Los Angeles Lakers Are Better Off Without Kobe Bryant
By Shane Phillips
@ShaneRantSports
Getty Images
Kobe Bryant missed his first game of the season on Tuesday night as the Los Angeles Lakers hosted their instate rivals, the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers’ “star” sat out to get some rest, but LA looked like a completely different team without the aging veteran. Instead of the typical “Kobe Show,” coach Byron Scott was able to get his team to move the ball, as six players were in double figures and Los Angeles downed Golden State 115-105.
The Lakers were a completely different team and were not stuck ball watching Bryant for 48 minutes. They combined for 28 assists as a team as opposed to 20 per game on the season, and the bench contributed 54 points. It was a terrific win for a team that has struggled thus far this NBA season, and they already know the rest of the season will be tough.
That being said, it may be the time to say that Los Angeles is better without Bryant.
So far this season, the Lakers are 8-19 with Bryant in the lineup and officially 1-0 without him. The guard is averaging 22 shots per game and is only making 37 percent of them. While he is still averaging over 24 PPG, it is taking too many shots to accumulate those averages and therefore, there are too many missed opportunities.
Bryant’s high shot attempts and poor shooting percentage are really crushing LA.
Everyone knows about everything that Bryant has given the Lakers franchise and how they are known to take care of those who stay loyal. However, his contract is a bit ridiculous and did set Los Angeles up to fail. There is not much they can do now besides ride it out, but it looks like the Kobe era in Hollywood is coming to an end.
Shane Phillips is an NBA Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow Shane on Twitter @ShaneRantSports, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google. You can also email Shane at [email protected].
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