Player Projections: Will Kobe Bryant Return to Form?

Welcome to Player Projections! This series is here to establish how just how well a player is expected to do. At the end of the year, player review grades will be handed out according to expectations vs actual results.

We all know that Kobe Bryant is an NBA legend. Very few players have been as good as he has for as long as he has. But, with two season ending seasons coming in back-to-back years, one has to wonder if we have seen the last of the great Kobe Bryant.

Kobe Bryant has suffered two season ending injuries in the past two years. In the 2012-13 season, Bryant had arguably his greatest season, averaging 27.3 points, 6 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game, shooting 46.3% from the field. Bryant was second on minutes per game leader boards with an astonishing 38.6. Kobe completely carried the Lakers down the stretch, frequently playing over 45 minutes while trying to ensure that the Lakers make the playoffs. The team did, but not before Bryant suffered a torn Achilles tendon against the Golden State Warriors.

That injury was devastating, but Kobe push through it and made his return early on last season. That didn’t last very long, as Kobe then broke a bone in his knee and ended up missing the whole season.

Plenty of questions arise for Kobe Bryant. Is he in shape for next season? Will he have the same explosiveness as before? Will his decline begin this season? According to ESPN, the decline will not start. In fact, we’re in for a fun season regarding Kobe Bryant’s performance. Here are his projections:

ESPN has Kobe Bryant showing a complete return to form, even playing as high as 37.3 minutes per game. I’d say these are a bit hefty, but realistic expectations, if he’s healthy. The real question still remains: Will he stay healthy? I think he does and I think Kobe will have a season similar to these projections. I expect his points to be down a bit, but his passing to be similar to the 2012-13 season. Kobe Bryant will be one of the few bright spots on the Lakers.

We have to remember that Kobe is now 36 years old. He has put a lot of mileage on his aging legs between NBA regular season games, NBA playoff games and international competition. The success of Kobe Bryant could be the difference between another laughter of a season, or a fairly competitive and entertaining season. And his success comes down to his health. His body work has shown no reason to doubt him so far, so we should be optimistic about his success next season. Whether that means the Lakers will be successful is a whole different matter entirely.

Kobe Bryant is an insane human being. If there’s even a chance that he can play, he will. I think Kobe ends up playing over 70 games while maintaining a high level of play through out the season.

With Nick Young out for eight weeks, a productive Kobe is very important for the Lakers as the team has very few players who can create their own shot on the perimeter.

Whether or not the Lakers are good next year, Kobe Bryant will go a long way into determining how entertaining this team is. After last year’s dreadful season, we all could use a spark like Bryant. Only time will tell if we get to see vintage Kobe one more time.