Much of the talk throughout the season so far regarding the Los Angeles Lakers has been centered on the play of Kobe Bryant. He has proven that he can still score with the elite players of this league, but his efficiency has dipped and he is taking a lot of shots.
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The question of whether Kobe is shooting too much has been a hot topic recently, and Byron Scott gave another reason as to why Bryant is taking so many shots so far this season according to Mark Medina of the LA Daily News:
Byron Scott said fact there is not a definitive No. 2 behind Kobe adds to disconnect with Kobe taking burden.
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) November 10, 2014
With that being the case in Scott’s eyes, he singled out a couple of players who could step up and ease the burden on Kobe via Medina:
Byron believes Boozer, Lin and Johnson collectively elevating game will fill No. 2 void
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) November 10, 2014
So far, Jordan Hill has been the Lakers closest thing to a second option, averaging just under 15 points per game on nearly 53 percent from the field. But Hill’s strength is not being an offensive weapon so the players Scott named definitely need to step it up as they are averaging only 29 points combined.
Nick Young’s pending return could be just what the Lakers need as he will have no problems assuming the role of No. 2 option behind Kobe. Until that time comes however, the entire Lakers team has to step up their game on the offensive end.
[divide]Lakers Practice Report-Team Needs To Stop Watching Kobe