On Tuesday we saw an evolved form of Kobe Bryant, no longer dead set on putting up 30 shots a night and instead willing to defer to his teammates, create open looks for them, and lead the Lakers with a triple-double in a road win in Denver, a city they’ve struggled mightily in recent years. After the game, Bryant talked about his evolution as a player.
Kobe on the development of his game: “I’m a natural scorer. Doesn’t mean I can’t evolve."
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 31, 2014
Kobe on evolving late in his NBA career: "It’s not something that’s easy to do. It’s like a golfer changing his swing."
— Baxter Holmes (@Baxter) December 31, 2014
Bryant’s final game that signaled his desperate need for rest was a match-up against Sacramento that saw him go 8 for 30 from the field and look as bad as he had in this late stage of his career. In his return earlier this week, despite shooting 4 of 10 from the field, he looked refreshed and a man who learned from his mistakes and changed his game while watching the Lakers from the bench.
Swarm and Sting
That culminated in Tuesday’s performance, a game where the Nuggets (foolishly?) sent double-teams at Bryant all night. The Black Mamba absorbed the extra defender, found the open man, and the Lakers picked apart the Nuggets all night long. By the end of the night, Bryant had 11 assists, had grabbed 11 rebounds, and poured in 23 points en route to his second triple-double this season.
At the same time, however, Bryant showed he wasn’t a hyper-efficient model just yet, racking up nine turnovers on the night, leading to his comments from following the game.
Still, if Bryant can mold himself into a sort-of point guard, his career can be greatly extended. Superstars are going to be more willing to play with Bryant knowing they won’t have to battle him for shots if he’s already willing to pass to his teammates on this year’s team.
As seemingly always the case, the Lakers future lies in the hands of Bryant one more time.