Kobe Bryant has inspired me to get in better Basketball shape for the next two months (at least). It's awesome to see someone come back from injuries keep relatively calm and never take a backward step or shirk his responsibilities. I think his hardheadedness is his greatest strength and weakness, and in a time where people face horrific events (recently Wayne Ellington from our Laker's family), it gives me perspective about the things that get me down. He has already outperformed what I thought he was capable of, and let's face it the way things are going they may need me. I will work for a minimum below the league minimum in return for travel, accommodation, full benefits and a seat on the bench. I also pledge to read out live game day discussion to players and coaches while on the bench. Boozer may be slightly scarier in person when I am attempting to call him a lush however.
Dear God. How can people still defend this stuff? Kobe's balls have been washed sufficiently by management and Byron Scott. Fans don't need to keep it up. Doesn't anyone think that the team just doesn't give a f--- because they might as well not be out there? Kobe scores 44 and they lose by 20. So Kobe playing hero ball is not working. Period. He went all out hero ball and we got slaughtered. How about we try playing team ball an entire game and see how it works? Will we still lose? Probably. But this offense isn't basketball. I remember all the people b****ing and moaning years ago about the Lebron James on the Cavs offense. Iso, Iso, Iso. But now that Kobe is doing it (and a whole lot less efficient), it's beautiful/inspiring/heroic. Like I've said before. If it was 2006, it would be one thing because he was shooting 45%. He is shooting 37% right now. 37%! What he is doing is not amazing. The other 4 starters all are shooting at a higher clip. Our two best subs are shooting at a way higher clip. How is this enjoyable to watch for anyone who likes basketball? It's just frustrating, and I'll be honest, uncomfortable to watch. It's like watching Batman get crushed by Bane in their first meeting in Dark Knight Rises. Our once great hero just throwing haymakers. Some land but most just graze off. Unfortunately, Kobe doesn't have the magical doctor in the Asian prison.
Last night... Kobe - 15-34 Lin/Weasley/Snoozer - 6-26 If the reasoning for Kobe to shoot less is because his teammates are shooting at a higher clip, should it not go the other way and Kobe should shoot more when the other starters aren't making squat and he's hot? I definitely agree we need to play team ball and run an offense as I hate ISO, but at the same time I'll take 44% over 23% any day of the week. If the other players are hot and having a good game, for sure spread that ball around, but last night the starters outside of Hill were downright dreadful. They would have needed 41 shots to make 10 and we would have lost by 50.
Tough to include Lin in the FG% since he only took two shots, but that's incriminating in it's own way. I didn't get a chance to watch the game, but I'll try to watch it asap. There won't be a lot more games where Kobe drops 40 regardless of the circumstances.
Unfortunately, there's a rhythm to basketball that can't be ignored. If he’s spreading it around more, maybe they can get in rhythm. And this 44% shooting is easily one of his best performances of the year. He is averaging a much lower percentage, so we can’t take this as his new norm. Jeremy Lin took 2 shots. Maybe Lin can be a bit more aggressive, but if Lin gives up the ball early in the clock (like he should as the pg) he is unlikely to ever get it again. This basketball is cringe worthy at this point. I’ve played sports all my life, and every sport has a rhythm. If you are out of play, I don’t care how good you are, you can’t just get the ball every 8 minutes and expect to stroke it. Especially when you aren’t even moving and keeping your flow. This Kobe ISO is brutal to watch AND it is brutal for other players to try to play through. It’s almost like a self fulfilling prophecy. “If I give you the ball, you’ll miss…OK. Fine. Here. Shoot it once. Oh look you missed. You aren’t going to get the ball again until next quarter.”
Best quote I saw about how our team looks right now was if you would put one player from the Harlem Globetrotters on the Washington Generals you'd be pretty close to what the Lakers are right now... Watching the game against GS I was amazed by Kobes performance on the one hand and disgusted by our defense on the other hand. I'm not quite sure yet if the enjoyment I get from the first is enough to beat out the grief of the later...
Stephen A. Smith, "I dont blame Kobe one bit for the shots, I feel bad for Kobe because he has nobody. This is bad, this is bad, bad,bad." Pretty much sums it up.
Here are the guys I think Kobe should make an effort to establish a rapport with and work to keep engaged during a game: Ryan Kelly, Ed Davis, Jordan Hill, and off the court Julius Randle. The rest can f*** themselves right off the team or out of the NBA. They don't have the skills or drive to make a difference on any team. Clarkson's too young to make a judgement. Anytime you're complaining that your 36 year old superstar is too agressive you've got absolutely nothing to offer in this league. Swaggy too because he'll take some scoring load off of Kobe and he's not passive like Lin, Wes & Booz.
I agree with a lot of your points about how basketball should be played in general, SG, but after seeing the replay of last night's game, I wouldn't have picked it as an example of what you're arguing. We didn't lose because Kobe is shooting too much. What we didnt do is lose by 50 because he shot so much. We were down 19 at the half, we gave up 74 points. Kobe had 44 after 3 and we gave up a 41 point quarter. Game was over. Just like with 'Antoni we scored enough points with 115, but we gave up 136 and that's why we lost. That's the problem and that is why we will continue to lose. I too would like to see us play more of a team game because I want the team to get in a rhythm, I want plays to be run other than Kobe ISO, I don't want Kobe burned out for nothing, and I want some guys with potential to be free to develop, even if through trial and error. But our roster sucks, on an epic level I'm not sure I've seen as a Lakers fan, and again, if Kobe hadn't done what he did, we lose by 50.
I think anyone with half a brain expected a blow out loss last night. GS has demolished us every time we've played them in this pre-season/season. We don't close out on their three point shooters and they know they can light us up. Glad Kobe came to play hard. That team is sort of our kryptonite. Kobe shot too much, I agree with those who say it. But yeah, if he didn't we would have lost by 50 so there you go. Pick your poison. I just don't want to overplay him. Lin has to step up much more than this. Terrible showing by him. Booz and Hill missed where they were making shots a couple games ago. Same for Wes. It was a nightmare. Brush it aside. Get ready for the next game.
Even if we had, it wouldnt matter cause ish IS bad. What irritates me at times is realizing how this guy gives it everything and gets hated on for it a lot of the times, while theres guys sandbagging or playing like they dont belong in the NBA. I got the chills thinking of what hes given us, hope he makes a point after 2016 and signs with us for 1 million and does 30 billion endorsement deals to play with an all-star type cast.
Kobe put it best last night, if it's good then its us but if its bad it's me. If Kobe didn't shoot like he did we would have lost by so much more. He gets blamed for shooting too much but who else is going to shoot. Lin isn't aggressive enough, Boozer is useless, teams figured out Hill, Wes is trash......
I don't have a problam with Kobe shooting too much. he's right on target about his teamates. i have a problam about some of the shots his taking. he's such a smart guy but sometimes i have no clue why he decides to take those tough ones when he can make them so much easier. statistically it's not woth it. I have alot of negative to say about Lebron but the guy just knows how to make the same old easy shots time after time. and Kobe can get it also, even in his age. i can understand his teamates saying "why do i need to put effort in defending when i run to offence and Kobe throws some crazy shot". Kobe has to be much smarter about that.
But it never ceases to amaze me how little guys cut or get in decent position for Kobe to hit someone. And nobody is willing to fight for position to get the damn ball. Kobe is constantly fighting for positon off the ball. Why is this? Year after year it's the same problem. I'm critical of Kobe all the time, but last night he got trapped in the corner by two defenders snd was trying to get rid of the ball. Lin just stood there at the top of arc like a j****** for like 8 seconds and never went to help.
Watching the game and reading boxscores are pretty different. Kobe can - and should - pass more, but c'mon, guys. Do something.
