<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The only direction Lakers interim coach Frank Hamblen could turn was diplomacy when he was asked after Tuesday night's loss to the Utah Jazz if Kobe Bryant's defense was becoming a concern. "We've had problems with guards all year long," Hamblen said. One of them Tuesday was Utah's Gordan Giricek, Bryant's man, who finished with a season-high 22 points. It came two nights after Seattle's Flip Murray lit up the Lakers for a season-high 25 of his own. Giricek had 10 points by the end of the first quarter Tuesday and Bryant struggled to cover him, a surprising development for the perennial all-defensive team selection. Bryant was asked afterward if he was expending too much energy on the offensive end and said "no". He was asked if he was trying to do too much in helping stop other defensive breakdowns and said "no" again. The difference for Bryant between last season and this season, he said, is as simple as personnel. He used to always leave to help stop penetration, knowing there would be someone to cover for him. "We had a great deal of veteran players," Bryant said, "not necessarily the most athletic in the world but incredibly smart and had a lot of experience.</div> Source
I think it was just a bad defensive game for Kobe or Giricek just had an on night. But letting the guards torch us needs to stop, Chucky needs to start moving his feet.
Kobe is going to have his bad games. No one is exempt from that. However, Kobe seems to be the only one trying and cant defend everyone at once. Aren't there other people on the team? Chucky anyone? I'm just saying is all!
Players make mistakes on the offensive end and that would be turning over, missing shots, etc. But they make mistakes on the defensive end as well. You give anyone in the NBA some room to shoot and they'll knock it down. Just think this way that all the bad things are happening all at once so the future only holds good things for him. I don't like Kobe lol but I respect him for what he can do out there and for the sake of NBA, he needs to continue to play the best ball he has been for last 5-6 years, so the league itself develops to higher stage. He's gonna come back next year with yet another NEW move and shut all the haters up including me lol I wish him the best and get his name on the history book as one of the greatest guards ever.
Not to blow smoke up anyones you know what, but thats what a man says^^^. The question the majority of the year hasnt been "can the lakers score points?" its been "can the lakers play mediocre defense at best?" The answer is, no they cannot play decent defense for no more then 1 maybe 2 qtrs it seems. Kobe is pretty much killing himself and anyone who knows how bryant is knows thats to be expected from him. Chucky takes too many plays off, not good for a PG. Caron butler is capable of being a superb defender in this league, but like chucky he takes to many plays off. Mihm is a good shotblocker....@ home that is. So its no wonder that LA has been more of the dallas mavericks defense then say a San Antonio spurs defense.
