Lakers Rumors: Kobe Bryant’s European Wish List
By Scott Asai
Jan 2, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard
Kobe Bryant(24) and Memphis Grizzlies center
Marc Gasol(33) greet prior to the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Kobe Bryant has an affinity for European basketball players and recently took a shot at AAU basketball in the States.
Horrible, terrible AAU basketball. It’s stupid. It doesn’t teach our kids how to play the game at all so you wind up having players that are big and they bring it up and they do all this fancy crap and they don’t know how to post. They don’t know the fundamentals of the game. – Kobe Bryant
Kobe isn’t wrong and essentially what he’s getting at is high school players developing in the United States are touted for their athleticism, but fundamentals are ignored. European teenagers can go pro much earlier, but it’s the teaching (or lack thereof) that’s Bryant is harping about.
Shaquille O’Neal was Bryant’s most talented teammate, but he had much better chemistry with skilled big man Pau Gasol. When Gasol was traded to the Lakers in 2008, his transition was seamless because of his high basketball IQ and it didn’t hurt that Bryant spoke Spanish too.
Kobe is “old school” and recognizes what the young players in the NBA are lacking. The reason players in the draft enter the NBA so raw is because they’re not learning at the same trajectory as a European player. Europeans are much more polished in today’s game and they’re gaining on American players in terms of athleticism too.
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Let’s take a look at the Top 5 European Unrestricted Free Agents in 2015 and who could be a great fit paired with Kobe Bryant:
1) Marc Gasol – Most skilled big man available. A tougher, more physical version of his brother Pau.
2) Goran Dragic – Unorthodox scoring point guard that doesn’t lack confidence. Can create shots for himself and teammates easily.
3) Omer Asik – Solid big man who does the majority of his damage near the basket. Prefers not to share the spotlight with other centers which makes the Lakers an intriguing destination.
4) Luol Deng – Skilled small forward that thrives in the right system. He did well in Chicago, but has disappeared in Cleveland and Miami. A change of scenery could do him well. He does have a player option for next season, though.
5) Kevin Seraphin – Young athletic, defensive-minded center. Has all the tools, just needs more playing time and experience.
Kobe thrives with high basketball IQ teammates who want to learn. The 5 above mentioned would be great additions to the Lakers in the offseason. If the Lakers want to rebuild quick, European players should be near the top of their wish list.
Next: The Los Angeles Lakers Improving with the Evolution of Kobe Bryant