Why The Lakers Need The Team USA Version of Kobe

Why The Lakers Need The Team USA Version Of Kobe Bryant

By: Jonathan Tjarks
Jul 25, 2012 6:35 PM EDT




In Team USA’s 100-78 victory over Spain on Tuesday, Kobe Bryant had six points, four rebounds and three assists. The most remarkable part of his performance was how unremarkable it was: he scored in the flow of the offense, picking and choosing his spots while making plays for his teammates.

In contrast, Kobe was the offense when the Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs. By Game 5, he was demanding the ball nearly every time up the floor....

This is dumb ... if Kobe dont score who will? Lakers dont have USA the roster

I don't mean to burst everyone's bubble, but Kobe is not the only player on the team that can score. This seems to be the typical response when it comes to this topic. I'm sorry, but there are other players on the team that had a better shooting percentage than Kobe. Gasol and Bynum being 2 of them. The team is not solely a group of scrubs. The point is, there are other options than shooting contested shot after contested shot. It's a disrespect to the other players on the team when people say Kobe is the only player that can score.

I don't mean to burst everyone's bubble, but Kobe is not the only player on the team that can score. This seems to be the typical response when it comes to this topic. I'm sorry, but there are other players on the team that had a better shooting percentage than Kobe. Gasol and Bynum being 2 of them. The team is not solely a group of scrubs. The point is, there are other options than shooting contested shot after contested shot. It's a disrespect to the other players on the team when people say Kobe is the only player that can score.

Let me pop that bubble

Gasol shoots his best percentage with Kobe on the floor. Pau Gasol averages 13 per as a Laker for his career, on par with his Memphis first option days, but his efficency went up because Kobe draws the doubles. Paus ts%, efg%, and per all go up with Kobe on the court and plummet when he leaves it. He isn't an offenseive first option because he isn't agressive by nature. People can talk all they want aout the OKC series, but LA lost all 5 games where Kobe sat and the Pau unit with Ron, Jordan, and the guards/Barnes were out there offensively, defensively, and on the glass handedly in every single game including their lone win because Pau never asserted himself as a scorer, playmaker, or anchor.


Andrew Bynum shot under 43% from the field on 20 attempts per game this year in the games Kobe didn't play. Andrew Bynum sees his ts% efg% and per increase when Kobe is on the floor and increase even more when Kobe is on the floor but Pau isn't. Kobe on the other hand actually shoots the ball better without Andrew Bynum, his ts% and efg% go up by 3-5% each when he actually has space from the plodding big being taken off the floor as he has driving lanes. Phil Jackson, Tex Winters, Rambis, and Shaw all saw and noted this in the past and advocated Odom finishing games andgiving Kobe room to not have the floor tilted and paint walled off. Kobe's inside scoring also increases when Bynum leaves the game once again because Bynum isn't in there being slow footed, non-agile, and taking up space.

Ron Artest, Ramon Sessions, Matt Barnes, Blake, Jordan Hill, Derek Fisher .... They all saw their ts%, per, and efg% go up with Kobe and down without him.

Nash has a huge effect on the guys he plays with but it doesn't take even a beginning level statistican to note that Kobe has had a net positive impact on every big he has played with from Shaq to Kwame to Mihm to Pau to Lamar to Andrew as they all have had career best fg%, spikes in overall efficency and contrary to popular belief still ate. Pau still has gotten the attempts he got as a first option, Shaq still got the attempts he was getting with Eddie and nick, Lmar still got his attempts he got at PF in Miami, and Andrew got the same fg attempts per game as Dwight Howard.

Bubble meet BURST

Let me pop that bubble

Gasol shoots his best percentage with Kobe on the floor. Pau Gasol averages 13 per as a Laker for his career, on par with his Memphis first option days, but his efficency went up because Kobe draws the doubles. Paus ts%, efg%, and per all go up with Kobe on the court and plummet when he leaves it. He isn't an offenseive first option because he isn't agressive by nature. People can talk all they want aout the OKC series, but LA lost all 5 games where Kobe sat and the Pau unit with Ron, Jordan, and the guards/Barnes were out there offensively, defensively, and on the glass handedly in every single game including their lone win because Pau never asserted himself as a scorer, playmaker, or anchor.


Andrew Bynum shot under 43% from the field on 20 attempts per game this year in the games Kobe didn't play. Andrew Bynum sees his ts% efg% and per increase when Kobe is on the floor and increase even more when Kobe is on the floor but Pau isn't. Kobe on the other hand actually shoots the ball better without Andrew Bynum, his ts% and efg% go up by 3-5% each when he actually has space from the plodding big being taken off the floor as he has driving lanes. Phil Jackson, Tex Winters, Rambis, and Shaw all saw and noted this in the past and advocated Odom finishing games andgiving Kobe room to not have the floor tilted and paint walled off. Kobe's inside scoring also increases when Bynum leaves the game once again because Bynum isn't in there being slow footed, non-agile, and taking up space.

Ron Artest, Ramon Sessions, Matt Barnes, Blake, Jordan Hill, Derek Fisher .... They all saw their ts%, per, and efg% go up with Kobe and down without him.

Nash has a huge effect on the guys he plays with but it doesn't take even a beginning level statistican to note that Kobe has had a net positive impact on every big he has played with from Shaq to Kwame to Mihm to Pau to Lamar to Andrew as they all have had career best fg%, spikes in overall efficency and contrary to popular belief still ate. Pau still has gotten the attempts he got as a first option, Shaq still got the attempts he was getting with Eddie and nick, Lmar still got his attempts he got at PF in Miami, and Andrew got the same fg attempts per game as Dwight Howard.

Bubble meet BURST

Guys please don't even dignify this silly thread with a response. This is comedy.

Let me pop that bubble

Gasol shoots his best percentage with Kobe on the floor. Pau Gasol averages 13 per as a Laker for his career, on par with his Memphis first option days, but his efficency went up because Kobe draws the doubles. Paus ts%, efg%, and per all go up with Kobe on the court and plummet when he leaves it. He isn't an offenseive first option because he isn't agressive by nature. People can talk all they want aout the OKC series, but LA lost all 5 games where Kobe sat and the Pau unit with Ron, Jordan, and the guards/Barnes were out there offensively, defensively, and on the glass handedly in every single game including their lone win because Pau never asserted himself as a scorer, playmaker, or anchor.


Andrew Bynum shot under 43% from the field on 20 attempts per game this year in the games Kobe didn't play. Andrew Bynum sees his ts% efg% and per increase when Kobe is on the floor and increase even more when Kobe is on the floor but Pau isn't. Kobe on the other hand actually shoots the ball better without Andrew Bynum, his ts% and efg% go up by 3-5% each when he actually has space from the plodding big being taken off the floor as he has driving lanes. Phil Jackson, Tex Winters, Rambis, and Shaw all saw and noted this in the past and advocated Odom finishing games andgiving Kobe room to not have the floor tilted and paint walled off. Kobe's inside scoring also increases when Bynum leaves the game once again because Bynum isn't in there being slow footed, non-agile, and taking up space.

Ron Artest, Ramon Sessions, Matt Barnes, Blake, Jordan Hill, Derek Fisher .... They all saw their ts%, per, and efg% go up with Kobe and down without him.

Nash has a huge effect on the guys he plays with but it doesn't take even a beginning level statistican to note that Kobe has had a net positive impact on every big he has played with from Shaq to Kwame to Mihm to Pau to Lamar to Andrew as they all have had career best fg%, spikes in overall efficency and contrary to popular belief still ate. Pau still has gotten the attempts he got as a first option, Shaq still got the attempts he was getting with Eddie and nick, Lmar still got his attempts he got at PF in Miami, and Andrew got the same fg attempts per game as Dwight Howard.

Bubble meet BURST

Kobe can shoot as much as he wants. Who cares... He will need his teammates to step up. The End.

Surround Kobe with a team that is even half as good as the Olympic team and you could get your wish. The teams of the past several years could not hit a shot if their life depended on it and he gets to shoot many shots with the clock at two seconds due to their incompetence.

Who cares? The Laker fans who want to win a championship care. Kobe shot more than any player in the league last year. What happened? We lost. Kobe shot us out of games 2 and 4 of the OKC playoff series last year. He shot as much as he wanted, like you seem to think is OK. If your a Kobe fan and don't care if the Lakers win a title, as long as he gets to shoot and do whatever he wants, then lets have Kobe lead the league in shot attempts this year like he did last year.

If you are a Laker fan, you want the ball spread around more, team basketball, feeding the bigs, and getting everybody involved.. Laker basketball leads to championships. Kobe shooting more than anybody in the NBA leads to being ousted in the 2nd round of the playoffs. If making it to the 2nd round and losing is satisfying enough for you, then by all means, let's let Kobe launch away..

Take your pick. is it more important for Kobe to have the green light to do whatever he wants while leaving us to be satisfied with a 2nd round exit like NBAtalewriter suggests, or is it better to play team ball and win a championship?

Kobe won't allow himself to not be the alpha on this team, just as simple as that. Just by past quotes its obvious, he eats at the table first, he said they go ff of his shots and so forth. This is why I fear the Lakers won't be able to win another ring under Kobe's leadership. If he actually dialed it back a little and played a role sort of like Paul Pierce and the team plays together instead of him having it as Kool and the gang then the team would be better.

Kobe Bryant will keep shooting. Get over it. That's also the best thing for the Lakers. Kobe's teammates are so overrated right now. There is only 1 elite player on the Lakers and that player is playing for team USA right now.

Yes, I saw what you say is best for the Lakers last year. Kobe shot us out of a championship. If Kobe shooting 25 to 30 times a game and getting us knocked out of the playoffs with only one win in the 2nd round is what's best for us, then you won the debate.

Go Kobe. Shoot 25 times a game in next years playoffs. It is so much fun watching the Thunder in the finals rather than us. As long as Kobe shoots more than everybody else, I don't care if we win or lose. Go Kobe!!!!

Hellll yes kobe shoots too much,but LAKERDUDE , the fate of the ring rests on Bynums shoulders,not kobe. If Bynum grabs "every" rebound, and blocks more shots, we can't be beat. Plus I believe nash's game will make kobe shoots less.

Back to the matter at hand tho, if kobe was infact 15 pounds over weight last season, im mad as hell,wtf. Like he said his old a** knees need as much relieve as possible! Idiot!

You're just mad because that lazy BUM BYNUM is fixing to get traded. Don't you find it funny how nobody wants him? The Lakers, Mavs, Nets, Rockets, and Warriors all want Dwight. Nobody wants that Bum. Kobe has to shoot the amount of shots that he does with this overrated roster. BYBUM!!!!

Good luck with that. Drew's not going anywhere. Your "BYBUM," chant has been going on for months and months, yet he's still here. I feel for you and your love for Dwight dude, but sooner or later reality is going to jump out at you. What then?

I wouldn't complain if kobe was in his prime,getting to the rim and finishing more. This kobe shoots 43% , kobe in his prime shot about 46. I've never seen kobe have so many 9-25 games, those 16 missed shots hurt a lot,if he makes a few more of those misses, wed have scored 100 a lot more

Mitch Kupchak is trying extremely hard to get rid of that overrated piece of garbage. Mr close out games are easy... They're easy for him, because he's usually sitting in the stands or walking up and down the court. ByBUM!!

I agree. Steve Nash ought to be the man running the offense.

If Kobe understands what it means to have a true PG like Nash by his side (as he should, since he's playing on Team USA) then he would understand that by letting Nash run the show, he can still get his 20-25 points on a lot less shot attempts.

Bynum would have no excuse to be a lazy pouting brat for not getting his way. In fact, he needs a pre-game firecracker shoved up his a** so he can keep up with the pick-n-roll action every possession.

In the end Drew will still be here, so the point is moot. All the posts on this site about getting Howard will unfold soon. What will everybody do when next year comes and Bynum is our center? What will you all do then? I dread to see the day...

Kobe was probably the happiest person on the Lakers when Steve Nash joined. Now everyone can blame Steve Nash for Bynum being overrated.

Boston had good shooters from the perimeter during their peak the last few years. Kobe had??? DFish at best.


Anyways, I don't want to see Kobe going for 23 FGA per game again. Or play heavy minutes. I expect Nash to see to that.

19FGA, 24PPG, 5.1 AST, 4.5 REBS, 2.5 TOs at 46-47% shooting and taking less 3pt shots at the same clip would be a good season for him IMO.

Andrew Bynum's days as a Laker are numbered. All of his blind fans need to follow him.