Kobe Bryant: Should Kobe Place His Faith in Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol?

According to HoopsWorld, Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant recently spoke to a UC Santa Barbara psychology class and was asked if he had the chance, what NBA superstar would he most like to play with. Bryant's answer was New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony.

Bryant said Anthony was appealing because he was such a fierce inside presence, and Kobe expounded on his theory by comparing Anthony's potential in the paint to the proven résumés of his teammates, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum.

Kobe rightfully admitted that the Lakers' presence in the paint was a key component in the team's three consecutive NBA Finals appearances, which resulted in back-to-back championships in 2009-10.

What I can't understand is what possessed Bryant to endorse Anthony because of his inside game while casually dismissing the fact that the strength of his team lies in the post.

Seriously, who would even consider Anthony to be a true post player?

Anthony is definitely one of the NBA's true superstars, but his fame is not found in his 38 percent shooting percentage in the post last season.

In fact, Anthony's overall career 46 percent shooting from the field compared with his production in the paint is a good indication that Anthony is more comfortable on the perimeter. 

Contrast Anthony's mediocre numbers in the paint with Bynum and Gasol's combined 54 percent shooting percentage in the post during the 2010-11 regular season, and you might be scratching your head about Bryant's comments.

Not to mention Bynum and Gasol also averaged almost 30 points and 18 rebounds while shooting 57 percent from the field during the Lakers' most recent championship year of 2010.

Anyone who follows the Lakers knows that the team's advantage in the middle is what separates it from most teams, and obviously Bryant understands this as well.

But I'm not convinced that Bryant is confident Gasol and Bynum can provide him the opportunity to win another ring.

Bynum's health will be an issue as long as he is a Laker, and Gasol's disappearing act during the 2011 NBA Playoffs raises questions as to whether his performance was an anomaly or the beginning of Gasol's decline as a player.

When healthy, Bynum is arguably one of the top three low-post centers in the league and a perfect complement to Bryant on the perimeter, but it seems that most of Bynum's injuries occur just as the Lakers are gaining momentum.

When Bynum suffered his first knee injury in early 2008, the Lakers were establishing themselves as a clear contender in the West, and the improvement in Bynum's game was a major reason for the team's unexpected rise.

But Bynum's first injury was also the driving force behind the Lakers' pursuit of Gasol, and his presence has helped soften the blows of Bynum's subsequent setbacks.

Bynum missed a huge portion of the 2010-11 regular season while recovering from another injury, but when he returned, he was instrumental in the Lakers' surge following the All-Star break.

It can be argued that Bynum was actually the Lakers' best player during the second half of the 2010-11 regular season, but his importance to the team's future and the reality of his health clashed when Bynum was injured yet again in a late-season game against the Dallas Mavericks.

As Bynum sat on the floor clutching his knee and Laker nation held its collective breath, we were once again reminded of how fragile the seven-footer is, and the same can probably be said for the fragile hopes that he can ever be the Lakers' franchise player.

Bynum wasn't seriously injured that time, and he returned to have the best postseason of his young career, while displaying the type of aggression and heart that has endeared him to legions of Lakers fans.

It's easy to see what type of player Bynum could be if he ever reached his full potential, but the threat of another injury prevents that type of foresight.

Betting on Bynum to stay healthy is like playing roulette, and it's possible that Bryant's patience with Bynum has simply run out.

The same might be true with Gasol, who has been a victim of Bryant's venom in the past.

Bryant has admonished Gasol on a number of occasions for his soft play, but Kobe's irritation with his star forward may have reached its peak last postseason as Gasol served up the worst playoff performance of his career.

Gasol's vanishing act doomed the Lakers' quest for a third consecutive title, and no one knows what type of effect it will have on Gasol's confidence going forward.

The normally reclusive Bryant is very close to Anthony, and his comments concerning who he would most like to play with could be rooted in the fact that the two players are good friends off the court.

It could also be a realization on Bryant's part that the Lakers may need another big-time player to reach the finals again as the clock slowly winds down on his career.

Regardless of Bryant's desires, there is no chance at all that he will ever play with Anthony unless he leaves the Lakers, but the same cannot be said for another close friend and superstar peer.

Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard is the cream of the NBA free-agency crop of 2012 star players, and he has also formed a tight relationship with Bryant.

Bryant was never asked who would be the second player he would most like to play with, but Howard certainly fits the theory of great teams being built from the inside out.