The Los Angeles Lakers open the 2015-16 season with three straight losses, after a 103-93 loss to the Dallas Mavericks at Staples Center on Sunday night.
On the bright side, Julius Randle recorded his second double-double of the season with 22 points and 15 rebounds, the first player in the NBA to record at least 22 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, and four steals since Kevin Love on December 15th, 2014, and is the youngest player in the NBA to do so since Anthony Randolph in 2009.
“He’s extremely talented. He’s one of these players where a year from now you’ll see him having an unbelievable jump shot…an unbelievable right hand,” Kobe Bryant said of Randle. “He’s one of those players that’s going to continue to work on those things and develop them. Then his game’s really going to go through the roof.”
Bryant looked out of sorts offensively, knocking down just 3-of-15 field goal attempts, and shooting at a 2-of-8 clip from beyond the arc in the Lakers loss to Dallas. In their three games, Bryant is shooting 31.4 percent from the field, 20.7 percent from three, averaging 5.3 made field goals for his 17 attempts per game.
After the game, head coach Byron Scott said he knows Bryant has been disappointed with the way he’s been shooting. Bryant echoed that same sentiment, but put it a bit more bluntly.
“I’m just playing like sh– right now, that’s all,” Bryant commented after the loss. “D’Angelo (Russell) is putting me in the right spots and stuff like that, I’ve just got to capitalize.”
Bryant, who was recently ranked the 93rd best player in the league by ESPN, didn’t let up, alternating between phrases of “I suck,” to calling himself the 200th best player in the league (of course, a reference to ESPN’s No. 93 NBA rank).
Scott said he wasn’t yet sure if he would stick with the same rotations or experiment this week, despite originally expressing that it would take about 10-15 games before he considered tinkering with the lineups. The Lakers next game is Tuesday night at Staples Center vs. Denver Nuggets, 7:30 PM PST.
Kobe Bryant Harshly Assesses His Performance, Talks Julius Randle’s Potential
Julius Randle After 22 Points/15 Rebounds/4 Assists/4 Steals Performance
Byron Scott After The Lakers 0-3 Start
Lou Williams Looking Forward To Lightened Practice
