Sunday, November 17, 2013

Lakers' Bryant returns to practice with teammates!

It's nearing time for Kobe to return back to the court and I can't wait to see what the game's most skilled player is gonna look like. Kobe, 35, is coming off a major injury that forced Zeke Thomas to sit down and slowed down Grant Hill. One advantage Kobe has is that his game is not predicated on speed or supreme athleticism anymore and skills are something you just don't lose and hindered or not Kobe is still by far the owner of the the most expansive bag of skills at his position so I'm sure he will find ways to adjust. On the bright side, one way I think this might actually improve his game is that he won't take as many of those ill-advised shots which he famously is capable of making.

Nobody besides Larry Bird specialized in the degree of difficulty the way Kobe pre-injury did. If he can take a page out of Jordan's book and be more efficient from the post he will still be a dangerous threat.  Kobe has the most lethal fadeway since "Captain Marvel" but it's a move in which he doesn't use as often as Jordan. Kobe is more akin to back you down and shoot a bevy of shots which include all types of counters complete with pump-fakes, hooks and drive to the basket.

As Jay-Z once said said likening himself to  His Airness, "MJ, fadeaway perfect!" Jordan was going to post you up, back you down, fade away and shoot over you or back you down, shimmy and then fade away almost into oblivion. Don't get me wrong Jordan had as many counters as Kobe but his post game was more precise especially after he took off the the number 45 jersey whereas I think Kobe has a tad bit better footwork than MJ so he improvises more. This will be a new chapter for both Kobe and the Lakers. Prior to the injury he was playing so great I felt he could go another 3 years as the best SG off skills alone. This may be his swan song but either way it goes he deserves to go out on the court unlike Iverson.

http://www.nba.com/2013/news/11/16/lakers-bryant-back-at-practice.ap/index.html

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