Comments on: Kobe Bryant Enters Denial Phase Of His Career http://lakeshowlife.com/2012/05/23/kobe-bryant-enters-denial-phase-of-his-career/ A Los Angeles Lakers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More Fri, 14 Dec 2012 07:45:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: CarlosSandoval http://lakeshowlife.com/2012/05/23/kobe-bryant-enters-denial-phase-of-his-career/comment-page-1/#comment-7693 CarlosSandoval Wed, 23 May 2012 16:53:02 +0000 http://lakeshowlife.com/?p=5825#comment-7693 The issue with us winning a championship with Kobe is the fact that "Kobe will die trying." Like hell we'll win a title like that.    He needs to step back and take a fresher perspective. He isn't what he used to be, and he'll never admit that. Instead, he can either retire or he can play a Ray Allen-type roll: Get open shots off of terrific ball movement and use his off-ball savvy (does he have any?) to create spot-up situations. From a technical standpoint, that's the best shot we have. Kobe Bryant coming off the elbow on an off-ball screen while wide-open is a gorgeous thing, and he'll knock those down easy. It's the contested shots and the stupid drives down the lane that hurt us.    Mentality wise, he needs to be aggressive yes, but he also needs to be aggressively altruistic in helping his guys grow. Back with the Pacers, it was fascinating to see Reggie Miller play an integral role on a Pacers team in the mid-2000s with Jermaine O'Neal taking the load. It was Jermaine O'Neal, so that's why they didn't win anything, but if Kobe's "Jermaine O'Neal" is a guy like Andrew Bynum or Dwight Howard, Kobe's winning seven, for damn sure.  The issue with us winning a championship with Kobe is the fact that “Kobe will die trying.” Like hell we’ll win a title like that. 
 
He needs to step back and take a fresher perspective. He isn’t what he used to be, and he’ll never admit that. Instead, he can either retire or he can play a Ray Allen-type roll: Get open shots off of terrific ball movement and use his off-ball savvy (does he have any?) to create spot-up situations. From a technical standpoint, that’s the best shot we have. Kobe Bryant coming off the elbow on an off-ball screen while wide-open is a gorgeous thing, and he’ll knock those down easy. It’s the contested shots and the stupid drives down the lane that hurt us. 
 
Mentality wise, he needs to be aggressive yes, but he also needs to be aggressively altruistic in helping his guys grow. Back with the Pacers, it was fascinating to see Reggie Miller play an integral role on a Pacers team in the mid-2000s with Jermaine O’Neal taking the load. It was Jermaine O’Neal, so that’s why they didn’t win anything, but if Kobe’s “Jermaine O’Neal” is a guy like Andrew Bynum or Dwight Howard, Kobe’s winning seven, for damn sure. 

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