Are the Lakers Better Off Without #24?

There is no doubt that Kobe Bryant still can play the game very well even if he is 36 years old. He is averaging 24.6 points per game, 4.9 assists, and 5.1 rebounds in 35 minutes a night. Those are some incredible numbers given his age and recent injury history. So what is the problem? Well Kobe is shooting 37% from the field and he is averaging 22 shots a game. That sure does not bode well for team basketball.

Over the last three games Kobe has not played due to, as he put it, “old age”. He has been feeling soreness in his Achilles, ankles, and knees. Over those three games the Lakers have gone 1-2, but all three were against very good playoff bound teams. The Lakers only win over that span was against the NBA’s best record team, The Golden State Warriors. The Lakers won pretty handily, as they shot 52% from the field as a team and had seven players score in double figures. Team Basketball are two words you do not hear very often when watching the Lakers, but that is the reason the Lakers won the game as they played as a team both offensively and defensively.

The Lakers next game without Kobe was against the Bulls. Even though the Lakers did not shoot the ball very well, they were still only down by 6 points going into the fourth quarter. They collapsed in the fourth quarter and lost by 20 points, but they still shared the ball and had five players in double figures even with their shooting woes. Their other loss was against the Dallas Mavericks, who look scary good with their new acquisition of Rajon Rondo. The Lakers shot an awful 36% from the field, but still managed to only lose by four points to a team that possesses the ninth best record in the league. Again the Lakers shared the basketball and had six players score in double figures.

Now some might say the Lakers just got hot against a tired Warriors team, but there is a lot more to it. The Lakers showed that they can come together as a unit and have everyone pitch in for a team win, both on the offensive end and defensive end. Although this was just a glimpse of what the Lakers can become, there are some changes that need to take place. The first change that needs to occur is with Kobe Bryant’s minutes. A good example is to look at Tim Duncan and how his production has been consistent through his aging. A big reason for this is the amount of minutes he plays and the way he takes care of his body. Kobe has no problem taking care of his body, but Byron Scott really needs to manage Kobe’s minutes better. Kobe is 14^th in the league in minutes played per game and only one of those players is over the age of 29, Carmelo Anthony, who is 30 years old. Limiting Kobe’s minutes is going to lessen the risk of injury, but it is also going to lead to better team basketball for the Lakers.

If Byron Scott can start limiting Kobe’s minutes to around 30 minutes a game there is going to be a lot of progress for the Los Angeles Lakers Basketball Team. Not only will Kobe be taking less shots, he will not be as tired on the defensive end. The Lakers are dead last in Defensive Efficiency and a lot of that has to do with Kobe Bryant. Plain and simple, you are asking a lot for a 36 year old Kobe Bryant to be able to guard the up and coming elite shooting guards. Kobe hurts the Lakers a ton on defense and limiting Kobe’s minutes by just five minutes per game is going to allow for him to have more energy while he is playing, and also allow for his substitute to play better defense from the shooting guard position.

Kobe Bryant still holds an incredible amount of value to the Lakers, and it is not just off the court with jersey sales. He is still a threat in this league, but he needs to be able to trust his teammates every game. He has shown that he can trust them during some games, but he needs to commit to his teammates, limit his shot selection, and get his teammates involved so that the Los Angeles Lakers can start to get some rhythm and grow as a basketball team.

As a Laker fan, it is hard to say that Kobe is hurting the Lakers chances at winning while he is on the court. Even though the numbers he is averaging at his age are off the charts, he is hurting the team both offensively and defensively. Byron Scott needs to limit Kobe’s minutes and Kobe needs to play more team basketball as his 22 shots per game have only led to 21 losses through 30 games. It is time for a change and hopefully Kobe has realized that while witnessing the last three games. Although his expensive suits do look nice, we would rather see Kobe in purple and gold, playing. Once Kobe begins playing a few less minutes and starts getting his teammates trust on his side, The Los Angeles Lakers are going to look like a different team. Contender? Absolutely not, but positive growth is what Laker fans are looking for in this dark time of Laker history.