Will the Lakers Succeed with Kobe Bryant Constantly Looking to Score?

It's been a debate that has gone back and forth between Los Angeles Lakers fans of late, especially since the emergence of center Andrew Bynum as a dominant force in the middle of the Lakers lineup.

Should Kobe Bryant be shooting the ball this much, and can the Lakers succeed with him doing so?

If he's scoring 28 points per game and the Lakers are winning, then there are worse strategies for success out there. But if the past has shown us anything, it's that the Lakers don't have long-term success when Bryant looks to score at the rate that he's currently doing so.

Right now, Bryant's jacking up shots at an alarming rate, but that's not necessarily the problem if they are going in consistently. He's currently on pace to have his worst field-goal percentage since the 2004-05 campaign, and his three-point percentage will easily be the worst of his career.

Bryant shot 25 percent from behind the arc during the 2001-02 season, and his next-worst season shooting the long range shot was a 28 percent effort in 1998-99. Other than that, he's never had a season lower than 31 percent and is a career 34 percent shooter from behind the arc. This season, he's shooting a lowly 20 percent.

With a bad wrist, the shot selection should be smarter.

The Lakers may be fine this way for now, but they likely don't win many playoff series playing this way.

It's also something you just don't turn the switch on and off. If Bryant dominates the ball this much now, he will continue to do so.

I'm all for the theory that shooters need to keep shooting, but if Bryant has shown us anything in the past, it's that he's so much more than just a scorer. It's that Bryant that will ultimately lead to the Lakers' success or lack of success this season.

But this team shouldn't run through Bynum and Pau Gasol just yet. What this Lakers team needs to find is the perfect balance between Bryant and the inside game. When they do, they will be a tough team to beat on an nightly basis.

That's all on Bryant to figure out though.