Kobe Bryant doesn't get it

[Kevin Greene]

What I like about this thread is that the Lakers are 1 game out of the playoffs, and sub-.500, with possibly the best team ever assembled.

And Laker fans are trying to say that is a good thing.

I guess I'm glad you think this team has so much potential, and with Nash it's what. 5 games in?

[Darth Biscuit]

Wait....are we discussing Tiger Woods?

Maybe. ;)

You know, Tiger is weird... He seems like he has a pretty good group of friends... He might be alright if you're friendly with him... He's just an asshole to everybody esle.

[C47]

I guess I'm glad you think this team has so much potential, and with Nash it's what. 5 games in?

This exactly, Even the assists stats the OP was so quick to throw out to bash Kobe are ridiculously skewed because Nash has missed most of the season so far. Oh and I'm sorry but by your tally Shaq has three rings and Kobe has two?? No, I'm pretty sure Kobe won five championships as one of the focal points of the Los Angeles Lakers. Keep trying to spin it as he did nothing during the Lakers championship runs in 00-02 though....

[Hawk]

By my tally Shaq has 3, Wade has 1, Lebron has 1, Duncan has 4, and Kobe has 2.

I would say your tally is incorrect!!!

[ZB1224]

What I like about this thread is that the Lakers are 1 game out of the playoffs, and sub-.500, with possibly the best team ever assembled.

And Laker fans are trying to say that is a good thing.

Yeah man this Lakers team is the fugging GOAT team ever assembled!

PG: Steve Nash (7 games started out of 31)

SG: Kobe Bryant (30.3 ppg on 48/37/84 shooting, 5.4 rpg, 4.7 apg, 1.4 apg)

SF: Metta World Peace

PF: Pau Gasol (injured all year and can hardly move -- being serious)

C: Dwight Howard (still recovering from major back surgery and is nothing more than a Tyson Chandler on offense and a Brendon Haywood on defense -- solid, but nothing special)

and then a terrible bench.

This Lakers team would be AMAZING if everyone was healthy, but unfortunately only 2/5 starters have been healthy and effective. BUT HEY LETS ALL BASH KOBE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol haters gonna hate

[thatlookseasy]

5 rings for Kobe? I thought the Lakers fans already added another one after they traded for Dwight.

But good luck building around Dwight Howard 2.0, the one with chronic back problems

[ZB1224]

5 rings for Kobe? I thought the Lakers fans already added another one after they traded for Dwight.

But good luck building around Dwight Howard 2.0, the one with chronic back problems

Well to be fair I think everyone thought that we were getting the best center in the NBA. Instead of a guy with zero post moves, stone hands, slightly above average athleticism, and poor defense (other than shot-blocking). Obviously he isn't fully healthy and his defense should improve, his athleticism should get back to where it was in Orlando, but getting healthy won't give him good post moves... the guy is lost in the post and gets stripped half the time. He'll definitely improve though, because he's obviously not all that close to being 100%.

[teeray]

Dwight Howard is the best center in the NBA. But when he only gets 10 shots a game it is hard to tell.

BTW I am not sure how me saying that Kobe is a top 20 at worst player of all-time is bashing Kobe. All i am saying is that he would be better and his team would be a lot better if he averaged closer to 22 points a game instead of shooting 30+ times a night to get his 25-30 points.

The reason the Lakers were so successful with Shaq is because he was a dominate center getting @18 shots a game.

This Lakers team should be the best in the NBA. But they won't until the offense starts running through their low post players and Steve Nash in the pick and roll.

As long as the offense consists on Kobe Bryant dribbling around hunting his own shot they are going to struggle or at the very least play well below their talent.

But hey, maybe you guys can keep firing coaches and trying to blame them.

[JPPT1974]

Great NBA player even without the now retiring Shaq but really needs to at times, hush up and let his playing do the talking!

[ZB1224]

Dwight Howard is the best center in the NBA. But when he only gets 10 shots a game it is hard to tell.

BTW I am not sure how me saying that Kobe is a top 20 at worst player of all-time is bashing Kobe. All i am saying is that he would be better and his team would be a lot better if he averaged closer to 22 points a game instead of shooting 30+ times a night to get his 25-30 points.

The reason the Lakers were so successful with Shaq is because he was a dominate center getting @18 shots a game.

This Lakers team should be the best in the NBA. But they won't until the offense starts running through their low post players and Steve Nash in the pick and roll.

As long as the offense consists on Kobe Bryant dribbling around hunting his own shot they are going to struggle or at the very least play well below their talent.

But hey, maybe you guys can keep firing coaches and trying to blame them.

Serious question... have you watched a Lakers game this year? If so, have you watched more than 1 or 2?

First you say that Steve Nash has played all season, then you said that Kobe is taking 30+ shots every night to get 25-30 points, as well as some other totally false stuff. It's hard to take you seriously if you can't at least act like you don't absolutely despise Kobe.

[carolina-chuck]

Where's BWOOD on this topic?

[teeray]

Serious question... have you watched a Lakers game this year? If so, have you watched more than 1 or 2?

First you say that Steve Nash has played all season, then you said that Kobe is taking 30+ shots every night to get 25-30 points, as well as some other totally false stuff. It's hard to take you seriously if you can't at least act like you don't absolutely despise Kobe.

Why would I despise Kobe? I have watched several Lakers games as I have watched Kobe over nearly 17 seasons.

It makes absolutely zero sense that Kobe Bryant averages nearly as many shots per game as Gasol and Howard combined.

When you look at the Heat, Lebron is averaging 18.7 shots per game, Wade averages about 15.4 shots per game, and Bosh averages 12.3 shots per game

In LA Kobe averages 21.8 shots pers game, Gasol averages 11.6 shots per game, and Howard only averages 10.7 shots per game.

Unless those numbers start to even out, the Lakers are not going to reach their full potential. Because how can you team reach its full potential when there is only one guy taking all the shots?

There is a reason why a guy like Lebron can take a team whose second best player was Antwan Jamison (the guy who doesn't even get off the bench in LA because they are so talented) and lead them to 61 wins, but Kobe with two all-star post players is struggling to get to .500.

All I am saying is that Kobe is great, he just tries to do too much, and it usually hurts his team.

PS- When you account for Kobe's shots that result in free throws, he is shooting close to 30 times a game. I definitely exaggerated to make a point though, so for that I apologize.

[ZB1224]

Why would I despise Kobe? I have watched several Lakers games as I have watched Kobe over nearly 17 seasons.

It makes absolutely zero sense that Kobe Bryant averages nearly twice as many shots per game as Gasol and Howard combined.

When you look at the Heat, Lebron is averaging 18.7 shots per game, Wade averages about 15.4 shots per game, and Bosh averages 12.3 shots per game

In LA Kobe averages 21.8 shots pers game, Gasol averages 11.6 shots per game, and Howard only averages 10.7 shots per game.

Unless those numbers start to even out, the Lakers are not going to reach their full potential. Because how can you team reach its full potential when there is only one guy taking all the shots?

There is a reason why a guy like Lebron can take a team whose second best player was Antwan Jamison (the guy who doesn't even get off the bench in LA because they are so talented) and lead them to 61 wins, but Kobe with two all-star post players is struggling to get to .500.

All I am saying is that Kobe is great, he just tries to do too much, and it usually hurts his team.

PS- When you account for Kobe's shots that result in free throws, he is shooting close to 30 times a game. I definitely exaggerated to make a point though, so for that I apologize.

The main reason that Kobe shoots 21.8 times per game compared to Gasol shooting 11.6 and Howard shooting 10.7 per game is the offense and the bigs ineffectiveness. Against Philly, Dwight went 1-7 and Gasol went 2-11... they have games similar to that quite often (though maybe not quite to that extent). Pau Gasol has been pretty terrible this season and is shooting less than 42% from the field and Dwight has ZERO post game at all.. 1/3 things happen when Dwight gets the ball in the post. 1. He gets stripped and it leads to a TO. 2. He faces up and drives by his defender. 3. He shoots a contested hook shot. (1 and 3 seem to happen the most often) Although I will agree with you that the Lakers need to get the ball in the post to Dwight more, it's not really Kobe's decision. Mike D'Antoni has gone on record stating that he thinks that post-up's are ineffective so he doesn't run them.

LeBron is the better all around player, and I'll give ya that. Kobe at this point in his career is a scorer and that's about it. However, prime Kobe Bryant took Pau Gasol, and Lamar Odom to the NBA Finals 3 straight years and won twice... with those guys as his best players... Gasol had made the All-Star team once in his career before he got to LA and had never sniffed the 2nd round. Lamar Odom has never made an All-Star team. His 3rd best player was hobbled Andrew Bynum who was always hurt and largely ineffectively most of the time. Although I will say that without Bynum I'm not sure that the Lakers would've made 3 straight finals (unless you replace him with another average C that can play defense well).

LeBron's Cavs team didn't have a ton of talent, but they were talented enough to make the finals in a VERY weak Eastern conference. Let's not pretend that having LeBron on your team is automatic success. I definitely respect your opinions on the Panthers and I usually agree with them as you probably know (liking post, giving pie, etc), but I just don't agree with your basketball opinions, at least when specifically talking about Kobe Bryant.

[C47]

It makes absolutely zero sense that Kobe Bryant averages nearly twice as many shots per game as Gasol and Howard combined.

In LA Kobe averages 21.8 shots pers game, Gasol averages 11.6 shots per game, and Howard only averages 10.7 shots per game.

Did you fail basic fuging math? Since when is 21.8 nearly twice of 22.3 ???