KOBE BRYANT

[BiGrEd819]

there's always the kobe lovers nd the kobe haters.....
its obvious he didnt hav a good season this year with the lakers nd it wznt one of his best years in terms of personal stats..

neyways, here's wut i think of kobe

goodside:
*he's still the best one on one player in the league...im not bein biased.....on nba tv they showed a survey on which player in the 1,2,3 position is the hardest player to guard nd it turns out to be kobe bryant(according to other players at these positions ofcourse)..

*he's a young veteran with a lot of years ahead of him

*he's a threat in every category; pts, stls, rebnds, assts......
he's well rounded offensively but he's also a superb defender

*he always draws a double team...one reason y he has such a low percentage in fg shooting; he's never open...

bad side:
*hate to say this fo the kobe fans but he's still a ball hog....he might dish out a good number of assits but he should give up the ball a lot more than he usually does... when the game's on the line or when the game is close he dznt trust his teammates nd he takes the shots instead..
*as i mentioned before, he draws lots of dble teams but he dznt exploit that chance.... he would rather force a shot expecting a foul....this might be a good thing sometimes but other players need the chance to shoot...
*this year he played around the perimeter way too much....he's a far greater threat in midrange or low post just like mj....this also explains his low percentage...

many ppl say kobe had a crapy team...nd yes this is true; he dznt get as much help as wade, carter, pierce, nd tmac does but the lakers could do so much better if kobe changed his game a lil.....

so does neybody else hav comments on this

[cyanide]

Nice analysis, and I agree completely with you. He's got to become more of a team player, then his effectiveness would trickle down to the rest of the team.

[Andrew]

Love him or hate him, you can't deny the fact he's right one of the best players in the league these days. The main knocks against him are his ego and his basketball IQ. His defense also comes into question at times but he's far from being a terrible defender. It's just not as in balance with his offensive game as other great players through the years.

As far as being the best one-on-one player, I'm going to say yes and no. It's obvious he's great at it and the testimony from opponents would suggest he is indeed a tough draw for a single defender. But his offensive game is still quite impatient. That's one way Tayshaun Prince was able to limit him in the Finals last year. Giving credit to Prince for his defensive abilities where credit is due, when Kobe is going to quickly wheel and fire against him as soon as he gets the ball, all he needs is his length to defend him effectively. In that respect, Kobe's offensive game is similar to Dominique Wilkins' rather than Michael Jordan's, in execution if not the style.

One of the reasons Michael Jordan's offensive game was so dangerous was his patience. He had a lot of weapons and kept the defense guessing. Defenders were at his mercy when he had the ball in his hands. As he matured and developed a trust in his teammates, he was much more effective at punishing double teams with his passing as much as he could spin away from the second defender.

Kobe is a likewise multi-talented offensive player who can beat the defense in a variety of ways. I think more patience and trust in his teammates will benefit him. I think he's still forcing too many shots, not only firing too quickly with defenders draped over him but also difficult off-balance shots in traffic.

To be fair, he's not the only one who does this. I think a lot of players these days force the up-and-under layups that Dr J and MJ made famous. With those two guys, those amazing moves seemed to happen spontaneously as the defender came over. Sometimes those moves seem like forced highlights these days. They look good, especially when they really look like they have no chance of going in, but a lot of them don't seem to happen "naturally". MJ and Dr J's careers can fill highlight reels, but they still scored a lot of points on simple bread-and-butter moves.

Kobe needs more help, but he also needs to co-exist with that help. If he doesn't start making changes soon, chances are he'll never change his ways. He's got his big contract with long term security, he has the support of the front office and what's more, he's had a losing season where the team's been on his back. In other words, he's got a good relationship with management, he's got his big payday, and he has additional motivation in the form of a blow to his ego, a chink in his armour if you will, as far as the losing season is concerned.

[Jugs]

I respect Kobe Bryant.

BiGrEd819 .. PLEASE learn how to spell

Anyways, Kobe Bryant needs to gain more trust for his teammates, especially in Lamar Odom, Butler and who ever else is on his team

[COOLmac©]

you can't deny the man has some talents...

[Riot]

He's like Anakin Skywalker. He is the chosen one (the heir apparent to MJ) but he gets tempted by the darkside (White hoes, money, greed) and turns into Darth Vader. Now, Lebron James is the new chosen one (Luke Skywalker).

No, Kobe isn't Lebron's Dad but you guys get the analogy.

[Fresh8]

Everything has been stated...

Kobe needs to: fix his ego, fix his shot selection, trust his teammates

[MaD_hAND1e]

He's like Anakin Skywalker. He is the chosen one (the heir apparent to MJ) but he gets tempted by the darkside (White hoes, money, greed) and turns into Darth Vader. Now, Lebron James is the new chosen one (Luke Skywalker).

No, Kobe isn't Lebron's Dad but you guys get the analogy.

lovin the analogy.

[COOLmac©]

who was the obi wan? let me guess the sith is david stern?

[Nel]

Why question his shot selection? Hes the best at his position. Look at the left handed turnaround 3pt shot he did against dallas. This guy can do it all. I think theres no bad shot in kobe. Look at what happened to tmac. He trusted his teammates and then they let him down. I feel if you know youre good and no one can stop you, why pass the ball so that you cant be called selfish? Cmon..

[Strike Freedom]

But he didn't make other players better, that's what he lacks as a team-leader.

[Fresh8]

Kobe's shot selection is so so... what about when hes doubled and opts to take a fade away instead of passing out of it? Taking wild drives into the hoop or taking way too many threes just to warm up?

Sure, Tmac trusted his teammates... Kobe has none whatsoever. And u gotta understand, Kobe's crew is much more dependable than Tmac's Orlando teammates...

[Andrew]

Why question his shot selection? Hes the best at his position. Look at the left handed turnaround 3pt shot he did against dallas. This guy can do it all. I think theres no bad shot in kobe. Look at what happened to tmac. He trusted his teammates and then they let him down. I feel if you know youre good and no one can stop you, why pass the ball so that you cant be called selfish? Cmon..

Going one-on-five isn't a great strategy. That shot you mentioned was impressive, I'll admit, but it's a lucky shot. It's not the kind of shot you want to be shooting all the time.

Why question his shot selection? Because firing up bad shots with defenders all over you doesn't help your team one bit. Yes, some of them are going to go in. That doesn't make them good shots. By your logic, Kobe should fire up all kinds of shots whenever he wants because he's capable of hitting them. Well, that's what he did this season and as far as I'm aware, the Lakers are not challenging for the title.

It's not about passing the ball so he can't be called selfish. It's about not being able to do everything by yourself, by capitalising on your teammate's strengths and forcing opponents to beat the whole team, not just shut down one guy.

We can even put statistics on it. In losses, Kobe attempted more shots per game and made them at a 40% clip, compared to 47% in victories. He also averaged 4 three point attempts per game in wins compared to 7 per game in losses.

Kobe can do it all? Here's a few things he apparently can't do: make his teammates better, make the playoffs without Shaq or win a championship without a dominant inside player.

His shot selection is very questionable. You can say he's the best player, unstoppable, has a great shot selection and whatever, but the numbers say otherwise. The Lakers' record doesn't suggest it's a fantastic plan. Kobe's poor shooting in the second halves of games the Lakers really needed to win doesn't suggest it's a fantastic plan.

It's about knowing when to defer to your teammates, when to take charge and when to distribute. It's about taking wise shots and functioning as a unit. Players lead teams to championships, yes. But leading doesn't involve the rest of the team standing around and watching while one guy does whatever he pleases, just because he's good.

[Nel]

Well youre ryt, but i feel that kobe's teammates doesn't want to help him. How can you trust youre teammates if they also dnt trust and respect you. Atkins even made a comment about him, that shows they dnt give a f. I dont think hes teammates doesn't like him coz hes a ballhog, i think its coz he doesnt party like most other players. If phil coaches this guy again and same result, then i would change my thinking about him...

[J@3]

. I dont think hes teammates doesn't like him coz hes a ballhog, i think its coz he doesnt party like most other players.

Wtf? So by that reasoning Tim Duncan's teammates hate him aswell.

[Andrew]

You're entitled to your opinion, but I don't agree with it. I think any dislike his teammates have towards him are because of his selfishness or at the very least what they perceive to be selfishness. His teammates speaking out might indicate the problem lies with them, but when so many people seem to have problems with him, it suggests the problems lie with Kobe and his attitude and/or approach to the game. I really don't think it has anything to do with his social life.

Furthermore, Kobe is the leader of the team. He has to set the example, and if that's "I don't trust you if you don't trust me", that's a pretty childish example to set. I don't buy the idea Kobe's teammates don't want to help him. It's hard to help with the scoring load when you don't get the opportunity to take shots.

[Nel]

Wtf? So by that reasoning Tim Duncan's teammates hate him aswell.

What i forgot to say is that kobe prefers to be alone. Hes the kind of guy who stays home and watch basketball instead of going to party's evernyt. IMO him being not one of the guys affects his relationship with his teammates. In duncan's case its different.

I respect your opinon also. I got to see some lakers games on tv and i saw a lot of 3pt attempts of atkins, jones etc. You also have to take a look at mihm, he improved by not much but still he did. Its odom that i think have the most problem w/ kobe. IMO odom dsnt fit well with kobe coz hes not your typical 4. His game is more on perimeter than inside. Butler didnt do bad also esp with halle berry at the sidelines. Kobe missed also some crucial games due to injury and the coaching change affected his playoff plans. Maybe kobe's too much will to win a game is selfish.

[Andrew]

Mihm did indeed have his best season. But he was playing more minutes than before, a regular starter for only the second time in his career. And guys like Atkins and Jones took their share of bad shots. All players who take a fair amount of shots do take some ill-advised ones, and Atkins in particular isn't shy about taking a lot of threes.

Odom's a bad fit with Kobe as he needs the ball in his hands to be effective. A finisher like Caron Butler is more suited to play alongside Kobe as a one-two punch. The coaching change might have played a role in LA's downfall, but they were hovering around .500 before Rudy T stepped down.

There needs to be cooperation on both sides. The Lakers need to assemble a team that can be successful, Kobe has to work with his teammates. He's the perceived leader, he can't shut himself out from the rest of the guys and just be his own player. As we've seen, that's not going to work.

Perhaps his relationship off the court with his teammates is a factor, but I honestly can't see it being a huge reason for the Lakers' lack of success this year. Plenty of great players haven't gotten along well, there's been behind the scenes drama that's rarely talked about yet the teams have been really successful.

[Riot]

who was the obi wan? let me guess the sith is david stern?

Hmm...could Obi be Phil Jackson?? Or is he Yoda?

[Jackal]

goodside:

Not only is he all of the above mentioned, he's got one of the best shooting hands in the NBA. He can go inside or he can be hot from outside. Kobe Bryant is one of the best players in the NBA. Period. The fact that he's a selfish player (at the moment) doesn't take away from the fact that he's (probably) the the third best skilled player behind only Tim Duncan & Kevin Garnett in the NBA today. I'll tell you, that's not bad company. I'd still pick Shaq ahead of Kobe but there's no doubt in my mind that skills wise, he's only behind Garnett & Duncan.

bad side:

I agree that he should give up the ball way more than he usually does but I don't agree with the fact that he should give the ball up when the game is on the line. Nah, Kobe's a proven closer and I'd rather have the ball in his hands for the last few possessions than in the hands of Butler, George, Odom, Atkins or heaven forbid Mihm orso.

Can't really blame him for not being able to exploit the double teams quite just yet, he's used to forcing the shot and getting the call. He still thinks the refs will call it. He doesn't have that consistant player to pass the ball to anymore playing along side him so he'd rather stick to the second option of just going in, getting banged up and waiting for a call than placing the ball in someone else's hands. I agree that it isn't the best method in the world but at the moment he knows no better. Kobe Bryant needs a guide to guide him. He'll stick to what he knows unless someone shows him a better way. Unless someone convinces him that the other way is the better way, he'll stick to his own way.

Bryant is a fine perimeter player, you can't just say he chose to play more outside this year, it's been tougher on him to go inside since no one is really double teaming Mihm, the access to the lane isn't the same as it used to be. People shouldn't be surprised at the fact that Bryant has altered his game somewhat from a more inside going game to a more perimeter game. The whole team has become a jumpshooting team, Kobe just followed suit. This is the reason for the low percentage but don't make it sound as if he chose to just stick to the perimeter, you have to keep in mind that he can't get in as easily as he could.

Kobe & the Lakers will do fine in due time, the pieces aren't quite right yet but sooner or later it'll all fall into place. Kobe Bryant is a smart player, sure he wasn't smart enough to try and work it out with Shaq but I think he's smart enough to know he needs to alter his game in order to win. I think he'll watch a lot of his tapes of this season & I think he'll learn from those tapes that he has to start relying on Odom & co a lot more. I think this season served as an eye opener for Bryant. If Phil Jackson can come back as Kobe's coach, it'll be a love hate relationship but I think it'll benefit LA. Then again, I could be overestimating Bryant and his intelligence and Jackson's coaching ability. (It's fair to guess the first is more likely, Jackson is way beyond proving he can coach.)

It'll all fall into place, Kobe & the Lakers will be fine in due time. Thanks to all for the concern though, even when LA isn't in the playoffs, they are in the news. No wonder people hate LA.

[COOLmac©]

phil jackson(as obi wan) "but you were the chosen one.....you were meant to destroy detroit not lose to them!!!"

kobe(as anakin)" i hate you!!!!!!!!

[Username123]

CoolMac, easy there with the Star Wars movie. Anyway i really liked Star Wars 3

[maes]

- Blaming it on a bad team
Lakers are far from a bad team. Odom is one of the best all-around PFs around, they've got a legitimate Center (something most teams can't say) and decent swingmen in George & Cook, and an athletic guy in Butler.

Ray Allen won 50 games with Mr 4 & 3 himself, Jerome James (yes those are points & rebounds for a starting Center) and an undrafted kid from Iowa as their starting PF. Have fun guarding KG, Reggie.

- Kobe is too selfish w/ the balll
Can't say Kobe hogged the ball too much...Ray Allen takes 19 shots per game to Kobe's 20 shots per game...not much difference at all. And let's not overlook Kobe gets more APG than most PGs (6.0), when he gets doubled, he does dish.

- Best 1 on 1 player
Kobe? No way...he's still a pure guard. Remember a large part of the Bull's later championships was Jordan playing the low post on offense.

1 on 1 boils down to individual defense. KG would probably be the best 1 on 1 player, TD would be up there. Guards can't get freed up because there are no plays, you simply drive (KG & TD are too strong to drive into) and pull up for a jumper that will get stuffed.

Perhaps if the NBA was less physical and you really couldn't muscle people, but in that case i'd say guys like AI would be the tops.

[BiGrEd819]

u cant really compare kobe to PF's like KG nd Tim Duncan.... they hav 5in of height over him....neyways, in a normal basketball game if kobe was to be matched up with a guy like kg in the post there's no reason fo an arguement; however, let me rephrase mi wording......kobe is probably the best 1 on 1 gaurd in the league....

here's mi choice of best one on one players in their positions

C-Shaq(no duh)
F-kevin garnett
G-Kobe

[Sauru]

hmm, after reading the first 2 sentences of this post i descided to just scroll to the bottom and say that it sucks. gave me a headache reading 2 freaking lines.