Kobe Bryant: On output vs. effort
Last November, Kobe Bryant averaged 20.2 shots a night. Through Sunday's 104-88 win over the Hornets at Staples, he's up to 25.4, a pace that would exceed all but one season in his career. Some of this can be traced to a pair of overtime games and the absence of Pau Gasol, but obviously he's been more aggressive looking for his own shot. That's made his workload a topic of conversation in the media and among fans. No question, he's playing well, but given that the Lakers are expecting a long year, some have wondered if he's working a little too hard to buoy LA's offense, something that could come back to haunt the Lakers down the road.
I don't buy it. Not simply because the guy is in absurdly good shape, but rather because despite scoring 33.6 points a night, it's likely coming easier relative to the 26.8 he averaged last season. It's no secret that he's moved his game closer to the basket, but less discussed is how playing down there has not only been incredibly effective, but less taxing on Kobe's now 31 year old body:
"It's easier for me, because I've always naturally been a post player. Even when I was a kid, I've always migrated to the post. So it's not something that's unnatural to me. It's not like I'm trying something completely new. For a lot of players, it's not (less demanding physically). It's probably a little bit more taxing, because they're not used to playing down there. I'm used to playing down there since (I was) five or six years old, playing against my older cousins in the post."