http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/...ryant-is-ruining-kobe-bryants-historic-season Blurb: Call me a Kobe hater or whatever, but this has been true for years, and for some reason Kobe gets on All-Defense teams anyway. It's a total disgrace that he can get on those teams basically on reputation and the ability to play great man defense in short spurts while displaying laziness at most other times.
He probably still has a better than 50% chance of making the All-Defensive Team. They just hand those things out to the same guys every year.
I don't know if I would say he doesn't try. He's getting old and still shouldering a lot of the offensive load not shocking his defense fell off
Because of Nash, I just hope he continues exerting effort every night guarding the opposing team's best backcourt scorer. By the end of the season, we'll see how much Kobe has left in the tank. He said earlier in the week this has been the most taxing season for him, ever.
he can look VERY bad off the ball. Its one thing to lock in when your ego kicks in but he's hardly alldefense now.
I don't know why the author say that, but Kobe's still ranked top50 in points per possesion allowed according to synergy sports. Kobe is still a great defender this season. He may just try to find an easy answer for Laker's struggle.
Hell still get All Defense First Team, like he do every year. Who give out them awards anyway, ray charles?
As it turned out, Kobe did not lose his defense, his defense was always a hoax perpetrated by some random Samoans.
never was that great of a defender to begin with. Yes he is capable of playing tough man to man, but only for like 2 minutes every 2 games.
The greatest ever of all times, ever. <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/jHGleTaT2x4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> ever.
I agree with everyone about Kobe being overrated on defense for years, at least a decade IMO. NBA analysts are just as guilty for overrating his defense. Wade was a better shot blocking guard despite being 2 inches shorter. Since joining the Lakers, Ron Artest took on the toughest defensive assignments, Kobe kept getting acknowledgement and defensive team awards. I admire Kobe because he tried on defense and took on defensive assignments that he didn't have to. It was made out like Derek Fisher was the only liability on defense in his later years. Fisher wasn't the only guard on the floor when Dallas embarrassed them on the perimeter. They still had a long and athletic front line along with Ron Artest and Matt Barnes. People claimed their perimeter defense issues were finally solved after getting Ramon Sessions, OKC beat them on the perimeter for the most part. Having a huge front line helped the Lakers a lot on defense before they traded Odom. Bynum stepped his defense up sometimes, probably not consistently enough. It's being made out like Kobe's defense is lacking because of his age, because of Mike D'Antoni, or because they are asking him to do too much. Kobe doesn't have to score a lot. Despite losing against the Heat, they looked good when they went inside and shared the ball. Kobe caught fire late but others kept them in it. The Lakers gave up a lot of points to depleted and undersized teams when Mike Brown was still coaching.
