Griot,

I couldn't disagree with you more. If that doesn't qualify as a captain's responsibility, then what does? If they're not leading, there's not much else to do. What's the point of even having a captain, other than officially confirming that he and Lamar (the other captain) are the team's two best players? What I described absolutely falls on a team's captain. That's part of the gig. It's Phil's gig, too, but a captain's as well.

AK

AK your right and i see what your saying. You know way more than me about the team, thats for sure. I just see it a little different and decide to put an opinion. But i take yours into consideration also. so no hard feelings. I am just really dissapointed on whats going on with the team. but i am a laker fan for life. everyone points fingers at Kobe, but he can only do so much. he's human i think

Well, help is on the way. Maybe. There is a read on renewed rumors of Kevin Garnett getting traded, maybe to the Lakers. You can go read it at http://lakers.topbuzz.com/ If any one out there hears any other news about this please come back and report it here. Apparently KG and McHale had a big blow up.

AK:

I think you're mostly on point with you're argument, however it's hard to believe that Nash would make this particular group of Laker's better than Kobe could. Are we talking about Nash running the free-flow offence he has in Phoenix, or for that matter even when he was in Dallas? Because we're talking about apples and oranges if we're comparing these two systems. I think Nash could make ANYONE in the L average career highs running the type of offense D'Antoni let's him run in Phoenix - no doubt my fellow Canadian is that good. Now in running Phil's triangle that's a different story, I don't think he'd be as effective at all.

True, Kobe needs improvement on the "truly trusting and making your teamates better" aspect of his game - I also agree that his personality just doesn't seem to fit that mold. Despite all this, I think with the youth and lack of depth on this team, there's going to be ups and downs when it comes to this aspect of the game. It's a "meeting of half-way" that I believe needs to happen on all parts of this equation... but I think more of the work has to be done by Kobe's supporting cast. Kobe knows that he needs balance to win in the L, and yes maybe when he's passing out of those quadruple teams he should exude more "confidence" in his teamates to make that shot...but the bottom line is: they have to make that shot. Michael didn't start truly winning until the Bulls found him players that could make that shot... thus giving him players whom he could "trust"... thus giving him 6 fingers to place rings on. It'll happen..."trust" the Mamba.

AK/BK-

What are your thoughts on this? We Laker fans are trashing the team for their recent play, but we are also forgetting that the Lakers are missing 3 important players in Slava, Aaron, and Laron.

1) Slava Medvedvenko. If Slava would have been healthy, we probably would have seen Kwame come off the bench, where he belongs. Slava had a decent mid-range game, was a good rebounder, and a decent defender. He could have pulled bigger players out of the lane with his outside capability, thus allowing our guards to have better success driving.

2) Aaron Mckie. Once he would have mastered the triangle, Aaron would have been our starting guard; a big, proven vet who could settle the team down with his veteran leadership, taking some the pressure off of Kobe, hit the outside shot and play solid defense. He could have also made better defensive choices. The Smush/Sasha combo has cost us at least 3 games on blown, late game defensive assignments.

3) Laron Profit. Laron was coming around as a capable backup to Kobe. He could drive, hit the outside shot, and play solid defense.

Do you guys think the presence of these players, with full health, would have made a difference this year?

I'm not sure why you are comparing Kobe to Nash: their roles to the respective teams differ greatly. Kobe is fundamentally a scorer and Nash is a playmaker. Their style of leadership is also different. That doesn't mean Kobe lacks leadership qualities.

Nash did turn Phoenix around into a contender, but you also need to factor in the reality that Phoenix is custom built to fit Nash's style of playing. Most consensus is that the real impact talent on the Dallas team was Dirk, not Nash. Nash 'stumbled' onto a situation that maximized his skills and potential. Phoenix has players that can 1) shoot the open jumpers 2) finish strong around the basket.

You believe Nash would bring the 'best' out of the current Lakers bench and deride anyone who disagrees. The better question is, could Nash have a better record with this roster of Lakers in place of Kobe? I would answer HELL NO. Players like George, Sasha, Smush, Cook, and Luke, receive open looks all day long. They have yet to shown they can convert the open shots consistently game after game. I don't even want to touch Kwame who fumbles the ball out of his hands with no signs of improvement.

This current Lakers squad has one of the worst talent level in the league from 2-15. Factor in them being one of the youngest teams in the league, you have a team that is inconsistent. Kobe can only do so much with this roster. They need an infusion of veteran talents desperately.

I think it is simply baffling how much Kobe is criticized and overanalyzed by fans, journalists, and the likes. Let the guy play his game. Who are we to try to mold someone into what his disposition screams otherwise? I used to profane at the TV whenever Kobe shot over triple teams or trying to overdribble to create a shot that wasn't there. Now I understand why he does it. His team just stinks. Like New York sewer.

We are kidding ourselves if we believe anyone can lift this team into being a contender. Jordan never won anything with the likes of Quintin Dailey, Sidney Green, Kyle Macy, and Orlando Wooldridge. Give Kobe more talent and until then, everyone should just chill out and enjoy the Kobe-show.

i was thinking about nash v. kobe today, and came to the honest conclusion that our role players would be better as suns ... (i also think they would make fine nets, too)

the joy of passing should be evident in nash, in that european, fun-and-gun offense or whatever they call it where athleticism excells over everything ... so i have no problem believing any laker or anybody in the league could have fun and excel with nash.

that vibe that kobe gives off (not wanting to pass to teammates b/c he has no confidence in them)... there's only one way to remedy that: Knock down your dang open shot! ... this can go back to the 'chicken or the egg' theory, are the lakers not knocking down shots B/C kobe has no confidence in them OR kobe has no confidence in them B/C his teammates aren't knocking down shots

it's a vicious cycle, and i find it hard to believe that if kobe starts faking smiles and encouragment then guys will start knocking down their shots. the dudes clearly don't play well in the offense that's predicated on solid jump shooting... where in the stuffy triangle is there room for running or athleticism? i can't find any.

while i think nash has the perfect storm in phoenix... l.a. just has stormy weathy with this triangle...and i think the role players' struggles are a more complex problem, bigger than kobe's "questionable" leadership

If Slava would make a difference, the Lakers are much worse off than I thought.

AK,

You're usually very objective when it comes to evaluating Kobe. However I think there's something missing from your analysis. It's not really as meaningful as it appears to compare Kobe and Nash, even acknowledging that it's apples and oranges. That's like saying, "Yes I know one's an apple and one's an orange.... but... hey let's compare the flavor anyway just for the heck of it."

Kobe is a scorer. He can pass some, and well he did win THREE RINGS as a facilitator once. But he seeks to score, and he's skilled at scoring. Scoring is what defines him. Scoring is his forte.

Nash is a passer. He can also score some, but passing is his forte. Passing is what defines him, and passing is what he seeks to do because that's his forte.

How can we even entertain comparisons about two such players? How is it meaningful to compare the impact of two such players... especially when one's forte is by definition more individual than the other? And the other's forte by definition is more interactive? Of course the one who's main skill is definitively interactive will have more impact on the play of others. How does that give him a leg up, unless one thinks that passing is a better skill than scoring? When exactly did that start?

Why do we keep going down this road? When exactly did the MVP become the "best ball sharer" award? Because it certainly was not that in the 90's.... it only became that around the time that the NBA started looking for reasons not to like Kobe Bryant (am I wrong?). Is Tim Duncan (former MVP) a ball sharer? Does he improve the quality of his teammates, or are they just GOOD players? I mean I can entertain the conversation to a point, but after a while it clearly loses its grip on meaning.

The fact is, the Lakers 3 through 12 are in the lower half of the league's talent. Why do we think that "role players" are some interchangeable entities (i.e. who cares how much skill they have relative to other players in the league)... and somehow Kobe's inability to do with his teammates what Nash does with his is a reflection of what Kobe can't and Nash can do, and not a reflection simply of how much better Nash's supporting cast is? Haven't people heard of Raja Bell before this season? Doesn't Nash have a guy named Marion, and who exactly does Kobe have in that role?....

Does anyone think that if you put Nash in Kobe's place that the Lakers would be anywhere near as good as the Suns? These comparisons were fun (and I guess they're necessary since these are the two leading MVP candidates) but it's slowly losing it's grasp on logic don't you think?

Let's look at the facts. Chris Mihm is playing his best ball ever. So is Smush. Devean George is doing about as much as he ever did. Kobe's teammates are playing at the top of their games right now. They're stretched to their limits. Why is it in ANY way Kobe's responsibility, even remotely, if the MAX OUTPUT from these players is what it is?

Mmmm, I’ll agree that Kobe sometimes gets frustrated with his teammates (who wouldn’t?) And that maybe they need a little reassurance from their court leader (Kobe), but remember they have another leader and the most important one in my opinion and that is Phil Jackson. Phil should not treat this team like he treated his championship teams, because these players or not those players. He should be more hands on, but his not, he thinks they’ll figure it out on their own; by now he should know that won’t happen. But since everybody blames Kobe for every single think that goes wrong with the Lakers, Phil has a comfortable job, he knows he won’t get blamed if they don’t make the playoffs, Kobe will.

Kobe’s teammates DO NOT care if they win or lose a game, you can tell, they don’t have the passion or pride for that matter. I’ve listen to Mychal Thompson and he always points out that none of the Lakers expect for Kobe seems to care if they lose. He says that when he used to play with Magic all of them would be down and not in a talkative mood until they played the next game, because they were mad for losing a game. He says these players don’t care, that he sees them with out a care in the world. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I can tell that they don’t care, is like oh well, you win some, you lose some.
The only players that I see that truly care are, Kobe, Mihm, Sasha, Cook and well Bynum has a lot of heart and also Ronny.

About their confidence well lets not just blame Kobe. Isn’t the MEDIA always saying that besides Kobe and Lamar the team is crap, ohhhh maybe the players also lose their confidence because of that. You don’t hear the MEDIA say, oh well Phoenix besides Nash is crap, do you? You hear Nash makes his teammates better, by the MEDIA saying that the players also get more confidence and Nash and his teammates play better because of that.
Kobe doesn’t have that luxury. The MEDIA says about Kobe, he doesn’t make his teammates better, he is selfish and these players need a leader because they are crap, would you lose confidence hearing all of that from ’NBA experts and MEDIA experts’?

I agree that right now Nash is the MVP, he is an excellent player, not better than Kobe, but he is the MVP to me. But I also think that Nash gets the luxury of not being analyzed by the media every single minute, like Kobe.
The blame for the confidence of the players should be equal parts:
The players- for not being more mature, for not being strong minded and for not having the passion to win.
Kobe- for showing his emotions to much, for being to driven, for wanting to win so bad that his teammates are afraid and for being Kobe (the hating from many sources) is a disadvantage for him and the team.
Phil - for thinking these players have the passion, the drive and the ability like his previous teams had.
The Media- for saying that the players are crap and not worth it, for letting all the players not name Kobe get away with whatever, because all of the blame is on Kobe’s shoulders.

AK,
how are you going to judge Kobe's "vibe" after he passes? And then, how are you going to say that Steve Nash's physical "vibe" is better?

To put it bluntly: That's not exactly an accurate measuring stick.

So when Kobe jumps and passes he should smile? How do his teammates even see his face or his expression after a pass?

So should Kobe applaud when his teammates miss shots? Are you implying that he doesnt really get happy when they make shots but he is more relieved that they actually made it?

Also, are you saying that Nash never gets frustrated when his teammates miss and that he exudes confidence in his teammates?

This is why I think you are off base:
#1:Kobe and Nash play two entirely different positions. It's Nash's job to distribute on the team while Kobe's natural job is to score and to pass out of double teams. Do we get mad at Shawn Marion for not averaging 8 assts a game? As a point guard you are at a naturally deferential position so no matter what you do it usually reflects unselfishness.

#2: I've seen on many occasions where Kobe has patted his teammates on the back for a good shot or even told teammates to keep shooting when they miss open shots (example Brian Cook in Charlotte I believe). So why is it on Kobe to people the "super-human" and manager of everyone's feelings? The man is trying his best but yet people continue to act as if him wanting and extreme will to win overrides all the good he is trying to do for this team. As I said before, this is a time where we will see if his teammates can step up under the so-called "Kobe" pressure. If they can just block it out and play focused ball then we want them. If they continually act deferential, shaky, unmotivated, and just plain porous because of one man's feelings then they should leave the team. Champions are made of strong-willed players not babies.

#3: What I see Kobe most frustrated with is the mental mistakes. If a player dunks on you that's one thing, but Kobe is getting turnovers because his teammates arent helping him in the offense. Mental mistakes like moving to the open spot when your defender leaves you are killing us more than anything. Mental mistakes like fouling with 0.3 left in the 1ST QUARTER, not blocking out on CONSECUTIVE possessions, not locating your man in transition, those are inexcusable. It's not as if we are just getting beat physically, the Lakers are getting beat by not doing what they are told to do and any basketball-head can see these young players screw it up on the court.

Lastly, I would like to concede that yea, maybe a player can be more than happy to pass. Maybe, Kobe can pass more readily to players and when they screw up keep giving them the ball anyways and telling them to do it better next time. Also, it is a lot about response to bad plays that helps another player's confidence.

However, to suggest he doesnt give the right "vibe" is ridiculous and totally subjective. All I see is Kobe continually passing the ball to open shooters and players who are doing nothing but turning it over and missing shots. If I play a pick-up game on the court with someone I dont like and he keeps passing me the ball I cant have nothing against that player.

I will fault Kobe for the Sacramento game in OT where he just start taking ridiculous shots. But lately, he has been content to give the rock up and give his teammates a chance (for 3 games now). If Kobe is doing that, then the onus is no longer on how his face looks after he passes it because he passed it. It doesnt matter if he is upset turnovers are made and a # of shots are clanking off the rim because he keeps passing it.

So as long as Kobe continues down this track (hopefully he will ) then there is nothing to say about "vibe". IF anything the players should sense the competitive "vibe" that he has and just play hard.

Lastly, these players are professionals. Motivation and playing hard and playing smart shouldnt be a challenge. It's mainly Phil Jackson's responsibility to handle these brittle personalities and egos. Why blame Kobe???

AK,
let's compare the Suns supporting cast to the Lakers shall we?

James Jones, Raja Bell, Boris Diaw and Eddie House, all having career years

vs.

Sasha Vujacic, B. Cook, Smush, Walton

I left off Mihm and D.George because they are already established players in terms of their ability. Also, Kwame is so bad let's not even throw him in the mix.

So at any point would you take any of our 4 players in a trade of any of those 4 players in a one-for-one trade? I don't think so.

For Raja Bell, he's been in the league awhile. He's averaged 10+ points a game the last two years for Utah and is shooting a lower percentage this year. So basically Bell is giving what is expected on any squad. Career year? If so, barely ...

Eddie House has been a light it up type scorer his whole basketball life. Didnt he drop 50 for ASU one game? Yes, he is having a career year, but it's his 5th year in the league?!

Contrastingly, it's James Jones 3rd year in the league and he is definitely playing better than expected. the 2nd round pick is playing OK. But the man is shooting 42%! Not exactly sizzling.

Boris Diaw has been the man hands down. No arguments there.

My point is that these players are in the right position to succeed because of their prior experience and/or the system that Phoenix employs. Yes Nash helps to execute the system so he does receive credit but it's not as if these players arent capable.

Our players have a lot to be asked for. Smush wasnt even drafted yet he's having a CAREER year. If the Lakers were winning more maybe the MIP. That guy has exceeded expectations and it is clearly beneficial because of Kobe and the amount of open opportunities he is getting. His confidence is growing rapidly...

Sasha has been sporadic and inconsistent at best. What kills me about him is that his mental mistakes outweigh the good he has been doing lately. But the point is Sasha is necessarily a playmaker. He is a shooter that for some reason cant shoot in the games but is lights out in practice. Kobe's fault?

Walton. Dont get me started. The reason he is in the league is because of his so called "smarts" but if your turnovers equal your assists then it's a push.

I can go on and on but I do believe if our players were in phoenix they would be better because of Phoenix's system more than Kobe or Nash. Their system can withstand fringe players shooting 44,42,43% because of the pace.

But to say that Phoenix doesnt clearly have the more experience and just ready to contribute group is kidding yourself ...
This is James Jones 2nd year correct?

Thought Kobe was the SHOOTING guard? Aren't the things we criticize him for the role of the POINT guard or forward? Is he suppose to pass like Magic? Walton sees passing angles better than Kobe does. Nash is great at that but then again thats the position he plays at.

Elgin Baylor never made his teammates better, West did. Kareem? Think Oscar or Magic. Jordan? Don't think so. Remember Pippen?

AK, of course Nash keeps passing the rock. He has talent around him that makes shots. I have watched Kobe time and time again pass to wide open teammates that cannot consistently put the ball in the hoop. He finally realizes that the team is now down double digits and he needs to make things happen and then he starts to press and takes ill advised shots. He is in a no win situation. The lakers need to get him some help quickly. They need someone that can make WIDE OPEN shots. They also need a 4 that can score down low. Kwame has been pitiful offensively. If Kobe had Phoenix roster, his assists would be way up, turnovers way down, and most importantly wins way up. Conversely if Nash had Lakers roster, he wouldnt even get mentioned for MVP because his assist levels and wins would plummet. This is an unfair comparison. By the way, any chance the Lakers might have interest in Jim Jackson. The guy can score, he plays hard and is wasting away in Phoenix

i agree with most of the people in here. its hard to compare a passer to a scorer. i always thought the debate was who was more important to their respective teams? i guess thats not the issue anymore. because kobe would clearly be more important to the lakers than nash is to the suns. granted, nash makes the suns go, but kobe IS the lakers. i always say no one player is bigger than the entire team, but kobe's as close as you get this season. as far as motivating teammates, thats an added quality that can only boost someone's abilities. some players can; some players cant. maybe nash communicates with his teammates better than kobe. maybe they have a better connection because they know theyre gonna get the ball in a position to score.

with the lakers on a losing streak, i think nash would have to be the favorite for mvp. its a shame to waste such a ridiculous season by kobe.

lamar going down must have been the best thing to happen to him. who wants to trade him for a 2nd rounder now? see what we lose when lamar is out? he may not put up the numbers you want, but his presense alone takes that much pressure off kobe. kobe doesnt have to create for everyone else as much anymore. and guess whos getting killed on the boards now? lamar is the lakers only rebounder. and thats a fact. mihm will settle for rebounds around his vicinity, but lamar goes after rebounds.

as for the kg post from lakerbuzz. thats interesting. i didnt know kg and kobe were goos enough friends that they would workout during the offseason like that. i can only dream of kg landing in LA. i woudl gladly part ways with odom, but how many more years does kg have? maybe we could try to keep odom and force minnesota to take on future draft picks and some of our scrubs? haha a guy can wish, right?

AK I agree with you fr the most part, if you have ever played any sport you will know that when a team mate gives you the ball there is always a vibe it can be good or bad, and if its a bad one the pressure on you can be great, i didnt play college ball but i did play high school and i know when i was a one of the younger players on the team if a senior gave me the ball i had better do something with it, or at least i felt like they would kill me if i messed up, and thus i messed up, because i was thinking about it too much. But with that said, the onus is still on the teammates to not think about it and just play their game, if i could figure it out in high school im sure they can and will figure it out.
Nash is a great player no doubt but like alot of people on here have said the system is suited to him and his teammates, the lakers have a mix and match roster while the suns are purpose built, each player was brought in because they fitted into the system, for us we were taking what we could get, and also remember we were not running the triangle offense when alot of the team was brought in, so they may not be the best suited players for the triangle.
ANd i do believe we are getting alot out of some people, Smush for example couldn't even hold a spot on an nba roster but he is averaging 11.5 points a game, chris mihm is also averaging 10 points a game this is also a career high, not to mention that he has gotten progressively better as the season progresses, 9.8 in november, 10.1 december, 11.6 january and 12.5 in february, almost every lakers stats are better this year than last year in almost every category.

For all the people who feel Kobe should be more of a leader: Please tell me what he should be doing. What can he do to be more of a leader?

Maybe, Jordan really never made his team mates "better". Jordan didn't even win this many games when he had a supporting cast like the one Kobe has, now.

As far as the comparison to Nash is concerned, in a game with 10-15 more possessions in it, of course everyone's scoring goes up. That's the offensive system, that isn't Nash neccesarily making these guys "better". Everyone shoots more shots. Because of Nash, they shoot more open shots (but, they still gotta make them). But, they've got guys who shoot around 50% on their open shots. Everyone (except Kobe) shoots in the 30's when they are guarded. That's what the NBA is all about -- getting open.

The Lakers shoot in the 30's when they are open.

Kobe has three rings that prove he can win with good players around him. Kupchak needs to get him some good players. Period.

BTW, it used to be a good thing for the Lakers to get 2nd round picks, because they were always finding that diamond in the rough when Jerry was running things. That just doesn't happen anymore.

Caron is a player who played better with Kobe then without. Why did we trade him?

On the Nash v. Kobe debate, Kwame, Cook, Mihm, Walton, and Smush are ALL having career years (statistically). Kobe gets none of that credit? Coupled with the fact that they play in a system that tries to limit FGA's per game?

If he can get this crew into the playoffs, if he can somehow get them through the first round, which probaby means going against Utah is the first round, which probably means a 6th seed, then he's GOT to be the MVP. IMHO.

Man, it would be nice to have Caron Butler back.

Kobe is a leader...however, he leads like a sniper in a fox hole. He HAS to.

If you really took a good look at Kobe's first 8 years when Shaq, etc were here Kobe had to be extremely efficient to function. When Phil came in and took over Kobe seemed to me to really relish the opportunity to work/play with such a master. That beeing said, you could easily see that Phil would defer to Shaq in almost EVERY curcial sitiuation(appropriatley at the time) thus forcing Kobe to become the "Mamba". Kobe knew that in order to have the Lakers become the ultimate championchip team he, and conversly the rest of the team must turn into complete KILLERS...

My point in all of this is that some players have the ability to make others better through passing, i.e. Nash, others by sheer will and determination, i.e. Jordan and Kobe, and others just by being there, i.e Shaq.

So, with all of that being said, I think we are missing the most important point of this whole season...are the surrounding players CAPABLE of doing what the Bulls or the 99-02 Lakers did?? I'm not so sure. I think that we have a couple of decent peices to put around Kobe, however, we MUST add another player who has a demention of aggresivness that every team needs to win a championchip.

In summary, it is my belief that yes, Kobe has done what he can, and second, we NEED those assains to surround such a sniper, give him cover fire, and let him do what he does best, and that is destroying the compitition.

One question I hear all of the time is he (Kobe) doesn't make his teammates better. Which superstar has? Jordan made better: Steve Kerr, a established spot - 3 point shooter better? Dennis Rodman, a very good rebounder and defensive presence? Scottie Pippen, a better point /forward? and Ron Harper? No, No, No
How about Magic he made better Kareem, Worthy, Scott or anyone else. No, No
The point I am trying to make these players did not make the individual players better, they were already good.

I agree with part of AK's argument, but it's nonetheless fundamentally flawed. Nash is a point guard, so does he have the know-it-all to make passes where Kobe wouldn't absolutely, that's his job and his good at it. The thing that people are missing is that he gets overly credited for his teammates accomplishment as far as I can tell he doesn't help Diaw rebound or play defense although some would argue that he creates a joy within the team that is conducive to them rebounding and so forth. Furthermore in regards to them averaging career numbers, well, there are also averaging career minutes, this especially true when it comes to Diaw and Barbosa. It's unfair to ask for Kobe to be the point guard and the shooting guard for that team. It seems that the argument of those in the media these days is that an assist is more valuable than two points. Remember it's only an assist if your teammate scores. Maybe I’m still pissed at Nash winning MVP last year with his 16ppg 12asst year, while others like Iverson was averaging 31ppg 8asst 2.4 steals

Peter

That just shows you what a Winning Record can do to you.

Just like if kobe avgs 40pts and we have a losing record... guess what?!? HE WONT WIN.

Nash might not have been spectacular but his team depends on him to win games. When he was injured... everyone's production went down. MVP is not just about stats.

Kobe will eventually win one, but I'm sure nash would trade his MVP title for a ring anytime... just like when Iverson said he'd trade all his scoring titles for 1 ring.

AK. confidence comes with winning. the way the rest of these lakers have been playing, they've been losing. Phoenix has been winning. much of it is attributable to the rest of the players on the team for both phoenix and LA.

i'm also tired of all this talk of one player making the rest of the team better. these guys are professionals and should be trying to make themselves better. the coach should be trying to make this team better. i hope these players aren't listening to this media crap of Kobe making them better b/c it's garbage. they better be out there in practice and in whatever free time they have to working on their shooting if they expect to get any better. any professional in any field puts in the extra time (out of work hours) to get better at what they do. let's not forget, once they get the ball, Kobe can't shoot it for them.

AK,

Why does Kobe have to exude confidence in his teammates to win the MVP? That was NEVER, NEVER, NEVER one of the criteria until exactly THIS year. How unfair is that?

Big Butt Barkley won one didn't he? And he bad mouthed absolutely everyone on the planet.

Jeff Kent won an MVP for crying out loud! I know its a different sport, by he is a HORRIBLE teammate and HORRIBLE leader. And, he's weird.

MVP means Most Valuable Player. That's Kobe, hands down. Not only that, but there should be a "playoffs" MVP in addition to the Finals MVP award. Kobe would have at least two of those by now. And, he'd be working on his third if he could just get the Lakers out of the first round.

I believe that Phil and Kobe are enough to get the Lakers into the playoffs. Kobe might be enough to get them to the second round depending on the matchup. Maybe even give their second round apponent a scare or two...

Lest we forget, all the teams in the West below number 4 are playing REALLY inconsistently. Not just the Lakers, everybody. All their team websites are filled with the same types of complaints about their teams as is ours. It looks like by the end of the season, numbers 6, 7, and 8 are going to be really up for grabs. The Lakers are home during that span and have a legit chance to sneak into the 6 spot, which makes getting to round 2 plausible. If that can happen by rook or by crook, then Kobe IS the MVP. Period.