LA Lakers: Is Kobe's Greatest Gift the Lakers Biggest Curse?

During the first half of the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the Philadelphia 76ers it seemed like Lakers guard Kobe Bryant might beat Philadelphia by himself.

Bryant scored 24 first-half points while pushing the Lakers to a 50-44 halftime lead, and passing Shaquille O'Neal for fifth place on the NBA's all-time scoring list along the way.

The Lakers appeared to be in a pretty good position to secure their second tough road win in this current six-game trip, but as Kobe giveth, Kobe taketh away.

Bryant was the primary catalyst for the Lakers surge to a halftime lead, and while there may be other reasons for the team's fourth-quarter collapse, my mind keeps going back to Kobe's 1-of-10 shooting performance in the final period.

I understand that Kobe is going to shoot the ball, because that's what shooting guards do, but Bryant needs to temper the confidence in his own abilities with some of the negative consequences his actions have on the team.

Everyone knows Kobe has the talent to hit nearly every one of the nine shots he missed in the fourth quarter against the Sixers, but he didn't, and largely as a result, the Lakers fell to an even more mediocre 14-11 record.

It's one thing to have ultimate faith in your own talent, but it's something else to realize when your skill may be better served by passing the ball to your more dominant teammate at the moment.

Apparently it's a lesson that Bryant has yet to learn.

Lakers center Andrew Bynum scored 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting and nearly out-rebounded the entire 76ers team, finishing with 20 overall rebounds.

In fact, Bynum and forward Pau Gasol did out-rebound the entire Philadelphia team, as their 31 combined rebounds was just a portion of a 55-30 drubbing on the boards that was all for naught.

The Lakers were bigger and stronger than the 76ers, and Bynum's efficiency from the field suggests that a steady diet of interior passes in the fourth quarter may have finished them off.

But instead, Kobe finished the game 10-of-26 from the field while Bynum had nearly as many total points in half the attempts from the field.

I'm not criticizing Bryant's shot selection, because I sure didn't have a problem with it in the first half. But I am questioning Bryant's judgement.

Philadelphia's backcourt players outscored the Lakers backcourt 66-43, but the Lakers big men out scored the 76ers bigs 47-29.

I'm not surprised that Lou Williams, kept finding ways to exploit the Lakers' weak perimeter defenders, but I am a little amazed that Kobe didn't return the favor in kind by pounding the ball into Bynum in the paint and eating the clock away in the process.

Especially since Philadelphia had absolutely no answer for Bynum at all.

The Lakers will obviously have to get some point guard help if they harbor any hopes of competing for an NBA championship, but this team is still talented enough to go deep into the postseason.

And for three quarters against the 76ers, the Lakers proved it.

The Lakers' success or failure this season will not hinge on the team's ability to sign a point guard, Dwight Howard or any other player for that matter, because it makes no difference whom they sign, unless Kobe learns to trust others as much as he trusts himself.

Some fans will say that Bryant has proven he trusts his teammates, but I will believe it when he consistently gives them the ball when the game is on the line.