Nov 22, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) listens to the National Anthem before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
1. Kobe Bryant’s Minutes
Bryant is now playing over 30 minutes a game on a regular basis and has logged over 35 minutes per contest in two of his last three outings. When the season began, limiting Bryant’s minutes was a key concern because otherwise it could might lead to a repeat of last year where Bryant was in and out of the line up with exhaustion and soreness until finally suffering a season-ending injury. The concern now is not for his health, but for the fact that he is playing so poorly that the more he is on the court the more it hurts the team.
Hoops Habit
Unfortunately, either Scott is the only one who does not see this or he is powerless to do anything about it.
Against the Trail Blazers, Bryant converted another dreadful six out of 22 shots, missing all five of his three-point attempts. He took 10 shots in the first quarter alone. Even worse, nearly every miss by Bryant led to a fast break basket for the opposing team. This is a large part of the reason that Portland had 18 fast-break points to the Lakers two.
This scenario has become a regular feature of every game. Scott apparently feels that Bryant playing more minutes will translate to more wins, but it should be clear by now that is not the case. Even if it were, playing Bryant more than 25 minutes a night inhibits the development of the younger players, which is the only thing the team should be concerned with right now.
Next: No. 2 The Offense As a Whole