1. Kobe Bryant Can’t Be Counted On.
After a career soaked in controversy, I’m looking forward to a final season’s worth of (generally) unbridled appreciation for Kobe Bryant. He’s certainly earned it, along with a nostalgia-soaked farewell tour. But those are issues of emotional theater. As a basketball player, the Lakers simply can’t count on Kobe to be an elite level member of a playoff caliber team. Or anything close. Physically, he’s breaking down at a rate that would seem alarming were he not 20 years into this thing. Frankly, that it took this long is incredible. But at this point, no matter how Bryant prepares his body, the odds of it cooperating are very low. On the floor, he’s still a brilliant passer and can influence games as a floor general, but getting to the rack consistently is a tall order, and because age has sapped his athleticism he’s an easier cover from mid-range and beyond. Kobe’s efficiency numbers this year weren’t a fluke. Defensively, put charitably, he’s not helping. He’ll show flashes of Old Kobe from time to time and will probably have a moment or two next year that breaks Twitter, but the Lakers shouldn’t pretend he’s someone around whom they can build, even for one last season.
CONTINUE READING: Five Things The 2014-15 Los Angeles Lakers Season Taught Us
