After 19 seasons of wear and tear, Kobe Bryant is struggling in what will likely be his final season with the Los Angeles Lakers. The superstar not being himself on the basketball floor has not gone unnoticed from teammates, coaches, and the fans chiming in on the subject recently.
Although seemingly healthy, Bryant can’t seem to get going on the basketball floor with the superstar guard shooting a dismal 31.4 percent.
Russell was asked about his teammate’s struggles after practice on Monday saying the following, via ESPN’s Baxter Holmes.
D’Angelo Russell on Kobe: "It’s not that he’s not putting in the work. It’s just, the basketball gods aren’t blessing him right now."
— Baxter Holmes (@BaxterHolmes) November 2, 2015
Russell, much like Bryant, is also struggling and has been unable to find his groove with the Lakers thus far. Los Angeles has dropped the first three games of the 2015-16 NBA season with the team coming off two straight blowouts against the Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks.
Bryant has received a lot of criticism for his poor play over the course of the first week of the season, but head coach Byron Scott continues to back his star. Coach Scott doesn’t seem to have a problem with Kobe’s shot selection and believes it’ll be only a matter of time before he gets back up to speed.
Kobe and the Lakers will get back on the floor on Tuesday night against the visiting Denver Nuggets. Russell will be put to the test in this matchup going up against fellow rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay. The Nuggets guard was one of the few prospects the team was considering drafting with the second overall pick and seems to have already made an impression in Denver.
