FanBanta Football

With the NBA playoff race heating up and a few elite teams staying ahead of the rest of the crop, the big question you should be asking yourselves is of those top teams, who’s the safest bet to give me a return on my money?

My answer might surprise you. Not the Lakers.

I see Kobe play these days, and realize that his ego might just be the team’s worst enemy, even more so than before, more so than when they had Shaq to fall back on. Kobe feels he has to – must – be the team’s top shooter. He just gives off the feeling that he has to be the star of the game. Through injury or illness, Kobe’s going to be the man.

Now, Jordan was hailed as a hero when he played sick. But Jordan’s teams also won those games, and Jordan played like a champ. He didn’t shoot 30 percent from the floor.

I’m telling you all, if you play the NBA Odds, Kobe is going to cost you money deep in the playoffs. When it comes down to it, would you rather put your NBA betting dollars on Kobe, if the situation calls for it, let Pau Gasol take over if it makes sense? Will he set aside his selfish warrior attitude for the good of the team, and your wallet?

Doubtful. And things might change, Kobe might become Kobe again, but he’s on a rough stretch of really bad shooting games. I know the best way for a shooter to recover is to shoot his way out of those, but when you’re in a #1 record race with red-hot Cleveland, it might be time to consider a second option than living and dying with your ball hog star.

Kobe’s attitude killed it for the Lakers in 2004 against the Pistons and last year against the Celtics. In fact, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing last year, a seemingly lethargic defeated Kobe playing like a zombie in the decisive NBA finals game.

And, since I’m on the topic, this is where Kobe falls short of Jordan. He hasn’t done enough to make him teammates better to the point where the rest of the league believes that Kobe believes enough in his teammates to deal the knockout blow if called upon. There’s no Kerr against the Jazz moment, there’s no Paxson against the Suns moment, no Wennington against the Knicks moment (didn’t see that one coming, right?). It’s either gonna be Kobe or die. Sure there were nights when Jordan took 40 shots, but he made more than half of them. Kobe doesn’t.

Are you willing to put your NBA Betting finals money on that gamble? Against LeBron, who’s seemingly more untouchable than Obama these days, if it comes down to it? I’m not.