve Smith and Scottie
Pippen might give the Lakers problems, or at least take away some of their
advantages? I mean, both Smith and Pippen have played the point in the past,
and either could play with one arm tied behind their backs and be better
than Stoudamire.... That was the best game I've ever seen Pippen play. Of
course, he'll disappear Friday and the Blazers will be finished. That's his
pattern..... 

And finally..... I can't help but think of Paul Pierce when I watch Glenn
Rice. This isn't a knock on either guy; Rice scored a lot of points and made
a lot of All-Star teams in this league. Pierce may do the same thing. But
they are so similar. Rice didn't lose his skills overnight; it's just that a
guy like Kobe makes other players better, while Rice doesn't. When Rice's
shot is off, he's invisible. Rice, in the right situation, still could be a
20-ppg scorer, like Pierce. But neither will ever be a franchise player.
When people ask why I'd favor trading Pierce over Toine (other than Pierce's
greater value around the league), this is the answer I'll give.

Mark