Settling for jumpers?
obe Bryant led everyone with 32 points Monday, but it took him 31 shots to get those points. Of those 31 shots, a whopping 26 were jump-shots. Who was the most effective Rocket in defending him?
Bryant was just 8-for-22 from the field with Shane Battier defending him and 6-for-9 against everybody else.
The Lakers have a tendency to stand and watch Kobe when their shots aren't falling. They hand the ball off to him and stand around and wait for him to do something. This leaves Kobe defended by his man plus 4 sets of eyes monitoring his every move and ready to pounce.
The Lakers need movement to operate their offense properly. Cutters will find themselves open for easy baskets and Kobe will destroy whoever is covering him alone. They'll also find themselves at the free throw line more often as well. Look for Odom and Ariza to be the prime beneficiaries of the offensive movement as they flash through the lane.