There has been severe backlash directed at Los Angeles Lakers head coach Mike Brown for the implementation of the Princeton Offense, but team leader Kobe Bryant has accepted it with open arms.
Even though the Lakers have adopted only parts of the Princeton offense, they have ran the system many times so far in this young season. Kobe Bryant has won five NBA championships under the Triangle offense, but he is having no problem adjusting to the new plays Brown has put in the playbook.
Kobe spoke to the LA Daily News and he talked about how the Princeton offense has helped his game thus far in the season.
“It opens up the floor a little bit more,” Bryant said. “I have the ball and I can move a little bit more. The other part of that is I’ve been healthy all summer. I’ve been able to get in shape. I’m strong despite the ankle.”
Kobe Bryant is one of those players that needs the ball in his hands to be most effective, and in this offense, he is doing just that. Bryant has already had a 40-point explosion this season, proving that he can score no matter what playbook the Lakers are using. However, a major difference between Kobe of last season and this season is his increased field goal percentage.
Last season, Bryant averaged 27.9 points per game, but on 43 percent shooting, his lowest mark since his second year in the league. Through five games of the 2012-13 season, Kobe is averaging 26.8 points per game while shooting 52.9 percent from the field.
The Lakers will play their next game Wednesday night in Salt Lake City against the Jazz.