Only three games tonight, so how about we give the three stars to the key players from each of the three winning teams. Sounds good to me.
Third Star: Kobe Bryant (25 points, 5 assists, +20)
Kobe Bryant has spent almost his entire career in Phil Jackson’s triangle, the only times outside it were in Mike Brown’s standard sets from last season (we won’t discuss that Princeton thing) and whatever the heck Rudy T. ran that one year. So we never saw him as a decision maker in the pick and roll — and he is very good at it. He knows when to attack, you have to respect his shot, and with that he sets guys up very well. Once Steve Nash returns the Lakers are going to have a couple ways to attack on the pick-and-roll (and if Kobe attacks he’ll have Nash as his knock-down outside shooter, which will work just fine). Kobe was in charge at the end of this Lakers win and made it happen. He was in control and was as good a point as Deron Williams.
Second Star: Nick Young (23 points, four assists)
How did Nick Young describe his night? “Swaggy P came and delivered.” (That’s honestly what he said to the media.) Damn straight. He had 23 points on 13 shots and he was key to the Sixers fourth quarter comeback — he had a couple driving layups, a couple threes, 10 points total plus a sweet assist to Thaddeus young in the fourth quarter. This was Nick Young’s game, and those are some of the most fun to watch. Swaggy P lives.
First Star: Carmelo Anthony (29 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists)
Carmelo Anthony owned the first quarter of this game. Owned. On the first play after the opening tip he hit a 17-foot step back jumper and you thought if these were falling it could be his kind of night. He scored in transition, he posted guys up, he drove from the wing into the paint and hit acrobatic shots. He abused Al-Farouq Aminu, Ryan Anderson, and Xavier Henry. ‘Melo also had six points in the third quarter when the Knicks pulled away for a blowout win (and ‘Melo didn’t have to play the fourth). He is simply playing the best, most well rounded basketball of his career right now.
