Kobe Bryant Discussion: Mamba Out!

Darrius Morris calls Kobe the GOAT (and criticizes Byron):

 

I was saying this a week ago and some people got on me.

 

I understand that Kobe isn't what he used to be.

But then again...why doesn't he understand that if you only make 30% of your shots, you should reduce your attempts. The only thing I'm struggling to understand is why he keeps gunning bricks with no regard to human life. Its not like its working. He can shoot 1 of 5...but shooting 3-16 like regularly is just stupid basketball, sorry.

 

^^ This. Well said, KB24.

Take last night's game as an example. For whatever reason, he decided to play like we've been wanting him to play all freaking year. He took only 16 shots as opposed to 20 something. Most of the shots were mid-range. He only shot 4 three pointers versus the double digit attempts he's been doing most of his outings. Guess what? He made 25% of his threes, and went 7 for 12 on the rest of the mid-range and closer variety.

As a result we were in this game for 3 and a half quarters instead of getting blown the hell out.

No team that I know of can survive a guy chucking 20 plus shots a game at a 30% average when he's playing 35 minutes a game. It's not a recipe for success.

To me this had so much more to do with staying competitive last night than benching the kids.

 

This is true, but sadly, Byron is probably thinking his lineup change made us more competitive and that he is some sort of genius.

 

Ah that word again, "hate". Legit criticism and concern for team future equals "hate" when it's Kobe. His "F it" play has done this, the fans haven't turned on him, we want him to play smarter because we know he can. I think in the long run Kobe would get to use Jordan's advice of enjoying every minute of this more, if his minutes were reduced and he wasn't shooting so much. Because at this rate, he will go down with an injury, where if he scales it back some, maybe he makes it to the end of the season.

I find this more sad than anything. You'd think we'd be appreciating Kobe's last year, but his play has soured us to it and is not allowing us to do this. You'd think we'd be posting and talking about the tributes he's getting from opposing teams, or his quality post game pressers, but we are so down on his play and losing that we seem to not care, I know I don't very much. This is half on B0ron at least too, for playing him too much and enabling him to play however he likes. It's not hate to fear for how his play will hurt this team going forward though, to wonder if some of our young guys are being set back a season.

 

This isn't even the same Kobe we enjoyed for 19 years. This is some old guy who is more focused on his own farewell tour than the team's well-being. He's putting his own play before the team even now. That's on him and on Byron for not controlling him in the first place.

I made the comparison to a spoiled only child a while back. I think it still fits.

 

No what made him great was continuing to be great despite his limitations. Now his limitations are greater than ever before, but he's made no adjustment to his play.

 

Jesus man. It's not a challenge to succumb to. It's playing smart. Clearly this argument is going to go nowhere though because you think he is capable of recovery.

The truth is:
1. He is physically incapable of doing almost all of the things we remember him doing (http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bryanko01.html).
2. His heart is no longer in basketball ("I don't want to get zen on you, but when I'm meditating it doesn't drift to basketball anymore").
3. HE DOESN'T WANT TO DO THIS ANYMORE ("I don't want to do this anymore")

This is NOT the same Kobe Bryant that willed his team to the playoffs. This is NOT the same Kobe Bryant that took us to 7 Finals appearances. This is an old man who is stubbornly hi-jacking this season for his own benefit while costing us time/effort for our young pieces.

I am a fan of Kobe Bryant for what he's done for us. That doesn't mean I have to be blind to what he's doing right now.

 

There's a difference between shooting like crap and shooting crappy shots. What got him here has been "F it" threes and shooting with defenders all over him. Taking threes out of the offense, not even open, just because he can. He's taken threes, missed, had the ball bounce back to him, and immediately taken another one. He's had decent looks at a 2 and then ran to the 3 point line, checked that his feet were behind it, and launched. That's bad basketball, and I don't like calling it what it is being labeled as hate and seeing excuses being made for it. It was one thing to see excuses made for it years ago when it wasn't nearly as bad and when Kobe could actually make the shots, but now? See this for what it is, this is not Kobe playing the same as he always has, or playing smart in any way.

In the past when people have complained about him he at least tried to adjust, he changed his game to show that he could, and it has worked at times. One time it got him an MVP, another it helped swing our season a bit during one of the 'Antoni/Dwight years. I'd at least like to see some of that, a little acknowledgment that this isn't working and he isn't going to do it all season. He isn't though, and that's where a lot of the "doesn't care" comments are coming from. Oh well, at least he finally shot 50% yesterday and didn't have a bad game really.

 

Shoot, I didn't even need to comment I could have just quoted this. This, a thousand times this. This isn't a challenge, he's done and he's said as much. What would help is to actually play like he knows some of his physical limitations before his body craps out for good.