Evaluating the ’07-08 Lakers: Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant 2007-08 Season Review

Stats: 38.53 MPG / 28.3 PPG / 45.9% FG / 36.1% 3PT / 84.0% FT / 6.3 RPG / 5.4 APG / 1.8 SPG / 0.5 BPG / 3.1 TO

As evident by his selection as the NBA’s Most Valuable Player and his team’s trip to the NBA Finals, this was arguably Kobe Bryant’s best season as an NBA professional.

For the first time in his illustrious NBA career, Kobe Bryant got his teammates involved and did not shoot every single time he touched the ball. It helped that he finally had a better supporting cast with an improved Andrew Bynum during the first half of the season and All-Star center Pau Gasol for the second half and the playoffs, but Kobe certainly deserves credit for getting these guys the ball during various points of the game. It was particularly refreshing to see Kobe take more of a leadership role, especially on the offensive end, as the team battled through injuries to key players such as Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol.

By taking fewer shots, he also became much more efficient on offense and role players such as Sasha Vujacic, Jordan Farmar, Ronny Turiaf, and Vladimir Radmanovic, were all able to flourish in Phil’s triangle offense. In past seasons, Kobe had been unable to trust his teammates and therefore, took the majority of shots himself. By playing more conservatively on offense, he became more dominant when he did decide to shoot. Since his teammates were involved, opposing teams were unable to double-team him as frequently as they used to, and as a result, he got more single coverage and mismatches. Due to his more conservative offensive game, his shooting percentage improved to a near fifty percent.

During the roller coaster summer of 2007 in which he demanded a trade and declared that he would play on Pluto, Kobe also got the opportunity to play with Team USA and legendary Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski. Before the Olympic Qualifying tournament in Las Vegas, Kobe told Coach K that he would serve as the team’s defensive specialist, guarding the opposing team’s best perimeter player. This attitude carried over to the NBA season as Kobe rededicated himself on the defensive end and began guarding the opposing team’s best offensive player such as Cleveland’s LeBron James or San Antonio’s Manu Ginobli. His improved defensive play did not go unnoticed as he was named to the NBA’s first team all-defense.

Grade: A

What Kobe Bryant Should Improve

In terms of his physical abilities, Kobe has likely already reached his potential, but there is still much more for him to improve on in terms of his overall knowledge of the team’s triangle offense and basketball in general. Over the past few seasons, Kobe has become much more of a team player on and off the court, and subsequently, Laker fans are certainly hoping that the trend certainly continues. Keeping this in mind, I’ve included three main areas in which number twenty-four should focus on this offseason (in order of importance):

1. Passing or Shooting: During the first half of games, particularly during the playoffs, Kobe would defer to his teammates on nearly every single possesion. At the end of the half, his shot total would hover just around five. However, in the second half, primarily in fourth quarters, he would shoot on just about every single play. If the Lakers are to win that elusive championship than Kobe must learn to balance out the shooting and passing. Balance is the key.

2. Moving Without the Ball: Kobe is regarded as one of the best mid-range jump shooters in the entire NBA, but he shoots exclusively off the dribble. Players like Richard “Rip” Hamilton of the Detroit Pistons have been extremely effective shooting mid-range jumpers while running screens. Reggie Miller, the former Pacers guard, made a living by moving without the ball and running off screens. Much like Hamilton and Miller, Kobe’s mid-range jump shot could also be quite effective by moving without the ball instead of dribbling on every single play.

3. Health: During a February game against the New Jersey Nets, Kobe suffered “a complete tear of the radial collateral ligament, an avulsion fracture, and a volar plate injury at the MCP joint” of his shooting hand’s small finger. I have no idea what that really means, but playing the rest of the season with a messed up finger on his shooting was no small task for Kobe. His is expected to have surgery, but it will be delayed until he returns from the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. With Kobe being just two months away from turning thirty, health is going to become an important issue if he wants to continue playing at such a high level. He must be even more concerned with taking care of his body as the years progress. It’s crucial that his surgery goes well and he is able to return at full strength in order for the Lakers to continue their success.

Should Kobe Bryant Be on the Roster Next Season?

It’s a pretty strange question to ask, but since it’s part of the series than I must include it as well. There is no doubt that Kobe should finish his career as a Laker, despite the fact that he demanded a trade just one year ago and declared that he would play on Pluto. He is way too valuable to even consider trading at this stage in his career.

Ideal Role for Kobe Bryant on the 2008-2009 Team

The ideal role for Kobe is the same way Phil Jackson utilized him this past season. For the first time in his career, Kobe functioned as a facilitator on the offensive end, while also being capable of scoring whenever needed. As his young teammates, Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic, Trevor Ariza, and Andrew Bynum, all continue to improve, Kobe should become even more of a facilitator. In the games when Kobe averaged just over twenty points and nearly ten assists, the Lakers were far more successful than if he averaged 35 and 5. If the Lakers are ever going to capture that elusive NBA title, Kobe must be instrumental in the develop of the younger Lakers, who disappeared in the Finals this past June.

Next: Andrew Bynum