Kobe Bryant News: Mamba Will Probably Play Small Forward
By Alex Torres
Free agency didn’t go as well as many of us had hoped, but the Lakers still made some nice moves to improve the roster. The acquisition of players like Lou Williams and Brandon Bass didn’t make major headlines, but the Lakers will enter the 2015-16 NBA season with a much better roster in place.
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The Lakers will be very deep at the guard position. Jordan Clarkson and D’Angelo Russell should get plenty of minutes and Williams will be an excellent offensive weapon off the bench, but what about Kobe Bryant?
The hall of fame shooting guard might have to change positions next season. According to Mike Bresnahan of the LA Times, Bryant could play the small forward position if he shares the floor with Clarkson and Russell:
Plenty to happen before opening night, but D'Angelo, Clarkson and Kobe will probably play together, Byron said. In other words, Kobe = SF
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) July 9, 2015
Kobe has the size to play small forward, so it’s not a very big deal for the Black Mamba. He is going to have to guard bigger and stronger players, but he should be up for the challenge. With Russell and Clarkson on the floor, the Lakers will have two big guards along with Bryant on the perimeter.
Russell should be playing the point, making Clarkson the two guard. Scott raved about Clarkson’s improved jump shot and he is going to need it to be en effective shooting guard next season. Luckily for Clarkson, he can learn from one of the best guards of all time.
The Lakers won’t be a playoff team next year, but they do need to develop their young players in order to make the Lakers a more appealing destination. The last three free agency periods have been disappointing, let’s hope we have a better team to entice players to come to LA next Summer.