Los Angeles Lakers: Why Kobe Bryant's Charge Talk Must Frustrate Mike Brown

It's hardly news that Kobe Bryant doesn't take charges.

But it must frustrate Lakers' head coach Mike Brown that his star player is so unashamedly verbal about it, especially coming off a Game 1 hammering in which the Lakers forced the Oklahoma City Thunder to turn the ball over a mere four times. This is the same Thunder team that led the league in turnovers through the regular season.

It's not the fact that Kobe won't take a charge, but rather the fact he's so keen to endorse that he and forward Metta World Peace are so vehemently against it.

Bryant's standing in the game has earned him the freedom to play defense in whatever manner he sees fit, but Brown can only hope his latest press offering resonates little with his teammates.

For the Miami Heat, the ability to take a charge and force a New York turnover was a large part of their first-round defense. Udonis Haslem and Shane Battier are experts at slipping into the lane and taking the contact. Heck, even LeBron James took a hit to the chest.

Now the Oklahoma City Thunder are not the New York Knicks. The Thunder's offensive weapons don't stream to the hole with the same reckless abandon as J.R. Smith or Amar'e Stoudemire, but Russell Westbrook is prone to going straight at a defender. Even Serge Ibaka prefers to bulldoze his way to the hole, especially if he catches the ball on a pick-and-roll.

Everything the Thunder did in Game 1 came too easily. You can't give a great team access to the lane and open perimeter shots.

The Lakers need to bring some aggressive defense to compete in Game 2. That might just mean taking a few charges, rather than letting the Thunder stroll through the paint at will.

Bryant has made it clear he won't be the one taking a hit. Let's hope his Laker teammates are a little more willing to sacrifice their bodies.

Otherwise, this series will be a short one.