Kobe Bryant is still going to be Kobe Bryant when the Lakers take the floor Tuesday against the Rockets.
To think that his 6-for-28 shooting night in a loss to Denver Sunday was going to change him was to think that arrests were going to change Lindsay Lohan. Some people are what they are.
In Kobe’s world view, he had open shots so he took them. The fact they were not going in — certainly due in part to a wrist with torn ligaments — misses the point. Kobe is the guy who creates the shots on the perimeter and if he has good looks he should take them. Even coach Mike Brown didn’t think Kobe was taking bad shots. Here is what Kobe said, via Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register.“I had shots, I took them,” he said. If I shoot the ball 40 times and have good looks, I take them. That’s what it is,” he said….
“I do what I do. If guys are open, I kick it to them, if not I shoot it,” Bryant said. “I play my game, you know what I mean? It stays consistent.”There needs to be an evolution of the Lakers offense where more shots and touches are given to Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. It’s what Brown has drawn up, it is what is more efficient and hard to defend. What do you say to that, Kobe?
What matters with Kobe are not words but actions. Tuesday night the Lakers face a team with Jordan Hill and Luis Scola as the starting front line (and Samuel Dalembert coming off the bench). The Lakers have an advantage in the paint. Will they pound it in there or live on the perimeter more? We’ll see. If the Lakers are truly going to contend their offense has to evolve. We’ll see if the evolution starts Tuesday.