Recently questions have been raised about the possibility of Kobe Bryant sitting out the remainder of the NBA season. The answer to these questions lies in determining if the Los Angeles Lakers are focused on the present or the future.
Bryant came into the season after playing only six games all of last season after breaking his leg, this following a torn Achilles suffered late in the 2012-13 season. Bryant has shown flashes of being able to produce at a high level this season, with several quality games, but overall has struggled with his shot. He is shooting a putrid 37% from the floor, and seems adamant on taking the same shots he has always taken despite a reduced ability to make those shots. He has also had to sit a number of games, needing to rest a body that may be physically breaking down at this stage of his career.
Some of the wear and tear on Bryant in the first half of this season may be due to coach Byron Scott’s inability to control Bryant’s minutes, with him averaging over 35 minutes per game in the early year. Scott has since addressed this issue and says that he will not be playing as many minutes, as well as sitting one game in back-to-back situations. Bryant has played better since his minutes restriction, but the overall arc of the Lakers’ season could see a major change if the organization decides to sit him down for the remainder of the year. There are pros and cons on both sides, and what the Lakers ultimately decide should reflect what their true goals for the future are.
Sitting Bryant could help preserve him for next season, and his health still remains the number one goal for this team, and for Bryant personally. Relieving Bryant of the mileage he would accrue throughout the remainder of this season and adding to his summer rest might lead to a refreshed Bryant for next season, perhaps his last. Health has been a major issue for the Lakers the last couple of seasons, with the loss of Steve Nash to injury, as well as problems with Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard while they were playing in purple and gold. The Lakers do not want to see their star player go down with another serious injury in a lost season.
Another issue the Lakers need to consider is the make-up of the current roster, and whether it is worth it for Bryant to play out this season. Next season’s team looks to be considerably different, and we know the current roster won’t accomplish much in 2015. There is no need to see what Bryant is able to accomplish with this particular group of players going forward. Some may stay with the Lakers and be contributing pieces, but many will be gone after this season. Bryant doesn’t need to develop chemistry or prove that he can make it work with this team this year.
The Lakers have already lost rookie Julius Randle for the season after going down with a broken leg on opening night. His loss was a big blow in his development, but may actually have positive team implications in the long run. If the Lakers decide to shut Bryant down for the season, he and Randle can work to be ready for next season, while the current team will likely continue to lose games. Sitting Bryant may be considered tanking, but with just a top five protected pick in the upcoming draft, it could result in acquiring a future great player. The top five pick in this year’s draft would be one of the best assets this Lakers team has going for it, whether they use it to draft a player, or in a deal that brings them other assets. Losing that pick would be a disaster to the team. If sitting Bryant leads to a top five pick paired with Randle for the future, that may be one of the better reasons for keeping him on the bench the rest of the way.
It seems like sitting Bryant might be the best way to go, but there would be some drawbacks as well. In terms of health, he is already on a minutes restriction that Scott has said he will follow diligently. That coupled with rest on back-to-backs should keep Kobe fresh and hopefully healthy the rest of the way.
For Lakers fans, one of the only reasons to go to or tune into the games this season is because of Kobe Bryant. He is unquestionably the main draw for a team that has been awful this season. Fans want to see Bryant out there playing and Bryant has always been a guy who wants to be out there every night. Sitting him, although he has said he will be okay with any plans regarding him this season, would likely upset Bryant and Lakers fans. Fan interest aside, the amount of money he makes for the Lakers’ media affiliates might also be something they would bring up in protest of sitting Bryant. The Lakers are still the most popular team in the NBA, and while Bryant is the Lakers, without him the team loses some of it’s appeal, especially this season.
While sitting Bryant would seem like tanking away this season to better position themselves for next season, the Lakers always have big plans in free agency and will no doubt be suitors for the league’s top prizes this summer as well. Would sitting Kobe down limit his chance to prove to potential free agents he can still help them win a title? Right now, potential free agents have probably watched a struggling Bryant and thought that they wouldn’t be able to win paired alongside him. If he played well the rest of the way under less minutes, this could help show that he can be an effective player.
There is no doubt that Bryant has not been his usual self for the majority of this season, but I believe he still can be a productive player late in his career. He can still score and has shown the ability to distribute the ball. The Lakers are right on the edge of being in a position to lose their top five pick in the draft, and if they really want a chance to be a contender within the next couple of years, they must hold on to that pick. If it means tanking to keep it, then shutting down Bryant might be in their best interest from a basketball perspective. They gave Bryant a large contract late in his career because he is worth it from a business perspective. If they want to continue to make money and be the most popular team in the NBA, they can not let Bryant play and risk losing their draft pick. The choice is up to the Lakers, and whatever they decide will tell us truly what they are aspiring to accomplish in the last years of Bryant’s career.
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