Why Kobe Bryant's 19th NBA Season Will Be His Most Fascinating

We're only four games into the Los Angeles Lakers' 2014-15 campaign, but Kobe Bryant is quickly cementing his status as the league's most polarizing player once again. 

While questions regarding Kobe's return to form following Achilles and knee injuries figured to linger all season long, the narrative has quickly shifted following a series of unfortunate events. 

No longer is the Lakers' season filled with the promise of Julius Randle serving as Bryant's understudy and the two forming a bond that could span the old guard and a new generation. A fractured right tibia made sure of that. 

So what now? 

With uncertainty reigning supreme, Bryant and the Lakers are wandering into a dangerous realm of basketball purgatory asking plenty of questions and possessing few answers. 

Which means only one thing: This season is going to be defined by Kobe's quest to conquer adversity and transform what could very well be a lost season into a meaningful campaign. 

After facing a brutal opening week schedule that included matchups against the Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors, the Lakers find themselves sitting at 0-4. For a franchise that has a proven track record of sustained success, that mark represents a futile new low, according to ESPN Stats & Info: 

As a result, Bryant made some facetious remarks following the Lakers' 127-104 loss to the Warriors Saturday night, according to ESPN.com's Baxter Holmes:

It's only been four games, but frustration is already setting in and understandably so.

This means we may very well be treated to a vintage edition of Bryant who embraces a seek-and-destroy approach.  

In his 19th season, time isn't on Bryant's side. Patience is no longer a luxury he can afford, and the construction of the Lakers' roster doesn't inspire confidence that early trends can be reversed quickly.

Consequently, Bryant has functioned as the Lakers' primary, secondary and tertiary scorer during a stretch in which L.A. has managed just 104.9 points per 100 possessions.

This has been incredibly entertaining for spectators and prognosticators alike. 

Just take it from Newsweek's John Walters, who notes patrons of Staples Center may not even be shelling out in hopes of watching a winning product anymore: "Do you want the truth? Jack and Jeanie and everyone else inside Staples Center are no longer there to watch competitive basketball. They’re there to watch the equivalent of a Bruce Springsteen concert. They are there to see you, Kobe, and to see if you can still put on an epic show."

While an average of 24.8 points on 21.3 attempts per game (41.2 percent shooting from the field) doesn't seem particularly noteworthy at first glance, it's the process by which he's compiled those numbers that's been so captivating. 

First, consider this factoid from Pro Hoops History's Curtis Harris: 

Then check out these illuminating numbers from ESPN's Arash Markazi: 

More than anything, those numbers are a cry for help.

Without adequate scorers flanking him who are capable of relieving pressure in tight spots, Bryant has been forced to operate as the team's singular force capable of creating his own offense. 

On Wednesday against Phoenix, for instance, Bryant attempted 25 of his team's first 50 shots. He then posted similar figures on Saturday against the Warriors, according to Holmes: 

"

Kobe has 24 FGA. The other four LAL starters have 30.

— Baxter Holmes (@BaxterHolmes) November 2, 2014"

You could even make an argument that Bryant should have shot more, for only one other Purple and Gold starter (Jordan Hill) is averaging double figures in the scoring column so far this season.

And if the team's defensive efforts have been any indication, Kobe's going to be tasked with shooting the Lakers back into (or potentially out of) plenty of games as the season continues. 

SB Nation's Ben Rosales indicated just how porous the Lakers defense has been compared to their contemporaries: 

While Bryant's endured trying individual stretches in the past, it's never been to an extreme quite like this. 

Take the 2005-06 season, for example, when the Lakers finished with a 45-37 record while Bryant averaged a career-high 35.4 points with Lamar Odom by his side. 

During that campaign, Bryant recorded a career-high usage rate of 38.7, according to Basketball-Reference.com, which is a mark that early returns indicate he could approach. 

Sure, it's only four games and the usual small sample size disclaimer applies, but Bryant's current usage rate of 37.3, according to Basketball-Reference, indicates just how much of the burden he's going to assume as the Lakers struggle to find consistent sources of offense throughout this season. 

A season removed from finishing with a franchise-worst 55 losses, hope is already fleeting fast in Purple and Gold sectors of Hollywood. 

But if Lakers fans are reduced to searching for silver linings, Bryant's resurgence as a ball-dominant scorer hell-bent on destroying defenses with his lethal combination of fadeaway jumpers, jab steps and turn arounds should be reason enough to tune into what could be Bryant's most fascinating season yet.