Kobe Bryant: Can Former Superstar Return to Form

The Los Angeles Lakers are coming off of one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history last year, but are hoping to turn that around this season with franchise superstar Kobe Bryant returning to the court. He has looked very healthy so far this preseason, and the expectations are beginning to rise for him this year.

In five preseason games, Bryant has averaged 17.4 points, 4.4 assists, and 2.8 rebounds per game. Those numbers aren’t shabby at all, and he has scored 27 and 26 points in the last two preseason games respectively. He has also averaged 1.8 steals per game, and looks to have his quick step and entire offensive arsenal back so far. Each game he has begun to get his feel for the game, speed, and toughness back as well.

Quite a few question marks have come up about whether or not Bryant can help in the Lakers’ future. There haven’t been too many free agents signing with the team due to the type of money that Bryant makes, and some don’t like how controlling he is. So the question becomes, is Bryant a problem with the injuries that he has had, or can he return to form and make L.A. an attractive landing spot once again.

Bryant has been the Lakers’ franchise player for quite some time, and has helped take them to five rings. He has been one of the best players in NBA history, and has drawn many comparisons to Michael Jordan for the way that he has played and worked. His passion for the game can’t be rivaled by many, and he has changed his game as age has begun to slow down his athleticism.

Unfortunately, Bryant has run into some very difficult times lately, suffering two major injuries that resulted in season-ending surgeries. There has been quite a bit of concern about whether or not he can ever get back to being the dominant scorer that he once was. So far this preseason he has been able to score at a high level, and he has also been a good playmaker as well.

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Those numbers don’t look good at all on the surface, but he had begun turning things around when he went down with the knee injury that ended his season last year. Bryant was still a great playmaker for his teammates, and his shot had begun coming back around. This time around, Bryant has had a full offseason to work out and get prepared for the upcoming season and he has already shown that he is ready to go.

While the Lakers haven’t had much success recently, it cannot be blamed on Bryant. He has given the Lakers everything that he has, and is still playing at a very high level. It’s not his fault that players don’t want to play with the Lakers, and it’s not his fault that the front office hasn’t found ways to lure free agents to join the team.

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If the Lakers are going to get back on track over the next few seasons, it will be due to Bryant leading the way. He is still a big part of the cure for the Lakers, and while his contract and personality might not make players want to come play with him, there are also those that would love to play with him for the same reason. Los Angeles needs to figure out how to change their free agent pitch in order to lure players to join the Lakers.

Expect to see a dominant version of Bryant once again this year, and for him to lead his team once again. He is not washed up, and he still has a few good years of basketball left in him if he chooses to keep playing.