During a 102-96 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday, Los Angeles Lakers coach Mike Brown was criticized for leaving Kobe Bryant on the bench for about four out of the final six minutes. During this time, Memphis continued their run and sealed the victory (the margin would have been nine points except Andrew Bynum made a three-point shot as time expired). As the Staples Centre crowd chanted for Kobe, Brown left the N.B.A.’s leading scorer on the bench. When Kobe went to the scorer’s table to check in, play did not stop so he waited an additional minute of playing time before re-entering the game.
This was a critical mistake because the Laker’s offense centers around Kobe, who plays seventy-nine percent of the team’s minutes and is involved in thirty-seven percent of their plays. He may not be the crunch time assassin of previous years but he is still among the top dozen in the league. The rest of the team expects Kobe to play and although the team has other viable options such as Bynum, Pau Gasol and Ramon Sessions, the offense is meant to put the ball in his hands. Playing without Kobe may result in more defensive intensity and transition baskets but there is greater uncertainty in half-court situations.
Kobe is much better than Metta World Peace, who played in his place. Kobe scores about twenty more points (per forty-eight minutes) in clutch situations than World Peace and his player ranking is about 135 places higher in terms of effectiveness. Being a success at being a success at being a success means getting to the line often and World Peace only trails Kobe slightly. However, Kobe is used to taking more shots as the game winds down and his jumpshot is far more accurate.
Los Angeles five man units (the other four players in this case were Gasol, Sessions, Bynum and Matt Barnes) are much more effective when Kobe plays the two instead of World Peace. World Peace plays less than half the time so teammates are accustomed to working with Kobe. Both players are not the same as they were five years ago but Kobe’s form has remained far more consistent. Down the stretch, coaches should play the players who contribute most to the team’s success during that game and Kobe’s eighteen points and historical performances merited inclusion (despite World Peace’s significantly +/- rating on Sunday night).
On Tuesday night, the Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors 104-101 and Kobe contributed to building a big lead in the first half and made baskets down the stretch as the game was tied (Thirty points total). He gracefully supported Brown and helped deflate the controversy that journalists endeavoured to instigate. It is true that he calls for far too many isolation sets and takes shots and the clock winds down, both lower percentage outcomes than the available alternatives but he has proven to be a good team player at times.
Against Golden State, four other Lakers scored in double figures. Kobe shared the ball with Barns and Gasol and made two critical jump shots to give Los Angeles the lead and the win (six points in the last 1:04 of the game). The Lakers may have enabled the Warriors to stay in the game by playing casually and taking poor shots but they played together when it mattered. Merely placing Kobe on the floor does not guarantee victory but he is too dangerous to be ignored. His presence on the court makes the other weapons in Brown’s arsenal far deadlier.
The lone controversy last night was Brown’s decision to take Andrew Bynum out of the game in the third quarter for attempting – and missing a long three-point shot – early in the shot-clock. Bynum had made an uncontested shot to end the previous game and was feeling good, hence the heat check. Brown called timeout and sat Bynum out to think about his hero shot. Of the other Lakers, only World Peace thought the shot was a good one — hardly a ringing endorsement. Role players need to know their roles and outside shooting is not Bynum’s role.
Bynum’s 1/8 from beyond the arc during his career; usually, he takes fifty-six percent of his shots from close range where he has an effective field goal percentage of 62.9. Bynum draws fouls at a higher rate than any other Laker: per possession he goes to the line fifty percent more often than Kobe. Bigs need to play big and Bynum should own the block during games. Save the outside shooting for H.O.R.S.E. contests.
Brown reinserted Bynum to start the fourth quarter so that he could redeem himself but he played inconsistently and Golden State closed to within five points. This was positive because Bynum likely received feedback in order to improve. Although he was not able to act upon it during this particular game, a message about mental focus was sent. Now that they have Sessions running the point, Los Angeles has enough talent to compete for a top-four seed in the Western Conference. Kobe gets some leeway because he’s Kobe and usually comes through in the end. But everyone else on the squad must not only attack strong and attack fast but also attack consistently if the team is to reach that potential.