Will Kobe Bryant be able to turn around his shooting this season?
Kobe Bryant is 37 years old and has been a Laker for every one of his 19 years in the league. In that time, he has averaged 25.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 0.5 blocks, 1.5 steals and 1.3 three-pointers made, while shooting 45% from the field and 84% from the line. There is no doubt that scoring points is what Bryant does (he’s done it better than most for almost two decades), but over the past few years he hasn’t been able to do it for a full season.
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Last year the 17-time all-star played in just 35 games before a torn rotator cuff required surgery and with it came the end of his season. In the ’14-’15 season, Bryant logged just six games, missing time due to an Achilles surgery and then later for a fractured knee.
In his storied 19-year career, Bryant has suffered 22 injuries that have caused him to miss one or more games, and they’ve all been located from the knees down since 2011 (with exception to last year’s shoulder injury). For a mobile player like Kobe, who makes a living cutting to the basket, that’s a lot of wear and tear where it matters most.
Fast forward to the present and it’s been a rocky start for Bryant. Through the Lakers’ first four games, he is averaging 15.8 points and 2.5 assists to go along with four boards and one steal in 28 minutes per game. A career 45% shooter, Bryant is currently shooting 32% from the field and 21% from three.
After their third straight loss this season, a somewhat terse Bryant summed up his play by saying “I just can’t make a shot. I’m getting the shots I want. I’m just not making them…I suck right now.”
To be fair, no one expects the Laker legend to be the constant focus of the team’s offense anymore. The franchise is looking to the future, to rebuilding what once was one of the most dominant franchises in NBA history, and to do so they need young talent. And that’s where Bryant’s focus is needed most for Los Angeles – mentoring the young.
Of the players in their first few seasons, rookie guard D’Angelo Russell is Bryant’s top focus, and one that should see more playing time as the season continues. It’s not exactly a familiar role for Bryant, giving up time to others to help their development, but if he can manage it, Russell could be on the rise as Bryant takes more of a backseat.
So what does it all mean in terms of Bryant’s fantasy value? If you drafted him (likely in the middle rounds), you were probably looking for scoring and not much more. As a mid-round ADP, Bryant was a risk/reward pick.
He will always be a gifted player, but with his age and style of play, Bryant is an injury waiting to happen. If, however, he can avoid any serious injuries, Bryant can be expected to play the same kind of game he’s always played, just to a lesser extent. That means he’ll get you scoring first and foremost (with a field goal percentage possibly dipping into the high 30s), he’ll shoot above 80% from the line and he’ll top it off with some rebounds, assists and steals here and there.
This current shooting slump he finds himself in is nothing more than just that at the moment – a slump. Eventually, Bryant will snap out of it and start finding the basket again. It just might take him a bit longer than we’re all used to.
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George Haw is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from George, check out his archive and follow him @gh69501.
