Kobe Bryant: Los Angeles Lakers Star Does Suck So Far

The opening week of the NBA season has been a rough one for one Kobe Bryant.

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The man who once seemed capable of going on a hot streak at a moment’s notice has missed 42 of the 61 shots he’s taken so far this season, averaging a relatively minuscule 15.8 points per game on just five made field goals per game.

This scoring rut has frustrated the 37-year-old star so much that he publicly declared (via ESPN’s Baxter Holmes) himself to be “the 200^th best player in the league right now” following a 103-93 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in which he made three out of the 15 shots he took from the field. While this drought is alarming for those who witnessed how lethal of a scorer Bryant has been over the course of his career, it is not the first time he’s been slow out of the gate.

Bryant struggled mightily to score efficiently at last season’s open as well, coming off of an injury-plagued 2013-14 season that saw him play in a total of six games. In comparison, through the first four games of the 2014-15 season, Bryant missed 50 of the 85 shots he took. However, the number of made field goals per game (8.8), field goal percentage (40% as compared to 32% this season) and points per game (24.8) were all significantly higher than they are this year.

So, what about Bryant’s game has changed so significantly that his scoring efficiency and his scoring in general have taken such a notable dip this year?

Through the first four games, Kobe has attempted an absurd 34 3-pointers, only 9 less than Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry in the same span of games played.

Some may point to the cliche excuse of his age as the main factor, but a look at the stats indicates a different change as being responsible for this cold streak. Bryant has been notorious for continuing to play an old school, mid-range game despite the growing trend league-wide towards the 3-point line. It’s this mid-range prowess that has allowed Bryant to be one of the most efficient scorers in the game over the course of his career, averaging 45% from the field over the span of 20 seasons.

However, as the Lakers have brought in more playmakers to accommodate Bryant’s waning health this season, he has included more catch-and-shoot ability into his game, which has caused his three-point attempts to skyrocket. Through the first four games, Kobe has attempted an absurd 34 3-pointers, only nine less than Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry in the same span of games played, and has made only seven of them.

These three pointers have been the brunt of the shots he’s put up and he’s only making them at a 20.6% clip, which is on pace to be a career-worst for Bryant. While this more off-ball style of play is clearing up the floor for the offense, it’s proving to be extremely detrimental to his ability to contribute in the scoring column.

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If Bryant wants to regain his scoring form, he has to return to what defines him – destroying opponents from inside the arc with unparalleled wit and footwork. He can still attempt 3-pointers from time to time, but they can’t be what he relies upon for the majority of his points as they have been a point of weakness in his game for most of his career. Bryant has been the old-school baller in a new basketball world full of 3-point bombers – and if he wants to succeed, he’s got to stay that way.

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Why Kobe Bryant Does Suck So Far

By Carter Johnson | Nov 5, 2015