Kobe Bryant: Is the Lakers' Losing Streak on Him or Rest of Team?
Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers are in unfamiliar territory.
After falling to the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday, they've now lost three straight games for just the second time since Pau Gasol put on a Lakers uniform.
With the Lakers dropping to 13-5, and just 5-5 over their last 10 games, some are beginning to question the team's superiority in the Western Conference.
What's wrong with the Lakers right now?
Some think it's Bryant's fault. Others point to his teammates.
Well, it's time to debate.
Is the Lakers' three-game losing streak on Kobe Bryant or the rest of his team?
Let's get this thing started.
5. On Kobe: When He Contributes Elsewhere, The Lakers Win
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Kobe Bryant has never been known to be a phenomenal passer or rebounder, but he needs to focus more on those aspects of his game.
Bryant's numbers in those categories are solid—he's averaged five rebounds and four assists during the streak—but scoring is clearly his No. 1 priority.
During the Lakers' five-game winning streak earlier in the season, however, it was Bryant's rebounding that was a critical part of the team's success.
During that span, he averaged 6.4 rebounds per game and had three games with at least seven boards.
5. On Rest Of Team: They're Not Scoring Enough
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When the Lakers score a ton of points, they tend to win. It's just that simple.
During the team's recent five-game winning streak, Los Angeles scored 109.6 points per game.
But over the last three contests, the Lakers have averaged just 98.3 points per game.
Something about the team's offense just isn't clicking, and that's because of everyone involved.
4. On Kobe: He's Trying To Do Too Much
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After the team's loss to Memphis, Kobe Bryant told the Los Angeles Times, "I play the same way all the time."
Well, sometimes it's OK to spread some of the duties around rather than take it upon yourself to win the game, for better or for worse.
Phil Jackson admitted that sometimes Bryant might be doing a little too much.
"I think he felt like he had to carry a little bit of the load," Jackson said. "Kobe's going to come out there and attack if no one else is aggressive enough. I always say if you feed him the ball, then you're responsible for a lot of what's going on."
But just because it works sometimes, doesn't mean it's always the right thing to do.
4. On Rest Of Team: The Lakers' Defense Has Been Spotty
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There's a reason the Lakers haven't been winning games recently: they can't stop their opponents from scoring.
In the loss to Utah, the Jazz shot 49.4 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from three-point range.
Similarly, in the loss to Memphis, the Grizzlies shot 48.8 percent from the field and a ridiculous 66.7 percent (8-of-12) from downtown.
I don't care what team you are, it's going to be hard to win games if your opponents shoot that well.
The Lakers need to stick a hand in someone's face every once in a while.
3. On Kobe: He's Turning The Ball Over
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If you look at the NBA's turnover leaders, you'll notice that the top of the list features some of the league's top players.
But that's still a problem.
Kobe Bryant currently ranks 17th in the league with three turnovers per game, and only one player ranked ahead of him plays less minutes than he does.
Bryant has maintained that average during the team's losing streak as well, with three turnovers in each game.
He has 19 total turnovers in the team's five losses, including a season-high eight turnovers in a loss to the Phoenix Suns earlier in the season.
3. On Rest Of Team: The Bench Isn't Scoring
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The majority of the team's work recently has been done by the starters.
During the skid, the Lakers starting five has put up 81.3 points per game, which translates to about 16.3 points per player.
But Los Angeles' bench hasn't given them much help.
They've averaged just 17 total points during that three-game span, with no bench player reaching double figures in any of the three games.
2. On Kobe: He's Shooting Too Much
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During the three-game skid, Kobe Bryant has taken more than 26 shots per game.
In the Lakers' previous five games, all wins, Bryant averaged less than 21 shots per contest.
Of course he has the potential to go off, which is why he often throws up so many shots, but his shoot-happy mentality isn't helping the team right now.
The Lakers have lost both games this season in which Bryant has more than 30 shot attempts.
2. On Rest Of Team: They're Not Stopping Opposing Point Guards
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The Lakers are having all kinds of trouble stopping the league's quicker point guards.
During the streak, Memphis' Mike Conley scored 29 points on 10-of-13 shooting and Utah's Deron Williams scored 29 points on 10-of-14 shooting and dished out 12 assists.
Derek Fisher and Steve Blake have to find a way to prevent these younger, more explosive point guards from erupting with performances like that.
And it has to happen soon.
The Lakers will have to deal with Aaron Brooks, John Wall (twice), Devin Harris and Derrick Rose over the next two weeks.
1. On Kobe: He's Missing Too Many Shots
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Kobe Bryant just can't seem to sink his shots lately.
In the Lakers' three losses, Bryant has missed 46 shots and made just 33.
That translates to a 41.8 percent field goal percentage, well below his career average of 45.4 percent and even farther behind his averages during the Laker's last two title runs (46.7 percent in 2008-09 and 45.6 percent in 2009-10).
1. On Rest Of Team: They Couldn't Pull Out The Victories
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The Lakers may have lost three straight games, but let's not act like they've simply been throwing in the towel.
Los Angeles has been close in every game it's played.
They lost to the Utah Jazz by six points, the Indiana Pacers by three points and the Memphis Grizzlies by two points.
The Lakers have either been slightly too far behind for a late comeback, or they've had the opportunity to tie/win the game (like Ron Artest did against Memphis) and failed.
That's something the entire team needs to work on.
The Verdict: Is It On Kobe Or The Rest Of His Team?
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Kobe Bryant could certainly play better than he has been--he'd be the first to admit that.
He's shooting too much, he's missing shots and turning the ball over more than he should.
But it's not only him. His teammates have struggled as well.
The Lakers can't stop smaller guards from going off, they're giving up too many easy shots, and the bench can't seem to get anything going.
But you can't play Kobe or the rest of the team. You have to blame them both.
Kobe needs to step up his game, Ron Artest needs to step up his game, and so does Matt Barnes.
You win as a team. You lose as a team.
The Verdict: It's on everybody.
