"We're a different team when we're knocking down the 3-ball...", Kobe stated after his Los Angeles Lakers bullied the Phoenix Suns the other night.
The same Lakers and Suns teams met on Sunday night but the outcome was very different. The Suns led by as many as 27 en route to an easy win against a consistently poor road team in the Lakers.
The problem is that the Lakers were themselves tonight. A bad road team with the league worst 3-point shooting percentage.
The Lakers are now a subpar 5-11 on the road and this was their ugliest loss yet. And as for 3-pointers? A dreadful 3-18 ain't gonna cut it.
Less than halfway into the season and management is already getting backlash from an obviously disgruntled Black Mamba. Kobe may have declared that he will never ask to be traded again and will retire having been a Laker for life, but he still can't control that urge to be a backseat GM.
Mr. Bryant blamed management for leaving Pau Gasol's future up in the air. After claiming he didn't want Pau to be traded, he managed to throw in a little profanity as he appeared to defend his beloved teammate. Kobe expressed that it's not fair for the big Spaniard to have to play with the uncertainty of not knowing where he could end up the next day.
Guess what, Kobe? Pau had a pretty decent game. He went for 17 points and 12 rebounds while shooting 54% and had a +/- of -5, which was best among their starters. Most teams would take a trade rumor induced performance like that one.
Here's a thought. Why don't you assume some responsibility and take the blame for once, or at least share some? We're all aware of how fond you are of sharing.
The Black Mamba took 24 shots tonight, making only 11, which more often than not is part of the Lakers' formula for losing. He did have a double-double, but not the kind one would aspire to achieve. Along with his 32 points, Kobe had 10 turnovers. which was double his assist output.
And although you vocally came out and said that you don't want Pau to be traded, should we read between the lines?
By stating, "if they're going to do something I wish they would just ... do it", your mouth may be the biggest contributing factor to expediting the process.
You don't have to be a GM in the NBA to understand that it's wiser to make a move if it improves your team, rather than for the sake of making a move. If the Lakers had already gotten a favorable offer for Gasol they would have taken it already. When the NBA vetoed the trade for Chris Paul, the Lakers became stuck for now.
Your're best tradeable asset is Andrew Bynum, whom you will only consider trading for Dwight Howard of course. Right now you're third on Superman's wish list, behind New Jersey and Dallas.
As for Pau, he's on the wrong side of thirty and has two years left on his hefty, just under 19M contract.
So where does that leave you? Rumors of Gilbert Arenas, Allen Iverson, and even Rasheed Wallace coming out of retirement dancing in your head?
Sorry, Mamba. The facts are the facts. And speaking of facts, you're not only dead last in 3-point shooting, you also have the lowest scoring bench. But you're right, if not for these minor details, you would be a different team.
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