Lakers' Russell: 'There's more ball movement' without Kobe
The Los Angeles Lakers have essentially devoted the season to Kobe Bryant's unwanted farewell tour.
But that comes at a cost. The Lakers are just 3-18 on the year, rank in the bottom three in both offensive and defensive efficiency, and Bryant's severely declining performance is playing a huge role in that. The 37-year-old is taking 17.8 field-goal attempts per game - the most on the team by a significant margin.
And as the Lakers' No. 2 pick D'Angelo Russell pointed out after Monday's loss to the Toronto Raptors, Bryant's stunting what little flow actually exists in the Lakers' offense.
DAR on playing w/o Kobe: "There's more ball movement. No disrespect to Kobe, but u just know u have more opportunities bc he's who he is."
— Baxter Holmes (@BaxterHolmes) December 8, 2015
True to form, the Lakers rank second to last in passes made on the year, according to NBA Stats. By assist opportunities (shots attempted after a pass), the Lakers rank dead-last.
Related: Byron Scott is a walking contradiction
Bryant's heavy usage is also taking shots away from the Lakers' prospects. But that doesn't seem to be any concern to head coach Byron Scott, who yanked Russell and Julius Randle - the only fruits born from the Lakers' last two years of desolation - from the starting lineup, despite their improved play of late.
| Player | Usage with Bryant | Usage without Bryant |
|---|---|---|
| D'Angelo Russell | 20.1 | 24.3 |
| Julius Randle | 20.0 | 25.6 |
| Jordan Clarkson | 20.2 | 23.6 |
The problem isn't so much Bryant, or even the Lakers' lackluster record. After 20 years with the team, Bryant deserves a fitting send off, and the Lakers' fortunes are unlikely to change this season even if they took some shots away from Bryant.
The problem is putting off the future. The Lakers' best hopes of future success reside within their blue-chip prospects, and there's a very real cost in delaying their development.