I never understood all this "new kobe" talk

[blowdawhistle]

Real talk it seems like everytime they talk about the Lakers and Kobe they have to make some refence to him being this whole new player....yall know whatI'm talking about...for instance just now Jon Barry on nba shootaround was like "if the old kobe hurt his back he would try to shoot his team tovictory, but the new kobe trusts to his team to help him"....that wasn't an exact quote but it was something like that....

Its not like I'm saying Kobe doesn't trust his team more cuz obviously he does...but to me its MORE his teammates are just better than kobe being this"new" player this year...cuz those of you that watch the Lakers be4 this year know that Vujaic, Farmer, Odom, Bynum, Walton, Turiaf, etc...theyweren't nearly as good the pasts seasons as they were this year....and I know some of yall are going to say he never gave them a chance, but Kobe practicedwith these guys everyday..so he could see where their skill level was and knew they weren't ready...this year he probably got to training camp and saw thatthey improved their games over the summer....(and odom finally has his mind right)...

Has Kobe grown as a player....yea maybe...BUT the Lakers are better this year cuz EVERYONE ELSE is better...not so much cuz kobe is better....(and memphis gavethem gasol of course) .... i mean some people be actin like Kobe just woke up one day and said "i need to trust my teammates more".... his teamearned his trust by working over the summer....so to me its not really a "new" kobe....more like a "new everyone else"

There is no doubt in my mind that if his team was as good last year or the year be4..he would been playing the same way he is now...sooner

 

[honeybbq wings 33]

No.


Kobe MADE them better......


/thread

 

[acidicality]

We should just have a sticky in this forum for all Kobe stuff.

 

[bullsrepeat3peat]

Originally Posted by acidicality

We should just have a sticky in this forum for all Kobe stuff.

 

[531]

The real question is I never understood why when the talk is concerning players other than Kobe, they say "that player makes their teammates better".But with Kobe, it's "Kobe doesn't make his teammates better, they just got better". The man can't win, if he shoots too much and passesless, he is criticized. He shoots less and passes more, he is criticized. Give the man some $%$@!+* credit, seriously.

 

[marleysprotege]

still acts like a *%%+! to me .. always has and always will

 

[blowdawhistle]

Originally Posted by 531

The real question is I never understood why when the talk is concerning players other than Kobe, they say "that player makes their teammates better". But with Kobe, it's "Kobe doesn't make his teammates better, they just got better". The man can't win, if he shoots too much and passes less, he is criticized. He shoots less and passes more, he is criticized. Give the man some $%$@!+* credit, seriously.

Who is critizing him abouting shooting less and passing more???

 

[jdmfanatic]

Originally Posted by BlowDaWhistle

Originally Posted by 531

The real question is I never understood why when the talk is concerning players other than Kobe, they say "that player makes their teammates better". But with Kobe, it's "Kobe doesn't make his teammates better, they just got better". The man can't win, if he shoots too much and passes less, he is criticized. He shoots less and passes more, he is criticized. Give the man some $%$@!+* credit, seriously.

Who is critizing him abouting shooting less and passing more???

umm aren't you doing that right now?

 

[fede dpt]

Kobe is from another planet. He's in his own league as far as I'm concerned, nobody is checkin Kobe right now.

 

[531]

Originally Posted by BlowDaWhistle

Originally Posted by 531

The real question is I never understood why when the talk is concerning players other than Kobe, they say "that player makes their teammates better". But with Kobe, it's "Kobe doesn't make his teammates better, they just got better". The man can't win, if he shoots too much and passes less, he is criticized. He shoots less and passes more, he is criticized. Give the man some $%$@!+* credit, seriously.

Who is critizing him abouting shooting less and passing more???

I guess you don't frequent Niketalk or TV postgame analysis' after every Laker loss.

 

[blowdawhistle]

Originally Posted by JDMFanatic

Originally Posted by BlowDaWhistle

Originally Posted by 531

The real question is I never understood why when the talk is concerning players other than Kobe, they say "that player makes their teammates better". But with Kobe, it's "Kobe doesn't make his teammates better, they just got better". The man can't win, if he shoots too much and passes less, he is criticized. He shoots less and passes more, he is criticized. Give the man some $%$@!+* credit, seriously.

Who is critizing him abouting shooting less and passing more???

umm aren't you doing that right now?

Nope....I'm saying I dont understand the media saying that kobe is this "new" player.. like the guys on his squad has always been goodbut he was just too selfish and cared too much about getting his to give the ball up..when really he would've been passing more a long time ago if he wasteam would've been better..

 

[nyk buc]

no he's a different guy. the old kobe did pass (he did avg 4-5 assits his entire career). but the old kobe EASILY gets frustrated if his teammatesstruggle. he wouldn't pass to the guys who suck the entire game and things like that. he would rather do it himself.

this new kobe? he still passes to dfish if he struggles all game, or farmar (like he has this series) or other guys who have struggled. that's call havingtrust in your teammates, but also your teammates stepping up.

kobe is not easily frustrated anymore. the old kobe would.

 

[shuges]

Originally Posted by acidicality

We should just have a sticky in this forum for all Kobe stuff.

Just like how the music forum had a Jay-Z one and a Kanye one, etc.

 

[franchise3]

Blow, I've been saying this throughout the year too in the MVP threads.

Kobe is Kobe.

His teammates are the ones who are giving him a reason to pass the ball around this year.

Not so much Kobe all of a sudden coming to an epiphany.

Kobe's numbers are the same from last year, with practically the same bunch. But yet, they finished the #1 seed, and ended up as the 4th highest scoringteam in the league. It's just his teammates are giving him reason to pass the ball more, since they're knocking down shots. Defense breaks down, andyou can pass it to D-Fish, Vlad, Sasha who turned into 'The Machine' this year, and Farmar. They'll hit it.

Last year, it wasn't like that.

Before this season, Kobe felt it was a one man team out there. He felt he had to do everything himself. That's why he was pissed Bynum didn't gettraded when it was rumored the Lakers could have gotten L.O. or Kidd. That's why he wanted outta town before the season started. He didn't see anylight at the end of the tunnel with this bunch.

Don't get me wrong though, as I think Kobe is the best in the game right now.

But definitely his teammates played a huge role in helping Kobe realize that it's ok to pass, instead of going for 40.

There's still flashes of old Kobe though. See: Game 4

 

[darthska]

A) You obviously didn't watch Kobe before, when he had talents like Horry, Fox, Payton, Malone, Shaq, Rice, Richmond (yeah, at the end of his career; butstill), Harper (ditto), Eddie Jones, Nick the Quick. Dude has definitely matured over the years, and is FAR more of a team player than he has ever been.

-OR-

B) You watched him before, but you didn't really pay attention to his tendencies. And as you watch him now, you're not paying attention to histendencies.

It's one of those two.

 

[531]

Kobe was a great team player during the Shaq era. When he left, Kobe went from having talented teammates to scrubs (Brian Grant, Cook, Smush, Kwame etc.) andhe was still passing, averaging 5apg. It's not a new Kobe, he's been the same.

 

[true 3 blue]

This is exactly the bs im talkin about.

 

[downtown43]

i agree, there is no "new" Kobe. it's pretty simple actually.

Kobe kept shooting because his teammates were garbage. but with the squad he has now, why would he try to do everything himself?

 

[sohi 23]

Originally Posted by DOWNTOWN43

i agree, there is no "new" Kobe. it's pretty simple actually.

Kobe kept shooting because his teammates were garbage. but with the squad he has now, why would he try to do everything himself?

Basically.

Why pass the ball when you and your teammates both know they can't do anything?
He would seriously pass the ball to them and watch them do nothing and he would get frustrated, I would too.
He almost got to the 2nd round by himself and a bunch of scrubs(game 7

,whatever, I'm not complaining now)

His team got better, they worked hard over the off-season, so of course Kobe is going to start passing it to them.

 

[ebay 23]

NOT this fool again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[darthska]

531:

---

Kobe was a great team player during the Shaq era. When he left, Kobe went from having talented teammates to scrubs (Brian Grant, Cook, Smush, Kwame etc.) and he was still passing, averaging 5apg. It's not a new Kobe, he's been the same.
No.

He was a great player... who was a teammate.

 

[darthska]

Who?

 

[coolnificent]

I'm guessing it's because of the number change.

 

[franchise3]

Originally Posted by SoHi 23

Originally Posted by DOWNTOWN43

i agree, there is no "new" Kobe. it's pretty simple actually.

Kobe kept shooting because his teammates were garbage. but with the squad he has now, why would he try to do everything himself?

Basically.

Why pass the ball when you and your teammates both know they can't do anything?
He would seriously pass the ball to them and watch them do nothing and he would get frustrated, I would too.
He almost got to the 2nd round by himself and a bunch of scrubs(game 7

, whatever, I'm not complaining now)

His team got better, they worked hard over the off-season, so of course Kobe is going to start passing it to them.

Co-sign.

Kobe is that dude, but before this season, it was a one man act. Now it's Kobe featuring everybody else.

 

[lnmymind]

Ska pretty much ended this thread already...

Let's not act like Kobe played with scrubs his whole career...dude was GUNNING when he had legends on his team. Obviously something has clicked with himthis past year...