Escalating Hysteria! Kobe Bryant is Struggling! Badly!

All, Kobe, NBA Jason McIntyre January 2nd. 2012, 11:00am

The NFL dominated Sunday, and the ~~exhibitions~~ Bowl games will be what sports fans are talking about today, but I wanted to slip in an NBA post (ballin’ will return tomorrow): Kobe has made just 12 of his last 46 field goal attempts, with both games being played against the Denver Nuggets. He was 6-for-28 shooting Sunday, and his abysmal 1-for-8 night from deep left him 5-for-27 on 3-pointers this season.

How badly is his wrist injured? Will the daunting schedule permit a quick trip to Germany? At what point does he sit out the 2nd night of a back-to-back? And how much is his impending divorce – or the energy he’s spending trying to win Vanessa back – wearing on him?

Wonder how many more games Kobe will lose for the Lakers before Gasol and Bynum begin to grumble publicly. Are some of the quotes in that OC Register piece a sign of things to come? Good luck, Mike Brown.

Yes, I still believe the Clippers (2-2 after a win over Portland Sunday) will be the better team in Los Angeles this season. The Lakers are 3-3 and have three sets of back-to-back games in the next 12 days.

aroundtheweb

29 Responses to “Escalating Hysteria! Kobe Bryant is Struggling! Badly!”

1
HuskerDawg Says:
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:08 AM
Kobe is done as far as being a top-5 player. He can still be a star, but he needs a Dwight Howard to win a title. I mean, he’s in his what, 14th season? That shit takes a toll.
2
roger from oz Says:
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:10 AM
Kobe will never again be one of the top players in the NBA. Not sure he gets another title even with Howard.
3
Der Kaiser Says:
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:10 AM
Last part of Kobe’s career won’t end well. I expect some frictions between him and management as he nears retirement. He has increasingly lost his skills each year, but doesn’t seem to realize it. 33 year old Kobe still thinks he has the skillset of 25 year old Kobe.
4
payaso Says:
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:11 AM
Yes, I still believe the Clippers (2-2 after a win over Portland Sunday) will be the better team in Los Angeles this season.
This is much different than thinking the Clippers are the top team in the Bestern Conference. But yeah, I could see the Clippers and Lakers being the 7th and 8th seed, respectively.
5
scripty Says:
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:14 AM
Trade Kobe and Bynum for Superman.
6
HuskerDawg Says:
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:14 AM
Reading about the Jets team meeting via Twitter is fantastic. Apparently Rex cried and laid waste to his entire team. This is awesome.
7
Jason McIntyre Says:
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:15 AM
This is much different than thinking the Clippers are the top team in the Bestern Conference.
Still think Clippers come out of the West. Only the weak waver one week in. I won’t, barring injury.
8
Der Kaiser Says:
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:19 AM
I don’t know, Oklahoma City looks pretty good. What do you guys think of Rubio? I’ve watched every timberwolves game this year, and kid looks awesome. Already has the passing skills of an elite point guard. That pass thru Nowitzki’s leg last night was awesome. As much as I hated Nowitzki getting schooled like that.
9
scripty Says:
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:25 AM
Has there ever been a team that hasnt been to the playoffs that just marches to the FInals?
10
coop247 Says:
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:26 AM
Bestern Conference
This will be the year that can get put to bed. It was overrated last year, now its just downright bad this year. OKC and a bunch of old/flawed trash. The East has risen.
11
Benjamin Franklin Rodriguez has the highest WAR evah! Says:
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:33 AM
The guy is playing with an injured wrist. I’d say that has a little bit to do with his shooting. Lakers should put him on the disabled list.
12
Der Kaiser Says:
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:37 AM
If his wrist hurts, then he needs to stop shooting 28 times. There are other ways he can help the team other than chucking up shots.
13
HakeemtheDream Says:
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:40 AM
It was overrated last year
No
14
Nick Jett Says:
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:44 AM
This jerk can still get his shot anytime he wants. Hard for him not to put up 25+ shots a game with the “supporting” cast he now has. Five white guys, the corpse known as Derek Fisher and some guy named World Peace.
15
Cheesus Says:
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:45 AM
Memphis Grizzle will make the Western Conference finals this year.
16
Der Kaiser Says:
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:49 AM
This jerk can still get his shot anytime he wants. Hard for him not to put up 25+ shots a game with the “supporting” cast he now has. Five white guys, the corpse known as Derek Fisher and some guy named World Peace.
He also has Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum.
No one is asking him to stand in the corner and be a spot up shooter. But rather than chucking up 25-30 shots every night, why can’t he shoot 18-20?
17
Benjamin Franklin Rodriguez has the highest WAR evah! Says:
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:51 AM
If his wrist hurts, then he needs to stop shooting 28 times. There are other ways he can help the team other than chucking up shots.
He has always helped the team in other ways, but the reality of this team the way it is constructed is they will need him to score to be competitive. If he can’t be effective because of his injury, it’s up to the coach and organization to make the right decision and sit him out while the wrist heals. That makes more sense than the premature ejaculation nature of the posts trying to write the obituary to his career.
18
Nick Jett Says:
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:55 AM
He also has Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum.
No one is asking him to stand in the corner and be a spot up shooter. But rather than chucking up 25-30 shots every night, why can’t he shoot 18-20?
Well he’s only had Bynum for two games now, and he’s pretty much only put up 18-20 shots a night. Only last night did he go crazy with 28 attempts. Plus, I can’t imagine they get the best from Gasol this year if they hold onto him. He seems like a sensitive guy that is impacted by being dangled in trades. And don’t get me wrong, Kobe is probably my least favorite athlete of the last 25 years, but I can’t deny that the guy still has a truckload of basketball weaponry at his disposal.
19
Der Kaiser Says:
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:57 AM
That makes more sense than the premature ejaculation nature of the posts trying to write the obituary to his career.
It might be early to write the obit, but his career is definitely on its last leg. He needs to adjust his game. That means not going 1 on 3 on last shot of the game. It means not shooting 28 times. It means having the damn sense to sit out a couple of games if it means the team will benefit long term.
20
payaso Says:
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:58 AM
This will be the year that can get put to bed. It was overrated last year, now its just downright bad this year. OKC and a bunch of old/flawed trash. The East has risen.
Old/flawed trash wins in the playoffs, as evidenced by the Bestern 3 seed waxing that Heatles ass.
21
Nick Jett Says:
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:07 PM
Old/flawed trash wins in the playoffs, as evidenced by the Bestern 3 seed waxing that Heatles ass.
The same could really be said for the East. Miami and Chicago are elite, but after that Boston is old, Orlando is likely in flux, my Knicks have no backcourt, and Atlanta is Atlanta. Indiana and Philly are two teams to watch that have intriguing mixes of players, but neither has shown enough to this point to say they’ll be 50+ win teams (or 40+ wins this year).
22
Curtis the Close talker Says:
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:14 PM
Has there ever been a team that hasnt been to the playoffs that just marches to the FInals?
’08 Celtics.
23
Some Random Old Dude Says:
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:17 PM
Memphis Grizzle will make the Western Conference finals this year.
I want this. You do know they lost by 40 at Chicago last night, right. Forty.
I love the compressed nature of the schedule. Wacky things are gonna happen between now and April.
or the energy he’s spending trying to win Vanessa back
Izzat true? Is she having second thoughts, and is willing to take him back? I was always taught “you don’t go back”. Whatever was broke in the first place, if those things don’t change (him or her) you’ll be right back in turmoil.
24
Benjamin Franklin Rodriguez has the highest WAR evah! Says:
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:25 PM
It might be early to write the obit, but his career is definitely on its last leg. He needs to adjust his game. That means not going 1 on 3 on last shot of the game. It means not shooting 28 times. It means having the damn sense to sit out a couple of games if it means the team will benefit long term.
last leg is a bit hyperbolic. He is just like any other superstar in his 30′s who has to make adjustments to his game, which he has. That 1 on 3 was a beautiful rotation by the Bulls. Deng trailed on the drive, Noah rotatated perfectly, and the other dude was on the baseline to take away the fadeaway.
25
spankadank Says:
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:42 PM
10 times a game, Kobe goes 3on1 (or 4on1). One of those times he’s successful. 1/2 of the time he puts up a brick.
The rest of the time he turns the ball over. The dude has done this his entire career and as his age shows, the results start to worsen. Surprisingly my Lakers have been competitive this year, despite his stupidity.
As for end of the game heroics, he seems to forget that of the top 5 buzzer beaters during his Laker tenure, he’s hit exactly none of them. PASS THE BALL.
26
Off The Backboard (karma) Says:
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:57 PM
Prior to the last two games, he had been playing within the offense, and hitting shots efficiently (I believe he was 10-15 2 games ago). What happened yday was likely that he knew he was crossing 28.000 points, so he wanted to put on a “classic” Kobe performance and got caught up in that. I watched the game; he is single-handedly responsible for the Lakers loss. When he was on the bench, Steve Blake, Peace, and Bynum were playing lights out. Bynum could not be stopped – at all. Gasol was doing alright, but Bynum was an absolute force. When Kobe checked in the 4th, the ball didn’t go to Bynum again until it was too late. He chucked shot after shot for no reason…he was shooting contested 3s with 20 on the shot clock. That was brutal to watch. He will tone it down next game though; these games happen sometimes for him and he reacts to them next game.
27
Der Kaiser Says:
January 2nd, 2012 at 1:51 PM
last leg is a bit hyperbolic. He is just like any other superstar in his 30′s who has to make adjustments to his game, which he has. That 1 on 3 was a beautiful rotation by the Bulls. Deng trailed on the drive, Noah rotatated perfectly, and the other dude was on the baseline to take away the fadeaway.
I wasn’t talking about just against Chicago. Time and time again, he takes bad shots during crunch time. Yes, he makes some, but he misses a LOT. Go look at his stats in last two minutes of close games and how he measures up to other stars.
28
Der Kaiser Says:
January 2nd, 2012 at 1:53 PM
And to claim that kobe being on last leg of his career is hyperbolic is utter nonsense. Look at all the advanced stats and tell me he hasn’t been in decline for last few years.
29
Benjamin Franklin Rodriguez has the highest WAR evah! Says:
January 2nd, 2012 at 2:52 PM
I wasn’t talking about just against Chicago. Time and time again, he takes bad shots during crunch time. Yes, he makes some, but he misses a LOT. Go look at his stats in last two minutes of close games and how he measures up to other stars.
You make some, you miss some whether you’re in your prime or not. I really don’t know what that has to do with him being on his last legs. He has missed a lot and he has made a LOT.
And to claim that kobe being on last leg of his career is hyperbolic is utter nonsense. Look at all the advanced stats and tell me he hasn’t been in decline for last few years.
Kobe maybe on the outside of his prime, but that is a hell of a lot different than his career being on its last legs. If you’re comparing Kobe now vs Kobe of 05 and 06, thats one thing, but if you’re comparing him against the NBA of this season he is a highly productive player who can still fill a stat sheet at an all star level. Career on last legs = Patrick Ewing in 2001 or Shaq the last 2 years. Equating last legs with Kobe is hyperbole.

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Escalating Hysteria! Kobe Bryant is Struggling! Badly!

29 Responses to “Escalating Hysteria! Kobe Bryant is Struggling! Badly!”

Leave a Reply