Kobe Bryant's Worst Shooting Night Ever Brings Lakers' Woes to New Lows
Earlier this week, the iconic Kobe Bryant surpassed John Havlicek to become the NBA's all-time leader in missed field-goal attempts.
Friday night, he tightened his hold on that record in a big way.
The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the reigning champion San Antonio Spurs by a final score of 93-80, suggesting that defense may not be the only reason head coach Byron Scott's club has gotten off to a disappointing 1-8 start. When this team needed Bryant to carry it like he has so many times before, he instead turned in the worst shooting performance of his career.
The 36-year-old shooting guard made just 1-of-14 shots, a 7.1 percent mark that trumps a 1998 1-of-10 outing as his most futile from the field. Technically, Bryant has made no shots on a handful of occasions, but never after attempting at least 10 shots.
Bryant didn't make his first field-goal attempt until early in the fourth period, missing his first 10 tries while trying to impact the game in other ways—like tallying six assists and two blocks. He finished the game with just nine points (seven of which came from the free-throw line) and four turnovers.
Though the defense from Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard was a reason for his struggles, Bryant's health might have been the biggest contributing factor.
"He wasn't feeling too well," Scott told reporters after the game. "Nothing physically as far as a knee or Achilles, but he's not feeling well."
Bryant himself cited illness as well.
"I don't feel too good, but I'm used to playing through that," he told reporters after the game. "It's just tough, man. Tonight was one of those nights that make me really remember the challenge of being 36 [years old] and being 19 years in, and the body just won't respond. You're sick, and you used to be able to fight through those things. It just helps me remember exactly what I'm facing."
It's also possible there's something wrong with his left knee. Bleacher Report's Kevin Ding noted that Bryant was wearing a sleeve over said knee for the second time this season (after having previously worn it during Wednesday's 10-for-28 performance against the New Orleans Pelicans).
Bryant seemed to suggest he was in pretty good shape, though.
"I feel great, but tonight was one of those nights where it just caught up (with me)," he added. "I've got to try now and look at how to adjust to a recovery program and try to answer the challenge when I face a night like this in the future."
Whatever the cause(s), Bryant's ineffectiveness couldn't have come at a worse time for a team that's struggled to turn things around under Scott's watch. While Friday marked his fifth consecutive outing with a sub-.400 shooting percentage, Kobe has been the one constant for Los Angeles to this point.
He's scored at a high volume and kept the Lakers above average in offensive efficiency with 104.6 points per 100 possessions entering Friday, according to Hollinger Stats. So far, the Lakers' principal problem has been a league-worst defense that has allowed opponents to make nearly 50 percent of their field-goal attempts.
That wasn't the story against San Antonio.
Los Angeles' 80 points qualified as its lowest output of the young season, a reminder that Bryant needs some help on both ends of the floor. Carlos Boozer led all scorers with 19 points, and Jeremy Lin added 15. But no one has emerged as a consistent second or third option who could ease some of the pressure on Bryant.
Nick Young's return from injury will give the Lakers offense some new life, but not enough to make a difference. Kobe needs a supporting cast with winning pedigree and shared chemistry—the kind of stability Tim Duncan has had all these years.
"I'm extremely jealous of that," Bryant told reporters after LA's 109-102 loss to the Pelicans. "I don't know if I can express to you how jealous I am of the fact that Tim, Tony [Parker], Manu [Ginobili] and Pop [Spurs coach Gregg Popovich] have all been together for all those years.
"Like, I can't even...I can't express to you how jealous I am of that. Not all this up-and-down stuff."
Up-and-down stuff that's definitely been trending downward of late.
For his part, Bryant has remained hopeful and defiant. He's even looking to get in the way of Duncan's shot at a sixth title.
"I want a crack at [Duncan]," Bryant added. "I want to get another crack before it's all said and done. I would love to play the Spurs in the playoffs one more time, you know what I mean? As a competitor, you want to have the most [titles], but at the same time, it's well-deserved."
Somehow, titles are still on Bryant's mind. His team looks lottery-bound for a second straight season, but you wouldn't know it from listening to the five-time champion.
After Scott said this week that he has "no doubt" the Lakers will win a championship under his coaching staff, Bryant told ESPN.com's Baxter Holmes that he agreed.
"Faith," he said. "The Lakers' track record. This organization is really good about turning around, period. We don't have many dry years."
Early indications, however, are that they're having one right now.
If Bryant has any hope of changing that, he'll have to find a better rhythm. Though he's racking up plenty of points, he's using an awful lot of shots to get there. He's yet to make more than 44 percent of his shots in any of his first nine games. He's made at least 40 percent of his attempts in just three games.
Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised by a little rust, particularly on a night when Bryant was under the weather.
But there's still a bigger question about whether he can carry this team in spite of its significant defensive liabilities and limited personnel. It's a job that seems too big even when Bryant is at his best.
And outright impossible when he's at his worst.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
