Kobe's lost it. He can't do what he did for 35 minutes a night, night in and night out any longer. After 19 years, more mileage than nearly anyone EVER, serious injuries, over a year away from the game, fighting and playing through injuries most could not, after revolutionary treatments have kept him on the hardwood, it's time to see things for what they are. We're too dependent on him, and he's not realistic on his limitations. He has to look at his shooting percentage in the 30's, and KNOW he's hurting the team. Time to set the ego aside, reduce the minutes, and change the role. Great, you can put up 24-25 a night. But at what price? He is no longer efficient. Barkley said once this year that some days you have it when you get older, and some days you don't. Time for Kobe to recognize this, and not force everyone to put up with his 3-15 nights. In the old days, you knew if he had a night like that, he'd shoot jumpers all night, and come back with a fury. You pitied the next team. He can't do that any longer. He has to rest. And even though he still has that same competitive spirit, he doesn't have the speed, the quickness, lateral movement, spring, lift, accuracy, ability to be the best every night. He basically never practices either. I'm not sure who I feel needs to step up more to solve this. Bryant, or Scott. Right now they are both living in a fantasy world thinking this is going to change. Maybe trim to 28-30 dynamic minutes, stay rested and healthy, don't play back to backs, and let's enjoy the home stretch of one of the greatest careers ever vs pull a Dan Tony and run the man into the ground. Don't get me wrong. If I went to war, that's a guy I want on my side. But maybe he's only on the front line 50% of the time now. Kobe, be the crafty, wiley veteran who is still effective, but don't try to turn back the clock and prove to the world you still have it like you used to. You don't. And I what I also love about you, is if you read this, you'd say F U, and go try to prove me wrong. We love you Kobe, but this is just hard to watch. Hoping against all odds things improve.
LOL .... I saw the headline and knew immediately what it was and chuckled. I was thinking about the shooting % and think sirronstuff is right, Kobe has to cut back on the activity so far less practices and equally important probably far far less time spent in his marathon practice shooting sessions.
This was discussed before the season started between Scott and Bryant; a minute reduction plan for Kobe. Apparently, both don't recollect their dialogue on the subject in September. Either way, Scott needs to communicate with Kobe about this and figure out a way to get his body through the season.
Kobe still has it. He's just used incorrectly. You cant sole rely on him to carry you through the entire game anymore. He needs to play less than 34 minutes, and used in positions where he's not the only guy creating the entire offense. It's a product of our lack of talent and Byron's awful coaching.
Well, I think we could all agree that his game does have clear limitations based upon his age, obviously, but I do agree with you. Interesting stat; two years ago before the Achilles injury, Kobe had only converted 19.4 percent of his isolations during that year. That was the year he had a renaissance in athletic ability and he was doing things on the court we hadn't seen in years, and he was still a bad isolation player according to that stat. Fast forward time, two devastating injuries later, in a very heavy isolation offense that Byron has incorporated, do we expect things to get better for Kobe? Nope. He's already ran into the ground before Christmas. Unfortunately, without strategically limiting his minutes and possibly even sitting him out some games, he's going to continue to have increased inefficiency and wind up getting more fatigued to the point where he gets injured.
I ranted a bit the other day. I shouldn't be placing all the blame on Kobe (although some can be placed on him). Byron is mainly at fault here. his horrendous overuse of Kobe is frustrating, beyond frustrating. He maintains Nick Young's minutes like he should with Kobe when i feel Nick Young should be in the game much longer than he gets... He's an offense machine and that's what we need, it's not like we play defense anyways... But Byron man. His hard on for Kobe is just beyond comprehension. Give the 36 year old (who is coming off two potentially career ending injuries) some damn rest. He's just as bad, if not worse, than Mike Dantoni.
dude, your nuts..... should be punched. Dude still has it. One of only two players at 36 with a triple double, and only one with 20+ points as part of it. TWICE. Dude still has it.
Actually if you read the OP he said Kobe can't keep carrying this team anymore for 35 mins a night. Kobe himself has agreed with this. Sirron said Kobe can't continue to play like he always has, and Kobe himself also just said he has to evolve, can't be forcing it against defenses that are loading up on him, and is trying to be more of SG/PG combo. We were too dependent on him, he can't do it for 35 mins a game, so in that regard Kobe has lost something. That's inevitable though, everyone loses a step, Kobe at this age and with this mileage is still one of the best in the game.
I enjoyed the reference, but I echo weezy's seniments...why is it so earth-shattering that 36 year-old kobe can't dominate the league? the fact that it was even a question is sort of amazing, right? btw, last night's game was by far his best in a very long time. had a few bad turnovers, but was mostly perfect in almost every way. I hope to see more of the discerning kobe on offense for the rest of his time with us.
Easy.....easy. At the time this was posted Kobe was truthfully playing poorly by continuing to jack up shots that have been dropping at an all time low % for him and literally hurting the team with his stubbornness. But the "punch in the nuts" title is an inside joke for many of us harking back to a thread started a couple of years ago when Kobe had a couple of bad games or one bad game. It became kind of a "whack" classic with the title, "Dagger to My Stomach Kobe Has Lost It". Same as another classic with the wording including, "Kobe shots too much". Those two were from consistent Kobe detractors.
ahh, I got it Yeah, Kobe's amazing. Best 36 year old ever, and still has areas to evolve since he has the skills. Cool that he sees his limitations and is being honest with himself about them. Makes him more likeable actually.
And let's not forget a 36 year old, but in his 19th season (I'm not even sure how many added seasons if you add up and include playoff games), coming off an injury that you aren't supposed to be able to come back from at that age, followed by another season ending injury. To expect him to be his old self isn't realistic, and I think the point of the OP overall was that Kobe himself shouldn't expect to have the same exact role. That age, that mileage, those injuries, the point is he has to evolve, and for now, he has even agreed with that.
kobe's recent comments gave me some hope that he might be coming to terms with his limitations. he had said some things earlier in the year that sounded more like lip service. I think it's sinking in that he can't just drop 50 on someone to come out with the W anymore. it's a new world for him. he doesn't have to transition fully to late career grant hill, but there's middle ground between there and late-career allen Iverson.
