Like every season, we will likely see the team defer to Kobe in situations. And I'm sure Kobe doesn't want that. Clarkson/Russell/Randle someone has to step up and take charge of the situation instead of deferring. That will be the true test of Kobe's trust and will really show who's going to be the torch bearer.
Regarding our alarm that Sacre is presently the 2nd string center...just relax...It's training camp and Sacre has done his homework like a true professional. Coach Scott is going to reward him for that now, and make it clear to Upshaw and Black that's what it's going to take, know where you need to be on rotations, plays, and communicate, talk with your team mates.That's how you will get PT. As stated in prior posts Sacre is a 3rd string center at best, not because of effort or BB IQ, but because of skills.This competition between Sacre, Upshaw and Black is a good thing.No more excuses, no more lack of professionalism,as we've seen the past 3 years. Byron, and now Big Game James expect total professionalism if you want to wear the Purple and Gold.
Lakerfan2 I'm not even necessarily talking about shots. I want to see the ball move with slick passing creating easier looks. Kobe's still eminently skilled and should be touching the ball frequently in that process. Like how San Antonio plays. Like the ball and player movement in the triangle when it was really clicking.
I doubt it was going like this for the whole scrimmage. These were just 5 minutes and he looks like he's taking it a bit easy. I think Kobe not touching the ball is the last thing we gonna worry about
That type of play is reliant on players with the IQ to understand the offense and have the ability and vision to make those kind of plays. The Lakers Triangle v2.0 with Pau, Lamar, Kobe made everyone around them better. That sheer talent alone was amazing. They were all highly intelligent playmakers and the movement from all of the ancillary players made it work well. San Antonio has been on a legacy system. Something Pop drove into the blood of that team for so long, and having the Duncan/Parker/Ginobili core for such a long time is a testament to their FO. That's something built over time. You're also talking Phil and Pop, two of the greatest coaches in NBA history. Byron doesn't even scrape the surface with those two. We have a lot of young players that we're going to have to expect are going to make mistakes. This is going to be part of their learning curve. The talent is certainly there, but I don't think Byron's system is going to produce what you're expecting. Rather, I hope it's a lot more simplified. Simple pick and rolls, ball movement and off ball movement, and cuts. What Byron did in New Orleans with CP3 is what I'm hoping for, except the whole not getting out of the first round part, that's where Kobe and the vets make the difference. It'll be a fun season nonetheless. It's been awhile since we've had young blood to grow with. It was like a couple years ago we were watching Kobe airball those 3's. Growing pains.
