Bryant takes over, Lakers pay the price

[Pedobear1]

http://offthedribble.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/31/kobe-bryant-takes-over-and-lakers-pay-the-price/


Six straight possessions, and six straight isolations. Bryant’s disregard of his teammates is palpable in these clips, as he ignores open 3-point shooters, good post-up options and the entire triangle offense in his attempts to score on Ray Allen. It works a few times, but even those shot attempts are poorly selected.


He may be one of the best players on the planet, but Bryant does himself – and his team – no favors in repeatedly trying to score in the most inefficient manner possible.

m1Sif23yJqQ&


:lmao

[z0sa]

Kobe is not the player he once was a few years ago. He simply cannot carry a team single handed to the lottery like those days.

[jestersmash]

Overall Kobe had a phenomenal game. Nobody's denying that.

People are simply questioning his shot selection and aversion to passing in the final 5 minutes of the game, that's all.

Because I know Kobe fans are going to cry about his overall efficiency and place the blame squarely on his teammates. There's plenty of blame to go around for that game. Does Kobe deserve the brunt of that blame overall? No.

Does Kobe deserve some of the blame for his shot selection in the last 5 minutes? Yes. He deserves some of the blame.

[TheMACHINE]

Same article, different year.

blah blah blah

[Cry Havoc]

Same article, different year.

blah blah blah

Different year, same Kobe. He still wants to be Jordan. :lol

[cobbler]

not true...

He wants 7.. and to best Jordan

[Jelloisjigglin]

not true...

He wants 7.. and to best Jordan

Precisely. :toast

[ezau]

not true...

He wants 7.. and to best Jordan

Horry already has 7, so by Laker fan mentality, Horry should already be better than MJ and Kobe. Neal with it:toast:toast

[Cessation]

Even if he gets seven he won't be better than jordan.

[duncan228]

Lakers coming up small against NBA’s best (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-lakers-comingupsmall)
By Greg Beacham

The Los Angeles Lakers have the NBA’s fifth-best record and a huge lead in the Pacific Division. It’s what they don’t have that might be cause for concern.

After fading in the fourth quarter of a 109-96 loss to the Boston Celtics on Sunday, the two-time defending champions are just 1-4 this season against the four teams above them in the overall standings.

Throw in the Dallas Mavericks, who are even with them in the loss column, and the Lakers have just one win in six games against the probable main contenders for their crown.

What does all of this mean to Los Angeles (33-15), a playoff-tested two-time champion near the midway point of another grinding regular season? According to the Lakers, who host Houston on Tuesday night, not a whole lot.

“It happens. When you win, teams gun for you,” Lamar Odom said after Monday’s practice at the Lakers’ training complex. “You’ve got to be prepared to defend yourselves at all times. We’ve got to understand that when they beat us, it makes their day.”

The Lakers flopped in their Christmas Day showcase against Miami, and they couldn’t keep up with the Celtics. Even Kobe Bryant noticed after scoring 41 points against Boston, saying the Lakers must “elevate our level” to compete with the rest of the league elite.

“Teams are coming in with a little more energy,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. “This is a two-time champion team. We really have a lot to defend, and we’re not going out there and doing the right job about defending our home court, there’s no doubt.”

NBA-leading San Antonio visits Staples Center on Thursday for the Lakers’ final home date before a seven-game road trip. The Spurs already are 7 1/2 games ahead of the Lakers for homecourt advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs, which could direct the Lakers’ path to a third title through San Antonio.

The Lakers also have seven home losses, including embarrassing efforts against Milwaukee, Memphis, Indiana and lowly Sacramento last Friday. That’s the same number of losses they had at Staples Center all last season.

Some Lakers fans are panicking after watching Bryant’s one-man show fall miserably flat against the Celtics in Los Angeles’ fourth loss in seven games overall. The Lakers realize they haven’t risen to their biggest challenges this season, but they’re confident there’s still time to get it together.

Keep Reading... (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-lakers-comingupsmall)

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-lakers-comingupsmall

[NRHector]

Bynum is hurt? now that's a surprise

[Venti Quattro]

He's going to be okay, but I would consider sitting him out for a few games.

[cobbler]

Horry already has 7, so by Laker fan mentality, Horry should already be better than MJ and Kobe.

Correct. :toast

[cobbler]

Even if he gets seven he won't be better than jordan.

He will be at obtaining championships and that is all I care about.

[TheMACHINE]

Different year, same Kobe. He still wants to be Jordan. :lol

Same Kobe has 5 rings, that's fine by me.

[MaNuMaNiAc]

Hey Laker fans, let me ask you something... has Kobe essentially become the laker franchise? I ask because every laker douche in this forum seems to put its Kobe loyalty above their Laker fandom, willing to throw anyone under the bus including every other laker player to save Kobe's reputation... its fucking pathetic.

You watch those last 6 possessions in that video and tell me you couldn't have won the game if that jackass stopped trying to impress everybody and started trying to play team ball...

[Danny.Zhu]

Almighty Kobe!

[Agloco]

not true...

He wants 7.. and to best Jordan


Precisely. :toast

Give him 10 or 15.

Jordan never came up dry like this, ever.

[Cry Havoc]

Same Kobe has 5 rings, that's fine by me.

Jordan: 6 rings as the man.

Kobe: 2 rings as the man, at best.

I'm fine by that too. $90,000,000 in payroll and getting gifted an All-Star big man would give 75% of the teams in the NBA at least two titles.

[Giuseppe]

Least wise Kobe never tried to come in at the end and cop a ring like Jordan did. The weak shit.

[jacobdrj]

Jordan: 6 rings as the man.

Kobe: 2 rings as the man, at best.

I'm fine by that too. $90,000,000 in payroll and getting gifted an All-Star big man would give 75% of the teams in the NBA at least two titles.

You have to have a decent coach and good wing play with that bigman. Don't forget that Pau never made it past round 1 by himself either. He desperately needed a good couple of guards to take pressure off him in Memphis.

[Cry Havoc]

Least wise Kobe never tried to come in at the end and cop a ring like Jordan did. The weak shit.

So you're saying Kobe is at his end now?

[Cry Havoc]

You have to have a decent coach and good wing play with that bigman. Don't forget that Pau never made it past round 1 by himself either. He desperately needed a good couple of guards to take pressure off him in Memphis.

2003's Tim Duncan might have something to say about that.

[Giuseppe]

So you're saying Kobe is at his end now?

You misread. I'm saying Jordan tried to come in at the end of that one season with about 20 games left (no training campe) to cop a ring. That's weak shit. That's Favre type bullshit.

Jordan did that. He failed. But, he did it.

[cheguevara]

Even if he gets seven he won't be better than jordan.

[Giuseppe]

At 7 I'm gonna go to work ala 5-4 Kobe over Duncan.

Silver bullets and a wooden stake won't stop me.

[jacobdrj]

2003's Tim Duncan might have something to say about that.

I don't know about the 2003 WC playoffs, but the Finals looked as though Sir Byron was handing the trophy to the Spurs without a fight. The man just didn't want to coach. Just throw temper tantrums.