Right now we get to see Kobe Bryant running a lot of pick-and-roll when we watch a Lakers game — and it’s not bad. He was never really asked to do this in the triangle offense, but he has shown real skill at decision making on setting up teammates and when to get the points for himself.
But there also has been moments of vintage Kobe — in the four games since Mike D’Antoni started stalking the sidelines, the two times Kobe had fewer than 20 shot attempts the Lakers won, when it was 20 or more they lost. As always, when the other Lakers are struggling to score Kobe takes on more of the offense, but that doesn’t always work.
Kobe thinks his point totals will go up and the Lakers will be better off when he has to distribute less because Steve Nash returns from his broken leg. Then he can just focus on scoring, he told Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register (hat tip to SLAM).“I’ve been doing this my whole career, and some nights my teammates hit more shots and that adds up to more assists for me,” Bryant said. “The games we win are when the whole team is making shots. Now, if our shots aren’t going in, then I have to take more of the offensive load.”
Bryant is looking forward to Nash’s return, for sure. Nash will be re-evaluated next week.
“I’ll be scoring a lot more when Nash gets back,” Bryant said. “I won’t have to facilitate as much, and it will allow me to do what I do best — and that’s put the ball in the hole.”
There seems to be this feeling among the Lakers and their fans that the return of Nash will be a panacea for the Lakers issues. That somehow everybody will get the touches they want in the places they want once Nash returns.
But it’s not that simple. Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard’s spacing and confidence issues will not magically disappear. It’s not that simple. There will be more adjustments, more guys trying to figure out where they fit in. There are no simple answers for the Lakers… well, other than that they need to defend better.