Last night, Lakers head coach Byron Scott convinced Kobe Bryant to sit out of a game against the Warriors in order to get some rest. Kobe has looked tired at times during recent games, and the thought is that he needs to recharge his battery right now. So Kobe didn't play during the Lakers' game against Golden State and—wouldn't you know?!—the Lakers won! And in doing so, they proved that they don't necessarily need Kobe in the lineup in order to win games.
But does that mean that they don't want Kobe back? Um, no. But it does mean that Nick Young thinks Kobe needs to stop worrying so much about scoring 40 every game and trust in his teammates a little bit more.
"We're going to have to tell Kobe to pass me the ball," Swaggy P said after last night's game. "Pass us the ball. Tell him to take a backseat a little bit."
That won't be easy for Kobe to do. He's used to being the backbone of the Lakers' lineup. But last night—even though it was only one game—the Lakers showed Kobe that they can move the ball and score without him. Seven different guys, including Carlos Boozer, Ronnie Price, Ed Davis, Wesley Johnson, Wayne Ellington, Jeremy Lin, and Young, scored in double figures. So if nothing else, Kobe now knows that he's got guys on the court that he can depend on to score if need be. It probably won't stop him from shooting the ball at a high rate when he returns to the court. But it might make him think twice before firing up a shot like this.
[via SLAM]
Send all complaints, compliments, and tips to sportstips@complex.com.
