I disagree that physically he is on a decline, This is kinda like saying Hakeem physically was on the decline in 1993. I just think he is much wiser and recognizes it's not all about the highlights as long as u put the ball in the cup.I've heard a few people make the same statement you just made Dakota but I still see kobe out working,out jumping, and out running everyone on the court at will. Kobe will be physically better then everyone not named Lebron,Wade,Rose,or Roy for the next 4 years atleast.
My point is... yes he's getting older (athleticism declining), but good enough to keep the Lakers in the hunt for the next 3 years (barring any trades to the likes of Gasol, Odom, etc.). He, like T-Mac, rely to much on their athleticsm to make alot of those jumpshots. They just get up so high on their fadeaways. T-Mac moreso because his shot is so flat that he has to get high enough to line-drive them in.
There is no doubt he is declining physically. He wasn't getting stopped repeatedly by Shane Battier every time he tried to beat him off the dribble because he was trying to save energy. He was getting stopped because he does not have the quickness he did even 2-3 years ago. You're crazy if you think in 4 years or even 2 years he will still be an elite athlete in the NBA. He is already a tier below the most athletic at his position so in another few years he will be an average NBA SG athletically...if he is lucky. It isn't about work ethic or skills it's about mileage and Kobe has a lot.
Hakeem became more coordinated and skilled as he grew older. With the likes of Shaq and David Robinson emerging in the NBA, he knew he couldn't just overpower top competition anymore He was still a great athlete for his age until 95, at age 33. He was just a freak of an athlete in his younger years, so just like Jordan, his drop off wasn't as bad. Hakeem won his 2 defensive player of the year awards at age 31 and 32, so to say he lost his athleticism isn't accurate. He lost some by 96 and a little more in 97, and lost most of it by 98, at age 36. Kobe is not going to become more skilled, so he can't really improve on that, maybe except passing, but thats about it. He relies on his athleticism to drive to the basket, to set up his opponent for the jumper. If he can't drive, his opponents will just crowd him, and force him to take tough shots and become a volume shooter. Hakeem's offensive game was somewhat raw until the 92 season, so he had ways to improve his game. Kobe can improve one thing...strength and post up game. I don't know if he'll be able to pull that off as effectively as MJ did. Bryant is so in love with the perimeter and face up game. Jordan always had a great post game in the 90's, even before he bulked up. He had already developed that excellent footwork over the years. He just added the bulk to create more separation rather than using jumping ability to get his shot off. Also, with the zoning rules, it will be a little harder for Kobe to score in the post as much as Jordan and Drexler did when they got older. They could sandwich him Kobe, and make other guys beat them. If Odom is gone, that could prove to be a little more difficult. I think Bryant will still be a top 5 scorer in the next couple of years, but his shooting % will go down. He's a scorer, so he's going to get his shots up, but if he is not hitting as much, he can shoot his team right out of a victory.
to borrow Phil's line, "give the Rox some freaking credit". one sub-par series does not a Kobe make. Kobe was super against the much more athletic (as compared to Rox) Magic; not surprising he was the Finals MVP what a mononic claim.
i strongly disagree. against the rockets he weaved his way into the lane at will. also his lift of the jump shot has been high enough to shoot over ANY defender with a hand in his face and in long stretches during games you just hope he misses a shot or two. i dont think kobe has taken any steps back and even if he did, he is coming off a year where he played all summer and this summer he will have a chance to rest. it could just be fatigue i mean come on 82 games and by the time you get to the finals youve played over 100 games.
DD please dont let this get back to him. This guy is fueled by comments like these. If all of his critics went away he would have no more fire. Thats just the way this guy operates. For now on if we dont say anything he cant do he wont have the fight in him to prove us wrong. He actually thrives off of that stuff alone these days.
MJ lost his, then won what 4-5 rings after that. if you can ball, you can ball. very simple. kobe can ball. he'll find to score, if not from his athleticism, from fade-aways, jump shots, and get his teammates involved. i can't believe memphis traded gasol for freaking kwame brown!
Kwame was involved in the trade but to say Memphis traded Pau for Kwame now well you are not paying attention. They traded Pau for his brother mainly who is averaging 16 and 11 so far this season and is 24. 2 very late firsts rounders and extra first rounder which they got from trading the PG they got from the Lakers to the Wizards. And cap room. Kobe Clearly has lost some of his athleticism which is just what happens, but in reality hes probably a better player now then he was at his athletic prime. Kobe can still get to the rim and finish or get fouled hes averaging 11 fts attempts a game so far this season, but clearly hes more of a mid range/post game player now and hes getting better at those spots even now. Definitely very similar to Michael Jordan. Obviously the Kobe and Jordan comparisons have been way over done, but its a perfect comparison in this instance to what Jordan became for those last title runs.
Still, his athleticism is in decline, you can see it......and once the refs stop calling everthing his way, I expect his scoring will drop too. Funny how people take the intent of a post and twist it to strange places. DD
Sure, it's on the decline, but it's nowhere near at levels where Kobe would suck... He can still dunk, drive, and body up on others with ease...
I noticed it even during last year's playoffs. I'd even say he is much slower with the ball. But he is smart, that is why he worked out with Hakeen so that he can kill people on the post now.
That will fade too, right now, he is still great, but he is also seriously protected by the refs...when that stops, he will start to show his age even more. DD
DD, I agree with you. Of course, when you start with that much athleticism, losing some of it isn't as big a deal as it is for most players. Aside from being a mental and physical freak, Kobe is the most fundamentally sound player in the NBA. He'll be in the MVP mix for several more years. The way he takes c/o himself, he'll be very good for a long time to come. Too bad he's such an arrogant, philandering, narcissistic "example."
