Kobe Bryant Wants Teammates to Get Him Better Looks

Following two straight games of stellar defense on Kyrie Irving and Brandon Jennings, Kobe Bryant struggled last night against Dwyane Wade on both ends of the floor. Following the loss to the Miami Heat, Bryant said he needs his teammates to step up offensively and help free him up. Per ESPN: “Not only did Bryant’s man on defense, Dwyane Wade, score 27 points on 11-for-20 shooting, but Bryant’s offense also struggled, as he scored just 22 points on 8-for-25 shooting (32 percent). Bryant, who leads the league in scoring at 29.7 points per game, said that alleviating some pressure on him on offense will in turn allow him to apply more pressure on defense. ‘If (guarding the opposing team’s offensive threat) is going to be something that I’m going to have to do for a while, I’m going to need my teammates’ help to free up offensively,’ Bryant said. ‘Like we did in the fourth quarter — create some picks for me, create some easy shots. That’s going to be tough for me to guard the top guy and come down the other end and have to go one-on-one every play. So, I’m going to need some help.’ He brought up the issue several times during his postgame remarks to the media. ‘I need some help offensively to save energy and not have to isolate and do things like that,’ Bryant said. ‘I’m going to need some picks. I’m going to need to catch-and-shoot like I did in the fourth quarter a little bit to make my job a little easier. I think the first three quarters of me just standing around the perimeter, the defense is praying for that. We have to do some things to free me up and get me in open spaces, this way I can be more active on the defensive end of the floor.’ Bryant started the game with just nine points on 3-for-16 shooting through the first three quarters before getting things going in the fourth, putting up 13 points on 5-for-9 shooting in the final frame thanks in part to getting open looks from the 3-point line off a screen set by Pau Gasol as well as a handoff assist from Gasol. ‘We talked about it going into the fourth quarter. I said, ‘Coach D man, goddamn. Come on, man. Come on, man. I can’t be standing out here like this all night long now,’ Bryant said, recalling a conversation with Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni. ‘We did a much better job of that. My teammates know. We got to pick each other up. I’m going to go out there and do what I got to do defensively, and then on the offensive end of the floor we’ll pick each other up.’ Point guard Steve Nash, the man responsible for orchestrating the show on offense, agreed that the Lakers can make it easier on his fellow 17-year veteran teammate. [...] Howard suggested that the contributions of Wade, whom Bryant was assigned to keep in check, had a bigger impact on the outcome than LeBron James’ 39 points on 17-for-25 shooting on offense.”

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Tags: Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers, Metta World Peace, Miami Heat, Mike D'Antoni, Pau Gasol, Steve Nash

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http://www.facebook.com/devin.williams1 Devin Williams

Or maybe if LA pounded the Heat inside he wouldn’t have to work so damn hard. #SelfishBastard
ibangyourgirl

I love how Kobe and Dwight sneakily gave Wade more credit than Lebron. Guess they were salty about Bron abusing them last night. Kobe knows damn well Wade isn’t the top scorer for his team, and Dwight is just mad that Bron feasted in the paint.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

How do you figure? He said Lebron was phenomenal and he does these kinds of performances consistently, and also called him an all-timer.
http://www.facebook.com/HolyBaller Dillan Leu

Maybe if Dwight got more than 6 shots per game, you’d be open more. Lol.
Comment_System

Shut up Kobe.
JCH

Haha yup what a bunch of losers LeBron is just gonna keep laughing and balling all the way to a repeat. He can do whatever he wants on the court.

Who else saw him smirking as he dribbled into the clinching pull-up lol
Jay Cutler

Wait.. I thought he proclaimed himself the best 1 on 1 player who has ever lived?
Fat Lever

Mobb Deep said it best. Temperature Rising….
speedy

No talk about teammates getting involved or changing the system, coaching, so that the ball is shared more.
Just Kobe talking about how to score more, more, more. Catching that all-time-scoring title from K-A-J seems to be the only thing important to him.
It would be more important to finally get some balanced attack established if the Lakers really want to do some damage to bigger teams this year.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

Yes…except there are 4 other players on the court so its hard to play one on one – especially when the opponent is double teaming you.
Max

They probably want the same from him.
Caboose

Never Kobe’s fault, is it?
Caboose

Too bad Kobe doesn’t understand that.
Jay Cutler

In other words what you’re trying to say is that being the self described best one on one player in history actually doesn’t mean anything in the NBA (except when it becomes convenient)
http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

Choose to shoot better shots. When you stop the ball as soon as you catch it, ofcourse it’s going to feel like you are playing one on one too much. If you aren’t open or you don’t have a scoring lane when you first catch the ball, PASS IT, MOVE, and then get it back, IN BETTER POSITION.
.
Stop setting your inside foot 22+ feet from the basket and shooting contested fadeaways.
.
Stop catching the ball and standing still while you jabstep 6 times.
.
Stop trying to catch the ball in isolation on every play. It’s hard to set a pick for a guy who is trying to post up at the pinch as soon as the play starts.
.
Other then that, do what you do Kobe, nothing is ever on you.
speedy

Really???? Seven shot attempts for Dwight?
I can’t watch any NBA games this year, but shouldn’t they go Stockalone with Nash/Dwight or Kobe/Dwight. There need to be some easy baskets.
shutup

I said it at least ten times; why would Dwight get more shots, when Bynum and or Pau were/are bigger offensive threats and always struggled to find shots while playing with Kobe
bobo

So inflamitory. And then these idiots only read the headline and sound off. Not a kobe fanatic or lebron hater or anything else. I’m just sick of this site being too much like tmz and not a serious sports/news site, all about big impact misleading headlines….and the sheep fall into the trap evertime.
http://www.facebook.com/rainman1991 Saleem Rainman

“Oh, incredible performance; he does that consistently, though,” said Kobe Bryant, one of the rare players like James who can assemble so many sublime performances that they’re easy to dismiss as routine.

“He’s just a phenomenal player. He’s one of the best we’ve ever seen.”

…………………
http://www.facebook.com/rainman1991 Saleem Rainman

lol, they like to reach alot. Dont pay em mind
http://www.facebook.com/rainman1991 Saleem Rainman

he was talking specifically one on one games, in practice and stuff though. He was talking about playing guys like Van Exel, Eddie Jones 1 on 1. He was asked specifically how a game with Jordan wud go down hypothetically, he was asked specifically about 1 on 1, its not like he chose to ignore the NBA game and go on about how great of a 1 on 1 player he is…
http://www.facebook.com/evan.boland Evan Boland

If you watched the game you would see that it isn’t Kobe’s fault Dwight doesn’t get shots. That said, I wonder if Kobe actually thinks he could still take LeBron 1 on 1. Lakers blew that one. Kobe shot badly, Dwight wasn’t very involved and we had 16 first half T/O’s and were still in it.
The Philosopher

Kobe Bryant has an all – time point guard, who can clearly still play.
Which means, said point guard can get him the ball.
Kobe has to move WITHOUT THE BALL.
Something that he has never done on an all – time level.
Jordan never had that problem. Even without a point guard.
Neither has… THE KING.
Max

Poor little bobo.
ibangyourgirl

And that disproves my point how? I never said Kobe never said anything complimentary. I said he sneakily gave Wade more credit as his team’s best scorer. What did anything you post have to do with that? Oh wait, NOTHING…….
Max

Damn, you’re good with your dramatic pauses.
ibangyourgirl

You don’t have to reach when you can quote a guy. Stop stanning and start comprehending what it is you are actually arguing. It helps.
RayJr

The system is crap and D’Antoni isn’t doing anything to fix it. No ball movement, too much dribbling, Gasol standing at the 3 point line instead of in or around the post, etc etc ETC…
LA is playing against themselves turning over the ball so much and they are not using eachother to get open shots. Miami should’ve beaten them by 30 but Lakers 3 point shooting kept them in the game.
http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

where is the logic that Bynum is a bigger offensive threat than Dwight? I don’t understand how having more moves automatically makes you a better offensive option. Dwight has scored more, more efficiently every single year.
http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

False

.

Their offense is elite, 7th best offense in the NBA.
shockexchange

This sentiment is 1 of 5 Reasons why Rent-A-Center Howard won’t re-sign with L.A. http://clicky.me/rentacenter
Comment_System

seeing as how youre the only one claiming this, you need some comprehension skills yourself, champ.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

Unless the NBA game changes so drastically that it goes from 5-on-5 to 1-on-1 and each player represents a team, his comments are completely irrelevant to this discussion.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

Not sure if you watch Laker games (lately), but the team’s game plan is to get Dwight going early. Kobe has been doing his part in making sure that happens.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

What’s so selfish about what he’s saying? He wants the team to set picks on offense (obviously not every possession), because he wants to expend his energy on the defensive end instead of going 1 on 1 and isolating and having to beat his man. I’d say that’s the opposite of being selfish since he specifically points out that he wants to stay more active on the defensive side of the ball.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

I agree. He forced up a ton of bad shots in the first half, including fadeaways over Wade while being closely guarded, etc. As a catch-and-shoot player, Kobe is damn near unguardable. I think he is starting to realize that himself (especially due to his recent defensive focus), so I look forward to seeing D’Antoni making that a priority and allowing Nash to dictate when he gets the ball in those situations.

Unfortunately, Kobe still has that problem where if he doesn’t score for more than 2 minutes, he HAS to get his points so he will go back to ISO mode regardless.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

He wasn’t talking about the NBA game, I think it was more about the concept of an actual secluded 1 v 1 game.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

Even Nash was pretty bad with the turnovers, surprisingly.
http://www.facebook.com/Brill86 Andrew Woods

LeBron is better right now then Kobe ever was.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

I think you’re looking too much into this..he paid them both compliments. If anything, he dissed Bosh by saying that the Heat have “two great players” lol
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

He’s blamed himself multiple times this year. A couple of times for his turnovers, recently for his (and Dwight’s) responsibilities as leaders to step up in any way possible and be accountable for their errors. Just because SLAM covers the controversial aspects of his personality doesn’t mean there isn’t a side to him that takes blame for his mistakes.
pposse

cmon now 7th best is not elite status! They are in the %23 percentile. In college they would be getting a B grade but not an A.
ibangyourgirl

Awww, you’re one of those kids who needs others to agree with you in order to feel confident about your opinions. It’s okay, when you become a big boy you’ll grow out of it…..”‘If (guarding the opposing team’s offensive threat) is going to be something that I’m going to have to do for a while, I’m going to need my teammates’ help to free up offensively,’ Bryant said. ‘Like we did in the fourth quarter —”….
ibangyourgirl

True, he did blatantly diss Bosh. He complimented Lebron, but he still gave Wade credit for something Lebron does better. Kobe won’t blatantly diss Bron, but he will in a subtle way.
http://www.facebook.com/Brill86 Andrew Woods

…and this is why tim duncan at the end of the day has had a better career than Kobe.
http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

considering that they have played less than 10 games as a full roster, 7th is elite bruh.
bike

Dwight told Kobe that he would be happy to set a few more picks and screens for him if, in return, Kobe would stop letting his man blow by him so Dwight doesn’t have to pick the guy up every time.
pposse

i say above average you say elite..what superlative would you use to describe the best offense in the league??
Caboose

No sh!t.
Caboose

Because Al Jefferson is a better offensive threat than Dwight too. Right???

Kobe Bryant Wants Teammates to Get Him Better Looks

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