Five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant was finally able to make his season debut on Sunday night after an eight-month absence. Although Bryant neared a double-double with nine points and eight rebounds, the superstar shooting guard turned the ball over a game-high eight times.
Bryant spoke to the media after the game and gave himself an F grade for his performance. As expected, Bryant watched game film after speaking with the media until 2 a.m. and believes his debut wasn’t as bad as he once thought.
According to Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters, Bryant changed his grade after watching film of his debut:
Kobe: “It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was.” After watching film till 2am, he changed his “F” grade to a “D.”
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) December 9, 2013
The glaring stat for Bryant was without a doubt the turnovers. Bryant was clearly rusty and forcing a lot of passes rather than attacking the basket.
With reports of Bryant being overly passive in practice over the past few weeks, it comes as no surprise that he’d look to be a facilitator right out of the gate. Bryant’s score-first mentality will likely reemerge with more games under his belt this season, but as of right now he’s still testing his body in order to gauge what he can do on the floor.
Ultimately, Bryant may get back to form as the player of old, but as of right now, expect more of the same from Bryant until he’s comfortable on the floor.
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ICYMI: Kobe Bryant Grades His Debut Performance With An “F”
