What are the realistic expectations for Kobe’s production this season?
Morales – The expectations for his season will be similar to the past, if he is able to avoid the nagging injuries that happens to older players. Because he was trained in Europe to have impeccable footwork as opposed to being trained in AAU to value explosiveness, he is one of the top five mid range shooters in NBA history. That will not change. He will be surrounded by scorers on the perimeter who have proven they can hit shots. The development of Jodie Meeks will cause defenders to sag off of Kobe in the post. Plus he creates contact, he gets to the line which won’t change because there are a lot of dumb NBA players that think they can block his fade-away and jump right into his body. He is smarter than three quarters of the NBA which is his biggest advantage this season.
Apr 10, 2013; Portland, OR, USA; Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) shoots against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports
Booth – First, I really hope people will realize there is NO NEED for Kobe to play 48 minutes a game again this season. Ideally, he’ll play roughly 30 minutes. I do have full faith Kobe will be able to have a productive season; he wouldn’t come back if he didn’t believe it himself. By season’s end, I’m thinking 22 points per game (on the low side), 4 apg, 5 rpg. I think the assists will be lower this season, as the talent Kobe has around him is of a lesser caliber than years past.
Lopez – Call me crazy, but I honestly expect Kobe to perform at a level similar to last season. His minutes need to be reduced, hopefully to the 30-35 minutes per game level, meaning he’ll see a drop in all stats, but only due to reduced minutes. I’ll believe Kobe isn’t the same cold blooded killer when I see it.
Garcia – I think expectations should be tempered, somewhere along the lines of 18 points and 4 assists. Minutes will gradually increase as the season progresses, but there’s no telling how quickly he’ll adjust to NBA speed. He’s still a scorer, but I think he’ll take on more of a Ginobili role early on, where he asserts himself in the 4th quarter, but will get teammates involved all game long.
Rea – I honestly believe that we should expect for Kobe Bryant to pick up where he left off last season. If you have been following the chief orthopedic surgeon for Cedai-Sinai Mecial Group, Dr. Robert Klapper on Twitter, he has continuously stated that because of the advancement in the procedure of the surgery that was performed to repair Kobe’s ruptured Achilles, combined with Kobe’s tireless work ethic which will aide in a speedy recovery, that Kobe will return better than ever. Based on Dr. Klapper’s assessment, Kobe is not at a higher risk of re-injuring his Achilles anymore than any other player at his age, so he is free to go at full speed once he has fully recovered. Kobe finished last season at 27.3 ppg which was 3rd in the NBA, shot 46.3 percent from the field, averaged 6 assists and pulled down 5.6 rebounds per game, all of which were higher than his career averages.
Rude – It’s really hard to say what to expect from Bryant. We’ve all heard about how unlikely it is for him to return to his old form, but really, who are we to doubt Bryant at this point? He’ll certainly be more efficient with his moves and his scoring, but I don’t expect a big drop-off.