Lakers: Kobe Bryant Gets Steal, Finds Lou Williams For Score (Video)

Kobe Bryant turned back the clock for the Lakers by grabbing a steal and starting a fast break with Lou Williams

Kobe Bryant has been at the center of quite a bit of controversy with the Los Angeles Lakers over the past week, largely centering around his high-volume shooting. Bryant on the offensive end of the floor has been undeniably problematic at times this season.

However, Bryant is still able to show some positive signs on occasion, such as during the second quarter against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night when he ripped the ball from Marreese Speights and then found a streaking Lou Williams for a transition bucket.

Kobe definitely turned back the clock a little bit to make this savvy defensive play leading to high-percentage offense:

Until Byron Scott chooses to address the situation regarding Kobe on offense, it’s almost surely going to persist as an issue. That being said, it’s plays like this that show how Bryant can still have value. Even if his physical skills have declined dramatically, he still has veteran instincts and experience that are unmatched on the Lakers roster.

Expecting Kobe to be a lockdown defender who leads the league in steals isn’t realistic. But that doesn’t mean that the 37-year-old can’t still have value to this team on that end of the floor by using his 20 years in the league to his advantage as a defender to make plays like this and, in essence, lead by example.