Kobe Discussion: shark swimming / #prayforthesharks (664)

JGC wrote:Kobe was awesome tonight. Best game of the season. Amazing what happens when he sets the tone early like that. Cant expect that many assists every night but if he keeps playing like this we might just be a good team!

Wait, let me try that again, Holy backhanded compliments Batman!

GoldenKnight wrote:Way for Kobe to swallow his pride & pass the damn ball efficiently! 14 freakin assists for the Mamba!

1-0 when Kobe has 14 or more assists this season

Yeah man. Its so great to see. You could see the other guys' energy grow as kobe was facilitating and he did it from the start! It just shows that when hes sharing the rock the guys will move and cut and play defense!

puffyusaf#2 wrote:Its crazy how when teammates move, makes shots, attack the boards how willing Kobe is to make the pass. Hmm what comes first the energy or the pass?

It's seriously crazy how people don't see this.

Meeks cuts to the basket: assist.
Jamison cuts to the basket: assist (more than one)
Howard has eyes and hands ready around the basket: assist. (more than one)
Metta spaces the floor effectively: assist. (more than one)

It wasn't just "hooray Kobe passed the ball for once!" It was his teammates actually trying to play basketball and move around the court instead of just watching him do his thing.

I love that people will assume that the reason Kobe doesn't have more games like this is because he's not passing the ball.

Oh! You mean Jamison wasn't parked behind the three point line chucking up contested jumpers? Oh! You mean Metta wasn't stopping the ball offensively and taking contested jumpers? Oh! You mean Dwight, Nash, and Gasol were all aggressive around the rim instead of hesitant, plodding, and turnover prone?

No, see Kobe Bryant decided to pass the ball today which means we won.

SImpletons.

Yes, WHEN Kobe passes guys will cut and move, not WHEN guys cut and move Kobe will pass. It's Kobe's fault when it doesn't go right, and it's his teammates credit for responding well when he starts a game making pretty much the same passes he usually does but guys make the shots this time. We can expect MWP to make 5 3's every game when Kobe finds him open, for Pau to make all his shots, for Jamison to make any, and for Meeks to make layups. Not to mention when Kobe is passing early and shots aren't falling it's "Kobe is sabotaging the game to prove a point" and "why doesn't Kobe score we need it". It's only when Kobe finds this perfect balance of assists from guys making shots and being on enough offensively to only have to take 10-15 shots that some people are satisfied. Kobe has to play flawless basketball to please these people, because offensively that's what it was tonight, and I guess near perfection is the bar for Kobe to them and otherwise he's not playing the right way, but flawless ball is not realistic to expect. Oh, and offense is the most important thing of all on top if it, not the defense we seem to play whenever we win.

Weezy wrote:

JGC wrote:Kobe was awesome tonight. Best game of the season. Amazing what happens when he sets the tone early like that. Cant expect that many assists every night but if he keeps playing like this we might just be a good team!

Wait, let me try that again, Holy backhanded compliments Batman!

Haha. Not at all. Its great the way kobe played tonight and it produced a great result too!

Weezy wrote:Yes, WHEN Kobe passes guys will cut and move, not WHEN guys cut and move Kobe will pass. It's Kobe's fault when it doesn't go right, and it's his teammates credit for responding well when he starts a game making pretty much the same passes he usually does but guys make the shots this time. We can expect MWP to make 5 3's every game when Kobe finds him open, for Pau to make all his shots, for Jamison to make any, and for Meeks to make layups. Not to mention when Kobe is passing early and shots aren't falling it's "Kobe is sabotaging the game to prove a point" and "why doesn't Kobe score we need it". It's only when Kobe finds this perfect balance of assists from guys making shots and being on enough offensively to only have to take 10-15 shots that some people are satisfied. Kobe has to play flawless basketball to please these people, because offensively that's what it was tonight, and I guess near perfection is the bar for Kobe to them and otherwise he's not playing the right way, but flawless ball is not realistic to expect. Oh, and offense is the most important thing of all on top if it, not the defense we seem to play whenever we win.

Yep.

And Kobe's defense was alright. He was active and played the passing lanes VERY well. His one on one defense wasn't amazing (he kept daring shooters to shoot), but it was good.

J.A. Adande ‏@jadande

What Kobe said he told Nash after Nash passed up an open shot: "'Shoot the m-----------r. What the f--- are you doing?'"

Kobe doesn't care who you are, he'll say what ever is on his mind. One of the reasons why I love this guy. Terribly honest

GoldenKnight wrote:Way for Kobe to swallow his pride & pass the damn ball efficiently! 14 freakin assists for the Mamba!

1-0 when Kobe has 14 or more assists this season

what a stupid statement. Kobe swallowed his pride? Yes, that was it. Kobe said, "Damn you pride you have kept me from winning all these years I better pass the ball." Fact: To get an assist a teammate has to, I repeat has to, make the damn shot. When teammates go 2-10 how can he get an assist? LOL you guys are funny.

Still waiting on Odom1year to come in and say he shot to many shots.

therealdeal wrote:

puffyusaf#2 wrote:Its crazy how when teammates move, makes shots, attack the boards how willing Kobe is to make the pass. Hmm what comes first the energy or the pass?

It's seriously crazy how people don't see this.

Meeks cuts to the basket: assist.
Jamison cuts to the basket: assist (more than one)
Howard has eyes and hands ready around the basket: assist. (more than one)
Metta spaces the floor effectively: assist. (more than one)

It wasn't just "hooray Kobe passed the ball for once!" It was his teammates actually trying to play basketball and move around the court instead of just watching him do his thing.

I love that people will assume that the reason Kobe doesn't have more games like this is because he's not passing the ball.

Oh! You mean Jamison wasn't parked behind the three point line chucking up contested jumpers? Oh! You mean Metta wasn't stopping the ball offensively and taking contested jumpers? Oh! You mean Dwight, Nash, and Gasol were all aggressive around the rim instead of hesitant, plodding, and turnover prone?

No, see Kobe Bryant decided to pass the ball today which means we won.

SImpletons.

It is very funny how people are so focused on "shot attempts" or "stats" all together. What I find really funny is that if MWP was missing shots, Dwight was getting the ball stolen, Pau settling for outside shots then all these same people will be like "OMG Kobe shoot the damn ball these guys suck!" Hell OdomIdon'tunderstandbasketballatall1year was complaining about the game Kobe played today. Man these guys are fun.

He was? Seriously?

Great game. He gave us what we needed tonight at the appropriate time. He was great in all aspects.

JGC wrote:

GoldenKnight wrote:Way for Kobe to swallow his pride & pass the damn ball efficiently! 14 freakin assists for the Mamba!

1-0 when Kobe has 14 or more assists this season

Yeah man. Its so great to see. You could see the other guys' energy grow as kobe was facilitating and he did it from the start! It just shows that when hes sharing the rock the guys will move and cut and play defense!

You both do realize he passes the ball typically a lot at the start of games trying to get teammates involved but most of the time this year their shots don't go in like tonight. He would have a lot more assists more often if not for that inconvenient truth.

Said many times before, a sharing mode Kobe is very dangerous. Besides benefiting his teammates, his shooting % will raise too.

Worthy: "When Kobe facilitates, his points come much easier".

1)Kobe goes to the post , wait for the double team , pass ... bucket
2) Double team doesn't come , he goes 1 on 1 and creates a good look for himself as the great midrange shooter he is ... bucket
3 ) No 3pts shot
4) We do this after 43 games ... MDA offensive genius

odom1year wrote:Said many times before, a sharing mode Kobe is very dangerous. Besides benefiting his teammates, his shooting % will raise too.

Worthy: "When Kobe facilitates, his points come much easier".

No bleep.

guy is up at 3 am watching game film keeping his wife awake

odom1year wrote:Said many times before, a sharing mode Kobe is very dangerous. Besides benefiting his teammates, his shooting % will raise too.

Worthy: "When Kobe facilitates, his points come much easier".

This is the ONLY way we can win a title. Sadly, I don't know if Kobe is ready to let go and play games like this for the rest of his career.

14ast...???!! Well done mr.Bryant.

one more time. you only can get a assists when your teammates hit their shots. and kobe tried many games to be the facilitator at the start of the game but his teammates couldn t hit a shot and so kobe didn t get the assists like he did tonight .kobe s game wasn t so different when several other games but this time his teammates could convert on kobe assists and that was the difference.

Sometimes I just feel like giving up.

Do that many of you HONESTLY think that tonight Kobe did something differently than he's used to? The ONLY difference is that today guys cut and moved and MADE shots.

How often this season has Jodie Meeks cut back door? How about how often has Jamison cut to the basket? How about how often has Dwight been that effective in the pick and roll? How about how often has Nash been that aggressive offensively with his shot? How about how often has Metta hit that many 3s that early in games?

You all don't think that had SOMETHING to do with Kobe passing more last night? You all don't think Kobe would LOVE to have games where all his teammates are clicking and he doesn't have to shoot as much?

Seriously?

no he was definitely looking to pass more. his game is to score and even though he does have games where they go on a losing streak and everyone throws a hissy fit so he tries to pass more, that's not his natural game, so yes it was different. maybe not different in the sense that we haven't seen it before but he was definitely playing differently than he is accustomed to. even then he did seem to be looking to be more of a facilitator than usual. im sure if you even asked Kobe he'd say so too (he did in the post game interview)

Battle Tested20 wrote:

J.A. Adande ‏@jadande

What Kobe said he told Nash after Nash passed up an open shot: "'Shoot the m-----------r. What the f--- are you doing?'"

Kobe doesn't care who you are, he'll say what ever is on his mind. One of the reasons why I love this guy. Terribly honest

Nash needs to know.

51% 41% 96%

Shoot the ball.