Kobe Bryant isn’t going down without a fight, but can the same be said for the Lakers in general?
There is something that needs to be said: Kobe Bryant has looked tremendous early on this season for the dismal Los Angeles Lakers.
Shot attempts aside, Bryant looks as if he has been injury free his entire career, despite being 36 years old and 18 years deep into his tenure in the NBA.
The day Bryant suffered his achilles injury, a countless amount of people counted him out, saying his career was likely over.
Boy were those people wrong.
While the Lakers are struggling at 0-5 (their worst start since they were in Minneapolis), Bryant leads the league in scoring at 27.6 PPG. Bryant is shooting 24 shots a game, but he is playing at a level that not many thought was possible going into the season.
Bryant has two 30-point games, against arguably the deepest backcourt in the Phoenix Suns.
Bryant has also let everyone know he can still turn the clock back with a highlight play, when he went baseline on Matt Barnes for a reverse dunk against the Los Angeles Clippers.
It might be tough for Lakers fans to admit it, but are the Lakers better off if he passes the ball more with the talent surrounding him?
With Steve Nash and Julius Randle out the entire year and Nick Young still not back, it’s hard to blame Bryant for shooting that much.
Now on to the bad for the Lakers star guard. Bryant is averaging 2.8 assists, which is basically half of what he has averaged the last few seasons. While the number will certainly increase, it’s still something to point out for a player shooting more than 20 times a game.
He is currently averaging more turnovers (3.2) than assists and while he has showed flashes of his younger days, can he shoulder the burden at 36?
Bryant is no longer the defender he once was, but the 12-time All-NBA Defensive Team member still shows signs of his elite defending on occasion.
But this year Bryant has been beat a lot and he tends to gamble at times.
At the same time, how can a player being used at the rate he has, play terrific defense and carry the offense?
Overall, Bryant has been one of the few bright spots on a hurting Lakers team and he has shown that he is still among the league’s elite players.
Who knows, maybe he will sign an extra year or two after his two year contract is up and he will make the Lakers a contender once again.
Wishful thinking yes, but Bryant’s work ethic is beyond comprehension. He can do it if he wants.
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