NBA Los Angeles Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers Must Shut Down Kobe Bryant

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By @JosephMCrevier

Los Angeles Lakers

Layne Murdoch-Getty Images

Kobe Bryant has experienced perhaps the most tumultuous season of his prolific 19-year career. Aside from the fact that the Los Angeles Lakers are amidst a massive rebuilding project, Bryant has struggled to find his niche on this poorly constructed roster.

Bryant began the year firing away an inordinate number of field goal attempts, while head coach Byron Scott admittedly ran him into the ground. Soreness hammered Bryant after a game in late December vs. the Sacramento Kings, in which he attempted 30 field goals, hitting just eight. Since then, Bryant has missed eight of 16 games with the cited reason being rest. When Bryant is on the floor, though, he appears uncomfortable, unable to find any fluidity due to inconsistent playing time.

The latest example coming during Wednesday night’s fiasco vs. the New Orleans Pelicans when the shooting guard scored an inefficient 14 points along with seven rebounds. Bryant was visibly hurting on the floor, handling and shooting the ball with his left hand. At one point, trainer Gary Vitti approached Scott on the sidelines advising him of the situation, but Bryant remained in the game far too long. An MRI will be conducted on his right shoulder to assess the damage.

At this point, as the Lakers drop to 12-31, it is in the organization’s best interest to shut Bryant down for the remainder of the season. The mere fact that Bryant is uncharacteristically willing to shut it down should be sufficient evidence to management. He has even pondered the idea of retiring after this season, despite being owed excess of $25 million next season. Though retirement is a highly unlikely escape route, father time is nothing to tempt. As the cliche phrase goes, father time is undefeated.

That said, Bryant’s health will heavily impact free agent recruitment next offseason. Los Angeles is still an attractive destination, despite the rumblings that would suggest otherwise. However, no marquee free agents will be drooling to join forces with a haggled Kobe Bryant solely because of mismanagement. How Mitch Kupchak, Jim Buss and Byron Scott handle this predicament could have lasting effects on the future of this franchise.

Joseph Crevier covers the New York Knicks for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter, @JosephMCrevier, and Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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