Kobe Bryant is trying to remedy what ails the Los Angeles Lakers with an unconscionable barrage of shots.
Through five games, Bryant has fired a ridiculous 122 field-goal attempts, while also making 44 trips to the line and turning the ball over 16 times. He's using nearly 40 percent of the Lakers' possessions when he's on the floor. And although the team is 0-5, it's somehow tough to blame him.
Of course, some will, and there's justification in claiming Bryant should be looking for his teammates more, however ineffective they may be. Bryant has missed more shots than any other Laker has attempted, but nobody outside of Jordan Hill - at the rim - and Ed Davis has proven capable of making use of their touches.
It's a difficult situation to navigate and analyze. Bryant is overshooting, period. He's taken 40 more shots than any other player in basketball so far, and his 38.6 percent usage rate is on par with his 2005-06 career-high of 38.7 percent - the highest usage rate since the statistic started being recorded in 1977-78.
This heavy a load is unprecedented. Bryant has done well enough with it, despite the 40.2 percent mark from the floor. In part because he's getting to the line so much, he's managed to maintain an above-average 19.9 player efficiency rating. He's averaging 27.6 points and, depending on who you ask, simply being able to take this many shots speaks to Bryant's preternatural shot-creating ability.
@bomani_jones you don't get it. Most players can't GET 10 shots
let alone 30+ shots. It takes a special athlete to get a good shot in
NBA.
— Phil Jackson (@PhilJackson11) November 5, 2014
As usage increases, efficiency generally declines, and Bryant's 48.8 true shooting percentage would easily be the worst of his career. It's that rate that stands out to those suggesting he should take fewer shots, and it's supported by the fact that Bryant is producing 0.99 points per possession used, less than the team's 1.03 mark without him on the floor and its 1.05 mark overall.
When Bryant hits the bench, the Lakers assist on more baskets and get out in transition more. The ball doesn't move particularly well for stretches with him - Bryant averages 10.8 shots a game after he's dribbled at least three times - and he hasn't performed as well as teammates late in the shot clock.
| Shot Clock | Kobe FGA/gm | Kobe FG% | Others FGA/gm | Others FG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| >18 | 3.8 | 42.1% | 11.6 | 53.4% |
| 15-18 | 3.4 | 35.3% | 8.8 | 52.3% |
| 7-15 | 12.6 | 42.9% | 25.4 | 40.9% |
| 4-7 | 2.2 | 45.5% | 4.6 | 48.6% |
| <4 | 2.0 | 30.0% | 1.0 | 37.5% |
Breaking performance down by shot clock perhaps isn't fair - Bryant is taking some of these shots after the offense has failed to produce a better look, and the team looks to him to make something out of nothing. Defenses also know that Bryant is going to take the bulk of the shots, and so they're sending their best defender plus additional help at him.
Because he lacks quality teammates and can get those shots off, many suggest he keep firing at these rates. Magic Johnson, apparently a crazy person, takes that notion a step further in suggesting Bryant's performance has been MVP-worthy.
Kobe should also be in the early MVP talks with LeBron, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Anthony Davis, Carmelo, Curry, Thompson and Rose.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) November 5, 2014
Bryant isn't anything close to an MVP candidate, if observers are being honest. He's carrying a heavy load, but the Lakers are 0-5, and, well, it can't be overstated just how little he's involving his teammates, by design or necessity.
It's truly a complicated situation. Who would take these shots if not Bryant, and who's to say they'd be better possessions? It's certainly worth giving Bryant's teammates the chance to find out, and the return of Nick Young some time in December will help take some of the offensive load off Bryant.
As it stands now, Bryant's in a good position to pad his career scoring total. He'll soon pass Michael Jordan for third on the all-time scoring list, and shooting at this prolific a rate all season will allow him to tally a few hundred extra points.
| Player | Career Points |
|---|---|
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 38387 |
| Karl Malone | 36928 |
| Michael Jordan | 32292 |
| Kobe Bryant | 31838 |
| -- | -- |
| Bryant, 27.6 PPG | 33963 |
| Bryant, 25 PPG | 33763 |
| Bryant, 20 PPG | 33378 |
Bryant is also one or two bad games away from topping another all-time list. Bryant is just 26 missed field goals away from setting the league's all-time record for misses.
Let that sink in. At this point next week, Bryant will have missed more shots than anybody in NBA history.
| Player | Career Missed FGA |
|---|---|
| John Havlicek | 13417 |
| Kobe Bryant | 13392 |
| Elvin Hayes | 13296 |
| Karl Malone | 12685 |
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 12470 |
Really, those two tables sum up the situation in Hollywood perfectly. Bryant can score prolifically, even at age 36, but he needs a ton of shots to do so. Those are shots not everyone could create, but at some point he'll need to lean on his teammates more.
He's been here before, but there's less to look forward to in the immediate future this time around. It's a lost season in L.A., and Bryant's the only reason to tune in. Given the circumstances and lowered expectations, maybe there's nothing wrong with the current paradigm. Except for Magic Johnson.
