Bryant dismisses notion that his poor shooting is the major culprit for the Lakers’ struggles this season.
The Los Angeles Lakers are floundering at the bottom of the Western Conference with a 2-12 record. Their latest defeat, a 34-point loss last night to the Warriors, helped Golden State set a new record for the best start to a season in NBA history (16-0). Kobe Bryant is shooting .311 from the floor, his worst field goal percentage in a storied career that’s spanned two decades now.
Yet despite all this gloom and doom, the Lakers star insists he’s “not really worried” about his struggles on the court.
Full quote from Kobe on his shooting: pic.twitter.com/vYl9J2niru
— Baxter Holmes (@Baxter) November 25, 2015
The Black Mamba has a point. He’s missed large chunks of time in three of the past four seasons due to a rash of injuries, and the Lakers haven’t fared much better without him.
After missing the playoffs just five times in their first 64 seasons of existence, Los Angeles hasn’t seen the postseason since being swept by San Antonio two years ago, notching back-to-back losing seasons the last two years. Last season’s 21-61 record was the franchise’s worst mark since the NBA adopted its current 82-game slate.
While the problems for L.A. are myriad, much of the blame falls on the Lakers’ inability to play any kind of consistent defense from night to night. Perhaps this is part of what Kobe is referencing when he says his team has to “figure out how to play systematically in a position that’s going to keep us in ball games.” The Lakers have struggled defensively since former coach Mike D’Antoni took over the team in 2012, and current head coach Byron Scott has done little to improve the predicament.
Unless Los Angeles can figure out a way to slow down guys like Stephen Curry, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook, Kobe’s right – his poor shooting is the least of the Lakers’ problems.