With all of the offensive talent around him, he will also have more freedom to do what he does best: shake defenders with his handle in order to create space for a pull-up shot or layup at the rim. Bleacher Report did an analysis off last season and reached this conclusion: “Statistically, Bryant is far closer to being the NBA’s worst player than he is to being its best”. The only bright spots for the team were Jordan Clarkson playing well as a second-round pick and the prospect of a high lottery selection. The good news is that they managed to move up to the second pick in the lottery. D’Angelo Russell will be making his rookie debut as the new point guard for a young Lakers team that has a mix of some veterans. They can come with all the heat and hot takes they want, but Kobe will have the last laugh in the end.
Advertisement
March won’t be an easy month for the Clippers thanks to three games against the Thunder, expected to be much improved with a healthy Kevin Durant, and additional games against the Cavaliers, Hawks and three other playoff teams from a season ago. A Lakers playoff run starts and ends based on the health and ability of Bryant. Bryant has hinted that this could be his 20th and final season, while leaving open the slightest window that he’ll continue to play beyond 2016.
Kobe went to the finals in 2008, the season he won MVP for the first time. With Kobe Bryant reported exit next NBA season, Hibbert could do well to seek the wisdom and expertise of the Los Angeles Lakers vet before he hangs his basketball jersey for good. After playing just 41 games the past two seasons due to injury, Bryant will be back in Lakers’ purple (Forum Blue, if you prefer) and providing tough love to a young team this season.
The Lakers and Clippers are tentatively slated to face-off as a part of the NBA’s annual holiday hoops marathon, according to an announcement made by Los Angeles Times’ Mike Bresnahan on August 7, 2015. The problem, of course, is that neither has significant National Basketball Association experience. Old people don’t get healthy. Unfortunately, that’s not enough to fix this team’s problems.
Advertisement
On a Sirius XM Radio appearance last Friday, TNT analyst and Hall of Famer Charles Barkley said that he doesn’t want to see Kobe Bryant play past next season, because he fears that Bryant will wind up like so many aging superstars – playing past his prime. But Bryant is arguably the best player of his generation, and numerous team’s top players looked up to him growing up.
