is kobe done?

[The 24th Letter]

This. This is also why lots of people will never be won over by newer talent, few people can look at a young guy and be like, "Ok, he's better than my favorite player was".

Sure it'll suck when Kobe, Duncan, KG, Pierce, Ray, Nash, Dirk, and all those guys leave, but I think the league is in great hands. LeBron for another 10 years, Durant, Wade, Rose, Paul, Rondo, DWill, Dwight. And even younger guys are going to be exciting to watch like Kyrie and Damian Lillard.

So I agree with you tyklug.

Great post my good man.

[d11king]

Re: is kobe done?

I see Kobe returning and playing the way Vince Carter plays now. I don't watch the Mavericks often but whenever they play the Lakeshow, I look at VC and its pretty evident the loss of explosion and speed. I think Kobe will look exactly like VC, except I think Kobe will definitely be in the post more often and I don't think he'll be very ball dominant anymore.

[jeebs9]

Re: is kobe done?

I don't know if Vince is a good comparison. But oh well. I just hope he takes his time.

[d11king]

Re: is kobe done?

I don't know if Vince is a good comparison. But oh well. I just hope he takes his time.

I heard a possible return date of the first game of the season, which IMO, Kobe or not, is wayyyy too early, and I wouldn't be surprised if that's what he's aiming for.

EDIT: And I think I mean Vince moreso in the way VC moves around, like those quick explosive moves Kobe used to make I don't see him being able to do. Like whenever I see Vince play, I could be wrong but it looks like he moves around very cautious. That's not to say that VC actually moves with that thought process, moreso like, he's lost that step and with him like 5 minutes from Father Time, that's just how it is when he moves.

[d11king]

Re: is kobe done?

TMy friend just sent me a meme making fun of Kobe, it reads...

**Ruptures Achillies, takes 2 FT's and walks off...**
**Bi- please**
**Rondo dislocates elbow and played until the end of the game, and next game.**
**Tears ACL, finished 2 OT game and suited up for next game**

I'm not a doctor or anything, but do I have the right Rafer Alston smack this dude upside his head for not knowing what a torn Achillies feels like, or is he correct about, "Rondo being tougher"... I've never had either of those injuries so I'm not sure how either feels.

[23]

Re: is kobe done?

The rupture is said to only hurt for a moment then it kind of deadens out, and youre left with the weird feeling of not being able to move your foot...so without all of the trolling and crap i wouldnt call either tougher but the achilles leaves you in much much less pain

[The 24th Letter]

I've seen variations of those memes, they're all stupid

[24]

Re: is kobe done?

Kobe is going to have to rely on his post game more heavily than he does now when he comes back. Hes not going to have any explosion anymore. He needs to make his mid range game that much better to compensate.

[Kashanova]

Re: is kobe done?

I've seen variations of those memes, they're all stupid

whenever someone sends me that, I talk about how a terrible foul call that was

[Kashanova]

Re: is kobe done?

Kobe is going to have to rely on his post game more heavily than he does now when he comes back. Hes not going to have any explosion anymore. He needs to make his mid range game that much better to compensate.

agreed, He's going to need to learn how to play without the first step from the left elbow.. He may not be able to have the same explosion from the triple threat

[wwharton]

Re: is kobe done?

whenever someone sends me that, I talk about how a terrible foul call that was

They are dumb...

... and that was a laughable foul, lol. I can give the ref the benefit of the doubt this time since it's not like Kobe was flopping (he was actually hurt) but that was the first thing I thought when I saw the replay.

As for Kobe's game, the question about his explosiveness is legit but I also wonder about his elevation. He's been transforming his game for years to deal with losing explosiveness. If he can't rise to shoot over people or fade away with the same effectiveness, his decline will be MUCH faster. Especially since he never has been a catch and shoot player like Reggie Miller or Ray Allen now.

[blackceasar]

Re: is kobe done?

Is Kobe done?

Not by a long shot.

Are my Lakers done?

Probably so.

You have to seperate the man (Kobe) from the team (Lakers). The reason why Kobe played so many minutes this season is partially because of the really bad start they had the first month of the season. I think Kobe looked around and said "ok, I guess I'm going to have to do it all". The problem is the 28 year old Kobe could do it all and will his team to a championship, on top of that, he had a MUCH better team around him.

The Lakers took steps backwards when dealing Odom and Bynum. While Howard is the most talented center in the NBA today, Bynum has an intensity that I don't really see with Howard. David Stern killing the deal to get Chris Paul didn't help matters either.

I think if you couldnt get Chris Paul or Howard either, I think the team two years ago with Bynum, Gasol, and Odom would have been a better team that what walked onto the court this year. I think Kobe wouldn't have played as many minutes either and I think D'Antoni's system would have worked better because you had an athletic Lamar Odom that could play in that style of offense.

Kobe isn't done. The Lakers are.

You grabbed an old Steve Nash. You traded a good "get the job done" big man for a Dwight Howard who you have no idea what DW is going to show up on any given night AND it's not even a gurantee he will be back in LA after this season.

I'm not even sure if it was really Mike Browns fault either. I'm not even sure if he should have been fired. The front office should have been fired for the deals they made after Stern killed the deal to get CP3.

Kobe is hurt, and even without the injury is getting older. The team itself got a little older singing Nash (who's a stopgap at best now). What happens if Howard doesnt stay? There is just not enough talent on that team now to play in D'Antoni's system. World Peace is a good player, and he gets the job done, BUT I think he plays well because Kobe playing well and being there motivates him. Gasol at this point in his career shouldnt have to be called out and prodded like a cattle to "man up". He's soft. Period. I would have rather had his brother inside banging away at the PF/C position.

I feel bad for Kobe. Not just because I'm a fan, but because his team got Al Davis'd last season. Unless you can make some REAL FA signings this off season and keep Howard here, my Lakers are going to start to slip off into the land of irrelevancy. CP3 is gong to be a FA this year, but I think he will stay put with the Clippers. For 1, there is chemistry there now with that team. 2 I don't think he wants to deal with the Lakers front office drama and Jerry Bus' son. 3. He can get more money from the Clippers and 4.. it would be a PR nightmare for him to go to the Lakers. While not vilified like Lebron, he would fall under harsh criticism.

Again, Kobe isn't done. My Lakers are...and so are Kobe's chances of a 6th ring. At this point, he would have to sign with another team, and a lesser salary to sniff another championship.

[TheBlvckMamba]

Re: is kobe done?

I'm not a Kobe fan, but without doubt we all know he's one of the best and competitive player ever in the history of the NBA , and this torn ACL he went through I think he's taking it like a sprained ankle , not so worried about it stopping his game , in my opinion I think he's going to come back after next season and playing the best since his days with Shaq.

[ojandpizza]

I'm not a Kobe fan, but without doubt we all know he's one of the best and competitive player ever in the history of the NBA , and this torn ACL he went through I think he's taking it like a sprained ankle , not so worried about it stopping his game , in my opinion I think he's going to come back after next season and playing the best since his days with Shaq.

He didn't tear his ACL.. And there is no chance in hell he comes back from this better than he was before..

Do you really even understand what you're saying here? He's supposed to play at the same level he did when he was 26 at age 36?

Add in the fact that he just had a major injury and will still need tons of rehab just to reach a level that he's even able to step onto the court.

[24]

Re: is kobe done?

Agree with your statement oj. It's ridiculous to expect Kobe average 28-30 points a game anymore. However I really believe that if he is able to modify his game he would still be able to put up 25 a night without a problem. He needs to use his smarts and find effective ways to score. It was going to happen eventually the injury just accelerated the process.