Grantland: Kobe's Beautiful Madness

[swyftdahoe]

He's going out like Denzel in Training Day.

[Marvin Martian]

It has become Kobe versus Basketball and Kobe is winning. No cares about the result of any game involving the Lakers. As long as Kobe keeps chucking 25+ shots, the fans will feel that they got a better deal than watching team basketball.

[thamadkant]

As a Suns fan, this season is the first time that I actually cheer Kobe to hit game winners... because for the sole reason that Suns need Lakers to finish outside the bottom 5 picks to get that draft pick off of them.

Im hoping they win 30 games.

[KD35Brah]

It's not so much the shot volume itself that bothers me (of course these 2 are related), but this-

Bryant is a great passer. That is what makes it so frustrating to watch him hijack L.A. possessions. Bryant passes as a last resort, when the extra defensive attention has made it too difficult for him to get off a makeable shot.

He's playing at a high skill level and draws the defense's attention every time. Sometimes he'll pass it to an open guy, but rarely. He can generate a makeable (if not high percentage) shot almost every time, to him that's enough to take the shot 9 out of 10 times. That can actually win a game here and there. But everyone in the world but him seems to know that in the long run the (shot) percentages will grind you down and that cannot be a winning proposition.

Kobe literally shot the Lakers out of a game they were up in for a quarter and a half. What's crazy is how amazing of a passer he is. The two times he decides to do it.

No way was Wizards Jordan anything like this. What makes Jordan different from Kobe is that Jordan is always playing the best basketball possible, even for a scrubby team. That best basketball just usually involves Jordan scoring. Kobe believes the best basketball is him shooting, unless he doesn't have a shot. Correct me if I'm wrong but Kobe doesn't have a Jordan to Kerr moment. Or a Jordan to Paxton moment.

Granted it's a little unfair because Kerr and Paxton earned Jordan's trust after years and these are Laker scrubs, but I can't imagine Jordan ever taking and klanking backdown fadeaway jumper after jumper after jumper from the same spot for 15 minutes straight. Capped off by a contested three point chuck.

Jordan shot under 50% TS both his years in Washington.

[baki]

Communication, trust and effort were three things that Lin thought the Lakers were lacking on the team, he didn't say talent. It's up to Kobe to trust, communicate and make effort with his young team because leadership is what they really need from him right now. And at his age that's the only thing he's got going for him right now.

I wonder if you ever had a conversation in your life that's not centered around Lin.

Kid: Daddy, where do babies come from?
baki: That's not important son, Lin said the Lakers lack communication and trust and that is most important. I should think about that.

Why are you following me?

Reported.

[baki]

It has become Kobe versus Basketball and Kobe is winning. No cares about the result of any game involving the Lakers. As long as Kobe keeps chucking 25+ shots, the fans will feel that they got a better deal than watching team basketball.

Kobe never thought about breaking records AND winning ball games, this season it's kind of beyond him

[Amish Mafioso]

Shameful chucking is a disgrace to the players Kobe is trying to pass. I'm guessing his team mates must hate him. Anyway, I believe in karma, so we shall see if this disgrace is rewarded.

Also, that article was terrible. Dude is probably still picking Kobe's nut hairs from his teeth.

[JellosJigglin]

Communication, trust and effort were three things that Lin thought the Lakers were lacking on the team, he didn't say talent. It's up to Kobe to trust, communicate and make effort with his young team because leadership is what they really need from him right now. And at his age that's the only thing he's got going for him right now.

I wonder if you ever had a conversation in your life that's not centered around Lin.

Kid: Daddy, where do babies come from?
baki: That's not important son, Lin said the Lakers lack communication and trust and that is most important. I should think about that.

Why are you following me?

Reported.

Wow

[Ballah]

I know he doesn't have much help and all, but I don't think shooting this much or being this inefficient would be better than sharing the ball and getting other guys involved more.

Better for what? they are not going to make a playoff run no matter who is shooting the ball. Kobe is making the Lakers entertaining to watch, with their rookie gone for the season this is all the Lakers have. Kobe as an unselfish efficient player would be as much fun as watching the sixers and wouldn't help the team any. Let Kobe go out in a blaze of bad shots and empty scoring titles. The guy isn't playing NBA basketball anymore, he's playing NBA Jam, he has the big head code on and the day he retires there is going to be a "NEW HIGH SCORE ENTER YOUR INITIALS" screen flashing.

Watching someone go 6/22 or 10/28 isn't entertaining to me. He still has an occasional scoring outburst where he scores more than usual and remains efficient, but for the most part it's just chucking.

Maybe not for you, but most people will find the Lakers more fun to watch this season than any of the other horrible teams out there.

[HotRocks34]

MJ-Kobe comparisons are a lot better and closer than MJ-Lebron comparisons

I'm not sure that they are.

I think there are three reasons why LeBron and Jordan are compared.

1. LeBron's current career PPG is the most similar to Jordan's by any perimeter player (Durant is closing fast though) in NBA history
http://www.basketball-reference.com/lea ... areer.html

2. LeBron's overall "total stats" are most similar to Jordan of any perimeter player in NBA history (PER, WS/48), although Chris Paul is ahead of LeBron in being closer to Jordan in WS/48
http://www.basketball-reference.com/lea ... areer.html
http://www.basketball-reference.com/lea ... areer.html

3. LeBron and Jordan are both extremely efficient (49%+ career FG%), hyper-athletic perimeter players.


Kobe and Jordan are compared, IMO, because of their playing style (Kobe patterned his game off Jordan's, apparently) and winning. Those are fair comparisons as well. But in terms of overall basketball effectiveness -- as laid out with individual statistics -- I personally think LeBron is a better comparison with Jordan than Kobe is.

As LeBron's career goes on, however, his averages and stats are likely to come down. Unless, that is, he finds himself in a situation like Kobe is in now where he is free to do whatever he wants in terms of FGA/gm, etc.

[Ghost]

Ironically, what Kobe is doing is actually great for the Lakers' future (provided they won't be unlucky in the lottery draw).

exactly... there is no reason whatsoever to try and finish 10th in the west. No matter if kobe plays team ball or not, they're not making the playoffs, so just finish bottom 2 and get that draft pick.

there's a reason kobe didn't play like this during the gasol/odom era, he had good players and knew there was a legit chance to win. Now there is none. so chuck away.

Yeah, I agree, might as well. I haven't been able to watch yet due to my work schedule killing me, but I'm hoping he can keep it up so I can watch later like in January.
I just hope in the long run when people look back they remember the good instead of "the bad"

[Call Saul]

Absolutely love Kobe. Kobes the last of a dying breed. Too many of the new stars in the league don't have that killer mentality, and are trying to be everybody's friend. Kobe is the closest we're ever getting to M.J. Having said that it's hard for me to see Kobe not come to terms to the fact that he is on the downside of his career and I think he still feels mentally like the Kobe of his prime even though he's not, and needs to adjust accordingly.
I feel privileged to have witnessed Kobes run. I was rooting for him to tie M.J, but I guess not.
Just a testament to how crazy good M.J was to have taken off in his prime to play baseball and still have two 3 peats. smh! ridic.