Kobe Bryant: Deferring to Andrew Bynum Will Reveal His True Greatness

Everyone knows Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is a great scorer.

Bryant ranks among the NBA's top 10 scorers of all time, he has scored more points than anyone else in the history of one of the NBA's most decorated franchises and he has more than 80, 30 point games in his playoff career.

No one will ever deny Bryant's aptitude for filling up a scoreboard, but it's the performances like the one Bryant delivered in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals that prompt some to question his greatness.

Bryant's 36 points on 14-29 shooting in Game 1 is impressive, but so is center Andrew Bynum's eight points on 3-8 shooting from the field.

So, how could Bynum's less than mediocre showing in Game 1 be in any way interpreted as impressive?

For the simple reason that Bryant and the rest of the Lakers decided to pretend that Bynum didn't exist.

The Lakers biggest postseason advantage is their size and talent in the paint with Bynum, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom.

The Lakers are big enough to wear most teams down during the course of a seven game series, and there are few teams who can boast of three post players who are skilled as Bynum, Gasol and Odom.

And Bynum is the key, especially since he inherits the title of the 2011 NBA postseason's top center since Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic were eliminated.

Bynum is bigger and stronger than his west semifinal counter-parts Tyson Chandler and Brendan Haywood, but the size and strength are inconsequential because Bynum is also much more talented.

The rare instances that the Lakers chose to begin their offense with Bynum in Game 1 he showed great footwork in the paint, but more importantly Bynum made great decisions and passes when double teamed.

Bynum is playing with confidence and focus despite his shaky knees, and he appears on the verge of truly blossoming, if only Bryant would allow him the chance.

There has long been an opinion held by many that states the more Bryant shoots and scores then the chances of the Lakers losing that particular game also significantly increase.

I would say that opinion is 50 percent correct because the Lakers are a talented enough team to thrive without 29 shots from the field by Bryant, but their performance does not always support that theory.

Each Laker who could be considered a star player such as Odom and Gasol have dealt with bouts of inconsistency, and in Bynum's case it has been a never-ending stream of injuries.

Bryant has been the one constant throughout all those episodes, and in many cases it was his aggressive approach in certain situations that bailed the Lakers out by breathing new life into them.

But Bryant can also be a victim to his own talent at times and this was illustrated in his 4-9 shooting performance from the three-point line in Game 1 against Dallas.

Bryant hit a few long distance shots which contributed to an early 16 point lead for the Lakers, but instead of feeding the ball into the paint where his team's greatest advantage lurked, Bryant continued to loft shots from the perimeter.

Bryant's reluctance to work the ball in the post also denied the Lakers the opportunity of preserving or increasing that 16 point lead.

Which brings me back to Bynum.

Bynum has been the one Laker besides Bryant who has played consistent basketball since the All-Star break, and he just happens to be the one player the Mavericks have no answer for physically.

So why not give Bynum the ball?

I love to watch Bryant operate on the perimeter off the dribble, but the Lakers best chance of securing a three-peat does not lie in a Bryant jump shot.

A third consecutive NBA championship for the Lakers likely depends on their ability to feed Bynum the ball in the paint, but the bigger challenge may be getting Bryant to accept this truth.

Bryant's performances in the postseason will certainly be used as a measure of his legacy, but recognizing that his team would benefit from less of his offense could be a defining moment.

In my opinion Bryant is already a legendary player and when he retires he will be remembered as one of the game's all time greats.

But Bryant has an opportunity to elevate his legend to even greater heights and all it takes is a little selflessness, and a few passes to a hungry Bynum in the paint.