Elephant In the Room - KB

[VanExeleNT]

You can delete this file it away anywhere but I just need to say this to other Laker fans who may/may not agree but here goes:

A coach calling out Gasol after the 2nd game tells me more about the coach and not Gasol. It's easy to pick on Gasol and if you choose to call out Gasol instead of clearly identifying the problem, just tells me you have no backbone. That's not a good sign to me.

The problem: if Kobe misses 5 shots in a row and he continues to shoot people say "he is trying to will his team back into this game". if gasol or dwight miss 5 shots in a row they end up with 7 FG attempts in the whole game. THEY DON'T GET THE BALL enough to say they had a bad game, yet we continually for the past 4 years have blamed the ppl who don't get the ball enough. How can you blame someone for going 2-7 from the field? How can you continue to expect them to just get rebounds and keep getting ignored on the offensive end.

This isn't about the Dantoni offense or the mike brown offense or the triangle this is about KOBE BRYANT who refuses to stick to any game plan long enough because he feels he can do it himself, well guess what, he can't anymore and hasn't been able to for the past 3 years. Did Mike Brown call him out? Nope. Will dAnotni call him out? Nope, he quickly went to Gasol. Would Phil have called him out? Probably not because he hasn't either and trust me that "uncoachable" comment from Phil back in 2005 isn't far from the truth, it's always there, people don't put things in books unless they believe it a little bit even.

I use to defend Kobe because I believe he is the most skilled guard there is, his footwork, IQ and hard work are only compared to MJ or Hakeem. He has made the most of his athletic ability whereas others (shaq) don't do enough with theirs. However, his selfishness and stubbornness is his downfall especially later in his career.

He is having his best year, yes FG% wise but the last 2 games he has reverted back to what he did for the past 16 years.

In the 4th quarter of last game we cut the game down to 6 because we repeatedly went inside to Dwight until we got back to back threes for Jodie Meeks and we came just close enough until Mr. Bryant decided to try to bring them back from 6 and he couldn't. We have the most dominant and the possibly the most skilled big men on the floor at the same time, yet they combine for 15 FG attempts to Kobe's 23 last game (not including the free throws he took, to me half of those are just forced attempts where he gets fouled). The game before, 14 combined compared to Kobe's 20.

My point is here that I understand it can be hard to get the ball inside in the right position to either of those guys I GET THAT, but why Kobe gives up after 7 FGA for dwight is our doom. It's like a football team giving up the run offense after the first quarter. Doesn't make sense. No one will say it on this team but it will be the reason Dwight doesn't re-sign. mark my words.

I own soo much Kobe Bryant memorabilia i am a fan and always have been since 1996, but I am a PASSIONATE Laker fan before that and i'm just saying...because someone has to.

DON"T call out GASOL in the media if you can't call out Kobe too. That's just wrong.

[VanExeleNT]

Also guess what Laker's up early in today's game because kobe is passing....interesting how that works..yet to take a shot..hmm and we are up 14.

This will happen for how many games? I just don't get it. Maybe someone had a talk with him.

[dockingsched]

a lot of what you've said, i've been saying for awhile....just not this season.

kobe, just like the other guys, deserves a chance to adjust to d'antoni just like the others need time and just like d'antoni himself needs time.

[Wreckus13]

I agree with you. Kobe tries to force the issue wayyyy too much

[SlavaMedvedenko]

The lesser shots for bigs is partly Kobe being over aggressive but if you take a look at the rest of the games when the bigs were successful, you'd notice that they were getting deep post position early in the offensive possessions and they haven't been able to do that in Memphis or Sacramento.

Doesn't help when our spacing is hack and the other guards can't make an entry pass to save their lives.

[hermes]

vanexelent calling kobe fat

[Doormatt]

Way tl;dr

[VanExeleNT]

If you guys have seen Gasol over the last few years, his interviews, his lethargic play, he's frustrated too. You just have to read between the lines when he speaks, he wants to say things but he doesn't.

He gets blamed like the first option when he's the third option. I'm not a gasol apologetic I know he's gasoft at times, alot of times, but look at how fun the game was tonight to watch. It's not because we were making our shots it's because we got open looks and we get open looks when everyone is allowed to utilize the talent they have, that includes kobe.

balance scoring, balance FGA's and alot of easy buckets. Fun basketball. Kobe i hope he can live with avg 21 ppg a game we would win soo much more if he averages 21 points per game instead of 28. I'm afraid as he gets older he will be more about being the oldest guy to do this and do than and not more about just playing team basketball. He may end up with a thousand or 2 thousand less points overall but with more rings.

Im out. will always be lurking, i love reading everyone's post here, have been for years. Thanks guys.

Go Lakers!

[VanExeleNT]

Also if you guys have NBA 2K13 on PS3 let's play!

I know it's a game but its a really really good simulation and if you know it than you know how realistic it can be.

I run a balance offense with all the talent the Lakers have with one rule: the open guy gets the shot, doesn't matter what the name on the back of the jersey is. Lakers can easily average 115 and win by an average of 10 each night.

Too talented. Ok Imout.

[ScHoolBoy B]

Sorry bud, in mamba I trust. The guy has proven over and over why he's alpha dog.

[MensRea]

No. Mamba's fine. He hasn't forced anything this season. He's had one bad game. Other than that, he's been playing within the offense all season long.

[Father Time]

Also if you guys have NBA 2K13 on PS3 let's play!

I know it's a game but its a really really good simulation and if you know it than you know how realistic it can be.

I run a balance offense with all the talent the Lakers have with one rule: the open guy gets the shot, doesn't matter what the name on the back of the jersey is. Lakers can easily average 115 and win by an average of 10 each night.

Too talented. Ok Imout.

Add me (SlateEel) bro. I normally run with the Lakers as well, but will play as anyone.

[Asianiac_24]

Kobe has his first bad shooting night of the season and he is already getting blamed? Don't want to beat on a dead horse but our struggles so far this season has a lot to do with Pau. His P&R defense, help defense, 1v1 defense, and rebounding have ALL sucked. Forget about his offensive struggles because that is not whats mainly hurting us, it is his defense. The game against the Kings is the perfect example. Jason Thompson and Cousins just taking turns schooling Gasol one on one. He has to get his **** together because right now to me Jordan Hill deserves that starting spot over him IMO

[crazy8ights]

heh take out Kobe in our drought stretches then what...

[ROballer]

The guy shot 50% or more from the field in 10 out of 14 games so far...

He's taking 17 shots per game and he's continuing his efficient stretch so far(51/41/88)...

Now we're bitching at the first bad shooting game he had?C'mon guys...