Kobe Bryant nearly leads the league...

[LnGrrrR]

... In minutes played per game.

http://espn.go.com/nba/statistics/player/_/stat/minutes

He's averaging nearly 2 minutes more per game than his career average. You think he will be able to keep that up through May?

[Giuseppe]

He had two months extra rest going back and 16 games less scheduled going forward.

I wouldn't stand in his way for all the rice in China.

[dunkman]

Who knows, he has some knees problems.

[jeebus]

You think he will be able to keep that up through May?

Sure. He just needs to keep chucking so I can get the over on his FGAs.

[Giuseppe]

Who knows, he has some knees problems.

At least he doesn't rest, or, get benched like your Duncan.

HA!

[LakerHater]

& in FG att with 24.2!

next is Melo with 19.9 & Lebron is with 19.2

[angelbelow]

Mike Brown playing him in blowouts :depressed

[Proxy]

At least he doesn't rest, or, get benched like your Duncan.

HA!

Because, LA has no bench, and you have one, too many commas, there

[xellos88330]

Because, LA has no bench, and you have one, too many commas, there

:lmao

That shit was funny. :toast

[jjktkk]

Lot of miles on those knees.

[Reck]

At least he doesn't rest, or, get benched like your Duncan.

HA!

To add to Proxy's post..

The Lakers, or Kobe for all intent and purposes are playing themselves to exhaustion to barely be an 8th seeder.

By the time your team has to step up they'll come up with squat. KoMe will be in a coma by them.

There is your difference from playing your star with a purpose and smarts to playing your star with no sense of purpose other then tiring him out.

Have fun with your bench. :downspin:

[jag]

I'll be shocked if he doesn't finish the season shooting ~43%. Because he seems dead set on putting up 24-25 shots a game.

[pass1st]

Too bad it's all for naught, asterisk season and weakened team.

[Frenzy]

Who knows, he has some knees problems.

Every injury is played out to be more then what it is. To show what a warrior he is.. Everyone knows this.

[Giuseppe]

Because, LA has no bench, and you have one, too many commas, there

A grown man like Duncan gettin' benched.

HA!

[Spursfan092120]

At least he doesn't rest, or, get benched like your Duncan.

HA!

One of these teams has a better record...WITHOUT their best player. Duncan rests because our team has enough talent and athleticism to allow him to. Your team doesn't.

[Giuseppe]

One of these teams has a better record...WITHOUT their best player. Duncan rests because our team has enough talent and athleticism to allow him to. Your team doesn't.

Duncan rests because he's a puss.

Duncan got benched because he quit.

[WeNeedLength]

Duncan rests because he's a puss.

Duncan got benched because he quit.

Why are you back?

And look at you talking about quitting. This is probably the third time you've quit and then came crawling back. Quite the hypocrite...

[Giuseppe]

Why are you back?

And look at you talking about quitting. This is probably the third time you've quit and then came crawling back. Quite the hypocrite...

Don't try deflecting on me.

Your Duncan quit.
Pop took that quittin' motherfucker & put him to pine shinin'.
Because Duncan quit you lost that game.

It's one thing to take a nite off and rest,,,even though it's extremely pussified it's permitted. But, when that cocknocker quit and you lost that game then I'm going to make sure the moment is cited evermore.

[Spursfan092120]

Duncan rests because he's a puss.

Duncan got benched because he quit.

lol saying Duncan quit.

No one's a bigger quitter than the Kobester.

He's quit on the Lakers many times over his career.

At least Duncan gives it all he's got. He's got more miles on him because he's been on the block against guys like Shaq for his career.

Bottom line...Lakers can't win with Kobe on the bench...Spurs can with Tim on the bench and Manu hurt...

Spurs > Lakers

[Reck]

Don't try deflecting on me.

Your Duncan quit.
Pop took that quittin' motherfucker & put him to pine shinin'.
Because Duncan quit you lost that game.

It's one thing to take a nite off and rest,,,even though it's extremely pussified it's permitted. But, when that cocknocker quit and you lost that game then I'm going to make sure the moment is cited evermore.

Ok, lets say he quit. Spurs are still a better team then your Lakers this year with scrubs.

What does that say about your precious team? Nothing respectable that's for sure.

[WeNeedLength]

Don't try deflecting on me.

Your Duncan quit.
Pop took that quittin' motherfucker & put him to pine shinin'.
Because Duncan quit you lost that game.

It's one thing to take a nite off and rest,,,even though it's extremely pussified it's permitted. But, when that cocknocker quit and you lost that game then I'm going to make sure the moment is cited evermore.

You quit. Quit acting like a bitch and man up already. Dancing around it is pathetic tbh...

[Giuseppe]

Ok, lets say he quit. Spurs are still a better team then your Lakers this year with scrubs.

What does that say about your precious team? Nothing respectable that's for sure.

I don't do that "better" malarkey. That's for joy boys.

I make the playoffs.
I win the last game I play.

If that goes to Hell in a hand basket then I'm sitting' with 28 other losers in last place.

[Giuseppe]

You quit.

When?

[BlackSwordsMan]

A stat kobe finally passed over MJ. :lmao

[Reck]

If that goes to Hell in a hand basket then I'm sitting' with 28 other losers in last place.

Deflecting mofo.

Sit tight because that's exactly what you're going to be doing.

[Giuseppe]

Deflecting mofo.

Sit tight because that's exactly what you're going to be doing.

Most likely. My solace? You guessed it:::I got 28 other losers sittin' right next to me, dicks in hand.

[Killakobe81]

... In minutes played per game.

http://espn.go.com/nba/statistics/player/_/stat/minutes

He's averaging nearly 2 minutes more per game than his career average. You think he will be able to keep that up through May?

Wont matter Lakers wont play in may very long as constructed

[JamStone]

Think too much is made of this. I think there are several factors why he's playing more minutes than last year. I think last year, his knee injury played a big role in him playing fewer minutes, plus the Lakers had more depth. Not only with Lamar Odom, but with Shannon Brown. This season's Lakers team doesn't really have a legit back-up 2-guard. They have to play PGs there. Plus, Steve Blake being injured recently doesn't help. With the lack of depth and the Lakers just not being that good, I think that puts more emphasis on them needing Kobe playing more minutes.

But big picture wise, does it really matter if Kobe averages 2-3 fewer minutes a game? It all comes down to how his knees are feeling. If he thinks he's capable, I think he'll play those big minutes. Just 2 years ago, he was playing 39 MPG. If he did the proper conditioning like he's generally known as doing, I don't see it as a big issue. A guy like Reggie Miller was playing 39 MPG when he was 35 years old. If the Lakers start playing better and their record gets into the top 4 or so, towards the end of the season, I could see Kobe playing fewer minutes. But that might not happen and they might need Kobe to play big minutes all season long. Their bench is terrible.

[LnGrrrR]

Jam, he's not just playing more mins than last year, but more mins than his career average. And two years is a long time in the NBA. Two years ago KG had a lot more ups. Duncan could move his feet faster etc etc

And as noted, he's also leading the league in field goals by a very healthy margin. That means more fouls, more chance for injury, more wear and tear. Reggie Miller and Ray Allen can play longer into their careers because they live mostly on the perimeter. (I know Kobe spends more time on the perimeter than he used to, but he's in the paint a lot more than Miller/Allen.)

[JamStone]

Jam, he's not just playing more mins than last year, but more mins than his career average. And two years is a long time in the NBA. Two years ago KG had a lot more ups. Duncan could move his feet faster etc etc

His career minutes per game is skewed by his first two seasons when he came off the bench and played role player minutes. Take those two seasons out, his career MPG going into this season would be 38.8. He's playing 38.0 MPG this season. Even if you don't take that into account, you're talking about him playing 1.6 MPG more than his career average. Are you really forming an argument about him playing excessive minutes over 1.6 MPG?

2 years can be a long time in the NBA. But unlike KG and Duncan, Kobe's numbers aren't falling off. Look at the per 36 minute stats. Other than his three point shooting, he's performing at a very similar level as the previous 4-5 seasons.



And as noted, he's also leading the league in field goals by a very healthy margin. That means more fouls, more chance for injury, more wear and tear. Reggie Miller and Ray Allen can play longer into their careers because they live mostly on the perimeter. (I know Kobe spends more time on the perimeter than he used to, but he's in the paint a lot more than Miller/Allen.)

Perhaps. I still think you're making it out to be more than what it is. The Lakers aren't really that good this season. And their depth is shit. Kobe needs to play big minutes. They're just a couple of games over .500 with Kobe playing big minutes. Look at tonight's Utah game. Kobe, Pau, and Bynum accounted for 71 points. The rest of the team 16 points on 24% FG shooting. Lakers bench sucks.

[LnGrrrR]

I guess we will see. Kobe didn't look very effective during the playoffs last year, and I can't think playing huge minutes will help. And while a minute per game may. It be much, if he was playing 3 mins less per game, that'd be over 3 hours of game time saved.

[Latarian Milton]

kobe already worn up his knees and he's still doing fine w/ it tbh

[Killakobe81]

Again, I'm with Jam ... this Lakers team sucks. They have 3 elite starters and maybe 5 semi-reliable bench guys ... problem is 3 of those 5 start. That is why the dumbasses that think Lebron could carry this team to the Finals are dense. Clips, okc mavs, spurs, blazers have better and deeper teams ...

[Spursfan092120]

Again, I'm with Jam ... this Lakers team sucks. They have 3 elite starters and maybe semi-reliable bench guys problem is 3 of those 5 start. That is why the dumbasses that think Lebron could carry this team to the Finals are dumb. Clips, okc mavs, spurs, blazers have better and deeper teams ...

Honest question..were they trying to blow it up, thinking they'd end up with CP3 and D12 next year? I was completely mindblown by their roster moves in the offseason.

[Cry Havoc]

His career minutes per game is skewed by his first two seasons when he came off the bench and played role player minutes. Take those two seasons out, his career MPG going into this season would be 38.8. He's playing 38.0 MPG this season. Even if you don't take that into account, you're talking about him playing 1.6 MPG more than his career average. Are you really forming an argument about him playing excessive minutes over 1.6 MPG?

2 years can be a long time in the NBA. But unlike KG and Duncan, Kobe's numbers aren't falling off. Look at the per 36 minute stats. Other than his three point shooting, he's performing at a very similar level as the previous 4-5 seasons.

Perhaps. I still think you're making it out to be more than what it is. The Lakers aren't really that good this season. And their depth is shit. Kobe needs to play big minutes. They're just a couple of games over .500 with Kobe playing big minutes. Look at tonight's Utah game. Kobe, Pau, and Bynum accounted for 71 points. The rest of the team 16 points on 24% FG shooting. Lakers bench sucks.

This is all true until the day Kobe gets injured (really injured, not the stuff he's claimed for about 95% of his career) and then everyone is asking WTF he was doing playing 36+ minutes a game.

[endrity]

Jam, you gotta remember what happened last year.

The Lakers came out of the All Star break rolling. Kobe was hitting everything, team was playing great defense and everybody thought they would win it all again. And then by the end of March everything started to collapse for them.

Kobe's injuries took a toll on him. Against the Mavs he played one good game, game 1 and even that was mostly due to outside shots. After that he was nowhere to be seen, his body just wasn't answering anymore. He's what 33, 34? He should be averaging not close to his average minutes, he should be playing in the 32-33 range, about 5 minutes less a game. Over a season that makes quite a difference.

Yes he is feeling great now. The point is last season showed he couldn't go rolling over the league for a whole season and in the playoffs. His body just doesn't have that anymore. So yes, he might be performing good now, but it's gonna take a toll when the playoffs come around.

[z0sa]

Lakers complete lack of a bench is part of the problem, Mike Brown is the other half. Long story short, Mike Brown lacks the confidence to ride out long stretches with Kobe on the bench, and no one can really blame him.